Minor NFL Transactions: 12/26/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
Houston Texas
- Signed: LB Tyrell Adams
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Steven Dunbar
Washington Redskins
- Signed: LB Marquis Flowers
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/26/18
Here are today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Will House
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: LB Tyrell Adams
- Signed: CB Michael Hunter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DE Tyrone Holmes
Packers Interview Chuck Pagano For HC
In addition to Jim Caldwell, the Packers have also interviewed former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano for the team’s head coaching vacancy, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein tweets. 
In June, Pagano, 58, told reporters that he was hoping to return to the sidelines soon after being fired from Indianapolis following a 4-12 season in 2017.“I’ve got a couple years left in me. I’ve got unfinished business. I’d love to have another opportunity, I just love being around the guys, being on grass and competing.”
He could get his wish with Green Bay, which has interviewed at least him and another former Colts head coach in Caldwell.
In his first three seasons in Indianapolis, Pagano led the Colts to back-to-back-to-back 11-5 seasons in Andrew Luck’s first years in the league. He then authored consecutive 8-8 campaigns before finishing 4-12 while Luck missed the entire season with an injury.
As Silverstein notes in his tweet, Pagano has significant ties to the Packers’ current staff, having worked with defensive coordinator Mike Pettine in Baltimore and having hired Green Bay’s current interim coach Joe Philbin with the Colts.
Pagano spent this season as a consultant for the NFL working with officials.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/25/18
Today’s workouts, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):
Green Bay Packers
- TE: Evan Bayliss
Houston Texans
- LB: Cory James
San Francisco 49ers
- DE: Damontre Moore
Seattle Seahawks
- CB: Quinten Rollins; SS’s: Keith Tandy, Shamarko Thomas
Tennessee Titans
- DEs: Christian LaCouture, Kendall Vickers; DT: Dee Liner
Washington Redskins
- TE: Jace Amaro; Ts: Isaiah Battle, Cyrus Kouandjio, Darius James; DL: Kwaku Boateng (EDM CFL); QBs: Max Browne, Joe Callahan; LBs: Marquis Flowers, Hau’oli Kikaha, Corey Nelson, John Timu; WRs: Carlos Henderson, ArDarius Stewart, Tre McBride, Devin Smith.
Jim Caldwell Has Interviewed For Packers HC
Just before Christmas, it was reported that former Lions and Colts head coach Jim Caldwell would be a head coaching candidate in 2019. Just a few days later, he has apparently already interviewed for the vacancy in Green Bay, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports (Twitter link). 
The vacancy, of course, is the helm left after the team fired longtime head coach Mike McCarthy earlier in the season. A longtime quarterbacks coach, Caldwell would seemingly be a solid addition to work with Aaron Rodgers. In his career, Caldwell has worked with franchise quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning and Matthew Stafford.
However, Rodgers seemingly put his support behind interim head coach Joe Philbin after this past week’s win, according to Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal.
During his run as a head coach, Caldwell has amassed a 62-50 record and delivered three winning seasons in four campaigns with Detroit after the team logged just two such seasons in the previous 16 years before his arrival.
Before that, Caldwell was a longtime assistant with the Colts who became Indianapolis’ head coach in 2009 after Tony Dungy retired. He guided his club to an AFC championship in his first season at the helm and the Colts lost the Super Bowl that year. They returned to the playoffs in 2010, but finished 2011 with a 2-14 record after the season-long injury to Manning and Caldwell was fired at the end of the season.
Caldwell is a Wisconsin native who was born and raised in Beloit, just across the border from Illinois.
East Notes: Eagles, Sproles, Dolphins, Redskins
The Eagles will have plenty of roster decisions to make heading into the 2019 season. Two of the names at the top of the list include veteran running Darren Sproles and oft-injured linebacker Jordan Hicks, Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com writes.
After originally declaring this as his final season, Sproles has looked like a vintage version of himself, leading many to wonder if he would come back for his 15th NFL season. One person who would love to have the pass-catching back return is Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.
“I think Darren Sproles would be a great addition” for 2019, Pederson said. “He’s a great leader. he works hard, he’s a great mentor to a lot of young players. I think anybody would love to have a Darren Sproles. I mean, I would.”
He didn’t offer the same ringing endorsement for Hicks. Despite being a noted playmaker who ranks third on the team in tackles in 2018, the Texas Longhorns product has missed 21 games in his first four seasons, including four this season.
“I’ll worry about the roster in the spring when I get to the spring,” Pederson said. “Jordan’s been a big part of our success here and he helped us win the game last week and he’ll help us win another on Sunday.”
Here’s more from around the East:
- Sticking with the Eagles, thanks once again to Nick Foles, the team is currently in the fight for the last playoff spot in the NFC. Should they make it, there will undoubtedly be a contingent of fans hoping Philly will bring back the veteran in 2019. However, that is unlikely to happen, writes Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Brandt. With Foles on the books for $20MM next year, it is much more likely the Eagles do not exercise his option and make him a free agent. If he goes on another magical run in January, however, every option has to be on the table.
- Dolphins vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum is not expected back with the team in 2019, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. The move would end his four-year run with the team. Head coach Adam Gase is expected to be retained. Salguero also has heard a few of the names as possible replacements include Dan Marino and Dawn Aponte.
- Following the release of D.J. Swearinger, one of the Redskins’ top needs this season has quickly become safety, Ben Standig of NBC Sports writes. Coupled with the potential departure of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the Redskins would be down both of their safeties heading into 2019. Should they address the issue in the draft, the team could target Alabama’s Deionte Thompson or Virginia’s Juan Thornhill, two of the top-ranked prospects at free and strong safety, respectively.
Phillip Lindsay To Undergo Surgery
It was already expected that Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay would miss the team’s season finale with a wrist injury suffered against the Raiders. The team now knows the injury will require surgery and is expected to keep the Pro Bowl selection out for three to four months, Broncos head coach Vance Joseph told reporters and ESPN’s Jeff Legwold on Monday. 
Assuming he receives the surgery in the coming days, the undrafted gem out of Colorado should be ready by the time OTAs roll around after the draft.
t’s a big blow for Lindsay, who became the first undrafted rookie offensive player to be selected to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018. After splitting carries as a change-of-pace back early in the season, the Colorado product moved into a prominent role with his first start in Week 8 and held the role through Week 16. He finished the season with three 100-yard rushing efforts and touchdown runs in six of his final nine games.
With Lindsay sidelined, the team will get extended looks at fellow rookie Royce Freeman and third-year back Devontae Booker in their final contest of the season against the Chargers. In Lindsay’s absence against the Raiders, Freeman saw seven carries and Booker had three, with both producing 21 yards.
AFC Notes: Browns, Ravens, Broncos, Jets
Few names have been hotter in coaching circles recently than Browns offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, who was promoted to the role with Cleveland in Week 9 and has helped the squad since go 5-2. It should come as no surprise the Browns are interested in Kitchens returning to the role in 2019, but his name is starting to make the rounds in head-coaching rumors.
Any team wishing to tab Kitchens as an offensive coordinator is out of luck, as Cleveland can refuse any interview for the job. While some team might come sniffing for the innovative offensive mind, the Browns could make the move for Kitchens as their head coach according to ESPN’s Tony Grossi.
Grossi writes, “Like the Los Angeles Rams did with Sean McVay two years ago, the Browns could reasonably conclude that if Kitchens is on the fast track to be an NFL head coach, then it would be better to move him into that office a year too soon rather than lose him to somebody willing to take that gamble.”
Due to the team’s turnaround, interim head coach Gregg Williams is sure to get a long look for the position as well.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Ravens are expected to lost national scout Milt Hendrickson to a front-office role with the Packers, Jeff Zribiec of The Athletic writes. In the 2018 offseason, the Packers were denied by the Ravens in attempting to make the move. He served with the team since 2005. Hendrickson is good friends with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and lives in Wisconsin.
- With the Broncos recording their second consecutive losing season for the first time since 1972, many expect John Elway to make big changes in the upcoming season. A few of those players expected to potentially be looking for a new job include Shane Ray, Su’a Cravens and Brandon Marshall, The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala writes. Though Marshall has two years remaining on his deal, none of that money is guaranteed and the team could move on from the veteran in favor of rookie Josey Jewell.
- At 4-11, the Jets have plenty of areas to address in the upcoming offseason. The four biggest needs, however, include receiver, pass rusher, running back and offensive line, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY writes. Not surprisingly, three of those four needs revolve around giving first-year quarterback Sam Darnold some help on the offensive end. In addressing the running back situation, Vacchiano speculates the Jets could make a serious run at Le’Veon Bell with the team’s ample cap space.
Packers Place DL Kenny Clark On IR
A week after shutting down defensive tackle Kenny Clark for the season with an elbow injury, the team officially placed him on injured reserve on Tuesday, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. 
He will be replaced on the roster by tackle Alex Light, who is coming off a one-game PED suspension, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky tweets.
The injury that sidelined the breakout defensive lineman is not expected to need surgery, but with the Packers officially out of the playoff race, the team decided to sit him for the final three games.
In his third season in the league, Clark, 23, enjoyed his finest as a pro, boasting a career-high six sacks and equalling last’s season’s personal best of 55 tackles. The 2016 first-round pick emerged as the anchor of the Packers defensive line and as one of the league’s best all-around defensive tackles. When he went down with an injury, Clark was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the league’s ninth-best interior lineman.
In May, the Packers are expected to pick up his fifth-year option that will keep him in Green Bay through the 2020 campaign.
Phillip Lindsay Has Ligament Damage In Wrist
Broncos rookie running back Phillip Lindsay‘s season came to an end on Monday, as tests revealed he suffered ligament damage in his injured wrist vs. the Raiders, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets. In addition to missing the season finale, Lindsay will also likely be sidelined for the Pro Bowl. 
The damage to the ligaments are described as significant, and he will receive a second opinion on a possible scaphoid fracture according to 9News’ Mike Klis (Twitter link). The duration for his recovery has not been outlined but is expected to be a lengthy one, as surgery is likely.
“I was just going through a play and it got hit and it just got numb a little bit,” Lindsay said. “They took precaution and felt that I should stay out … they decided it was probably smart for me to sit out.”
It’s a crushing blow for Lindsay, who became the first undrafted rookie offensive player to be selected to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018. After splitting carries as a change-of-pace back early in the season, the Colorado product moved into a prominent role with his first start in Week 8 and held the role through Week 16. He finished the season with three 100-yard rushing efforts and touchdown runs in six of his final nine games.
One of the league’s best bargains, Lindsay is signed through the 2020 season at a total remaining salary of $1.2MM.