Eagles Promote CB C.J. Smith
The Eagles announced that they have promoted C.J. Smith to the 53-man roster. In a related move, tight end Anthony Denham was signed to the practice squad. 
By signing Smith, the Eagles once again have five cornerbacks on the roster. Nolan Carroll and Leodis McKelvin are Philly’s starters with Ron Brooks and Jalen Mills as backups. Smith will round out the group and presumably also pitch in on special teams.
The North Dakota State product joined the Eagles this year as a UDFA. Smith was nearly called up to the main roster last month when McKelvin went down with a hamstring strain. The team went in a different direction, but the young cornerback is getting his shot four weeks later.
Jets To Place Eric Decker On IR
6:45pm: The Jets have official placed Decker on the injured reserve, reports Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com.
For what it’s worth, coach Todd Bowles said his team is prepared for the significant subtraction.
“He’s been out two weeks now,” he told Lange. “We kind of knew if he didn’t respond, he may have to go that route and the other guys have been getting reps, so it’s not as bad as it would seem to be.”
9:56am: The Jets are placing Eric Decker on injured reserve, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The team has since confirmed the news via press release.
Recently, Decker explained that treatment for his partial rotator cuff tear would come down to pain management. Instead, it turns out that he’ll need surgery to fix the tear. The surgery will likely be a season-ender, so we shouldn’t expect to see No. 87 on the field in eight weeks.
“Of course, there’s going to be pain. Everyone plays with pain. This is a physical game,” Decker told Daniel Popper of the New York Daily News recently. “So I don’t expect myself to be 100 percent at some point. It’s just getting to where it’s manageable and…I can still play the same game that I need to play.”
Decker, 29, enjoyed his best season as a Jet last year, catching 80 passes for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns. Through three games this year, Decker has nine receptions for 194 yards and two scores.
The Jets filled Decker’s spot on the roster earlier today when they plucked cornerback Nick Marshall off of the Jaguars’ practice squad. The team also added reinforcements at receiver by claiming Jeremy Butler off waivers from the Bucs yesterday.
Practice Squad Updates: 10/12/16
Earlier today, the Steelers made a notable practice squad move when they signed running back Karlos Williams. Here’s the rest of today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: QB Zac Dysert
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Lou Young
- Cut: S Marcus Ball
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Anthony Fabiano
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Jay Lee
- Cut: DB Charles Washington
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB Senorise Perry
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Shaq Evans
- Cut: FB Glenn Gronkowski
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Eric Pinkins
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: TE Cooper Helfet
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DL A.J. Francis
Ravens Claim OL Billy Turner Off Waivers
The Ravens have claimed offensive lineman Billy Turner off of waivers, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Turner was cut loose by the Dolphins on Tuesday. To make room, linebacker Chris Carter has been released.
Turner started 12 games for the Dolphins last year. This year, the team shifted him to the bench and he still did not produce to their liking in his reduced role. In five games (two starts), Pro Football Focus rated him as the 75th best tackle out of 76 qualified players this season. He earned a poor overall grade of 31.8 in 63 pass block snaps and 34 run block snaps.
Now, the Ravens are hoping that a change of scenery will breed better results. A former third-round pick, Turner played tackle collegiately but he moved to the interior for Miami. The Ravens recently added guard Vlad Ducasse, so it will be interesting to see what their O-Line looks like by the end of the week.
Justin Houston Cleared To Practice
Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston has been given the green light to resume practice activity, as ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher tweets. Houston is currently on the physically unable to perform list, but the team can take him off the list on Monday. 
The Chiefs placed Houston on the PUP list to start the season, meaning that he would be out of action for at least six weeks. Once Houston is taken off of the PUP list, he will be allowed to practice for 21 days before the team has to activate him. The team is hoping that Houston will be able to hit the ground running, but it’s not immediately clear when he might make his in-game debut.
So far, the team has just five sacks through four games this season. KC needs Houston on the field, but they won’t rush him if he’s not ready. The Chiefs take on the rival Raiders this Sunday. Houston, in theory, could be activated on Sunday Oct. 23 against the Saints.
Lions DT Haloti Ngata To Miss Time
Lions defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is expected to miss 2-3 weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He is currently undergoing tests to confirm that timetable. 
Ngata left the Lions’ 24-23 win over the Eagles with a shoulder injury. So far in this young season, the advanced metrics haven’t been fond of Ngata’s play. He ranks as the 58th best interior defender in the league out of 111 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus. His pass rush score of 69.6 would put him in at least the middle of the pack, but he has earned an atrocious 48.7 mark for his run defense.
In his first season in the Motor City, Ngata started 15 games, posting 15 tackles and 2.5 sacks. This spring, the Lions re-upped him on a two-year pact worth $12MM with $6MM fully guaranteed.
The Lions rank 21st in the NFL in run defense this season.
Browns OL Joel Bitonio To Miss Time
Browns guard Joel Bitonio has a mid-foot injury and will be out for an extended period of time, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. Bitonio has been playing through the injury for some time, but that has only exacerbated the issue. 
Last year, Bitonio was placed on IR in December when an ankle injury forced him out of action. He was rated as the No. 33 guard in the NFL by Pro Football Focus when he was shut down last year. This year, through five games, PFF has him rated as the ninth-best guard in the league. He has earned an overall grade of 83.3 with roughly even scores for his pass blocking and run blocking.
The Browns have had terrible luck with injuries so far this season and Bitonio is just the latest starter to go down. It remains to be seen how long the 25-year-old will be sidelined for.
Dolphins DT Earl Mitchell On Pace To Return
Help could be on the way for the Dolphins’ woeful pass rush. Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, who was placed on IR earlier this year, says that he is on track to return after his eight-week shelving period ends (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald). 
So far, the D-Line led by high-priced tackle Ndamukong Suh has underperformed. The return of Mitchell could give the Dolphins a boost, though he won’t be eligible to return until Week 9 at the earliest.
Mitchell left the Texans in free agency to sign with the Dolphins prior to the 2014 season. The defensive tackle received a four-year, $19MM deal with $8MM guaranteed. In his first year as a Dolphin, Mitchell was a highly-valued sub as he notched 33 total tackles and 2.0 sacks. Last year, he had 22 total tackles and no sacks in 12 games (all starts).
Earlier today, Miami promoted Leon Orr from the practice squad to aid their DT group.
Dolphins Promote DT Leon Orr
The Dolphins have promoted defensive tackle Leon Orr from their practice squad, as Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. 
Orr appeared in three games for the Raiders last season. This year, he spent training camp with Oakland but was let go prior to the 75-man deadline. He was then out of work for a few weeks, but he ultimately hooked on with Miami’s taxi squad on Sept. 20. Now, he’s back on the varsity squad.
The 2015 UDFA out of Florida joins a defensive tackle group headlined by Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips. He’ll play in a support role along with Chris Jones and Julius Warmsley.
The Dolphins are currently dead last in the NFL when it comes to run defense. Miami is hoping that a deeper defensive tackle rotation can help fix that.
No Surgery For Bills WR Sammy Watkins
Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins will be out for a while, but he won’t have to go under the knife, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This week, foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson informed Watkins that he won’t need surgery and he can instead get by with just rest and rehab. That leaves the door open for Watkins to return to action late in the season. 
[RELATED: Bills Activate Seantrel Henderson]
Late last month, the Bills placed Watkins on injured reserve but the new rules allow teams to bring one player back from IR each season after eight weeks on the shelf. That means that the wide receiver could potentially return as soon for Week 12.
Watkins, 23, has been dealing with his foot issue since May, when he had a screw inserted following what was termed a “minor” fracture. The ailment clearly held him back this season as he recorded just six catches for 63 yards in two games. The foot was also an issue for Watkins in 2015, but he powered through the pain on most weeks.