Steelers Sign Karlos Williams To P-Squad
The Steelers announced that they have signed Karlos Williams to their practice squad. Williams’ four-game suspension recently wrapped up, meaning that he is free to play. 
[RELATED: Steelers Release David Cobb From Practice Squad]
Williams is known to be an exceptionally talented back, but his work ethic and conditioning has been called into question in the past. This summer, Williams ballooned up to 261 pounds, up from his 2015 playing weight of 229. On top of that, the Bills had to deal with some off-the-field missteps from the youngster and this offseason they decided that it would be best to cut ties with him. It wasn’t long ago that Williams looked like he could be the heir apparent to LeSean McCoy.
Williams auditioned for the Steelers in late August and although he did not leave with a deal on that day, he did eventually score a contract with Pittsburgh. The tailback now takes the place of David Cobb after he was dropped from the p-squad on Tuesday. The shuffling means that the Steelers still have two running backs on the practice squad with Williams and Daryl Richardson. The running back now joins his older brother Vince Williams who has been having a strong season at inside linebacker for Pittsburgh.
In his rookie year, Williams averaged 5.6 yards per carry, picked up 613 scrimmage yards, and scored nine times on just 104 touches.
Jets Sign CB Nick Marshall
The Jets have signed cornerback Nick Marshall off of the Jaguars practice squad. This morning, Marshall took to Twitter to share the news. 
“Proud to announce that I am a New member of the New York Jets!!! #JetUp,” Marshall tweeted.
Marshall, an Auburn product, joined the Jaguars after he went undrafted in 2015. Even though he was a quarterback in college, the Jags pursued him immediately as a cornerback. Jacksonville was the first team to contact Marshall after the draft and he was sold immediately. He did not wait to field calls from other clubs before signing on with Jacksonville.
Last year, Marshall wound up appearing in 13 games for the Jaguars and even made one start. His played primarily on special teams, however. Last year, he totaled ten tackles while also returning five punts and 13 kicks.
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Extra Points: Chargers, Vikings, Lions, Giants
The Chargers will wait until after Thursday’s game against the Broncos before considering a head coaching change, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Club ownership is thinking through all its options, and the most likely candidate to take over the team in the event that Mike McCoy is fired is offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt, in his second stint as San Diego’s play-caller, boasts seven-plus years of head coaching experience with the Cardinals and Titans.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Given that the club has $33MM worth of salaries on injured reserve at the moment, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said he needed a “magic wand” in order to fit new signee Jake Long‘s cap figure, writes Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Spielman, who said Minnesota had less than $50K in cap space before adding Long, claimed he didn’t need to restructure any other contracts to squeeze in the veteran offensive lineman. It’s unclear exactly how the Vikes made financial room for Long (one possibility, from my vantage point, could be tweaking another player’s incentives to “not likely to be earned”), and Krammer reports that Spielman was “vague” about the subject.
- Lions defensive lineman Kerry Hyder has made an agent change. The 25-year-old will now be represented by Select Sports Group (Twitter link). Hyder, who was previously repped by Rich Rosa and Tony Agone, appears to be in the midst a breakout season with five sacks through five games.
- The NFL is now looking into Giants tackle Ereck Flowers after he pushed a reporter after Sunday night’s game, according to a league official who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). After a poor showing against the Packers, Flowers shoved an ESPN scribe, but has since apologized for the incident.
- With Dallas Thomas cut today, only three members of the Dolphins‘ nine-man 2013 draft class left are Dion Jordan, Jelani Jenkins, and Dion Sims, as Alex Marvez of The Sporting News tweets. Clearly, none of that trio has made a significant thus far in their Miami careers.
Jets Work Out FB Marcel Reece
The Jets took a look at fullback Marcel Reece today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). A longtime member of the Raiders, Reece was cut loose by Oakland in late September. 
Reece, 31, had been with Oakland since since 2009. He violated the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs last December, and the ensuing multi-game ban cost him a trip to the Pro Bowl. While Reece was out, the Raiders found a capable (and cheaper) replacement in Jamize Olawale.
In 2015, Reece caught 30 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns and also added 36 rushing yards. A versatile back who can play a variety of roles, Reece averaged 34 receptions per season from 2010-15. The Patriots passed on him after a recent workout, but the rival Jets might find a place for him.
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Saints Work Out DE Bjoern Werner
The Saints worked out defensive end Bjoern Werner, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s not immediately clear if the team is thinking about signing the former first-round pick right now or if he is simply being kept in mind for injuries down the road. 
Werner, 26, appeared in 38 games for the Colts from 2013-2015, including 16 starts. In that time, the Florida State alum registered 77 tackles (61 solo), 6.5 sacks, five passes defensed, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. However, the majority of Werner’s production came in his first two years in the league — in 2015, he appeared in 10 games and picked up just 11 total tackles and one fumble recovery.
Following the 2015 season, Werner was cut by Indianapolis. This past spring, he hooked on with the Jaguars, but he was released in late August. Last month, he auditioned for the Lions, but that workout did not lead to a deal.
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Dolphins Sign CB Chimdi Chekwa
Out with the old, in with the new. The Dolphins are making serious roster changes this week, and that includes changes to their secondary. Today, the Dolphins announced that they have signed cornerback Chimdi Chekwa. 
[RELATED: Dolphins Claim Bene Benwikere Off Waivers]
The addition of Chekwa comes one day after the team claimed Bene Benwikere off waivers from the Panthers. Benwikere had an awful day against Julio Jones on Oct. 2, but Miami sees that as more of an aberration than anything.
As for Chekwa, the Dolphins are pretty familiar with him after he spent the bulk of the offseason in Miami. Chekwa just missed the 53-man cut and after searching for employment over the last five weeks, he has come back to South Beach. At one point in time, the Dolphins were eyeing the 28-year-old as a potential starter.
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Steelers Release David Cobb
The Steelers announced that they have cut running back David Cobb from their practice squad. Meanwhile, the team has added safety Jacob Hagen and offensive tackle Austin Shepherd to the group. 
[RELATED: Steelers’ Heyward, Shazier Nursing Injuries]
Cobb, 23, was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft. The ex-Minnesota Golden Gopher picked up 146 yards on 52 carries, good for a paltry 2.7 YPC, in seven games as a rookie. This offseason, he was cut by Titans GM Jon Robinson along with other notable players from ex-GM Ruston Webster‘s time in charge. In early September, the Steelers added him to their taxi squad.
The Steelers still have running back Daryl Richardson on the p-squad with running backs Le’Veon Bell, DeAngelo Williams, and Fitzgerald Toussaint on the 53-man roster. For a full rundown of Pittsburgh’s roster, check out their page on Roster Resource.
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Jets Claim WR Jeremy Butler
The Jets have claimed wide receiver Jeremy Butler off waivers from the Buccaneers, as Mike Florio of PFT tweets. The Bucs were likely hoping to re-sign Butler to their practice squad. The Jets have confirmed the move. To make room, the Jets will release fellow wide receiver Jeremy Ross. 
The Buccaneers promoted Butler to the active roster last week. Then, over the weekend, he was dropped to make room for linebacker Cameron Lynch on the active roster. The former undrafted free agent previously spent time with the Ravens, where he collected 31 receptions for 363 yards in eight games last season.
The Jets were without both Eric Decker and Jalin Marshall in Week 5 and there’s still no concrete return date for either player. Now, Butler joins the depth chart behind healthy receivers Brandon Marshall, Quincy Enunwa, Bobby Anderson, Charone Peake.
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Rams Claim CB Dwayne Gratz
The Rams have claimed cornerback Dwayne Gratz off waivers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Gratz was waived by the Jaguars earlier this week. 
Jacksonville cut Gratz on Monday in order to make room for fellow cornerback Aaron Colvin who had been serving a four-game suspension for a PED violation. Gratz, a UConn product, was in his fourth year with the Jags. From 2013-2015, he appeared in 37 games with 25 starts. This year, he saw time in three contests before getting dropped.
After starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson was forced to leave Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, Gratz may be counted on to provide the team with depth.
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Giants To Sign Coty Sensabaugh
With injuries in the secondary, the Giants are bringing in reinforcements. Cornerback Coty Sensabaugh has agreed to a one-year deal with Big Blue, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). To make room, the Giants will waive cornerback Michael Hunter (Twitter link via Art Stapleton of The Record). 
Top Giants cornerbacks Eli Apple and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are both dealing with groin injuries. Apple lasted only seven plays before exiting the game early. Rodgers-Cromartie played through the injury, but he was clearly hampered by it as the Giants lost 23-17. As of this writing, it is not clear whether they will be ready to go on Sunday when the Giants take on the Ravens.
Sensabaugh joined the Rams this offseason on a three-year, $14.5MM deal. However, he was cut by Los Angeles after appearing in just three games. A fourth-round Titans pick in 2012, Sensabaugh worked his way into Tennessee’s starting lineup in 2015. He started 15 games last season and apparently showed the Rams enough to warrant a sizable free agent deal. Needless to say, Les Snead & Co. would like to have a do-over on that deal.
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