Bengals’ Eifert Won’t Make Debut On Sunday
We’ll have to wait a little longer to see Tyler Eifert make his on-field debut in 2016. The Bengals officially ruled out the tight end for Sunday’s contest against the Cowboys. 
Eifert missed the Bengals’ first four games of the season because of an ankle injury, and just as he was set to return this Sunday, a back problem came to the fore Wednesday to put his status in question. Various injuries have limited Eifert to just 28 of the Bengals’ 52 regular-season games since they drafted him 21st overall in 2013. The ex-Notre Dame star broke out last season with 52 catches and 13 touchdowns and the team was hoping to see more of the same from him this year.
Through four games, the Bengals are 2-2 with wins over the Jets and Dolphins and losses to the Steelers and Broncos. The Bengals will hope to get their best tight end back for Sunday Oct. 23 against the Browns, but nothing is guaranteed with Eifert at this point.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Vikings To Place Andre Smith On IR?
Andre Smith has an elbow injury and it might end his season. The tackle’s injury is keeping him out of practice today and the team believes that it might be severe enough to warrant placing him on IR, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
The Vikings, unfortunately, have been wrecked by injuries this year. The first big blow came late in the summer when Teddy Bridgewater suffered a severe knee injury. Then, a torn meniscus knocked Adrian Peterson out for a minimum of two months and potentially for the entire season. Now, Minnesota might lose another starter in Smith.
Smith came to the Vikings on a one-year, $3.5MM deal. Smith, the sixth overall pick in the 2009 draft, was the Bengals’ starting right tackle for several seasons, making 73 starts in Cincinnati since first joining the club seven years ago. Although he has been a steady performer throughout his career, the 29-year-old became expendable in Cincinnati after the Bengals used their first two picks in the 2015 draft on offensive tackles.
Through one month of NFL football, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have Smith ranked as just the 69th best tackle out of 75 qualified players. Meanwhile, fellow Vikings tackle Jeremiah Sirles is rated No. 32.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Panthers Cut Bene Benwikere
Days after having a rough outing against Julio Jones, the Panthers have decided to cut starting cornerback Bene Benwikere, a source tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). Benwikere did not look sharp against the Falcons, but he did earn himself a starting job and had an interception in the team’s season opener. His release comes as a surprise and he will likely be claimed by another team.
Last year, “Big Play Bene” appeared in 13 games (four starts) before a broken leg shut him down for the season. In total, the cornerback had 59 tackles, nine pass deflections, and one sack on the year last year. This year, he had ten tackles and four passes defensed before being bounced by Carolina.
On Oct. 2, Jones caught 12 passes for 300 yards and one touchdown. It was fair to assume that they would make some kind of change, but few expected them to bounce Benwikere.
In a related move, cornerback Zack Sanchez has been signed from the p-squad.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chiefs Sign LB Sio Moore
The Chiefs have signed linebacker Sio Moore, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Moore was cut by the Colts earlier this week. 
Moore suffered a significant hamstring injury this summer which held him back in practice. He healed up from that injury, but he was unable to impress in the first month of this season with Indianapolis. He was cut on Tuesday after amassing 25 total tackles and five assisted tackles.
In two seasons with the Raiders and one season and change with the Colts, Moore has appeared in 42 games with 26 starts. He had 4.5 sacks as a rookie and 3.0 sacks in his sophomore year, but he has been unable to replicate those numbers in the past couple of years.
To make room, KC cut linebacker Dezman Moses.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens Place Maxx Williams On IR
The Ravens announced that they have placed tight end Maxx Williams on injured reserve. Williams has been dealing with a knee injury that will likely require surgery. 
Under the new IR rules, players can return to action after eight weeks on the list. However, this is probably a season-ender for Williams since its sounds like he is going under the knife. The team has yet to make a corresponding move, but they could activate tight end Darren Waller to the 53-man roster, according to the team website. Waller is set to return from a four-game suspension this week. The team also recently brought up tight end Daniel Brown, so they may not opt for another player at that position.
Williams’ knee injury was manageable until he aggravated it in Sunday’s contest against the Raiders. A second-round pick in 2015, Williams set franchise rookie tight end records last year with 32 receptions for 268 yards and one touchdown. Now, Baltimore will have to wait until next year to see him on the field again.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cowboys Promote Jameill Showers, Will Play S
This offseason, the Cowboys decided against trading for a veteran backup quarterback because of their confidence in rookie Dak Prescott and second-year QB Jameill Showers. It turns out that they like Showers a lot, but not necessarily as a signal caller. Showers is being promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster as a strong safety and special teams player, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Showers missed the Cowboys’ initial 53-man cut but he was quickly signed to the practice squad. This week, Showers was spotted practicing with the Cowboys’ defensive backs and it appears that it was more than a one-off experiment. The athletic 6’2″ Texas A&M/UTEP product will now try his hand at a new position.
Showers will now wear No. 28 instead of the No. 7 he donned as a QB.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Open To Starting Colin Kaepernick?
Could Colin Kaepernick once again serve as the 49ers’ starting quarterback? After Blaine Gabbert‘s poor showing against the Cardinals on Thursday night, it’s certainly possible. For the first time since the season started, coach Chip Kelly left the door open to a possible QB change, as Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News tweets. That change could take place before the Niners travel to Buffalo on Oct. 16. 
[RELATED: 49ers LB NaVorro Bowman Done For Season]
It’s only October, but the Niners’ season clearly isn’t moving in the right direction. At 1-4, the 49ers’ offense is averaging 290.3 yards per game, the second lowest in the NFL. In terms of passing, they’re dead last with 175.4 yards per contest. Something has to change, and that change just might happen under center.
Of course, the 49ers’ issues go far beyond the quarterback position. San Francisco’s offensive line gave up seven sacks to the Cardinals’ defense last night and Colin Kaepernick won’t be able to do much with that kind of protection, even if he recaptures his old form. The O-Line situation only got worse when Anthony Davis opted to retire (again) late last month.
It will be interesting to see how a potential quarterback change could impact the team’s plans going forward. Gabbert is scheduled to hit the open market after this season. Kaepernick’s contract could be terminated with little penalty, but the Niners could also retain him through 2020 if they wish.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/6/16
Thursday’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DE Larry Webster (Twitter link via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DL Gabe Wright
- Cut: WR Darius Jennings
AFC Notes: Gronk, Broncos, Raiders
Appearing on CSNNE (video link), Albert Breer of TheMMQB said that he wouldn’t be totally shocked if the Patriots decided to eventually trade tight end Rob Gronkowski. When healthy, Gronkowski is a game-changing force who can terrorize any defense. However, he has had trouble staying healthy and he can sometimes be a high-maintenance player. In the past, Breer notes that those types of players have not lasted long in New England.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- It appeared earlier this week that Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian would miss at least one game because of an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder, but he could start Sunday against Atlanta, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. Siemian resumed throwing on a limited basis during individual and seven-on-seven drills Thursday. That encouraged head coach Gary Kubiak, who called Siemian’s progress a “big step forward,” though he cautioned that the team will have to gauge the 24-year-old’s soreness on Friday. If Siemian is unable to play, rookie Paxton Lynch will make his first career start. The first-rounder from Memphis debuted in relief of Siemian in the Broncos’ 27-7 win in Tampa Bay last Sunday, completing 14-of-24 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown.
- While the NFL is reviewing a June incident in which Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib shot himself in the leg, potential punishment from the league probably isn’t imminent, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Talib will play Sunday, and the league is unlikely to make a decision on his status by the Broncos’ game next Thursday in San Diego. The 30-year-old has already intercepted three passes, already equaling his 2015 total, and will match up against Falcons superstar receiver Julio Jones on Sunday.
- The Raiders worked out tight end Rob Housler, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. The team has since promoted UDFA Ryan O’Malley to the 53-man roster, so Housler probably won’t be signing with Oakland at this time. The Raiders lost Lee Smith to injury earlier this week and he is likely done for the year after going on IR.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Saints Sign Khalif Barnes
No, this is not a re-post. The Saints are signing offensive lineman Khalif Barnes, according to Nick Underhill of The Advocate (on Twitter). To make room on the roster, cornerback Brian Dixon is being released. The Saints made this exact same transaction in reverse on Saturday. 
The 34-year-old Barnes has been yo-yo’d on and off of the Saints’ roster this year. After being cut on October 1st, Barnes apparently did not drift far from New Orleans. Coach Sean Payton said that Barnes was not in football shape in September, but his conditioning is presumably better now.
Dixon, a third-year UDFA out of Division II Northwest Missouri State, played in all 32 of New Orleans’ contests in 2014-15 as a backup. Given the way the Saints have been playing with the roster, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him return in the near future.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.