NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: OT O’Shea Dugas
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Brian Allen, CB Winston Rose
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Dalyn Dawkins
- Released: DT Kevin Strong
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Natrez Patrick
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Cassh Maluia
New York Jets
- Signed: QB Mike White
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Tegray Scales
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Bo Scarbrough
Syracuse S Andre Cisco To Enter NFL Draft
Syracuse safety Andre Cisco will turn pro and enter the 2021 NFL Draft, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Cisco, who signed with agents Andre Odom and David Mulugheta of Athletes First, could wind up as a first-round pick.
[RELATED: Latest On Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence]
Cisco burst on to the scene with seven interceptions in his freshman year, followed by five INTs in 2019. Then, in September, the preseason first-team AP All-American tore his ACL during pregame warmups when he collided with a teammate. The injury ended his season after just two games and, ultimately, capped his collegiate career.
The Long Island native has the potential to steal the show at the combine, if he’s fully recovered by then. Reportedly, Cisco has clocked a 4.33-second 40-yard-dash in the past, along with 17 bench press reps of 225 pounds. Though he’s been knocked for trying to force interceptions, Cisco’s big play ability and athleticism should bring him lots of attention in the buildup to the draft.
Also working in Cisco’s favor — a safety class that is viewed as relatively weak. He’ll be joined by Oregon’s Jevon Holland, who opted out of the 2020 season and shifted his focus towards draft prep.
Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey To Miss Time
Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is not expected to play Sunday against the Buccaneers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). McCaffrey is now considered to be week-to-week with his right shoulder injury, though he’s meeting with a specialist today for a second opinion. 
Last week’s game against the Chiefs marked McCaffrey’s return to the field after he was sidelined with an ankle injury. Now, after taking a big hit from Kansas City safety Daniel Sorensen, he has a new ailment to deal with. Before that, CMC ran for 69 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and caught ten passes for 82 yards and a TD.
McCaffrey did not miss a game during his first three seasons. Even in a trying 2019 for Carolina, McCaffrey managed 1,387 rushing yards off of 287 carries, giving him an average of 4.8 yards per tote. He also caught 116 passes for 1,005 yards through the air. All combined, he notched 19 touchdowns on the year, paving the way towards his record-breaking four-year, $64MM deal in the offseason.
The 33-31 loss to KC knocked the Panthers down to 3-6 on the year, which means that the Panthers may have a tough decision to make if McCaffrey’s issue lingers.
Latest On Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence
Clemson star Trevor Lawrence says he’s still undecided on whether to enter the 2021 NFL Draft, as ESPN.com’s David M. Hale writes. Meanwhile, NFL executives tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter that they have no doubt about Lawrence’s future plans. 
“You have a better chance of winning the Boston Marathon than he does of going back to school,” one source told Schefter.
Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney recently expressed similar sentiments, admitting that he’d “be surprised” if Lawrence, the projected No. 1 pick, returns to campus next year. For his part, Lawrence says he isn’t interested in discussing his plans any further, noting that he wants to enjoy the rest of the year and focus on his return to the field.
Clemson managed to beat Boston College without Lawrence under center but they came up short in Saturday’s thriller against Notre Dame. The good news is that Lawrence is set to return after completing the NCAA’s COVID-19 protocol.
The Jets and Jaguars are keeping a watchful eye on Lawrence, who has been hailed as a generational talent.
“I’ve honestly never seen anything like him,” one NFL quarterbacks coach told Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller this week. “You’ve seen guys with a bigger arm, and you’ve seen guys who are faster, but I’ve never seen a prospect who has every trait you need and has them at a high level.”
Dolphins Place Preston Williams On IR
The Dolphins placed wide receiver Preston Williams on injured reserve with a foot injury. Previously, the Dolphins had Williams listed as day-to-day, but the issue is “more significant” than they initially believed, head coach Brian Flores says (Twitter link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald). 
Per this year’s modified IR rules, Williams will miss at least three games. Flores isn’t exactly sure when they’ll get the second-year pro back after his left foot twisted on a touchdown catch against the Cardinals. It’s also possible that Williams is dealing with a right foot injury suffered during the ensuing celebration with Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
Williams broke out during his rookie season last year, catching 32 passes for 428 yards and three touchdowns in his first eight NFL games. He was on pace to become just the second first Dolphins rookie wideout to surpass 800 yards since Chris Chambers in 2001. That was up until he suffered a torn ACL, capping his first pro season in November. So far this year, Williams has registered 18 catches for 288 yards and four touchdowns.
Without Williams, the Dolphins will likely lean more on Mack Hollins and Jakeem Grant. They could also promote Antonio Callaway from the practice squad.
Jaguars Sign K Chase McLaughlin
The Jaguars have signed kicker Chase McLaughlin off the Vikings’ practice squad, per a club announcement. McLaughlin will take over for Josh Lambo, who is likely done for the year after aggravating a muscle injury.
[RELATED: Josh Lambo Likely Done For Year]
McLaughlin has the distinction of serving as the Jags’ sixth kicker of the season, following Lambo, Stephen Hauschka, Jon Brown, Brandon Wright, and Aldrick Rosas. The Jaguars didn’t see much of Lambo this year, though he did drill a franchise-record 59-yard field goal this past weekend. Meanwhile, the other four kickers combined to go just 5-9 on field goal tries.
Last year, Lambo led the NFL with a 97.1% field goal conversion rate. He also has two full seasons left on his four-year, $15MM deal, so McLaughlin is little more than a rental for the Jaguars. Still, McLaughlin is undoubtedly thrilled about the opportunity, since he hasn’t seen live action all year.
In 2019, McLaughlin connected on 18 of 23 field goal attempts across eleven games for the Colts, Chargers, and 49ers. He was 100% accurate on his nine of his attempts from inside the 40, he went 3-3 on FGs of 50+ yards, and he made all 26 of his XPs. Meanwhile, he struggled from 40-49 yards out (5 for 10).
Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs Done For Year?
Cowboys rookie Trevon Diggs might be done for the year. The cornerback suffered a late-game foot fracture on Sunday that will require at least 4-6 weeks to recover. The Cowboys will place Diggs on injured reserve, which keeps players sidelined for a minimum of three weeks. 
Now that we’re past the midpoint of the season, it will be tough for Diggs to return before its all over. The Cowboys won’t have much incentive to rush him back either. After falling 24-19 to the Steelers, the Cowboys are now 2-7 with little hope of reaching the postseason.
“I don’t know the prognosis in terms of long he’ll be out,” said owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday morning (via the team website). “I do know that he’s got the issue with his foot – again, I do not know the ultimate length of time that he’ll be out.”
Diggs, the No. 51 pick in this year’s draft, has been solid as of late. Unfortunately, he’ll have to put things on pause as he joins the Cowboys’ walking wounded. On offense alone, that list includes quarterback Dak Prescott, left tackle Tyron Smith, right tackle La’el Collins, and tight end Blake Jarwin.
Ravens, Tavon Young Rework Contract
Ravens cornerback Tavon Young agreed to a reworked deal, as ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. Now, $2.514MM of his 2020 base salary will be converted to a signing bonus. Meanwhile, his non-guaranteed $5.5MM base salary in 2021 was reduced to a guaranteed $2.65MM. 
It seems like a reasonable tradeoff for Young, who has been plagued by injuries. The Temple product missed all of last season with a neck injury in 2019. This year, a Week 2 injury forced him out of action. He also missed the entire 2017 season with a torn ACL, so his injury history is now pretty extensive.
Young started eleven games as a rookie in 2016, then played a big role in 2018 again while making six starts. His contributions as the team’s slot corner earned him a three-year, $25.8MM extension in February of 2019. To date, he’s played just two games since inking deal, which runs through the 2022 season.
The Ravens, meanwhile, have picked up some much-needed cap space in the wake of their recent big-money extensions.
Steelers Place Ben Roethlisberger On COVID-19 List
The Steelers have placed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the COVID-19 reserve list, per a club announcement. Running back Jaylen Samuels, offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins, and linebacker Vince Williams have also been added to the list. 
The news comes just hours after tight end Vance McDonald was parked with the same designation. Per league rules, each Steelers player will have to isolate for several days and test negative before rejoining the team.
Roethlisberger is not believed to have tested positive. Instead, he was deemed a high-risk, close contact, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Depending on what happens from here, the QB may have a chance to start on Sunday against the Bengals.
Meanwhile, Big Ben is hoping to heal up from double knee injuries suffered against the Cowboys. Despite that setback, Roethlisberger and the Steelers won 24-19 and advanced to 8-0 on the year.
Jaguars’ Josh Lambo Done For Year?
Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo aggravated his gluteus medius muscle during Sunday’s game, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a worse version of the injury that caused him to miss a month earlier this year and he’ll head to the injured reserve list to recuperate. The expectation is that this will end his season early. 
Lambo suffered the strain during the final kick of the game, a late onside kick attempt. On the plus side, Lambo set a new personal watermark with his 59-yard field goal, which now stands as the longest in Jaguars franchise history. Remarkably, that was his seventh straight connection on tries from 50 yards or longer.
The Jaguars went through a series of kickers after Lambo’s early fall hiatus. Collectively, Aldrick Rosas, Stephen Hauschka, Brandon Wright, and Jon Brown went 5-9 on field goal tries. They’ll have to try a new leg with Lambo — one of the league’s most reliable and accurate kickers — out of the picture.
In his injury-shortened 2020, the soon-to-be 30-year-old has made all five of his field goal attempts while going 8-of-10 on extra point tries. Last year, Lambo led the NFL with a 97.1% field goal conversion rate. He still has two full seasons left on his four-year, $15MM deal, tying him to the Jaguars through 2022.