Giants Sign Kenny Wiggins
The Giants have signed guard Kenny Wiggins, per a club announcement. Wiggins will provide the Giants with extra reinforcements following Will Hernandez‘s placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
[RELATED: Giants Place Hernandez On COVID-19 List]
Wiggins was in the midst of his third season with the Lions before he was dropped from the roster in late October. The veteran started ten games for Detroit in 2018 and worked in a three-guard rotation with Joe Dahl and Graham Glasgow in 2019, seeing time on 41% of Detroit’s offensive snaps. This season, however, Wiggins did not factor into the team’s work up front. He played just one offensive snap in four games, with most of his work coming on special teams.
Fifth-round pick Shane Lemieux started at left guard in Hernandez’s place last night against the Buccaneers. He’ll likely be first-string against Washington this Sunday, with Wiggins waiting in the wings.
The Giants, who recently shipped linebacker Markus Golden to the Cardinals, still have a few hours left to entertain trades.
Broncos GM John Elway Tests Positive For COVID-19
Broncos GM John Elway and CEO Joe Ellis have tested positive for COVID-19, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Both execs believe they contracted the virus outside of the team facility and they’ll now stay away from the building, per protocols. The Broncos have since confirmed the news via press release:
[RELATED: Packers’ AJ Dillon Tests Positive For COVID-19]
“[Ellis and Elway ]were informed this morning they tested positive for COVID-19. After not feeling 100 percent on Sunday morning, Joe promptly reported his symptoms to our medical team and watched Sunday’s game at home as a precaution. He continued to work from home on Monday before receiving a positive test result this morning.
John immediately left UCHealth Training Center on Monday morning after experiencing minor symptoms that he quickly brought to the attention of our medical staff. Other than mild symptoms, both Joe and John are doing well. They will continue to work from home in self-isolation and participate in virtual meetings while their health is monitored.
“Based on a review of contact tracing data with the league, we are confident these cases originated independently outside team facilities. There were minimal close contacts identified for each (no players or coaches), and those individuals have been notified.”
The Broncos have had a few recent cases, including defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and offensive line coach Mike Munchak. Right guard Graham Glasgow also tested positive on Thursday. So far, contact tracing has indicated that the coronavirus has not spread any further in the organization.
Elway wasn’t in attendance for the Broncos’ 31-30 win over the Chargers, and he won’t be on hand as they prepare for the Falcons this week. Elway can still work the phones between now and 4pm ET/3pm CT to explore potential trades, but the 3-4 Broncos aren’t expected to make any major moves.
Patriots Set High Asking Price For Stephon Gilmore
The Patriots want a first round pick and a player in exchange for star cornerback Stephon Gilmore, according to rival GMs who spoke with ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini (on Twitter). Teams have until 4pm ET/3pm CT on Tuesday afternoon to try and pry him loose. 
[RELATED: Patriots DT Beau Allen Won’t Play In 2020]
Rumors have been swirling about the Patriots and their possible willingness to trade the 2019 AP Defensive Player of the Year. But, from the sound of it, the Patriots aren’t overly eager to part with him.
Gilmore is under club control through 2021 and will be seeking a lucrative extension. At the time of signing, Gilmore’s five-year, $65MM deal ($31MM guaranteed) made him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. Since then, the market has shifted dramatically. Earlier this year, as Gilmore’s average annual salary slotted him outside the top 10 for CBs, the Patriots moved some money around to give him a ~$5MM “pay raise”.
This offseason, it’ll take much more than that to keep Gilmore for the long haul. The Patriots recognize that, which is why they’re willing to take calls on the star corner between now and the buzzer. Plenty of contenders would love to add Gilmore and would be willing to give him a new deal in the offseason, but it’ll cost ’em significant draft capital.
Raiders’ Tanner Muse Done For Year
Tanner Muse‘s NFL debut will have to wait until next year. On Tuesday, the Raiders’ rookie linebacker underwent toe surgery that will shut him down for the season (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 
The Raiders drafted Muse in the third round to supplement their LB additions in free agency. Unfortunately, Muse’s toe injury held him back all throughout the summer. The Raiders still see a bright future for the 6’2, 230-pound defender, especially given his redshirt senior showing. In 2019, Muse was first-team All-ACC as he registered 73 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, and a team-high four interceptions.
Muse isn’t the only Raiders rookie to be hampered by injury. First-round cornerback Damon Arnette (broken wrist) and third-round receiver Bryan Edwards (ankle) have missed four straight games. Both players could return in time to face the Chargers, but Muse will be watching as he recuperates.
The Raiders’ defense managed to hold the Browns to just six points on Sunday, paving the way to a low-scoring victory for a 4-3 record. A win over the Chargers on Sunday would help keep the Raiders in the Chiefs’ orbit, though their most likely path to the postseason would be as a Wild Card team.
Jerry Jones: Cowboys Won’t Trade Aldon Smith
Aldon Smith isn’t going anywhere, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says (Twitter link via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas News). Jones, while confirming reports of the Seahawks’ inquiry, stressed that he’s not interested in moving the defensive lineman. 
Smith has been one of the few bright spots on Dallas’ D, leading the way with four sacks. His one-year, $2MM deal has proven to be a tremendous value, and the Cowboys will be happy to double that amount if Smith achieves the necessary sack incentives. If anything, it sounds like the Cowboys will be looking to extend their deal with the former All-Pro.
The Cowboys have already addressed the D-Line with two trades this week, bringing Texans nose tackle Eli Ankou to Dallas and shipping out defensive end Everson Griffen. They won’t go for a hat trick by moving Smith before today’s deadline, nor do they anticipate making any more deals. With that said, Jones won’t rule out the possibility of making a trade before 4pm ET/3pm CT.
At 2-6, some have wondered if the Cowboys should seize the opportunity to rebuild. Or, at least, retool their roster. Then again, thanks to the state of the NFC East, the Cowboys are not totally out of playoff contention.
Lions Work Out Mohamed Sanu
The Lions will audition Mohamed Sanu on Monday afternoon (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). Sanu could provide depth for the Lions i the wake of with Kenny Golladay’s hip injury. 
Sanu has bounced around quite a bit lately. The veteran underwhelmed in his eight regular season games (six starts) with the Patriots last year, hauling in 26 receptions (on 47 targets) for 207 yards and one score. He was also invisible during New England’s playoff loss to the Titans as he caught just one pass for eleven yards.
The Patriots dropped Sanu in the fall to save money, leading him to a reunion with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. That was short-lived — Sanu was let go in early October just as Deebo Samuel and Richie James returned to action.
Sanu isn’t the player he once was, but he still represents a solid midseason boost for a Lions team that could use an extra set of hands. Golladay is Detroit’s No. 1 receiver, and his skills were on full display recently in back-to-back 105 yard games. At minimum, he’ll be out for this Sunday against the Vikings. And, from the sound of it, he’ll need additional time to recover too.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/2/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: S Darron Lee
- Released: LB Ahmad Gooden
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Shelton Gibson
- Released: K Taylor Bertolet
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Dalyn Dawkins
- Released: DT Albert Huggins
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: C Evan Boehm
- Suspended: FB Bruce Miller (six games, PED violation)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Matt Sokol
Miami Dolphins
- Released: CB Cordrea Tankersley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Hakeem Butler, LB Rashad Smith
- Released: WR Marcus Green, LB Dante Olson
Washington Football Team
- Signed: CB Jordan Brown
Chargers Trade Desmond King To Titans
The Chargers have agreed to send Desmond King to the Titans, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Los Angeles is getting a sixth-round pick back in exchange for the cornerback/return specialist. 
King, 26 in December, was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game against the Broncos. Now, we know that the Bolts were safeguarding against injury in order to trade him before the deadline. There was speculation that the Cardinals would trade for him, giving them a potential Patrick Peterson replacement for 2021. Instead, the Titans have emerged with the former All-Pro returner.
A fifth-round pick in 2017, King broke out in 2018 with 62 tackles, three interceptions, a defensive TD, and ten passes defensed. So far this year, he hasn’t made the same kind of impact. At 2-5, the Chargers have opted to move on from him and recoup some value for ’21 and beyond.
Los Angeles has a ton of talent in their secondary, which made King more expendable. The Iowa product grew unhappy with his decreased role, and was vocal about it on social media.
It’s a nice low-risk move for the Titans as well, as they desperately needed help in their secondary. Young cornerbacks Adoree’ Jackson and Kristian Fulton are both hurt and unavailable at the moment, and Mike Vrabel’s defense has been getting torched.
They’re currently giving up the sixth-most passing yards per game, although that’s not all on the secondary as they’ve been unable to get much of a pass-rush going either. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if the Titans made another move on defense before tomorrow’s deadline, either for an edge rusher or another cornerback.
49ers Trade Kwon Alexander To Saints
The 49ers have agreed to trade linebacker Kwon Alexander to the Saints, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. In exchange, the Saints will send fellow ‘backer Kiko Alonso and a conditional fifth-round pick to San Francisco. 
Alexander, 26, has three seasons left on his four-year, $54MM deal. The off-ball ‘backer is remarkably tough – he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in November and somehow managed to return for the Niners’ playoff run. Alexander also battled a biceps injury that required surgery in February. These maladies emerged after he missed much of the 2018 season with an ACL tear.
Those issues predictably dropped his trade value, preventing SF from offloading him over the summer. Now, they’ve found a deal for him, though it mostly amounts to a contract dump.
It’s not too often that you see two guys at the same position swapped. Alexander has once again been banged up in 2020 as he’s missed the past two games with an ankle injury, although that doesn’t seem like anything too long-term.
New Orleans has an elite defensive front but their linebacking group has left a bit to be desired, so this move makes plenty of sense. They lost A.J. Klein in free agency, and offseason acquisition Nigel Bradham didn’t pan out as he was cut before the season began. Alexander has graded out solidly from Pro Football Focus, but not at the level he was playing last year. Demario Davis is locked into his role at inside linebacker for the Saints, so Alexander could cut into Alex Anzalone‘s role.
The 49ers get some salary relief, the draft pick, and a player in Alonso who stared at least 15 games for Miami from 2016-18. Alonso was placed on the reserve/PUP list at the beginning of the year and missed the first six games. New Orleans then activated him, but he has yet to appear in a game this season. These teams play each other in just a couple of weeks, so both players will get their chance at revenge.
Packers’ A.J. Dillon Tests Positive For COVID-19
On Monday morning, the Packers announced that one of their players has tested positive for the coronavirus. That player is running back A.J. Dillon, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).
[RELATED: Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey Tests Positive For COVID-19]
With that, the Packers’ Thursday night game against the 49ers is now in jeopardy. Dillon has been in especially close proximity with the team’s other RBs, heightening the odds of potential transmission. In any event, Dillon will be a no-go for this week.
Dillon played on ten offensive snaps and seven special teams snaps against the Vikings on Sunday. The hope is that there was no viral spread during his limited usage.
The league tests its players on Sunday morning before each game, but the results do not come in until Sunday night or Monday morning. Similar to the situation with the Ravens and star cornerback Marlon Humphrey, the team did not have knowledge of Dillon’s test results until after the game was played.
The Packers selected Dillon with the No. 62 overall pick in this year’s draft. Once projected to play linebacker at Boston College, he’s a promising talent as a power RB. So far this year, he’s averaging 4.2 yards per carry on a limited sample of 23 totes.