Panthers Cut Trumaine Johnson
Trumaine Johnson‘s time with the Panthers is already over. On Friday, the Panthers dropped Trumaine Johnson from the practice squad, just days after signing him. His spot will be filled by Kai Forbath, who returns to the team as their backup leg.
Johnson, 30, has made 77 NFL starts. At one point in time, he was regarded as one of the league’s better starting cornerbacks. But, things changed when he went from the Rams to the Jets. His five-year, $72.5MM deal was a monumental flop, and, ultimately, it proved to be one of the misguided moves that ended Mike Maccagan‘s tenure as the team’s GM.
In his first year with Gang Green, Johnson missed significant time with a quad injury that some Jets staffers believe he could have played through. He did come away with four interceptions in 2018, but that stat doesn’t tell the whole story – Johnson struggled in coverage and looked like a shell of his former self. Things deteriorated even further in 2019 – Johnson appeared in only seven games before landing on IR. He was also benched for performance reasons and, unsurprisingly, they were unable to find any takers for him at the trade deadline.
Now, Johnson has gone from NFL notable, to practice squader, to off the Panthers’ expanded 16-man practice squad. Forbath, meanwhile, will wait for his next opportunity while he backstops Joey Slye.
This Date In Transactions History: Vikings Place Adrian Peterson On IR
Four years ago, Adrian Peterson was counted out for the season, and possibly for his career. The Vikings placed Adrian Peterson on the injured reserve list with a torn meniscus. Even though he was 31 at the time (old, by running back standards), Peterson vowed to return to the field and continue his career long past the 2016 season.
Peterson made his way back to the field after some unsettling off-the-field events, but many felt that this was different. Peterson’s odometer was already way up there – in 2015, he led the league in rushing yards (1,485) and touchdowns (11) with an NFL-high 327 carries. With nearly 2,400 totes in total, it was fair to wonder if Peterson had exhausted his tank.
In Week 15, Peterson made good on his promise to come back from IR, though it was a forgettable game for both the veteran and the Vikings. That game against the Colts would turn out to be his final contest in purple. In February of 2017, the Vikings announced that they would not exercise his option for the coming year, making him a free agent. That led Peterson to the Saints, where he signed a two-year, $7MM deal that lasted just four games. Unhappy with his minimal role, Sean Payton & Co. shipped him off the the Cardinals for a conditional sixth-round pick.
Done? Nope. In his first game with the Cardinals, Peterson rumbled his way to 134 yards and two touchdowns, leading his new squad to victory over the Bucs. Later that year, he turned in another stellar performance against the 49ers, going off of 159 yards and staying strong through 37 (!) carries. His final tally for 2017 (3.4 yards per carry) didn’t lead to a ton of offers, but he found a home with the Washington [Football Team] on a minimum-salaried deal. Peterson would spend two years as the club’s primary tailback, topping 1,000 yards in his first season and averaging a solid 4.2 yards per carry on the whole.
Now, at the age of 35, Peterson is still doing his thing in Detroit. With a lighter workload, Peterson has 6.4 yards per carry through the first two games of the season. Whether he can meet his stated goal of playing until the age of 40 remains to be seen, but we know better than to bet against him.
Texans Won’t Rule Out Antonio Brown
After an 0-2 start, the Texans are open to all avenues for improvement. That apparently includes controversial free agent wide receiver Antonio Brown. On Friday morning, head coach Bill O’Brien didn’t dismiss the possibility of signing AB.
[RELATED: Latest On Antonio Brown’s Civil Suit]
“I would never discuss anything in that regard,” O’Brien told reporters (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). “Right now, we’re very satisfied with what we have. You never say never to anything. I don’t anticipate anything whether that player or any other player.”
From a football perspective, the Texans could surely use Brown. Between their losses to the Chiefs and the Ravens, the Texans have fallen short by a combined 31 points. Life without DeAndre Hopkins is hard, as many expected. Receivers Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb were brought in to help fill the void, but, so far, they’re not quite clicking with plays from offensive coordinator Tim Kelly.
Even if the Texans wanted to bring in Brown today, they’d have to wait another six games before getting him on the field. Still in the midst of his suspension, Brown is also busy with more legal matters. Just recently, a Florida judge ordered Brown to turn over text messages and other evidence pertaining to a civil suit from a woman who accused him of rape and sexual assault.
Jaguars’ DJ Chark Out Vs. Dolphins
Jaguars wide receiver DJ Chark has been officially ruled out for tonight’s game against the Dolphins. Chark was previously listed as questionable with chest and back injuries and his condition has not improved.
Chark was uncharacteristically quiet in the Jaguars’ season opener against the Colts, though he did score the team’s first touchdown of 2020. Last week, he managed 84 yards off of just four catches, giving him seven grabs for 109 yards plus one touchdown through two games.
A second-round pick in 2018, Chark enjoyed a breakout season last year. With 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns, the Jaguars are counting on him for an encore. For now, Chark is only looking at a one-game absence, but the training staff will monitor him going forward. On the plus side, the Dolphins won’t have top cornerback Byron Jones either, so it could roughly amount to a wash for both clubs.
With Chark out, the Jaguars will head into tonight’s game with Keelan Cole, Laviska Shenault, Chris Conley, and Collin Johnson as their top receivers. The Jags may also look to activate Dede Westbrook for additional depth.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/24/20
We’ll keep track of today’s taxi squad moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Willie Beavers
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: G Jeremiah Kolone
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Cody White
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Lance Lenoir
Cowboys’ Chidobe Awuzie To Miss Time
Cowboys starting cornerback Chidobe Awuzie will miss multiple games with a hamstring injury, per a club announcement. Awuzie has not been placed on injured reserve, but that would be the logical move if he’s sidelined for three or more games.
[RELATED: Jared Veldheer Turns Down Cowboys, Retires]
Awuzie went down late in the Cowboys’ win over the Falcons, adding another name to the team’s already lengthy injury list. Already, the Cowboys have cornerback Anthony Brown and linebackers Leighton Vander Esch and Sean Lee on IR. Brown hit the IR list just as fellow corner Jourdan Lewis returned to action and Awuzie’s absence marks yet another hit to the secondary.
In the interim, the Cowboys will likely turn to recent call-up Brandon Carr for support at corner. Ideally, the Cowboys wanted the veteran at safety, where he backed Darian Thompson and Daryl Worley.
On the plus side, rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs returned to the practice field after missing some time with a shoulder injury. They’ll need the Alabama product more than ever given the Cowboys’ injuries on the defensive side of the ball.
Seahawks To Meet With Snacks Harrison
Damon Harrison won’t retire after all. The former All-Pro defensive tackle is slated to meet with the Seahawks next week, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The 31-year-old has also drawn interest from the Bears, Packers, and Bengals. 
[RELATED: Seahawks’ Bruce Irvin Done For Year]
Harrison made his name as a fierce run-stuffer with the Jets before signing a lucrative free agent deal with the Giants in 2016. Then, he was shipped to Detroit midway through the 2018 campaign, where he became the first defensive lineman to appear in 17 games during an NFL regular season. But, even as he was putting in overtime, Harrison was unhappy. Last year, he openly contemplated retirement.
“I came into [2019 training] camp in shape, but during the first three weeks of camp I think I kind of worked myself out of shape because I wasn’t doing anything,” Harrison said in April. “That was a time where, to be honest with you, we were trying to facilitate a trade. I was hell-bent on getting out of there.”
The Lions released Harrison from his one-year, $11MM deal in February, and we haven’t heard his name mentioned since. Now, he’s ready to play. With four clubs interested in his services, it sounds like Snacks is on the verge of making his return. The Seahawks – who lost Bruce Irvin for the year and have most of their starting defensive linemen on the injury report – could certainty use the help.
Vikings To Sign Todd Davis
The Vikings have agreed to sign linebacker Todd Davis, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Financial terms of the deal are not yet known, but it’ll be a one-year pact for Davis and the Vikes.
Davis stood as one of the Broncos’ longest-tenured players up until his release in early September. The Broncos opted for extra cap space over the veteran, but he was still productive in 2019. Last year, he notched a career-high 134 tackles, tying him for eighth on the NFL leaderboard.
Interestingly, Davis has largely been off the radar since he was released by Denver three weeks ago. His former head coach Gary Kubiak – who now serves as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator – will be happy to welcome him to Minnesota.
The Vikings could use an experienced player like Davis, particularly in the wake of Anthony Barr‘s season-ending pectoral injury. Despite all of their defensive talent, the Vikings are 0-2 after opening the year with losses to the Packers and Colts. It won’t get any easier this week, as they take on the 2-0 Titans on Sunday afternoon.
Lions Meet With Jabaal Sheard
Jabaal Sheard will meet with Lions brass on Thursday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). If he signs, he’ll reunite with old Patriots pals Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn. 
[RELATED: Lions Place G Joe Dahl On IR]
Sheard never quite lived up to his potential as a game-changing pass rusher, but he has averaged over five sacks per season over the course of a mostly-durable nine-year NFL run. At this stage in his career, he profiles as a quality rotational edge player. For what it’s worth, he hasn’t had gaudy sack totals in a while — the 8.5 sacks he compiled as a rookie in 2011 remain a career high.
The 31-year-old has spent the last three years with the Colts, where he was quietly solid. In 2018, for example, he played the most snaps (813) of any defensive lineman on the team, racking up 5.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits in the process. Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 36 edge defender in the NFL that year, the highest ranking of any Colts pass rusher on the ’18 squad.
Sheard’s last deal paid him $25.5MM over the course of three seasons. This time around, he’d likely come at a much cheaper rate.
Panthers Place Christian McCaffrey On IR
The Panthers have placed Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve, per a club announcement. The running back’s high-ankle sprain will keep him out of action for a minimum of three weeks, per league rules. 
The Panthers will monitor McCaffrey’s recovery, but it’s likely that he’ll need more than the minimum IR stint to get back to 100% health. At the very least, he’ll be out for games against the Chargers, Cardinals, and Falcons. He’ll be eligible to return on Oct. 18 when the Panthers take on the Bears in Carolina, but they won’t be able to bank on his availability.
For now, the Panthers figure to turn things over to Mike Davis, who finished Sunday’s game with eight catches for 74 yards. Before that, McCaffrey was his usual stellar self in the season opener, rushing for 97 yards. And, even in a trying 2019 fo rthe team, McCaffrey still 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.
As of this writing, Trenton Cannon represents the only other RB on the depth chart behind Davis. They also have fullback Alex Armah on hand, but practice squad running back Reggie Bonnafon seems a likely call-up for this week. Beyond that, they may want to explore the free agent market if McCaffrey is out for an extended period.