Bengals’ Jonah Williams Unlikely To Play
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says he does not expect first-round pick Jonah Williams to play this season (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby). The team will monitor the tackle over the next few weeks, but there’s little sense in rushing him back on to the field in a lost season. 
[RELATED: Bengals Activate John Ross]
Williams was slotted to start at left tackle before suffering a left shoulder injury. Unfortunately, Williams was just one of several banged up Bengals this season, putting a major damper on Taylor’s first year.
Still, the future is bright for Williams, who was on track to be a Top 10 pick before the Giants shocked the world by taking Duke quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6 overall. The early shakeup led to the Jaguars taking Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen at No. 7, which allowed the Lions to opt for Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson at No. 8 instead of Williams. That worked out just fine for the Bengals, who were able to stand pat and land the best tackle in this year’s class.
Next year, they should find out exactly how good Williams is.
Bengals Activate John Ross
The Bengals have their first win and their former first-round wide receiver back in action. On Tuesday, they officially activated wide receiver John Ross off of the injured reserve list. 
Ross has been out since injuring his sternoclavicular joint in Week 4. Last month, they designated him for return, opening up a multi-week practice window. Now that Ross has been brought back within that timeframe, he’ll be eligible to play again in 2019.
Ross, the No. 9 overall pick in 2017, was written off by many as a bust, but showed some signs of life early on this year. Injuries and a lack of trust from Marvin Lewis had plagued Ross’ first two years in Cincy, but he started the season with 16 catches for 328 yards and three touchdowns in four games.
There’s now reason to believe that Ross could blossom into the top-level deep threat the Bengals were hoping for back in 2017. This is, of course, a lost season for the Bengals, but it’s a ripe opportunity for Ross to work his way back from his shoulder injury and cement his place in the team’s plans moving forward.
The Bengals figure to make lots of changes this offseason, but Ross figures to be an integral part of the offense in 2020. He remains under his rookie deal, which runs through 2020. He’ll carry a $5.45MM cap number in his final year, but the Bengals can add a fifth season via his rookie option.
To make room for Ross, the team waived rookie wide receiver Damion Willis for the second time this year.
Iowa State’s Matt Campbell Signs Extension
Head coach Matt Campbell has agreed to a contract extension through the 2025 season, Iowa State announced. The deal keeps one of the NFL’s hottest young coaching candidates off the radar – at least, for the time being.
Last year, Campbell was said to be on the Browns’ radar before they hired Freddie Kitchens. The Jets also reportedly requested an interview with the Cyclones head coach, though he turned them down.
This year, Campbell was expected to get some more NFL looks, but his new contract probably means that he won’t be in the mix for the 2020 season. Beyond that, a jump to the pros remains possible, depending on the size and scope of his buyout clause.
“I greatly appreciate Dr. (Wendy) Wintersteen’s and (Iowa State AD) Jamie’s (Pollard) proactive approach to extending my contract,” Campbell said in the press release. “My staff and I will be on the road this week actively recruiting the next class of Cyclones and it is important for recruits and their families to understand my commitment to Iowa State.”
The Cyclones will play in a bowl game for the third straight year with the opportunity to hit three consecutive eight-win seasons for just the second time in school history.
Colts Promote WR Chad Williams
The Colts promoted wide receiver Chad Williams to the active roster on Tuesday, per a club announcement. Williams gives them another healthy wide receiver at a time when the group has been perilously thinned out.
[RELATED: Colts Meet With Dontrelle Inman]
This week, the Colts learned that Chester Rogers will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury. Even before that, T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell were both out of action in last Sunday’s loss to the Titans. Williams now joins Zach Pascal, Marcus Johnson, and Ashton Dulin as the club’s only healthy wide receivers.
Williams, a former third-round pick of the Cardinals, caught 20 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown for Arizona in 2017 and 2018. This offseason, he found his way to the Colts practice squad after missing the Cardinals’ final cut.
Current 2020 NFL Draft Order
With 13 full weeks of the NFL season in the books, the 2020 draft order is beginning to take shape. Here’s the rundown of where things would stand if the 2019 season ended today:
1. Bengals: 1-11
2. Giants: 2-10
3. Redskins: 3-9
4. Dolphins: 3-9
5. Falcons: 3-9
6. Lions: 3-8-1
7. Cardinals: 3-8-1
8. Jaguars: 4-8
9. Jets: 4-8
10. Chargers: 4-8
11. Broncos 4-8
12. Eagles 5-7
13. Buccaneers 5-7
T-14. Panthers 5-7
T-14. Browns
16. Raiders 6-6
17. Colts 6-6
18. Raiders (via Bears) 6-6
19. Titans 7-5
20. Jaguars (via Rams) 7-5
21. Cowboys 6-6
22. Dolphins (via Steelers) 7-5
23. Vikings 8-4
24. Chiefs 8-4
25. Dolphins (via Texans) 8-4
26. Bills 9-3
27. Packers 9-3
28. Saints 10-2
29. Patriots 10-2
30. 49ers 10-2
31. Ravens 10-2
32. Seahawks 10-2
Amari Cooper Wants To Stay With Cowboys
Cowboys star Amari Cooper doesn’t have a new deal yet, but he still wants to stay in Dallas. On Monday, Cooper responded in the affirmative when asked if he wants to continue playing for the Cowboys beyond this season.
“Like I just said, I love it here,” Cooper said. “I want to be here. I just love this situation, my teammates. I just feel it’s the place for me.”
Since coming over via trade from the Raiders, Cooper has caught 117 balls for 1,696 yards and 13 touchdowns across 21 games. Through 12 games this year, he’s got 64 grabs for 971 yards and seven scores.
“I’ve approached the situation like, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” he said. “Obviously, I’m more productive here than I was in Oakland, so why would I want to change things?”
The Cowboys feel similarly, though they also much weigh the financial implications of a new deal. The Cowboys still have to address Dak Prescott‘s new deal and paying both players at the top of the market will require some serious belt tightening elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Cowboys still have the option of cuffing Prescott through 2020 via the franchise tag.
Cooper’s future is just one of several storylines to watch in Dallas, where speculation about Jason Garrett‘s job security continues to swirl. The drama-filled Cowboys will look to rebound from their Thanksgiving loss when they take on the Bears in Chicago on Thursday night.
Packers Claim Tyler Ervin
On Monday, the Packers announced that they have claimed former Jaguars running back Tyler Ervin. In a related move, the Packers dropped kick returner kick and punt returner Tremon Smith.
Smith, a 2018 sixth-round pick, broke onto the scene early on with the Chiefs and earned NFL All-Rookie Team honors as a return man. He ultimately finished the 2018 season with 33 kick returns for 886 yards (26.8-yard average). He played sparingly on defense, despite being formally listed as a cornerback, compiling only five tackles and one pass defended in 14 games. The Chiefs also briefly experimented with him at running back on the practice field and in preseason. This year, he appeared in seven games for Green Bay and returned 13 kicks for 303 yards, good for a 23.3 yard average.
After their latest special teams shuffle, the Packers will return to action on Sunday to take on the Redskins at Lambeau Field. At 9-3, they have a 93% chance of reaching the playoffs, per FiveThirtyEight.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/2/19
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: QB Brett Rypien
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DT Devaroe Lawrence
Bears Designate Akiem Hicks For Return
The Bears have designated Akiem Hicks for return from injured reserve, per a club announcement. Per league rules, the move will allow the defensive tackle to return sometime after the Bears’ Thursday night game against the Cowboys.
Hicks suited up and practiced on Sunday, for the first time since early October. The veteran hasn’t been on the field since suffering an elbow injury in London against the Raiders.
The Pro Bowl defensive tackle is a key cog in Chicago’s elite defense. Last year, he notched 7.5 sacks, a strong follow-up to his career high of 8.5 quarterback takedowns in 2017.
Hicks signed a four year, $48MM extension with the Bears in September of 2017, a deal that included $22MM fully guaranteed at signing. Next year, he’s slated to count for an $11.8MM cap hit, but the Bears could also cut him to save $8.8MM against $3MM in dead money.
At 6-6, the Bears are fighting to hold on to their paper-thin playoff hopes. At minimum, Hicks can solidify his place on the roster with a strong finish to the year. He’ll turn 31 in November of 2020, a year in which he’s slated to count for nearly 6% of the team’s total cap room.
Colts Work Out Dontrelle Inman
The Colts worked out wide receiver Dontrelle Inman, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Inman, who was recently released off of injured reserve by the Chargers, could reunite with the Colts after spending some time with them in 2018. 
Inman entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia in 2014 and emerged as a legitimate pass-catching option for the Bolts. In 2016, he enjoyed a breakout season with 58 catches for 810 yards and four touchdowns.
Ever since, he’s bounced around a bit. The Chargers traded Inman to the Bears midway through the 2017 season, where he was unable to recapture his old magic. Then, he inked a one-year deal with the Colts, where
A series of offseason moves relegated Inman to the bench and he was traded to the Bears during the 2017 season. In Chicago, Inman returned to the starting lineup, but was unable to replicate his success from the year prior. As a free agent that offseason, Inman signed a one-year deal with the Colts and went on to appear in 15 games with nine starts. Still, he barely topped 300 yards receiving.
This year, he had a brief dalliance with Patriots before circling back to the Chargers. The veteran shined in Week 4 when he caught five balls for 76 yards as Mike Williams‘ fill-in, but a quad injury landed him on IR and, eventually, put him on the curb.
If signed, Inman could make his Colts return against the Bucs on Sunday afternoon.