Panthers Place K Graham Gano On IR
On Wednesday, the Panthers placed kicker Graham Gano on injured reserve. The move means that Gano’s season is over and Chandler Catanzaro will continue as the team’s lead leg. 
Gano, 31, has been with the Panthers since 2012. The Panthers value him more than your average kicker and even entertained the possibility of using the franchise tag on him in the offseason. Instead of paying him near the top of the market for one year, however, they signed him to a new four-year deal worth $17MM in March.
In 12 games this year, Gano connected on 14 of 16 field goal tries (87.5%) and 30 of 33 extra point attempts (90.9%). It was a good showing, but one that pales in comparison to his 2017 campaign. Last year, he nailed 29 of his 30 field goal tries for a league-leading 96.7% conversion rate with his only miss coming from 50-yard territory.
Gano’s contract suggests that he will return as the Panthers’ kicker in 2019. In the meantime, Catanzaro has two more games to showcase himself. Those contests will come against the Falcons and Saints to round out the year.
Raiders To Work Out Nathan Peterman
The Raiders will work out quarterback Nathan Peterman, according to Ryan Talbot of New York Upstate (Twitter link). Head coach Jon Gruden was high on Peterman in the lead up to the 2017 draft, so Gruden might not need much convincing to sign him. 
“Peterman is ready to walk in and be a contributor,” Gruden wrote for ESPN in April of 2017. “He just looks like a pro quarterback — coming out of the huddle, running an offense with different formations, shifting, motioning, different patterns that other colleges don’t run. Peterman will recognize route combinations and associate formations.”
Gruden went on to predict that Peterman could “get in a huddle from day one and look at ten grown men and tell them where to go and what to do and handle a versatile snap count.” So far, that hasn’t been the case. The 24-year-old was released by the Bills earlier this year after posting arguably the worst results of any quarterback in NFL history.
Pro Football Reference’ “indexed” statistics, which adjust for era, allow us to contrast Peterman’s performance in today’s pass-happy league versus the bygone eras of run-based offenses and defense-dominated games. The results aren’t pretty. The adjusted numbers show that Peterman is dead last among all quarterbacks since 1970 in passer rating, yards per attempt, interception percentage, and numerous other passing statistics.
Still, the Lions, Broncos, Bucs, and Raiders are all at least a little curious about the Pittsburgh product. Given Gruden’s friction with starter Derek Carr, this is an audition to keep an eye on.
Broncos Place CB Chris Harris On IR
Chris Harris won’t return for the Broncos this season. The Broncos will place Harris on injured reserve and sign fellow cornerback Craig Mager to replace him, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post (on Twitter). 
Harris, 29, suffered a fractured fibula on Dec. 2, but the team wanted to keep its options open in case he would be needed for the playoffs. At 6-8, the Broncos have been mathematically eliminated from contention, so there’s little reason to put Harris in harm’s way.
The Broncos have every reason to believe that Harris will be ready to go for offseason activities in the spring. He’s somewhat close to full health already and he managed to bounce back from a torn ACL in record time earlier in his career. The cornerback tore his ACL against the Chargers in a 2013 divisional playoff game, but managed to play in the 2014 season opener.
The Broncos wrap up their season with games against the Raiders and Chargers.
Falcons’ Devonta Freeman Won’t Return
No surprise here, but Falcons coach Dan Quinn says the team will not activate Devonta Freeman from IR this season (Twitter link via 92.9 The Game). Two weeks ago, the Falcons indicated that Freeman could potentially play again, but it makes little sense to play him now that they are completely cooked. 
[RELATED: Falcons Likely To Fire Steve Sarkisian]
Freeman hardly saw the field in 2018 thanks to knee trouble early in the year and groin surgery later on. In his two games, Freeman had 14 carries for 68 yards and caught five passes for 23 yards.
The 26-year-old (27 in March) rarely battled injury issues through the early part of his career, as he played in 47-of-48 games between 2014 and 2016. Hopefully, he’ll be able to stay out of the trainer’s room when he returns in 2019.
Freeman is under contract through 2022 thanks to the five-year, $41.25MM extension he inked in August of 2017.
Lions Place RB Kerryon Johnson On IR
Kerryon Johnson‘s season is over. The Lions will place the standout running back on injured reserve with a knee injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
The Lions are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, so there’s little sense in pushing Johnson on to the field when he’s less than 100% anyway. The severity of Johnson’s injury is not yet known, but he is expected to make a full recovery in the offseason.
The rookie turned in a quality season, even as the Lions slumped. He finishes with 641 rushing yards on 118 attempts, which is good for a 5.4 yards per carry average. And, in Week 3, he snapped the Lions’ streak of 70 games without a 100-yard rusher.
The Lions will wrap their season against the Vikings and Packers. With Johnson out, they’ll continue to use LeGarrette Glount, Theo Riddick, and Zach Zenner in the backfield.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/18/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Jonathan Moxey
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: S Chris Cooper
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Kyle Friend
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DL Eric Cotton, CB D.J. Killings
- Placed on PS-IR: TE Ethan Wolf
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Tegray Scales
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: FB Dimitri Flowers, WR Jordan Veasy
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Farrington Huguenin
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OLB Gimel President
Washington Redskins
- Signed: RB Russell Hansbrough
Packers Place RB Aaron Jones On IR
Aaron Jones‘ season is over. On Tuesday, the Packers placed the running back on injured reserve, ruling him out of the final two games of the regular season. 
[RELATED: Packers Claim RB Kapri Bibbs]
Jones’ season started off with a two-game suspension, but he has made up for lost time in recent months. Through Week 15, Jones led the league in yards-per-carry (5.6) and posted career highs in rushing yards (720), rushing touchdowns (eight) and receptions (26).
The Packers have a number of issues to address this offseason, but their starting running back situation is more or less settled with the 2017 fifth-round pick in the fold. His rookie contract runs through 2020 and it’s one of the league’s better values at his position.
Without Jones, the Packers will turn to Jamaal Williams as their top back. They’ll look to avoid a winless season on the road when they face the Jets on Sunday.
Colts Sign J.J. Wilcox
The Colts signed free agent safety J.J. Wilcox, according to a team announcement. In related moves, the club placed linebacker Skai Moore (neck) and defensive lineman Al Woods (foot) on injured reserve. 
Wilcox, 6’0″, 212-pound veteran, has 75 career games to his credit with the Jets (2018), Steelers (2017) and Cowboys (2013-16). He didn’t do much for the Jets in his five games this season, but he’ll look to rebuild his stock for a Colts team that is pushing to make the playoffs.
Woods, 31, left the Titans in March of 2017 to sign with their divisional rival. This is the final year of his two-year, $5MM deal, so it’s possible that he has played his final game for Indianapolis. Before the foot injury, Woods appeared in all 14 games (eight starts) for the Colts and tallied 24 tackles, a tackle for loss, and one pass defensed.
If the Colts can top the Giants and Titans in the next two weeks, they’re nearly guaranteed a spot in the postseason. These injuries may thin out their defense a bit, but they’re still one of the hottest teams in the league at this juncture.
Texans Release WR Sammie Coates
Texans wide receiver Sammie Coates has been released, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). came to Houston after being waived by the Browns in March, but he was hardly used in 2018. 
Coates’ best season to date came in 2016 with the Steelers when he had 21 catches for 435 yards and two scores. In 2017, however, he had just six catches for 70 yards and zero touchdowns for Cleveland. His production dipped even further this year with the Texans as he had just one catch for 12 yards.
Coates’ 37 snaps this year marked a career low and the former third-round pick is undoubtedly frustrated with how things have gone over the last couple of years. Still, he handled his exit from Houston with class.
“Thank you Houston!!,” Coates wrote on social media. “Good Luck to y’all guys!”
Coates will hit the waiver wire, making him and his contract available to the league’s other 31 teams. If he is not claimed within 24 hours, he will be an unrestricted free agent.
The Texans, meanwhile, will work to clinch the division without Coates on the depth chart. They have two games left against the Eagles and Jaguars, and they’ll sew up the AFC South with a win in either contest. The Texans can also clinch the division this week even if they fall to Philly if the Titans and Colts both lose their respective games.
Falcons Likely To Fire Steve Sarkisian
There’s a “strong possibility” of significant changes to the Falcons’ coaching staff this offseason, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). This includes potential changes at offensive and defensive coordinator, which could put Steve Sarkisian and Marquand Manuel out of work. 
As Pelissero notes, head coach Dan Quinn‘s background is in defense and he exercises a great degree control on that side of the ball. The team’s hire at offensive coordinator will likely have a larger impact on the squad, which renders the OC choice as a more crucial decision than DC.
The next OC of the Falcons could be an old friend of Quinn’s. Former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell could be a strong candidate for the job, Pelissero hears, particularly since Bevell spent time with Atlanta coaches in the spring.
Under Bevell’s command, the 2017 Seahawks finished roughly league-average on offense, ranking 15th in yards, 11th in points, and 14th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, which measures efficiency. Bevell had been an offensive coordinator since 2006, spending five seasons with the Vikings before joining Seattle in 2011.
During his dozen seasons as an OC, Bevell’s units have finished as a top-10 DVOA offense five times. Despite his success, he’s widely blamed for Seattle’s controversial call at the end of Super Bowl XLIX, even though he might not have been the one who dialed up the play.
Despite a bevy of offensive weapons, the Falcons are 5-9 and will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2015. The dismissal of Sarkisian feels like an inevitability and Bevell could wind up as the man to replace him, even if Falcons fans are largely opposed.