Panthers Designate Da’Norris Searcy For Return
The Panthers designated safety Da’Norris Searcy to return from injured reserve, per a team announcement. Searcy has already missed eight games due to a pair of concussions suffered in September, so he can be activated at any time. 
Searcy joined the Panthers on a two-year, $5.7MM deal this offseason with the ability to make up to $3.1MM in 2017. A former fourth-round pick, Searcy managed 12 tackles and one interception last year while grading as the NFL’s No. 61 safety among 87 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
After Searcy’s exit, the Panthers signed former 49ers safety Eric Reid to fill the void. Reid has been serviceable this season, though the advanced metrics indicate that he is not performing at his 2017 level. It’s not clear whether Searcy will regain his starting role, but he will certainly be in the rotation if he’s able to play.
Per league rules, the Panthers have a 21-day window to activate the veteran. If he is not activated during that time, Searcy will be ineligible to return this season.
AFC North Notes: Bengals, Dalton, Browns
Andy Dalton‘s injury could force the Bengals to look to the future, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com writes. Jeff Driskel has the reins now in Cincinnati and his performance could lead the Bengals to reconsider Dalton as their future starter or, at least, reconsider their backup QB situation.
Dalton has two years remaining on a six-year, $96MM contract extension he signed in 2014, but the Bengals can move on next year without any fiscal penalty. There are no roster bonuses remaining on the deal either, so the Bengals could theoretically part ways with Dalton at any point in the spring or summer.
Terrell expects Dalton to stay put, unless there’s an overhaul of the coaching staff or Driskel knocks it out of the park over the next five games. Given the Bengals’ history with Marvin Lewis, a Driskel-powered winning streak may be the only thing to threaten the Red Rifle in Cincinnati.
Here’s more from the AFC North:
- Bruce Arians is wisely looking to drum up fan interest in his quest to become the Browns‘ next head coach, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. As Florio notes, one homeless man allegedly pushed owner Jimmy Haslam to select Johnny Manziel, so it’s possible that the fans could influence the team’s next coaching hire. In his latest round of comments, the former Cardinals head coach said he would keep Freddie Kitchens as offensive coordinator and would consider keeping interim head coach Gregg Williams as the defensive coordinator.
- Le’Veon Bell‘s bitter divorce with Steelers was in the works for a long time, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes. A faction of the Steelers locker room wanted no distractions this year, Fowler writes, so Bell’s decision to sit out the entire season was not exactly devastating in Pittsburgh.
- This week, Bell hinted on Instagram that he would like to join the Colts and team up with quarterback Andrew Luck (via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells). It’s not clear whether the Colts will be players for the Steelers running back, but they will be armed with a league high of $120MM+ in cap space.
Giants’ Cody Latimer Designated For Return
Giants wide receiver Cody Latimer has been designated for return, coach Pat Shurmur announced. Latimer will take the practice field on Wednesday, kick starting a three-week window for activation. 
Latimer, 26, was enjoying an expanded role in the Giants’ offense against the Eagles on Oct. 11 before he went down with a hamstring injury. The wide receiver had six catches for 108 yards across four games before being sidelined.
The Giants aren’t playing for much at this point of the season, but Latimer will have a chance to showcase himself before reaching unrestricted free agency in March. The Giants are also keenly interested to see whether he can be a fit for the 2019 roster after signing him to a one-year, $2.5MM contract in the offseason.
The Giants close out their season with games against the Bears, Redskins, Titans, Colts, and Cowboys.
Jaguars’ Leonard Fournette Loses Appeal
Leonard Fournette‘s one-game suspension will stick. On Wednesday, the NFL announced that the Jaguars running back lost his appeal and will be suspended for this week’s game against the Colts. 
Fournette was ejected from Sunday’s game for taking a swing at Bills defender Shaq Lawson and was hit with a one-game ban on Monday for violating the league’s unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness rules. The former fourth overall selection will forfeit 1/17th of his $1.699MM base salary, which amounts to roughly $99K.
Unfortunately for the running back, the fiscal ramifications go far beyond one game check. If Fournette’s rookie deal includes void language regarding suspension, the remaining $7MM in guaranteed money left on his deal could be removed. Given Fournette’s injury history, that’s no small matter.
The Jags head into their Week 13 matchup against the Colts with a new offensive coordinator (quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich, who replaces Nathaniel Hackett), quarterback (Cody Kessler), and running back. Carlos Hyde, whom the Jaguars acquired from the Browns earlier this year, figures to see split time with T.J. Yeldon in a makeshift Jaguars backfield on Sunday. Both backs will run behind an offensive line that’s now without its best player in Andrew Norwell, who was placed on injured reserve this week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/27/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed off Dolphins’ practice squad: DE Cameron Malveaux,
- Signed: CB Dontae Johnson, CB Quinten Rollins
- Released: CB Chris Jones
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: P Matt Darr
- Waived: P Colton Schmidt
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Lorenzo Doss
Denver Broncos
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Temarrick Hemingway
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: OL Gerhard de Beer
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: LB Dylan Cole
- Waived: LB Josh Keyes
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted from practice squad: CB C.J. Reavis
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: OL Chaz Green
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed: DB Godwin Igwebuike (from Buccaneers)
- Promoted from practice squad: LB James Onwualu
- Placed on IR: CB/S Jimmie Ward
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: WR Keenan Reynolds
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/27/18
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad decisions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Jalen Tolliver
- Cut: Vincent Valentine
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DB Bennett Jackson
- Cut: RB Mark Thompson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: DL Caushaud Lyons, TE Tim Semisch, T Dan Skipper
- Placed on PS-IR: OT Andreas Knappe
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Hakeem Valles
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Jalen Myrick
- Released from PS-IR: DE Jonathan Wynn
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Tyrell Adams, WR Max McCaffrey
Raiders Hoping For Donald Penn Return
Raiders offensive tackle Donald Penn has been on injured reserve since early October, but head coach Jon Gruden is still hoping to get him back on the field this season (via Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area). 
[RELATED: Raiders Want To Keep Doug Martin]
“He has been downstairs rehabbing and we are hoping he can come back and help us,” Gruden said. “I don’t know how close he is officially, but he is making progress. Hope to have him on the field before the season is over.”
Of course, the 2-9 Raiders aren’t playing for much this year, so there’s little sense in putting Penn on the field if he is less than 100%. There’s also the matter of his contract. As it stands, only $1.750MM of his 2019 income is guaranteed. However, if he were to suffer a serious injury, the Raiders could be on the hook for his entire salary.
Also, activating Penn would rule out the possibility of a Marshawn Lynch return. The Raiders already burned one IR-DTR spot on defensive tackle Justin Ellis, so activating Penn would keep Lynch from playing in the team’s Christmas Eve home finale against the Broncos.
Penn appeared in 14 games for the Raiders last season, the first time in his career that he failed to appear in all 16 regular season contests. Pro Football Focus ranked him 23rd among eligible tackles, proving that the veteran still has something left in the tank.
Raiders Want To Keep Doug Martin
Doug Martin is slated to reach free agency in the spring, but Raiders head coach Jon Gruden would like to keep him from the open market. This week, Gruden indicated that he is hoping to keep the running back in 2019.
“He’s a good back. I think I’ll say it again and again, he’s a very good player,” Gruden said (via Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area). “He’s been a great player in this league. He’s running it. He’s catching it. He picked up some blitz that were flushed. We did a lot of good things on the film that I look at. We’re proud of what we did against a very good defense. We thought Doug Martin played extremely well.”
Martin, an Oakland native, joined the Raiders on a one-year deal that can be worth up to $1.475MM. Despite his inconsistent past, he could be in line for a pay bump thanks to his recent play. Since taking over for the injured Marshawn Lynch, Martin has averaged 4.6 yards per tote. His latest quality performance came on Sunday as he rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown off of eleven carries.
Beast Mode is also ticketed for free agency but it’s not clear whether Gruden & Co. want him back. Meanwhile, backup Jalen Richard will be a restricted free agent.
Jets To Stick With OC Jeremy Bates
The Jets aren’t going anywhere this year, and neither is their offensive coordinator. Despite some questionable play calling against the Patriots on Sunday, head coach Todd Bowles says he has not considered relieving OC Jeremy Bates of his duties. 
“I thought he called a good game,” Bowles said of Bates, who dialed up 50 pass plays versus just a dozen runs (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini). “It’s everybody involved, it’s not just Jeremy. The other coaches and the players as well, we’re all involved in it. It’s never pointed to one person.”
The Jets are on a five-game losing streak and they’ve averaged just 11.2 points per game during that span. However, team ownership has reportedly ruled out the idea of firing Bowles before the season is through, so it only makes sense that they would ride things out with Bates. After the Jets wrap things up against the Patriots on Dec. 30, it’s likely that both men will be shown the door.
Gang Green will look to get back in the win column on Sunday afternoon when they face the Titans in Nashville.
Bills To Work Out Marcus Smith
Former Eagles first-round defensive end Marcus Smith will work out for the Bills on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This marks Smith’s second workout of the year following his release from the Seahawks in August. 
Smith also showed his wares for the Jets last week, but left New Jersey without a deal. The Bills are at least curious to see what Smith can offer, even though he flirted with retirement over the summer.
In three seasons with the Eagles, Smith never made a start and registered only four sacks. In 2016, the 26-year-old Smith played on only 20% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps. But, he may still have potential and he would represent a low-risk signing for the 4-7 Bills. On the plus side, Smith had 14 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 252 snaps for the Seahawks last year.