Raiders Promote Johnny Holton
The Raiders are set to promote Johnny Holton from the practice squad, according to Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal (on Twitter). Holton is likely to see time as a special teams gunner, though he may also serve as depth in the secondary.
Holton played wide receiver at the University of Cincinnati and in his 31 games as a member of the Raiders from 2016-2017. But, when he missed the team’s final cut to 53 this year, the club asked him to join the practice squad as a defensive back. He admits that there’s an adjustment, but he’s not completely out of his depth.
“Not really, because I knew the receiver splits,” Holton said in September when asked if anything has surprised him about the new position. “So, wherever they’re lining up at, I pretty much know what kind of route they’re about to run, and things like that by being a receiver myself. So being at DB, I can just read their splits and kind of just tell what route they’re [going to] run.”
All in all, Holton has embraced the change and he’s excited to make his first career play on defense.
“It’ll be a pretty cool moment,” he said. “I know the guys in the locker room will love to see that, and joke about that, and things like that.”
Holton’s first play on D may come on Sunday if he’s active against the Ravens.
Broncos Promote Brendan Langley
The Broncos promoted cornerback Brendan Langley from the practice squad on Wednesday. The 2017 third-round pick did not make the team’s initial cut this year, but he may finally be on the verge of making his 2018 debut. 
Langley, a converted wide receiver out of Georgia, did not make the 53-man roster in September even after the Broncos parted ways with Aqib Talib. The arrival of Adam Jones had something to do with that, but a spot opened up for the youngster when Pacman was cut loose this week.
Langley didn’t have the best camp or preseason in Denver. In four preseason games, Langley allowed five catches off of seven targets and his covered man averaged 15 yards per reception in that admittedly small sample. On the plus side, he did show some skills on special teams, and he has apparently impressed the Broncos in practice.
The 4-6 Broncos are fighting to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, but they’re also evaluating players for next year’s roster. This could be Langley’s chance to make a strong impression on team brass and punch his ticket for next year’s squad.
Poll: Who Will Pick First In The 2019 NFL Draft?
With just five weeks left in the regular season, the playoff picture is starting to take shape. And, of course, the race to the bottom is gaining clarity as well.
With some help from the Football Outsiders’ DVOA On the Clock report, let’s run down some of the candidates for the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft:
Arizona Cardinals (30.8% chance of No. 1 pick, 88.8% chance of top-five pick)
Sunday’s contest between the Cardinals and Raiders was not exactly must-watch television, but it did carry serious NFL Draft implications. By losing 23-21 to Jon Gruden‘s squad, the Cardinals became the most likely team to net the top pick in the spring. Ideally, the Cardinals would like to end the season on a higher note, but their fans aren’t necessarily of the same mind. The Cardinals’ final six games come against the Chargers, Packers, Lions, Falcons, Rams, and Seahawks, which is not exactly a cupcake schedule.
Oakland Raiders (28.6% chance of No. 1 pick, 90.6% chance of top-five pick)
Sunday’s win was a slight blow to the Raiders’ chances of picking first, but don’t tell that to Gruden & Co. Things haven’t gone as planned this year, so they’ll take positives wherever they can get them, even if it’s a W in a meaningless November game. The Raiders’ secondary stepped up in a big way against Arizona, but the pass rush is clearly missing the game-changing talent of Khalil Mack. From here on out, wins could be harder to come by with two games against the Chiefs (twice), Steelers, and Bengals.
San Francisco 49ers (27.6% chance of No. 1 pick, 83.9% chance of top-five pick)
The Niners’ Week 10 loss to the Giants was bad for morale, but it greatly increased their chances of hitting the podium first. After their bye, the Niners will return to face the Buccaneers, which is either a good or bad matchup depending on which way you want the team to go as a San Francisco fan. The 49ers’ offense has not looked the same without quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and running back Jerick McKinnon, but they still have some firepower thanks to the emergence of tight end George Kittle. They’re effectively in a three-horse race for the top choice, but they might not be the smart pick in this poll thanks to a relatively easy schedule down the stretch.
New York Jets (4.7% chance of No. 1 pick, 50.5% chance of top-five pick)
This offseason will be one of tremendous change for the Jets. Head coach Todd Bowles seems likely to get the pink slip and GM Mike Maccagnan will have upwards of $100MM to spend on the open market. Will they also be armed with the No. 1 overall pick? The Jets have been putrid, for the most part, and their last outing against the Bills may have been the low point of the season. But with three wins at this stage of the season and a few winnable games ahead, the Jets are not the odds-on favorites to pick first.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3.5% chance of No. 1 pick, 41.7% chance of top-five pick)
The Buccaneers have flip-flopped between Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick throughout the year with mixed results. Unfortunately, their problems have extended beyond the quarterback position and injuries have not helped matters either. One important thing to note is that both Winston and head coach Dirk Koetter are playing for their respective futures in Tampa. There will be no tanking here.
Outside of those clubs, the Bills (1.8% chance of No. 1 pick, 31.5% chance of top-five pick), Giants (1.3% chance of No. 1 pick, 27.4% chance of top-five pick), and other cellar-dwellers are in the mix for the top selection.
So, who will it be? Click below to cast your vote (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comments section.
Who Will Pick First?
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Raiders 49% (544)
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Cardinals 32% (353)
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49ers 8% (94)
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Jets 5% (52)
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Other (specify in comments) 3% (37)
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Buccaneers 3% (30)
Total votes: 1,110
Buccaneers Place O.J. Howard On IR
The Buccaneers have placed tight end O.J. Howard on IR, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The tight end suffered foot and ankle injuries in Sunday’s 38-35 loss to the Giants and those issues will require extra time to heal. 
With that, Howard’s second season as a pro will end with 34 catches for 565 yards and five 5 touchdowns. On the plus side, the injury is not expected to hurt him in the long run, so he should be ready to participate in practices next summer.
The Howard injury should mean an uptick in targets for fellow tight end Cameron Brate. Brate has shined in the past, but he has recorded just six grabs for 45 yards and no touchdowns in the past three games.
Head coach Dirk Koetter badly needs Brate to step up in Howard’s absence. The team’s 3-7 record has Koetter on the hot seat and he’ll need a strong finish in order to save his job.
Broncos Release Adam Jones
The Broncos have released cornerback Adam Jones. The veteran disclosed the news himself on social media and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) has confirmed the transaction. 
“Well ,Denver it was good,” Jones wrote on Instagram. “Thanks for the opportunity!!!! On to the next.”
Jones, 35, hooked on with the Broncos late in the preseason. At the time, the Broncos saw him as a strong No. 4 cornerback and punt returner, but he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. He’s done after seven games and ten punt returns for just 25 yards in total.
The Bengals declined Jones’ 2018 option earlier this year and he didn’t draw a ton of interest afterwards. Despite his past accomplishments, Jones was limited to just nine games with the Bengals in 2017 and didn’t fare particularly well on 299 defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus assigned Jones the worst mark (47.1) of his entire career, framing him more as a punt returner than a reliable corner.
Given his age and dropoff in performance, this could be the end of the line for Jones in the NFL.
Bengals Place Preston Brown On IR
The Bengals placed linebacker Preston Brown on injured reserve, per a team announcement. To fill his spot, the club signed defensive end Kasim Edebali. 
Brown missed the club’s Week 11 game against the Ravens with a leg injury and it turned out to be a season-ender. The 26-year-old will finish out the year with 42 tackles, two sacks, and four passes defensed in seven starts.
Brown led the league in tackles in 2017 while playing the third-most defensive snaps (1,180) of any linebacker in the NFL. Despite his success with the Bills and a near-perfect attendance record, he wound up settling for a one-year free agent deal with the Bengals in March. Brown was hoping to use that deal as a platform to a big payday in the 2019 offseason, but he’s back to square one after an underwhelming year in Cincinnati.
Edebali, a fifth-year pro, spent the first three seasons of his career with the Saints, before bouncing around between the Broncos, Lions, Rams, and the Saints once again in 2017. He has 61 career games and eight sacks to his credit.
The Bengals’ defense has not lived up to expectations this year and ranks just 27th in defensive DVOA, according to Football Outsiders. Brown wasn’t setting the world on fire before his injury, but losing him surely will not help matters.
The 5-5 Bengals will face the Browns without Brown on Sunday afternoon.
Eagles Activate DT Timmy Jernigan
The Eagles have activated defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan from the NFI (Non-Football Injury) list. To make room, they’ve waived fellow defensive tackle T.Y. McGill. 
Jernigan has been on the NFIO list since undergoing back surgery in May, but he returned to the practice field earlier this month. After a 48-7 drumming at the hands of the Saints, the Eagles can certainly use the help.
Jernigan, 26, started in 15 games for the Eagles last year plus the entirety of their Super Bowl run. In the regular season, Jernigan notched 29 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and nine tackles for a loss.
The fifth-year pro will look to keep the 4-6 Eagles in the playoff fight upon his return. He’ll also look to secure his future in Philadelphia. After his operation, the Eagles pushed Jernigan to alter the remaining three years on his four-year, $48MM extension. Those seasons are now team option years with no guaranteed money.
Jernigan’s 2018 debut may come against the Giants on Sunday afternoon. It stands to reason that he will come off the bench in his first game back, offering support to Fletcher Cox and Haloti Ngata.
Dolphins’ Ryan Tannehill To Play On Sunday
Ryan Tannehill will return to start for the Dolphins on Sunday against the Colts, coach Adam Gase tells reporters. Tannehill has missed the last five games with a right shoulder injury, but he looked sharp enough in Tuesday’s practice to get the nod. 
Brock Osweiler had a few impressive moments as the fill-in, but the team ultimately went 2-3 without Tannehill in the lineup. Tannehill had his own ups and downs under center before the injury, but he ultimately represents the Dolphins’ best option as they push to get into the playoff mix.
The Dolphins’ 31-12 loss to the Packers before the bye was disheartening, but they’re still alive at 5-5. A win over the Colts would take them over the .500 mark while dealing a blow to another 5-5 Wild Card hopeful. After that, the Dolphins face the Bills, Patriots, Vikings, Jaguars, and Bills (again) to close out the year.
In his five games this season, Tannehill has thrown for 972 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Colts Place CB D.J. Killings On IR
The Colts placed cornerback D.J. Killings on injured reserve and waived cornerback Arthur Maulet, according to a team announcement. The Colts already plucked offensive lineman Josh Andrews from the Eagles’ practice squad to fill one roster spot, but they have one more vacancy left to fill. 
Killings was promoted to the 53-man roster from the practice squad last week, but an ankle injury limited him in practice. It turns out that his ankle injury is severe enough to rule him out for the remainder of the season.
It’s a frustrating turn of events for Killings, but he’s been here before. He lost his 2015 season at UCF to injury but bounced back in the next season to start in all 13 games. He recorded 42 tackles, three tackles for a loss, one sack, and 11 pass break-ups in his final year on campus, leading to a healthy amount of interest following the 2017 draft. Killings will now set his sights on the 2019 season when he’ll look to see his first live action in the NFL.
Broncos To Sign OT Cyrus Kouandjio
The Broncos have agreed to sign offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Kouandjio was with the Broncos last year and started their final game at right tackle, so the team is familiar with what he has to offer. 
Kouandjio worked out alongside several other offensive lineman on Tuesday and looked sharper than the rest of the pack. He’ll bolster the offensive line after the loss of Max Garcia, who is done for the year with a torn ACL.
Denver’s offensive line has been decimated by injury this year and the loss of Garcia was just the latest blow. Before that, guard Ronald Leary went down with a Achilles tear in mid-October and starting center Matt Paradis suffered a fractured fibula in early November.
Kouandjio showed some promise with the Bills, but he was waived in 2017 after an odd off-field incident in which he was found partially undressed in a field near the scene of a car accident. The former second-round pick now has an opportunity to showcase himself ahead of free agency in the spring and restore his stock.