Redskins To Work Out Mark Sanchez, Others
The Redskins are bringing in a group of quarterbacks to work out on Monday, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Mark Sanchez, E.J. Manuel, and T.J. Yates will show their stuff for Washington as they seek a new backup quarterback for new starting QB Colt McCoy. Kellen Clemens and Josh Johnson will also get a workout, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
McCoy was thrust into the starting lineup when Smith suffered a broken tibia and fibia. This trio of prospective QBs is not the most exciting bunch, but the Redskins are hoping that none of the three veterans will have to see action.
McCoy has not attempted a pass since 2015, but he is considered one of the NFL’s better No. 2 signal callers. In recent years, the team has flirted with the idea of starting him, so they clearly have confidence in his ability.
On the plus side, all four veterans offer NFL experience. By the end of business on Monday, one of them will take a step closer to seeing live action.
Texans Likely To Tag Jadeveon Clowney
The Texans aren’t letting Jadeveon Clowney get away. The team plans to apply the franchise tag to him for 2019, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. 
However, the move may come with some controversy. Clowney will argue that he should be tagged as a defensive end, which would put him in line for more than $17MM in salary. Meanwhile, the Texans will contend that he is a linebacker, which would give him about $15MM.
The difference is relatively small, but it could be a major point of contention for Clowney and an opportunity for the Texans to gain a bit of cap relief. Beyond the tag, the two sides will find themselves in an interesting long-term contract negotiation.
When on the field, Clowney is among the league’s most feared edge rushers. Since the start of the 2015 season, Clowney has recorded 25.5 sacks and 55 tackles for a loss. And, this year, he has been one of the NFL’s best at generating quarterback pressure, but his injury history may be something of a concern: The 25-year-old (26 in February) missed 3/4ths of his rookie season and a few games in ’15 and ’16. Then again, he has back-to-back Pro Bowl nods and appeared in all 16 regular season games last year.
On Sunday, Clowney recorded yet another sack as the Texans edged the Redskins, 23-21. Next, the Texans will take their seven-game winning streak to the Titans on Monday night.
Chiefs Waive DB Josh Shaw
The Chiefs have waived defensive back Josh Shaw, according to a team announcement. Shaw hooked on with the Chiefs in October, but his time with the club is up after appearing in just four games. 
Shaw served as a reserve and special teamer in Kansas City, compiling four total tackles in his short run. Prior to that, he spent three years with the Bengals, including the 2016 season in which he started 12 contests.
With experience at cornerback and safety, Shaw could find interest from teams for the final half of the season. If he clears waivers, he’ll be free to hook on with any club.
The Chiefs, says the former fourth-round pick, will face the Rams on Monday night in one of the year’s most highly-anticipated matchups. Barring another roster change, the Chiefs will have five true corners on the roster in Kendall Fuller, Steven Nelson, Orlando Scandrick, Charvarius Ward, and Tremon Smith.
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Packers Activate Trevor Davis From IR
The Packers activated wide receiver Trevor Davis from injured reserve, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Davis may contribute in the return game upon his return while also providing depth behind Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling (a.k.a. Scantron), Randall Cobb, Equanimeous St. Brown, and J’Mon Moore. 
A fifth-round choice in 2016, Davis hauled in 24 receptions and tallied 289 yards last season while playing on 40.5% of Green Bay’s special teams snaps. His return is well-timed for a Packers team that recently placed Geronimo Allison on IR.
Prior to the transaction, the Packers had only 52 players on the roster, so no corresponding move will have to be made before the team’s Thursday night game against the Seahawks. With a win, the Packers can keep themselves afloat in the NFC Wild Card chase while seriously damaging the Seahawks’ playoff hopes.
Bucs Undecided On Offensive Playcaller
Last week, Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter yanked play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Recently, Koetter told reporters that he’s unsure about who will call the shots on Sunday against the Giants, though he plans to finalize things before Friday. 
“Every Thursday night we put the game plan to bed,” Koetter said (Twitter link via Pewter Report). “After dinner, after we get done with the players, we put the game plan to bed and make our final adjustments. After we do that tonight, we’ll decide and move on from there. That’s how we do it and I believe in our process.”
Koetter, who has spent the bulk of his career as an OC, called the plays against the Redskins and the offense amassed more than 500 total yards. Unfortunately, the Bucs’ only points came off of a field goal and red-zone turnovers undid a lot of their good work. Koetter got some results by doing things his way, but the shortcomings are giving him second thoughts about how to proceed.
Obviously, every coach of the 3-6 Bucs is on the hot seat, so the security of both Koetter and Monken will depend on the next seven games. The Bucs face long odds of making the playoffs, but they can keep their Wild Card hopes alive with a win this week.
Giants’ Stewart Returns To Practice
Jonathan Stewart‘s season might not be over. The Giants designated the running back to return to practice, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
A foot injury landed Stewart on injured reserve in September and the Giants have been cautiously optimistic about getting him back on the field. The Giants have a three-week use-it-or-lose-it window to activate the veteran starting today. If he is not placed on the 53-man roster by Dec. 6, he will be barred from playing for the Giants this year.
Of course, the Giants aren’t playing for much at this juncture of the year. Even after their win against the 49ers, the G-Men are 2-7 and likely ticketed for another high draft pick.
Rookie Saquon Barkley continues to impress and Stewart didn’t see a whole lot of work before his injury, so it will be interesting to see how he’s used when/if he comes back. In nine games, Barkley has averaged 4.5 yards per carry while adding 62 catches for 530 yards and seven touchdowns in total. In Stewart’s three games before the injury, he logged six carries for 17 yards.
The Giants have Stewart under contract through next year, but they can save $2.625MM by releasing him with just $250K in dead money. This could be Stewart’s chance to cement his place on the Giants’ 2019 roster and avoid going through free agency as a 32-year-old running back.
Poll: Who Will Browns Hire As Head Coach?
After firing Hue Jackson, the Browns installed defensive coordinator Gregg Williams as the team’s interim head coach. This week, GM John Dorsey confirmed that Williams will be considered for the full-time post, but no matter how well the team does down the stretch, Dorsey will do his due diligence and speak with a number of candidates. 
By the end of this season, the Browns will have gone through 16 straight seasons without a playoff berth and patience is obviously running thin in Cleveland. The club has a lot of confidence in Williams, who is regarded as one of the top defensive minds in the NFL, but there are a number of interesting candidates for the Browns to consider this offseason. Here’s a quick glance at the field and some speculative candidates for the post:
Lincoln Riley – The Oklahoma Sooners head coach was quickly connected to the Browns thanks to his previous partnership with quarterback Baker Mayfield. Riley is still only 35 years old and in his second year as a head coach, but NFL executives seem to love his energy and passion for the game. If the Browns want Riley, they may have to compete with the Cowboys and other clubs to get him.
Josh McDaniels – Would NFL teams consider the Patriots’ offensive coordinator just one year after he left the Colts at the altar? The short answer is yes. Despite all of the hand-wringing over Tom Brady‘s age and possible discord in the Pats’ locker room, McDaniels’ offense has been clicking all season, save for a few blips such as last week’s loss to the Titans. McDaniels flopped as a young 30-something head coach with the Broncos and his flip-flop turned off a lot of people, but the Browns have to be at least a bit curious about what he could bring to the table.
Matt Campbell – Like Riley, Campbell is another coach from the college ranks who has been connected to the Browns gig. The Iowa State head coach lacks NFL experience, but Albert Breer of SI.com hears that those connected to Dorsey are big fans of his. He’s also a relative youngster, but it may make sense for the second-youngest team in the NFL to employ a 30-something head coach. His strong Ohio ties may work in his favor as well.
Jim Schwartz – The Eagles’ defensive coordinator was a hot candidate for head coaching vacancies last year and it stands to reason that he’ll draw attention again this year. Schwartz’s run as the Lions’ head coach from 2009 to 2013 did not go as planned, but the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory revitalized his career and his desire to run his own show again is evident.
Dave Toub – Ex-head coaches, offensive coordinators, and defensive coordinators usually draw the most attention, but what about a special teams coordinator? Toub has been an NFL special teams coach since 2001 and this year, the Chiefs added the title of Assistant Head Coach to his nameplate. The Chiefs’ offensive unit is understandably getting all of the headlines, but it’s possible that Toub could build off of 2017’s interviews with the Broncos and Chargers to get into the mix with Cleveland.
Matt LaFleur – LaFleur made a name for himself in Atlanta when he helped guide Matt Ryan to an MVP campaign. After that, he hooked on with the Rams and got results out of Jared Goff. He didn’t call plays as Sean McVay‘s OC, but he took the wheel this year with the Titans. The Titans’ offense has looked pretty sharp with a healthy Marcus Mariota under center and LaFleur could be considered by the Browns and other clubs with HC openings.
David Shaw – Shaw, the head coach of the Stanford Cardinals, has been connected to several NFL head coaching jobs in recent years, though he did not interview for any in the last cycle. Shaw could conceivably draw consideration here, but it wouldn’t be the sexiest pick.
George Edwards – The Vikings had the top defense in the NFL last year under Edwards’ command, allowing just 275.9 yards per game and 15.8 points per contest. Edwards obviously deserves credit for the Vikings’ success, but he’s a DC that doesn’t call the plays, and that may hurt him in his candidacy with the Browns and other teams.
John DeFilippo – The Cardinals and Bears both considered DeFilippo after his tutelage of Carson Wentz and backup-turned-hero Nick Foles. When he fell short, he jumped ship to become the offensive coordinator of the Vikings.
Zac Taylor – The Rams are living up to their lofty expectations and Goff is looking better than ever, so the Rams’ quarterbacks coach could be a candidate for the Browns. Ditto for passing game coordinator Shane Waldron. Both coaches have popped up on the lists of gambling oddsmakers and they have the endorsement of McVay. “Man, I love these guys. I don’t want to lose them though,” McVay said recently. “They’re great coaches. But I think, the one thing that you look back on is just getting an opportunity to work with these guys. What great coaches they really are. They’re great communicators, great teachers, great leaders – that’s pretty consistent throughout our staff.”
Mike McCarthy – Could Dorsey’s head coaching search lead him to an old friend? The Packers are just 4-4-1 through nine games and McCarthy is believed to be on the hot seat. As Dorsey looks to change the culture in Cleveland, he could do a lot worse than to hire someone like McCarthy, who has taken the Packers to the playoffs on nine occasions, including a Super Bowl victory after the 2010 season.
Other – There will probably be a dozen more names connected to the Browns’ opening in the coming weeks, including a few coaches who will be laid off at the end of the season. If you have another candidate in mind, choose “Other” in the poll and let us know about your pick in the comment section.
Click below to cast your vote (link for app users):
Who Will Be The Browns' Next Head Coach?
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Mike McCarthy 22% (643)
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Lincoln Riley 16% (484)
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Gregg Williams 16% (469)
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John DeFilippo 10% (292)
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Josh McDaniels 9% (257)
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Matt Campbell 6% (188)
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Other (specify choice in comments) 6% (165)
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Dave Toub 5% (137)
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Matt LaFleur 5% (135)
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Jim Schwartz 4% (118)
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David Shaw 1% (38)
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Zac Taylor 1% (34)
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George Edwards 0% (7)
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Shane Waldron 0% (3)
Total votes: 2,970
Colts Sign Jalen Collins To Practice Squad
The Colts signed cornerback Jalen Collins to the practice squad, per a team announcement. To make room, they released quarterback Phillip Walker from the 10-man unit. 
Collins, a 6’1″ cornerback, was a second-round pick of the Falcons in 2015. Red flags kept him from being a first-round pick that year and assorted issues kept him from realizing his potential at the pro level.
After completing his latest ban – a 10-game suspension of unknown origin – Collins auditioned for Indianapolis on Wednesday. The Colts apparently liked what they saw and jumped at the low-risk/high-reward move to stash him. In 24 career games (eight starts) with the Falcons, Collins tallied 43 tackles (40 solo), two tackles for loss, two interceptions, and ten passes defensed.
Walker, meanwhile, has been doing the Grandpa Simpson all year. This marks the end of his fourth stint on the Colts’ practice squad this year and it remains to be seen whether he’ll get a fifth shot.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/14/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Rick Leonard
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Tyler Ervin
- Released: DB Makinton Dorleant
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DB David Jones
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OL Rees Odhiambo
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: WR Rashard Davis, WR ArDarius Stewart
Washington Redskins