Raiders Designate Jalen Richard For Return
The Raiders have designated running back Jalen Richard for return. Meanwhile, fellow RB Josh Jacobs joined the team for practice on Thursday, a sign that he could take the field against the Chargers this week. 
Richard has spent five seasons with the Raiders, including a 2018 campaign where he finished with 866 yards from scrimmage. He hasn’t been able to match that production over the past two years, combining for only 729 yards from scrimmage in 29 games. Still, the 27-year-old was supposed to open the year as a primary backup to Jacobs. Instead, he’s been sidelined for the last couple of months with a foot injury.
Jacobs, meanwhile, has not been seen since the season opener against the Ravens. Instead of putting him on IR and ruling him out for three games, they’ve tasked Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber with handling the workload. The two-time 1,000-yard rusher scored two touchdowns in that game with 40 all-purpose yards.
Drake has yet to flourish in their stead, but Barber delivered last week with 111 rushing yards to help top the Dolphins.
Lions OC Anthony Lynn: No Word From USC
USC reportedly has Anthony Lynn on the radar. However, the Lions’ offensive coordinator says he hasn’t been contacted by anyone with the Trojans (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). 
Lynn says he remains completely focused on the Lions, who are still in search of their first win this year. At the same time, he declined to say whether he would consider the opportunity at USC after the season. While the athletic department has yet to reach out, it’s been reported that boosters have made contact.
Lynn, 52, spent four years as the Chargers’ head coach up until he was canned in January. Weeks later, he agreed to join Dan Campbell as the Lions’ OC, but Lynn initially planned to take the year off.
“I’ve been on the sideline since I was six years old. I have not had a break since I was six years old, literally, every single fall,” Lynn said over the summer. “I really had my mind made up that I was going to take a gap year travel a little bit, go see some other teams, visit some of the coaches that I know, and see how they’re doing things. I had made my mind up to sit out this year, but then when Dan called, you know, that changed everything.”
Eric Bieniemy has also been linked to the USC vacancy and some have wondered whether Urban Meyer could get in the mix. For his part, Meyer says he’s committed to the Jaguars.
Titans To Sign Johnny Townsend
The Titans are set to sign punter Johnny Townsend (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). This likely means that current punter Brett Kern will miss time as he recovers from a groin injury. 
At minimum, Townsend should see time against the Jets. A fifth-rounder in 2018, he spent his rookie year as the Raiders’ punter. The following year, he was leapfrogged by UDFA A.J. Cole. After leaving the Raiders with a 43.2 yards per kick average, he signed deals with the Giants and Chiefs, but did not play for either team. The Ravens did use him briefly last year though, trotting him out in the regular season finale.
The Titans were in a similar spot last year as Kern missed three games. It was a reminder of how critical a punter can be — fill-in Trevor Allen had a disastrous outing in a one-sided loss to the Colts. They’ll hope for better results this time around with Townsend.
The 2-1 Titans face the winless Jets this Sunday in New Jersey.
LeSean McCoy Retires From NFL
LeSean McCoy is hanging up his cleats. The veteran running back will sign a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Eagles, capping his career after 12 NFL seasons. 
McCoy, 33, spent last year with the Buccaneers and captured his second Super Bowl ring. Afterwards, he seemed intent on playing in 2021.
“The only thing is it has to be the right team,” McCoy said. “I can’t go from two Super Bowls to playing with BA (Bruce Arians), Andy Reid, Tom Brady, and Patrick Mahomes to not even having a team that’s competing. I’m still a competitor. To bring me back, I have to play for a team that is a contender, or with some young guys I could help out. I still want to be effective and get a shot to play and showcase my talent. I still have some more highlights to give out.”
McCoy played sparingly for Tampa last season, getting only ten carries and 15 receptions in ten games. Of course, he was also one of the most accomplished running backs of the past decade. McCoy made six Pro Bowls in seven seasons from 2011-17.
After 12 years with the Eagles, Bills, Chiefs, and Bucs, McCoy racked up 11,071 rushing yards. Another couple of seasons could have put him at 12,000 — every retired RB who has eclipsed 12,000 is in the Hall of Fame. Others who ended their careers between 11,000 and 12,000 — Fred Taylor, Steven Jackson, and Corey Dillon — have not been inducted, but McCoy could potentially find his way to Canton.
NFL, NFLPA Adjust Draft Eligibility Rules
The NFL and the NFL Players Association have agreed to modify the eligibility rules for the 2022 NFL Draft (Twitter links via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Now, all players who have completed four years of college eligibility will be automatically eligible unless they opt out by February 4.
In essence, this will automatically count the 2020 season as credit towards draft eligibility, even if the player opted out. This way, NFL teams will have a clear picture of the draft pool early on in the draft process, eliminating questions about which players are actually up for grabs.
The 2022 NFL Draft will take place in Las Vegas from Apr. 28 — Apr. 30. Top prospects in the class include Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, Alabama offensive tackle Evan Nela, LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., and, potentially, Liberty quarterback Malik Willis.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Harry Crider, OL Javon Patterson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Jordan Lucas
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: RB Trey Ragas, WR Javon Wims
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed (from Steelers): OLB Jamir Jones
New York Giants
- Signed: Omari Cobb, OL Sam Jones
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Phillip Dorsett, TE Ryan Izzo, QB Jake Luton
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Abdullah Anderson
Washington Football Team
- Signed: WR Kelvin Harmon
Bears Designate Danny Trevathan For Return
The Bears have designated linebacker Danny Trevathan to return from the injured reserve list. The Bears now have 21 days to either move him to the active roster or shut him down for the remainder of the season. 
Trevathan will likely return sooner rather than later. The tenth-year vet missed time with a knee injury during training camp, but this was always viewed as a short-term injury.
The Bears did their best to brace for Trevathan’s absence, rostering plenty of inside linebackers on their 53-man roster. Still, they’d like to have the 31-year-old defensive anchor return ASAP. The 1-2 Bears coughed up a combined 60 points in their losses to the Rams and the Browns.
Trevathan has been a starter for the Bears since signing with them in 2016. The former Broncos sixth-round pick and two-time Super Bowl starter has battled multiple significant injuries since ’16, but turned in a full slate with 113 stops last year to help lift the Bears to the playoffs. The Bears have Trevathan signed through 2022, thanks to the three-year contract he inked last year.
Giants Add Isaiah Wilson To Practice Squad
The Giants are signing former Titans first-rounder Isaiah Wilson to the practice squad (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Despite his turbulent Tennessee tenure, the offensive tackle could be a tremendous value addition for the G-Men. 
Wilson auditioned for the Giants on Tuesday and showed enough to earn a spot on the 16-man taxi squad. Of course, the NFL had higher hopes for him last year when the Titans made him the No. 29 overall pick in the draft.
The Titans traded Wilson to the Dolphins after a four-snap rookie season. Then, he ran into extensive off-field trouble as a rookie and encountered more this year, with a January arrest involving a high-speed chase leading the Dolphins to cut bait as well.
The Giants could certainly use Wilson’s help up front with Nick Gates and Shane Lemieux are out for the season. If Wilson impresses in practice, he might be able to support former Georgia teammate Andrew Thomas and veteran Nate Solder on the outside.
Latest On Ravens’ Ronnie Stanley
Ronnie Stanley could return in a matter of weeks. The Ravens left tackle will likely avoid surgery on his injured ankle as he continues his rehab protocol (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
[RELATED: Ravens Designate Bateman, Boykin For Return]
The All-Pro blocker returned from a previous ankle surgery only to be ruled out for Weeks 2 and 3. Stanley was outstanding in 2019, his last healthy year, earning First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Since then, he’s played in a total of seven regular season games (six last year, one this year).
In his stead, the Ravens have deployed Alejandro Villanueva at left tackle with Patrick Mekari manning the right side. Despite the absence of Stanley and several other key players, things have mostly worked out for the Ravens this year. After dropping the season opener to the Raiders, the Ravens have rebounded with back-to-back wins over the Chiefs and Lions.
Meanwhile, they’re also on the verge of getting wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Miles Boykin back in the lineup. Both players returned to practice on Wednesday, starting a 21-day window for their potential return.
Ravens Designate Rashod Bateman, Miles Boykin For Return
The Ravens have designated wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Miles Boykin for return from injured reserve. Both players will now be able to practice with the team as they prepare to retake the field. 
Bateman underwent groin surgery in August and was forced to begin the year on IR. One of several stellar WRs in the 2020 class, Bateman registered 1,219 yards and eleven touchdowns in 2019, his last full season at Minnesota. The Ravens selected him with the No. 27 in this past year’s draft.
Up until this year, Boykin hadn’t missed a game as a pro. The 2019 third-rounder started 24 games over his first two seasons, hauling in 32 receptions for 464 yards and seven touchdowns.
With Bateman and Boykin on IR, the Ravens have been working with five wideouts: Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins, James Proche, Devin Duvernay, and Tylan Wallace. Now they’re close to getting some reinforcements as they prepare for the Broncos in Week 4.