NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: K Matt McCrane
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: T Jaryd Jones-Smith, T David Sharpe, CB Linden Stephens
- Released: LB Blake Gallagher, T Foster Sarell, P Johnny Townsend
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: C Lamont Gaillard
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Davion Davis
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Damion Ratley
- Released: K Lirim Hajrullahu
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Shawn Davis, DL R.J. McIntosh
- Released: DL Abdullah Anderson, OL Jacob Capra
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Hardy Nickerson
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: LB Micah Kiser
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: RB Ameer Abdullah
New England Patriots
- Signed: C Drake Jackson
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Steven Parker
- Released: TE Ryan Izzo
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Richard Rodgers
- Released: C Harry Crider
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Taco Charlton (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: CB Dee Virgin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR John Hurst, CB Rashard Robinson
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Antoine Wesley
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: DE Ifeadi Odenigbo (story)
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: WR Nico Collins (story)
- Signed: TE Antony Auclair
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: T Jackson Barton (off Giants’ practice squad)
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: QB Sean Mannion
- Released: RB Ameer Abdullah; Abdullah is now on Minnesota’s practice squad
New England Patriots
- Promoted: K Nick Folk
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: OL Nick Gates (story)
New York Jets
- Promoted: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
- Released: S Sheldrick Redwine
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: DE Brandon Graham (story)
- Signed: G Jack Anderson (from Bills’ practice squad)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Jacques Patrick (from Bengals’ practice squad)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Travis Jonsen, LB Kevin Minter
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: DL Anthony Rush
Packers To Cut Jace Sternberger
The Packers are cutting tight end Jace Sternberger (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Since he is not yet a vested veteran, he’ll be available on the waiver wire for the next 24 hours. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll be free to sign with any team.
Sternberger had some hype a couple of years ago as a third-round pick. However, he’s yet to show much at the pro level. In six games as a rookie, he failed to record a single catch. He was a bit more involved last year, securing 12 grabs for 114 yards and a touchdown. Still, Sternberger has yet to meet expectations, and his two-game ban to open the year didn’t do him any favors.
The Packers saw little reason to keep Sternberger with Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis as their top tight ends. They also have Dominique Dafney and Josiah Deguara on hand to round out the group.
Sternberger could hold appeal for other GMs who still remember his impressive finale at Texas A&M. Still, given his lack of a pro resume, he may be better suited for a practice squad deal.
Browns Place Jarvis Landry On IR
The Browns have placed wide receiver Jarvis Landry on the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. The good is that this should be a short-term IR stint as Landry recovers from his MCL sprain. 
Landry went down with a knee injury during the Browns’ opening drive on Sunday and did not return. The Browns still went on to beat the Texans 31-21, but Landry’s injured knee will rule him out for the Bears this week. Per league rules, Landry must sit out for at least the next two games before retaking the field.
On the plus side, the Browns should have Odell Beckham Jr. back in action this week. Barring any additional setbacks, he’ll make his 2021 debut alongside Rashard Higgins and the rest of the Cleveland WR contingent.
Through two games (really, one game and change), Landry has six catches off of six targets for 80 yards. He also notched a rushing touchdown — the fourth rushing TD of his career — against the Chiefs in Week 1.
In a corresponding move, the Browns have promoted defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo from the practice squad.
Steelers Sign Taco Charlton To Practice Squad
The Steelers have signed Taco Charlton to their 16-man practice squad, per an official club announcement. The defensive end will look to impress on the practice field and see his first live action of the 2021 season.
Charlton, once a highly-touted first-round pick of the Cowboys, flamed out quickly in Dallas. After just two-plus years with the Cowboys, he moved on to the Dolphins and did his best work in 2019 — five sacks in ten games. He had a decent 2020 with the Chiefs too, up until he broke his leg in November. He finished out with two sacks, four quarterback hits, and a forced fumble for KC. However, the 26-year-old (27 in November) wasn’t able to make the cut.
His first opportunity could come quicker than expected since T.J. Watt is dealing with a groin injury. Fortunately for the Steelers, the latest word is that Watt should be able to play on Sunday against the Bengals.
Nevin Lawson Visiting Jaguars
Cornerback Nevin Lawson will visit the Jaguars today (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If all goes well, Lawson could find work just 24 hours after being released by the Raiders.
The Raiders dropped Lawson on Monday with hopes of re-signing him to the practice squad. That won’t happen if Lawson lands a suitable 53-man roster deal in Jacksonville.
Lawson has yet to make his 2021 debut, thanks to a two-game ban to open the season. The Raiders could have activated him for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, but they chose to drop him instead. There’s reason to believe that Lawson can be a solid contributor to someone’s secondary — he started in nine of his 14 games last year and tallied 61 tackles, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and a sack.
If signed, the 30-year-old could dress for this week’s game against the Cardials. As of this writing, the Jaguars’ have Tre Herndon, Shaquill Griffin, and Chris Claybrooks, second-rounder Tyson Campbell, and former first-rounder C.J. Henderson on the roster.
Raiders, Cory Littleton Restructure Contract
The Raiders converted $4.25MM of Cory Littleton‘s base salary into a roster bonus (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Now, the Raiders have created $3.4M in cap space for the current year.
This marks the third restructure for Littleton, who saw his contract reworked in September of 2020 and again in March this year. The Raiders initially signed the former Rams linebacker to a three-year, $35.25MM pact. For all intents and purposes, the deal remains the same. The only real difference is that the Raiders have carved out extra space in this year’s pandemic-altered cap while kicking the can down the road to next year, when the salary max will increase.
Littleton, 28 in November, has 15 stops through two games this year. He’s looking to bounce back from a weak debut season with the Raiders, when he struggled in Paul Guenther’s defense. Now, under the tutelage of new DC Gus Bradley, Littleton is eager to turn back the clock and showcase his old Rams form.
“That’s everything for me,” Littleton said recently (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal). “At the end of the day, nobody wants to have a bad performance. That’s not why we play. We just want to do our best.”
Littleton’s next chance at redemption will come on Sunday when the Raiders take on the Dolphins in Vegas.
Saints Rework Tre’Quan Smith’s Deal
The Saints have converted roughly $1.2MM of Tre’Quan Smith’s base salary into a signing bonus (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). The maneuver will also tack four void years on to his deal, though it’ll provide the Saints with an extra $954K in cap space. 
The Saints have yet to see Smith on the field this year thanks to a hamstring injury. The fourth-year wideout could debut as soon as Week 4, but there’s no word yet on his status. Smith was dogged by the hammy for much of the summer — he tried to come back from it prematurely a couple of times but ultimately had to rest it. The Saints hope to have him back in the fold some time after his short-term IR stint is through.
Smith, a former third-round pick, has a chance to break out while Michael Thomas heals up from offseason ankle surgery. Thomas will be out for the first six games, at minimum, since he’s on the PUP list.
Last year, Smith was enjoying a career year up until he was sidelined by his own ankle issue. In 14 games (10 starts), the 25-year-old hauled in 34 receptions for 448 yards and four scores. Since his new void years are only for cap purposes, he remains on course for free agency in the spring.
NFL Workouts: Giants, WFT, Foreman
Here’s a look at some of today’s more notable auditions, courtesy of NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link):
- The Giants worked out punters J.K. Scott, Kaare Vedvik, and Brandon Wright. For now, that job is held by Riley Dixon, though the Giants could just be keeping their emergency list up to date. Dixon, a former draft pick of Denver, is under contract through 2022 thanks to his three-year, $8.7MM deal.
- The Washington Football Team auditioned running backs D’Onta Foreman and Ryquell Armstead. Foreman, recently released from Atlanta’s practice squad, also showed his stuff for the Raiders earlier this month. Foreman is best known for his rookie year with the Texans but hasn’t been the same since tearing his Achilles midway through that season.
- The Packers are meeting with defensive ends Taco Charlton and R.J. McIntosh. Charlton, once a highly-touted first-round pick of the Cowboys, flamed out quickly in Dallas. His best work to date came with the Dolphins when he notched five sacks in ten games. Still, he had a decent 2020 with the Chiefs, up until his November leg fracture. In that shortened KC run, Charlton recorded two sacks, four quarterback hits, and a forced fumble.
Eagles To Place Brandon Brooks On IR
Eagles guard Brandon Brooks has been diagnosed with a pec strain, per head coach Nick Sirianni (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). As a result, Brooks will miss several weeks as the Eagles move him to injured reserve. 
[RELATED: Eagles Place TE Zach Ertz On COVID-19 List]
On the plus side, it’s not a full-on tear — that would have been a sure season-ender for the interior lineman. Brooks lost the 2020 season to a torn Achilles, but he’s performed as one of the league’s better interior lineman when healthy. He made the Pro Bowl every year from 2017-2019, despite a previous (separate) Achilles tear and a shoulder injury. All in all, he’s lived up to the lofty expectations set by his initial five-year, $62.5MM deal – at least, when he’s on the field. The Eagles still have him for a few more seasons, thanks to his four-year, $54.2MM re-up in late 2019.
The Eagles will keep their fingers crossed for a quick recovery. Last summer, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave managed to return after just five weeks with a similar injury. For now, they’re down a key lineman as they get set for Dallas.