Eagles Place TE Zach Ertz On COVID-19 List
The Eagles have placed tight end Zach Ertz on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, per a club announcement. Pending his vaccination status/test results, Ertz could still be eligible to play on Monday night against the Cowboys. But, for now, Ertz has been moved off of the roster. 
The Eagles now have an additional roster spot to fill if Ertz is not ready in time for Week 3. They presently have two healthy TEs in Dallas Goedert and Jack Stoll; it’s unlikely that they’d go into Monday night without a third.
Ertz has either tested positive for COVID-19 or has been in close contact with an infected person, but his status is unclear. Ertz, 31 in November, has been relegated to a secondary role behind Goedert. Through two games, he has just three catches for 40 yards. This comes after a down year of 36/335/1 in eleven games.
The veteran has just one year to go on his five-year, $42.5MM deal, putting him in line for free agency this spring.
49ers Meet With Duke Johnson, Lamar Miller
The 49ers’ running back search is underway. This week, the team will meet with T.J. Yeldon, Duke Johnson, and Lamar Miller in the wake of Raheem Mostert‘s season-ending injury. (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). 
[RELATED: Raheem Mostert Done For Year]
Johnson caught on with the Jaguars earlier this month but was released after just nine days on the taxi squad. Johnson, 27, did not see the field during his lone week in Jacksonville, residing as an insurance option behind the likes of James Robinson, Carlos Hyde and Dare Ogunbowale. A former third-round pick, Johnson began his career with five straight seasons of 400-plus receiving yards. He topped out at 693 for the 2017 Browns, despite having started just 12 games in that span.
Miller has been on the market ever since he was released by Washington in August. The 2018 Pro Bowler, who has two 1,000-yard rushing seasons on his resume, has not been the same since his a torn ACL wiped out his 2019.
Yeldon, 26 in October, spent the offseason with the Bills. After a 182-carry rookie campaign, the former second-rounder ended his Jaguars stay as the team’s third-string running back behind Leonard Fournette and Carlos Hyde. Still, Yeldon managed a respectable 4.0 yards per carry last season and has hit the 5.0 ypc mark in the past.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/20/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: QB Kyle Sloter
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB Javian Hawkins
- Released: RB Otis Anderson
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Brandon Dillon
New York Giants
- Signed: G Cole Banwart
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Rashard Robinson
- Released: CB Herb Miller
Browns Waive WR Davion Davis
The Browns are cutting Davion Davis (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The wide receiver was set to return from a two-game suspension this week, but he’ll hit the waiver wire instead. 
The move is a bit surprising on multiple fronts. For starters, Davis led the team in receiving this preseason, showing some promise for the year ahead. Meanwhile, star receiver Jarvis Landry is week-to-week with a knee injury. Davis seemed to be a shoe-in for the 53-man roster, but the Browns have other plans.
Davis should draw interest from other clubs on the waiver wire, especially since he comes with a low-cost contract. Meanwhile, this could be a promising sign for Odell Beckham Jr. OBJ has yet to play this season, but the release of Davis might mean that he’s on the verge of making his 2021 debut.
Clubs will have 24 hours to claim Davis once he reaches the waiver wire. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll be a full-fledged free agent and able to sign with any team.
Steelers Place Tyson Alualu On IR
The Steelers have placed defensive lineman Tyson Alualu on injured reserve, per a club announcement. There’s no word on his timetable just yet, but the veteran will be out for a minimum of three weeks. 
Alualu was forced out early on Sunday and fitted for a cast later that day. The Steelers went on to lose to the Raiders, 26-17. They’re now at the .500 mark heading into Week 3 when they’ll face the rival Bengals.
It’s a rough break for the Steelers’ D-Line since Alualu is their starting nose tackle. As you may recall, the 34-year-old was moments away from leaving the Steelers for Urban Meyer and the Jaguars in the spring. Instead, he had a change of heart and re-upped in Pittsburgh.
Alualu was the 10th overall pick of the Jags way back in 2010. He’s never lived up to his draft status, but he’s still been a solid player up front. That includes some quality work last year when he played on ~44% of the team’s defensive snaps and finished with 38 tackles, two sacks, and five passes defended. He received very strong marks from Pro Football Focus for his work as a run defender.
For now, the Steelers will turn to Isaiah Buggs and Carlos Davis for help. And, to further fill in, they’ve promoted defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux from the practice squad.
NFL Minor Transactions: 9/20/21
Today’s minor moves:
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Wynton McManis, CB Jordan Miller
New York Jets
- Promoted: S Adrian Colbert
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: DL Henry Mondeaux
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Travis Jonsen, LB Kevin Minter
Broncos’ Josey Jewell Done For Year
An MRI confirmed that Broncos linebacker Josey Jewell has a torn pectoral muscle (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). That’ll officially end Jewell’s season so the Broncos will place him on the injured reserve list.
Jewell has emerged as a bright, young standout on Denver’s defense, starting in 30 of his 49 games to date. Last year, he notched 113 tackles, two sacks, four passes defensed, and five tackles for loss in a complete 16-game slate. In 2021, his year will end after just two starts with eight stops, one pass defensed, one forced fumble, and two tackles for loss.
The timing is especially unfortunate as Jewell is in his walk year. The 2018 fourth-round pick is currently on course for unrestricted free agency in the spring. With another healthy year, Jewell would have been in line for a massive payday. Now, he may be looking at a short-term deal in order to reclaim his value.
The Broncos advanced to 2-0 after topping the Jaguars on Sunday. This week, they’ll face the Jets in Denver, sans Jewell.
Browns’ Jarvis Landry To Miss Time
The Browns will be without Jarvis Landry for a little while. The wide receiver has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and will be week-to-week, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
Landry went down with a knee injury during the Browns’ opening drive on Sunday and did not return. The Browns still went on to win 31-21, thanks in part to Tyrod Taylor‘s early exit. Still, credit goes to the Browns’ offense, which managed to find pay dirt in each quarter.
The Browns will be without Landry when they face the Bears on Sunday. They may or may not also be without Odell Beckham Jr. — he’s yet to play this year as he recovers from knee surgery. Rashard Higgins, who replaced Landry in the lineup, figures to pick up more of Baker Mayfield‘s targets. Preseason standout Davion Davis — now eligible to return from suspension — could also be called upon to fill in.
There’s no word yet on whether the Browns will park Landry on short-term injured reserve to open up a roster spot. But, given the week-to-week nature of the injury, it might make sense for them to leave him on the 53-man roster.
Texans Won’t Play Deshaun Watson
No surprise here. Despite Tyrod Taylor‘s injury, head coach David Culley says the Texans will not play Deshaun Watson this week (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
[RELATED: Tyrod Taylor Suffers Hamstring Injury]
Rookie Davis Mills will start on Thursday night when the Texans take on the Panthers. Taylor could be out for more than just one week, of course, but the Texans are awaiting word from doctors on his timeline. Without Taylor, the Browns beat the Texans 31-21. Mills finished the day going 8-of-18 for 102 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Taylor, meanwhile, completed 10 of 11 passes for 125 yards and one TD before he was forced to the sideline.
After the game, Culley declined to say whether Watson could wind up on the 53-man roster. In theory, Watson could be activated as the clipboard holder, but it’d be a shock to see him take the field given the Texans’ stance thus far. To our knowledge, the Texans’ position has not changed — they are willing to trade Watson if another team is willing to forfeit a massive haul of draft picks with zero conditions attached. Otherwise, GM Nick Caserio is ready to pay Watson to not play in 2021 and reevaluate things next year.
Jaguars’ James O’Shaughnessy To Miss Time
Jaguars tight end James O’Shaughnessy will miss 3-to-4 weeks with an ankle sprain (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus). That timeline could make him a candidate for the short-term injured reserve list, but the Jags will wait for more on his condition before making any decisions. 
It’s unfortunate timing for O’Shaughnessy, who has been a bright spot through two trying weeks for the Jaguars. In Week 1, the veteran caught six passes for 48 yards, good for second on the team in catches. Then, on Sunday, he had an early 24-yard grab against the Broncos before being forced out. The Broncos went on to beat the Jaguars 23-13, putting Urban Meyer & Co. at 0-2.
For now, the Jaguars will be left with Chris Manhertz, Jacob Hollister, and fifth-round pick Luke Farrell as their tight ends. They may move to promote Matt Sokol — a former Chargers reserve — from their 16-man practice squad this week.
The winless Jags will face the 2-0 Cardinals in Jacksonville on Sunday.