Browns Place Anthony Walker On IR
The Browns will place starting linebacker Anthony Walker on injured reserve with a hamstring strain (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Fortunately, it’s expected to be a short-term matter, which means that Walker should return in three weeks. 
[RELATED: Browns Work Out Reuben Foster]
Walker started alongside Darius Leonard for three seasons with the Colts. Working as Indianapolis’ primary middle linebacker, he registered 321 tackles from 2018-20 and did not miss a game. He also posted 18 tackles for loss in that span, including 10 in 2018. Pro Football Focus did not grade Walker particularly well last season, slotting him near the bottom of its linebacker hierarchy.
Still, the Browns saw potential in the former fifth-round pick and moved quickly to sign him to a one-year, $3MM deal in March. He should resume his starting role on the other end of this IR stint and can return as soon as 10/10 against the Chargers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: RB Devonta Freeman (story)
Detroit Lions
- Claimed (from Jets): CB Corey Ballentine
- Promoted: OT Will Holden
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Charlie Heck
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR C.J. Board, TE Chris Myarick
New York Jets
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Jamison Crowder
DeMarcus Lawrence To Miss 6-8 Weeks
Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence had surgery on his broken foot earlier today, according to head coach Mike McCarthy (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). The recovery will rule him out for the next 6-8 weeks, but McCarthy believes Lawrence will be back before the season is through.
The Cowboys have placed Lawrence on IR. The league’s short-term IR allows players to return after as little as three missed games, though the Cowboys won’t see Lawrence until November, at the earliest.
“Obviously, losing DeMarcus, he’s a prime-time player for us. I thought he had a nice start in Tampa,” McCarthy said. “You hate to see these injuries to any of your guys, but what it does is it gives opportunities to the other players. How we will spread that out will be done through game plan. We’ll work on that today, tomorrow and Saturday. Specifically, we’ll get into that when we play the game.”
In the near term, they’ll have to get by without Lawrence and possibly Randy Gregory after his positive COVID-19 test. Dallas was already in an iffy spot with their D-Line — they were just one of two NFL teams without a sack in Week 1. That leaves them with less appealing options, such as Dorance Armstrong and Tarell Basham, backed by reserve DEs Bradlee Anae and Chauncey Golston.
Lawrence, a two-time Pro Bowler, notched 25 sacks between 2017 and 2018. He hasn’t approached that production since, but he was still solid in 2019 and 2020, collecting 11.5 sacks and 26 QB hits in 32 games (31 starts). From his sole game this year, he’s got five tackles and one forced fumble.
Giants Promote Matt Skura
The Giants have promoted offensive lineman Matt Skura to the 53-man roster (Twitter link via agent David Canter). Skura will be eligible to play tonight against the Washington Football Team, providing depth in the wake of Shane Lemieux‘s knee injury.
Lemieux, the starting left guard, was replaced by Ben Bredeson last week. Nick Gates could also step in at LG if former Bengals first rounder Billy Price is shifted to the middle. In any scenario, Skura offers some upside as a supporting cast member.
Skura spent four seasons as a Ravens starter, working at center and guard. He operated as Baltimore’s starting center for most of Lamar Jackson‘s tenure, helping the team to historic rushing totals. The Giants added him to their taxi squad earlier this month after he was dropped by the Dolphins.
Skura, 27, comes with 51 games of starting experience and a serious medical file. The veteran started 16 games for the Ravens in 2018 but tore his ACL, MCL and PCL towards the end of the 2019 season. He didn’t bounce back all that well last year — Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the league’s worst centers before he lost his starting job in Baltimore.
The offensive line has been a sticking point for the Giants for years, so they’re eager to find solutions. After falling 27-13 in the season opener against the Broncos, they’ll aim for the .500 mark tonight against Washington.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/16/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Tommy Kraemer
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: FB Adam Prentice
Ravens Promote RB Devonta Freeman
The Ravens are promoting running back Devonta Freeman to the 53-man roster (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Freeman, who joined the practice squad last week, will be eligible to play against the Chiefs on Sunday night.
Freeman is far removed from his best work at this point, but the Ravens will hope for the best as RB room has been decimated by injuries. Freeman, of course, has been derailed by injuries of his own. The former Falcons star missed 14 games due to knee and groin ailments in 2018. In 2019, he managed just 3.6 yards per tote. Then, last year, an ankle injury limited him to five games with the Giants. His final line in blue: 54 carries, 172 yards, and a 3.2 ypc.
The two-time Pro Bowler will at least have an opportunity to turn back the clock. The Ravens’ once-stacked RB group is now without J.K. Dobbins (ACL tear), Gus Edwards (ACL tear), and Justice Hill (Achilles tear). Freeman will likely operate as their No. 3 RB this week behind UDFA Ty’Son Williams and fellow vet Latavius Murray.
Browns To Work Out Reuben Foster
The Browns will audition Reuben Foster on Friday, according to a source who spoke with Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Foster probably won’t be signed straight away, but he could be a candidate for the roster after Sunday’s game against the Texans. 
[RELATED: Mayfield, Browns Haven’t Had “Substantive Extension Talks”]
Foster has been making the rounds recently. He worked out for the Jaguars and Jets earlier this month but left both meetings without a deal.
The Browns rolled the dice on defensive tackle Malik McDowell earlier this year and the (very) early returns are promising. McDowell played on 45 of team’s 65 snaps against the Chiefs, en route to an 83.3 grade, the highest of any Cleveland defender. Despite all of his off-the-field issues, Foster could offer similar upside.
Foster has hardly been seen since he was released by the Niners three years ago. Washington shocked the world by claiming him off of waivers, but never saw the field in D.C. Foster suffered an ACL tear in 2019, further pushing his career off course. He also spent 2020 on IR. Between the suspensions and injuries, the 27-year-old has played just 16 total games as a pro.
49ers Add RB Trenton Cannon
The 49ers have claimed Trenton Cannon off of waivers from the Ravens (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Cannon will help to fortify the Niners’ running back group in the wake of Raheem Mostert‘s season-ending injury. 
[RELATED: Raheem Mostert Out For Year]
The Niners also picked up Kerryon Johnson this week, adding him to their 16-man practice squad. Cannon might not be as big of a name, but he offers experience and special teams ability.
A sixth-round Jets pick in 2018, Cannon wound up with the Panthers last year and contributed mostly as a kick returner. He played on 40% of the Panthers’ special teams snaps in 2020. This all overlapped with Christian McCaffrey‘s injury, but Cannon took just ten handoffs in 14 games with Carolina, less than his 38 totes as a Jets rookie.
The Ravens turned to Cannon in the wake of their own backfield injury bug. They may look for additional RB help as Cannon moves on to his new club. He’ll have his chance to debut for SF on Sunday when they face the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Seahawks Place Ethan Pocic On IR
The Seahawks have placed center Ethan Pocic on the injured reserve list. His spot will be filled by the promotion of linebacker Jon Rhattigan from the 16-man practice squad.
[RELATED: Raiders Poach OL Jordan Simmons From Seahawks]
Pocic left the season opener with a knee sprain, ending his day after just 14 snaps. Kyle Fuller, his mid-game replacement, figures to start in the middle when the Seahawks face the Titans this week.
A former second-round pick, Pocic has seen action at both guard and center as a pro. He opened the 2019 season as a Seattle starter but saw a back injury derail his season. The veteran blocker bounced back in 2020 and re-upped with the team to stay in 2021.
Last year, Pocic started in 14 games at center for a career high 932 snaps. He also notched an improved 62.4 grade from Pro Football Focus, the best of his career.
Raiders Sign OL Jordan Simmons
The Raiders will sign offensive lineman Jordan Simmons off of the Seahawks’ practice squad (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The deal should become official later today, once Simmons clears his physical.
Simmons started his career with the Raiders in 2017 as a UDFA. The USC product spent the entire year on the practice squad before being waived the following August. The Seahawks picked him up in 2018 and deployed him in six games (three starts). He missed all of ’19 due to injury, but bounced back last year for 14 games, including six starts.
Simmons will help fill in for guard Denzelle Good, who will spend the remainder of the year on IR. He’ll join John Simpson as a supporting guard, though one of the two could start if Richie Incognito‘s calf doesn’t help up in time for Week 2. Simpson might have the edge in that case, since he got the call in Week 1.
“He’s gotten a lot of experience and reps because of Richie’s injury,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said before Monday’s contest (via ESPN.com). “So, we feel comfortable there. And again, we talked about the depth that we have in the inside and he provided us with great depth and now he provides us with a starter.”