NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/15/21
We’ll keep track of today’s taxi squad moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Kevon Seymour, OT Andre Smith
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Alex Taylor
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: S Sean Davis (story)
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB Grayland Arnold
- Released: DB Antonio Phillips
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Chris Wilcox
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Maurice Ffrench
- Placed on IR: WR Joe Reed
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: CB Madre Harper
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Jordan Miller, C Austin Reiter
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR De’Quan Hampton, TE Michael Jacobson, WR Connor Wedington
Bengals Place Ricardo Allen On IR
Bengals safety Ricardo Allen will be out for at least three weeks with a hamstring strain and a broken hand (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). As a result, they’ll place Allen on short-term IR and sign veteran safety Sean Davis to the practice squad as insurance. 
Allen joined the Bengals in March to fortify the safety group. Before that, he operated as a first-string safety for the Falcons from 2015-2020, including a start in Super Bowl LI. Despite losing his 2018 season to injury, the 29-year-old was mostly healthy over the last two years, up until now.
In his 12 games last season, the 29-year-old registered 25 stops and a pair of interceptions. Counting the ill-fated season opener against the Vikings, he’s appeared in 78 games (76 starts) since 2014. And, in those 21 snaps on Sunday, Pro Football Focus assigned him a solid overall grade of 85.4.
The Bengals could promote Davis, Brandon Wilson, or Trayvon Henderson as they await Allen’s return from IR. They’ll likely make the call today as they gear up for the Bears in Week 2.
Cardinals’ Chandler Jones Confirms Trade Request
Chandler Jones acknowledged his offseason trade request while chatting with reporters on Wednesday (Twitter link via Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic). However, the Cardinals defensive end says that he’s keeping his mind off of any contract issues and letting his agent handle matters. 
Jones asked Arizona to deal him sometime in July. As it stands, the 31-year-old has one year and $15.5MM to go on his contract. He wants a new deal now — not in the spring — to cover the remainder of his prime and perhaps some post-prime seasons.
A short-term deal in the $20MM AAV neighborhood could make sense for both sides. At the same time, he doesn’t have a ton of leverage after losing much of 2020 to a biceps injury. In his five games, he registered eleven tackles, one sack, and seven QB hits. On the whole, he didn’t look like his usual self, even while healthy.
The Cardinals’ previous refusal to trade Jones signals a desire to stay the course with the three-time Pro Bowler. But, if talks do not progress in the coming weeks, he could be a potential trade candidate before the deadline.
Jones, winding down his five-year, $82.5MM deal, averaged 15 sacks per season across his first four years (2016-2019) in Arizona.
Jaguars’ Urban Meyer Denies USC Interest
After the firing of Clay Helton, USC is on the lookout for a new head coach. It won’t be Urban Meyer, according the recently-minted Jaguars head coach.
“There’s no chance. I’m here and committed to trying to build an organization,” Meyer said (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
Meyer made the long-anticipated jump to the pros in January, inking a lucrative long-term deal with the Jaguars. The news was met with mixed reactions and a few raised eyebrows, chiefly from those who wondered if he’d go back to college like other well-known NCAA coaches before him.
“Zero chance at that happening,” Meyer said in March. “What coach [Nick] Saban went through, I don’t know. That’s Coach Saban’s business. I’m not quite sure. At some point, I might talk to him about it…he’s a friend of mine and I got great respect for him.
“It is different. It’s completely different. My mind is set. There’s gonna be some losses. That’s gonna be miserable. I hate losing. We all do. But the reality is that you’re gonna lose. Hopefully you win more than you lose. But that’s something that’s gonna be new to me. I have to get my mind right and I’m working on that.”
The Jaguars did in fact start their season with a loss, falling 37-21 to the Texans. Meyer & Co. will look to get to .500 on Sunday when they take on the Broncos in Jacksonville.
Raiders’ Gerald McCoy Done For Year
Raiders defensive tackle Gerald McCoy suffered a season-ending injury on Monday night (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). This was the expected news after the veteran was carted off the field on Monday night. 
The Raiders haven’t formally announced McCoy’s injury, but they did say it was a knee injury during the Monday Night Football telecast. It’s yet another season cut short for the former multiple-time Pro Bowler. Last year, a torn quad prevented him from taking the field for the Cowboys.
Before all of that that, McCoy earned six Pro Bowl nods with the Buccaneers and performed as one of the NFL’s best defensive lineman in the 2010s. He spent 2019 with the Panthers, appeared in all 16 games, and registered five sacks, giving him 59.5 for his career.
McCoy was set to serve as a rotational defensive tackle behind Johnathan Hankins. To keep the run defense in tact, the team will call on Solomon Thomas, Darius Philon, and new addition Damion Square.
Saints’ Erik McCoy To Miss Time
Saints center Erik McCoy will miss time due to a calf strain (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). While the team awaits word on his timetable, they’ll work out former Chiefs center Austin Reiter, per Pelissero. 
The Saints drafted McCoy in Round 2 of the 2019 Draft and immediately installed him as the starting center. They flirted with moving him to right guard at one point in time to make room for Cesar Ruiz, but his leadership in the middle was too valuable to lose.
Including Sunday’s blowout win over the Packers, Ruiz has started in all 33 of his games for the Saints. Now, he’ll be shelved for the first time in his young pro career.
Reiter, a Washington seventh-round pick in 2016, could offer some interim support. He spent the last couple of seasons as Patrick Mahomes‘ snapper, but Kansas City let him hit the open market. Reiter met with multiple teams, including the Bengals, Giants, and Texans, but went unsigned all offseason.
Ravens, Marlon Humphrey Rework Contract
The Ravens have some extra cash to work with, thanks to star cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Now, $2.254MM of his base salary has been reclassified as a signing bonus, carving out roughly $1.8M in cap space (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). 
[RELATED: Ravens, Lamar Jackson Still In Talks]
Humphrey, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2017 draft, inked a five-year, $98.75MM extension with the Ravens last fall. Still only 25, he’s fresh off of back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, plus a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2019. In ’19, he started nearly every game for the Ravens as he notched three interceptions and three fumble recoveries, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Last year, he registered 82 stops, 2.5 sacks, one interception, and a league-leading eight forced fumbles.
Humphrey and the Ravens dropped the season opener to the Raiders, falling 33-27. They’ll try to get back on the right track this Sunday when they take on the Chiefs in Baltimore.
Eagles Rework Fletcher Cox’s Contract
The Eagles have converted $13.925MM of Fletcher Cox‘s base salary into a signing bonus (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). With a little help from the veteran defensive tackle, the Birds have created roughly $11.14MM in cap space for 2021.
[RELATED: Eagles Sign LT Jordan Mailata To Four-Year Extension]
Cox is tied to Philly through the 2022 season as he plays out his six-year, $103MM deal. Cox has mostly held up his end of the bargain. At the time of signing, he was coming off of his first ever Pro Bowl appearance. Now, he’s up to six straight, including a 2018 All-Pro nod.
Cox remains a key cog on the Eagles’ defensive line, having notched 6.5 sacks from the interior last year. If Cox loses a step, the Eagles might not be inclined to carry his $23.8MM cap hit into 2022. But, for now, they’re able to comfortably keep him on the roster, thanks to the payout adjustment.
Jets Place T Mekhi Becton On IR
Jets tackle Mekhi Becton has been diagnosed with a knee cap dislocation (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). He’ll now have to undergo arthroscopic surgery and rest up for 4-6 weeks before he retakes the field. The Jets placed the second-year blocker on IR Tuesday.
Becton, the Jets’ 2020 first rounder, got his right leg caught between guard Greg Van Roten and Panthers defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon on Sunday. The Jets carted him off the field as the Sam Darnold-led Panthers went on to win 19-14.
The news could have been a whole lot worse, but it’s still a bad blow to the Jets’ offensive line. Without him, the Jets will call on Morgan Moses to play opposite of George Fant. Moses is a solid protector in his own right with lots of starting experience, but doesn’t offer the same kind of upside.
The 0-1 Jets will likely place Becton on the short-term injured reserve list, opening up a roster spot for a depth signing. It’s likely that they’ll add another tackle today or tomorrow as prepare for the Patriots on Sunday. Alternatively, they could promote one of their two tackles — Isaiah Williams and Grant Hermanns — from the 16-man practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/13/21
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed to active roster: WR Alex Erickson
- Placed on IR: S Myles Hartsfield
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: WR Michael Gallup (story)
- Activated from Reserve/COVID list: OT Brandon Knight, G Zack Martin
- Placed on Reserve/COVID list: DE Randy Gregory
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: RB Trey Ragas
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: DL Montravius Adams
- Waived: DB Jordan Miller
- Activated: DB CB Bradley Roby
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: DT T.Y. McGill
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on IR: DB Sean Murphy-Bunting (story), LS Zach Triner
- Promoted: S Andrew Adams
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DB Bradley McDougald, TE MyCole Pruitt
- Waived: K Michael Badgley, TE Tommy Hudson