Saints Add Mike Westhoff To Staff
The Saints are beefing up their coaching staff midway through the season. Special teams guru Mike Westhoff is joining New Orleans on the sideline, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). 
The Saints currently have Bradford Banta as their Special Teams Coordinator with Kevin O’Dea and Deuce Schwartz as his top assistant. It’s not immediately clear if any of those three men will be displaced by Westhoff’s arrival or whether they will now be reporting to him.
Westhoff, 69, has built a reputation over the years as one of the league’s most knowledgeable special teams coaches. After serving as the Dolphins’ special teams and tight ends coach from 1986-2000, he joined the Jets in 2001. He retired after the 2012 season, but the coaching itch apparently has not subsided.
The Saints are atop the NFC South with a 7-2 record. Next up for New Orleans is a home contest against the Redskins on Sunday.
Case Keenum Remains Vikings Starter
Teddy Bridgewater will have to wait at least a little while longer before regaining his starting job. On Wednesday morning, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer announced that Case Keenum will be under center when they take on the Rams this week. 
Fans have been itching to see what Bridgewater can do now that he is finally healthy, but it would be difficult for the Vikings to bench Keenum after he led the team to a road win over the Redskins. After throwing for four touchdowns in the 38-30 win, the Vikings advanced to 7-2, good for first place in the NFC North.
Through ten weeks of the NFL season, Keenum has graded out as the league’s 17th best quarterback, according to the metrics at Pro Football Focus. He’s not necessarily setting the world on fire, but he has played much better than anyone would have expected in place of Week 1 starter Sam Bradford. Perhaps more importantly, the team is winning with him at the helm.
If Keenum falters against Los Angeles this week, it’s possible that we could see Bridgewater take the field for the first time since January of 2016. Short leash or no, it’ll be Keenum getting the Vikings’ first snap at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.
If Keenum’s quality play continues throughout the season, it will set the table for a very interesting scenario in the offseason. Keenum, Bridgewater, and Bradford will all be eligible for free agency in March.
Bucs Sign Senquez Golson To P-Squad
The Buccaneers announced that they signed former Steelers second-round draft pick Senquez Golson to the practice squad. 
Despite entering the league in 2015, Golson has yet to see live action in the NFL. As a rookie, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. The following year, a Lisfrancc injury knocked him out of action. This past summer, he suffered a hamstring injury, leading the Steelers to release him before the 53-man deadline in early September. Golson has had some bad luck, but the good news is that he has not been held back by one particularly injury. If he can stay healthy, he could prove to be a valuable addition to the Bucs’ main roster at some point this year.
Martino, 26, has been cycled through the Buccaneers’ roster for the past two years. After spending most of his first two seasons with the Falcons and Eagles practice squads, Martino found his way to the Buccaneers in May of 2016. Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter was Martino’s offensive coordinator in Atlanta, so the connection helped him find work. Last year, he appeared in 13 games for the Bucs and had eight catches for 142 yards and one touchdown.
Bills Bench Taylor, Start Peterman
The Bills are making a major change under center. Nathan Peterman will start on Sunday against the Chargers instead of Tyrod Taylor, coach Sean McDermott announced on Wednesday morning. 
“This is about becoming a better team. Tyrod has made improvements,” McDermott told reporters. “This is not an indictment on Tyrod. He is an important part of our team and will continue to be an important part of our team…I‘ve been impressed with Nate and his maturity at a very early point in his career. He has certainly worked hard. … The other day, we [saw] some good things, albeit it was a small sample size in a regular season. That said, he has a lot of work to do, just like we all do.”
The announcement comes as a shock, particularly since the Bills are in the playoff mix. Granted, the Bills have lost their last two games, including a lopsided defeat at the hands of the Saints last week. In the midst of the blowout, Peterman was given the opportunity to take over. When he did, he marched the Bills down the field for their only touchdown of the game.
The QB change signals that the Bills will be moving on from Taylor this offseason. Buffalo’s deal with Taylor will allow the team to release him after this season without major penalty. Only $1MM of his $10MM salary is guaranteed for next year and he’ll be due a $6MM roster bonus early on in the 2018 league year. By cutting him before that roster date, the Bills can free themselves of most of the obligation.
When he came on board in the offseason, McDermott did his best to give the impression that Taylor would hold on to the job. After some shaky performances, however, the new regime is turning to some new blood.
“He is, in Tyrod Taylor,” McDermott said in May when asked if the team’s QB of the future was already on the roster. “We’ve drafted Nathan Peterman, …I’m not sure there is a team out there that has the depth that we do at the quarterback position. So we feel good about that. We’re anxious to see how Tyrod develops in his third year as a starter in a new system, a system that he has some familiarity with in terms of [new Buffalo offensive coordinator] Rick Dennison’s system in Baltimore a few years back with Gary Kubiak.”
For his part, Taylor is handling the news like a professional.
“I’m obviously disappointed and it’s a decision that I don’t agree with,” Taylor said (via the team’s Twitter). “Ultimately, it’s Coach McDermott’s decision and I need to continue to be the leader and teammate that I know I can be.”
Redskins Place RB Rob Kelley On IR
Rob Kelley‘s season is over. The Redskins announced that the running back has been placed on injured reserve. As previously reported, Byron Marshall has been signed off of the Eagles’ practice squad to replace him. 
Kelley, the Redskins’ top running back, is dealing with a high ankle sprain and a sprained MCL in his left knee. There was initially some hope that Kelley could return to the lineup later this season with some rest. Unfortunately, it sounds like he’ll need a little longer to recover and the Redskins are not willing to have him occupy a spot on the 53-man roster until he heals up.
Even before the latest injury, Kelley wasn’t all that sharp this year. In seven games (all starts), Kelley has ran for just 194 yards off of 62 carries, giving him an average of 3.18 yards per carry. He was previously dealing with a rib injury, so it’s possible that he has not been near full strength all year.
In 2016, Kelley’s rookie year, he had 704 yards off of 168 carries (4.2 yards per attempt) with six touchdowns. He also added 12 catches for 82 yards and one score.
Without Kelley, the Redskins will be relying on Chris Thompson, rookie Samaje Perine, and Marshall to hold down the running game. Of course, the trade deadline has come and gone, so the Redskins will be limited to the free agent market if they want to make any further upgrades to the group.
Giants Sign LB Akeem Ayers, G John Greco
The Giants announced that they have signed linebacker Akeem Ayers and guard John Greco. They also placed linebacker Keenan Robinson (quad) on injured reserve and elevated wide receiver Kalif Raymond from the practice squad. To make room, they cut defensive end Devin Taylor and waived wide receiver Ed Eagan. 
Ayers auditioned for the Giants in September and again on Nov. 8. In the most recent workout, he apparently made a good impression on coaches. Ayers finished out last season with 18 tackles, two sacks, and one interception for the Colts. He graded out as the No. 54 edge defender in the NFL out of 110 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus’ metrics. He didn’t exactly set the world on fire last season, but he does offer experience as a starter from his time with the Titans (2011-2013) and Rams (2015). In 2014, he won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots.
Greco, 32, joined the Saints in early October but was released without having played a down. Injuries forced him to miss six total games from 2015-16 for the Browns, but he was effective while healthy. Last year, he graded as the league’s No. 18 guard among 75 qualifiers last season, per PFF. All told, Greco offers 111 games — and 70 starts — worth of experience.
The Giants aren’t playing for much at this point, but they are curious to see if Ayers, Greco, and Raymond can be worthwhile players for 2018.
Seahawks Place C.J. Prosise On IR
The Seahawks have placed running back C.J. Prosise on injured reserve, per a team announcement. To take his place, running back Mike Davis has been promoted from the practice squad.
Prosise has been dealing with ankle injuries throughout the season. The most recent flare-up happened during the team’s Nov. 9 win over the Cardinals, forcing him from the game midway. His prognosis apparently wasn’t great heading into this weekend’s game against the Falcons, prompting the team to park him on IR for the rest of the year.
Davis, a fourth-round pick of the Niners in 2015, was claimed off waivers by Seattle in May. Although he didn’t make the Week 1 cut, the Seahawks signed him to the taxi squad after releasing him. The 24-year-old had 19 carries for 50 yards in eight games for the Niners last year. He has yet to show much at the NFL level, but the Seahawks believe that he has a bit of potential.
Davis joins Eddie Lacy (recently sidelined with a groin injury), Thomas Rawls, and J.D. McKissic on the RB depth chart.
Panthers WR Curtis Samuel Done For Season
When Curtis Samuel exited Monday night’s game, the Panthers were hopeful that he had only suffered a high ankle sprain. Unfortunately, doctors gave the wide receiver some bad news on Tuesday afternoon. He has significant ligament damage in his ankle and will have to be shut down for the season as a result, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 
Samuel dropped a would-be touchdown pass in the third quarter and injury was added to insult when a Dolphins defensive back rolled on his foot. The second-round rookie’s season ends with 15 catches (26 targets) for 115 yards plus four carries for 64 yards.
The Panthers could fill the void from within, as suggested by Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. Second-year pro Damiere Byrd is eligible to return from injured reserve soon and could theoretically suit up in time for the Panthers’ Dec. 3 game against the Saints.
For now, the Panthers are left with four healthy WRs: Devin Funchess, Russell Shepard, Kaelin Clay, and Brenton Bersin. The group was thinned out by October’s Kelvin Benjamin trade and it’s looking even weaker following Samuel’s injury.
The Panthers are 7-3 after topping the Dolphins on Monday night. The Saints, riding a seven-game winning streak, sit atop the NFC South with a 7-2 record.
Eagles To Sign OT Will Beatty
Will Beatty is back in the NFC East. The former Giants offensive lineman has agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles, according to Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 
Beatty was one of the league’s better left tackles in 2014, grading out both as a quality run-blocker and pass-blocker, according to Pro Football Focus. In that season, PFF ranked him 14th overall out of 84 qualified tackles. Unfortunately, a pectoral injury cost him the entire 2015 campaign. And, in 2016, Beatty appeared in only six games.
This year, he worked out for the Jets, Saints, and, most recently, the 49ers, but did not sign with any of those clubs. The Eagles are now going to find out what the veteran has left in the tank.
The Eagles’ offensive line recently suffered a big blow when Jason Peters suffered a season-ending knee injury. Halapoulivaati Vaitai is now the starter at left tackle with Lane Johnson on the opposite site. Beatty figures to serve as bench support for both players along with reserve Taylor Hart.
Beatty, a second-round pick in the 2009 draft, spent eight years with the G-Men, including his lost 2015 season.
Latest On Patriots, Martellus Bennett
Martellus Bennett‘s unusual exit from the Packers and reunion with the Patriots raised some eyebrows in the football world. However, NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart says the league office does not have any issues with how things played out (Twitter link via Ben Volin of The Boston Globe). 
The Packers signed Bennett to a lucrative multi-year deal with the expectation that he would be a big, steady target for Aaron Rodgers in the red zone. Instead, Bennett never clicked with the Packers offense, perhaps due in part to his torn rotator cuff. After he intimated that he would retire after the 2017 season, the Packers released Bennett, opening the door for him to be claimed by his former team. It doesn’t take an Alex Jones-level conspiracy theorist to question whether Bennett might have orchestrated his own return to New England, but the commissioner’s office doesn’t share that same skepticism.
After he was cut loose, Bennett instructed his agent to inform interested teams that he might not be able to play due to his injured shoulder. Then, on Sunday, Bennett was on the field for seven snaps and caught three balls for 38 yards. He looked rather healthy in the 41-16 romp over Denver, and that didn’t help to quiet speculation about a potential pre-release arrangement between Bennett and the Patriots.
It’s a closed case in the eyes of the NFL, but the Packers may still go after a portion of Bennett’s signing bonus.