NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/15/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Sam Brown
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Bryson Albright, RB Cedric O’Neal
Chicago Bears
- Signed: CB De’Vante Bausby
- Placed On P-Squad IR: TE Justin Perillo
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DL Trevon Coley
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: Kitt O’Brien
Ravens Place Lorenzo Taliaferro On IR
- The Ravens announced that they’ve placed running back Lorenzo Taliaferro on injured reserve and signed linebacker Lamar Louis to the active roster. Taliaferro, a 2014 fourth-round, hasn’t been able to get on the field in Baltimore, as he’s managed only 14 carries over the past two seasons. The Ravens are also promoting WR Michael Campanaro, tweets Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun.
Ravens Release Devin Hester
One of the greatest kick returners of all-time is out of work. The Ravens announced that they have released Devin Hester. Michael Campanaro will be promoted from practice squad and serve as the team’s new returner. The Ravens also placed running back Lorenzo Taliaferro on injured reserve and signed inside linebacker Lamar Louis. 
[RELATED: Falcons Promote WR Nick Williams]
Hester was a late addition to the Ravens’ roster, joining the club on Sept. 4. The 34-year-old averaged 24.5 yards per kick return and 7.2 yards per attempt on punt returns. Lately, however, he has struggled to field kicks. Last night, he made a costly decision to not field a punt and it would up resulting in a safety.
The veteran could be a fit for the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) speculates.
Former NFL TE Konrad Reuland Dead At 29
Former NFL tight end Konrad Reuland passed away after suffering a brain aneurysm, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced after last night’s game. Reuland’s alma mater of Stanford has also confirmed the tragic news. 
“Just want to offer condolences to his family. We love Konrad Reuland,” Harbaugh said before reading a psalm (link via CSN Mid-Atlantic). “Every single guy in that locker room loves him who knows him.”
Reuland entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and signed with the 49ers. In 2012, he found his way to the Jets and appeared in every regular season game. In the following year, he had his season with the Jets cut short by a knee injury. After a brief stay with the Colts, he hooked on with the Ravens in November 2014 and cycled between their main roster and practice squad for a long time. In 2015, he saw time in four games for Baltimore. He was in camp with the Colts again this summer, but he did not make the final cut.
We here at PFR would like to extend our condolences to Reuland’s family, friends, and teammates.
Dennis Pitta Maxes Out Incentives
- Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta will max out his incentives for 2016, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. Under the terms of his reworked contract, Pitta’s salary was cut from $5MM to $1MM, but the Ravens added $3MM in incentives to help bridge the gap. The 31-year-old needed to catch 60 passes for a $1MM receptions incentive and he’s already topped that with 61. He also has to appear in 50% of the team’s snaps for the other $2MM and he’s in line to do that as well.
2017 NFL Draft Order Through Most Of Week 14
The final month of the regular season will dictate the playoff futures for teams like the Cowboys, Patriots, Chiefs, and Raiders. For other teams, the postseason is a statistical impossibility. Already, the Jets, Jaguars, Browns, Rams, Bears, and 49ers have been mathematically eliminated. The Chargers, Saints, Panthers, Eagles, Bengals, and Cardinals are not technically out of it, but their chances are remote.
Here’s where those teams and the others not currently ticketed for the playoffs stand in the draft order (Note – Ties are broken by strength of schedule):
- Browns 0-13
- 49ers 1-12
- Jaguars 2-11
- Bears 3-10
- Rams 4-9 (pick belongs to Titans)
- Jets 4-9
- Panthers 5-8
- Chargers 5-8
- Saints 5-8
- Eagles (pick belongs to Browns) 5-8
- Cardinals 5-7-1
- Bengals 5-7-1
- Bills 6-7
- Colts 6-7
- Titans 7-6
- Vikings (pick belongs to Eagles) 7-6
- Packers 7-6
- Redskins 7-5-1
- Ravens 7-5 (Note – The Ravens play their Week 14 game tonight against the Patriots.)
- Dolphins 8-5
Strength of schedule via SB Nation.
Ravens Work Out David Bruton
Less than a week after getting waived by the Redskins, David Bruton has gotten his first audition. ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the veteran safety worked out for the Ravens.
Bruton joined the Redskins this past offseason on a three-year, $9MM deal. In four starts with his new team, the defensive back compiled 28 tackles, one sack, and two passes defended. Bruton was placed on the injured reserve in early October with a concussion, and he was waived from the team’s reserved/injured list last week. As our own Zach Links pointed out, the safety ultimately collected $3.4MM for his four starts in Washington.
At only 29-years-old, Bruton should have plenty left in the tank, and the former fourth-rounder is less than a year removed from a career season. In 2015, the safety set career-highs in tackles (49), sacks (one), passes defended (seven), and interceptions (two). In seven years with Denver, Bruton only missed eight regular season games.
It’s uncertain how Bruton would fit on the Ravens, as the team is currently rostering five safeties. Eric Weddle and Lardarius Webb are entrenched as the team’s starters, and Matt Elam, Anthony Levine, and Marqueston Huff are fine backups. For what it’s worth, the Ravens do have four defensive backs on the injured reserve in Kyle Arrington, Sheldon Price, Jumal Rolle, and Kendrick Lewis.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/6/2016
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: P Matt Wile
- Cut: LB Reshard Cliett
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Stephen Houston
Clevleand Browns
- Signed: S Justin Currie
New Orleans Saints
- Cut: LB Lamar Louis
New York Giants
- Signed: DE Jordan Williams
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Darius Jennings
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Shaniel Jenkins
- Cut: WR Kevin Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Bernard Reedy
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB J.R. Tavai
Lions Sign Asa Jackson From Ravens’ P-Squad
The Lions are signing cornerback Asa Jackson off the Ravens’ practice squad, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jackson will take the place of nickel corner Quandre Diggs who was lost for the season this week. 
Jackson played under Teryl Austin in Baltimore when Austin served as the Ravens’ defensive backs coach. Now the defensive coordinator for the Lions, Austin put in a good word for Jackson. The Ravens waived Jackson ten days ago to make room for tight end Nick Boyle and re-signed him to taxi squad. That move allowed the Ravens to keep Jackson in the fold, but it also allowed him to get scooped up by rival teams.
Jackson, 26, has had multiple stints the Ravens. The former fifth-rounder has 18 career games on his resume and he’s totaled 30 tackles and three passes defended in that time.
Detroit’s pass defense has been among the worst in the NFL this year, and in fact ranks dead last in passing DVOA, according to Football Outsiders.
NFL Spending By Team Over Last Four Seasons
The NFLPA has released the official data on team spending over the last four seasons. The Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulates that each team must utilize 89% of the salary cap over two four-year periods, 2013-16 and 2017-20. As previously reported, the Raiders are the only team that has yet to satisfy that requirement for the closing period. The CBA also requires the league, as a whole, to spend 95% of the cap, in cash, for the same period. That requirement has been easily met.
Here is the full rundown of every team’s spending in declining order:
Philadelphia Eagles – $613,928,134
Denver Broncos – $587,712,791
Seattle Seahawks – $584,305,975
Green Bay Packers – $583,138,740
Miami Dolphins – $577,975,260
Kansas City Chiefs – $575,541,332
Buffalo Bills – $573,647,850
Chicago Bears – $568,301,610
Cincinnati Bengals – $567,289,411
Baltimore Ravens – $562,425,698
San Diego Chargers – $562,232,116
Indianapolis Colts – $556,335,689
Atlanta Falcons – $550,614,572
New York Giants – $543,787,033
Arizona Cardinals – $543,327,538
Los Angeles Rams – $541,957,711
New Orleans Saints – $539,836,498
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $539,736,102
Minnesota Vikings – $539,162,454
New York Jets – $533,151,519
Washington Redskins – $532,545,662
Pittsburgh Steelers – $530,698,171
Detroit Lions – $530,210,549
Tennessee Titans – $524,505,256
Dallas Cowboys – $523,033,036
Houston Texans – $517,212,166
Jacksonville Jaguars – $516,908,734
Cleveland Browns – $516,158,864
San Francisco 49ers – $514,488,198
New England Patriots – $500,083,836
Carolina Panthers – $495,149,346
Oakland Raiders – $491,433,408