NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Andre Baccellia, WR Stanley Berryhill, WR C.J. Board, CB Nate Hairston
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Brandon Copeland
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Tanner Gentry
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DT Frank Herron
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: C Matt Skura
New England Patriots
- Signed: K Tristan Vizcaino
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Adam Pankey
- Released: OL Chris Glaser
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DL Khalil Davis
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Christian DiLauro
Washington Commanders
- Signed: DT Donovan Jeter
- Placed on IR: OL Nolan Laufenberg
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off Bills practice squad: RB Raheem Blackshear
- Signed to active roster: LB Arron Mosby
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: LB Jordan Kunaszyk, DE Isaac Rochell
Houston Texans
- Promoted: OL Jimmy Morrissey
- Placed on IR: LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
- Placed on NFI: OL Justin Britt (story)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed off Rams practice squad: DE Benton Whitley
Los Angeles Rams
- Suspended: TE Brycen Hopkins
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Suspended: S Damontae Kazee
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: DT Deadrin Senat
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: RB Trenton Cannon, DB Chris Jackson
Kazee was suspended three games for violating the league’s policy on substances of abuse. After signing with the Steelers this offseason, he landed on injured reserve after the preseason. Per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor (on Twitter), Kazee will be allowed to serve his suspension while he’s on IR.
Hopkins was also suspended three games for violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse.
Latest On Bills CB Dane Jackson
Last night’s Titans-Bills game featured a frightening moment when Bills cornerback Dane Jackson collided with teammate Tremaine Edmunds and suffered a neck injury in the process. He was ultimately taken off the field by an ambulance, leading to concerns about his short- and long-term health status. Encouraging reports have since come out on that front, however. 
Last night, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted that the 25-year-old underwent a CT scan and X-Ray, adding that he experienced full movement in his lower extremities. Adding to the positive news, Pelissero’s colleague Mike Garafolo reports that Jackson walked out of the hospital this morning, and there is a belief that a major injury has been avoided (video link).
A team update indicates that he will undergo further evaluation today to determine the length of his absence. That will become an important piece of information, given the fact the Buffalo is already without No. 1 corner Tre’Davious White. He remains on the reserve/PUP list, having been placed there last month; that move ensured that the All-Pro would be sidelined for at least the first four games of the season while he continues to recover from a torn ACL.
That made Jackson’s role even more important for a Bills secondary which faced questions at the CB spot entering the season. The former seventh-rounder logged a 97% snap share and recorded an interception in Week 1, and was in line to continue operating as a full-time starter until the injury. Especially until White returns, Buffalo will lean heavily on rookies Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford.
In other injury news, Pro Bowl safety Micah Hyde also left the game with a neck injury, as detailed by ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg. His status will be worth monitoring, as will that of Jackson, who very much appears to have avoided the worst-case scenario in his situation.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/22
Today’s minor moves, including some standard practice squad elevations for the two Monday Night Football games:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted to 53-man roster: DL Abdullah Anderson
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: LB Josh Ross
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted from practice squad: DT C.J. Brewer, DT Brandin Bryant
Green Bay Packers
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: WR Osirus Mitchell
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Duke Shelley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Britain Covey, TE Noah Togiai
Washington Commanders
- Claimed off waivers (from Cowboys): DT John Ridgeway
- Waived: DT Donovan Jeter
Brewer has completed a pretty unlikely path to an NFL game. Coming out of Coastal Carolina, the defensive lineman had to have surgery following an injury suffered in the Chanticleers’ bowl game. With no college all-star game and no NFL Combine, Brewer had only his Pro Day to show his ability. After going undrafted and unsigned as a college free agent, he earned a rookie mini camp tryout and got to stay for training camp as the lowest player on the depth chart. Brewer played more than any other defensive player in training camp and stayed healthy. He got cut, signed with the practice squad, and is now getting an opportunity to appear in his first NFL game.
The Cowboys had hoped to re-sign Ridgeway after waiving him. It doesn’t appear that Washington was the only team to keep him from returning to Dallas, as multiple teams reportedly submitted claims for the former fifth-round pick.
Bills’ Gabe Davis To Miss Week 2
The Bills’ passing attack will see one of its top cogs miss Week 2. Gabe Davis is not expected to play Monday night, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.
Davis suffered a noncontact ankle injury during Buffalo’s Saturday practice, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. It will lead to an absence against the Titans. This is an early blow to a Bills team coming off a dominant season-opening win over the Rams. The Bills have officially declared Davis inactive.
After Buffalo let Emmanuel Sanders walk in free agency — months ahead of the veteran’s retirement — Davis moved into the team’s starting lineup opposite Stefon Diggs on the outside. The team also released Cole Beasley this offseason, leading to an Isaiah McKenzie–Jamison Crowder slot pairing. Both the inside receivers played extensively in Week 1. Each should be expected to play a bigger role tonight.
A former fourth-round pick, Davis has been a steady part of Buffalo’s passing game since his rookie season. The Central Florida alum surpassed 500 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, despite the presences of John Brown and then Sanders as starters. Davis delivered one of the great receiving games in NFL history in January, catching a playoff-record four touchdown passes in the Bills’ shootout loss to the Chiefs. That offered the Bills more than enough evidence to indicate the 6-foot-2 target was ready for a full-time role in 2022.
Depth-wise, Jake Kumerow and fifth-round pick Khalil Shakir round out Buffalo’s receiving corps. The rookie, who topped 1,100 receiving yards as a Boise State senior, did not dress for the Bills’ Los Angeles opener. Shakir should be expected to suit up Monday, with ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen indicating the team has confidence the rookie can contribute (Twitter link). Having famously received an Aaron Rodgers endorsement, Kumerow has been with the Bills since 2020. He has played mostly on special teams, having caught just three passes for 50 yards as a Bill.
Bills DT Ed Oliver Ruled Out For Week 2
The Bills will once again be on primetime in Week 2, but they will be missing a key member of their defensive front on Monday night. Per a team announcement, defensive tackle Ed Oliver has been ruled out. 
The 2019 first-rounder took on a starting role midway through his rookie campaign. Since then, he has been a steady presence on the Bills’ d-line, appearing in every contest so far in his career. With 12 sacks, he has shown the pass-rush ability which made him a top-10 pick in addition to his work against the run.
The latter skillset has been poorly graded by PFF, but Buffalo still generated little surprise when they decided to pick up his fifth-year option. As a result, Oliver will make $10.75MM in 2023 while the Bills look to keep their young, championship-caliber core intact.
While it remains to be seen how long the 24-year-old will be out, the fact that he will be absent against the Titans could prove significant. Derrick Henry represents the obvious focal point of Tennessee’s offense, especially since they traded away A.J. Brown in the offseason. The All-Pro running back ran for 82 yards in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Giants, but has shown himself capable of much more when healthy.
The Bills, meanwhile, put up the best defensive performance against the run during their win over the Rams last week. The defending champions were held to just 52 yards on the ground; a repeat of that could help lead the Bills to a 2-0 start on Monday night, but it will require a larger workload from the likes of Jordan Phillips, DaQuan Jones and Tim Settle.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/14/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Jeff Cotton Jr., OL Koda Martin, WR JaVonta Payton
- Placed on IR: WR Victor Bolden Jr., OL Rashaad Coward
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DL Prince Emili
- Released: WR Tanner Gentry
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OT Darrin Paulo
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Mike Brown
Indianapolis Colts
- Released (non-football illness): G Arlington Hambright
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Chris Garrett
New York Jets
- Signed: P Ty Long, CB Jimmy Moreland
- Released: WR Diontae Spencer
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Willie Snead, CB Kary Vincent Jr.
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Christian Jones, S Scott Nelson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE David Wells
- Released: TE JJ Howland
Bills Targeted Chandler Jones Amid Rams-Von Miller Connections
Von Miller started off his Bills tenure well, notching two sacks against the Rams and spearheading Buffalo’s seven-sack night. Miller chose the Bills over the Rams and Cowboys in free agency, but the rumors connecting the future Hall of Famer and the defending Super Bowl champions nearly moved the Bills in another direction.
Miller said this offseason he was 90% sure he would re-sign with the Rams. The Bills undoubtedly believed there was a good chance Miller would stay in Los Angeles, as Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes Buffalo was initially set to pursue Chandler Jones (subscription required).
The consensus belief Miller would stay in L.A. led to the Bills-Jones connection, per Rodrigue, who adds the Rams expected to retain Miller as well. The Bills became aware of a contract matter that ended up altering the Miller sweepstakes. Learning of the Rams’ proposal containing two guaranteed years, the Bills made the rare move of including a third guaranteed year. Miller said this summer that ended up pushing him to Buffalo.
Buffalo’s six-year, $120MM Miller contract includes a lower per-year average through 2024 than the Rams’ proposal carried, but Miller’s Bills deal has $10.7MM guaranteed in 2024. The Rams were unwilling to break a precedent in this chase, per Rodrigue, who notes this Rams regime has never offered a player a third guaranteed season. Los Angeles’ three-year Aaron Donald deal features a nonguaranteed 2024 season.
A loose Jones-Bills connection emerged ahead of free agency, though several other teams were interested. Once the legal tampering period began, however, the Raiders loomed for Jones. The former Patriots and Cardinals defender signed a three-year, $52.5MM accord hours before the 2022 league year began. Miller’s Bills pact became finalized hours later.
Jones, 32, is a year younger than Miller. But the two-time All-Pro appeared to be Buffalo’s backup plan here. The Bills had pursued a Miller trade before the 2021 season, though they were not connected to calling the Broncos on him before the in-season Rams swap. The Cardinals, who had Jones winding down his 2017 extension, and Cowboys were believed to be the Broncos’ other options there. Miller is signed through the 2027 season; he has said he will aim to play out the contract.
2022 Offseason In Review Series
This season will feature 12 new Week 1 starting quarterbacks, though the Jets’ decision is the result of an injury rather than a roster move. High-profile wide receivers also changed teams, igniting one of the biggest market shifts a single position has seen. The Offseason In Review series is now complete. Here are the PFR staff’s looks at how the 32 NFL teams assembled their 2022 rosters.
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
Bills Agree To Restructured Deal With S Jordan Poyer
A new deal for Jordan Poyer has long been a talking point for the Bills this offseason. One has not yet been finalized, but the All-Pro safety could nevertheless see increased compensation this season. 
The Bills have agreed to a re-worked contract with Poyer, which will increase his total money available to be earned via incentives from $500K to $2MM (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates). His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said, “Jordan appreciates this goodwill gesture by the Bills as we continue to work for a contract extension.”
The 31-year-old has one season remaining on his current pact, and is due $6.7MM. That figure falls well short of what many other safeties of his caliber are making, especially after the position’s market shot upwards this offseason. That, and the fact that Poyer’s 2022 cap hit is over $10.7MM made it little surprise when he approached the team regarding a new deal which could be mutually beneficial.
Poyer has grown from a seventh-round pick to one of the league’s top safeties over the course of his Bills tenure. He failed to reach the 100-tackle mark last season for the first time in three years, but still filled the stat sheet with 93 stops, three sacks, five interceptions and nine pass breakups. He got off to a productive start during the team’s season opener, recording an interception.
His availability was in doubt for Thursday’s game, but a 97% snap share showed that Poyer has recovered from the hyperextended elbow which could have kept him sidelined. He, along with Micah Hyde, will play a major role in the Bills’ defensive success, especially while All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White is unavailable. Even if he is unable to land a new pact, Poyer could play his way into a more lucrative 2022.