Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/18
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Malachi Dupre, DT Pasoni Tasini
- Waived: CB Leonard Johnson, CB Deatrick Nichols
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted from practice squad: G Dorian Johnson
- Placed on IR: RB Kenjon Barner
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Blake Jackson
- Placed on IR: LB Tanner Vallejo
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers from Saints: DE Mitchell Loewen
- Placed on IR: DT A’Shawn Robinson
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: S Rolan Milligan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Dimitri Flowers, QB Tanner Lee
- Activated from IR: LB Donald Payne
- Placed on IR: K Josh Lambo, T Josh Wells
- Waived: LB Martrell Spaight
Washington Redskins
- Placed on IR: WR Maurice Harris
Greg Olsen Expects To Return Next Season
Foot injuries have sidetracked the past two seasons of Greg Olsen‘s career, and it’s fair to wonder if he will be able to stay healthy enough to be consistently available going forward.
But the veteran Panthers tight end plans to try. While Olsen did not say (via The Athletic’s Joe Person, on Twitter) he will absolutely be back with the Panthers in 2019, the 33-year-old tight end expects to return next season.
He underwent another foot surgery this year, a procedure that ended his season, and said (via ESPN.com’s David Newton) he faces a three- to four-month recovery timetable. These foot problems have limited Olsen to just 16 games over the past two seasons.
Having signed an extension in April, Olsen is under contract through the 2020 season. He is set to count only $6.6MM toward the Panthers’ 2019 cap. While the three-time Pro Bowler acknowledged the franchise could go in a different direction, and that other opportunities may present themselves (Olsen auditioned for ESPN earlier this year), he believes he can still play at a high level into his age-34 season.
The former first-round pick has only caught 34 passes since the start of the 2017 season. He earned his three Pro Bowl bids from 2014-16, surpassing 1,000 yards in each. The Panthers selected Ian Thomas in the fourth round this year, but having signed Olsen to an extension barely eight months ago, the team will likely be ready to carry his contract on the books for at least one more season.
Panthers Exploring Deal With Eric Reid
It took Eric Reid a long time to land a deal in 2018. The veteran safety may have a clearer path toward securing one for next season.
The Panthers have contacted Reid’s agent about the prospects of another deal for 2019, David Newton of ESPN.com notes. Reid signed a one-year contract with the Panthers in September and will be looking to cash in on what looks like a crowded safety market.
Reid came in and immediately started for Carolina, doing so for all 12 games in which he’s played this season. He and other top safeties Kenny Vaccaro and Tre Boston lingered in free agency for months. Now, each defender’s one-year contract is up. The players viewed as three of the top safeties on the 2018 market may re-enter free agency in 2019, creating an interesting scenario.
Those three join the likes of Earl Thomas, Tyrann Mathieu, Lamarcus Joyner, Landon Collins and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix as safeties due for 2019 free agency. Some of these defenders will not reach free agency, but Reid, Boston and Vaccaro not receiving long-term deals this year may create a crowded marketplace in March.
Pro Football Focus grades Reid as this year’s No. 44 safety. The former 49ers first-round pick having a full offseason to work in Carolina’s system would help his cause for next season, if he is to return to the Panthers.
Reid still has a collusion grievance pending against the NFL. He has continued to kneel during the playing of the national anthem. This course of action likely contributed to the 27-year-old safety, a five-year 49ers starter and 2014 Pro Bowler, remaining in free agency for six-plus months. Considering Colin Kaepernick starting this protest movement almost certainly led to him being out of football the past two seasons, the Panthers engaging in re-up talks with Reid would be a key development.
Panthers Place Taylor Heinicke On IR
The Panthers have a new quarterback. On Wednesday, Carolina placed Taylor Heinicke on injured reserve and signed Garrett Gilbert to replace him. 
Heinicke took over as the starting QB after Cam Newton was shut down due to a shoulder injury. Then, on Sunday against the Falcons, Heinicke fell hard on his elbow in the second quarter. He mustered up the courage to return to the game after a brief exit, but a Wednesday morning MRI revealed a serious injury for the fill-in and it will necessitate a stint on the IR.
With Gilbert in the fold, the Panthers now have two healthy QBs in Heinicke and Kyle Allen. Allen, in all likelihood, will get the start in the Panthers’ season finale.
Gilbert, meanwhile, offers some familiarity with the Panthers’ offense since he was with the team in the in 2017 and the 2018 offseason. For now, he’ll put his opportunity with Orlando Apollos of the AAF on hold for a chance to prove himself on the NFL’s gridiron.
Latest On Panthers’ Quarterbacks
It sounds like Cam Newton will be able to avoid offseason shoulder surgery. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Panthers quarterback doesn’t have any structural damage to his throwing shoulder (Twitter link). This means Newton won’t have to undergo surgery (or deal with the accompanying rehab) during the offseason.
While Newton only recently acknowledged his shoulder injury, Rapoport says the quarterback had been dealing with pain through the second half of the season. This clearly had an impact on his production; over his past three games, Newton threw only two touchdowns vs. six interceptions (he had thrown seven interceptions in his team’s previous 11 games). The Panthers decided to shut down their franchise quarterback, allowing Taylor Heinicke to take over as the starter.
Unfortunately, the former undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion also suffered an injury during yesterday’s loss to the Falcons. Head coach Ron Rivera said Heinicke will undergo an MRI on his elbow today (via ESPN’s David Newton on Twitter). The quarterback was briefly knocked out of yesterday’s game after suffering an elbow injury, but he returned and managed to finish the game. He ended up completing 33 of his 53 pass attempts for 274 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. He also added 33 rushing yards.
If Heinicke is unable to go during the team’s season finale against the Saints, Kyle Allen would likely earn the starting nod. The rookie quarterback had a brief cameo during yesterday’s contest, completing all four of his passes for 38 yards. Newton notes that activating Newton “doesn’t sound like an option.” Joe Person of The Athletic tweets that the team could also consider adding signal-caller Garrett Gilbert, who was cut by the team prior to the regular season.
Latest On Ron Rivera's Future With Panthers
- Despite rumors of a potential shakeup, Rapoport says the Panthers are expected to retain head coach Ron Rivera. New owner David Tepper reportedly believes in Rivera, who recently took over defensive play-calling duties and who would become one of the top head coaching candidates on the market if he were let go. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, though, suggests that Tepper could indeed go in another direction at season’s end, but if he does, it will be difficult to find someone who would represent a clear improvement over Rivera [SOURCE LINK].
Latest On Cam Newton Shutdown
Cam Newton will not play in the Panthers‘ final two games, and Monday night was the tipping point. The eighth-year quarterback complained of shoulder pain in the fourth quarter of recent games, but Albert Breer of SI.com notes Newton was dealing with soreness in the third stanza of Carolina’s 12-9 loss to New Orleans. This, and the short week going into the Panthers’ Sunday game, prompted Ron Rivera and Marty Hurney to bring the idea of shutting the starter down to owner David Tepper. The rookie owner concurred with the coach and GM and then informed Newton of the plan, Breer adds. It’s unclear if Newton is dealing with anything beyond shoulder soreness, but he has not looked the same for weeks. And a national audience observed the former MVP’s throwing issues Monday.
Newton underwent shoulder surgery last year, sidelining him for much of the offseason. Two years remain on the 29-year-old QB’s contract, and how he recovers from this latest shoulder problem may determine the timetable the Panthers set for discussing another extension.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/20/18
Here are Thursday’s practice squad decisions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Justin Evans
- Cut: WR Daniel Braverman
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DT Elijah Qualls
Panthers Place Shaq Thompson On IR
Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson has been placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Thompson, like teammate Cam Newton, will not be on the field for the team’s final games against the Falcons and Saints. 
[RELATED: Panthers To Sit Cam Newton]
Thompson, 24, set new statistical career-highs this year with 3.5 sacks and 79 total tackles. Presently, he ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 28 ranked linebacker in the NFL.
The Panthers exercised Thompson’s 2019 option in the spring, meaning that he is under club control next year at a cost of $9.232MM. Shoulder issues have plagued him all season, so the Panthers do not want to risk his health in two games that, for all intents and purposes, are meaningless. As the New York Times playoff tree shows, Carolina would need to win out and gain the cooperation of at least five other outcomes in order to even have a chance at extending their season.
Recognizing the long odds, the Panthers also opted against activating safety Da’Norris Searcy from injured reserve.
IR/Return Decisions: Panthers, Searcy, Cowboys, Jaguars
With the 2018 campaign nearly in the books, NFL clubs are making their final decisions on players to return (or not return) from injured reserve. Each team is allowed to bring two players back from IR, but said players must have been retained on their respective club’s initial 53-man roster. Once an IR player returns to practice, his club will have three weeks to decide whether to activate him to their 53-man roster; if he’s not activated, the player will remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Here’s the latest on IR/return players:
- The Panthers have opted not to activate safety Da’Norris Searcy from injured reserve, tweets veteran reporter Howard Balzer. Searcy was designated to return three weeks ago, but once that 21-day window expired without him having been placed on Carolina’s 53-man roster, Searcy was done for the year. It’s entirely possible the Panthers would have activated Searcy if they were anywhere near playoff contention, but most postseason models give Carolina less than a one percent chance of securing a playoff berth, so the club probably didn’t feel the need to risk Searcy’s health. It’s doing the same thing with quarterback Cam Newton, shutting down the veteran signal-caller with two games to go. Searcy inked a two-year deal with the Panthers this offseason, but Carolina would incur just $650K in dead cap by cutting him.
- The Cowboys have designated cornerback C.J. Goodwin to return from injured reserve, according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). If he is activated, Goodwin isn’t likely to play a major role on a Dallas defense that ranks as a top-10 unit in DVOA. The Cowboys already have three locked-in nickel package starters in Byron Jones, Chidobe Awuzie, and Anthony Brown, but Goodwin could offer depth and play on special teams, joining fellow reserve defensive back Jourdan Lewis in that regard. Goodwin has only played 188 total defensive snaps over his four-year pro career, but he’s never posted a season in which he played fewer than 45% of his club’s special teams snaps.
- The Jaguars have designated linebacker Donald Payne to return from injured reserve, per Balzer (Twitter link). Payne is a pure special-teamer (he’s played just three defensive snaps since joining Jacksonville in 2017), as the Jaguars deploy Telvin Smith and Myles Jack as their starting linebackers. On the year, the Jaguars rank third in special teams DVOA, per Football Outsiders.