Packers’ Lane Taylor Done For Year
That’s a wrap on Lane Taylor‘s season. On Monday, the Packers placed the right guard on IR with a right knee injury. 
[RELATED: Packers, Aaron Jones Working On New Deal]
It’s especially unfortunate for Taylor, who lost his 2019 season to a biceps tear. This year, he reclaimed his starting RG job, only to exit midway through the season opener. Taylor was playing on a reworked contract — originally set to earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $3.8MM, he agreed to earn just $1.5MM, with a $100K signing bonus. Before the revision, Taylor was viewed as a likely release candidate.
The former undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State started 45 games for the Packers between 2016 and 2018. After this year, he’ll be eligible for free agency.
After their 43-34 win over the Vikings, the Packers will turn their attention to the Lions on Sunday afternoon. Interior swingman Lucas Patrick is next in line to start and the club will likely add another blocker in support.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/20
Here are Saturday’s minor moves. Many of these roster decisions involve practice squad promotions. Under the new CBA, teams are permitted to promote two P-squad players without corresponding roster moves per week. Teams can carry 55 players on their rosters for game days and can have up to 48 active.
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: RB D.J. Foster
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: S Jordan Richards
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: K Cairo Santos
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DE Amani Bledsoe, S Trayvon Henderson
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB Robert Jackson
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: G Kenny Wiggins, RB Jonathan Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Krys Barnes
- Promoted: LB Tipa Galeai, TE John Lovett
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: RB Nathan Cottrell, TE Ben Ellefson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: G Ryan Groy, FB Gabe Nabers
Miami Dolphins
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Nate Brooks
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: LB Hardy Nickerson
- Signed: DB Nate Meadors
New England Patriots
- Promoted: K Nick Folk, DT Xavier Williams
- Placed on IR: WR Gunner Olszewski
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Bennie Fowler, DL Margus Hunt
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DE Anthony Lanier
New York Jets
- Signed: QB Mike White
- Promoted: RB Josh Adams, WR Josh Malone
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: DT T.Y. McGill, G Sua Opeta
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: C Hroniss Grasu, CB Dontae Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: T Chad Wheeler
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: WR Cyril Grayson, DB Mazzi Wilkins
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Cam Sims
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/10/20
Here are Thursday’s practice squad decisions:
Green Bay Packers
- Cut: RB Damarea Crockett, T Alex Light
New York Jets
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR Donte Moncrief
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Kenjon Barner
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/10/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DT Daylon Mack
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DT Treyvon Hester
Houston Texans
- Promoted: RB Scottie Phillips
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: RB Devine Ozigbo
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: T Yodny Cajuste
New York Giants
- Released from IR via injury settlement: S Montre Hartage
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/9/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad updates here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Michael Dogbe
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Deone Bucannon
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Jordan Devey, DE Chris Slayton
- Released: RB Antonio Williams
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Keandre Jones, G Keaton Sutherland
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Greg Senat
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Elijah McGuire, T Eric Smith
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Kerrith Whyte
- Released: WR Victor Bolden
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Robert Foster, LB De’Jon Harris
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Ibraheim Campbell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OT Jaryd Jones-Smith
New England Patriots
- Signed: G Corey Levin
- Released: FB Paul Quessenberry
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Marcus Willoughby
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT T.Y. McGill
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Anthony Rush, WR John Ursua
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Cameron Batson, LB Malik Jefferson
Packers, Aaron Jones Working On New Deal
Running back Aaron Jones says the Packers are “definitely” working on an extension with his camp (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Will Selva). Jones, who is coming off of his best season to date, has one year to go on his rookie deal.
The former fifth-round pick flashed in limited usage in his first two seasons. Last year, he showed that it wasn’t a fluke. In 16 games (all starts), Jones rushed for 1,084 yards and 16 touchdowns, plus 49 catches for 474 yards and three TDs through the air. After leading the league in rushing TDs, and all-purpose TDs, he’s clearly in line for a pay bump.
The Packers don’t want to let Jones get away, though they did protect themselves against the possibility by drafting Boston College standout A.J. Dillon in the second round. Dillon’s presence may give the Packers a bit of extra leverage in talks, though Jones understands his value as a dual-threat RB. A deal in the neighborhood of $10MM/year could be in his future, provided that teams aren’t too skittish about the fiscal uncertainty of 2021. It’s also worth noting that the Packers have other expensive matters on the docket, including a new deal for left tackle David Bakhtiari.
As shown by Joe Mixon‘s recent $12MM/year extension with the Bengals, teams are still willing to pony up the cash necessary to lock down their best offensive talent. With the Packers’ season opener just around the bend, Jones could be on the cusp of his big payday.
Packers Cut WR Jake Kumerow
The Packers are moving on from “Touchdown Jesus.” NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Green Bay is cutting wideout Jake Kumerow.
This is a bit of a surprising move, and not just because Kumerow has emerged as a fan favorite. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers recently referred to the 28-year-old as one of his most reliable options, and Kumerow was generally expected to be one of the top four wideouts on the depth chart.
The 2015 undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin-Whitewater spent the first two-plus seasons of his career with the Bengals and Patriots. He caught on with the Packers in 2017, and after playing in five games through his first two year with the team, he took on a larger role in 2019. Kumerow ultimately finished the campaign with 12 receptions for 219 yards and one score.
With Kumerow out of the picture, the Packers will presumably be keeping the likes of Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tyler Ervin, and Equanimeous St. Brown behind top receiver Davante Adams.
North Notes: Bears, Packers, Tomlin, Browns
The Bears became the latest team to work out Jamon Brown, with SI.com’s Albert Breer tweeting the guard was in Chicago for an audition. The free agent guard, a Falcons cut last month, has already worked out for the 49ers. Brown was a full-time Rams starter in 2017, but a 2018 suspension derailed his momentum. The Rams waived him shortly after he returned from that ban, but he ended the ’18 season as a Giants first-stringer. The Bears are returning four starters from last season and have been trying ex-Seahawks right tackle Germain Ifedi at guard.
Here is the latest from the North divisions:
- The Steelers will let Mike Tomlin enter a contract year. Signed through 2021, Tomlin will not be extended this year, Art Rooney II said (via The Athletic’s Ed Bouchette, subscription required). The Steelers gave Tomlin his most recent extension last July, and he managed an eight-win season despite the largely Ben Roethlisberger-less Steelers ranking 32nd in offensive DVOA. Rooney said he plans to address the contracts of Tomlin and GM Kevin Colbert, who just signed a one-year extension, in 2021.
- One of the league’s healthiest teams last season, the Packers may be down a starter in Week 1. Billy Turner suffered a knee injury during a scrimmage and is uncertain for Green Bay’s opener, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes. Turner played guard for the Packers last season but is competing with free agency addition Ricky Wagner at right tackle this year. Lane Taylor, who missed all of last season, is expected to play right guard opposite emerging talent Elgton Jenkins on the left side.
- For the second time in three weeks, the Browns brought in Cody Parkey for a visit. The veteran was part of a kicker group to work out for the Browns in August, though it was reported at the time the team was organizing a COVID-related emergency kicker list. Parkey briefly kicked for the Titans last season.
- Bears training camp coaching intern Henry Burris will stay on the team’s staff all season, Matt Nagy announced. Known mostly for his 17-season CFL run, Burris also was a Bears quarterback for a short time in the early 2000s. This will be his first NFL coaching gig.
- Vikings linebacker Cameron Smith underwent successful open-heart surgery recently, according to the Associated Press. Mike Zimmer said the second-year defender, who landed on Minnesota’s IR list, will remain in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future to recover.
Packers Eyeing David Bakhtiari Extension
Aaron Rodgers‘ longtime blindside protector, David Bakhtiari, is entering the final year of the four-year extension he signed with the Packers just before the 2016 campaign. He has more than lived up to that contract, earning two Pro Bowl nods and one First Team All-Pro bid over the past four seasons.
He is unquestionably one of the best left tackles in the league, and as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network observes, Green Bay would love to get an extension finalized before Week 1 (Twitter link). After all, the LT market is rapidly heating up, and Bakhtiari’s deal now places him outside of the top-10 in terms of average annual value.
When asked back in June if there were any ongoing negotiations with the Packers, the soon-to-be 29-year-old was tight-lipped. Though he did commit 12 penalties in 2019, including a career-high five false starts, he chalked that up to learning a new offensive system. Indeed, he did not commit any penalties in the final four games of the campaign, and if he turns in a typical performance in 2020, he will have every right to demand a contract similar to the monstrous three-year, $66MM pact ($50MM guaranteed) that Laremy Tunsil recently signed with the Texans.
The Packers certainly would like to get Bakhtiari tethered to something a little more team-friendly, so it stands to reason that they would try to lock him up sooner rather than later. That is especially true in light of the expected salary cap decrease in 2021.
In other OL news for Green Bay, offseason acquisition Ricky Wagner left practice with a left arm injury yesterday, as Tom Silverstein and Jim Owczarski of PackersNews.com write. If Wagner misses an extended period of time, look for the club to line up 2019 right guard Billy Turner at right tackle and Lane Taylor at right guard.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon:
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed (from Bills): K/P Kaare Vedvik
- Waived: TE Andrew Vollert
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: Artie Burns (story)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Wes Hills
- Placed on IR: DT Jashon Cornell
- Waived: FB Luke Sellers
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: TE Josh Oliver
New Orleans Saints
- Reverted to IR: DB Tino Ellis
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed (from Packers): WR Travis Fulgham
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Ray-Ray McCloud
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DB DeMarkus Acy, LB Jonas Griffith
Washington Football Team
- Released: OL Kevin Pamphile