Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/22
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: P Nolan Cooney, DL Manny Jones
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: S Marquise Blair, RB Spencer Brown
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: DT Domenique Davis
- Promoted: CB Allan George, WR Trenton Irwin
- Placed on IR: CB Chidobe Awuzie (story)
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: WR Stanley Berryhill
- Promoted: WR Brandon Zylstra, TE Shane Zylstra
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: RB Phillip Lindsay, RB Jordan Wilkins
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: K Cameron Dicker, WR Keelan Doss, CB Kemon Hall
- Placed on IR: TE Donald Parham Jr.
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to active roster: OL Chandler Brewer
- Promoted: TE Jared Pinkney, RB Ronnie Rivers
- Activated from IR: LB Travin Howard
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: OT Kion Smith
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: WR Dan Chisena, TE Nick Muse
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: TE Kenny Yeboah
- Promoted: T Conor McDermott
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: LB Josh Onujiogu
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: QB Logan Woodside, DT Larrell Murchison
Washington Commanders
- Promoted: FB Alex Armah, LB Nathan Gerry
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/5/22
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: P Nolan Cooney
- Released: OL Koda Martin
New York Jets
- Signed: S Jared Mayden
Patriots Place T Marcus Cannon On IR
After rising from the practice squad to starter during his second Patriots stint, Marcus Cannon will be shut down for a while. The Patriots placed their first-string right tackle on IR on Saturday.
Cannon is believed to have suffered a concussion during the week, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. He joins Brian Hoyer as Patriots to be placed on IR after concussions this season. Cannon must miss at least four games. Despite Hoyer being eligible to return from IR, the Patriots have not activated the veteran backup yet. The Patriots have six injury activations remaining this season; one of those should be expected to be reserved for Cannon down the line.
Isaiah Wynn‘s struggles upon shifting to right tackle — an unexpected offseason switch between he and Trent Brown — led the Pats to bench the former first-round pick and dangle him in trades. No team came forward, and Wynn remains with the Patriots. A New England trade involving Wynn would have been fairly risky, given Brown and Cannon’s recent injury pasts. Wynn is now in position to start for the Pats again.
The Patriots reacquired Cannon, 34, by signing him to their practice squad this year. After a four-game 2021 season with the Texans — one that saw Cannon go on IR ahead of a Week 5 Patriots matchup — the former Pats right tackle re-emerged as a viable New England starter. Coming off back surgery, Cannon returned to the Pats’ starting lineup in Week 5. After breaking back into the lineup as a sixth O-lineman, Cannon replaced Wynn in Week 7.
From 2012-22, Cannon — a fifth-round Pats pick in 2011 — has made 73 starts with the team. He worked as their right tackle starter in Super Bowls LI and LIII as well.
Wynn had allowed three sacks during his four-start 2022, committing an NFL-high eight penalties. But the contract-year blocker should be expected to have another chance. Wynn, who also has a fairly extensive injury history, shifted to the role of a sixth blocker in Week 8. He played 25 snaps. The Pats used one of their injury activations on Yodny Cajuste recently, but the 2021 third-round pick did not play any offensive snaps against the Jets.
The Pats also signed running back J.J. Taylor to their active roster, moving him up from their practice squad, and elevated wideout Lynn Bowden and offensive lineman Kody Russey.
Falcons Activate RB Cordarrelle Patterson From IR
NOVEMBER 5: Patterson will be back in uniform this week. The Falcons are activating him from IR, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This will only be Atlanta’s second injury activation used this season. Six such moves remain.
NOVEMBER 2: During Cordarrelle Patterson‘s injury hiatus, the Falcons have climbed into first place in the NFC South. The increasingly run-oriented team may have its top running back in uniform soon.
The Falcons designated Patterson to return from IR on Wednesday. Patterson has been out with a knee injury, missing Atlanta’s past four games. Being designated for return would allow the decorated kick returner to play this weekend, but the Falcons have three weeks to activate the late-blooming back. Patterson underwent a minor knee procedure on Oct. 3; the Falcons will see how he looks in practice.
The NFL’s oldest active starting running back, at 31, Patterson displayed continued explosiveness before going down with the knee ailment. He broke through for 120 rushing yards in Week 1 and set a new career-high mark with 141 against the Seahawks in Week 3. Patterson contributed to the Falcons’ Week 4 win over the Browns but went on IR shortly after.
An All-Decade return man, Patterson re-signed with the Falcons this offseason on a two-year, $10.5MM deal. The Falcons have benefited from taking a flier on Patterson in 2021 and trying him at running back. The former receiver washout-turned-dominant kick returner finished with a career-high (by far) 1,166 scrimmage yards last season.
This season, the Falcons have found some serviceable replacements for Patterson — players that figure to be contributors even when the starter returns. Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley have combined for 589 rushing yards this season. The Falcons chose Allgeier in the fifth round and promoted Huntley, a former UDFA, off their practice squad during the season. Atlanta ranks sixth in total offense, reaching this perch despite a low-volume passing attack. Patterson stands to help in that area as well, as the team attempts a legitimate playoff pursuit.
Packers Activate LB Krys Barnes From IR
The Packers are adding a key piece back to their defense. Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Green Bay has activated linebacker Krys Barnes from injured reserve.
Barnes suffered a significant ankle injury during Week 1, knocking him off the field for nearly two months. He returned to practice earlier this week, and it didn’t take very long for him to make his way back to the active roster.
The 2020 undrafted free agent out of UCLA has quickly established himself as a starting-caliber linebacker. In 30 career games (23 starts), the 24-year-old has collected 161 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and a pair of fumble recoveries. He’s also started three postseason games, compiling another 20 tackles. Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance over the past two years, although they did grade him out as an above-average pass-rusher.
Barnes’ return couldn’t come at a better time for the Packers. Star linebacker De’Vondre Campbell suffered a knee injury during Green Bay’s Week 8 loss to the Bills, and he was ruled out for Sunday after missing the entire week of practice. This is a rare absence for the 29-year-old, as he previously missed only a single game over the past five-plus seasons. Rookie first-round pick Quay Walker will take over the ‘communication helmet’ for tomorrow’s game against the Lions.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/4/22
Today’s sole practice squad transaction:
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Demone Harris
After a temporary stay on the active roster, Harris has cleared waivers and will return to Houston’s practice squad. Harris has appeared in three games this year for the Texans, accumulating four tackles, one quarterback hit, and one pass defensed.
Bears Activate G Cody Whitehair From IR
Cody Whitehair did not need an extensive practice ramp-up period to return from IR. Two days after being designated for return, the veteran guard will be back in the Bears’ starting lineup.
Chicago activated its longest-tenured offensive starter Friday. Whitehair had been out since suffering a knee injury in Week 4. He ended up missing the minimum game total; this Bears transaction will be their third injury activation this season. The team can activate up to five more players from IR this year.
[RELATED: Week 9 Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
Although they have been without their top offensive lineman for half the season, the Bears have climbed to a high perch offensively. They will enter their Week 9 game as the NFL’s top rushing team. Chicago’s Justin Fields-, David Montgomery– and Khalil Herbert-driven ground attack is averaging 188.4 yards per game — nearly 23 more yards than the second-place Ravens — and has led the team to back-to-back games with at least 29 points.
The Bears did not let a recent rout of the Patriots in Foxborough cloud their long-term plan, sending Robert Quinn to the Eagles and Roquan Smith to the Ravens. But they also added Chase Claypool, a move aimed at giving Fields a piece for this year and beyond. Whitehair returning stands to bolster this intriguing Chicago offense.
Whitehair, 30, is in the third season of a five-year, $51.25MM extension. He has been with the Bears since joining the team as a 2016 second-round pick. The Kansas State product has been a starter, at either center or guard, throughout his career. This four-game absence marked his longest layoff as a pro.
Seahawks Sign Bruce Irvin To Active Roster
Not long after his latest Seattle reunion, Bruce Irvin is set to remain with the team for the remainder of the 2022 season. Seattle is signing the veteran edge rusher from the practice squad to its 53-man roster, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 (Twitter link). 
Irvin, 35, worked out for Seattle last month, and quickly signed a new deal to re-join his former team. That landed him on the taxi squad at first, but it comes as no surprise that he will now be on the active roster through the rest of the season. The former first-rounder spent the first four years of his career in Seattle, racking up 22 sacks along the way.
His disruptive presence continued with the Raiders and Falcons, through to his 2019 campaign in Carolina. That was the last time Irvin worked as a full-time starter; he displayed a continued ability to get to the passer, as he notched a career-high 8.5 sacks. An ACL tear the following year limited his second Seattle stint to just two games, before he worked with then-Bears DC Sean Desai in Chicago. The pair is once again together in the Emerald City.
Irvin had been elevated for the team’s previous two contests. He played sparingly in Week 7, but saw a large jump in workload the following game, with a snap share of 72%. He has made four tackles (including one for loss) in his third Seattle stint so far. Set to continue in a rotational role, he will split time with likes of Quinton Jefferson, Shelby Harris, Myles Adams and Poona Ford along Seattle’s defensive line.
Irvin and the NFC West-leading Seahawks will look to extend their winning streak to four games on Sunday when they visit the Cardinals in Week 9. The veteran could give the surprising start to their season a boost then and beyond.
Commanders Designate DE Chase Young For Return
NOVEMBER 4: Head coach Ron Rivera said that Young has had “a very good week” of practice, but that he will not be on the field for Sunday’s game against the Vikings (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). The team is being cautious with his conditioning, among other things, as he prepares to return from this lengthy absence.
NOVEMBER 2: Following through with their recently stated intention, the Commanders have opened Chase Young‘s return window from the reserve/PUP list. The third-year defensive end is back at practice for the first time since tearing his right ACL nearly a year ago.
The former No. 2 overall pick has been on the shelf since suffering the injury Nov. 14, 2021. While this is on the long end for an ACL recovery, Young’s injury was believed to be a bit more serious. The Commanders have three weeks to activate him; not being activated by Nov. 23 would lead to Young missing a full season.
A report just before the season indicated moved Young’s recovery timetable to the midseason point. While Young has been eligible to come off Washington’s PUP list since Week 5, the former Defensive Rookie of the Year underwent reconstructive surgery that required a graft from his left patellar tendon. That contributed to this extended timeline. It is possible Young goes a full year without playing, but the Commanders taking a conservative route here has always added up. Young, 23, remains a candidate to sign a monster extension that keeps him in Washington well beyond his rookie deal.
How Young fares in his return will help determine his price range. After a 7.5-sack rookie season included four forced fumbles — one of which going back for a late-season touchdown — the coveted prospect only produced 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits in 2021. It will be interesting to see how quickly Young can re-emerge as an impact player following this rehab odyssey.
The Commanders were linked to potential seller trades not long ago, but they have since won three straight to move to 4-4 and back into the playoff picture. Five Washington pass rushers — Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, Jamin Davis, Montez Sweat and Efe Obada — have tallied at least three sacks, with Payne’s 4.5 leading the way in his contract year. Young’s replacement, former seventh-round pick James Smith-Williams, has two sacks and 11 QB hits. Young’s return will help restore one of the league’s deepest defensive lines in recent memory.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/3/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Isaiah Coulter
- Released: S Jared Mayden
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Devine Ozigbo
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Patrick Taylor
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: S Ugo Amadi
- Released: WR Dazz Newsome
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Malik Turner
- Placed on injured list: DE Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: K Cameron Dicker
- Placed on injured list: K Taylor Bertolet
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Bryce Thompson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: LB Nathan Gerry