Buccaneers Promote WR Cole Beasley
Only a few days after joining the Buccaneers practice squad, Cole Beasley has been promoted to the active roster. The Buccaneers announced that they’ve elevated the veteran wideout to the game-day roster. Rookie offensive guard John Molchon was also promoted from the taxi squad.
[RELATED: Buccaneers To Sign WR Cole Beasley To PS]
After going unsigned through training camp, preseason, and the first couple of weeks of the regular season, Beasley finally landed on Tampa Bay’s practice squad on Tuesday. The 33-year-old started to show signs of age during his final season in Buffalo in 2021, with his 693 yards and one touchdown serving as his lowest marks during his tenure with the Bills.
Still, he managed to tie a career-high with 82 receptions. With a career catch rate of 71 percent, he’ll at least provide Tom Brady with a sure-handed option this weekend against the Packers. Plus, for what it’s worth, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that Beasley joined the Buccaneers in excellent shape and has already established a connection with his QB.
Beasley’s presence will be sorely needed tomorrow, as the team is eyeing a questionable WR grouping for the second-straight weekend. We know for sure that Brady’s top two wideouts will be out on Sunday, with Mike Evans serving a one-game suspension and Chris Godwin still sidelined with a hamstring injury. Julio Jones is a game-time decision with a knee injury, and Russell Gage is questionable while dealing with a hamstring issue. With such a depleted WR corps, Beasley could end up leading a depth chart that also consists of Breshad Perriman, Scotty Miller, Jaelon Darden, and Kaylon Geiger.
Molchon was undrafted out of Boise State in 2020. He’s spent much of his professional career on Tampa Bay’s practice squad.
49ers OT Trent Williams Reworks Contract
The 49ers have opened up a chunk of cap space this morning. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), left tackle Trent Williams has converted a part of his base contract into a signing bonus.
Specifically, the team took $5.45MM of Williams’ base salary and turned it into a signing bonus. This move ended up saving the front office about $4.36MM against the cap.
Williams joined the 49ers prior to the 2020 campaign, and following a season where he earned Pro Football Focus’ top grade among offensive tackles, San Francisco handed him a whopping six-year, $138.06MM deal, making him the highest-paid OL in NFL history. The contract included more than $55MM in guaranteed money and a $30MM signing bonus.
The veteran started all 15 games for the 49ers in 2021, and he earned his first career first-team All-Pro nod as a result of his performance (Williams earned second-team honors in 2015). He once again graded as PFF’s top offensive tackle, and through two games this season, he current sits 12th on the site’s list among 66 qualifying OTs.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/23/22
Today’s only practice squad moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Javelin Guidry
- Released: G Jordan Meredith
Guidry was brought in for cornerback depth a little over a week ago when Anthony Averett was placed on injured reserve. He made an appearance in the Raiders Week 2 game, only playing three special teams snaps, but was later waived to make room for tackle Justin Herron, who was acquired in a trade with the Patriots earlier this week. After clearing waivers, Guidry has returned as a member of the Raiders’ practice squad and can still contribute as a standard gameday elevation.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/22/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Dennis Houston, DE Mika Tafua
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Travis Fulgham
- Released: S Mike Brown
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Wyatt Ray
Rams Sign RB Malcolm Brown To Practice Squad
The Rams have added a familiar face to their practice squad. The team announced that they’ve signed running back Malcolm Brown to the taxi squad.
A former undrafted free agent out of Texas, Brown spent the first six seasons of his career with the Rams. He mostly served as Todd Gurley‘s backup during much of his time with the organization, but he did see a larger role on offense in 2020, finishing with a career-high 581 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns on 124 touches.
He inked a one-year deal with the Dolphins last offseason, collecting 125 rushing yards in seven games (three starts). He landed on injured reserve in October and didn’t see the field again in 2021. He joined the Saints earlier this offseason but was cut by the team in early August.
The Rams have barely gotten any production out of Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson, and the team currently has the second-fewest rushing yards in the NFL with 117. Brown will provide the organization with another veteran option if their current duo continues to struggle, although 2021 seventh-round pick Jake Funk will likely continue to stick around the roster for the time being. The organization also has rookie Ronnie Rivers on the practice squad, and the Rams moved on from running back Trey Ragas earlier today.
Browns Promote WR Chester Rogers
The Browns have promoted two players for tonight’s game against the Steelers. The team announced that receiver Chester Rogers and tight end Miller Forristall have been elevated from the practice squad.
After failing to see the field for a regular season game during the 2020 campaign, Rogers got into 16 contests for the Titans in 2021. He finished the season with 30 receptions, his highest total since the 2017 campaign. He also continued to produce on special teams, setting career-highs in kick returns (30) and punt returns (14).
The 28-year-old landed with the Texans in late August, but after being placed on IR, he settled with the organization and earned his release. He caught on with Cleveland’s practice squad shortly thereafter. He should see a role immediately; the Browns deactivated Demetric Felton for tonight’s game, meaning Rogers should be the primary punt returner against Pittsburgh. It remains to be seen if he’ll seen any role in a WR grouping that is currently led by Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, David Bell, and Anthony Schwartz.
Forristall earned a pair of championships during his time at Alabama, but after finishing with only 44 receptions in parts of five seasons, he went undrafted in the 2021 draft. He spent most of the 2021 campaign in Cleveland, and he could make his debut tonight behind David Njoku and Harrison Bryant.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/22/22
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed off Browns’ practice squad: CB Shaun Jolly
- Signed off Chiefs’ practice squad: TE Kendall Blanton
- Waived: LB Keir Thomas
- Waived via injury settlement: RB Trey Ragas
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: OLB Delontae Scott
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: OL Jamarco Jones
- Promoted: TE Kevin Rader
The Rams eyed Jolly as a UDFA target this year, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets. The Appalachian State product instead landed with the Browns. This move comes after the Rams placed Troy Hill on IR. The team also is uncertain to have Decobie Durant this week; Durant sustained a hamstring injury in Week 3.
A Kansas City-area native, Blanton will leave his home town again but rejoin a Rams team that carried him on its active roster or practice squad from 2019-21. Rams tight end Brycen Hopkins ran into a three-game suspension this week.
Jones vied for the Titans’ starting left guard job, which Rodger Saffold‘s cap-casualty cut vacated in March. Despite signing Jones to a two-year, $4.8MM deal in free agency, the Titans gave the gig to former UDFA Aaron Brewer. Although Jones has not played this season, he must miss four more games because of this transaction.
Ravens To Sign Jason Pierre-Paul
Jason Pierre-Paul‘s second Ravens visit this year will end up producing a deal. The veteran edge rusher told CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson he is signing with the team (Twitter link). It is a one-year deal worth up to $5.5MM for JPP, according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
The 12-year veteran was at the team’s facility Tuesday but did not sign. While this seemed to repeat the pattern from earlier this year, when JPP visited the Ravens in June but left without a contract, the AFC North team is not letting the accomplished defender leave this time. Pierre-Paul, 33, will join a Ravens team in need at outside linebacker. The Ravens had been in contact with Pierre-Paul for months, per Rapoport.
This position group is shorthanded because of both tragedy and injuries. Jaylon Ferguson‘s death in June rocked the organization. The team had bigger plans for Ferguson this year. Tyus Bowser and second-round pick David Ojabo are coming off Achilles injuries, setbacks that landed them on different Ravens unavailability lists to start the season. Neither Ojabo (IR) nor Bowser (reserve/PUP) can return until Week 5. Ojabo, who suffered his Achilles tear while preparing for the draft in March, will likely need more recovery time than Bowser, who sustained his tear in January. The Ravens also just placed Steven Means on IR after his season-ending Achilles tear.
Pierre-Paul, who is joining Baltimore’s active roster, could certainly help the team. Baltimore is down to two outside linebackers on its 53-man roster — Odafe Oweh and Justin Houston, the latter being re-signed in the wake of Ferguson’s death. As veteran edge players steadily came off the free agency board this summer (from Houston to Melvin Ingram to Carlos Dunlap to Trey Flowers), JPP remained unsigned. But he will likely soon suit up for a third NFL team.
The 6-foot-5 sack artist spent the past four seasons with the Buccaneers, playing a significant role in their Super Bowl LV championship. JPP sacked Aaron Rodgers twice in the 2020 NFC championship game, with the Bucs upsetting the David Bakhtiari-less Packers en route to their second Super Bowl. Pierre-Paul, who made his third Pro Bowl in 2020, teamed with Shaq Barrett combined to pressure Patrick Mahomes throughout that hometown victory.
Although JPP (91.5 career sacks) did not finish his Tampa tenure well, recording just 2.5 sacks and five QB hits in 12 games, the Ravens will hope that is a blip rather than an indication the former first-round pick can no longer contribute. JPP will almost certainly be ticketed for a rotational role, as opposed to the starting gigs he had held for the past 11 years. A Giants backup as a rookie, Pierre-Paul broke through with a monster 2011 season — one that did plenty to key the Giants’ Super Bowl XLVI win — and has seven seasons with at least seven sacks.
Pierre-Paul underwent shoulder surgery this offseason, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes that led to the lengthy free agency stay (Twitter link). But surgeries have not exactly derailed him in the past. He completed comebacks from the 2015 fireworks accident and a fractured vertebra sustained in a 2019 car accident, leading to a 2020 Bucs re-signing. A 2020 knee operation commenced after that deal. His Ravens contract does not come close to the two-year, $25MM accord he signed in 2020, but this agreement will allow for a 13th NFL season.
NFL Suspends Bills OL Bobby Hart
SEPTEMBER 22: Hart’s appeal was unsuccessful. The eighth-year offensive lineman will serve his one-game suspension.
SEPTEMBER 21: Hart’s post-game altercation was with Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). During Hart’s appeal hearing today, it was alleged that Simmons spit on Hart, leading to the skirmish.
During altercation postgame with Simmons, Hart inadvertently made contact with a Titans assistant coach, leading to the one-game suspension levied by NFL vice president of operations Jon Runyan.
SEPTEMBER 19: The NFL handed Bills tackle Bobby Hart a one-game suspension Tuesday. A fight following the Bills’ Monday-night win over the Titans led to this ban.
NFL VP of football operations Jon Runyan‘s suspension letter to Hart indicates the veteran lineman threw a punch at a Titans player postgame. The punch struck a Tennessee coach in the head. This unnamed Titans assistant coach had attempted to separate the players.
Hart, 28, is in his second season with the Bills, but the former starter spent time with the Titans last year. In between Bills stays, Hart played in three games with the Titans.
The Bills signed Hart in March 2021, but he did not make their 53-man roster and landed on the Dolphins’ practice squad. Soon after, Hart re-signed with the Bills via a practice squad deal. He ended up with the Titans after the team poached him off Buffalo’s P-squad in October. After Tennessee demoted Hart to its P-squad, Buffalo made the same transaction by signing Hart to its active roster in November. The Bills circled back to Hart in free agency earlier this year.
A former seventh-round pick, Hart has done well for himself by making it into an eighth NFL season. The Florida State product was a multiyear right tackle starter for the Giants and Bengals. He has settled in as a backup. Monday night’s blowout led to Hart seeing some fourth-quarter snaps. Hart made one Titans start in 2021.
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