NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/7/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DB Cornell Armstrong
- Released: CB Chris Williamson, OT Rick Leonard
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Jacques Patrick
- Released: WR Matt Cole
Chicago Bears
- Signed: FB Ben Mason
- Released: LB Rashad Smith
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Ross Travis
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR/KR Tyrie Cleveland
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: QB Kurt Benkert
New York Giants
- Signed: QB Clayton Thorson
New York Jets
- Signed: K Matt Amendola, WR Tarik Black
- Released: WR Keelan Doss
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: DB Elijah Benton
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LS Garrison Sanborn
Bills Place LB A.J. Klein On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Bills will be without a key piece for tonight’s game against the Patriots. Buffalo has placed A.J. Klein on the reserve/COVID-19 list, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
Klein signed a three-year pact with the Bills back in 2020, and he started 11 of his 16 games during his first season in Buffalo, finishing with career-highs in tackles (75), sacks (five), and QB hits (nine). He also started one of his three playoff appearances. The 30-year-old has only started three of his 11 games this season, collecting 30 tackles.
The linebacker has been completed phased out of the defense in six appearances this year, but he’s seen significant roles in his other five appearances. As Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic tweets, tonight could have been one of those games where Klein saw time on defense, as the Bills could have relied on a three-linebacker look against the Patriots’ “fullback heavy approach.”
The Bills also promoted two players from the practice squad for tonight’s game (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter): nose tackle Eli Ankou and linebacker Joe Giles-Harris. Ankou has seen time in 29 career games, including an appearance with Buffalo in Week 12. Giles-Harris got into 14 games with the Jaguars between 2019 and 2020, and he’s spent the majority of the 2021 campaign on Buffalo’s practice squad.
Patriots Activate LB Jamie Collins
The Patriots defense will be getting some reinforcement for tonight’s showdown with the Bills. The team has activated linebacker Jamie Collins off injured reserve, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss (via Twitter).
After beginning the season with the Lions, Collins made his way back to the Pats for a third stint. Collins played in five games since re-signing with the Pats, registering a sack and seven tackles in addition to an INT. The 32-year-old suffered an ankle injury in November that ultimately led to his placement on injured reserve. The linebacker returned to practice earlier this week.
Collins was mostly playing as a backup for New England when healthy; Collins played around 20 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in his five games. Barring an injury to one of his teammates, Collins will likely continue in that role for the rest of the season.
The Patriots also promoted two players in anticipation of tonight’s game: safety Sean Davis and defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale (per Reiss on Twitter). Ekuale has gotten into two games with the Patriots this season, compiling a sack. The former undrafted free agent has also seen time with the Browns and Jaguars. Davis, a former second-round pick, has spent time on both the Colts and Bengals active rosters this season. He’s started 42 of his 68 career games.
Saints WR Deonte Harris Suspended Three Games
The Saints offense has taken another hit. Wideout Deonte Harris has been suspended for the next three games, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). The move will keep Harris off the field until Week 17.
We heard previously that Harris had been slapped with a ban, but his subsequent appeal allowed him to play in each of the Saints last two games. The suspension stems from the player’s DWI arrest this past summer. The 24-year-old was booked on multiple charge following a July 16th arrest in Maryland.
This move further depletes a Saints receiving corps that has been gutted this year. The team’s Emmanuel Sanders release preceded the Michael Thomas injury drama, which led to the All-Pro target being set to miss the entire season. Tre’Quan Smith also missed time due to injury, though he has since returned. New Orleans has also played without Alvin Kamara since Week 9.
This opened the door to Harris playing a bigger role on offense. While Karama still leads the team in receptions, Harris was the team’s leading wideout, collecting 31 receptions for 523 yards and three touchdowns (all career-highs). The former All-Pro has also continued to contribute on special teams, returning 25 kicks and 17 punts.
Meanwhile, the Saints may have to deal with an absence on their defense, as defensive end Cam Jordan was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football (on Twitter). Jordan has tested positive for COVID-19 and is vaccinated, meaning he’ll have to return a pair of negative tests if he hopes to play next Sunday against the Jets. That would mean Jordan’s 172-game streak is in jeopardy. The veteran has continued to be productive in 2021, collecting 38 tackles, six tackles for loss, 13 QB hits, and four forced fumbles.
The team also designated defensive tackle Malcolm Roach for return from IR (via Underhill).
Falcons Designate Hayden Hurst For Return
The Falcons have designated tight end Hayden Hurst for return from injured reserve. To make room for Hurst, the Falcons have waived veteran punter Dustin Colquitt. 
Atlanta traded for Hurst last year, but the team’s new regime replaced him as the primary tight end by selecting Kyle Pitts No. 4 overall in April. Hurst caught 56 passes for 571 yards and six touchdowns in 2020. While Pitts is now the leader of this group and has emerged as one of the NFL’s most promising rookies, Hurst still had 20 receptions through nine games, up until his ankle injury.
The Falcons will now have 21 days to either activate Hurst or lose their opportunity to use him for the rest of the year. Odds are, he’ll be ready to go soon. Hurst, 28, is due to be a free agent in March since the Falcons declined his fifth-year option.
Colquitt, a 17-year-veteran, appeared in six games as Cameron Nizialek‘s fill-in. He was doing well, up until he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list a couple of weeks ago. Since then, the Falcons have picked up longtime Saints punter Thomas Morstead. Morstead is now set to continue in the role for the rest of the season.
Jets’ Corey Davis Done For Year
Corey Davis‘ season is over. On Monday, Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters the wide receiver needs core muscle surgery that will shelve him for the rest of the year (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
The silver lining is that core muscle surgery usually calls for 8-10 weeks of recovery. In other words, it’s nothing like an ACL rehab program, so Davis should be good to go for early offseason activities.
Davis played through the pain for several weeks, sat out for the Jets’ Week 12 win over the Texans, and returned yesterday to play 25 snaps against the Eagles. Unfortunately, he aggravated his groin injury to the point where he’ll have to go under the knife.
Davis’ season will end with 34 grabs for 492 yards and four touchdowns across nine games. Extrapolated for a full 17-game slate, that’s roughly in line with what the Jets were hoping to see. He’ll look to stay healthy next season in Year 2 of his three-year, $37.5MM deal.
In the meantime, the Jets will work with Elijah Moore, Keelan Cole, Jamison Crowder, and Denzel Mims as their top wide receivers. The 3-9 Jets, sans Davis, will host the Saints on Sunday.
Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey Done For Year
Bad news for the Ravens. On Monday, head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that cornerback Marlon Humphrey will miss the rest of the year with a torn pectoral muscle. 
This was the fear after Humphrey was forced out early from Sunday’s game against the Steelers. Down by one point late in the game, the Ravens could have taken the Steelers to overtime on Sunday with an extra point. Instead, they opted to go for a two-point conversion, knowing that they’d have to go through OT without their star defender. Unable to convert, they lost 20-19, dropping them to 8-4 on the year.
The Ravens still lead the AFC North at 8-4, but it’ll be a little tougher to stave off the 7-5 Bengals without Humphrey. Humphrey, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2017 draft, is fresh off of back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, plus a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2019. Last year, he registered 82 stops, 2.5 sacks, one interception, and a league-leading eight forced fumbles. The 25-year-old hasn’t been quite as sharp this year, but he still ranks as the 27th best cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Ravens, sans Humphrey, take on the Browns this week.
Titans Cut John Simon
Julio Jones is on his way back. To help make room for him — as well as wide receiver Racey McMath and safety Dane Cruikshank — the Titans have released linebacker John Simon.
[RELATED: Titans Designate J. Jones For Return]
Simon joined the Titans in July, replacing fellow pass rusher Tuzar Skipper on the offseason roster. Before that, he spent three years with the Patriots. In 2020, he started in all 16 games and registered 53 stops with two sacks. This year, he’s been on-and-off of the Titans’ roster, resulting in two appearances with four total tackles.
All in all, he’s got 99 appearances and 52 career starts to his credit for the Ravens, Texans, Colts, Patriots, and Titans. Now, he could be en route to yet another NFL club, though the Titans have made a habit of bringing him back to Nashville.
The Titans dropped their last two games before the bye, but they’re still 8-4 and atop the AFC South. On Sunday, they’ll look to get back in the win column when they host the Jaguars.
Titans Designate Julio Jones For Return
The Titans have designated wide receiver Julio Jones for return from injured reserve. Jones will be eligible to practice starting today, which means that he can be activated any time within the next 21 days.
[RELATED: Former Titans S Kenny Vaccaro Retires From NFL]
A hamstring injury has limited Jones to just six games so far this season. Last month, the Titans moved to place him on IR, freeing up an additional roster spot for a few weeks.
Jones, who has a history of hamstring trouble, has caught 21 passes for 336 yards and no touchdowns so far in his first Titans season. The good news is that the Titans are still 8-4, despite playing most of the year without Jones or star running back Derrick Henry.
The 11th-year receiver could come back as soon as Sunday, the Titans’ first game off of their bye week. A win will put them one step closer to officially clinching the AFC South and, potentially, capturing a first-round bye.
Jets To Sign Eddy Pineiro
Sounds like the Jets are moving on from Alex Kessman. After his two missed two extra points on Sunday, the Jets are signing kicker Eddy Pineiro, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). 
The Jets had an early lead over the Eagles when Kessman sent his second extra point wide left. Things only got worse from there as the Birds went on to win 33-18.
“Just gotta make them,” Kessman said (via the New York Post). “It’s what I do for a living, and I gotta make those kicks. There’s no excuses…I gotta control what I can control. If they send me out there to kick, I go out there and kick. Doesn’t matter where from, what time. I go out there and do my job, and I didn’t do my job today. Plain and simple. … I’m not gonna let two kicks define me and the kicker I am.”
Gang Green will in fact hold him accountable for his missed XPs. Now, Pineiro will become the Jets’ ninth kicker since 2017.
Pineiro lost the Colts’ kicking competition this year and hasn’t seen live action since 2019. That year, spent with the Bears, he went 23-of-28 on field goals (82.1%) and 27-of-29 on XPs.