Lions To Waive TE Darren Fells
The Lions will waive tight end Darren Fells (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Fells requested his release, RapSheet hears, and he’ll get his wish before the end of the business day.
Even though he’s a vested veteran, Fells will be subject to the waiver wire as a post-trade deadline cut. Fells should hold appeal for teams in need of tight end support, particularly those in need of blocking help.
Fells, 35, signed with the Lions in May, circling back after a previous stint in 2017. After his first Detroit tour, he moved on to the Browns and Texans. His most notable season came in 2019, when he notched 34 catches for 341 yards and seven touchdowns. And, between 2019 and 2020 with the Texans, Fells registered 11 touchdown receptions.
Fells has started in all five of his games for the Lions this year, but hasn’t been a big part of the offense. He has just four grabs for 43 yards, so he’s hoping to see more action with a winning team. Or, at least, a team with a single win.
If Fells goes unclaimed in the next 24 hours, he’ll be free to sign with any club.
Lions’ Tim Boyle Designated For Return
The Lions have designated Tim Boyle for return (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). This will kick off a three-week practice window for the quarterback. If he’s not activated inside of the next 21 days, he’ll be ineligible to return this season. 
Boyle has yet to dress for a game this year, thanks to thumb surgery in late August. Without Boyle, they’ve used David Blough as their QB2 behind Jared Goff.
The Lions are still winless and Goff has struggled mightily, so Boyle or Blough could see some action in the second half. To date, Goff has just eight touchdown passes on the year against six interceptions.
Boyle, 27, has eleven career appearances, all with the Packers in 2019 and 2020. He’s thrown a grand total of four passes, but the Lions could be willing to give him a shot.
After the bye, the Lions will shoot for win No. 1 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
Jets To Release P Thomas Morstead
The Jets will release punter Thomas Morstead today, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). As a post-deadline cut, Morstead will be available on the waiver wire for the league’s other 31 teams. 
Morstead, 35, first entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick of the Saints in 2009. After earning a ring as a rookie, he signed multiple extensions to stay in New Orleans through 2020. This year, the Saints were more than $100MM over the cap, so he was released in the middle of their numbers crunch.
Morstead landed with the Jets in mid-September, replacing the injured Braden Mann. But, with Mann designated for return, Morstead’s services are no longer needed.
The veteran missed only two games in his 12 Saints seasons and punted in all seven of his Jets contests, bringing his career total to 197 appearances.
Ravens’ DeShon Elliott Done For Year
Ravens defensive back DeShon Elliott is believed to be done for the year, according to head coach John Harbaugh (Twitter link via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). Elliott will be placed on season-ending injured reserve later this week, opening up a spot on the 53-man roster. 
Elliott was forced out of Sunday’s game and later diagnosed with torn pectoral and a torn bicep. It’s a bad blow for the Ravens, who have been using the 24-year-old as a starter since last year. Elliott’s season will end with 23 tackles, one sack, and three tackles for loss in six games.
The timing is especially rough for Elliott since he’ll be out of contract in March. With a repeat of 2020 — a year with 80 stops, 2.5 sacks, and 16 starts — he could have been in line for a major payday.
The Ravens went on to beat the Vikings 34-31 in overtime, advancing to 6-2 on the year. They’ll try and keep the momentum going without Elliott — or much of a break — when they play the Dolphins on Thursday night.
Panthers’ Matt Paradis Done For Year
Matt Paradis‘ season is over. The Panthers center has been diagnosed with a torn ACL, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 
This was the expected outcome after Paradis had to be carted off the field on Sunday. The Panthers turned to Sam Tecklenburg after the seventh-year pro was forced out and they went on to lose 24-6. For now, Tecklenburg projects to start in Week 10 against the Cardinals.
The Panthers’ offensive line has been ravaged by injuries this year. While guards Pat Elflein and John Miller work their way back to the field, they’ll have to go the rest of the way without Paradis in the middle.
Following a five-year stint with the Broncos, Paradis joined the Panthers on a three-year, $27MM contract in 2019. He started in all 32 of games between 2019 and 2020, appearing in 100 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in 2020.
The center reworked his deal back in February, but he still remains on course for free agency in the spring.
Raiders To Sign DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson has agreed to sign with the Raiders (Twitter link via Josina Anderson of ESPN.com). Terms of the deal are not yet known, but he’ll earn more than the veteran’s minimum, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Raiders Pursued Adrian Peterson]
Jackson, dropped by the Rams last week, reportedly drew interest from seven teams. The Raiders were aggressive from the jump, aiming to sign the 34-year-old in the wake of Henry Ruggs‘ release. They got the deal done on Sunday afternoon, providing quarterback Derek Carr with the deep threat he needs.
Plenty of teams wanted Jackson, though no GM was willing to pay the remainder of his $2.75MM base salary. The Raiders got him for less than half of that price and they’ll probably target him a whole lot more than the Rams did. Jackson only played on ~1/3rd of the Rams snaps and didn’t top 25 snaps in any single game. To date, he has just eight catches in 2021. But, in classic DJax fashion, he’s made the most of them with 221 yards and one touchdown.
The Raiders are down to 5-3 after today’s loss to the Giants. Jackson will try and get them back in the win column next Sunday when they host the Chiefs in Las Vegas.
Bears Cut WR Breshad Perriman
The Bears have released veteran wideout Breshad Perriman, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Perriman signed with Chicago before the start of the season but did not see any game action for the club.
Now 28, Perriman was selected by the Ravens in the first round of 2015 draft. Injuries and inconsistency marred his time in Baltimore, though he produced enough in 10 games for the Browns in 2018 to earn a one-year, $4MM deal with the Bucs in 2019. In his one season in Tampa Bay, Perriman hauled in 36 catches for 645 yards and six scores, which he parlayed into a one-year, $8MM contract with the Jets last season.
In 12 games for Gang Green, the UCF product tallied 30 receptions for 505 yards and three TDs, and he signed with the Lions in March with an eye towards earning a starting role for the rebuilding outfit. Unfortunately, a hip injury limited his chances to impress head coach Dan Campbell in training camp, and Campbell did not sound particularly thrilled with what he saw when Perriman was on the field. Detroit cut Perriman at the end of August, and he quickly latched on with the division-rival Bears.
Now, assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, Perriman will try to find an employer in need of a boost to its WR corps. Perriman is a prototypical big-play threat, having posted a career 16.5 yards-per-reception average. However, he has also struggled with drops and route running, and he has caught less than 50% of the passes thrown his way (which is low even for a player who is often asked to go deep).
Still, a receiver-needy club that misses out on Odell Beckham and DeSean Jackson could look his way. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com suggests that the now Beckham-less Browns could consider a reunion with Perriman, who developed a good rapport with QB Baker Mayfield in Mayfield’s rookie season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/6/21
Here are Saturday’s practice squad moves:
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OL Cohl Cabral, C Spencer Pulley
- Released: DE Nate Orchard
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Dylan Cole, OL Daniel Munyer
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/21
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: WR Greg Dortch, DL Josh Mauro, CB Kevin Peterson, LB Joe Walker, TE David Wells
- Placed on IR: DL Rashard Lawrence
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: RB Qadree Ollison, DL Anthony Rush
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: P Lachlan Edwards, S Myles Hartsfield, WR Willie Snead
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: CB Mike Ford
- Promoted: DL Jonathan Harris, G Austin Schlottmann, LB Barrington Wade
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Promoted: QB Blake Bortles
Houston Texans
- Promoted: S Jonathan Owens
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: WR Laquon Treadwell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: WR Marcell Ateman
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: WR Maurice Ffrench, CB Kiondre Thomas
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: LB Vince Biegel, WR Kirk Merritt
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: DE Kenny Willekes
New England Patriots
- Promoted: WR Kristian Wilkerson
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: QB Jameis Winston (story)
- Promoted: DT Josiah Bronson, WR Kevin White
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR Pharoh Cooper, OLB Trent Harris
- Activated from IR: OLB Elerson Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: WR John Hightower, RB Jordan Howard
- Activated from IR: TE Tyree Jackson
Tennessee Titans
- Released: OLB John Simon
- Activated from IR: OL Aaron Brewer, LB Jayon Brown
- Promoted: RB D’Onta Foreman, DB Chris Jones
- Placed on IR: FB Khari Blasingame
Cardinals Activate Rodney Hudson, Place J.J. Watt On IR
SATURDAY: Hudson will indeed come off IR this week. He is back on the Cardinals’ active roster. Arizona moved J.J. Watt to IR to make room. While GM Steve Keim is hopeful the prized free agency acquisition will not miss the rest of the season with his litany of upper-body injuries, the Cards made the expected IR transaction. If Watt is to play again this season, it will not happen for a while.
TUESDAY: The Cardinals will soon have their center back. They designated Rodney Hudson for a return from IR on Tuesday, according to the team. The veteran snapper has spent the past three weeks on IR due to rib and shoulder injuries.
An on-schedule return would have the 11th-year blocker back in the Cardinals’ lineup Sunday, when they face the 49ers in the teams’ rematch. Arizona has 21 days to activate Hudson from IR.
Hudson, 32, came over in a March trade with the Raiders, who dismantled their veteran-laden O-line this offseason. The three-time Pro Bowler ranks 10th among centers in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric, though Pro Football Focus has Hudson as its 25th overall center this season. Hudson has made a difference in the Cards’ run game. Despite Kyler Murray having only rushed for 147 yards, the NFC West leaders rank seventh in rushing.
Having Hudson back would be a nice bonus for a Cardinals team that has seen several notable injuries crop up. In addition to J.J. Watt‘s potential season-ending array of upper-body injuries, Murray is not a lock to suit up Sunday due to the sprained ankle he sustained late in last week’s loss to the Packers. DeAndre Hopkins is also battling a hamstring ailment.