Broncos To Add LB Avery Williamson To Practice Squad
The Broncos are adding another experienced linebacker. After bringing Micah Kiser in, the team is signing veteran Avery Williamson to its practice squad, Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post tweets.
Denver worked out Williamson and Dylan Cole on Tuesday, Mike Klis of 9News tweets, and will give the taxi squad spot to the former.
This has been a mostly quiet year for Williamson, whom the Jets traded to the Steelers just ahead of last year’s deadline. After not being connected to a team this offseason, Williamson did audition for the Jets’ new regime recently. He will join a Broncos team that is down starter Josey Jewell for the season.
Denver has used second-year linebacker Justin Strnad in place of Jewell alongside Alexander Johnson as a starter on the inside but has added Kiser and will now have Williamson in the fold. Williamson, 29, has started 85 games as a pro, doing so with the Titans, Jets and Steelers.
The Jets gave Williamson a nice contract in 2018, signing the former fifth-round pick for three years and $22.5MM. He has four 100-plus-tackle seasons, with the most recent coming last season (111) after a missed 2019 campaign due to an ACL tear. Although Williamson is an off-ball linebacker, he has also been fairly prolific in rushing the quarterback. Williamson has 15.5 career sacks, with the 2020 season being the only one in which he did not record multiple QB drops.
Should Williamson be elevated to the Broncos’ active roster ahead of Sunday’s game, he would face the Steelers, who used him as a four-game starter following last year’s trade. Kiser and rookie third-rounder Baron Browning, however, are currently the team’s second-string linebackers. But reinforcements have been necessary across Denver’s lineup, which is missing several starters after an injury-plagued stretch.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/5/21
We’ll keep tabs on today’s taxi squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Tavien Feaster
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: K Elliott Fry, S Shawn Williams
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Josh Malone, LB Avery Williamson
- Released: G Harry Crider, CB Rojesterman Farris
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Jake Eldrenkamp, OL Jordan Steckler
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DT T.J. Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Jordan Matthews
- Released: LB Curtis Bolton, RB Kerryon Johnson, RB Chris Thompson
Washington Football Team
- Signed: K Chris Blewitt, WR Damion Willis
Broncos’ Teddy Bridgewater In Concussion Protocol
Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater entered concussion protocol after several big hits on Sunday. The veteran’s availability is now in question for Week 5, pending his recovery. 
The Broncos’ undefeated start was brought to a halt by the Ravens on Sunday, who topped them 23-7. Bridgewater was knocked out early on, after completing seven of his 16 throws for 65 yards and a short-range touchdown. He was relieved by Drew Lock, who went 12-of-21 passes for 113 yards with one interception.
“Well, I think his performance was, you know, just like the rest of the offense — we just weren’t good enough today after the one touchdown drive,” head coach Vic Fangio said of Lock (via NFL.com). “We really could get nothing going. We weren’t getting it going with Teddy either after the touchdown drive. So, I think it’s more of a collective thing offensively than a quarterback thing.”
At minimum, Bridgewater will be withheld from practice for the next few days. It’s a frustrating setback for the 28-year-old (29 in November), who was off to a stellar start in 2021. Ditto for the Broncos, who have been eager to stabilize their QB situation. The Broncos have started ten players under center since Peyton Manning‘s post-2015 retirement. They’ve tried all possible avenues: free agency (Case Keenum, the second Brock Osweiler acquisition), the trade market (Joe Flacco, Bridgewater) and the draft (Lock, Paxton Lynch). After all of that, they’ve done no better than 9-7 since Manning left.
The 3-1 Broncos – potentially led by Lock — will face the Steelers in Week 5.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/2/21
Here is Saturday’s batch of minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: LB Dennis Gardeck
- Promoted: S Chris Banjo, OL Eric Smith
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: CB Cam Lewis
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: S Kenny Robinson, RB Rodney Smith
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: WR Malik Turner
- Promoted: DT Austin Faoliu, DT Justin Hamilton, RB Nick Ralston, TE Jeremy Sprinkle
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: LB Curtis Robinson, OL Austin Schlottmann
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: K Ryan Santoso
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- Placed on IR: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (story)
Houston Texans
- Promoted: QB Jeff Driskel, DB A.J. Moore, LB Hardy Nickerson
- Activated from IR: K Ka’imi Fairbairn
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: DB Dicaprio Bootle
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from IR: LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
- Promoted: RB Buddy Howell, LB Justin Lawler
- Waived: S J.R. Reed
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: C Cameron Tom
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: G Dakota Dozier, CB Parry Nickerson
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: C Will Clapp, T Jordan Mills, WR Kenny Stills
New York Giants
- Promoted: C Jonotthan Harrison
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: S Ashtyn Davis, S Sharrod Neasman
- Promoted: OL Isaiah Williams
- Waived: RB Josh Adams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from IR: OL Jack Driscoll, CB Josiah Scott
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: OT Chaz Green, WR Cody White
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: DL Maurice Hurst
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: WR Cody Thompson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Pierre Desir, TE Codey McElroy, CB Rashard Robinson
- Waived: DL Khalil Davis
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DL Amani Bledsoe, FB Tory Carter
Ravens Elevate RB Le’Veon Bell
Le’Veon Bell‘s Ravens debut could be coming soon. The team elevated the former All-Pro running back to its active roster Saturday, doing so while placing Derek Wolfe on IR.
Amid a brutal run of injuries at running back, the Ravens worked out Bell shortly before Week 1 and signed him to their practice squad. Baltimore promoted Devonta Freeman ahead of the ex-Steelers star but now will have Bell on its active roster as well in Week 4.
Bell joins Freeman, Ty’Son Williams and Latavius Murray on Baltimore’s 55-man Week 4 roster. Teams can dress up to 48 players each week. The Ravens have gone with a committee approach at running back, using Williams and Murray mostly. Freeman has seen sporadic work behind the team’s top duo.
To label Bell’s past three-plus years as underwhelming would be quite the understatement. Following Bell’s 2018 full-season holdout, the lucrative Jets deal he inked failed spectacularly. The Jets dropped Bell midway through last season. While the Chiefs picked him up, Bell saw scant action in the playoffs and was a healthy scratch for both the AFC championship game and Super Bowl LV. The Ravens extended the two-time All-Pro another chance, however, and Bell will likely soon begin his age-29 season.
Wolfe has not played this season and will miss his Denver homecoming game. The eight-year Broncos starter signed with the Ravens in 2020 and played in 14 games, but back and hip injuries have sidelined him since August. The veteran defensive lineman will be out through at least Week 6.
Baltimore also elevated tackle Andre Smith and cornerback Kevon Seymour from its practice squad, with Smith being named a COVID-19 roster replacement for Jaylon Ferguson, who will miss a second straight game after having tested positive. The Ravens did not activate receivers Rashod Bateman or Miles Boykin.
Broncos G Graham Glasgow To Miss Week 4
Sunday’s Ravens-Broncos matchup will feature a host of unavailable starters on both sides. Denver may be without both its starting guards. One of them, Graham Glasgow, did not practice this week and has already been ruled out.
This will be Glasgow’s second missed game in three weeks. The veteran guard missed Week 2 with a heart issue but returned last week. A knee injury sustained against the Jets will keep Glasgow out against the Ravens, who are also missing multiple O-line starters. The Broncos signed Glasgow in free agency last year.
The Broncos might need to use two backup guards Sunday. Dalton Risner also left the team’s Week 3 win, with an ankle injury, and managed only a limited practice Friday. Netane Muti, a sixth-round pick last year, has been the team’s first guard off the bench. Rookie third-rounder Quinn Meinerz, a Division III product, followed Muti into action last week. Risner is questionable to play Sunday. Muti has shown promise in limited action this season, grading as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 overall guard.
Denver remains down three defensive starters — Bradley Chubb, Josey Jewell, Ronald Darby — and Jerry Jeudy. The team lost slot receiver K.J. Hamler for the season last week.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Harry Crider, OL Javon Patterson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Jordan Lucas
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: RB Trey Ragas, WR Javon Wims
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed (from Steelers): OLB Jamir Jones
New York Giants
- Signed: Omari Cobb, OL Sam Jones
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Phillip Dorsett, TE Ryan Izzo, QB Jake Luton
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Abdullah Anderson
Washington Football Team
- Signed: WR Kelvin Harmon
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: CB Antonio Hamilton
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: LB Josh Bynes
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Brandon Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: C Sam Tecklenburg
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: QB Brett Rypien
- Placed on IR: LB Jonas Griffith
Green Bay Packers
- Signed off Colts’ practice squad: TE Tyler Davis
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Tyler Lancaster
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: LB Justin Hollins
New York Jets
- Waived: S Saquan Hampton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: S K’Von Wallace
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: OLB Derrek Tuszka
- Waived: LB Jamir Jones
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: DT Robert Nkemdiche
- Waived: QB Jake Luton
Broncos WR KJ Hamler Done For Season
The Broncos have lost another wideout. KJ Hamler suffered a torn ACL yesterday and will miss the rest of the season, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
Hamler suffered the injury during the second quarter of yesterday’s win over the Jets. The wideout leaped for a Teddy Bridgewater pass before landing awkwardly. Hamler suffered additional damage to his knee during the play, per ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. The receiver will inevitably land on IR and miss the rest of the campaign.
The 2020 second-round pick finished his rookie campaign with 421 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in 13 games (four starts). The 22-year-old was looking to build off those numbers in 2021, especially following the injury to fellow wideout Jerry Jeudy. Through the first three games of this season, Hamler hauled in five catches for 74 yards.
The Broncos could be looking for some reinforcement at the position with two top wideouts out of the lineup. Courtland Sutton (who’s coming off his own injury) leads a depth chart that also features Tim Patrick and Diontae Spencer.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/21
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: LB Daelin Hayes
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: CB Rashaan Melvin (story)
Denver Broncos
- Signed (off Raiders practice squad): WR David Moore
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: RB Trey Ragas
New York Giants
- Signed (off WFT practice squad): G Wes Martin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated off Reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kevin Minter