NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/12/19
Today’s practice squad updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Craig Reynolds
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OT Garrett McGhin, OT Aaron Monteiro
- Released: OT Matt Kaskey
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Malik Carney
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OL Gerhard de Beer
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Alex Bachman, LS Colin Holba
Drew Lock To Practice This Week
Although Drew Lock has been eligible to return to practice for weeks, that has yet to occur. The process of bringing Lock into the starting lineup, however, will begin on Tuesday.
Lock is expected to practice Tuesday, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. This will begin the rookie’s return from IR. The Broncos are already planning to bring wide receiver Tim Patrick off IR. Lock coming back would fill both of Denver’s slots. However, Vic Fangio said it’s not certain Lock will play this season, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic (on Twitter). Lock has been sidelined since August with a thumb injury.
Of course, with the Broncos 3-6 and having backup Brandon Allen as their starter now points to a Lock audition coming soon. The tentative plan was for the second-round pick to start the final two Broncos games. While Fangio said Allen’s play will determine Lock’s activation, it would stand to reason the Broncos would give Lock as much time as possible in order for the franchise to gauge its recent QB investment before next year’s draft.
Lock can return to game action at any point, as it’s been more than eight weeks since his initial IR placement. But if he returns to practice Tuesday, the Broncos will have three weeks to activate him. Additionally, Fangio said Bryce Callahan would try to practice Tuesday. The team has also yet to decide if Patrick will be activated this season, Twitter links via Klis and Jhabvala.
Denver going with a Lock-Patrick IR-return combo would mean Jake Butt and Theo Riddick will miss the season. Callahan remains on the active roster and can make his Broncos debut at any point.
AFC West Notes: McCoy, Bolles, Joseph
The Chiefs listed running back LeSean McCoy as a healthy scratch for their 35-32 loss to the Titans as part of a predetermined schedule to rest him, according to James Palmer of NFL.com. Without McCoy, Damien Williams received a larger portion of snaps and had a costly fumble in the team’s upset loss.
Given the outcome Kansas City may have second thoughts about their decision, but the organization wants to have McCoy as fresh as possible for the last season and playoff push. At 6-4, the Chiefs remain atop the AFC West and will hope McCoy can make up for their loss in future contributions.
Here’s some more from around the AFC West:
- Left tackle Garett Bolles has struggled mightily for the Broncos this season. In his weekly mailbag, Ryan O’Hallaran of The Denver Post explained that the early-season injury to right tackle Ja’Wuan James might have saved his job. James’ injury forced swing tackle Elijah Wilkinson into full-time duty and left Denver without a solid Plan B behind Bolles. If James finds his way back onto the field, Wilkinson may be able to push for snaps on the opposite side of the line.
- Safety Karl Joseph had begun establishing himself as a difference-maker in the Raiders secondary this season before he suffered a season-ending injury. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Raiders might have been inclined to negotiate an extension. However, given the uncertainty surrounding his health, Jerry McDonald of The Mercury News expects the team to let him hit free-agency this season and try to re-sign him at market value.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Interested In Owning NFL Team
The CEO and founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, is interested in purchasing an NFL team, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. While Bezos is most associated with Amazon, the mogul also recently purchased the Washington Post. The multi-billionaire is one of the richest people in the world and would not have trouble finding the capital necessary to buy an NFL franchise.
According to La Canfora’s report, Bezos has built close relationships with a number of current owners and watched last year’s Super Bowl in commissioner Roger Goodell’s suite. Considering all new owners need to receive approval from current ownership groups, it bodes well for his chances if he has allies in the league.
Bezos has become especially close with Washington’s owner Dan Snyder. His relationship with Snyder coincides with his own move to Washington, where Snyder remains a polarizing figure. Snyder, of course, has been trying to build a new stadium in downtown D.C. and given Bezos’ expanded role in the area, the two could team up on the project.
While no teams are currently up for sale, La Canfora speculates the Seahawks and Broncos as two that could be headed to the market soon. Bezos has been based in Seattle for many years, making the Seahawks a prime target.
Deadline Fallout: Harris, Jets, L. Williams
Despite a great deal of hype, Tuesday’s trade deadline went out with a whimper. As Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, that was largely because the presumed sellers — most notably the Bengals, Redskins, and Broncos — overvalued their assets. It was expected that Cincinnati’s and Washington’s stubbornness could torpedo potential deals, but Denver was similarly obstinate. For instance, the Broncos were asking for a second-round draft pick for CB Chris Harris when the market dictated that a fourth-rounder would be an appropriate return.
Now for more deadline fallout:
- Jets RB Le’Veon Bell recently said that his former club, the Steelers, were interested in re-acquiring him in advance of the trade deadline, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com confirms that Pittsburgh did indeed speak with the Jets about Bell. However, when it became clear that the shoulder injury that James Conner sustained in the Steelers’ win over Miami last Monday wasn’t as serious as it first appeared, talks with Gang Green cooled. Bell wasn’t the only RB the Steelers were interested in, per Schefter, but he was easily the most prominent.
- At least one team tried to blow the Jets away with an offer for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, as Schefter writes in a separate piece. The unnamed club thought New York would be unable to turn down the blockbuster package of draft picks, but Williams was deemed untouchable by the Jets’ front office, and Gang Green stuck to its guns.
- We already heard that the Giants would try to work out a contract extension with the newly-acquired Leonard Williams, but Schefter says Big Blue will open negotiations before Thanksgiving. Of course, it could be difficult for player and team to agree on Williams’ value, and Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com believes that Williams is going to test free agency (Twitter link).
- The Rams traded Aqib Talib to the Dolphins in a pure salary dump, as they gave Miami a 2020 fifth-rounder just to take on the remainder of Talib’s contract. Peter Schrager of the NFL Network says Talib believes he will be healthy enough to return to the field this season but is unsure as to whether he will suit up for Miami (Twitter link). He may elect to cool his heels before he hits the open market in March, but he holds no ill will towards LA.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/1/19
The latest from the workout circuit around the league:
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
- RB Jay Ajayi, TE Nick O’Leary, TE Richard Rodgers, RB Bo Scarbrough
Jacksonville Jaguars
- K Elliott Brown, K Jon Brown, K Chase McLaughlin, K Giorgio Tavecchio
New York Jets
- LB Vincent Rey, LB Paul Worrilow
Oakland Raiders
- RB Spencer Ware
AFC West Notes: Mahomes, Lock, Harris, Raiders
Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is questionable for Kansas City’s upcoming game against the Vikings, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Mahomes, of course, was injured on Thursday Night Football of Week 7 against the Broncos during a quarterback sneak. In a freak incident, Mahomes dislocated his right kneecap.
He returned to practice just six days after the injury, but was quickly ruled out for last Sunday’s game against the Packers. While his status is still up in the air, Rapoport reiterates “At the least, he is considered to have a shot to play.” At 5-3, Kansas City has some breathing room in the AFC West divisional race. However, the chances of a high seed and a first-round bye would be greatly diminished the longer they have to stick with backup Matt Moore.
Here’s more from around the AFC West:
- While quarterback Brandon Allen is currently next in line for the Broncos after Joe Flacco‘s injury landed him on injured reserve, the team plans to play rookie second-round pick Drew Lock in Denver’s final two games against the Lions and Raiders, according Mike Klis of 9News. Flacco was diagnosed with a disk injury in his neck that requires at least six weeks to recover. Given the Broncos 2-6 record, the team decided to shut down the veteran for the season. Allen is in his fourth NFL season, but has yet to appear in a regular season game.
- After weeks of trade rumors, Broncos cornerback Chris Harris could be staying in the mile-high city beyond this season, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. With three young daughters and a fourth coming soon, Harris told Jhabvala he was “Definitely relieved and happy to be able to finish the year here.” The news comes as somewhat of a surprise given Harris’ tumultuous relationship with the organization over the past few seasons. However, according to Jhabvala, the team’s new coaching staff has meshed well with the upcoming free-agent.
- Both Raiders centers Rodney Hudson and Andre James are listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the Lions. They both are dealing with ankle injuries and managed to practice, but according to head coach Jon Gruden, both were “sore.”
Broncos Place Joe Flacco On IR
The Broncos are placing Joe Flacco on injured reserve, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). This will mark the end of the quarterback’s season and, possibly, his time in Denver. 
Flacco is owed $20.5MM in 2020, but the Broncos can save $10MM by cutting him loose beforehand. In eight games for the Broncos this year, Flacco completed 65.3% of his passes, but threw just six touchdowns against five interceptions. The completion percentage marked a career high for Flacco, but the TD/INT ratio is his worst ever.
Injuries have dogged the former Super Bowl champ for much of his career – he missed time in 2015 and 2018 and also dealt with back pain in 2017. With his 35th birthday on the horizon in January, there’s no telling what’s next for Flacco.
The silver lining is that Flacco’s neck injury is not believed to be a career-threatening injury. Flacco could still continue playing in 2020, it seems, provided that he is willing to play for much less than his current contract.
With Flacco out of the picture, the Broncos will start Brandon Allen on Sunday against the Browns. He’ll be backstopped by Brett Rypien, who was recently promoted from the practice squad.
Designated To Return: Broncos, Lions, Titans
With roughly half of the 2019 campaign in the books, NFL clubs have started to exercise their right to return players from injured reserve. Each team is allowed to bring two players back from IR, but said players must have been retained on their respective club’s initial 53-man roster. Once an IR player returns to practice, his club will have three weeks to decide whether to activate him to their 53-man roster; if he’s not activated, the player will remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Here are three players who have been designated to return from IR this week:
- Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick has returned to practice and has been designated to return, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets. A 2017 undrafted free agent, Patrick suffered a broken hand in Week 1 of the 2019 campaign but is now ready for action. Patrick broke out in the final month of last season, posting 19 receptions for 242 yards during the last quarter of the campaign. When he returns to game action, Patrick could see a significant role in a now Emmanuel Sanders-less receiving corps.
- The Lions have designated defensive end Austin Bryant to return from IR, and he practiced Wednesday, the club announced today. Bryant was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, so he’s yet to play an NFL snap. During his final two seasons at Clemson, Bryant posted 17 sacks and 30.5 tackles for loss. If activated, Bryant could help a Detroit defensive line that currently ranks bottom-seven in both adjusted line yards and adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.
- Defensive back Josh Kalu has been designated to return from IR by the Titans, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link). An undrafted free agent out of Nebraska in 2018, Kalu spent most of last year on Tennessee’s practice squad before being promoted in December. He played in five games and saw action on 48 special teams snaps.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/19
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Greg Mabin
- Placed on injured reserve: DT Ryan Glasgow
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed off waivers (Giants): LB Tae Davis
Denver Broncos
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Brett Rypien
Detroit Lions
- Signed off Cowboys’ practice squad: CB Michael Jackson
- Waived: RB Paul Perkins
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
- Placed on injured reserve: DE J.J. Watt (story)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Tevaughn Campbell
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed off waivers (Saints): CB Ken Crawley
- Signed: TE Clive Walford
- Waived: WR Isaiah Ford
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Jordan Leggett
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Jack Cichy
Washington Redskins
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Cassanova McKinzy