NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/5/24
Here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the NFL:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Loren Strickland
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Laviska Shenault
- Released: WR Dez Fitzpatrick
The Seahawks waived Shenault on Monday after being a non-factor on offense all year. He played just 45 offensive snaps across 11 games, but carved out a role on special teams with 168 snaps between returns and coverage. Shenault was Seattle’s primary kick returner for much of the year with an average of 28.7 yards per return. His 97-yard touchdown in Week 6 was one of the league’s six kickoff return scores this season.
However, the Seahawks had to make room for Uchenna Nwosu‘s activation from injured reserve. He will get another chance in Los Angeles where he could quickly factor into the special teams picture.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/24
Here are the latest moves from around the league, including game day elevations for Thursday Night football:
Arizona Cardinals
- Designated to return from injured reserve: CB Elijah Jones
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: WR Maurice Alexander
- Elevated to the active roster from the practice squad: S Jamal Adams, OLB Mitchell Agude
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated to the active roster from the practice squad: CB Kalen King
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/suspended list: LB Azeez Al-Shaair
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from injured reserve: CB Cory Trice
Seattle Seahawks
- Awarded via waivers: WR Jaelon Darden
- Waived: CB Dee Williams
The Lions signed Adams to their practice squad on Sunday after a slew of injuries on Thanksgiving. The onetime All-Pro played 20 snaps across three games for the Titans this year before he landed on the Non-Football injury list and requested his release. Though he’s still listed as a defensive back, Adams is likely to play in the box after Malcolm Rodriguez joined three other Lions linebacker on injured reserve.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/24
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: OT Andrew Stueber
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: WR Jaelon Darden
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: CB Amani Oruwariye
Detroit Lions
- Waived: S Loren Strickland
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: K Matthew Wright
- Placed on IR: K Spencer Shrader
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: OT Jackson Carman
- Designated for return: LS Blake Ferguson
- Placed on IR: CB Cam Smith
New Orleans Saints
- Suspended: S Roderic Teamer
New York Giants
- Designated for return: LB Dyontae Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed to active roster: TE C.J. Uzomah
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: DT Kevin Givens
- Signed to active roster: RB Patrick Taylor
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return: OT Jaelyn Duncan
Spencer Shrader‘s hamstring injury will knock him out for the next four weeks, and with Harrison Butker eventually set to return, the fill-in kicker’s stint with the Chiefs has likely come to an end. Temporarily, the team will turn to their third kicker in Matthew Wright. The veteran filled in for Shrader this past weekend, connecting on four of his five field goal tries.
Former Dolphins second-round pick Cam Smith landed on IR today, likely ending his disappointing sophomore campaign. The cornerback did get more run in 2024 vs. his rookie season, but he was still limited to only 16 tackles in six games thanks to a pair of IR stints. This time, it’s a shoulder issue that will put the South Carolina product on the shelf.
Saints safety Roderic Teamer was hit with a three-game ban today for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football notes that Teamer’s unpaid ban is “the conclusion of his DUI arrest” in 2023 (when he was with the Raiders). Teamer was limited to only a pair of appearances this season, with all of his snaps coming on special teams.
Titans lineman Jaelyn Duncan returned to practice today after missing the past six games while nursing a hamstring injury. The former sixth-round pick could actually see a significant role upon his return, with Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com noting that the second-year player could get a look at right tackle once he’s fully healthy.
Aaron Glenn Back On Saints’ HC Radar
A popular name on this year’s head coaching carousel, Aaron Glenn will almost definitely reprise that role in 2025. The Lions have fared much better defensively this season, remaining on course despite losing early Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Aidan Hutchinson. How the unit performs after more injuries have occurred will further shape Glenn’s candidacy.
One team that is expected to be in on Glenn next year will be the one that launched him onto the coordinator radar. The Saints are not expected to move on from GM Mickey Loomis, and that would strengthen the chances of Glenn receiving extensive consideration to return to New Orleans. The Saints are indeed expected to show interest in Glenn, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. He was on the radar for the team back in 2022 as well.
Glenn, 52, worked as the Saints’ defensive backs coach from 2016-2020. This period coincided with New Orleans changing course on defense, rocketing from one of the league’s worst units to helping Drew Brees during his final seasons. The Saints made four straight playoff berths from 2017-20, with Glenn overseeing the development of Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams. The Lions took note, with ex-Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell bringing him to Detroit.
Glenn’s Lions defenses have been a mixed bag. Detroit ran into consistent struggles on this side of the ball during its rebuild, with Glenn coming up as a coordinator on the hot seat early in 2022. Last season brought a collapse in the NFC championship game, as Detroit’s pass defense struggled down the stretch. The Lions ranked 23rd in scoring defense last season. This year, however, Glenn’s unit sits second despite the losses of Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport. The team has continued to play well despite losing linebacker regular Derrick Barnes, though recent injuries piling up at linebacker will test the unit ahead of a tough schedule sector.
The 2025 HC interview cycle could be crucial for Glenn, who has been a regular candidate for the past two offseasons. Glenn interviewed for four HC jobs last year, meeting with the Commanders twice. Though, Washington was widely believed to covet Glenn coworker Ben Johnson, who bowed out of the running late. He met with two teams about their vacancies in 2023 and two others in 2022. The 2022 cycle proves most relevant here, as the Saints conducted an interview ahead of their Dennis Allen promotion. Glenn worked under Allen throughout the latter’s run as New Orleans’ DC.
Considering Allen’s shortcomings, it would be interesting to see if the Saints again showed significant interest in another of Sean Payton‘s former lieutenants. This organization, however, has prioritized familiarity more than most this century. Holding his job for 23 years, Loomis is the NFL’s longest-tenured active GM — among non-owners who hold de facto GM titles — but the team is heading toward its fourth season missing the playoffs. It would stand to reason a reset of some sort would be strongly considered, but with Loomis on track to stay, Glenn appears firmly in play to come back.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/3/24
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Elijah Dotson
- Released: LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams, K Riley Patterson
Buffalo Bills
- Released: WR Deon Cain
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Emani Bailey, TE Dominique Dafney, LB Thomas Incoom, WR T.J. Luther
- Released: S Alex Cook, WR Sam Pinckney
- Placed on IR: RB Dillon Johnson, TE Stephen Sullivan
Chicago Bears
- Signed: RB Demetric Felton, G Austen Pleasants
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Maurice Alexander
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Liam Anderson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LS Tucker Addington, P Matt Haack, QB John Wolford
- Released: OL Jerome Carvin, DE Joe Gaziano, CB Tyler Hall
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB John Kelly
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Jack Heflin, NT Kevin Strong, DB Charles Woods
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: RB Myles Gaskin
New England Patriots
- Signed: DE Truman Jones
- Released: G Michael Jordan
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: S Millard Bradford, C Sincere Haynesworth
- Released: RB Jacob Kibodi
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: FB Khari Blasingame
- Released: WR John Ross
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Ronnie Bell, RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: NT Quinton Bohanna, C Mike Novitsky
- Released: TE N’Keal Harry
With Trevor Lawrence currently in concussion protocol, the Jaguars have added some QB depth to the organization. John Wolford brings four games of starting experience to Jacksonville, all coming with the Rams between 2020 and 2022. The Wake Forest product went 2-2 in those appearances, tossing one touchdown vs. five interceptions. He’ll slide in behind Mac Jones and C.J. Beathard in the franchise’s QB pecking order.
The Eagles added a veteran fullback to their roster in Khari Blasingame. The 28-year-old has appeared in 66 games since entering the league in 2019, collecting 131 yards from scrimmage on 24 carries. The Eagles recently lost part-time fullback Ben VanSumeren for the season, opening a role for a handful of blocking snaps per game.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DE Ronnie Perkins
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: RB Sincere McCormick
- Placed on IR: WR DJ Turner
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: LS Jake McQuaide
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed off waivers (from Jets): RB Israel Abanikanda
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster (from Lions practice squad): S Kaevon Merriweather
Tennessee Titans
- Suspended: S Julius Wood
Sincere McCormick has seen a larger role in recent weeks as a practice squad elevation, and now the running back will be secured to the Raiders active roster. After spending the past few years hanging around the organization, the former UDFA finally made his NFL debut earlier this season. With the Raiders dealing with a depleted RB room in recent weeks, McCormick has seen an uptick in snaps, culminating in him collecting 65 yards from scrimmage on Black Friday.
Julius Wood has been hit with a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The safety will now be sidelined for the rest of the 2024 campaign and one game in 2025. The undrafted rookie has appeared in nine games this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.
NFC Injury Updates: Warner, Wright, Paschal
49ers linebacker Fred Warner is having an outstanding season, grading out as the best linebacker in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The veteran’s impressive display is happening despite an apparent injury.
According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN, Warner recently reported that he’s been dealing with a fractured bone in his ankle. The injury reportedly occurred in a matchup with the Patriots, which took place all the way back on September 29. This means that Warner has been playing through the injury for eight weeks with only the bye week as respite.
Warner doesn’t expect to miss anytime, planning to continue to play through the injury. “Anytime you fracture a bone, if you just continue to play on it, the bone is usually not going to be able to heal itself. So (I) just (have) got to continue to just fight through.”
Here are a few other updates on injuries across the NFC:
- The Bears were dealt a number of blows during Thursday’s Thanksgiving game. The most concerning of these blows was a knee injury that saw right tackle Darnell Wright carted off the field, per Gene Chamberlain of Sports Illustrated. Luckily, the mid-week game gives Chicago ten days to rest and recover, but the location of the injury is troublesome as Wright’s only missed time this year (three weeks ago) came as a result of a knee injury. It will be something to watch for in early injury reports when the team attends practice this week under new interim head coach Thomas Brown.
- The Lions cannot afford to lose any more bodies on the defensive line. There was initially some concern that defensive end Josh Paschal might be in trouble after suffering a non-contact knee injury on Thursday, but things are looking up. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “Paschal’s knee injury is not believed to be serious.” He will likely require some physical rehabilitation, but the injury will not be a season-ending one, as was initially feared.
Lions’ Ray Agnew Expected To Receive GM Interviews
As the 2024 season has shown, Lions general manager Brad Holmes has enjoyed a successful run in charge of the franchise. One of his top assistants might soon receive opportunities to lead a front office of his own, however.
[RELATED: OC Ben Johnson Open To Remaining With Lions In 2025]
Ray Agnew – who has served as an assistant GM under Holmes since 2021 – is expected to be on the interview radar of interested teams during the 2025 cycle, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports. Agnew followed Holmes from the Rams to the Lions. He has remained a key front office figure ever since.
Agnew’s playing career lasted from 1990-2000, and it included time with the Rams for their Super Bowl XXXIV-winning team. He first worked with the Jets on the personnel side before spending time with the Rams from 2017-20. He held the title of pro personnel director during that span, and his success in that role made him a logical candidate to take on increased responsibilities under Holmes in Detroit.
The Lions have built one of the league’s top rosters over recent years, with one of the key moves in that regard of course being the Matthew Stafford–Jared Goff swap. Detroit has a number of other foundational players on both sides of the ball, many of whom received extensions during the offseason (or during the year, in the case of running back David Montgomery). Defenders like Aidan Hutchinson and Brian Branch have been added through the draft, and they represent future extension priorities. Replacing Agnew’s contributions during the Holmes era would represent a notable challenge for the Lions if he were to depart.
One general manager vacancy is in place for now, with the Jets having moved on from Joe Douglas. New York has brought in Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman to assist with the process of finding his replacement. It will be interesting to see if the team looks into first-year GM candidates, something which could leave Agnew as an option. If not, the 56-year-old could still be a name to watch for other openings this winter.
Lions Sign S Jamal Adams
Shortly after signing linebacker Kwon Alexander, the Lions are adding another former Pro Bowler in the hopes of strengthening their injury-ravaged defense. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Detroit is signing safety Jamal Adams to the practice squad with the intention of elevating him to the active roster in short order.
Adams, 29, was cut by the Titans in October, a move that the player himself requested. He had just signed with Tennessee in July, but he appeared in a grand total of 20 snaps with the team before landing on the reserve/non-football injury list with a hip ailment. His placement on that list coincided with reports of his discontent regarding his playing time, and he was granted his release shortly thereafter.
The Jets made Adams the No. 6 overall pick of the 2017 draft, and the LSU product delivered on his draft pedigree by earning Pro Bowl acclaim in his second and third professional seasons. Understandably, he angled for a lucrative contract extension when he first became eligible after the end of the 2019 campaign, but the lack of an offer and the fact that he had been dangled in trade talks in advance of the 2019 trade deadline irked him, and he formally requested a trade in June 2020. A month later, the Jets obliged and sent Adams to the Seahawks in exchange for a package headlined by two first-round draft picks.
After a productive debut season in Seattle, in which he set a DB record with 9.5 sacks, Adams was rewarded with a four-year, $70MM deal prior to the 2021 season. That was a record-setting mark for safeties at the time, but Adams’ career fell off track shortly after signing the contract. Over the 2021-23 seasons, he appeared in a total of 22 games due to injury, and his salary cap charges made him an obvious release candidate this year. The Seahawks cut ties in March, though the club subsequently expressed interest in a reunion on a less expensive deal.
If Seattle had re-signed Adams, it had hoped to deploy him as a linebacker. That would not have been too different than the in-the-box safety role he generally filled during his time with the ‘Hawks, but player and team could not come to terms on a second accord, and Adams eventually headed to Nashville.
After failing to make an impact with the Titans, Adams will now try to resuscitate his career with the Lions. Although Detroit has posted an 11-1 record in 2024, the club has dealt with a number of key injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu is back on IR for the time being, so Adams could offer safety depth behind the the starting tandem of Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.
Interestingly, the Lions’ LB corps has been hit especially hard by injury (hence the Alexander acquisition). Perhaps Detroit will ask Adams to operate more on the second level of the defense — just as Seattle had planned to do — and/or to rotate in as a pass rusher.
Lions Place LB Malcolm Rodriguez, DL Mekhi Wingo On Season-Ending IR
The Lions have officially placed linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo on injured reserve, per a team announcement. Head coach Dan Campbell announced that both players were out for the rest of the season, according to team reporter Tim Twentyman.
Rodriguez tore his ACL during Thursday’s win over the Bears, while Wingo injured his knee but managed to finish the game. Further evaluation revealed that Wingo would need surgery, sidelining him for the remainder of the year. Those injuries were two of several suffered by the Lions on Thanksgiving, with Josh Paschal (knee) and Levi Onwuzurike (hamstring) considered day-to-day ahead of another Thursday night matchup in Week 14.
Wingo is a rookie who appeared in all 11 of the Lions’ games so far this season as a reserve defensive tackle with 176 snaps on defense and 44 on special teams. The sixth-round pick recorded nine tackles, but had yet to factor into the pass rush.
Detroit signed Jonah Williams off the Rams’ practice squad on Friday to shore up their defensive line depth. They also added Myles Adams from the Seahawks’ practice squad on Saturday. He appeared in three games for Seattle this year with a total of 36 snaps and three tackles. Both players will join Brodric Martin, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Pat O’Connor in filling the snaps vacated by Wingo (plus Paschal and Onwuzurike if they can’t play on Thursday).
Trevor Nowaske will be the next man up at linebacker after Rodriguez’s injury. He has played just under 28% of the Lions’ total defensive snaps this season and will see an uptick in the Lions’ three-linebacker formations. Detroit also signed veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander from the Broncos’ practice squad to provide more depth. Additionally, the team has not ruled out a return from Derrick Barnes from his September knee injury that threatened to end his season.
The Lions had two open spots on the roster after today’s IR designations, so they also waived wide receiver Maurice Alexander to make room for all three new signings. He only appeared in one game this season with eight snaps exclusively on special teams.