Only practice squad move heading into the New Year:
Detroit Lions
- Placed on practice squad IR: T Obinna Eze
Today’s taxi squad moves from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Ra’Shaun Henry
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR Emeka Emezie
Detroit Lions
- Signed: T Jarrid Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Keke Coutee
- Released: TE Dominique Dafney
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Malik Taylor
- Released: S Kai Nacua
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: WR Pharoh Cooper, DL Manny Jones
- Placed on IR: S Budda Baker (story), DT Trysten Hill
Atlanta Falcons
- Designated for return: WR Jared Bernhardt
- Placed on IR: OL Chuma Edoga
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return: WR Tylan Wallace
Detroit Lions
- Reverted to season-ending IR: WR Quintez Cephus
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: CB Darrell Baker Jr.
- Placed on IR: CB Isaiah Rodgers Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed to active roster: DT Jeremiah Ledbetter
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: DE Isaac Rochell, LB Harvey Langi
- Placed on IR: DE Chandler Jones, LB Denzel Perryman (story)
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Cardinals): OL Wyatt Davis
- Signed off Lions’ practice squad: LB Jarrad Davis
- Placed on IR: OL Shane Lemieux
- Waived: TE Chris Myarick
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Designated for return: CB Ahkello Witherspoon
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return: CB Isaiah Dunn
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: RB Jonathan Ward
Washington Commanders
- Designated for return: CB Tariq Castro-Fields, TE Armani Rogers
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, much is still to be decided both in terms of playoff positioning and the order of the upcoming draft. Five teams are still eligible to land the top pick.
The Texans remain in pole position to hold the No. 1 spot, but their win over the Titans (coupled with the Bears’ losing streak extending to eight games) leaves Chicago just a half-game away. The fact that the Bears would likely select a defensive player rather than a quarterback with the top pick adds considerable intrigue to the potential implications of them ending up with that slot.
With the Browns continuing to struggle even with Deshaun Watson back from suspension, there is a distinct possibility that four first-rounders which changed hands (including Cleveland’s top 2023 pick, part of the package they sent to Houston for Watson) land in the top 10. Another premium selection would obviously soften the blow of losing out on the No. 1 spot from the Texans’ perspective, should that take place.
The final Wild Card spot in each conference is still being contested by several teams, resulting in a logjam of 7-8 squads in the middle of the order. Several head-to-head matchups will be played out between those clubs, which could lead to plenty of change in their positioning over the next two weeks. The race for both the AFC and NFC South titles will also have a significant impact on the final order, given the average (at best) record each division’s winner will have at the end of the regular season.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks entering Week 17:
- Houston Texans: 2-12-1
- Chicago Bears: 3-12
- Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-11
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-10-1
- Atlanta Falcons: 5-10
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Carolina Panthers: 6-9
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Seattle Seahawks: 7-8
- Tennessee Titans: 7-8
- New England Patriots: 7-8
- New York Jets: 7-8
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-8
- Green Bay Packers: 7-8
- Detroit Lions: 7-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-8
- Washington Commanders: 7-7-1
- New York Giants: 8-6-1
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-6
- Baltimore Ravens: 10-5
- Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)
- Dallas Cowboys: 11-4
- Cincinnati Bengals: 11-4
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-3
- Minnesota Vikings: 12-3
- Buffalo Bills: 12-3
- Philadelphia Eagles: 13-2
Next year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice
Today’s minor moves heading into the NFL’s largest slate of Saturday games of the season:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: DT Isaiah Mack
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Cole Beasley, DE Kingsley Jonathan
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: RB Khalil Herbert (story)
- Signed to active roster: CB Breon Borders
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Chase Allen, WR Nsimba Webster
- Placed on IR: CB Jaylon Johnson, CB Kindle Vildor
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Allan George
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Mackensie Alexander, C Brock Hoffman
Detroit Lions
- Promoted from practice squad: S Brady Breeze, TE Garrett Griffin
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from IR: TE Blake Bell
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Danny Shelton
- Placed on IR: TE Jody Fortson
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted from practice squad: G Kyle Hinton
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: LS Tucker Addington
- Promoted from practice squad: K Tristan Vizcaino, TE Scotty Washington
- Placed on IR: LS Joe Cardona
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: WR Kirk Merritt
- Promoted from practice squad: G Josh Andrews, WR Keith Kirkwood
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed to active roster: LB Christian Elliss
- Promoted from practice squad: P Brett Kern
- Placed on IR: TE Tyree Jackson
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: DL Michael Dwumfour, WR Willie Snead
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Godwin Igwebuike, RB Wayne Gallman
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: WR Deven Thompkins
- Placed on IR: LB Genard Avery
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Andre Smith, Jonathan Ward
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: QB Steven Montez
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Lance Lenoir, WR Jerreth Sterns
Christmas Day’s Broncos-Rams matchup will pit two of the league’s most disappointing teams against one another, and the Seahawks and Lions will have a vested interest in this contest. The loser of this game will give one of the latter teams — via the Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford trades — a better chance of landing a top-three pick in next year’s draft.
At 1-12-1, the Texans are cruising home. The Bears are on their heels, potentially set to become the team that selects the 2023 draft’s first non-quarterback. But eight four- or five-win teams reside behind these two, providing some intrigue for fanbases whose squads are not moving toward the playoffs.
The NFC South’s plunge toward becoming perhaps the worst division in NFL history carries draft stakes as well. The Falcons, Saints and Panthers each have five wins, and Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia (via the Saints’ pre-draft trade this year) would see those picks land in the top 10 as of now. The division-leading Buccaneers would see their draft slot check in no higher than 19th. Should one of Tampa Bay’s challengers vault the current first-place team in the standings, the Bucs would see their 2023 first-round slot rise considerably.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks entering Week 16:
- Houston Texans: 1-12-1
- Chicago Bears: 3-11
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-10
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-9-1
- Atlanta Falcons: 5-9
- Carolina Panthers: 5-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-8
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-8
- Green Bay Packers: 6-8
- Seattle Seahawks: 7-7
- New England Patriots: 7-7
- New York Jets: 7-7
- Detroit Lions: 7-7
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-8
- Tennessee Titans: 7-7
- Washington Commanders: 7-6-1
- Los Angeles Chargers: 8-6
- New York Giants: 8-5-1
- Baltimore Ravens: 9-5
- Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)
- Dallas Cowboys: 10-4
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-4
- Kansas City Chiefs: 11-3
- Minnesota Vikings: 11-3
- Buffalo Bills: 11-3
- Philadelphia Eagles: 13-1
Next year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice.
For the second time in a month, the Lions lost a quarterback off their practice squad. The Titans are signing Joshua Dobbs, according to his agent (on Twitter).
This move follows the Bears’ signing of Tim Boyle late last month. Tennessee’s Dobbs move casts more doubt on Ryan Tannehill‘s Week 16 availability. The fourth-year Titans starter aggravated his ankle injury last week, and although he returned to the Chargers game not too long after going down, he is believed to be facing an uphill battle to play this week.
Dobbs, 27, will join Tannehill and Malik Willis on the Titans’ 53-man roster. Because he is being signed off another team’s practice squad, the well-traveled backup must remain on Tennessee’s active roster for at least three weeks. The Titans will be Dobbs’ third team this year.
The Browns signed Dobbs in April and used him as Jacoby Brissett‘s backup for much of this season, but the team released him ahead of Deshaun Watson‘s first game back from his suspension. In the wake of the Bears’ Boyle poaching, the Lions added Dobbs to their P-squad earlier this month.
This transaction will bring Dobbs back to Tennessee. The 27-year-old passer became a fourth-round draft choice after playing for the Volunteers from 2013-16. The Steelers took Dobbs in the 2017 draft, and he has spent much of his career with the team. Dobbs has been a career reserve option, appearing in six games — all with the Steelers — off the bench. He has thrown 17 career passes. This move will provide the Titans, who do not have a quarterback on their taxi squad, with some depth.
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: QB James Morgan
- Released: QB Carson Strong
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Mike Thomas
- Released: G Zack Johnson
Carolina Panthers
- Released: CB Tae Hayes
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Kuony Deng, DE Terrell Lewis
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Malik Jefferson
- Released: TE Seth Green
Denver Broncos
- Signed: G Parker Ferguson, DB Devon Key
- Released: LB Harvey Langi
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Tom Kennedy
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Matt Bushman
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR DJ Turner
- Released: WR Malik Turner
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL Jason Moore
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Lester Cotton
- Released: OL Lamont Gaillard
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Terez Hall
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Nephi Sewell
- Released: LB Kenny Young
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Jarrod Hewitt
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL OL Beau Benzschawel, C Daniel Munyer
Just a couple practice squad moves from around the league today:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Tom Kennedy
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: DT Curtis Brooks