Packers A Fit For Le'Veon Bell?
- Gang Green resides as a possible landing spot for Le’Veon Bell, in the view of ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Instagram link). She lists the Jets, Eagles and Packers as being possible fits for the disgruntled running back. The Jets lead this trio with $16MM-plus in cap space. The Eagles hold less than $5MM. Bell is attached to a $10MM-plus prorated version of his franchise tag salary.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/18
Here’s the latest from the practice squad level:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DL Deon Simon
Packers Place Muhammad Wilkerson On IR
We learned earlier this week that Packers defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson was done for the season after undergoing surgery. Today, the team officially placed the 28-year-old on the injured reserve, according to Packers.com. Cornerback Tony Brown has been promoted from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.
Wilkerson suffered some sort of ankle ailment last Sunday’s contest, and the injury has only been described as “significant.” It’s a tough blow for Wilkerson, who was looking to recoup his free agent value after two straight underwhelming seasons. The veteran signed a one-year, $5MM deal with the Packers this offseason, and he had the ability to make an additional $3MM via incentives. The former first-round pick failed to impress through his first three games with Green Bay, compiling only five tackles. For the time being, the team will have to turn to Dean Lowry to start alongside Mike Daniels.
Wilkerson was once one of the top defensive players in the NFL, but he’s seen a decline in production since inking a lucrative extension with the Jets back in 2016. Wilkerson reportedly had problems with effort, tardiness, and coaches during his last few years in New York. Last year, the lineman appeared in 13 games, but he graded as just the 50th-best interior defender in the league, per Pro Football Focus.
Brown, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Alabama, signed with the Packers’ practice squad after being cut by the Chargers. He was touted for his special teams ability during his time in college.
Bashaud Breeland Contract Details
- Cornerback Bashaud Breeland originally inked a three-year, $24MM deal with the Panthers this offseason, but after a freak injury resulted in a failed physical, the veteran defensive back was forced to take quite a pay cut on his one-year deal with the Packers. Breeland signed a minimum salary benefit pact, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes, so he’ll collect a base salary of $790K plus a $90K bonus. However, under the rules of the MSB, Breeland will only count against Green Bay’s salary cap at the rate of a second-year player ($630K).
Cowboys, Packers Tried To Sign Brian Price
Recently, the Cowboys and Packers both tried to reunite with defensive tackle Brian Price, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. To keep him from being poached from their practice squad, the Browns quadrupled his salary, boosting his pay from $7,600 a week to $37,058 a week. 
Price missed the Cowboys’ final cut this year and subsequently hooked on with the Raiders. But, after the Raiders added interior defensive linemen Johnathan Hankins and Clinton McDonald, he was squeezed out. The Browns signed him to the taxi squad last Friday, and calls from two of his former teams – the Cowboys and Packers – soon followed.
The Browns are leaning on recent additions Carl Davis and Devaroe Lawrence as their reserve defensive tackles behind starters Larry Ogunjobi and Trevon Coley. Both have talent, but neither offers the pedigree of Price, who was on track to be a high draft pick in 2016 before he tossed an official to the ground in a fit of rage. The pay bump for Price indicates that he may not be far off from a promotion to Cleveland’s varsity squad.
Packers Work Out DL Quinton Dial
The Packers worked out defensive lineman Quinton Dial on Tuesday, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
Green Bay is searching for defensive line depth after losing Muhammad Wilkerson for the season, and Dial should be familiar with the Packers after spending the 2017 campaign with the club. While the Packers have since moved to a different defensive scheme after swapping out ex-coordinator Dom Capers for Mike Pettine, Green Bay is still running a 3-4 look.
Dial, 28, has spent the entirety of his NFL career in 3-4 fronts. A former fifth-round pick, Dial played his first four pro seasons in San Francisco, and was a full-time starter in 2015-16. Last year, Dial appeared in 13 games (two starts) for the Packers, managing 12 tackles and one pass defensed while playing on roughly a third of the club’s defensive snaps.
If Dial is signed by the Packers, he’d join a defensive line rotation that includes Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels, new projected starter Dean Lowry, and Montravius Adams. Last season, Dial signed a one-year deal with Green Bay that paid him a single dollar more than the veteran’s minimum, which left open the possibility of an in-season extension. The Packers could conceivably use that strategy once again if they view Dial as a possible long-term addition.
Dial met with the Lions and Seahawks after hitting free agency in March, and auditioned for the Bills last week, but has yet to garner a contract this year.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/25/18
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad decisions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DE Ufomba Kamalu
- Cut: DE Alec James
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: OL Jermaine Eluemunor, WR Janarion Grant
Denver Broncos
- Signed: P Colby Wadman
- Cut: DL Niles Scott
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: G Anthony Coyle
- Cut: C Austin Davis
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Malachi Dupre
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Vince Mayle, RB Detrez Newsome
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DL Cameron Malveaux
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Deontay Burnett
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR ArDarius Stewart
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: G Josh Andrews
- Cut: C Jon Toth
Seattle Seahawks
- Cut: C Marcus Henry
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Kalif Raymond, G Ian Silberman
- Cut: DL Deon Simon, QB Logan Woodside
Byron Bell Expected To Be Packers' RG
- The Packers are preparing to start Byron Bell at right guard on Sunday against the Bills, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes. Justin McCray is dealing with a shoulder injury, one the Packers don’t believe will be a long-term issue. However, Bell is expected to step in for the time being. An eighth-year player, Bell’s spent almost the entirety of his career at tackle. He has previously played guard but hasn’t worked there nearly as much as he has on the edge.
Packers To Sign CB Bashaud Breeland
Bashaud Breeland‘s eventful stay in free agency appears to be over. The Packers’ cornerback troubles will lead them to sign Breeland, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.
Green Bay placed Davon House on IR earlier this afternoon and was without Kevin King in its Week 3 loss in Washington, and the Packers will bring in the Redskins’ former No. 2 corner to help. The Packers on Tuesday worked out Breeland, David Amerson and fellow corner Arrion Springs, NFL reporter Howard Balzer tweets.
Nearly a third of the league secured visits from Breeland, who took part in meetings in all four American time zones by attending summits with the Colts, Cardinals, Raiders, Chiefs, Ravens, Browns, Patriots, Dolphins and Buccaneers. Breeland met with the Colts twice.
A nixed Panthers deal set Breeland on his complicated course during the offseason. A foot injury suffered in March led to Breeland’s $8MM-AAV Carolina contract being nullified. It’s highly unlikely his Packers deal is in that neighborhood. Breeland, though, was one of the top cornerbacks available when free agency began. He agreed to the Panthers deal quickly before the subsequent injury changed his offseason trajectory.
Breeland will join a corner corps flush with young talent. The 2014 fourth-round pick will now be a part of a group housing a 2017 second-rounder in King, a 2018 first-rounder in Jaire Alexander and 2018 second-rounder Josh Jackson. Tramon Williams rounds out the Green Bay group.
Breeland was a full-time starter with the Redskins, lining up with Washington’s first-string defense in 58 of the 60 regular-season games he played during his four-year stay in the nation’s capital. He will now begin his age-26 season, likely with an intent to impress for another run at free agency in 2019.
Packers To Place CB Davon House On IR
The Packers’ cornerback contingent will thin out following a Tuesday transaction. Davon House is headed to the Packers’ IR list, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (on Twitter).
A shoulder injury has bothered the veteran cover man all season, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky adds (via Twitter). He’ll now have at least eight weeks to surmount it, but it’s obviously possible House is out for the remainder of the season.
House will need surgery, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), and Demovsky reports it will be a season-ending procedure.
Green Bay used House as a 12-game starter last season but hasn’t given him nearly as much run to start 2018. Although House has seen action in all three games, he’s played just 29 total snaps. Additions of Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson, and the return of Tramon Williams, have cut into House’s playing time.
The Packers are working out other cornerbacks, per Rapoport. Both House and Kevin King, who missed Week 3 with a groin injury, are battling maladies. While King’s availability for Week 4 isn’t yet known, House will be down until at least November because of his shoulder troubles.
House is still just 29 despite having two Packers stints separated by two Jaguars seasons. He was part of a five-man Packers corner corps, and the team will surely add a replacement soon.