Eddie Lacy, Sam Shields Won’t Return For Packers
The Packers announced that they are activating cornerback Makinton Dorleant from injured reserve. The move means that running back Eddie Lacy and cornerback Sam Shields can not return this year. 
Lacy had surgery on his injured ankle roughly one month ago, but there was a glimmer of hope that he could see the field again this season. The injury was unfortunate since Lacy trimmed down this season and was boasting a career-best 5.1 yards-per-carry average on 71 attempts. The bruising tailback went down around the same time as top backup James Starks, leaving Green Bay with a major hole at running back.
This fall, Shields suffered his fourth reported concussion in the past six seasons. When healthy, Shields is regarded as one of the better cornerbacks in the entire NFL. However, given his concussion issues, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll ever return to that form. Today, the Packers opted to promote a rookie cornerback over Shields, and that is telling.
Blake Martinez Expected To Miss Time
- Packers inside linebacker Blake Martinez is expected to miss multiple games with an MCL sprain, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The fourth-round pick has started nine games for Green Bay this year.
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Packers Work Out Six
- The Packers were busy today, according to Caplan (via Twitter). The team auditioned receiver B.J. Daniels, cornerback Darryl Morris, and linebackers Derrick Mathews, Beniquez Brown, Dwayne Norman and Darnell Sankey.
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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/22/16
Here are today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Reshard Cliett
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Tyler Patmon
- Cut: DT Bruce Gaston
Chicago Bears
- Signed: CB De’Vante Bausby, WR Dres Anderson
- Cut: Darius Jennings
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LS Tyler Ott
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Derrick Mathews
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE E.J. Bibbs
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Randell Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: S Marcus Ball
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Zac Brooks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OL Mike Liedtke, CB Cody Riggs, WR Myles White
- Cut: RB Russell Hansbrough
McCarthy Not On Hot Seat, But Major Changes Could Be Made
The Packers are struggling, and head coach Mike McCarthy has predictably come under fire as a result. But Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that McCarthy is not likely to lose his job, and while there has been significant conversation about McCarthy’s relationship with Aaron Rodgers, La Canfora writes that the two men share a great deal of mutual respect and that Rodgers would not support a coaching change.
That does not mean, however, that the Packers will not shake things up elsewhere. Given the overall decline in talent on the roster, GM Ted Thompson is not immune to review, and defensive coordinator Dom Capers could also be coaching for his job over the second half of the season. Some team officials also believe that the offense has become stagnant and that the offensive coaching staff could use an overhaul. Further complicating the issue is that director of football operations Eliot Wolf, long considered to be the heir apparent to Thompson, could pursue outside options this offseason, as he remains one of the more sought-after young executives in the game and he may want to capitalize on that status in case the Packers should start to fade.
Packers Sign Carl Bradford Off Taxi Squad
- Once given a chance to win a starting inside linebacker job with the Packers, Carl Bradford will return to Green Bay’s active roster after logging extensive time on its practice squad, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. The third-year linebacker will replace tight end Justin Perillo, whom the team cut as it prepares for the likely return of Jared Cook. A former fourth-round pick in 2014, Bradford has yet to play in a regular-season game.
- The Bears promoted defensive lineman Jimmy Staten from their practice squad and cut cornerback De’Vante Bausby, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Sun-Times reports (on Twitter). Like Hill, Staten is a former Seahawks draft choice, arriving in Seattle via fifth-round pick in 2014. A product of Division II Pittsburg State, Bausby has a seven-tackle game to his credit during his rookie season, making seven stops against the Packers last month.
Pete Carroll On Christine Michael
- Can Christine Michael halt the Packers‘ running back carousel? Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com presents both sides of the argument but rightly notes that it will take a few weeks before we have a concrete answer. With only a few days to ready himself for Sunday’s game against Washington, it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll see Michael do much this weekend. But, for what it’s worth, Seattle coach Pete Carroll spoke highly of C-Mike on Wednesday and made it clear that his work ethic was not an issue. “He’s been busting his tail the whole time he’s been here,” Carroll said. “Everything we’ve said about him has been true and real, and he made a great comeback with us. He was the only guy there for a while, and we’re really grateful to the play that he gave us. He’s a good kid.”
- As of this morning, Michael was still “en route” to the Packers, coach Mike McCarthy said (Twitter link via Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel). He added that Michael still has to go through a physical.
Latest On Christine Michael
After the Seahawks cut Christine Michael on Tuesday, the Vikings put in a waiver claim on the running back, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). The Vikings (5-4) were behind the NFC North rival Packers (4-5) in the waiver order, however, so Michael landed with Green Bay on Wednesday.
Michael would have been a worthwhile pickup for free-falling Minnesota, which has lost four straight after looking like an early title contender during the season’s first five weeks. One of the Vikings’ biggest issues has been their inability to run the ball, as no one has stepped up since Adrian Peterson suffered a torn meniscus in Week 2 against the Packers.
The Vikings’ two most prominent reserves, Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata, have combined for a paltry 3.0 yards per carry on 161 attempts. In-season signing Ronnie Hillman has been even worse, albeit over a smaller sample of carries, with a 2.6 YPC on 16 tries. All told, the Vikes are last in the NFL in both rushing yards (628) and YPC (2.7).
In Green Bay, Michael will make the remainder of his $675K base salary – $277,941 – if he stays on the roster through season’s end, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Notably, Michael went one pick behind fellow Green Bay back Eddie Lacy in the 2013 draft (61st versus 62nd), and it was Lacy’s ankle injury that helped open the door for Michael to join the Packers. Lacy has been on IR for nearly a month, and he won’t be eligible to return until Week 15.
Michael’s contract also includes yardage incentives, and if he provides the Packers’ offense a jolt and ultimately secures that money, it could have a notable effect on a tight NFC North battle led by the first-place Lions. Expecting Michael to make a significant impact is likely unrealistic, though, as the Seahawks parted with the 26-year-old thanks to consistency issues, per Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times.
After beginning the season in red-hot fashion (45 carries, 232 yards, two touchdowns in the first three weeks), Michael rushed 72 times for a meager 237 yards over his final six games as a Seahawk. He picked up just 10 combined carries in the previous two weeks, with Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable pointing out that Michael has experienced problems reading plays. Nevertheless, he’s superior to the Packers’ healthy options and would have been an upgrade over Peterson-less Minnesota’s contingent of struggling backfield choices.
Zach Links contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Packers Place Don Jackson On IR
- The Packers placed running back Don Jackson on IR to make room for the newly acquired Christine Michael, tweets ESPN’s Field Yates. Green Bay promoted Jackson from its practice squad last month, and the undrafted rookie from Nevada went on to amass 10 carries for 32 yards before succumbing to a knee injury in practice Wednesday.
Packers Claim Christine Michael Off Waivers
The Packers have claimed running back Christine Michael off waivers, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Michael was dropped by the Seahawks yesterday, much to the surprise of the football world. 
Reportedly, the decision to cut Michael was purely made for football reasons. The Seahawks have Thomas Rawls returning and wanted to use him and C.J. Prosise as the top two backs. Still, one has to wonder why there wasn’t a place behind them for C-Mike, rather than rookie Alex Collins and newly-promoted running back Troymaine Pope.
The Packers lost their top two running backs around the same time this year when Eddie Lacy and James Starks went down. Starks is now back in limited action, but it’s not clear when or if Lacy will return this season. The Packers found an unlikely stopgap in wide receiver/running back Ty Montgomery, but he didn’t see a ton of action against the Titans this past weekend. Knile Davis also had a cup of coffee in Green Bay that ended after just five carries for five yards. Now, Michael enters the mix and the Packers will see if he can contribute to the mix.
Michael averaged 4.0 yards per carry for the first half of the season in Seattle.