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
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/30/19
The latest NFL practice squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB Anthony Chesley, DT Eddie Vanderdoes
- Cut: DT Javier Edwards
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Keishawn Bierria
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: P Jack Fox
New England Patriots
- Released: OT Aaron Monteiro
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Leo Koloamatangi
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
New York Giants
- Cut: LB Jake Carlock
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Bruce Hector, TE Scott Orndorf
- Released: CB Ajene Harris
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Bryan Mone
South Rumors: Panthers, Colts, Watt
Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen will get a chance to rebound from the worst start of his career. After a three-interception performance against the 49ers, Allen will make his sixth start of the season, Ron Rivera confirmed. Cam Newton will not return from his foot injury this week against the Titans. Instead, Newton will continue to rehab, according to David Newton of ESPN.com. Newton has been out since re-injuring his foot in Week 2 against the Buccaneers.
Here’s some other notes from the South:
- J.J. Watt underwent a successful surgery on his torn pectoral muscle earlier Tuesday, according to James Palmer of NFL.com. Watt, who has consistently been one of the best players in football since entering the league in 2011, suffered a season-ending injury Sunday against the Raiders. Currently in prime playoff position, the Texans will have to make another push without Watt on the field. Houston did not have Watt for its 2016 playoff run.
- Colts ownership has given Chris Ballard full autonomy in player personnel decisions, according to Stephen Holder of The Athletic (subscription required). Owner Jim Irsay encouraged the front office to pursue an unnamed linebacker in free agency, but did not force them to join a bidding war for a defender his football operations office did not deem worth a certain price tag. “I gave (Ballard) unfettered approval …” Irsay said, via Holder. “And he still backed out. He said, ‘They went to this number and, Jim, I just couldn’t.” This doesn’t necessarily name C.J. Mosley, but the Colts were interested in the ex-Ravens standout before the linebacker signed a record-setting contract with the Jets.
- Although the Falcons have slipped well out of contention, Matt Ryan is set to return after their Week 9 bye.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/28/19
Here are today’s workout updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- K Elliott Fry, K Younghoe Koo
Chicago Bears
- DE Alex Barrett, DE Quinton Bell, OT Dino Boyd, DE Eli Harold
Houston Texans
- DB Anthony Chesley, DT Eddie Vanderdoes
Jacksonville Jaguars
- DL Willie Henry, DT Stacy McGee, DT Jamie Meder, DT Adolphus Washington
New York Giants
- WR Alex Bachman
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/19
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: QB Danny Etling, CB D.J. White
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR via injury settlement: RB Alfred Blue
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed: CB Xavier Crawford (from Texans)
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: QB Cody Kessler
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DT Bruce Hector
Trade Notes: Chargers, Gordon, Howard
Some league officials have linked the Lions and Bills to Chargers star running back Melvin Gordon (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). Both clubs could be in the market for running back help and both would make ample sense for Gordon – if the Bolts are willing to lower their asking price a bit.
The Chargers haven’t been too keen on moving Gordon, despite the drama-filled offseason and holdout that ventured into the regular season. It’s possible that he could be pried loose for the right price, however, since he’ll be out-of-contract following the 2019 season.
Through four games played, Gordon hasn’t looked like his old self: he’s got just 2.5 yards per carry, plus two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving). Last year, in 12 contests, Gordon averaged 5.1 yards per tote with 14 TDs in total.
Here’s more from around the NFL as we gear up for trade deadline day:
- The Dolphins are getting calls about cornerback Xavien Howard, Albert Breer of The MMQB reports. Howard says he’s not seeking a trade, and the Dolphins would do well to keep the 26-year-old for future seasons, but that’s not keeping other clubs from inquiring. Thanks to the five-year extension he inked with Miami in the offseason, Howard is under contract through the 2024 season.
- Interest in Broncos cornerback Chris Harris seems to have cooled a bit, due in part to the asking price, Troy Renck of Denver7 hears. The Eagles and Texans were among the clubs with serious interest, but the Eagles’ D has turned things around and the Texans seem to have already address their CB needs. Meanwhile, the Broncos are paper thin at cornerback, so Renck senses that they won’t consider moving him for less than a third-round choice. Harris, meanwhile, wants to finish out 2019 in Denver, where he and his wife are expecting their fourth child.
- In case you missed it: The Redskins are now open to trading Trent Williams.
Texans HC: We’re Done Trading
There’s still time between now and Tuesday’s deadline for trades, but the Texans are done making moves. At least, that’s what head coach Bill O’Brien says (Twitter link via Aaron Reiss of The Athletic). 
[RELATED: Texans Lose JJ Watt For The Season]
The chances of a transaction happening today (Monday) are “slim to none,” O’Brien says. Presumably, the same thinking applies to Tuesday, up until the 4pm ET/3pm CT deadline.
The Texans, it seems, got their heavy lifting done last week when they acquired cornerback Gareon Conley from the Raiders. Beyond that, they are apparently content, even though star defensive end J.J. Watt has been shut down for the year.
If the Texans wanted to, they could explore trades for defensive ends like Derek Wolfe (Broncos), Solomon Thomas (49ers), Carlos Dunlap (Bengals), or even Jets star Leonard Williams. The Texans’ choice, if O’Brien is to be believed: none of the above.
After Sunday’s 27-24 win over the Raiders, the Texans are now 5-3, putting them just behind the 5-2 Colts in the AFC South. The historically wide-open division is very much in reach and they can distance themselves further from the pack on Sunday when they face the Jaguars in London.
Chiefs Initiated Hyde Trade
- The Texans lost starting running back Lamar Miller to a torn ACL right before the start of the season, and ended up trading for running back Carlos Hyde. Although many thought Houston would be actively looking for running back help after Miller went down it was apparently the Chiefs who initiated the Hyde trade, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The Chiefs inked Hyde to a one-year, $2.8MM deal back in March, but clearly regretted it and didn’t want him on the team any longer. They landed offensive tackle Martinas Rankin in return.
Texans’ J.J. Watt Done For The Year
The Texans escaped with a close win over the Raiders on Sunday, but they also suffered a huge loss. The team fears that star defensive end J.J. Watt tore his pec and will miss the rest of the season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Shortly after Rapoport’s report, Watt confirmed the news himself on Twitter.
“This game can be beautiful and it can also be brutal. Absolutely gutted that I won’t be able to finish the season with my guys and give the fans what they deserve. I truly love this game and can’t stand letting you guys down. Thank you for all of the thoughts & well-wishes,” his tweet read.
It’s a massive blow to Houston’s defense, which is already pretty banged up. It’s also devastating for Watt, who has had brutal injury luck the past few seasons. Watt appeared in only three games in 2016, and five in 2017. Back issues cost him most of 2016, with a plateau fracture ruining his next campaign. He appeared in all 16 games last year, and racked up 16 sacks. He’d been strong again this year, with four sacks and 20 quarterback hits through Houston’s first seven games.
The Texans are in a tight race in the AFC South, and this is the last thing they needed. Players have been dropping like flies in their secondary, including top cornerback Bradley Roby. Watt will be 31 when next season kicks off, and coming off his third major injury in four years. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year is under contract through the 2021 season.
Watt has been playing at a really high level, and is the undisputed leader of the team’s defense. The Texans traded away Jadeveon Clowney right before the start of the season, who they could certainly use now. With the trade deadline just a couple of days away, it’s possible the Texans will now explore the market for a veteran pass-rusher.
Trade Rumors: Hopkins, Slay, Hooper
The trade deadline is two days away, so there are plenty of rumors to pass along. Of course, many of those rumors center around this year’s non-contenders, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that two such teams — the Redskins and Bengals — continue to rebuff inquiries concerning veterans who should be available. Rival GMs have grown increasingly frustrated with Washington and Cincinnati, and La Canfora says opposing clubs have become resigned to the fact that they are not going to be able to swing a deal with those obstinate franchises. That means that a number of big names — Trent Williams, Ryan Kerrigan, A.J. Green, and Carlos Dunlap, to name a few — are looking more and more likely to stay put.
Now for more trade rumors from around the league, starting with another nugget out of Cincinnati:
- Michael Lombardi of The Athletic agrees that the Bengals are likely to stand pat at the deadline for the most part, but he does believe the club will move tight end Tyler Eifert.
- Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is decidedly not on the trading block, but teams have still called Houston to ask about the star wideout, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets. That obviously sounds like clubs doing their due diligence more than anything else, and Glazer acknowledges that it would take an awful lot for the Texans to move Hopkins.
- The Lions have received calls on CB Darius Slay, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It would take a big offer to pry Slay from Detroit, but in the wake of Slay’s comments earlier this week, maybe the Lions will be more inclined to move him.
- RB-needy teams have called the Seahawks to inquire on Rashaad Penny, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports (video link). Penny is not on the block, per se, but the 2018 first-rounder is drawing interest. In the same video, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says Chargers RB Melvin Gordon could also be on the move.
- Schefter reports that the 49ers have received calls on backup QB C.J. Beathard, whom Schefter suggests could be on the move.
- The Falcons have fielded calls on DT Tyeler Davison, per Lombardi, but Atlanta has told other teams Davison will not be moved. The team is also going to hang on to TE Austin Hooper, as Schefter tweets.
- The Giants are likely to cut Nate Solder after the season, so Lombardi believes Big Blue should go ahead and trade him now (though HC Pat Shurmur, whose job could be in jeopardy, would likely resist such a move). The Browns continue to be in the market for OT help, as Schefter writes, and the Patriots may also be interested in a reunion with Solder. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says Solder was not a viable option for Cleveland as of the middle of last week, but that could change in the next couple of days.
- Janoris Jenkins is another member of the Giants who could be on the move, and while he is likely open to joining a contender, he just wants New York to be transparent with their plans for him, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes. That sentiment was also expressed by former Giants like Landon Collins and Odell Beckham Jr., who both felt as though Shurmur and GM Dave Gettleman were not straightforward with them. Dunleavy names the Chiefs as a potential landing spot for Jenkins.
- Interest remains heavy on Broncos vets Chris Harris Jr. and Derek Wolfe, as La Canfora writes. Denver is open to moving Harris and Wolfe, and rival GMs expect the Broncos to make those trades happen.

