Broncos Claim Tyler Jones, Dadi Nicolas
The Broncos have claimed offensive tackle Tyler Jones (Jets) and linebacker Dadi Nicolas (Colts) off waivers. They’ll take the spots of tight end Bug Howard and cornerback Horace Richardson, who were placed on injured reserve.
[RELATED: Mike Shanahan On Broncos’ Interest, Coaching Plans]
Nicolas, 27 in September, appeared in eleven games as a reserve for the Chiefs in 2016. Since then, he’s been a frequent guest in Pro Football Rumors’ workout roundups and Minor NFL Transactions posts. Jones, a product of N.C. State, went undrafted this year despite having solid foot speed for the offensive line.
Howard, a UNC product, made noise as a senior in 2016 with 53 grabs for 827 yards and eight touchdowns. Since then, he’s made the rounds in the NFL, but has yet to see live action.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/19
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Erik Magnuson
- Placed on IR: OL Garrett McGhin (ankle)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: RB James Williams
- Waived: DE Dadi Nicolas
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Jalen Tolliver
- Waived: G Abdul Beecham
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: LS Mike Windt
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR T.J. Rahming
- Waived/injured: WR Saeed Blacknall
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR/KR Chris Thompson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL Landon Turner
- Placed on IR: G Demetrius Knox
Colts Sign Charcandrick West
Colts placed new running back D’Onta Foreman and wide receiver Daurice Fountain on injured reserve while waiving safety Derrick Kindred, according to a team announcement. To take their spots, the Colts added veteran running back Charcandrick West, safety Kai Nacua, undrafted free agent tailback Marquis Young. 
The nature of Foreman’s injury is not yet known, but it’s a rough break for the former Texans RB as he was looking to reassert himself while getting revenge on his former team twice this season. The 236-pound back took only seven handoffs last season, gaining minus-1 yard. But, as Lamar Miller‘s top backup in 2017, Foreman amassed 327 rushing yards (4.2 per tote) and two touchdowns.
West has been toggled on and off of the Chiefs’ roster as of late and posted negative rushing yards in 2018. However, he’s flashed promise, including the 2015 season in which he ran for 634 yards.
Chester Rogers Off Colts' Roster Bubble
- Frank Reich does not want to wait much longer on Andrew Luck‘s recovery. The second-year Colts coach wants to name his Week 1 starter shortly after the team’s third preseason game, and while Luck doing pregame drills before Indianapolis’ second August contest was a positive development, this saga may not wrap up in a week. It’s been the side-to-side movements that have bothered Luck’s ankle and calf injuries most, Mike Wells of ESPN.com notes. But Luck not only did some lateral-movement work before Saturday’s game, Wells adds the 29-year-old passer has done workouts like that in private in recent days. The Colts, who will re-evaluate Luck midweek, are cautiously optimistic he will be available for Week 1.
- The Colts‘ injury situation at receiver has helped one of their incumbents. Once thought to be a bubble player, Chester Rogers is headed back to Indy’s 53-man roster. The former Ryan Grigson-era draft choice is the Colts’ top return man, Reich said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson, on Twitter). Parris Campbell remains sidelined because of a hamstring injury, Erickson tweets.
“Guarded Optimism” Andrew Luck Will Be Available For Week 1
The Colts have “guarded optimism” that Andrew Luck will be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
On Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reported Luck’s Week 1 availability was “really in question,” and noted that unless the star quarterback makes a “miraculous recovery,” backup Jacoby Brissett could be under center. However, Garafolo also indicated Indianapolis felt as though it “finally” had a handle on the exact nature of Luck’s injury, which could have led to today’s “optimistic” report.
Luck originally underwent an MRI on his calf in March that revealed a strain, but began to experience ankle trouble in May. Another test Monday revealed Luck could be dealing with some sort of high-ankle issue, though it’s not evident if he’s been diagnosed with a dreaded high-ankle sprain. At the moment, it doesn’t appear Luck is experiencing any Achilles trouble.
Luck won’t play during the preseason, and his absence will give Brissett even more time to prepare for the regular season. Brissett, of course, was the Colts’ full-time starter in 2017 when Luck st out the year with a shoulder injury. In 15 starts, Brissett completed 58.8% of his passes for 3,098 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Among the 29 quarterbacks with at least 300 attempts that season, Brissett finished 22nd in adjusted net yards per attempt.
Colts WR Reece Fountain Fractures Ankle
Colts wideout Reece Fountain suffered a dislocated and fractured ankle during practice today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Fountain will likely undergo immediate surgery and should be expected to miss the 2019 season.
A fifth-round pick in 2018, Fountain didn’t make it through final cutdowns and was waived just prior to the start of the regular season. The Northern Iowa product was promoted to the Colts’ active roster in December, but played only six total snaps (three offense, three special teams) and didn’t record any statistics.
Fountain was far from a lock to make Indianapolis’ roster this season, as the club boasts receving options such as T.Y. Hilton, Devin Funchess, Parris Campbell, Chester Rogers, and Deon Cain. The 23-year-old Fountain will likely be placed on injured reserve, but could compete for a role in 2020.
Andrew Luck’s Week 1 Availability “Really In Question”
Colts head coach Frank Reich prefers to make a decision on his Week 1 starting quarterback following his club’s third preseason game, and it may not be Andrew Luck who’s under center. Unless Luck makes a “miraculous recovery,” backup Jacoby Brissett us likely to start for Indianapolis in its season opener, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Additionally, Garafolo reports the Colts “finally” feel as though they have a handle on the exact nature of Luck’s injury. Rather than just a calf or just an ankle issue, it seems as though Luck is dealing with an ailment that’s been caused by “accumulation over time.” What exactly that means for his recovery is unclear, but Indianapolis is now confident it can help its star quarterback heal.
Luck originally underwent an MRI on his calf in March that revealed a strain, but began to experience ankle trouble in May. Another test Monday revealed Luck could be dealing with some sort of high-ankle issue, though it’s not evident if he’s been diagnosed with a dreaded high-ankle sprain. At the moment, it doesn’t appear Luck is experiencing any Achilles trouble.
Luck won’t play during the preseason, and his absence will give Brissett even more time to prepare for the regular season. Brissett, of course, was the Colts’ full-time starter in 2017 when Luck st out the year with a shoulder injury. In 15 starts, Brissett completed 58.8% of his passes for 3,098 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Among the 29 quarterbacks with at least 300 attempts that season, Brissett finished 22nd in adjusted net yards per attempt.
Latest On Andrew Luck, Colts
Andrew Luck remains sidelined, an issue that has obviously caused some concern for the Colts community due to the quarterback’s recent past. Chris Ballard provided an update on this nagging lower-leg injury, which has persisted for most of the offseason.
Luck initially went in for an MRI on his calf in March, which revealed a strain. But the quarterback began experiencing ankle-area pain by May, Mike Chappell of CBS4 tweets. A test Monday revealed there is an issue in the “high ankle” area, which can be a long-running problem (Twitter link). Over the course of dealing with this calf malady, Luck encountered the ankle trouble, Stephen Holder of The Athletic tweets. Ballard, however, ruled out the prospect his quarterback has an Achilles problem, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson (on Twitter).
The Colts are now almost certain to hold Luck out of the preseason slate, Ballard said, adding that the 29-year-old passer will need a certain amount of practice time to be ready for Week 1 (Twitter links). The third-year GM, however, added “This is not 2017,” in terms of the persistent trouble with which Luck is dealing. Luck missed all 16 games that season due to a shoulder injury. He returned to play in all 16 last year, steering the Colts to the playoffs.
No surgery is planned at this point, Ballard added, noting the Colts believe their centerpiece player is progressing (Twitter link). Given that Luck has been held out for so long, his September availability probably should be a concern. The Colts are not ready to go there yet, with Ballard non-committal on Luck’s Week 1 status (per Mike Wells of ESPN.com), but they are certainly looking smart for refusing to trade Jacoby Brissett. The team repeatedly rebuffed such proposals since acquiring the backup from New England.
The Colts open their season with road games against the Chargers and Titans. They begin their Indianapolis slate in Week 3 against the Falcons.
Colts Receiving Trade Calls
Chris Ballard‘s rebuild of the Colts led to a surprising 2018 playoff berth and has produced one of the better-looking 2019 rosters. The Colts are receiving notable trade interest from teams, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Specifying the wide receiver, cornerback and offensive line spots, Pelissero notes the Colts are receiving calls from teams as the preseason trade market forms. Indianapolis isn’t necessarily shopping anyone, but Ballard’s roster has generated buzz.
Chester Rogers is a name that could potentially be available. He joined the Colts under the Ryan Grigson–Chuck Pagano regime and entered camp as a player fighting for a roster spot. The Colts have restocked their auxiliary wideout group, with Devin Funchess, third-round pick Parris Campbell and a healthy Deon Cain (Round 6, 2018) now set to complement T.Y. Hilton. Rogers and Zach Pascal are among those vying for the team’s punt returner role. The Colts also have intriguing talent Mo Alie-Cox behind their Eric Ebron–Jack Doyle duo.
The Colts join the Patriots and Saints as teams whose corner depth has been the subject of trade rumors. Their corner group does not look too much different from their 2018 cadre. The Colts re-signed Pierre Desir and extended slot man Kenny Moore. Quincy Wilson (Round 2, 2017) enters his third season. Second-rounder Rock Ya-Sin joins this group, however, and looks like a strong bet for frequent playing time. The Colts drafted another corner, Marvell Tell III, in the fifth round. Nate Hairston, an 11-start performer after joining the team as a 2017 fifth-rounder, remains on the team as well.
Having their starting line set, the Colts do have two 2016 Day 2 picks — Joe Haeg and Le’Raven Clark — entering contract years as backups. This roster may prompt teams to make offers rather than take chances with players the Colts send to the waiver wire in September.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/19
Here are Sunday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Pasoni Tasini
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: OL Dillon Gordon
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Rashard Causey
- Waived: LB Jeff Holland
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Deontez Alexander
- Waived/injured: LB Tre Lamar
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers from Jets: CB Derrick Jones
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Isaiah Langley
- Waived: TE Zach Conque
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Terrance Smith
- Waived/injured: DL Jonathan Woodard
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Nate Wozniak
- Waived: G Tyler Catalina
Oakland Raiders
- Claimed off waivers from Falcons: DB Hamp Cheevers
- Placed on IR: CB D.J. Killings
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Sojourn Shelton
- Waived/injured: WR Shelton Gibson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Micah Abernathy
Washington Redskins
- Signed: QB Jalan McClendon, DB DeJuan Neal, LB Darrell Williams
- Placed on IR: QB Josh Woodrum
- Waived: WR T.J. Rahming
- Waived/injured: LB Garrett Sickels