Chiefs Place Chris Jones On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Chiefs had a staffer recently test positive for COVID-19 and may be observing some fallout. They placed Chris Jones on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.
Jones will be forced to isolate for five days and, unless his close contact with the person who tested positive came before Wednesday, will miss the Chiefs’ Week 9 game against the Panthers.
Chiefs VP of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder tested positive for the coronavirus, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. With Burkholder serving as a Chiefs trainer, it is possible the team will place more players on its COVID-19 list ahead of Week 9.
Jones has not tested positive, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter), but instead profiles as a close contact. This close contact may well have been separate from Burkholder’s positive test, with Albert Breer of SI.com tweeting Jones’ encounter with a COVID-positive person occurred outside the Chiefs’ facility.
The Chiefs gave Jones a four-year, $80MM extension this summer. The NFL’s record holder for consecutive games with a sack, Jones has anchored Kansas City’s defensive line for years. The fifth-year defensive tackle has 4.5 sacks this season.
Chiefs Trade RB DeAndre Washington To Dolphins
The Chiefs have agreed to trade running back DeAndre Washington to the Dolphins, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In exchange, Miami will send draft pick compensation to Kansas City.
[RELATED: Dolphins Trade Isaiah Ford To Patriots]
The Dolphins have been on the lookout for backfield help in recent weeks, as evidenced by their pursuit of Le’Veon Bell. Bell ultimately landed with the Chiefs, leaving the Dolphins to settle for one of his backups.
It’s not the ideal consolation prize, but Washington did flash ability as a rookie with the Raiders, when he averaged more than five yards per carry. And, last season, he gained 162 yards as he started in the Raiders’ final two games.
The 27-year-old will join an RB group that currently includes Myles Gaskin, Matt Breida, and Jordan Howard. Meanwhile, the Dolphins won’t have to do much roster juggling to accommodate him after sending wide receiver Isaiah Ford to the Patriots earlier today.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/28/20
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad decisions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Khalfani Muhammad, DL Daniel Wise
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Deon Lacey
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: G Ben Braden, CB KeiVarae Russell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: OL Bryan Witzmann
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DE Jessie Lemonier, WR Jason Moore
- Released: DT Lee Autry
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on practice squad IR: CB Donte Deayon
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: C Brett Jones
New England Patriots
- Placed on practice squad IR: TE Jake Burt
New York Jets
- Released: QB David Fales
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Alex Barrett, WR Chris Finke, DB Parnell Motley
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Quinton Bell
Washington Football Team
- Signed: WR Trevor Davis
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/27/20
We’ll keep track of the practice squad moves from the past day here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB De’Vante Bausby
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: S Marcus Gilchrist
Carolina Panthers
- Released: CB Josh Hawkins
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Dwayne Harris
- Released: DT Terry Beckner
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released: CB Jalen Davis
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OT Alex Taylor
- Released: DE Jalen Jelks
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: P Hunter Niswander
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: T Jared Hilbers
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: QB Jordan Ta’amu
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DB Kemah Siverand
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: K Austin MacGinnis
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Marcus Sayles
- Released: LB Cale Garrett
New England Patriots
- Signed: T Jordan Steckler
- Released: G Jordan Roos
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Corey Coleman, DB Montre Hartage, TE Rysen John
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Anthony Johnson
- Released: WR Amara Darboh
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Tony Bergstrom, DL Willie Henry
- Released: CB Brian Allen, OL Cody Conway, DL Adam Shuler
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Paul Adams, LB Will Compton
Washington Football Team
- Released: DE Gerri Green, DB Manny Patterson, LB Donald Payne
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/24/20
Here is another spree of Saturday minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: DL Trevon Coley
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: DE Austin Edwards, LB Edmond Robinson
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: LB Tyrel Dodson
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: G Mike Horton, WR Marken Michel
Chicago Bears
- Moved from IR to reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Joseph
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from IR: DT Mike Daniels
- Promoted: CB Winston Rose
- Waived: DT Kahlil McKenzie
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: OL Cameron Erving
- Promoted: T Jordan Mills, C Adam Redmond
- Placed on IR: T Brandon Knight
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: LB Kamal Martin
- Promoted: S Henry Black, G Ben Braden, RB Dexter Williams, DL Billy Winn
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: RB Devine Ozigbo
- Promoted: S Doug Middleton, TE Eric Saubert
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Chris Thompson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: OL Danny Isidora, WR Marcus Kemp
- Placed on IR: DL Khalen Saunders
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: CB Dylan Mabin
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Tashawn Bower, DT Nick Thurman
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Austin Carr, OL Will Clapp, WR Juwan Johnson
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: OL Cameron Clark
- Promoted: K/P Sergio Castillo, LB Bryce Hager
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: FB Trey Edmunds, LB Jayrone Elliott
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: S Johnathan Cyprien, S Jared Mayden
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: LB Ray-Ray Armstrong
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: S Dane Cruikshank
- Promoted: LB Darren Bates, OL David Quessenberry
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Jeff Badet, WR Tony Brown, DT Devaroe Lawrence
- Placed on IR: OL Saahdiq Charles, WR Antonio Gandy-Golden
Chiefs Place DE Alex Okafor On IR
While they cannot match their Sunday opponent for impactful injuries, the Chiefs will enter Week 7 missing some key players.
Alex Okafor will miss Sunday’s tilt in Denver and at least two more contests. The Chiefs placed the veteran defensive end on IR Saturday. Okafor has encountered a hamstring issue.
Okafor, All-Pro right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and wideout Sammy Watkins are out Sunday for the Chiefs. Okafor will land on IR for the second straight season. The Chiefs placed the 2019 free agent acquisition on IR after 10 games last season, with a torn pec preventing the veteran pass rusher from playing during the team’s Super Bowl push.
Okafor’s latest injury is not as severe, but it will test Kansas City’s depth a bit. The Chiefs are also without 2020 free agent get Taco Charlton this week. The defending Super Bowl champs have used contract-year defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon ahead of Okafor on their depth chart this season. After Okafor started nine games in 2019, he has worked as a rotational rusher this year. Okafor has a half-sack in 2020.
Chiefs Preparing To Lose Eric Bieniemy
- Sticking with staffs, the Texans are indeed expected to strongly consider Eric Bieniemy. Deshaun Watson has advocated for Patrick Mahomes‘ OC, and Graziano and Fowler note the Texans “definitely” have interest in the Chiefs assistant. The Chiefs are prepared to lose Bieniemy this offseason, which would mark the third time they have lost an OC since 2016. Houston is believed to be seeking a quarterback guru and will have Josh McDaniels (again) and Bills OC Brian Daboll on its target list as well.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/20/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from practice squad IR: RB D.J. Foster, TE Justin Johnson
- Signed: T Rick Leonard
- Released: S Kentrell Brice, CB Jalen Davis, S T.J. Ward
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Shyheim Carter, LB Pita Taumoepenu
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Josh Hawkins, DT Mike Panasiuk, DE Greg Roberts, RB Mike Warren
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Prince Smith
Detroit Lions
- Cut: WR Joe Webb
Green Bay Packers
- Released: WR Kalija Lipscomb
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Damion Ratley
- Released: DT Ryan Glasgow
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: LB Emmanuel Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Jonas Griffith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DB Mazzi Wilkins, DT Kobe Smith
- Released: S D’Cota Dixon
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Breon Borders
- Signed: TE Parker Hesse
- Released: CB Greg Mabin, DB Maurice Smith
2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team
As shown by Le’Veon Bell‘s recent deal with the Chiefs, big name free agents can come available at any point throughout the season. His contract wasn’t particularly pricey, but teams like to keep cash on hand during the year, especially when mulling potential trades before the deadline. Excess cap room can also be rolled over from year-to-year and give clubs the opportunity to lock up their most valuable players with extensions.
Here are the most recent figures for each team, via Over The Cap:
- Cleveland Browns – $33.1MM
- New York Jets – $27.9MM
- Dallas Cowboys — $23.9MM
- Washington Football Team – $23.6MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars– $22.9MM
- New England Patriots – $22.9MM
- Denver Broncos – $19.7MM
- Detroit Lions – $17MM
- Philadelphia Eagles– $18MM
- Miami Dolphins – $15.8MM
- Indianapolis Colts – $10.4MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $9.6MM
- Cincinnati Bengals– $9MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $9MM
- Arizona Cardinals– $8.9MM
- Chicago Bears – $8.4MM
- Tennessee Titans – $8.3MM
- Houston Texans – $8.1MM
- Los Angeles Chargers — $8MM
- New Orleans Saints – $8MM
- Green Bay Packers – $7.7MM
- New York Giants – $7.2MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $7MM
- Las Vegas Raiders – $6.3MM
- Carolina Panthers – $6.2MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $5.8MM
- Buffalo Bills – $5MM
- San Francisco 49ers – $4MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $4MM
- Atlanta Falcons – $2MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $1.4MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $158K
West Rumors: Broncos, Bell, Rams
Broncos running backs coach Curtis Modkins will not travel with the team to New England for the rescheduled Broncos-Patriots game due to a positive COVID-19 test, the team announced Saturday. Modkins, 49, is in his third season as Denver’s running backs coach. He is not experiencing symptoms from the virus, according to the team, which has performed the customary contact tracing after this positive test. The former Bills and 49ers offensive coordinator is a holdover from the Vance Joseph regime and has been retained despite the Broncos changing OCs the past two offseasons. Modkins has been an NFL assistant since the 2008 season. Modkins’ son, Jett, is a Broncos intern and lives with his father. Jett Modkins will not make the trip either, Troy Renck of Denver7 notes. The Broncos will also be without Melvin Gordon from their backfield mix Sunday.
Here is the latest from the West divisions:
- Le’Veon Bell‘s Chiefs deal will come with a $1MM base salary, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The Dolphins were believed to be offering more money and potentially a multiyear deal, but another report indicated Miami did not dangle two years in its Bell proposal. Bell will have around $1MM more available to him through incentives. One of those incentives will be based around Bell’s workload. Bell’s Chiefs contract, to some degree, lessen the Jets’ burden. They owed the former All-Pro back approximately $6MM after releasing him after five games.
- Another team’s running backs coach will be out of action as well. Rams RBs coach Thomas Brown blew out his Achilles’ tendon during practice Thursday, Sean McVay confirmed. In his first season as an NFL assistant, Brown joined the Rams’ staff this offseason. The 34-year-old position coach will undergo surgery next week.
- Drew Lock is set to return as the Broncos‘ quarterback Sunday. He will have far from his optimal group of skill-position players. Phillip Lindsay will play; so will Jerry Jeudy. However, Denver will be down Noah Fant and K.J. Hamler. Fant suffered an ankle injury in Denver’s win over the Jets more than two weeks ago; Hamler reinjured the hamstring he pulled during training camp. Lock was able to target Courtland Sutton when he last played (Week 2), but Denver’s No. 1 wide receiver is out for the season with an ACL tear. Lock will have a difficult task against the Patriots, who will have Stephon Gilmore back after his stay on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list.