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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/23/24

October 23rd, 2024 at 7:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While the Dolphins should soon have Tua Tagovailoa back on the field, the team has still added another QB to the mix. The team added veteran C.J. Beathard to the taxi squad today. The quarterback has bounced around the NFL since 2017, including a few stops in San Francisco when current Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel served as the 49ers run game coordinator. The 30-year-old got a start for the Jaguars last season, completing 17 of his 24 pass attempts for 178 yards. The newest addition will join a QB room that also includes Tyler Huntley, Skylar Thompson, and Tim Boyle.

Patriots Notes: Belichick, Barmore, OL Changes, QB, Osborn

October 23rd, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Ben Levine

When the Patriots parted ways with Bill Belichick following the 2023 campaign, the divorce was described as an “amicable” and “mutual” decision. However, during a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club podcast, owner Robert Kraft made it pretty clear that it was his decision to move on from the iconic head coach.

“I kept him for 24 years,” Kraft said (via Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe). “I didn’t enjoy having to fire him, but I tried to do it – if you look at the press conference and how it happened, tried to do it in a classy way.”

“What he did for us was great. People need to adapt. People need to adapt and if they don’t, things can change. In life, it’s about getting good chemistry and trust and I feel that our record the last three or four years wasn’t what I wanted.”

Belichick generally drew much of the blame for the organization’s post-Tom Brady decline. The team didn’t bottom out right away; in fact, they won 10 games and made the postseason with a rookie Mac Jones during the 2021 campaign. However, following a 4-13 showing in 2023 (the team’s worst showing since 1992), Kraft decided to make Belichick the scapegoat and move on from the franchise stalwart.

With Belichick now hitting the media circuit, the former coach has generally been pretty reserved when discussing his former club. That changed this past week, when Belichick appeared on Jim Gray’s Let’s Go! podcast alongside Brady. The future Hall of Fame coach was especially critical of new head coach Jerod Mayo‘s assertion that his 1-6 squad was “soft,” and Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald wonders if Belichick may be changing his tune following Kraft’s aforementioned quotes.

More notes out of New England…

  • After Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots in July, the Patriots had been bracing for a potential full-season absence for the starting defensive lineman. Fortunately, there may be some good news on that front, with Mayo telling reporters that the former second-round pick was “progressing” in his recovery (via Kyed). Mayo even admitted that he’s changed his stance on Barmore’s 2024 availability, with the head coach stating that the DT could end up seeing the field at some point this season.
  • Michael Onwenu started the season as the Patriots right tackle but has seen an uptick in playing time at right guard in recent weeks. Offensive line coach Scott
    Peters said he hopes the change is permanent, although the former sixth-round pick’s position will continue to be dependent on his teammates’ availability (per ESPN’s Mike Reiss). The team is bracing for another position change on their OL, as former first-round guard Cole Strange could see snaps at center when he’s activated from PUP (via Kyed). The lineman has missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from a knee injury.
  • While the Patriots always seemed to hint that Drake Maye would eventually take over for veteran seat warmer Jacoby Brissett, the staff hastily made the change ahead of the team’s Week 6 contest. Brissett told reporters that he wasn’t told of the team’s definitive 2024 plans at the position (via Kyed), although he did seem to hint that he knew he’d eventually hit the bench for his rookie teammate. Brissett tossed a pair of touchdowns in his five starts, while Maye has already found the end zone five times in two starts.
  • Mayo admitted to reporters that offseason acquisition K.J. Osborn was likely frustrated with his role in New England, per Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal. The former Vikings draft pick led the position in snaps for the first four weeks of the season, but after returning in Week 7 following a two-game absence, the veteran found himself behind all of Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, and Ja’Lynn Polk (Osborn had two more snaps than fellow wideout Demario Douglas). In five games this season, Osborn has hauled in seven catches for 57 yards and one touchdown.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/22/24

October 22nd, 2024 at 5:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: S Erick Hallet

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Prince played under Brian Callahan in Cincinnati but has only played two games over the past two seasons. A six-game starter with the Dolphins and Bengals, Prince missed all of the 2020 season due to a COVID-19 opt-out and then all of the 2022 season due to injury.

The Vikings cut Tonyan from their 53-man roster earlier today, but because the NFC North mainstay is a vested veteran, he did not need to clear waivers before joining Minnesota’s practice squad. With T.J. Hockenson on the way back, Tonyan profiles as insurance.

This is a third chance for Marshall. The Panthers waived him after three seasons. No team claimed the former second-round pick, with Joe Brady‘s Bills passing. The 49ers took a flier soon after but released him last week.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/24

October 19th, 2024 at 6:29pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad callups:

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Autry was hit with a six-game PED suspension in July, leaving the Texans without a key figure along the defensive line. The free agent pickup could have suited up by means of Houston using his one-week roster exemption; instead, he has been activated in time for Week 7. Autry, 34, posted a career-high 11 sacks last season and he will look to make an immediate impact during his Texans debut. Especially with Mario Edwards having been issued a four-game suspension of his own earlier this week, he should have a notable role right away.

NFL Injury Updates: Texans, Carr, Dean, Lowe

October 18th, 2024 at 7:20pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans defense played without rookie starting cornerback Kamari Lassiter last weekend, and they may be without him for a bit longer. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Lassiter is expected to miss a few more games due to the scapula injury he suffered against the Bills nearly two weeks ago.

Wilson emphasized that Lassiter is improving and that he is expected to make a full recovery with no surgery, but for now, he’s a ways off from returning to the field. Another defensive back who is expected to miss his second straight game is veteran safety Jimmie Ward, who sat out last week’s contest after aggravating a groin injury.

Lastly, undrafted rookie running back British Brooks, who was placed on injured reserve 10 days ago, has undergone successful knee surgery, per Wilson. The procedure to repair Brooks’ torn meniscus took place yesterday. He is expected to make a full recovery but isn’t expected to return this season. Brooks should be ready for organized team activities in the spring.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NFL:

  • After a promising 2-0 start, the Saints‘ 2024 campaign has taken a slide with five straight losses, partially due to the injury and absence of quarterback Derek Carr. Well, it appears that Carr will be out at least one more week. Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Carr may be trying to come back by Week 8 to plays the Chargers, a team he’s very familiar with, but the team views the Week 9 trip to Carolina or the Week 10 matchup versus the Falcons as more likely return-dates for their quarterback. Head coach Dennis Allen echoed this sentiment, telling Matthew Paras of The Times-Picayune that he wasn’t sure whether or not Carr would play in Los Angeles but claiming that it was “very likely” that he’s back in time for the Panthers.
  • After leaving this past Sunday’s game in New Orleans early with a hamstring injury, Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean has not practiced this week. Greg Auman of FOX Sports believes that Dean is likely headed towards a multi-week absence. While a stint on IR may be in the cards, the Buccaneers haven’t gone that way just yet.
  • Patriots left tackle Vederian Lowe is another player who left this weekend’s games early. He underwent an MRI on Monday that confirmed the expected diagnosis of an ankle sprain. While Lowe has been downgraded to out for this weekend’s game in London, New England expects to see him back in the near future, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne Generating Trade Interest?

October 17th, 2024 at 10:35am CST by Sam Robinson

For sheer consistency, Kendrick Bourne can hold his own with the likes of Courtland Sutton and Denzel Mims in terms of trade rumor volume. As both those wideouts came up across multiple years, Bourne saw his name thrown into rumors in 2022 and 2023.

The 49ers also discussed a Bourne reunion with the Patriots — as part of Brandon Aiyuk trade talks that also included Sutton — this summer. While Bourne re-signed with the Patriots in March, he looks to be back on the trade radar. As the Pats have struggled since their season-opening win over the Bengals, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes Bourne has again come up in trade rumors.

Like Sutton, trade buzz has followed Bourne in each of the past three years. The Patriots re-signed Bourne to a three-year, $19.5MM deal. That pact came with only $5.5MM guaranteed at signing, as an ACL tear cut short Bourne’s promising 2023 season. The Patriots activated Bourne from their reserve/PUP list in Week 5. He has started slowly on his second Pats contract, catching three passes for 15 yards in two games.

Bourne, 29, is the Pats’ longest-tenured receiver, having initially arrived in Foxborough as part of Bill Belichick‘s uncharacteristic spending spree in 2021. With Matt Judon traded, only Bourne and Hunter Henry remain from that free agency haul. Despite leading the Patriots in receiving when he went down last season, Bourne has operated as a backup thus far this year. As Bourne reacclimates, the Pats have seen younger wideouts Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte show some promise. Now that Drake Maye is at the controls for a 1-5 team, it will make sense for the Pats to give their young receivers plenty of run.

Though, Bourne can also work as a potential security blanket for the No. 3 overall pick. Jerod Mayo also recently called Bourne one of the team’s top three wide receivers. The Patriots made Bourne available in 2022, when he fell into Belichick’s doghouse, and calls came in again in 2023 — both in August and October. Bourne sustained his knee injury two days before last year’s deadline. Bourne has nevertheless persisted, being one of many Belichick additions to remain in the Pats’ plans under new front office boss Eliot Wolf.

More Patriots figure to come up before the deadline, as Wolf will undoubtedly be interested in adding draft capital to help this rebuild. Based on history, it would surprise if Bourne’s name did not continue to be mentioned.

Patriots Release OL Nick Leverett

October 14th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Nick Leverett briefly stepped in as the Patriots’ David Andrews replacement at center. He struggled in that role, however, and the team is set to move on.

New England will release Leverett, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move (which is now official) comes after he was charged by PFF with 10 pressures and one sack allowed in Week 5 against the Dolphins. In advance of Sunday’s contest, the Patriots added Ben Brown off the Raiders’ practice squad. It was Brown who got the start at center yesterday, a sign of how Leverett was viewed in the organization.

Now, the the latter will hit the open market. Leverett, 27, began his career with the Buccaneers in 2020. It was one year later that he made his regular season debut, appearing in a pair of games. During the 2022 season, he started 10 of his 11 contests, operating almost exclusively at left guard. The former UDFA signed a one-year deal in March to provide depth on an offensive line which faced plenty of questions ahead of the campaign. Given the low-money nature of New England’s investment, Leverett’s release will produce only $575K in dead money while yielding $1.2MM in cap savings.

Leverett earned a PFF grade of 64 in 2022, but his evaluations through the rest of his career have left plenty to be desired. The extent of his struggles in Week 5 will certainly not help his market value, although teams around the league are often interested in healthy depth up front. The Rice product will look to help his free agent prospects by latching onto a roster in short order, something which could result in new playing time opportunities.

Andrews is out for the year after he underwent shoulder surgery, but he is under contract through next season and will reprise his starting gig once healthy. Brown is now positioned to handle first-team duties moving forward as the 1-5 Patriots look to find a successful combination up front.

Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Addresses Jabrill Peppers’ Future With Team

October 14th, 2024 at 9:48am CST by Adam La Rose

Jabrill Peppers was recently arrested on a number of charges stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident. The Patriots safety is currently the subject of a league investigation, leaving his future with the team in question.

Peppers is on the commissioner’s exempt list, and both the NFL and the Patriots are looking into the situation. Depending on the outcome of that process, he could soon find himself in free agency. Patriots owner Robert Kraft publicly stated Peppers will be released if the accusations he faces are proven true.

“When you read the [police report] initially, it turns your stomach,” Kraft said (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “Once he goes on the commissioner exempt list, they do their independent checking. We’re doing ours. If what was reported is true, he’s gone. There have been some suggestions that this was a set-up and a lot of what was reported isn’t accurate… We want to get the facts.”

Peppers is alleged to have choked a woman and shoved her head against a wall outside his Braintree, Mass., apartment; he is also facing charges of assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and the possession of a class B substance. The 29-year-old has been in New England since 2022, and this summer he agreed to a three-year extension. A portion of his 2025 salary is guaranteed as a result of that agreement, but a suspension under the personal conduct policy could void that compensation.

Cutting Peppers now would create a dead money charge of $8.73MM (although the remaining guarantees in his base salary for this year could of course be altered by league discipline). New England certainly has the cap space to absorb such a move, but it would leave the team in need of a new full-time starter in the secondary. Peppers has handled starting duties since last year, but his NFL future could change in short order depending on the outcome of the NFL’s investigation.

Patriots Activate LB Sione Takitaki

October 12th, 2024 at 3:58pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots will be getting some much-needed reinforcement to the team’s linebacking corps this weekend. According to Patriots staff writer Evan Lazar, New England has officially activated linebacker Sione Takitaki. In addition, the team has promoted long snapper Tucker Addington and running back Terrell Jennings as standard gameday practice squad elevations.

Takitaki was signed by New England early into free agency after a five-year stint in Cleveland. A former third-round pick for the Browns in 2019, Takitaki was always a strong contributor while struggling to carve out a consistent role as a full-time starter. When signing with the Patriots, the veteran linebacker was reunited with former Browns staffers Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith.

Takitaki was signed to bolster a linebacking corps that was short on returning talent. Unfortunately, the 29-year-old defender has yet to contribute after being placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list before the start of the season. His contributions can’t come soon enough as starting Patriots linebackers Jahlani Tavai and Raekwon McMillan currently rank 73rd and 79th, respectively, out of 79 graded linebackers in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Addington is being called up a day after signing to the practice squad as regular long snapper Joe Cardona heads into this week’s game with a questionable injury designation due to a calf issue. Rhamondre Stevenson has been ruled out for this weekend, so Jennings will join Antonio Gibson and JaMycal Hasty as options out of the offensive backfield.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/11/24

October 11th, 2024 at 6:18pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s practice squad moves in the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

New England Patriots

Washington Commanders

Both Moore and Hartman were released/waived from their respective 53-man rosters this week. Other teams would’ve had the opportunity to claim Hartman off of the waiver wire, but ultimately unclaimed, he returns to Washington on the practice squad.

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