Minor NFL Transactions: 12/12/20
Here is Saturday’s usual barrage of minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from IR: LB Tyrel Dodson
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from IR: LB Adarius Taylor
- Promoted: DT Woodrow Hamilton, WR Marken Michel, DT Mike Panasiuk
- Waived: LB Chris Orr
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: S Trayvon Henderson, DT Kahlil McKenzie, WR Stanley Morgan
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: C Tyler Biadasz
- Promoted: T William Sweet, CB Chris Westry
- Waived: C Adam Redmond
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: LB Derrek Tuszka
- Promoted: TE Troy Fumagalli, CB Nate Hairston, S Alijah Holder, LB Josh Watson
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: Kareem Martin, S Bobby Price, T Dan Skipper
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: G Ben Braden, TE Dominique Dafney, WR Juwann Winfree
Houston Texans
- Promoted: CB Anthony Chesley, WR Chad Hansen, WR Steven Mitchell Jr., S Jonathan Owens
- Waived: LB Nate Orchard
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: P Ryan Allen, C Joey Hunt
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: CB Quenton Meeks, K Aldrick Rosas, OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms
- Waived: K Chase McLaughlin
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: DB Chris Lammons, OL Stefen Wisniewski
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: DE Vic Beasley, DE Chris Smith
- Placed on IR: S Jeff Heath
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: RB Justin Jackson
- Promoted: LB B.J. Bello
- Waived: LB Asmar Bilal
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jachai Polite; Polite tested positive for the coronavirus, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Twitter)
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: LB Blake Lynch, LB Hardy Nickerson
- Waived: S Curtis Riley
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from IR: CB Justin Hardee
- Promoted: WR Juwan Johnson, WR Tommylee Lewis
- Placed on IR: CB Patrick Robinson
New York Giants
- Promoted: CB Jarren Williams
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: CB Bless Austin, TE Trevon Wesco
- Promoted: WR Lawrence Cager, LB Noah Dawkins, S Saquan Hampton, WR Jaleel Scott
- Placed on IR: S Ashtyn Davis, S Bennett Jackson, G Greg Van Roten
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: OL Jason Peters (story)
- Promoted: CB Jameson Houston, CB Kevon Seymour, LB Rashad Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: DL Alex Barrett, CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, DL Darrion Daniels, OL Dakoda Shepley
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: LB Ray-Ray Armstrong, T Chad Wheeler
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Herb Miller
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: CB Kareem Orr
- Promoted: LB Wyatt Ray, LB Tuzar Skipper
- Placed on IR: CB Breon Borders
Washington Football Team
- Placed on IR: DE Ryan Anderson
- Promoted: RB Javon Leake, T David Steinmetz
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/9/20
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: K Lirim Hajrullahu
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: CB Essang Bassey
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/NFI list: G Simon Stepaniak
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: S Nate Holley
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jamal Perry
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Terron Armstead
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: DT Raequan Williams
- Placed on IR: LB Davion Taylor
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Cassius Marsh
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: OL Tony Bergstrom
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: TE Marcus Baugh
- Placed on IR: TE Temarrick Hemingway
Falcons To Interview Rick Smith, Terry Fontenot, Brad Holmes For GM Job
The Falcons’ reported interest in Rick Smith and Saints assistant GM Terry Fontenot will lead to interviews, and more candidates are surfacing for the post. Rams college scouting director Brad Holmes will join the pair in interviewing for the Falcons’ GM position, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Smith landed an NFL GM gig before recently fired Falcons personnel boss Thomas Dimitroff, rising to that post in Houston in 2006. Smith stayed in that job for 12 years, stepping down after the 2017 season to care for his wife after a breast cancer diagnosis. Tiffany Smith died in January 2019. Rick Smith expressed interest in returning to an executive role late last year and was connected to the yet-to-be-filled Washington GM vacancy earlier this year. A clearer path may emerge in Atlanta.
Fontenot surfaced in the Jets’ GM search last year, interviewing for the job that went to Joe Douglas, and was connected to the Falcons recently. Promoted from Saints pro scouting director to assistant GM earlier this year, Fontenot has been with the Falcons’ top rival for 16 years.
Holmes has lived in Atlanta for several years, scouting ACC and SEC talent, and is serving under ex-Falcons exec Les Snead with the Rams. Snead rose to his current role after working under Falcons president Rich McKay from 2009-11. Holmes has been with the Rams throughout Snead’s eight-plus-year tenure.
Should the Falcons hire Fontenot or Holmes, it would lead to the NFL sending draft picks to another NFC team. The NFL passed a recent initiative aimed at increasing minority hires for GM posts. Both Fontenot and Holmes are Black, which would lead to either the Saints or Rams receiving two Round 3 picks if they were hired for the Falcons post. Smith is also Black but does not apply to this newly implemented rule, being an executive free agent.
It is unclear when these interviews will take place, but the Falcons can begin that process sooner than their coaching interview circuit. The Falcons fired Dimitroff and Dan Quinn in October after an 0-5 start.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/9/20
We’ll keep track of the latest practice squad moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Chris Williamson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Jerell Adams
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Beau Benzschawel
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Colin Holba
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Dayan Lake, WR Devin Smith
- Released: LB Jack Cichy
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from practice squad injured list: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, TE Daniel Helm
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: QB Alex McGough
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/7/20
Today’s minor moves from around the league:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: OT Jake Rodgers
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: DT Daniel Ross
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed off Saints practice squad: LB Joe Bachie
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Tim Harris Jr.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: RB Kenjon Barner
- Waived: WR/KR Jaydon Mickens
Drew Brees’ Recovery Progressing Well
Saints QB Drew Brees is making good progress in his recovery from 11 fractured ribs and a collapsed lung, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com details. The 41-year-old passer is eligible to come off injured reserve for New Orleans’ matchup with the Eagles next Sunday, and there is a chance that he will indeed be back in action then.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network also hears that Brees is approaching full health, though he says that the Saints may hold out the future Hall of Famer until the team’s Week 15 bout with the Chiefs (video link). Regardless, head coach Sean Payton will have a critical decision to make soon.
Payton and the Saints have long considered Taysom Hill to be Brees’ successor, and in his first two games as the team’s starting QB, Hill has not disappointed. In a Week 10 win against the Falcons, he threw for 223 yards on an efficient 18-for-23 passing, and he has scored four rushing TDs on nearly five yards-per-carry over the past two weeks. His Week 13 passing effort was nothing to write home about — nine of 16 for 78 yards and a pick — but he didn’t need to do much through the air for the Saints to roll to a 31-3 win over the QB-less Broncos.
Obviously, Brees will be reinserted into the starting lineup soon, but Hill’s performance has given the Saints the option to be patient with Brees’ return. As of now, it continues to look as though Hill, who signed an extension earlier this year keeping him under club control through 2021, will be New Orleans’ permanent QB next season.
Saints Activate DT Sheldon Rankins
One of the NFL’s best defenses will feature more defensive line talent than it has in recent weeks. The Saints activated Sheldon Rankins from IR on Saturday.
An MCL injury sidelined the contract-year defensive tackle since Week 8. While Rankins’ role has changed since his Achilles tear in the 2018 playoffs, he still represents a key depth piece for the Super Bowl-contending Saints. New Orleans has won eight straight games and now leads the league in total defense.
The Saints have used Rankins as a backup behind David Onyemata and Malcom Brown this season, but the former first-round pick was a full-time starter prior in the two seasons prior to his Achilles malady. Rankins has seen various injuries, including a 2019 ankle setback, affect his NFL status. But he will have a chance to make a final push for a reasonable free agency deal in the weeks ahead.
New Orleans placed wide receiver Marquez Callaway on IR to make room for Rankins. The team also promoted offensive lineman Will Clapp, cornerback Grant Haley, wideouts Juwan Johnson and Tommylee Lewis and defensive lineman Anthony Zettel from its practice squad.
Falcons Interested In Terry Fontenot
One of four teams who fired their GM in-season, the Falcons have been looking into Saints assistant GM Terry Fontenot, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. However, the NFL’s new minority hiring rule may complicate matters. Were the Falcons to hire Fontenot, who is Black, the Saints would receive two third-round picks. Fontenot has been with the Saints longer than Sean Payton and rose from pro scouting director to assistant GM this year.
“How many teams would trade two third-round picks for an unproven GM?” a source familiar with this situation informed La Canfora. “… Is it worth (the Saints) getting two straight extra third-round picks — possible 10-year starters — just to hire their assistant general manager? They like Terry a lot, but I’m telling you, that’s a very real factor in the discussion. I’d be shocked if they (hired Fontenot) based on what I’ve heard.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/28/20
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: DL Zach Allen
- Promoted: TE Evan Baylis, DL Michael Dogbe, RB D.J. Foster, DL Stacy McGee CB Jace Whittaker
- Placed on IR: TE Darrell Daniels, DL Josh Mauro
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: RB Tony Brooks-James
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: CB Jalen Davis
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OL B.J. Finney, WR Auden Tate
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: OG Michael Dunn, DT Joey Ivie, DE Cameron Malveaux
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: LB De’Jon Harris, RB Mike Weber
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: DT Kameron Cline, C Joey Hunt, DE Cassius Marsh, DT Rob Windsor
- Activated from IR: WR Ashton Dulin
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: G Andrew Norwell
- Promoted: CB Josh Nurse, WR Trey Quinn, RB Craig Reynolds, K Aldrick Rosas
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: WR Marcus Kemp
- Waived: DB Tedric Thompson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: LB B.J. Bello, LB Cole Christiansen, DT Breiden Fehoko
- Waived: DE Jessie Lemonier
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: QB Reid Sinnett
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: LS Andrew DePaola, TE Brandon Dillon
New England Patriots
- Activated from IR: OT Justin Herron
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Austin Carr, OL Will Clapp, DT Ryan Glasgow
New York Giants
- Activated from IR: K Graham Gano
New York Jets
- Promoted: OL Jimmy Murray
- Placed on IR: LB Patrick Onwuasor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: G Sua Opeta
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: LB Jack Cichy
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Vita Vea; Vea is also on Tampa Bay’s IR
- Promoted: CB Herb Miller, OL John Molchon
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: P Brett Kern, CB Tye Smith
- Promoted: LB William Compton, LS Matt Overton, LB Tuzar Skipper
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Chris Jackson
Terron Armstead Confirms Positive COVID-19 Test
Taysom Hill will not have his most accomplished blocker in front of him Sunday in Denver. Terron Armstead confirmed reports he has tested positive for COVID-19 (Twitter link).
Armstead learned of his positive test Saturday morning, putting him in line to next week’s game against the Falcons as well. The Saints will be without their starting left tackle and quarterback for a bit. They are already without left guard starter Andrus Peat.
A full-time Saints starter since his second season (2014), the former third-round pick has become one of the league’s best O-linemen. Armstead has served as a vital component of Alvin Kamara‘s breakthrough, making the past two Pro Bowls as the longest-tenured member of New Orleans’ high-end O-line.
James Hurst stands to be the next man up. The former Ravens starter has served as the Saints’ swing tackle this season, starting twice in place of standout right tackle Ryan Ramczyk.