Practice Squad Updates: 9/25/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DB Robertson Daniel
- Released: DE Myles Humphrey
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DT Christian Ringo
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Jerome Cunningham
- Released: RB Donnel Pumphrey
New England Patriots
- Signed: S David Jones
- Released: WR Jace Billingsley
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Arrion Springs
- Released: QB J.T. Barrett
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Amba Etta-Tawo
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Ryan Delaire
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Azeem Victor
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/18
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Jeremiah Sirles
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DL Caraun Reid
- Placed on IR: DL Datone Jones
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Daeshon Hall (from 49ers’ practice squad)
- Promoted from practice squad: OT David Sharpe
- Placed on IR: LB Dylan Cole, WR Bruce Ellington
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Justin Jackson
- Released from IR: CB Craig Mager
- Waived: RB Detrez Newsome
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Martrell Spaight
- Placed on IR: DE William Hayes
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Jonathan Woodard
- Waived: WR Tanner McEvoy
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Kenjon Barner
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Arrion Springs
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Garrett Dickerson
- Waived/Injured: WR/KR Kaelin Clay
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Branden Jackson
- Waived: TE Darrell Daniels
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Andrew Adams
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: OL Kevin Pamphile
Giants TE Evan Engram To Miss Time
Giants tight end Evan Engram sprained his MCL and will be considered week to week, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The second-year tight end will be out for Sunday’s game against the Saints and his availability is in doubt for subsequent weeks. 
Engram, chosen 23rd overall in the 2017 draft, was hit low by Texans defensive back Kareem Jackson after a catch on Sunday. The tight end gained 19 yards on the play, but it proved to be his only reception of the day.
The Giants are expected to lean a bit more on Rhett Ellison while Engram is out, and they also have Scott Simonson on the roster as a backup. Ellison is known mostly for his blocking ability, however, so the Giants may look to survey outside options.
Giants Bench Ereck Flowers, Will Start Chad Wheeler At RT
Of course, Big Blue’s offensive line was a major source of concern this offseason — even though the team handed a hefty free agent contract to former Patriots LT Nate Solder — and Flowers’ track record of underperformance was a big reason for that. But the Giants do not just give up on first-round picks, so they shifted Flowers from left tackle to right tackle and gave him the bulk of the first-team reps. The team, however, is 0-2, and Flowers has not fared any better on the right side of the line than he did on the left. Although Flowers is the only reserve tackle on the roster, which means he will still be active on game days, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes that this move almost guarantees that Flowers will not be back with the team in 2019 (which was largely a foregone conclusion anyway).
The Giants have made the decision to bench embattled right tackle Ereck Flowers, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Rapoport notes that New York has been preparing Chad Wheeler all week, and that Wheeler will start in Flowers’ place.
Of course, Big Blue’s offensive line was a major source of concern this offseason — even though the team handed a hefty free agent contract to former Patriots LT Nate Solder — and Flowers’ track record of underperformance was a big reason for that. But the Giants do not just give up on first-round picks, so they shifted Flowers from left tackle to right tackle and gave him the bulk of the first-team reps. The team, however, is 0-2, and Flowers has not fared any better on the right side of the line than he did on the left. Although Flowers is the only reserve tackle on the roster, which means he will still be active on game days, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes that this move almost guarantees that Flowers will not be back with the team in 2019 (which was largely a foregone conclusion anyway).
POLL: Which 0-2 Team Is Most Likely To Rebound?
In a relatively short 16 game season, a slow start can be a death blow. Around 90% of teams who start the season 0-2 end up missing the playoffs. Some teams can put it behind them and turn their season around, but not many. The 2007 Giants started off 0-2 and ended up winning the Super Bowl, as did the 2001 Patriots.
There are currently seven teams sitting at 0-2, and none of their prospects look particularly bright. Several of them have solid franchise quarterbacks and recent playoff success, and none of them are giving up. So which, if any, has the best chance of turning around their disappointing campaigns?
Two teams in the NFC West are 0-2. The Seahawks have lost a pair of close games, both of which they had opportunities to win in the first quarter. The Cardinals on the other hand have been blown out twice, and have scored just six total points. The Seahawks have the clear advantage at quarterback, the Cardinals have David Johnson, and neither has much of an offensive line. The Cardinals have plenty of theoretical talent and a strong defense, while Russell Wilson has shown he’s capable of carrying a team in the past. Both teams will be returning home for do-or-die games in Week 3. The Cardinals get the Bears, while the Seahawks host the Cowboys.
The other two winless teams in the NFC are the Lions and Giants. Both teams have new head coaches and Matt Patricia and Pat Shurmur have both gotten off to terrible starts. The Lions’ defense has been a mess while Eli Manning has looked like he has very little left in the tank. Like Wilson, Stafford has carried successful teams in the past while the Giants have plenty of playmakers around Manning in Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, and Odell Beckham. The Lions will host Patricia’s old team, the Patriots, on Sunday Night Football, while the Giants will face off against another winless team, the Texans.
The Texans have failed to meet expectations as Deshaun Watson returned from the torn ACL that cut his phenomenal 2017 season short. They understandably dropped a road opener to the Patriots, but lost a head-scratcher last week to the Titans in a game where Blaine Gabbert took all the snaps. They’ve got Watson and a slew of other big name players, but if they lose to the Giants on Sunday it will be awfully hard to rebound.
The last two 0-2 teams in the AFC are the Raiders and the Bills. Jon Gruden took a lot of heat for trading Khalil Mack, and hasn’t been able to deliver through two weeks. His team hung tough against the Rams in Week 1, then blew a late lead against the Broncos last week. The Bills have potentially the worst outlook of any of these teams. In the midst of a full blown rebuild, Buffalo was forced to bench Nathan Peterman after just one start. Josh Allen will be under center the rest of the way, and the season will be more focused on his development rather than winning games. The Raiders will travel to Miami in Week 3 to take on the Dolphins, while the Bills will head to Minnesota to face the Vikings.
Which of these teams do you think has the best chance of rebounding and turning the season around? Will we see the next ’07 Giants rise up from this crop of 0-2 teams? Vote in the poll below and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!
Which 0-2 Team Is Likeliest To Rebound?
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Texans 40% (770)
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Seahawks 21% (402)
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Raiders 14% (271)
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Giants 12% (225)
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Lions 8% (162)
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Bills 3% (58)
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Cardinals 2% (41)
Total votes: 1,929
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/18
Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from suspension: G Jamon Brown
- Promoted from practice squad: WR KhaDarel Hodge
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Mike Thomas
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Tommylee Lewis
New York Giants
- Waived: FB Shane Smith
Giants Claim Former Vikings WR Stacy Coley
Vikings wide receiver Stacy Coley was claimed off waivers by the Giants, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Coley was waived by the Vikings on Tuesday and the Giants, using their high waiver priority, jumped at the chance to add him to the roster.
Giants coach Pat Shurmur is extremely familiar with Coley’s skillsets after coaching the former seventh-round pick in Minnesota. Coley barely saw the field in 2017 (and was not in the mix for the Vikings’ first two games of 2018, either), but Shurmur has seen Coley show off his smooth running skills in practice. Some scouts questioned Coley’s passion for the game heading into the 2017 draft, but Shurmur believes that he can get the University of Miami product to harness his talent.
In a related move, the Giants have waived fullback Shane Smith. Smith blew blocking assignments in the Giants’ loss to the Cowboys over the weekend, causing the team to replace him with Elijhaa Penny.
Giants Sign Elijhaa Penny
The Giants are signing fullback Elijhaa Penny off the Cardinals’ practice squad, a source tells Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The move comes after Giants fullback Shane Smith struggled badly on Sunday night, so Smith’s time with the G-Men could be coming to an end. 
Penny, a 25-year-old running back/fullback, appeared in all 16 games for Arizona last year. He finished out with 31 carries for 124 yards (a 4.0 yards-per-carry average in a small sample) and added four catches for 38 yards. Penny did not make the Cardinals’ final cut this year, but he was signed to their practice squad after clearing waivers.
The Giants fell to 0-2 after losing to the Cowboys on Sunday. They’ll look to get into the win column this weekend when they face the Texans in Houston.
Giants C Jon Halapio Out For Season
Giants center Jon Halapio will miss the remainder of the 2018 season after fracturing his lower leg and ankle Sunday, the club announced today.
New York addressed its offensive line this offseason by adding free agent Nate Solder at left tackle and draft pick Will Hernandez at left guard, but the unit hasn’t looked improved through two games (both losses). Losing Halapio will be a further blow to the front five’s continuity as the club looks to rebound from its early-season struggles.
Having traded Brett Jones (who started 13 games at center in 2017) earlier this year, the Giants will have to look elsewhere to replace Halapio. While undrafted rookie Evan Brown is listed as Halapio’s direct backup, veteran Spencer Pulley might be a more realistic candidate to take over at the pivot. Pulley, whom New York acquired off waivers earlier this month, started all 16 games at center for the Chargers last season. John Greco took over for Halapio on Sunday, so he’s another option to fill in at center.
For Halapio, his injury represents a devastating turn for a journeyman who had finally secured a starting job. Halapio, 27, bounced around the league after being drafted in 2014, but had overtaken Jones this summer to become the Giants’ starting center. He’ll be an exclusive rights free agent in 2019, so New York will be able to easily retain him.
Extra Points: Giants, Manning, Dolphins, Sitton, Seahawks, Kendricks, Cowboys, Bryant
One of the most talked about storylines of the 2018 NFL offseason was what the Giants would do with the second overall pick. Many thought they would take a quarterback to succeed Eli Manning in New York, but the team opted for running back Saquon Barkley instead. Tyler Dunne of Bleacher Report is out with a new feature on Manning and the Giants where he writes about Manning’s determination to prove the Giants didn’t make a mistake.
While he writes “the decision to stick with Manning could go down as one of the worst blunders in NFL history” due to the high-level quarterbacks, like Sam Darnold, available at number two in this year’s draft, Manning still believes he’s got a lot left in the tank. Manning said he’s entirely focused on proving to the Giants that “they did make the right decision” and that he has one last title run left in him. The full piece is full of juicy tidbits and well worth a read to get a look inside the 2018 Giants and the last few tumultuous years for one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in recent memory.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Dolphins lost starting guard Josh Sitton for the season earlier this week, but despite the huge blow to their offensive line, the team won’t be looking for outside help to replace him according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). The Dolphins also expect Sitton to be back with the team in 2019, Jackson notes.
- The Seahawks signed legally troubled linebacker Mychal Kendricks in part because they were upset with the play of rookie Shaquem Griffin according to Bob Condotta of The Athletic. Condotta notes that coach Pete Carroll specifically called out Griffin following the team’s loss to the Broncos, and that the front office immediately began looking for linebacking help.
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and free agent receiver Dez Bryant were recently spotted at a concert together, sparking rumors of a potential reunion between the two sides. Stephen Jones, the team’s Executive Vice President, threw cold water on the speculation, saying “we feel really good about our receiving corps moving forward” and indicating they wouldn’t be looking for outside help according to Jon Machota of Dallas News. While he mostly denied it, it’s worth noting he didn’t 100% rule out the team bringing Dez back in.