NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/10/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: C Derrick Nelson, DT Kapron Lewis-Moore
- Released: TE Ryan Malleck, S Ronald Martin
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Ryan O’Malley, C Adam Redmond
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Matt Lengel
- Released: TE J.P. Holtz
New England Patriots
- Signed: G Cole Toner
- Released: QB Taylor Heinicke, G Jason King
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Woodrow Hamilton, LB Shayne Skov
- Released: CB Bradley Sylve
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Ethan Cooper, WR Kalif Raymond
- Released: OL Anthony Fabiano
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Jahad Thomas
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Deontae Skinner
- Released: LB Boseko Lokombo
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DE Alex McCalister
- Released: WR Rashard Davis
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: DE Noble Nwachukwu
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Larry Webster
- Released: FB Austin Johnson
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/17
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LS Justin Drescher
- Placed on injured reserve: LS Aaron Brewer
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted to active roster: DT Taniela Tupou
Cleveland Browns
- Released from IR: T Matt McCants
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers: CB Marcus Williams
- Released: CB Johnthan Banks, T Jah Reid
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR: CB Josh Johnson
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Gabe Martin
New York Giants
- Promoted to active roster: WR Ed Eagan
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: CB Demetrius McCray
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: CB Asa Jackson
Giants To Meet With Branden Albert
The Giants will meet with offensive tackle Branden Albert later this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Albert worked out for the Seahawks on Monday, but he left Seattle without a deal. 
Albert was upset about his contract this summer and unsure about whether he wanted to play at all in 2017. It was said that he had “no desire” to play in late August, but he apparently had a change of heart this fall.
The 32-year-old (33 in November) was once among the league’s better tackles, but it’s fair to wonder what he has left in the tank at this stage. The Seahawks are in dire need of tackle help, so it’s perhaps telling that he did not sign with them after his audition. Then again, given his contractual demands over the summer, it’s possible that the two sides were just too far apart on Monday.
The jinxed Giants – who are without both Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall for the remainder of the season – head to Denver on Sunday in search of their first win.
Giants’ Brandon Marshall Done For Season
Giants wide receiver Brandon Marshall announced on Instagram that he will have season-ending ankle surgery. This marks yet another devastating setback for the 0-5 Giants. 
In Week 5, the Giants lost four receivers to injury and three of them – Odell Beckham Jr., Dwayne Harris, and Marshall – for the season. Initially, the feeling was that Marshall could return after missing a handful of games, but those hopes have been dashed.
Marshall, who joined the team this offseason, recently found his groove, but he might have played his last game for Big Blue on Sunday. He is under contract through 2018 thanks to his two-year, $12MM deal, but he is afforded little security beyond this season.
At the age of 33, he was eager to prove that he could still produce at a high level. He struggled mightily in the Jets’ offensive quagmire in 2016, but he reeled in 109 catches for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns in the previous season.
Marshall’s season ends with 18 catches for 154 yards in five games, including 14 receptions for 112 yards combined in Weeks 3 and 4.
Practice Squad Updates: 10/9/17
Monday’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Andrew Wylie
- Released: Travis Averill
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Oni Omoile, RB Brandon Wilds
- Released: RB Jhurrell Pressley
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Alex Carter
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Darius Powe
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Pat O’Connor
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/17
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Promoted to active roster: LB Isaiah Irving
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR: FB Marquez Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted to active roster: LB Darnell Sankey
- Placed on IR: WR Krishawn Hogan
New York Giants
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (story), WR Dwayne Harris (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed off waivers: S Dexter McCoil
- Waived: DB Lorenzo Jerome
Giants WR Brandon Marshall To Miss Time
The Giants are “bracing” for wide receiver Brandon Marshall to miss multiple games after suffering an ankle sprain on Sunday, according to Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (Twitter link).
New York stunningly lost its top four receivers to injury in Week 5, and two of them — Odell Beckham Jr. and Dwayne Harris — are now done for the season. Slot man Sterling Shepard, like Marshall, has an ankle sprain and is expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks. The Giants signed wideouts Travis Rudolph and Tavarres King today, but have no interest in a possible reunion with free agent Victor Cruz.
Marshall, 33, signed a two-year, $12MM deal with the Giants this spring. He struggled in his first two games in blue, but had come on in Weeks 3 and 4, totaling 14 receptions for 112 yards in those two games. Marshall has yet to score a touchdown, however.
Giants Not Interested In Victor Cruz
The Giants are in extreme need of help at the wide receiver position, but the club is not interested in a reunion with free agent pass-catcher Victor Cruz, head coach Ben McAdoo told reporters, including Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link). “To my knowledge he is not an option,” said McAdoo. “But never say never.”
Cruz, of course, spent 2010-16 with the Giants, and was especially spectacular from 2011-13, when averaged 80 receptions, 1,209 yards, and eight touchdowns per season. Following three injury-ridden years, Cruz was released by the Giants in the spring, and he subsequently implied that the club’s coaching staff intentionally phased him out of the offense because New York was planning to cut him.
Although he signed a one-year deal worth up to $4MM with the Bears, Cruz couldn’t make it past final roster cuts despite Chicago’s depleted wide receiver depth chart. Cruz reportedly suffered a knee injury during the Bears’ preseason finale, but he now has a clean bill of health. Still, he has yet to generate any known interest being cut by Chicago.
New York is in dire straits at wideout, where Odell Beckham Jr. and Dwayne Harris are both out for the season. Sterling Shepard will be sidelined for a few weeks with a sprained ankle, while Brandon Marshall — who also suffered an ankle sprain — is still being evaluated. The Giants signed Travis Rudolph and Tavarres King this morning, and they’ll join Roger Lewis as Big Blue’s only healthy receivers.
Giants To Sign Travis Rudolph, Tavarres King
The Giants not only fell to 0-5 with a defeat against the Chargers on Sunday, but witnessed four of their top wide receivers suffer injuries of varying severity. With a lack of options on offense, New York will promote wideout Travis Rudolph from its practice squad and re-sign wide receiver Tavarres King, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Rudolph and King likely won’t be the only additions the Giants make in the coming days, as the club simply is bereft of wide receiver talent at the moment. Odell Beckham Jr. and Dwayne Harris are both out for the season after suffering a fractured ankle and a broken foot, respectively. Sterling Shepard has a sprained ankle and will miss several weeks, while Brandon Marshall also has an ankle sprain and an undetermined timetable, tweets Rapoport.
New York doesn’t have the benefit of turning to an established run game — the club ranks 31st in rushing DVOA — so adding more pass-catchers may be Big Blue’s best option. Ed Eagan and Marquis Bundy are on the Giants’ practice squad and could conceivably be promoted alongside Rudolph, while a free agent addition could also make sense. Marquess Wilson, Dorial Green-Beckham, Steve Johnson, Vincent Jackson, and old friend Victor Cruz are among the top options available on the open market.
Rudolph, for his part, went undrafted out of Florida State earlier this year and has spent the first five weeks of the season on New York’s practice squad. In his final campaign as a Seminole, Rudolph posted 56 receptions for 840 yards and seven touchdowns. In a predraft profile, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com called Rudolph a “solid route runner” with good hands but noted his lack of short-area quickness.
King, meanwhile, spent 2-14-16 with the Giants and caught a touchdown pass in the club’s playoff loss to the Packers earlier this year. All told, he’s managed only four receptions over the course of his career. King was released by the Giants last month and had subsequently auditioned for the Patriots, Bills, and Jets.
Sterling Shepard Out With Ankle Sprain
- The Giants lost four wide receivers during their loss to the Chargers on Sunday, and while Odell Beckham Jr.‘s broken fibula will hit the team hardest, Big Blue also will likely be without Sterling Shepard in the near future. The complementary wideout sprained an ankle and is expected to miss a couple of weeks, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The Giants believe this injury is similar to one Shepard suffered over the summer. The Giants will travel to Denver next week and will likely have to make roster moves before taking the field against the Broncos, considering Brandon Marshall and Dwayne Harris also left the game due to injuries. Beckham and Harris will be out for sure, with the latter fracturing his foot.
- The Giants lost four wide receivers during their loss to the Chargers on Sunday, and while Odell Beckham Jr.‘s broken fibula will hit the team hardest, Big Blue also will likely be without Sterling Shepard in the near future. The complementary wideout sprained an ankle and is expected to miss a couple of weeks, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The Giants believe this injury is similar to one Shepard suffered over the summer. The Giants will travel to Denver next week and will likely have to make roster moves before taking the field against the Broncos, considering Brandon Marshall and Dwayne Harris also left the game due to injuries. Beckham and Harris will be out for sure, with the latter fracturing his foot.
- Adding to this nightmarish Giants season that’s spiraled to 0-5, Eli Manning underwent a neck X-ray after the loss to the Chargers, John Healy of the New York Daily News notes. The 36-year-old quarterback’s X-ray was negative, however. Manning has never missed a start since taking over in that role midway through his rookie season.