NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/14/20
The latest practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Lafayette Pitts
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Ventell Bryant
- Waived: K Lirim Hajrullahu
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Isaac Nauta
Houston Texans
- Released: K Brett Maher
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed:L OT J’Marcus Webb
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE Bug Howard, LB Aaron Patrick
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DT Niles Scott
- Released: DT Lee Autry
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: P Lachlan Edwards
- Released: WR Manasseh Bailey
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on COVID-19 list: TE Kendall Blanton
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Isaiah Ford
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: RB Khalfani Muhammad
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/14/20
We’ll keep track of the latest minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Eric Tomlinson
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Lafayette Pitts
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: WR Ja’Marcus Bradley
- Waived: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Parnell Motley
- Placed on COVID-19 list: K Brandon McManus
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on COVID-19 list: LB Jordan Glasgow
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: LB Reggie Gilbert
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: G Patrick Omameh
New York Giants
- Waived: DB JaQuarius Landrews
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed off Washington’s practice squad: C Ross Pierschbacher
Raiders Fire DC Paul Guenther, Promote Rod Marinelli
The Raiders have fired defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. In his place, defensive line coach Rod Marinelli will serve as the team’s interim DC what’s left of the 2020 season. 
[RELATED: Raiders Promote Vic Beasley]
The decision came on the heels of an ugly Sunday night loss to the Colts. The 44-27 loss saw the Raiders surrender 456 total yards, including 212 yards on the ground. With no real chance of reaching the postseason, the Raiders got a jump on their spring cleaning.
The Raiders did not register a single sack against Philip Rivers, emblematic of their front seven so far this year. They entered Sunday near the bottom of the league in sacks, and that’s where they remain with a few games to go in 2020. On the whole, the Raiders performed as the 22nd ranked D in the league under Guenther’s guidance. And, over the last two-years-and-change, they’ve been dead last in points allowed with 28.4.
Of course, the Raiders’ struggles went beyond the veteran DC. The Raiders’ recent blowout loss to the Falcons, for example, could be largely blamed on the team’s six offensive turnovers. Regardless, the Raiders want to move their high-priced defense in a different direction, starting right now.
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
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/11/20
Here are the latest NFL practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: FB Tommy Bohanon
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Amara Darboh
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DT Lee Autry
- Released: WR Marcell Ateman
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Jack Cichy
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: RB Adrian Killins
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/8/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID list: WR Larry Fitzgerald
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated off IR: CB Anthony Averett
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID list: OL Wyatt Teller
- Activated from reserve/COVID list: DE Porter Gustin
- Placed on IR: WR Taywan Taylor
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed off waivers from Raiders: DT Daniel Ross
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed off Bills’ practice squad: CB Daryl Worley
Washington Football Team
- Signed to active roster off practice squad: TE Marcus Baugh
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
Raiders To Promote DE Vic Beasley
Vic Beasley appears set to suit up for a second team this season. The Raiders are promoting their recent practice squad addition to their active roster, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets.
The Raiders signed Beasley last week. He needed nearly a week’s worth of negative COVID-19 tests to practice with his new team, but the former first-round pick will have a chance to redeem himself after an unproductive Titans tenure.
Beasley struggled for much of his Falcons tenure, but he was a 2016 first-team All-Pro after recording 15.5 sacks. He failed to justify Atlanta’s top-10 investment, but the Clemson product finished his contract year on a bit of a tear to finish with eight sacks. The Titans received little after signing Beasley to a one-year, $9.5MM deal; the sixth-year veteran pass rusher recorded zero sacks.
The Raiders, however, have a need on the edge. They have experienced issues sacking quarterbacks since trading Khalil Mack. The team’s Clelin Ferrell draft choice has yet to pay dividends, though 2019 fourth-rounder Maxx Crosby has helped make up for that. But the Raiders will have Ferrell back Sunday, with Crosby and now Beasley joining him as the team hopes to begin a late-season resurgence that ends with a playoff berth. The Raiders will hope to have ex-Beasley Falcons teammate Takkarist McKinley (currently on IR) as part of this equation before December ends.
Raiders’ Josh Jacobs To Miss Week 13
For the first time this season, the Raiders will be without their starting running back. They ruled Josh Jacobs out for Sunday’s game against the Jets.
Jacobs suffered an ankle injury against the Falcons and has not practiced this week. The team will hold him out of its matchup against an 0-11 team, putting Devontae Booker in line to receive a starter’s workload.
This certainly is a situation to monitor for the playoff-contending team. Last season, the Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up could not cement his case for that award after a shoulder injury halted his initial NFL season. Jacobs played through that issue for a while but ended up being shut down, missing the final two games of last season and ending his rookie slate with three injury-related absences. Jacobs still broke the franchise’s rookie rushing record.
This season, Jacobs has again been one of the NFL’s top rushers. Despite the Raiders missing various starting offensive linemen for most of the year, Jacobs has rushed for 782 yards (fifth in the NFL) and nine touchdowns. The Alabama product’s average is down a full yard, however, sitting at 3.8 through 11 games.
Las Vegas signed Booker this offseason and has used him as Jacobs’ primary backup. After seeing his role minimized in Denver, Booker has averaged 5.5 yards per carry on 59 totes with Las Vegas this season. The Raiders will have Booker and passing-down backs Jalen Richard and Theo Riddick in a key game in New Jersey.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/3/20
Here are Thursday’s practice squad decisions:
Denver Broncos
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Darius Kilgo
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Nick Bowers
New York Giants
- Signed: S Montre Hartage, K Ryan Santoso
- Released: DB Chris Williamson
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list, released: TE Daniel Helm