NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/15/19
A look at the latest NFL practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Carson Meier
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Denzel Rice
- Released: S A.J. Howard
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Jordan Veasy
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DL Fadol Brown
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Gehrig Dieter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Stephen Anderson, C Cole Toner
- Placed on practice squad IR: RB Detrez Newsome
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Nsimba Webster
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Davion Davis
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Tyler Gauthier, WR Devin Ross
- Released: K Younghoe Koo, TE Jason Vander Laan
New York Giants
- Signed: RB Jon Hilliman
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: RB James Butler, WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams
- Released: RB Damarea Crockett, DE Quinton Bell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: RB De’Angelo Henderson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Tony Brooks-James, T Christian DiLauro
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Deontay Burnett
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Brian Allen, S Adrian Colbert, TE Tyrone Swoopes, T Chad Wheeler
- Released: LB Malik Carney, CB Parry Nickerson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: LB Demone Harris, RB Darius Jackson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Nigel Harris
- Released: LB Ukeme Eligwe
Washington Redskins
- Signed: TE Wes Saxton, DB Maurice Smith
- Released: TE Drew Belcher, T Victor Salako
Raiders CB Isaiah Johnson Returns To Practice
One of the Raiders’ IR-return slots appears set to be used on rookie cornerback Isaiah Johnson. The fourth-round pick will return to practice this week, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets.
The Raiders will have three weeks from Monday to decide whether or not to activate him off their IR list. Should the team determine Johnson needs more time than that to recover from injury, he will revert to season-ending IR.
Johnson cannot return to a game until Oakland’s Week 9 contest, per IR-return rules. The Raiders can only activate two players from IR this season. A facial fracture shelved Johnson, who also suffered a concussion during the Silver and Black’s preseason slate.
Oakland added two cornerbacks in this year’s draft, second-rounder Trayvon Mullen and Johnson, a University of Houston product. The Raiders activated Nevin Lawson following a four-game suspension, so Johnson will further add to the team’s cornerback contingent.
‘Many Expect’ Jay Gruden To Eventually Join Raiders?
Jay Gruden became the first head coach fired in 2019 when the Redskins canned him last week, but he probably won’t have too difficult of a time finding a new job. Gruden is a highly regarded offensive mind despite Washington’s struggles, and is respected across the league. 
It also doesn’t hurt that Gruden’s brother, Jon Gruden, is currently the head coach of the Raiders. To that end, “many expect” that Jay will “resurface next season” as a member of Oakland’s staff, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. We heard recently that Gruden is expected to take the rest of this season off from coaching, so this lines up with that. The same report indicated Gruden will hunt for a head coaching job next offseason, but if he strikes out on that then the Raiders look like a likely destination.
Interestingly, Schefter points out that the Raiders never hired a quarterbacks coach this offseason, and that Gruden sliding into that role “could be the perfect move” as the team prepares to move to Las Vegas. Gruden still had another year left on his Redskins contract that he’ll presumably be getting paid for, so he won’t be in any rush to take an undesirable job.
The Gruden brothers have worked together before, as Jay served as an offensive assistant under his older brother in Tampa Bay for seven seasons. Gruden eventually landed the gig as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator, where he impressed with his ability to coax strong performances out of Andy Dalton. He got the Redskins job after that, and spent five-plus seasons in the nation’s capital before getting fired. Jon recently declined to comment on the possibility of reuniting with his brother.
Jon Gruden On Jay Gruden Addition
- A natural Jay Gruden landing spot would be with the Raiders, considering older brother Jon is in his second season as their coach. While expressing disappointment in the Redskins’ decision to fire his brother, Jon Gruden did not want to speculate on adding Jay to his staff, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Scott Bair. Jay Gruden worked on his brother’s Buccaneers staffs from 2002-08, doing so as an offensive assistant. Jay was an Arena League quarterback for part of that span. The Raiders bringing Jay Gruden in would create an interesting “Cincinnati West” makeup, with former Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther working as the Raiders’ DC. Guenther and Jay Gruden worked under Marvin Lewis together. Jay Gruden said he does not intend to coach again in 2019 but will pursue other HC jobs in advance of the 2020 season.
- Daryl Worley has started all five Raiders games this season, doing so as an outside cornerback. But with Nevin Lawson back on the roster after a suspension, and fourth-round rookie Isaiah Johnson set to resume practicing this week, the Raiders envision Worley transitioning into a hybrid role, Bair notes. Lamarcus Joyner already operates in that capacity in Oakland, but Jon Gruden sees Worley playing both safety and nickel in what the coach seems to view as a malleable secondary. Johnson, who is on IR, is likely to start practicing next week, Bair adds.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/10/19
Here are Thursday’s practice squad decisions:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: QB Tyler Bray
Houston Texans
- Signed TE Keenen Brown, OL Marcus Henry
- Released: S Chris Johnson
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: G Lester Cotton
Washington Redskins
- Signed: WR Jester Weah
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR Jehu Chesson
Raiders To Release WR J.J. Nelson
The Raiders are planning to release J.J. Nelson, but this is not to make room for Zay Jones. The team will retain its seven-wideout roster arrangement, with Field Yates of ESPN.com reporting (via Twitter) the team is bringing back recently cut pass catcher Marcell Ateman.
Oakland signed Nelson this offseason but has not seen much from the former Arizona deep threat. A vested veteran who will become a free agent, Nelson played in just two games and has four receptions for 36 yards this season. Nelson did score a touchdown in Week 3 against the Vikings, but he’s battled a leg injury in recent weeks.
Ateman went unclaimed on waivers earlier this week. The 2018 seventh-round pick played 28 snaps in the Raiders’ win over the Bears in London. He will return to a Raiders receiver room that still houses Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow, Keelan Doss, Dwayne Harris, Trevor Davis and Jones.
Nelson signed a one-year, $1MM deal as a free agent. He has not been especially productive since Bruce Arians’ departure from Arizona, having totaled 100 yards since the start of the 2018 season.
NFL Upholds Vontaze Burfict’s Suspension
Vontaze Burfict‘s appeal was unsuccessful. The Raiders linebacker will remain suspended for the rest of the 2019 season, the league announced. Appeals officer Derrick Brooks upheld the ban Wednesday.
The NFL suspended Burfict for the Raiders’ final 12 games, citing a pattern of on-field actions — one that hit a breaking point when Burfict leveled Jack Doyle during Week 4’s Raiders-Colts game.
This may end Burfict’s Raiders tenure and run in the NFL, considering the number of suspensions the longtime Bengals linebacker has racked up. Burfict has not played more than 11 games in a season since 2013. The former UDFA has run into 14 fines or suspensions since coming into the league in 2012.
After the Bengals released Burfict this offseason, he caught on with former Cincinnati DC Paul Guenther in Oakland. Burfict will not collect the remainder of his one-year, $1.15MM base salary from the Raiders, who went on to upset the Colts after Burfict’s ejection and defeated the Bears in London without him. Tahir Whitehead and Nicholas Morrow played in Oakland’s nickel set against Chicago.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/8/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: RB Senorise Perry
Oakland Raiders
- Released from IR: DT Justin Ellis
- Waived: WR Marcell Ateman
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: RB Tony Brooks-James, QB Nick Fitzgerald
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RBs Dalyn Dawkins, Rod Smith
- Waived: OL Hroniss Grasu
NFL Workout Notes: 10/8/19
Here are today’s workout updates. There are a number of notable names on this list, so pay attention!
Arizona Cardinals
- LB Shane Ray
Baltimore Ravens
- DE Fadol Brown, S Demetrious Cox, DE Dewayne Hendrix, S A.J. Howard (signed to practice squad), DB C.J. Reavis
Buffalo Bills
- DE Alex Barrett, RB Senorise Perry (signed to 53-man roster), LB Wyatt Ray (signed to practice squad)
Carolina Panthers
Cleveland Browns
- WR Jeff Badet
Denver Broncos
- CB David Amerson, CB Chris Campbell, CB Deatrick Nichols, CB Shareece Wright
Detroit Lions
- WR Quincy Adeboyejo, WR Bennie Fowler, WR Emanuel Hall
Green Bay Packers
- TE Rico Gathers, DL Mike Pennel, DL Adolphus Washington, TE Cole Wick, DT Sylvester Williams, TE Ethan Wolf (signed to practice squad)
Houston Texans
- C Marcus Henry, DT Willie Henry, DT Brian Price, C Keegan Render
Indianapolis Colts
- DT Carl Davis, LB Obum Gwacham, DE Eli Harold, DL Joel Heath, DL Damontre Moore, LB Pita Taumoepenu, DL Ethan Westbrooks
Jacksonville Jaguars
- TE Brian Parker, TE Eric Tomlinson, TE Will Tye
Los Angeles Chargers
- S Shalom Luani, S Tre Sullivan
New England Patriots
- DB Brian Allen, K Nick Rose, DT Eddie Vanderdoes
Oakland Raiders
- DE Andre Branch, LB Kasim Edebali, OL Datone Jones, DE Terrence Fede, LB Nate Orchard
Philadelphia Eagles
- WR Penny Hart, LB Paul Worrilow
Seattle Seahawks
- CB Adonis Alexander, DB Brian Allen, CB Saivion Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- WR Cyril Grayson, RB Darius Jackson, QB Chad Kanoff, WR Caleb Scott, RB David Williams
Tennessee Titans
- RB Jeremy McNichols, RB Zach Zenner
Washington Redskins
- OL Malcolm Bunche (signed to practice squad), LB Darrell Williams
Injury Updates: Juszczyk, Newton, Leonard
We rounded up a few injury updates earlier today, and now we have another batch to pass along:
- 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk will miss four to six weeks of action with a sprained MCL, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets. Pelissero also says Juice, one of the league’s most important fullbacks, will get a second opinion. There is some hope that the Harvard product can return before four weeks.
- Panthers QB Cam Newton will not travel with the team to London this week, as Brendan Marks of the Charlotte Observer writes. Head coach Ron Rivera said Newton is making progress in his rehab of a Lisfranc injury in his left foot, but there’s still no definitive word as to when he might return.
- The Colts are on a bye this week, and they should have a big boost when they return. LB Darius Leonard, who has missed the last three games with a concussion, shared a photo on IG saying he’s been cleared to play.
- Raiders DE Arden Key suffered a sprained patellar tendon during the team’s win over the Bears on Sunday, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). He will miss several weeks, which led Oakland to work out a few edge defenders today.