NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Reshard Cliett
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Blaine Clausell
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Mario Alford
Indianpolis Colts
- Signed: T Pierce Burton
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Kyle Carter, T Marquis Lucas
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Justin Zimmer
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Adam Gettis
- Cut: OL Laurence Gibson, RB George Winn
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Anthony Denham
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Shaquille Riddick
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OT Mitchell Van Dyk
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RB David Fluellen
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DL A.J. Francis, DB Shakiel Randolph
- Cut: DL Trevon Coley, DB Lee Hightower
Eagles Audition Dallas Thomas
- Guard Dallas Thomas worked out for the Eagles (link). Thomas, a third-round pick by Miami in 2013, started 26 games during his four-year career with Miami. He was cut earlier this year and has been unable to find work despite auditions with Detroit, Tennessee, Indianapolis, and Chicago.
Eagles Sign RB After Smallwood IR Move
- The Eagles plan to sign RB Byron Marshall to their 53 man roster from the practice squad this week, NJ.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks reports (on Twitter). Marshall’s signing fills out Philly’s roster after the team made a host of moves today, including moving Wendell Smallwood to IR and signing Dwayne Gratz. Marshall will fill in behind Ryan Mathews and Kenjon Barner for now, with Darren Sproles residing in concussion protocol.
Eagles Make Several Pre-Week 15 Moves
The Eagles’ running back corps continues to take hits and will be without one of its members for the rest of the season. Among a host of Monday moves, Philadelphia placed rookie Wendell Smallwood on IR.
Tackle Matt Tobin will also venture to the team’s IR list, where he’ll join long snapper Jon Dorenbos, whom the Eagles placed on the season-ending list after he was declared out for the season earlier today.
To begin filling this trio’s roster spots, the team signed former Jaguars cornerback Dwayne Gratz and long snapper Rick Lovato. Gratz’s deal is for two years, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Both the Jaguars and Rams cut Gratz this season. The former third-round pick played in three games for both teams this season, recording five tackles. He started in 17 games for the Jags in 2014 and ’15 but did not show enough to stick around through what began as his contract year.
A knee injury will close Smallwood’s initial NFL campaign. The fifth-round pick rushed 77 times for 312 yards, receiving multiple carries in 11 of the Eagles’ 13 games. This news comes after it became known Darren Sproles is in the concussion protocol, leaving the Eagles with Ryan Mathews, who returned last week from his latest injury to rush for 60 yards, and Kenjon Barner as healthy backfield options.
Tobin, a fourth-year ex-UDFA, started one game this season after breaking with the first unit in 20 games in ’14 and ’15. He played 31 snaps against Washington on Sunday but will miss the season’s remainder with a knee injury.
Lovato has been something of a snapper-on-call during his two-year career, with the Old Dominion product catching on with the Packers to close last season and joining the Redskins for a two-game stint in November. He’ll likely snap for the Eagles in their final three games.
Eagles LS Jon Dorenbos Out For Season
The Eagles need a new long snapper. Jon Dorenbos is done for the season after undergoing wrist surgery, according to a team announcement. It will be a while before Dorenbos can snap a football or do a card trick. 
Recently, the Eagles gave Dorenbos a multi-year extension. Not only is Dorenbos the team’s longest-tenured player and a locker room leader, but he provides a steady hand at an underappreciated position. The Eagles will now have to find a replacement for the two-time Pro Bowler on the open market.
If Dorenbos plays out his newly-minted contract (through 2019), he will set the record for most games played in Eagles history and tie Chuck Bednarik for most seasons with the franchise.
The 5-8 Eagles are currently in line for the No. 10 pick in the draft, though that selection will go to the Browns. Thanks to the Sam Bradford deal, they own the Vikings’ No. 1 choice this year. If the season ended today, that would net them the No. 16 overall pick.
2017 NFL Draft Order Through Most Of Week 14
The final month of the regular season will dictate the playoff futures for teams like the Cowboys, Patriots, Chiefs, and Raiders. For other teams, the postseason is a statistical impossibility. Already, the Jets, Jaguars, Browns, Rams, Bears, and 49ers have been mathematically eliminated. The Chargers, Saints, Panthers, Eagles, Bengals, and Cardinals are not technically out of it, but their chances are remote.
Here’s where those teams and the others not currently ticketed for the playoffs stand in the draft order (Note – Ties are broken by strength of schedule):
- Browns 0-13
- 49ers 1-12
- Jaguars 2-11
- Bears 3-10
- Rams 4-9 (pick belongs to Titans)
- Jets 4-9
- Panthers 5-8
- Chargers 5-8
- Saints 5-8
- Eagles (pick belongs to Browns) 5-8
- Cardinals 5-7-1
- Bengals 5-7-1
- Bills 6-7
- Colts 6-7
- Titans 7-6
- Vikings (pick belongs to Eagles) 7-6
- Packers 7-6
- Redskins 7-5-1
- Ravens 7-5 (Note – The Ravens play their Week 14 game tonight against the Patriots.)
- Dolphins 8-5
Strength of schedule via SB Nation.
DeSean Jackson Not Focused On Free Agency
- Despite recent reports that the Eagles will pursue Redskins wideout DeSean Jackson at season’s end, and despite reports that the interest is mutual, Jackson himself says that free agency is not on his mind at the moment, per John Keim of ESPN.com. Jackson said, “Who knows what happens in free agency? If I’m a free agent, I might seek some options and wherever it takes me, it takes me. It’s not my focus now. We have four games left here. Whatever happens, happens at the end of the season.”
Eagles DC Remains Hot HC Candidate
After a solid start, the Eagles defense has slipped over the past few weeks. They have allowed an average of 28 points in the last three games and that’s not a great reflection on defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Still, he remains a hot coaching candidate, Albert Breer of The MMQB writes.
Schwartz’ head coaching candidacy could be swayed by how things go over the next month. Next up for the Eagles is a intra-divisional showdown with the Redskins and that’s an offense that can put up some points against Philadelphia. Things get a little bit easier after that with games against the Ravens (17th in the NFL in total yards) and Giants (26th), but they close the regular season out against Dallas (4th).
Eagles Notes: Cornerbacks, Mathews
The Eagles failed to invest properly at cornerback, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. At one point in time, cornerback was considered to be a premium position in Philadelphia. Lately, the team has turned to second- and third-tier free agents and it shows in the results. McLane suggests that the Eagles should have gone for young, affordable corners like Prince Amukamara and Morris Claiborne or short-term deal guys like William Gay, Brent Grimes, and Terence Newman.
- Eagles running back Ryan Mathews (MCL sprain) will practice today, coach Doug Pederson told reporters this morning. He has missed the last two games but that’s a step in the right direction for him playing this week.
- Could Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson wind up back with the Eagles? The Eagles are expected to pursue him and we learned today that the interest appears to be mutual.
Pollard Alliance Releases HC Candidates List
The Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation typically releases its list of recommended minority head coaching candidates in January. This year, we have an early preview of the list, courtesy of Tom Pelissero of USA Today. This year’s suggested candidates will include Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Bills offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn, Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin, and Vikings DC George Edwards. 
Austin was a popular candidate for coaching vacancies last year but ultimately did not find a head coaching gig. After interviewing with the Browns, Dolphins, Giants, and Eagles, Austin indicated that he felt only two of the interviews were “legitimate” while the other two were only done to satisfy the Rooney Rule, which stipulates that a minority candidate must be interviewed for every job. Since the Browns hired a black coach in Hue Jackson, Austin presumably isn’t accusing Cleveland of interviewing him to fulfill the requirement.
The Bills installed Lynn as their OC in September after ousting Greg Roman. The Bills have been up-and-down this year, but they now stand at 6-6 despite injuries to key players. Lynn has had to run the Bills’ offense without star wide receiver Sammy Watkins for much of the year and teams will certainly take notice of his capable job despite the less-than-ideal circumstances.
Goodwin has made no secret of his desire to land a head coaching job. However, there are some factors working against him. First, the Cardinals offense has struggled this season. Secondly, despite rave reviews from those around him, Goodwin does not call the plays in Arizona, and that could deter interested teams.
Edwards was placed on the Pollard list for the first time last year and he returns this season. Like Goodwin, he does not call plays for his team despite the coordinator title. However, he comes with a strong recommendation from head coach Mike Zimmer and he did call the plays against the Cowboys when Zimmer was recovering from surgery. With Edwards at the wheel, the Vikings allowed just 17 points against one of the league’s most electric offenses.
The foundation also released a list of general manager candidates including Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross, Raiders director of player personnel Joey Clinkscales, former Lions GM and current Giants exec Martin Mayhew, and Eagles director of college scouting Trey Brown.