Cowboys Place CB Chidobe Awuzie On IR
Chidobe Awuzie‘s hamstring injury will lead to an IR placement. The Cowboys will shelve one of their starting cornerbacks for at least three games.
One the key players in Dallas’ post-Byron Jones puzzle, Awuzie has played 86% of the team’s defensive snaps this season. He went down late in the Cowboys’ 40-39 win over the Falcons.
The Cowboys are down both Awuzie and slot cornerback Anthony Brown (also on IR) against a Seahawks offense that has been one of the league’s most explosive this season. Russell Wilson leads the league in touchdown passes (nine) and in passer rating through two games.
Dallas promoted cornerbacks Saivion Smith and Deante Burton from its practice squad, while also elevating tackle Eric Smith to its active roster. Awuzie cannot return to action until Week 6. He joins Leighton Vander Esch, Sean Lee, La’el Collins and Blake Jarwin as starters on the Cowboys’ IR list.
This is a key year for Awuzie, who joins Jourdan Lewis in being on track for free agency in 2021. A 2017 second-round pick, Awuzie has started 38 games in his career. The Cowboys were active this offseason in attempting to replace Jones, drafting Trevon Diggs in Round 2 and signing Daryl Worley. The team also brought back Brandon Carr just before the season.
Cowboys To Sign Brandon Carr To Practice Squad
Brandon Carr is coming back to the Cowboys. However, he will do so in an unusual way. The 12-year veteran agreed to join Dallas’ practice squad, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
As recently as a few years ago, he would not have been eligible to do so. But the NFL has loosened the practice squad eligibility requirements, and in this COVID-19-altered landscape, more veterans are allowed on taxi squads. Carr will bring a preposterous 192 career starts to the Cowboys’ practice squad.
Carr, who started every game for Dallas from 2012-16, visited the Cowboys earlier this week. The Ravens made him a free agent by not picking up his 2020 option.
Teams are allowed to carry up to six veterans with unlimited experience onto their P-squads this year. Carr will obviously be the most experienced of Dallas’ practice squad players. Here are the rest of the players on that unit, as of Sunday afternoon:
- T Issac Alarcon
- LB Francis Bernard
- DB Deante Burton
- DE Ron’Dell Carter
- DT Justin Hamilton
- LB Ladarius Hamilton
- C Marcus Henry
- TE Cole Hikutini
- WR Jon’Vea Johnson
- DB Luther Kirk
- RB Sewo Olonilua
- WR Aaron Parker
- DB Saivion Smith
- DB Chris Westry
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/20/19
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Jesper Horsted
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: S J.T. Hassell
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed off Colts’ practice squad: CB Deante Burton
- Placed on IR: CB Anthony Brown
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from IR: LB Andrew Van Ginkel
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Gerald Willis
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/24/19
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad decisions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: P Ryan Winslow
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Carson Meier
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Nate Hall
- Released: LB Curtis Akins
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: T Matt Kaskey
- Released: G Rishard Cook
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Greg Mabin
- Released: RB Jordan Ellis
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Trinity Benson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Chris Lacy
- Released: RB Nick Brossette
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Tyron Johnson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Deante Burton
- Released: RB Darius Jackson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DB Alexander Myres
- Released: DB Trevon Mathis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Ishmael Hyman
NFL Workout Updates: 9/17/19
Here are Tuesday’s updates from the workout circuit, all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter unless otherwise noted.
Atlanta Falcons
- LB Carroll Phillips (per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter)
Cleveland Browns
- T Dino Boyd, G Colby Gossett, G Malcolm Pridgeon (Twitter links via Balzer and the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson)
Dallas Cowboys
- T Paul Adams, WR Quincy Adeboyejo, CB Deante Burton, DT Justin Hamilton, DE Willie Henry, LB Jawaun Johnson, S Josh Jones, WR DaMarkus Lodge, WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams (via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer)
Detroit Lions
- RB Benny Cunningham, RB Quinton Flowers, DE Durrant Miles, CB Marcus Sherels, LB James Vaughters (link)
Green Bay Packers
- WR Keon Hatcher, RB Bo Scarbrough, RB Austin Walter, DL Anthony Zettel (Twitter links)
Indianapolis Colts
- T Gerhard deBeer, Christian DiLauro, Brandon Hitner, C James Murray (link)
New Orleans Saints
- LB Ray-Ray Armstrong, QB J.T. Barrett, TE Crockett Gillmore, WR Krishawn Hogan, TE Gabe Holmes, QB Chad Kanoff, WR Jordan Matthews, TE Brian Parker, LB Brian Peters, LB Malcolm Smith, WR Deonte Thompson, QB Phillip Walker (link)
New York Jets
- LB B.J. Bello, CB Jordan Brown, CB Nigel Harris, CB Joshua Holsey, Shakial Taylor, CB Ahmad Thomas (link)
Oakland Raiders
- WR Jamal Custis (Twitter link via Wilson)
San Francisco 49ers
- LS Jon Condo, LS Garrison Sanborn, LS Drew Scott, T Sam Young (Twitter links via Balzer and ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter)
Seattle Seahawks
- LB Malik Carney, CB Jeremy Clark, S Adrian Colbert, DT Lyndon Johnson, CB Greg Mabin, CB Duke Thomas (link)
Washington Redskins
- RB Josh Ferguson, RB De’Angelo Henderson (Twitter links via Rapoport and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo)
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/19
We’ll keep track of today’s roster shuffling here as teams gear up for major cuts at the end of the week:
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: DE Mike Love
- Waived: P Corey Carter
- Waived from IR: OL De’Ondre Wesley
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LS Andrew DePaola
- Placed on IR: DT Destiny Vaeao
Chicago Bears
- Claimed off waivers: OL Tommy Doles
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB James Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Jackson Porter
- Waived (failed physical): LB Nicholas Grigsby
Houston Texans
- Waived: DB Deante Burton, DB Derrick Jones
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from injured reserve: RB Roc Thomas
New England Patriots
- Waived from injured reserve: WR Maurice Harris
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OT Riley Mayfield
- Placed on IR: WR Charles Johnson
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: TE Cole Wick
- Waive/injured: OLB Josh Smith
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Will Holden, DE Logan Tago
- Waived: DT Jay-Tee Tiuli
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/31/18
Today’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Tra Carson
Houston Texans
- Signed off Falcons’ practice squad: CB Deante Burton
- Waived: T David Sharpe
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Malik Turner
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/31/18
Here are the practice squad decisions teams have made on Halloween:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Gabe Holmes, DT Vincent Valentine.
- Released: DT Pasoni Tasini, TE Andrew Vollert
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Taveze Calhoun
- Cut: CB Deante Burton
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Robert Jackson
- Cut: DB Arrion Springs
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DE Alex Barrett
- Cut: TE Jerome Cunningham
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Lavon Coleman
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: K Michael Badgley
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed DL Ifeadi Odenigbo
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Jeremy Boykins
Packers Activate RB Aaron Jones
The Packers have activated running back Aaron Jones from the suspended list and waived cornerback Deante Burton, the club announced today.
Jones, 23, was handed a two-game ban for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy after an October 2017 arrest. A fifth-round pick in last year’s draft, Jones was excellent during his rookie campaign, averaging 5.5 yards per carry on 88 attempts. Among running backs with fewer than 100 carries, Jones finished first in DYAR (a representation of his value over a replacement level player) and second in DVOA (meaning he was effective on a per-play basis), per Football Outsiders.
Jones isn’t coming back to Green Bay as a starter despite his production a season ago. After Jones missed the tail end of the 2017 campaign with an MCL injury, fellow rookie Jamaal Williams took over as the Packers’ workhorse. In total, Williams handled 153 carries an averaged 3.6 yard per carry last year, and has shouldered the load through Green Bay’s first two games this season. With Ty Montgomery also in tow, Jones will be eased back into the club’s offensive gameplan.
Burton played receiver at Kansas State but converted to cornerback upon being signed as a Falcons undrafted free agent in 2017. He played in one game for Atlanta this year before being cut.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/18
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: OL Kadeem Edwards
Denver Broncos
- Signed: S Shamarko Thomas
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers: G Jamil Demby
- Waived: WR Bradley Marquez
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers: CB Deante Burton
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Trevor Davis
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Shareece Wright
Indianapolis Colts
- Released from injured reserve: WR Matt Hazel, DE Anthony Johnson, DE Chris McCain
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from suspension: DE Dante Fowler Jr.
- Waived: DT Michael Bennett
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from injured reserve: FB Malcolm Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Keenan Reynolds
- Waived: S Shalom Luani
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Marcus Williams
- Released: OL Adam Gettis
- Released from injured reserve: LB Devante Bond, LB Riley Bullough, CB De’Vante Harris
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DB Kenny Ladler
- Waived: LB Josh Keyes
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Cam Sims