NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/24/22
Here are Monday’s reserve/futures deals:
Atlanta Falcons
Buffalo Bills
- DT Brandin Bryant, OL Jacob Capra, WR Tanner Gentry , LB Joe Giles-Harris, CB Olaijah Griffin (two-year deal), CB Tim Harris, WR Isaiah Hodgins , DE Mike Love, CB Nick McCloud, TE Quintin Morris, S Josh Thomas
New Orleans Saints
- RB Josh Adams, WR Kirk Merritt
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- K Jose Borregales, RB Kenjon Barner, TE Codey McElroy, G John Molchon, OLB Elijah Ponder, DL Benning Potoa’e, DL Willington Previlon, DL Kobe Smith, CB Rashard Robinson, S Troy Warner
Tennessee Titans
- S Jamal Carter, OL Christian DiLauro, TE Austin Fort, OL Derwin Gray, QB Kevin Hogan, WR Cody Hollister, LB Joe Jones, WR Mason Kinsey, OL Daniel Munyer, OL Jordan Roos, LB Tuzar Skipper
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/6/22
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: QB Matt Barkley
- Released: WR Marvin Hall
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OLB John Daka
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: TE Chris Myarick
- Placed on practice squad injured list: TE Thaddeus Moss
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Benny LeMay, T Alex Taylor
- Released: T Elijah Nkansah
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB LaRoy Reynolds
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Chris Jones, LB Joe Jones
Titans Cut Golden Tate
The Titans announced a number of roster moves today, including the release of Golden Tate from the practice squad. Meanwhile, defensive back Chris Jones and linebacker Joe Jones have been jettisoned from the 53-man roster. 
[RELATED: Titans’ Dupree Charged With Misdemeanor]
Tate, once one of the league’s best wide receivers, has yet to see live action in 2021. After spending much of the year out of football, he inked a taxi squad deal with the Titans.
For one reason or another, the Hendersonville, Tennessee native wasn’t able to earn a promotion. From 2014-17 Tate had at least 1,000 yards in three of four seasons. His Giants tenure was less noteworthy, but he still managed 84 catches for 1,064 yards and eight touchdowns between 2019 and 2020. Now, at the age of 33 (34 in August), it’s possible that Tate has reached the end of the line.
In related moves, the Titans have also dropped defensive back Rodney Clemons and defensive back Shyheim Carter from the 16-man practice squad.
Titans Place LB Jayon Brown On IR
Jayon Brown has battled multiple injuries early this season, and the Titans will give the veteran linebacker at least three weeks off. Brown is now on Tennessee’s IR list.
After running into hamstring trouble earlier this season, Brown was on Tennessee’s injury report this week with a knee malady. The fifth-year veteran did not practice this week and had been ruled out of the Titans’ Week 5 game against the Jaguars.
Brown played 93% of Tennessee’s defensive snaps in Week 1 but has not cleared the 35% threshold since. He missed Week 2 with the hamstring problem. This will mark the second straight season in which Brown misses at least four games. An elbow injury sidelined him for six games to end last season.
The Titans re-signed Brown to a one-year deal worth $5.25MM, making this season critical for the former fifth-rounder’s long-term earning potential. Tennessee’s defense is coming off a brutally ineffective season, and Shane Bowen‘s unit enters Week 5 ranked 26th in points allowed. Brown’s absence will not help matters.
Additionally, the Titans placed wide receiver Racey McMath, offensive lineman Aaron Brewer and tight end Tommy Hudson on IR. The Titans promoted offensive lineman Corey Levin, defensive lineman Amani Bledsoe and linebacker Joe Jones to fill their respective roster spots.
Buccaneers Reduce Roster To 53
The defending Super Bowl champs made a long list of moves today to get down to the 53-man roster limit. The Buccaneers made the following transactions:
Waived
- T Jake Benzinger
- WR Cyril Grayson
- S Javon Hagan
- OLB Ladarius Hamilton
- G Jonathan Hubbard
- TE Tanner Hudson
- WR Travis Jonsen
- TE Codey McElroy
- CB Herb Miller
- OLB Elijah Ponder
- DL Benning Potoa’e
- DL Kobe Smith
- T Brandon Walton
- CB Chris Wilcox
Waived/Injured
- T Brad Seaton
Released
- TE Jerell Adams
- QB Ryan Griffin
- CB Antonio Hamilton
- ILB Joe Jones
- DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
- WR Jaydon Mickens
- RB C.J. Prosise
Placed on reserve/PUP list
Griffin had been with the Buccaneers organization since the 2015 season, but he’s only seen time in a pair of games. After winning a ring last season, the veteran re-signed with the organization this offseason. For the time being, Blaine Gabbert and rookie Kyle Trask will serve as Tom Brady‘s backups.
Mickens is another notable cut, as the 27-year-old served as one of Tampa Bay’s primary return men in 2020. Mickens finished the campaign with 16 punt returns for 99 yards and 14 kick returns for 340 yards.
West Rumors: 49ers, Seahawks, Broncos
It’s been a long offseason for the 49ers, who have seen numerous key players deal with injuries throughout the spring and summer. Add more to the list of San Francisco talents set to miss the preseason. Jerick McKinnon and Weston Richburg are both unlikely to play until Week 1. Given $18MM guaranteed, McKinnon is still dealing with knee trouble after missing all of last season with an ACL tear. The sixth-year running back received a platelet-rich plasma injection on his knee and is expected to miss the 49ers’ August slate, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com notes. The team activated him from the PUP list Tuesday, but Kyle Shanahan said his prized 2018 offseason signing experienced significant soreness after going through individual drills the past two days. Richburg, who remains on the active/PUP list after a January knee surgery, is being targeted a Week 1 return. So are Nick Bosa and Jason Verrett. The 49ers hope Dee Ford, who received a PRP injection on his injured knee, can play by the team’s dress-rehearsal preseason game.
Here’s the latest West news from outside of San Francisco:
- With the Seahawks in desperate need of available pass rushers come Week 1, more blitz opportunities may be on tap. Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks (should he be on the field) are in position to be used more as rushers. “If we can play really good D, it’s going to be because of Bobby and K.J. and Mychal and the guys in the linebacker spot. We’re going to utilize them as much as we can to be a factor in all aspects, run and pass [defense],” Pete Carroll said, via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. “Those guys are really good pass defenders, and they love coming off the edge too. We’ll plan on using those guys a lot.” After Frank Clark‘s departure, the Seahawks have Ziggy Ansah and L.J. Collier injured. Jarran Reed incurred a six-game suspension. Wright has not collected a sack since 2016, when he had four. Wagner had 4.5 that year but recorded 2.5 since.
- Theo Riddick will earn a $2MM 2019 base salary with the Broncos, and $750K of it is fully guaranteed, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Another $250K will be available in per-game roster bonuses. Overall, Riddick signed for $2.5MM with $1MM guaranteed. This makes it a near-certainty Riddick will appear on the Broncos’ 53-man roster in September.
- The Broncos are already down Todd Davis for multiple weeks; they will be without one of his top backups for longer than that. Joe Jones suffered a triceps injury this week, and a second opinion delivered more clarity on the inside linebacker’s timeline. Jones will be out between six and eight weeks, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets. But he will not need surgery, which could increase his chances of making the Broncos. If Jones hits IR before the Broncos finalize their 53-man unit, the special-teamer will be ineligible to return for them this season.
- Returning 2018 fifth-round pick Johnny Townsend would seemingly be in line to keep his job as the Raiders‘ punter, but Jon Gruden said rookie UDFA A.J. Cole has put himself in the conversation to unseat the incumbent, per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (on Twitter). Cole would be an option to handle Raiders kickoffs as well.
Injury Notes: Wagner, Sheard, Cardinals
There’s some relatively good news on the injury front out of Denver. Mike Klis of 9News in Denver tweets that Broncos special teams ace Joe Jones won’t need surgery for a partially torn tricep. Still, the injury will keep the 25-year-old off the field for several weeks. Jones suffered the injury during his team’s preseason victory over the Falcons.
While Jones is known for his special teams prowess, the team could have used him for preseason linebacker depth. As The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala points out on Twitter, Todd Davis is currently sidelined with a calf injury, and teammate Josey Jewell got examined today after he “tweaked his side.”
As a result of all the injuries, the team’s current depth at inside linebacker is down to four players: Alexander Johnson, Keishawn Bierria, Josh Watson and Joe Dineen.
Let’s take a look at some more injury notes from around the NFL…
- Seahawks coach Pete Carroll seemed to imply that Bobby Wagner had undergone some kind of procedure, as ESPN’s Brady Henderson writes. Carroll told reporters that the linebacker is “going to get a little break here just to get right,” although he didn’t specify where on the body the treatment took place. Wagner apparently had the procedure completed now so he could make it back to the field by the end of the preseason. The 29-year-old inked a three-year, $54MM deal early in training camp.
- Colts defensive end Jabaal Sheard recently underwent a knee procedure that will keep him out indefinitely, writes Mike Chappell of CBS 4 in Indy. The 30-year-old was seen at the first day of practice in late July, but swelling in his knee has sidelined him since. Sheard started all 32 games for the Colts over the past two seasons, including a 2018 campaign where he had 50 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Al-Quadin Muhammad will take on a bigger role with Sheard on the shelf.
- Cardinals right tackle Marcus Gilbert left today’s practice with an injury, tweets ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. This further depleted the team’s offensive line corps, as left guard Justin Pugh and left tackle D.J. Humphries are both out of practice. Korey Cunningham and Rees Odhiambo have slid up the depth chart for the time being.