NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: K Matt McCrane
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: T Jaryd Jones-Smith, T David Sharpe, CB Linden Stephens
- Released: LB Blake Gallagher, T Foster Sarell, P Johnny Townsend
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: C Lamont Gaillard
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Davion Davis
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Damion Ratley
- Released: K Lirim Hajrullahu
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Shawn Davis, DL R.J. McIntosh
- Released: DL Abdullah Anderson, OL Jacob Capra
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Hardy Nickerson
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: LB Micah Kiser
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: RB Ameer Abdullah
New England Patriots
- Signed: C Drake Jackson
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Steven Parker
- Released: TE Ryan Izzo
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Richard Rodgers
- Released: C Harry Crider
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Taco Charlton (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: CB Dee Virgin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR John Hurst, CB Rashard Robinson
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Antoine Wesley
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: DE Ifeadi Odenigbo (story)
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: WR Nico Collins (story)
- Signed: TE Antony Auclair
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: T Jackson Barton (off Giants’ practice squad)
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: QB Sean Mannion
- Released: RB Ameer Abdullah; Abdullah is now on Minnesota’s practice squad
New England Patriots
- Promoted: K Nick Folk
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: OL Nick Gates (story)
New York Jets
- Promoted: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
- Released: S Sheldrick Redwine
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: DE Brandon Graham (story)
- Signed: G Jack Anderson (from Bills’ practice squad)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Jacques Patrick (from Bengals’ practice squad)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Travis Jonsen, LB Kevin Minter
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: DL Anthony Rush
Injury Updates: Henderson, Chubb, Hasty
Some injury updates from around the NFL:
- Rams running back Darrell Henderson has a rib cartilage injury, coach Sean McVay revealed today (via ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry on Twitter). The team will check in on Henderson again on Friday, and there’s optimism he’ll be able to play against the Buccaneers on Sunday. The 24-year-old has collected 169 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season. If Henderson is unable to play on Sunday, the team would likely turn to recent acquisition Sony Michel. The team is also rostering the likes of Jake Funk, Buddy Howell, and Javian Hawkins.
- Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb aggravated an ankle injury on Sunday, but the team isn’t considering placing him on short-term IR (via Troy Renck of Denver7 on Twitter). The team is remaining flexible as they work through “some roster wrinkles.” Chubb’s ankle injury knocked him out of Denver’s Week 1 win, and the 2020 Pro Bowler collected one tackle on only 19 sacks on Sunday.
- The 49ers‘ running back depth chart is already depleted, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has an update on one of the latest injured players (Twitter link). JaMycal Hasty suffered a high-ankle sprain on Sunday, and the 25-year-old is considered week-to-week. However, don’t expect to see Hasty on the field this weekend, as coach Kyle Shanahan said the running back is “for sure” out next Sunday night against the Packers (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter). Through two games this season, Hasty collected 77 yards and one touchdown on 11 touches.
- Texans wideout Nico Collins is out for the next three to four weeks, the team revealed today. The rookie wideout suffered a shoulder injury during yesterday’s loss to the Browns. The third-round rookie out of Michigan hauled in two catches for 39 yards through his first two games.
49ers Meet With Duke Johnson, Lamar Miller
The 49ers’ running back search is underway. This week, the team will meet with T.J. Yeldon, Duke Johnson, and Lamar Miller in the wake of Raheem Mostert‘s season-ending injury. (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). 
[RELATED: Raheem Mostert Done For Year]
Johnson caught on with the Jaguars earlier this month but was released after just nine days on the taxi squad. Johnson, 27, did not see the field during his lone week in Jacksonville, residing as an insurance option behind the likes of James Robinson, Carlos Hyde and Dare Ogunbowale. A former third-round pick, Johnson began his career with five straight seasons of 400-plus receiving yards. He topped out at 693 for the 2017 Browns, despite having started just 12 games in that span.
Miller has been on the market ever since he was released by Washington in August. The 2018 Pro Bowler, who has two 1,000-yard rushing seasons on his resume, has not been the same since his a torn ACL wiped out his 2019.
Yeldon, 26 in October, spent the offseason with the Bills. After a 182-carry rookie campaign, the former second-rounder ended his Jaguars stay as the team’s third-string running back behind Leonard Fournette and Carlos Hyde. Still, Yeldon managed a respectable 4.0 yards per carry last season and has hit the 5.0 ypc mark in the past.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/18/21
The customary Saturday minor moves avalanche:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: S Chris Banjo, CB Antonio Hamilton
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Kevon Seymour, T Andre Smith
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: DL Margus Hunt, T Alex Taylor
- Placed on IR: T Larry Borom
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: S Sean Davis
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: LB Elijah Lee
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: TE Jeremy Sprinkle
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: RB Damarea Crockett, OL Austin Schlottmann
Houston Texans
- Promoted: TE Antony Auclair, K Joey Slye
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: WR DeMichael Harris
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: WR Laquon Treadwell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: OL Lester Cotton, RB Trey Ragas
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: DL Joe Gaziano
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: LB Micah Kiser, DL Justin Lawler
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: CB Jamal Perry
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: RB Ameer Abdullah, S Myles Dorn, QB Sean Mannion
- Waived: TE Brandon Dillon
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Tashawn Bower, K Nick Folk
- Placed on IR: K Quinn Nordin (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: DE Jalyn Holmes, LB Wynton McManis, DB Jordan Miller, C Austin Reiter (story)
- Placed on IR: LB Chase Hansen
New York Jets
- Promoted: S Adrian Colbert, LB Del’Shawn Phillips
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: LB Dre Greenlaw (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: TE Tommy Hudson
49ers Discussed Trade For Vikings’ Cameron Dantzler; Richard Sherman Still On Radar
After entering the season with a thinner cornerback depth chart than they featured in recent years, the 49ers have needed to make multiple additions over the past several days.
Josh Norman and Dre Kirkpatrick are now on San Francisco’s roster, with injuries — most notably Jason Verrett‘s ACL tear — moving the team to add veterans. The 49ers have been in discussions to keep bolstering their corner corps, with The Athletic’s David Lombardi reporting Richard Sherman remains on the team’s radar (subscription required).
The 49ers and Sherman still have mutual interest in a reunion, according to Lombardi. Sherman, 33, played the past three seasons with the 49ers but has run into off-field trouble. A July arrest brought five misdemeanor charges for the former All-Pro, who had been on a few teams’ radars this offseason. This marks Sherman’s first known connection to a team since the arrest.
Initially, the 49ers and Sherman agreed to part ways ahead of free agency. But Sherman did not land anywhere in free agency. In May, the prospect of Sherman returning to San Francisco surfaced. The Raiders, Saints and Seahawks also held discussions with the acclaimed defender. Norman and Kirkpatrick’s arrivals notwithstanding, Sherman would help the 49ers further address a key need. After missing Week 1, outside corner Emmanuel Moseley is doubtful for San Francisco’s Week 2 tilt in Philadelphia with a knee injury.
These issues also prompted the 49ers to look to the trade market. The team inquired about Vikings corner Cameron Dantzler, Lombardi adds. Minnesota made the 2020 third-round pick a healthy scratch in Week 1. Dantzler started 11 games as a rookie but is now behind offseason additions Patrick Peterson and Bashaud Breeland. For now, the Vikings are holding off on a Dantzler deal. The 49ers then moved to Kirkpatrick, whom they auditioned earlier this year.
With Kirkpatrick and Norman in place as stopgaps, San Francisco’s cornerback spot certainly stands as a situation to monitor early in the season.
49ers LB Dre Greenlaw To Undergo Surgery
This 49ers September is starting to look somewhat familiar. After losing starters Raheem Mostert and Jason Verrett for the season, the team will be down linebacker Dre Greenlaw for a while.
The promising defender is set to undergo groin surgery, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows (on Twitter). Although this procedure is not set to knock Greenlaw out for the season, he is expected to miss four to six weeks, Barrows tweets. That timetable could be on the optimistic side, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting Greenlaw could be down for eight weeks (Twitter link).
While this does not quite match the injury misfortune September 2020 brought the 49ers, the team left its opener with some significant health issues. Greenlaw and Fred Warner serve as San Francisco’s three-down linebackers. The former returned an interception for a touchdown in the 49ers’ 41-33 Week 1 win.
A 2019 fifth-round pick, Greenlaw has been a starter since his rookie season. He joined Warner in helping the 49ers transition post-Reuben Foster at linebacker, with Greenlaw also making high-priced addition Kwon Alexander expendable. Greenlaw finished last season with 86 tackles in 13 games during a season in which he missed some time due to a quadriceps injury. He was still one of San Francisco’s healthier starters during an injury-defined 2020 slate.
Azeez Al-Shaair is expected to take over Greenlaw’s every-down role alongside Warner, Barrows tweets, with Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles moving into the 49ers’ base sets as their third starting linebacker. Al-Shaair has started 10 games in three seasons, including San Francisco’s opener last week. A former UDFA like Al-Shaair, Flannigan-Fowles made one start in 2020.
49ers Add RB Trenton Cannon
The 49ers have claimed Trenton Cannon off of waivers from the Ravens (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Cannon will help to fortify the Niners’ running back group in the wake of Raheem Mostert‘s season-ending injury. 
[RELATED: Raheem Mostert Out For Year]
The Niners also picked up Kerryon Johnson this week, adding him to their 16-man practice squad. Cannon might not be as big of a name, but he offers experience and special teams ability.
A sixth-round Jets pick in 2018, Cannon wound up with the Panthers last year and contributed mostly as a kick returner. He played on 40% of the Panthers’ special teams snaps in 2020. This all overlapped with Christian McCaffrey‘s injury, but Cannon took just ten handoffs in 14 games with Carolina, less than his 38 totes as a Jets rookie.
The Ravens turned to Cannon in the wake of their own backfield injury bug. They may look for additional RB help as Cannon moves on to his new club. He’ll have his chance to debut for SF on Sunday when they face the Eagles in Philadelphia.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/14/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: K Elliott Fry, WR Juwan Green, TE David Wells
Carolina Panthers
- Released: OL Mike Hortond
Dallas Cowboysmia
- Signed: WR Robert Foster, K Lirim Hajrullahu
- Placed on IR: CB Deante Burton, S Darian Thompson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Rojesterman Farris, WR Rico Gafford
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB Grayland Arnold
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OL Anthony Coyle
- Released: S Sean Davis
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: LB Omari Cobb
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Jamal Perry
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: T Caleb Benenoch, WR Kenny Stills (story)
- Released: DT Jaleel Johnson
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Noah Dawkins, OL Elijah Nkansah
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: C Harry Crider
- Placed on IR: OT Le’Raven Clark
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Curtis Bolton, RB Kerryon Johnson (story)
- Released: WR Isaiah Zuber
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Austin Fort, TE Tommy Hudson
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/21
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released from IR via injury settlement: CB Donnie Lewis
Detroit Lions
- Waived: G Tommy Kraemer
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed off Bears practice squad: DT Damion Square
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Michael Thomas; Thomas tested positive for COVID-19
- Signed: DL Montravius Adams, S Jeff Heath
- Waived: FB Adam Prentice
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: LB Blake Cashman, DB Lamarcus Joyner (story), P Braden Mann
- Signed: OL Isaiah Williams, S Jarrod Wilson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR via injury settlement: S Obi Melifonwu
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: CB Dontae Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Jon Rhattigan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Earl Watford
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: LB Jared Norris