NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/26/19
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE Ade Aruna
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: C Casey Dunn
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Ishmael Hyman, TE Jordan Leggett
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Nigel Harris
- Released: LB Josh Smith
Buccaneers Promote Franklin, Mickens
The Buccaneers promoted cornerback John Franklin and wide receiver Jaydon Mickens from the practice squad to the active roster on Tuesday. To make room, the Buccaneers waived wide receiver Ishmael Hyman and tight end Jordan Leggett.
Franklin has been playing cornerback on the Bucs’ taxi squad for the past six weeks, but he also played quarterback in college. After running the scout team offense in practice last week to mimic Deshaun Watson, it’s possible that Franklin could also see time under center in the Bucs’ season finale or at some point next year, if he sticks on the roster.
“Johnathan Franklin did an unbelievable job being Deshaun Watson last week at quarterback,” said head coach Bruce Arians. “He gave our defense a tremendous look. [He] made me think about, ‘Hmm, what do we want to do with him?’ He’s really a corner, but he’s been a quarterback and he’s been a receiver. He’s a really good athlete – it’s just finding a niche for him.”
Four new players have debuted for the Bucs over the last couple of weeks as they take a look ahead towards their 2020 plans. Franklin and Mickens have a chance to join that group. Mickens already has 16 regular season games under his belt thanks to his time with the Jaguars.
Mickens entered the league as UDFA with the Raiders in 2016 and spent his entire rookie season on Oakland’s practice squad. Since then, he’s spent time with the Jaguars (taxi squad and active roster) and had a stay on the Panthers’ training camp roster over the summer. In 16 games for the Jags, he recorded six receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns. He also averaged 8.9 yards on 39 punt returns and 21.1 yards on eight kickoff returns.
The Bucs will wrap up the 2019 season against the Falcons on Sunday.
Bucs Intend To Bring Back Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston will likely remain in Tampa Bay for the 2020 season. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Buccaneers are expected to bring back the quarterback next season.
However, it’s uncertain how the organization will go about retaining the former first-overall pick. “Barring an unlikely early contract,” Rapoport notes that the Buccaneers will have the option of using either the franchise tag or the transition tag (this is thanks to it being the final offseason of the current CBA). If an opposing team signs a franchised player to an offer sheet, they have to surrender a pair of first-rounders. An opposing team doesn’t need to send compensation if they sign a transition-tagged player to an offer sheet.
This is especially relevant for the Buccaneers, as sack-leader Shaquil Barrett is also set to hit free agency this offseason. As Rapoport notes, the projected franchise tag for quarterbacks is $27MM vs. $25MM for the transition tag. Meanwhile, the franchise tag for linebackers (and, presumably, Barrett) is $16MM vs. the $14MM transition tag.
Earlier this month, coach Bruce Arians refused to commit to Winston beyond this season. And, when asked about the above report, Arians said no determinations have been made.
“There’s been no decision on any player. We don’t make those decisions until the end of the season,” Arians said.
However, a bit has changed over the past few weeks. The quarterback has thrown for more than 400 yards in back-to-back games, and Tampa Bay can extend their winning streak to five against the Texans today. Winston has already set career-highs in passing yards (4,573) and touchdowns (30), but he’s also set a new mark in interceptions (24).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/19/19
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Jermaine Grace
- Released: QB Eric Dungey
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DB Jayson Stanley
- Placed on PS-IR: Terry Godwin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Jamal Custis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Jaydon Mickens
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed: DB T.J. Green (from Saints)
- Placed on IR: OL Garrett McGhin
New York Jets
- Promoted: WR Josh Malone
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Ukeme Eligwe
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: TE Codey McElroy
South Notes: Godwin, Peat, Marrone
Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin left Sunday’s victory over Detroit due to a hamstring injury, and since Tampa Bay is out of playoff contention, Godwin’s breakout 2019 campaign may end prematurely. Curiously, fellow wideout Mike Evans has already been placed on IR with a hamstring ailment, and yet another receiver, Scott Miller, also left the Lions game due to a hamstring issue.
That has led some to question the way in which head coach Bruce Arians is running things, and as Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times writes, Arians has conceded that he may be overworking his receivers. “We’ll be talking with our sports science people about it,” Arians said. “Maybe I’ve overworked them in practice, the receivers, because we need the reps. Our quarterbacks need the reps, so we run them this time of the year more than I would probably like to, but we need the reps.” The hamstring injuries may all just be a coincidence, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the team’s new sports science department moving forward.
Jenna Laine of ESPN.com says Arians has already ruled Godwin out for Week 16 but hopes he will play in the 2019 finale.
Now for more from the league’s south divisions:
- Good news for the playoff-bound Saints. As Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets, New Orleans guard Andrus Peat, who has missed the last five games with a broken arm, has returned to practice. The team’s offense has performed just fine in Peat’s absence, but the Saints would surely like to have their 2018 Pro Bowler back in action.
- The Saints continued to bolster their secondary by adding safety D.J. Swearinger on Wednesday, just two days after claiming CB Janoris Jenkins. As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle observes, the Saints did their due diligence in the DB market before signing Swearinger, working out nine total players (Twitter link). That list included recognizable vets DeShawn Shead and Kentrell Brice.
- The Jaguars parted ways with executive vice president Tom Coughlin yesterday, and many believe that head coach Doug Marrone will be axed at the end of the season. However, Marrone said he has not heard anything in that regard from owner Shad Khan, nor does he expect to (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk). Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes that, since Khan did not also fire Marrone when he fired Coughlin, Marrone (and GM Dave Caldwell) could be back in 2020. But Coughlin seems to have been fired largely as a result of a damning NFLPA report that surfaced Monday, so the fact that Marrone and Caldwell will stay on board for the rest of 2019 probably doesn’t mean very much.
- The Colts tried to shore up their CB position by signing Briean Boddy-Calhoun yesterday, and as Wilson tweets, Indy also brought in CB Ken Crawley for a tryout.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/18/19
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Alex Wesley
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
- Signed: DB Herb Miller
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Joe Dineen, DE Dewayne Hendrix, RB Jeremy McNichols
Bucs Place Mike Evans On IR
On Wednesday, the Buccaneers officially placed wide receiver Mike Evans on injured reserve. He’ll be joined by safety Jordan Whitehead, who also left Sunday’s game against the Lions with a hamstring injury. 
Evans was held out of the Bucs’ Week 15 game against the Lions due to a hamstring injury, so the move doesn’t come as a huge surprise. The Bucs don’t have much to play for in the final two weeks of the season – besides pride – so they’ll keep Evans off the field and allow him to rest up for 2020.
Evans suffered the injury after reeling in a 61-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter against the Colts. The receiver fell to the turf in pain before limping to the sideline, but he got relatively good news after doctors got a closer look – there’s no tear in the hammy, just a pull.
The 26-year-old was in the midst of another standout season, hauling in 67 receptions for 1,157 yards and eight touchdowns. Justin Watson filled in for Evans, with the former fifth-rounder snagging his first career touchdown.
To fill Evans’ spot on the roster, the Bucs promoted wide receiver Spencer Schnell from the practice squad. Watson and Schnell will get a chance to show their stuff in the final two weeks of the season as Chris Godwin and Scotty Miller deal with hamstring injuries of their own.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/19
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DE Austin Larkin
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Brady Sheldon
- Waived: DE Anthony Zettel
Denver Broncos
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Aljiah Holder
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Calvin Munson
- Placed on IR: LB Raekwon McMillan
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: OL Chuma Edoga, WR Jeff Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on IR: WR Scott Miller
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: K Ryan Santoso
Arians: Shaq Barrett Is Coming Back
- Speaking of NFC pass-rushers, the Buccaneers’ Shaq Barrett has been having a breakout season. He just picked up his 16.5th sack of the year this past weekend, tying the legendary Warren Sapp for the all-time single season franchise record. He’s been a bright spot all year long for this Bucs defense, and they aren’t planning on letting him get away even as he prepares to enter unrestricted free agency this spring. “He ain’t going anywhere,” head coach Bruce Arians said of Barrett, who signed a one-year, $4MM deal this offseason, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Barrett will likely be in line for a massive payday this offseason, and it sounds like the Buccaneers are ready to pay up. Barrett originally signed with the Broncos as an UDFA back in 2014, and was eventually able to get on the field as a situational rusher. He was slept on this offseason, and as we heard earlier this year, only one team other than Tampa even offered him a contract.