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: 9/13/21
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed to active roster: WR Alex Erickson
- Placed on IR: S Myles Hartsfield
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: WR Michael Gallup (story)
- Activated from Reserve/COVID list: OT Brandon Knight, G Zack Martin
- Placed on Reserve/COVID list: DE Randy Gregory
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: RB Trey Ragas
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: DL Montravius Adams
- Waived: DB Jordan Miller
- Activated: DB CB Bradley Roby
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: DT T.Y. McGill
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on IR: DB Sean Murphy-Bunting (story), LS Zach Triner
- Promoted: S Andrew Adams
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DB Bradley McDougald, TE MyCole Pruitt
- Waived: K Michael Badgley, TE Tommy Hudson
Titans Promote K Michael Badgley, S Bradley McDougald; Sam Ficken Lands On IR
Like the Texans, the Titans will need their recently added practice squad kicker to contribute immediately. Tennessee placed Sam Ficken on IR on Saturday and promoted Michael Badgley.
The Titans signed Badgley to their practice squad Friday. The former Chargers specialist will suit up against the Cardinals in Week 1. Ficken will not be eligible to begin his season until Week 4. The Titans added their top kicker to their injury report Friday; a groin injury will sideline Ficken to start the year.
This move complicates the Titans’ kicker situation yet again. After a Ryan Succop injury led to a host of kickers suiting up for the Titans in 2019, leading to a historically bad 8-for-18 collective make rate, the Titans signed Stephen Gostkowski last year. The ex-Patriot made just 69% of his field goal tries. The Titans also added Randy Bullock, who worked out for the team Friday, to their practice squad. The Lions cut Bullock, a longtime Bengals kicker, last month.
Badgley kicked in 34 Chargers games over the past three years but could not beat out a younger competitor, Tristan Vizcaino, in training camp. The Texans promoted recent P-squad addition Joey Slye to their active roster Saturday as well, with Ka’imi Fairbairn also on IR with a groin ailment. Badgley auditioned for the Texans, but they went with Slye.
Additionally, the Titans promoted Bradley McDougald and MyCole Pruitt to their active roster. Tennessee signed McDougald earlier this summer but demoted the veteran safety to its P-squad earlier this week. Pruitt is back with the Titans after the 49ers released him on cutdown day.
Titans To Add K Michael Badgley To P-Squad
After working out for the Texans earlier this week, Michael Badgley landed a gig with another AFC South team. The Titans are signing the former Chargers kicker to their practice squad, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Badgley lost his job to second-year kicker Tristan Vizcaino in camp but may have a chance to resurface soon. The Titans have experienced issues at kicker over the past two seasons and are going with another new one, former Jet Sam Ficken, to start this year. Ficken, however, is dealing with a groin injury that had him limited in Friday’s practice.
The Bolts’ kicker for most of the past three seasons, Badgley made nearly 94% of his attempts as a rookie in 2018 — including a 59-yarder — but saw that number dip to 72.7% in 2020. The Chargers kept Badgley on their active roster in 2019, despite an eight-game injury absence to start the year, when the NFL utilized stricter IR rules. But they did not greenlight a fourth season, going instead with Vizcaino, who has one career game under his belt.
Badgley, 26, worked out for the Texans this week, but the team went with ex-Panther Joey Slye. Slye will now fill in for an injured Ka’imi Fairbairn to start the season. Badgley will represent Ficken insurance and in-house competition.
Ficken, 28, kicked in 15 games for the Jets in 2019 and in nine last year. A former Greg Zuerlein injury replacement in Los Angeles, Ficken landed in Tennessee via waiver claim in early August. Tennessee used Stephen Gostkowski as its kicker last season, but the former Pro Bowler made less than 70% of his field goal tries. In 2019, the Titans endured a historically bad kicking campaign, using five kickers and seeing that quintet go a combined 8-for-18.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/21
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released from IR via injury settlement: CB Darqueze Dennard (story)
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Parker Hesse
Baltimore Ravens
- Reverted to IR: RB Justice Hill (story)
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Jeremy Sprinkle, S Darian Thompson
New York Giants
- Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Ted Larsen
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Blake Countess
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Andrew Adams, WR Jaydon Mickens
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: OL Cole Banwart
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/21
We’ve compiled today’s minor NFL transactions below:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR with injury settlement: P Dom Maggio
Buffalo Bills
- Released from IR with injury settlement: DT Treyvon Hester
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released from IR with injury settlement: LS Cole Mazza
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from Reserve/COVID-19 list: G Nate Davis, C Ben Jones
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/21
We’ll keep track of the latest minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: C Sam Tecklenburg
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released from IR with injury settlement: LB Vince Biegel
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: DT Antwaun Woods
New York Giants
- Re-signed: S Nate Ebner
- Released: WR C.J. Board
- Waived with injury settlement: WR Austin Mack
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed off Broncos practice squad: CB Mac McCain
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: LB Justin March-Lillard
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: WR Penny Hart, TE Tyler Mabry
- Placed on IR: CB Tre Brown, TE Colby Parkinson, S Nigel Warrior
Titans Release S Bradley McDougald
Bradley McDougald is back in free agency. Three weeks after signing the veteran safety, the Titans released him Tuesday. However, this essentially amounts to a demotion. The Titans are signing McDougald to their practice squad.
Since McDougald is a vested veteran, he does not have to pass through waivers to join Tennessee’s taxi squad. Salary guarantees may be a factor here. Teams can release vested vets now to avoid full-season guarantees, which take effect in Week 1, making it possible McDougald returns to the Titans’ active roster next week on a team-friendlier agreement.
The Titans signed McDougald to a one-year deal worth $1.1MM. That would have become guaranteed had McDougald been on Tennessee’s active roster in Week 1. The team has Dane Cruikshank and Matthias Farley in place as their backup safeties going into their season opener.
McDougald, 30, spent three seasons as a Seahawks starter before the team included him in 2020’s Jamal Adams trade. The Jets deployed McDougald as a starter during their 2-14 season but saw him go down midway through the year. The Jets let McDougald walk this year. The 49ers represented McDougald’s only non-Titans connection this offseason.
Tennessee also added offensive lineman Corey Levin and defensive back Chris Jones to its practice squad and dropped offensive lineman Derwin Gray from the 16-man unit.
Titans Restructure Julio Jones’ Contract
The Titans have restructured Julio Jones‘ contract, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The new deal will convert $14MM of his salary into a signing bonus, creating $11.2MM in cap room. To make it all work, Jones’ contract will also have two additional void years. 
In June, the Titans shipped a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick to the Falcons for Jones and a 2023 sixth-round pick. It was a far cry from the Falcons’ initial ask of a first-round pick, but that was the best they could do given Jones’ age (32) and contract. For the Titans, it was a monumental upgrade to bring one of the game’s most accomplished wide receivers to Nashville.
Unlike other suitors — like the Chiefs — the Titans were able to absorb his $15.3MM base salary for 2021. Still, they needed some extra space to make mid-season upgrades and Jones has obliged. For all intents and purposes, everything remains the same on Jones’ end.
Jones, one of the greatest receivers of his generation, holds Falcons franchise records in receptions (848) and receiving yards (12,896). On top of that, his 60 receiving TDs trail only Roddy White‘s 63. Now, he’ll look to add to his lofty totals with the Titans.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Chicago Bears
- Waived: LB Josh Woods
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: DE Aaron Patrick
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: K Jose Borregales
Tennessee Titans
- W
- Waived: CB Chris Jones