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Browns Activate Denzel Ward, Kevin Johnson From Reserve/COVID-19 List

January 13th, 2021 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns will have more of their regulars in uniform Sunday in Kansas City than they did in Pittsburgh last week. They activated cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Kevin Johnson off their reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.

Both players missed the past two games after testing positive for the coronavirus. NFL protocols would have permitted Ward to return last week, but he did not clear the necessary hurdles to return. The Browns beat the Steelers anyway, though Pittsburgh’s wide receivers enjoyed big days in Week 17 and in the teams’ opening-round matchup. The Chiefs are quite talented at this position as well.

An offseason addition, Johnson has operated as a part-time starter for the Browns. Ward has been the team’s No. 1 corner essentially since arriving in Cleveland in 2018. The Browns hope to have Joel Bitonio and wideout KhaDarel Hodge against the Chiefs as well.

Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan also returned to practice Wednesday. The veteran NFL staffer experienced COVID symptoms, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, who adds Kevin Stefanski has encountered symptoms as well. However, Stefanski is expected to coach against the Chiefs. Wideouts coach Chad O’Shea was also symptomatic, per Cabot, but he is also back at practice. Assistant O-line coach Scott Peters, tight ends coach Drew Petzing and DBs coach Jeff Howard remain out due to COVID.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/13/21

January 13th, 2021 at 2:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest practice squad moves from around the league:

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

Seahawks Fire OC Brian Schottenheimer

January 12th, 2021 at 6:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day after Pete Carroll said Brian Schottenheimer would stay on as offensive coordinator, the Seahawks have reversed course. Schottenheimer is out after three seasons as Seattle’s OC, according to the team, which cited “philosophical differences.”

Carroll said Monday during an interview with 710 ESPN Seattle that Schottenheimer would be back next season (Twitter link via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta), but the franchise will instead look for his replacement.

Often criticized for overusing the run game, Schottenheimer nevertheless oversaw a season that saw Russell Wilson break the team’s single-season touchdown pass record (40) and D.K. Metcalf break Steve Largent‘s 35-year-old single-season receiving yardage record (1,303). The traditionally conservative Carroll attributed the Seahawks’ return to a run-oriented offense down the stretch as an effort to prevent turnovers. This came after Wilson struggled with interceptions during a midseason swoon. The Seahawks ranked 17th in total offense but eighth in points this season; they ranked top 10 in scoring during each of Schottenheimer’s three seasons calling plays.

Seattle was on a historic offensive pace (and a historically bad defensive pace) to start the season, turning Wilson loose in September and October. But he committed seven turnovers in losses to the Bills and Rams. After five 300-yard passing performances from Weeks 1-9, the ninth-year quarterback did not eclipse 270 yards in any game in the season’s second half. Schottenheimer’s firing comes after Wilson’s woeful 11-for-27 playoff outing, which included a pick-six on a wide receiver screen pass.

Schottenheimer, 47, has been an NFL OC for three teams — the Jets, Rams and Seahawks — and began that run in 2006. He stayed on during multiple Jets coaching regimes but was let go after the 2011 season. During his 12 seasons in charge of offenses, only one of them — the 2019 Seahawks — ranked in the top 10 in total yardage.

As for the next Seahawks OC, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo throws out former Chargers play-caller Shane Steichen as a name under consideration (Twitter links). Despite the Chargers going through a coaching change, Steichen’s work with Justin Herbert should ensure he will see another play-calling opportunity soon.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/12/21

January 12th, 2021 at 6:07pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Here are the latest NFL minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

  • Signed to reserve/futures contract: LB John Daka

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Football Team

Colts’ Anthony Castonzo Retires From NFL

January 12th, 2021 at 10:08am CST by Zachary Links

Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo is retiring from the NFL. His decision leaves the Colts with another major hole to fill in the offseason.

“I was fortunate to have been drafted by the Colts ten years ago,” Castonzo wrote. “I was even more fortunate to spend my entire career here in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts is a special organization with special ownership who fill the organization with special people at every level. I truly believe this is the best organization in all of sports. I am lucky to have been able to call myself a Colt for the past ten years and will consider myself a Colt for the rest of my life.”

“I have given much to the game of football, but it has given me so much more. I close the book on the football chapter of my life gifted with memories and moments I wouldn’t trade for anything. So thank you, last but far from least, to football.”

The 10-year veteran first came into the league as the No. 22 overall pick in the 2011 draft. Since then, he’s started in all of his 144 career regular season games, plus eight playoff games. This year, he wasn’t able to join the Colts for their postseason. Just before the team’s regular season finale, Castonzo went under the knife for ankle surgery. The Colts would then lose to the Bills in the Wild Card round.

“The Colts have been blessed with many talented offensive linemen throughout our rich history and Anthony Castonzo is among the best to represent the Horseshoe,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said. “For 10 seasons, Anthony consistently handled premier pass rushers at one of the toughest positions to play. He quickly developed into the leader of our offensive line and set a standard for preparation, strength and conditioning, and play. Anthony deserves a tremendous amount of credit for helping our offensive line mature into one of the best units in the NFL. He will sorely be missed, but we are so appreciative of AC’s contribution to our organization and we congratulate him on a fantastic career.”

Though Castonzo has never made the Pro Bowl, he’s been a pillar of the Colts’ front five. We here at PFR wish Castonzo the best in retirement.

Bills Sign Devonta Freeman To Practice Squad

January 12th, 2021 at 9:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have agreed to sign running back Devonta Freeman to the practice squad, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Freeman will provide insurance for Buffalo in the wake of Zack Moss‘ season-ending injury. 

The Giants released the Drew Rosenhaus client after the season in what was effectively a formality. It was also a courtesy move — Freeman was set to reach free agency anyway, so the Giants agreed to cut him so that he could potentially hook on with a playoff team.

The Giants didn’t have much interest in keeping Freeman around for 2021. Injuries and the COVID-19 list cost him much of the year and he played in just five games. All in all, he registered 171 yards off of 54 carries — good for just 3.2 yards per carry — and one rushing touchdown. He didn’t do much in the passing game either, finishing with seven catches for 58 yards.

With the Falcons, Freeman posted two separate 1,000-yard seasons with 1,500+ scrimmage yards each time. No one’s expecting a reprise at this point, but he could help out the Bills in a pinch.

OL Jared Veldheer To Sign With Packers

January 11th, 2021 at 5:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Offensive lineman Jared Veldheer is set to make NFL history this weekend. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the veteran is signing with the Packers.

Per Schefter, this signing will make Veldheer the first player in NFL history to play at least one postseason game for two different organizations in the same year; Veldheer started for the Colts in their playoff loss to the Bills this past weekend. Thanks in part to Indy’s loss and Veldheer‘s initial placement on the practice squad, Green Bay was able to swoop in and sign him.

Schefter notes (on Twitter) that COVID-19 practice-squad rules allowed this to happen, meaning it will likely be the only time in league history that we see a player appear in postseason games for different teams in the same year. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that Veldheer must be signed to Green Bay’s 53-man roster.

This won’t be the 33-year-old’s first stint with Green Bay; he joined the Packers late last season and ended up starting a playoff game. It’s uncertain if Veldheer will be starting this time around, but at the very least, he sounds like he’ll serve as insurance for offensive tackle Ricky Wagner, who’s currently dealing with a knee injury.

Veldheer, a 2010 third-round pick out of Hillsdale, has put together a 12-year career, appearing in 121 career regular season games. He joined the Colts in late December, and he ended up playing 100-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 17 and the Wild Card Round.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/11/21

January 11th, 2021 at 4:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Saints Sign K Blair Walsh To Practice Squad

January 11th, 2021 at 2:25pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Blair Walsh back in the playoffs? The Saints are signing the veteran kicker to their practice squad as insurance, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets.

While the move ostensibly makes sense just as extra insurance in case COVID-19 impacts New Orleans’ kicking situation with too little time to find an outside replacement, it’s possible it’s a bit deeper than that. Saints kicker Will Lutz was shaky down the stretch, going just 5/9 on field goals in his final seven games while also missing an extra point. Then in Sunday’s wild card win over the Bears, he missed a 50-yarder.

Head coach Sean Payton expressed confidence in Lutz after the game, but it’s fair to wonder why if it was entirely about COVID, the Saints didn’t make this move before the playoffs. Whatever the case, Walsh hasn’t attempted a meaningful kick since the 2017 season with the Seahawks. He was with the Falcons briefly during 2019 training camp, but that’s it.

The last time Walsh kicked in the postseason, he infamously shanked a 27-yarder at the end of a game that would’ve given the Vikings a win over the Seahawks. Walsh started his career in Minnesota in 2012, and made the Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro as a rookie. After that playoff disaster his career quickly went downhill, and he was released midway through the following 2016 season. He was Seattle’s kicker for all of 2017, but wasn’t re-signed.

Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara To Return

January 9th, 2021 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Drew Brees will have his top weapons back. The Saints activated both Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas on Saturday.

Thomas missed the Saints final three regular-season games, going on IR before Week 15 because of a troublesome ankle injury. Kamara is back after contracting COVID-19 last week. The All-Pro running back will end up missing just one game.

The Saints shut down Thomas in hopes he could recover from an injury that has bothered him for months. Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1, costing him early-season time. That began a complicated season for the perennial Pro Bowler. The Saints handed Thomas a one-game suspension for striking a teammate and then saw him run into a hamstring injury in practice. Altogether, the fifth-year standout missed nine games this season.

Entering 2020, Thomas had missed just two contests. He finished the regular season with with just 40 catches for 438 yards and no touchdowns but will have a chance to end the season on a more positive note.

Kamara contracted the coronavirus shortly after his record-tying Christmas Day performance. Despite not playing in Week 17, the fourth-year running back finished the season with a league-high 21 touchdowns — six of which coming against the Vikings in Kamara’s most recent outing.

New Orleans has been without key cogs throughout the season, losing Brees and Emmanuel Sanders at points as well. Ahead of what could be Brees’ final postseason run, the Saints will have their top guns in uniform.

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