Browns To Be Down Several WRs In Week 16
Dec. 27: There were no new positive tests overnight, so this afternoon’s contest with the Jets will go forward, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter). The Browns will be without their top four wideouts and two linebackers, and while they did activate left tackle Jedrick Wills from the reserve/COVID-19 list as expected, Wills has been ruled out of the game with an illness. Cleveland has elevated Willies and Bradley from the practice squad, along with LB Montrel Meander.
The close contact with Goodson occurred in the team’s recovery pool area, according to Pelissero (hold your jokes, please). Sharing the pool isn’t a protocol violation in and of itself, but at least one player wasn’t wearing a mask as required, and the league may choose investigate further.
Dec. 26: Some fallout is emerging from B.J. Goodson‘s positive COVID-19 test. Contact tracing deemed several Browns wide receivers high-risk close contacts, according to Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins and Donovan Peoples-Jones — the Browns’ top three wide receivers — have are high-risk close contacts, Schefter and Mortensen report (on Twitter). These three will be placed on Cleveland’s reserve/COVID-19 list and miss Sunday’s game against the Jets, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com (on Twitter).
A fourth wideout, KhaDarel Hodge, will also be placed on the virus list, Cabot reports (on Twitter). Linebacker Jacob Phillips is also out. Hodge is Cleveland’s fourth-leading wide receiver this season.
The Browns have not yet left Cleveland and have yet to learn how many players will be unable to travel with the team to New Jersey. The Browns are also likely to be without at least one tight end against the Jets, according to ESPN. The game remains on as scheduled for noon CT Sunday.
While this is not as dire of a situation, functionality-wise, as what the Broncos encountered earlier this season at quarterback, the Browns are in a higher-profile spot. The Browns still have a chance to win the AFC North, with two wins and two Steelers losses, and have yet to clinch a wild-card spot yet. The Jets are 1-13 but coming off a 23-20 win over the Rams.
Already down Odell Beckham Jr., the Browns do not have much in the way of receiving talent beyond their top three healthy targets. Few teams do. Landry’s 789 receiving yards lead the team, while Higgins has contributed 544 and four receiving TDs. This will be Landry’s first absence with the Browns.
Cleveland’s remaining wideouts: Marvin Hall and practice squad cogs Derrick Willies and Ja’Marcus Bradley. None of them have a catch with Cleveland this season. Hall caught 17 passes for 290 yards and two scores with the Lions this year. The Browns claimed Hall off waivers from the Lions earlier this month.
Seahawks Activate TE Greg Olsen From IR
Greg Olsen will return in time for the Seahawks-Rams rematch. The veteran tight end has made a quicker-than-expected recovery from another foot injury and is back on Seattle’s active roster.
The Seahawks activated Olsen from IR five weeks after he suffered a plantar fascia tear. Signed to a one-year deal, Olsen had worked as Seattle’s starting tight end before his latest foot injury.
Olsen, 35, fractured his right foot in 2017 and ’18 and later tore plantar fascia in that same foot last year. This time, Olsen injured his left foot. Overall, Olsen has missed 22 games since foot trouble sidetracked his career. But he will provide help to a Seattle passing game that will no longer have Josh Gordon available. Gordon was set to return in Week 16, but another off-field setback will prevent that from taking place.
In what could be his final stretch of NFL action, Olsen will be on hand to help the Seahawks attempt to clinch the NFC West. He caught 23 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown prior to the injury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/26/20
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: OL Sean Harlow, WR Chris Rowland
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Pierre Desir, QB Tyler Huntley
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: LB Clay Johnston, T Matt Kaskey
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: DB Xavier Crawford
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from IR: CB Tony Brown
- Promoted: WR Trenton Irwin, LB Keandre Jones
- Waived: S Trayvon Henderson
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: C Javon Patterson
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: FB Sewo Olonilua
- Placed on IR: DT Antwaun Woods
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: RB LeVante Bellamy
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: DL Brian Price, RB Dexter Williams
Houston Texans
- Promoted: Steven Mitchell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: CB Quenton Meeks, FB Bruce Miller, RB Craig Reynolds
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: CB Deandre Baker, LB Omari Cobb, WR Gehrig Dieter, OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms
- Placed on IR: CB Sidney Jones
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from IR: DT Maliek Collins
- Promoted: CB Rashaan Gaulden, LB James Onwualu, DB Javin White
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: DE Joe Gaziano, TE Matt Sokol
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: OL Jamil Demby, S JuJu Hughes
New England Patriots
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jordan Thomas
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: RB La’Mical Perine
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins, LB Sharif Finch, LB Brady Sheldon
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: RB Jordan Howard, DT T.Y. McGill, DE Joe Ostman, TE Caleb Wilson
- Placed on IR: CB Kevon Seymour, DE Josh Sweat
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: LB Tegray Scales, K Matthew Wright
- Waived: OL Derwin Gray
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: DL Bryan Mone
- Promoted: WR Penny Hart
- Placed on IR: G Phil Haynes
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: LB Brooks Reed
Washington Football Team
- Activated from IR: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden
- Promoted: QB Steven Montez
- Waived: WR Dontrelle Inman
COVID-19 Latest: Browns, Texans, Panthers
The Browns have closed their facility and delayed their flight to New Jersey because of a positive COVID-19 test. They are performing contract tracing ahead of their scheduled noon CT Sunday game against the Jets. While the Browns placed Jedrick Wills on their reserve/COVID-19 list, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports the rookie left tackle did not test positive for the coronavirus. He and practice squad wideout Ryan Switzer are close contacts. However, Wills is expected to be pulled off the Browns’ virus list in order to start Sunday, Cabot adds. Cleveland indeed activated Wills off its reserve/COVID list but placed linebacker B.J. Goodson on it ahead of Sunday’s game. Goodson tested positive, Cabot reports. The Browns are planning to depart Cleveland at some point tonight, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.
Here is the latest from the NFL’s COVID-19 front:
- Deshaun Watson‘s restaurant opening has caused an issue for the Texans. Watson and other Houston players were photographed maskless at the recent indoor event, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Watson received a $7.5K fine. The Texans levied fines against some of his teammates as well, with ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop noting Laremy Tunsil, Brandin Cooks and Tytus Howard were among those at the event.
- Whitney Mercilus now resides on the Texans’ reserve/COVID-19 list, and the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson reports he tested positive for the virus (Twitter link). This is Mercilus’ second time on the COVID list; he landed there in November as a close contact of then-COVID-positive linebacker Jacob Martin. This will end Mercilus’ season — his ninth with the Texans. Thanks to his December 2019 extension, Mercilus is signed through the 2023 season.
- The Panthers‘ dustup with COVID earlier this month produced a series of fines. The team handed out fines of at least $10K to players who broke virus protocols during the team’s bye week earlier this month, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Wideouts D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel and Shaq Thompson, Derrick Brown and Greg Little were among those placed on the COVID list.
- After the Broncos were forced to use practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton at quarterback earlier this season, the NFL tweaked its protocol to help teams in the event similar trouble emerges. Players already receiving COVID testing will be permitted to make their debuts for new teams without having to take virus tests six days apart, Pelissero tweets. This would allow for a team to sign a player off another team’s practice squad late in the week and use him in a game in an emergency scenario.
- Washington fined Dwayne Haskins $40K for breaking COVID protocols for the second time this season but did not suspend him.
Packers Activate C Corey Linsley From IR
The Packers will have their standout center back in action Sunday night. They activated Corey Linsley from IR in advance of their key matchup against the Titans.
Linsley will end up having missed only the minimum three games because of a knee sprain. His return will be a boon to a Green Bay squad that has the inside track to earn the NFC’s lone bye.
When Linsley went down in late November, he was playing at a high level. The longtime Packers center will enter Week 16 as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1-ranked snapper — by a significant margin. In the final weeks of his second Packers contract, Linsley will now have a chance to make a final push for either an extension or a monster free agency payday.
As of last month, no extension talks had transpired between Linsley and the Packers. He joins Aaron Jones as key Packers free agents-to-be. Although the salary cap is expected to decline for only the second time in the cap era, high-level offensive linemen are coveted annually in free agency. Linsley, 29, would have a chance to top Ryan Kelly‘s new high-water salary mark for centers ($12.4MM per year) were he to reach free agency. The Packers recently authorized a record-breaking extension for left tackle David Bakhtiari.
Broncos To Place Phillip Lindsay On IR
Ruled out for the Broncos’ Week 16 game, Phillip Lindsay will be shut down for the team’s final two contests. The Broncos are placing the two-time 1,000-yard rusher on IR, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.
Knee and hip trouble will shelve Lindsay, whose status in Denver changed in 2020. The Broncos will also have a decision to make regarding the former Pro Bowl back in the offseason.
Lindsay went from being the team’s clear-cut No. 1 option to sharing time with pricey free agent acquisition Melvin Gordon. While Lindsay outproduced Gordon on a per-carry basis for much of the season, he has not been as successful as of late. The 26-year-old back failed to top 40 rushing yards in each of the past four Broncos games. He will wrap the season with 502 yards — at least 500 worse than either of his first two NFL slates — and just one touchdown. Injury issues also limited Lindsay to 11 games; he previously battled turf toe. Gordon has gained 802 rushing yards in 13 contests.
A former UDFA out of Colorado, Lindsay will be a restricted free agent come March. The Broncos already have Gordon signed to a two-year, $16MM deal. It will be interesting to see how they navigate the Lindsay situation next year. The team was discussing an extension with the hometown product prior to Gordon’s agreement. Those talks cooled following the ex-first-round pick’s arrival.
While Gordon is expected to receive a 2021 suspension for a recent DUI arrest — and such a ban would void the ex-Charger’s 2021 guarantees — the Broncos have Royce Freeman under contract next year. And Lindsay’s past production (2,048 rushing yards, 16 TDs from 2018-19) figures to generate interest on the market, depending on his tender status. The Broncos gave C.J. Anderson an original-round tender in 2016, leading to a Dolphins offer sheet. Denver matched it and used Anderson as its starter for two more seasons, prior to Lindsay’s 2018 arrival.
Saints Claim WR Jake Kumerow
“Touchdown Jesus” has found a new home. After getting cut by the Bills earlier this week, wideout Jake Kumerow has been claimed by the Saints (per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter).
The 28-year-old receiver joined the Bills practice squad back in September, and he ultimately made six appearances for Buffalo, with most of his playing time coming on special teams. Kumerow played 17 total offensive snaps for the Bills, hauling in a single one-yard touchdown reception.
Following stints with the Bengals and Patriots to begin his career, Kumerow became a fan favorite in Green Bay. He ultimately spent three seasons with the Packers, including a 2019 campaign where he collected 12 receptions for 219 yards and one score. Kumerow also went to school at Wisconsin–Whitewater, earning a pair of first team All-WIAC nods.
While Kumerow will presumably continue to play a special teams role in New Orleans, he should also have a chance at some offensive snaps. After all, the Saints currently have five wide receivers (Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith, Bennie Fowler, Deonte Harris, and Marquez Callaway) sitting on IR. Kumerow will have a chance to compete against Emmanuel Sanders, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, and Juwan Johnson during the Saints’ regular season finale next weekend.
Eagles Activate WR DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson is back. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Eagles are activating the wideout from IR. The veteran is expected to play against the Cowboys tomorrow.
After being limited to only three games in 2019, Jackson has once again been hampered by injuries in 2020. After appearing in Philly’s first three games, he was sidelined for three weeks by a hamstring injury. He suffered an ankle sprain during his Week 7 return, landing him on injured reserve.
It’s been four years since Jackson’s had a 1,000-yard season, but he was productive during his two-year stint with the Buccaneers, finishing with 1,442 receiving yards. The 34-year-old has been limited to only seven total games since returning to the Eagles via trade in 2019. During his second stint with the Eagles, Jackson has hauled in 22 receptions for 314 yards and two scores.
The Eagles wide receiver corps have struggled to stay on the field this season, with the team starting six different wideouts (Jackson, Greg Ward, Jalen Reagor, Travis Fulgham, John Hightower, and Alshon Jeffery). For one of the few times this season, the Eagles should have a fully stocked depth chart for quarterback Jalen Hurts in his third career start.
Patriots Sign K Roberto Aguayo To Practice Squad
The Patriots are adding a former second-round pick to their practice squad. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that New England is signing kicker Roberto Aguayo to their practice squad.
Following a standout career at Florida State, Aguayo was selected with the 59th-overall pick by the Buccaneers in 2016, making him the first kicker since 2005 (Mike Nugent, Jets) to be selected in the second round. Aguayo struggled throughout his rookie campaign, connecting on only 71-percent of his field goal attempts. During the 2017 offseason, he ended up getting replaced by Nick Folk (ironically, which we’ll get to in a sec), and the kicker hasn’t appeared in a regular season contest since that time.
Since the 2017 campaign, Aguayo has had stints with the Bears, Panthers, and Chargers, and he hasn’t had a gig since the end of the 2018 preseason. Now, he’ll have a chance to make an NFL comeback by participating on New England’s practice squad.
Of course, the 26-year-old’s going to have a tough time cracking New England’s roster; their current starter, (you guessed it) Nick Folk, has connected on a career-high 92.6-percent of his field goal attempts and 26 of his 28 extra point tries. The 36-year-old Folk is set to hit free agency following the season, so Aguayo could be auditioning for a role in 2021.
Saints’ Kwon Alexander Done For Year
Saints linebacker Kwon Alexander tore his Achilles in Friday’s win over the Vikings, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. While the Saints will march towards the playoffs as the NFC South champs, Alexander will be held out on the injured reserve list. 
[RELATED: Saints Place WR Michael Thomas On IR]
The Saints ruled Alexander out for the game moments after the fateful play, an early indication that he was dealing with something serious. The veteran registered three tackles before he was forced out, leaving his season tally at 27 stops, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in seven games with New Orleans.
Alexander was traded from San Francisco to New Orleans in November. The deal fortified the Saints’ front seven and lightened the books a bit for the Niners. The Saints are now responsible for the last two seasons on his original four-year, $54MM deal, though the remainder is non-guaranteed.
Unfortunately, this is familiar territory for Alexander. But, unlike last year’s torn pec injury, this one won’t allow for a super-human recovery.