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.
Lions Release Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams‘ time in Detroit has come to an end. On Friday, the Lions released the running back to make room for the return of defensive end Everson Griffen. 
[RELATED: Lions To Interview Brad Holmes]
Williams joined the Lions back in August and got dropped in early September, but found a home on their practice squad. After a brief cup of coffee in Washington, he circled back to the Lions in late October and saw time in five games as a reserve.
Sitting behind Adrian Peterson, rookie D’Andre Swift, and Kerryon Johnson, there weren’t a ton of opportunities for Williams. He leaves Detroit with just one carry in his five games.
The former fifth-round pick of the Bills has traveled the league throughout his five-year career. To date, his best season came with the Colts, when he notched 235 yards and one score on 49 carries. Most of that production came in a two-week span when Williams ran for 220 combined yards against the Jaguars and Texans.
Giants Sign Logan Ryan To Extension
It’s an especially Merry Christmas for Logan Ryan. On Friday morning, the Giants agreed to a three-year, $31MM extension with the veteran safety, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
The deal includes $20MM in guarantees, assuring that Ryan will be a part of the team’s plans beyond 2021. It’s not immediately clear how much of that $20MM figure is guaranteed at signing, but a good portion of that sum should be locked in for Year One.
Ryan, 30 in February, hooked on with the Giants just before the start of the season. His history with head coach Joe Judge and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham helped to bring him to New York, but his talent and versatility were the real drivers.
The one-year, $7.5MM deal paid off for the G-Men, and they’re now rewarding him with the $10MM/year figure that he had been seeking throughout the offseason. In 2019, Ryan led all NFL corners last season with 113 tackles. He graded as one of the league’s top slot defenders, per Pro Football Focus, but ultimately had to make the switch to safety.
It hasn’t been a banner year for the Giants on the whole, but Ryan has been solid throughout. Through 14 games, the Rutgers product has 83 stops, one interception, one sack, three forced fumbles, and nine passes defensed to his credit. Now, he has security with a contract that could take him all the way to the end of his career.
Buccaneers To Sign Drew Stanton
The Buccaneers are set to sign quarterback Drew Stanton to the practice squad, as Peter Schrager of NFL.com tweets. Stanton played under head coach Bruce Arians with the Cardinals, so he’ll provide a mix of familiarity and insurance somewhere behind Tom Brady. 
Stanton, 36, first entered the league in 2007 as a second-round pick of the Lions. He hasn’t quite lived up to his Michigan State hype, but he has been a practice field fave for many coaches around the league. All in all, he has 38 career appearances to his credit, including 17 starts.
His last live action came in 2017 on Arians’ Cardinals team, but he’s been in the NFL orbit over the last few years. Stanton’s two-year Browns contract in 2018 didn’t lead to any snaps, but he did find himself in the news as a part of last year’s Freddie Kitchens drama. Stanton — the third-string QB — was rumored to have a significant hand in the team’s game plan. That didn’t sit well with star Odell Beckham Jr., offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and many others in the locker room.
Of course, Stanton isn’t expected to siphon offensive control from Arians or Brady, who will be aiming to clinch a playoff berth on Saturday against the Lions.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/24/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: OT Dennis Gardeck
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Matt Cole
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: LB Wyatt Ray
- Placed on IR: CB Chris Milton