NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/19/20
Here are Saturday’s practice squad decisions:
Chicago Bears
- Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Manti Te’o
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on practice squad injured list: CB Saivion Smith
Detroit Lions
- Signed: P Arryn Siposs
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Troymaine Pope
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: K Taylor Bertolet
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cody Hollister
- Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: P Trevor Daniel
- Signed: LB Nate Orchard
Ravens Activate Marquise Brown From Reserve/COVID-19 List
Half the Ravens’ receiving corps missed practice this week, but the team will have its full crew of wideouts available against the Jaguars on Sunday.
The Ravens activated Marquise Brown, Miles Boykin and James Proche from their reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday. None of the three tested positive for the coronavirus, but each were high-risk close contacts and were forced to isolate for five days.
This marks more good news for a Ravens team set to play on Sunday for the first time in three weeks. Virus issues led to the Ravens playing Wednesday and Tuesday games in Weeks 12 and 13, respectively, prior to their action-packed triumph in Cleveland on Monday.
Brown has set a new career high in receiving yards (605) this season, but the second-year wideout and Lamar Jackson have struggled to stay on the same page. Drops have also been an issue for Baltimore’s top receiver. Still, Brown has managed to score touchdowns in each of the Ravens’ past three games. He will be a key part of the team’s final push for a playoff spot.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/20
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: CB Delrick Abrams Jr.
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Pierre Desir, QB Tyler Huntley, TE Eric Tomlinson
- Waived: TE Luke Willson
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: CB Xavier Crawford
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: G Michael Dunn
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: CB Trevon Diggs
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Chidobe Awuzie
- Promoted: T Jordan Mills, RB Sewo Olonilua, CB Chris Westry
- Placed on IR: CB Deante Burton, LB Justin March-Lillard
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: T Halapoulivaati Vaitai
- Promoted: LB Kareem Martin, OL Marcus Martin, CB Alex Myres
- Placed on IR: DL Da’Shawn Hand
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: LB Brennan Scarlett
- Promoted: CB Anthony Chesley, WR Chad Hansen, DT Auzoyah Alufohai
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: OL Joey Hunt
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: CB Chris Claybrooks, G Andrew Norwell
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Tre Herndon
- Promoted: CB Quenton Meeks, OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Isaiah Johnson
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: DB Jake Gervase
New England Patriots
- Activated off IR: LB Shilique Calhoun
- Waived: DT Isaiah Mack
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: OL Will Clapp, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, WR Juwan Johnson, WR Tommylee Lewis
- Waived: TE Garrett Griffin, QB Trevor Siemian
- Placed on IR: WR Deonte Harris
New York Giants
- Activated off IR: S Adrian Colbert
- Promoted: QB Clayton Thorson, QB/WR Joe Webb, DB Jarren Williams, DB Quincy Wilson
- Waived: DB Montre Hartage
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: K Sam Ficken
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins, LB Sharif Finch, DL Tanzel Smart
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: S Blake Countess, CB Jameson Houston
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: LB Mark Nzeocha
- Promoted: TE Daniel Helm, OL Dakoda Shepley, OL Isaiah Williams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Charlie Woerner
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from reserve/suspended list: DE Damontre Moore
- Placed on IR: RB Travis Homer, OL Jamarco Jones
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: LB Brooks Reed, OL Daniel Munyer, LB Wyatt Ray
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Kalif Raymond
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: QB Steven Montez, RB Michael Warren
Cardinals Move Gonzalez, Phillips To IR
Mike Nugent looks set to continue as Arizona’s kicker for the foreseeable future. The Cardinals placed Zane Gonzalez on IR on Saturday and promoted Nugent from their practice squad.
The Cardinals gave Nugent a chance to kick in a 16th NFL season last week, calling on him to replace an injured Gonzalez. With Saturday’s transaction sidelining Gonzalez for the rest of the regular season, the 38-year-old Nugent will receive more opportunities to help the Cards into the playoffs for the first time in five years.
Gonzalez has struggled this season, having seen a game-tying field goal from inside 50 yards fall short against the Dolphins and having missed five other field goals (16-for-22) in his third Cardinals campaign. The former Browns kicker, down because of a back injury, will be eligible to return for Arizona’s playoff game — should the Cards qualify. Nugent made 4 of 4 field goals in the Cards’ win over the Giants last week.
Joining Gonzalez on IR for the next three weeks: Jordan Phillips. The pricey free agent acquisition will head to IR for the second time this season. Because this is Phillips’ second time on IR, his season is over.
Phillips has dealt with a balky hamstring this season. He returned from IR last week to play against the Giants, but a setback will sideline a key Cards defender for the team’s most critical stretch of games in years. The Cardinals now have D-linemen Phillips, Corey Peters and Josh Mauro on IR.
Arizona also activated tight end Darrell Daniels off IR and promoted running back D.J. Foster and linebacker Terrance Smith.
Dolphins Promote WR Isaiah Ford
With multiple wide receivers’ statuses uncertain heading into a pivotal Week 15 game against the Patriots, the Dolphins promoted Isaiah Ford from their practice squad.
This will complete an interesting journey for the former seventh-round pick. The Dolphins traded Ford to the Patriots for a seventh-round pick ahead of the deadline, but the Pats waived him a month later without having deployed him in a game. The Dolphins signed the fourth-year wideout to their practice squad shortly after but have not used him in a game since the trade.
DeVante Parker and Jakeem Grant‘s questionable designations going into Sunday’s Dolphins-Pats rematch, however, point to Sunday’s hosts needing insurance at this position. With Preston Williams on IR and Mike Gesicki suffering an injury, the Dolphins were down to a Lynn Bowden-led skeleton crew at the end of their Week 14 loss to the Chiefs.
Gesicki, Parker and Grant getting in multiple limited practice each, however, points to Tua Tagovailoa having more help when he makes his Patriots debut. Ford, who has 18 catches this season, will be available in case. The Dolphins also promoted tight end Chris Myarick on Saturday.
Chiefs Promote CB DeAndre Baker
Several weeks after signing DeAndre Baker, the Chiefs are prepared to use the former first-round pick in a game. The defending Super Bowl champions promoted the second-year cornerback to their active roster Saturday.
The Chiefs added the former Giants draftee to their practice squad a month ago, doing so shortly after the Broward County State Attorney’s Office (Fla.) dropped armed robbery charges against him. Baker’s arrest on several felony charges led to the Giants cutting him.
Baker struggled as a rookie, allowing a 116.2 passer rating on passes thrown his way and allowing 61% of those throws to be completed. Pro Football Focus graded him as one of its worst defenders in 2019. The Chiefs are taking a chance on the former Georgia prospect, who was facing prison time until recently.
Baker was alleged to have committed armed robbery a party at gunpoint in May. Originally, Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar was charged as his accomplice, but the Broward State Attorney’s office declined to pursue charges against him. The story only became stranger from there, including payoff allegations against attorney Michael Grieco, who was once representing Dunbar. But both cornerbacks have moved forward with their respective careers.
Kansas City also promoted Stefen Wisniewski and linebacker Emmanuel Smith and activated wideout Byron Pringle from IR.
Saints Place WR Michael Thomas On IR
Michael Thomas is done for the regular season, but it sounds like he could be back in time for the playoffs. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Saints are placing their star wideout on injured reserve, noting that the Saints “expect him close to 100% for the start of the postseason.”
Thomas has been dealing with an ankle injury since the start of the season. The high ankle sprain (along with a coinciding suspension for punching a teammate) sidelined him until Week 9.
Despite only playing alongside Drew Brees in two of the six games upon his return, Thomas has still hauled in 37 receptions for 421 yards over that span. He’s also been held without a touchdown this season. This has certainly been a change for one of the NFL’s most consistent players over the past few years. The former second-round pick had only missed two games coming into this season and entered 2020 coming off a record 149-reception 2019 slate.
The Saints were also able to establish an eight-game win streak during Thomas’ absence. And while they are home underdogs to the Chiefs in Week 15, the team will be favored to beat the Vikings and Panthers without its All-Pro wideout. New Orleans won two games without Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders earlier this season. Sanders, however, is healthy now. The free agent acquisition and Tre’Quan Smith will be Brees’ top available wideouts for the regular season’s remainder.
That said, the Saints have won one road playoff game in franchise history. Thomas’ absence will make it more difficult for New Orleans to earn the NFC’s lone bye, potentially forcing the Saints to play on the road in the conference title game — should they advance that far in the playoffs.
Seahawks Expected To Activate RB Rashaad Penny
Rashaad Penny is on track to make his season debut tomorrow against Washington. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that the Seahawks will activate the running back off the PUP list.
Penny, the 27th-overall pick in the 2018 draft, was unable to supplant Chris Carson as the starter during his first two seasons in the NFL, but he still put up solid numbers as a backup. In 24 games, Penny has 150 carries for 789 yards (5.3 yards per attempt) and five touchdowns. He’s also added 17 receptions for 158 yards and one score.
However, Penny suffered a torn ACL at the end of last season, and the 24-year-old landed on the reserve/PUP list to start the 2020 campaign. He started practicing last week, and despite Pete Carroll initially insisting that they wouldn’t rush Penny’s return, the running back quickly drew high praise from the head coach.
“He’s really in good shape. I don’t know what that means for next week, but he looked as healthy as anybody out there,” Carroll said (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “So we’ll take it one shot at a time here, but very, very positive initial return and I know he’s really jacked about it.”
While the Seahawks found themselves with a depleted running back corps down the stretch of last season, they now find themselves with a full depth chart. Carson and Carlos Hyde are both healthy, and the team is also rostering fourth-round rookie DeeJay Dallas. Penny will once again have to battle for carries, but the Seahawks will surely give him a look prior to the postseason.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/18/20
Here are Friday’s practice squad decisions:
Chicago Bears
- Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: DL LaCale London
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Terry Godwin, WR Josh Hammond, CB Josh Nurse
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Chad Williams
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: T Jonathan Hubbard
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: P Dustin Colquitt, LS Garrison Sanborn
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/18/20
Here are today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: C Jonotthan Harrison
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: K Taylor Russolino, LB Josh Watson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Daryl Worley
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Bobby Evans, S Nick Scott
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jamal Perry
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: RT Jack Driscoll, CB Avonte Maddox
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: K Greg Joseph, OL Ted Larsen