Giants Claim WR Dante Pettis
Dante Pettis is heading to New York. The Giants announced that they have claimed the wide receiver off waivers. Pettis was waived by the 49ers yesterday.
While Pettis’ impending quarantine will sideline him for this weekend’s matchup against Washington, he could see a role in the Giants offense when the team returns from bye in Week 12. New York’s receiver corps is led by Golden Tate, Darius Slayton, and Sterling Shepard (along with tight end Evan Engram and running back Dion Lewis), but Pettis could slide in as a fourth receiver.
Of course, he also could have had a role in San Francisco, but he was phased completely out of the offense by the time he was let go. The former second-rounder showed some promise during his rookie campaign, hauling in 27 catches for 467 yards and five scores in 12 games (seven starts). His production plummeted in 2019, and he hasn’t had a reception in five games this season.
As Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel pointed out yesterday on Twitter, Pettis will account for around $264K in cap space. Considering the Giants’ early spot in the waiver order, there’s a good chance a handful of other teams made a claim.
Patriots To Sign Donte Moncrief
The Patriots have signed wide receiver Donte Moncrief to the practice squad, per a club announcement. This was the expected move after the former third-rounder auditioned for the Pats earlier this week. 
[RELATED: Patriots Trade For Dolphins’ Ford]
Moncrief was recently released off the Jets’ practice squad, despite their own glaring need for offensive help. That wasn’t promising for Moncrief’s prospects, but the talent is still mostly there.
Moncrief first made his name with the Colts, playing as a featured regular in Andrew Luck‘s offense. The veteran totaled 13 touchdown receptions between the 2015-16 seasons for Indy and set a career-high in ’15 with 733 receiving yards. Since then, things have been a bit rocky — he appeared a grand total of eight games for the Panthers and Steelers in 2019, yielding four catches for 18 yards.
Now, the 27-year-old will await his next opportunity while showing his stuff on the practice field. Thanks to Tuesday’s trade for Dolphins receiver Isaiah Ford, he won’t be the only newcomer to the group.
Texans To Sign Josh McCown
The Texans have agreed to sign Josh McCown off of the Eagles’ practice squad roster, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The veteran quarterback will serve as insurance for starter Deshaun Watson and could dress for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. 
McCown signed an unprecedented deal to become the Eagles’ emergency remote quarterback (and a QB whisperer for Carson Wentz) in September. Now in his 40s, McCown is essentially viewed as a player/part-time assistant, with the expectation that he’ll be a coveted coaching candidate once he eventually retires.
McCown was the backup to Wentz last year when he was suddenly inserted in their first-round playoff game against Seattle. Then, he nearly led the Eagles to an improbable win.
This year, McCown has spent the bulk of his time at home in Texas, so he won’t have to make much of an adjustment as he joins up with Watson & Co. Furthermore, the deal could give him an opportunity to showcase his expertise as the Texans plot their coaching staff for 2021.
Mychal Kendricks Returns To Seahawks Practice Squad
Mychal Kendricks will sign back with the Seahawks’ practice squad today, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Kendricks was released from the reserve group just yesterday with the intention of signing elsewhere. That deal fell through, Condotta hears, leading him right back to Seattle. 
[RELATED: Seahawks Cut TE Luke Willson]
Kendricks spent 2018 and 2019 with the Seahawks and played extensively alongside Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, with the team using its base defense frequently. Kendricks recovered from an injury that ended his ’18 season and started in 14 games last season, only to suffer an ACL tear in the regular season finale. After that, Kendricks embarked on a lengthy recovery and an extended stretch of free agency. The Seahawks then stashed him on the practice squad in mid-October.
The former six-year Eagles starter offers 91 pro starts and 19 sacks, despite being a career off-ball linebacker. Technically speaking, this will mark Kendricks’ fourth signed contract with the Seahawks.
Bears Release Ted Ginn
The Bears have released wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr., according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The move doesn’t come as a huge surprise given Ginn’s limited playing time as of late. 
[RELATED: Bears’ Javon Wims Suspended Two Games]
Last season, Ginn caught 30 passes for 421 yards and two touchdowns for the Saints. But, once New Orleans signed Emmanuel Sanders, Ginn was left to find work elsewhere. He inked a one-year deal with the Bears, where he went on to appear in six games this year. However, he did not play in Sunday’s loss to his old friends in New Orleans and he was hardly seen on the field throughout October.
The Bears had Ginn signed for the veteran salary benefit, worth $1.187MM. The release won’t have a major impact on their 2020 cap, but it will free up an extra spot on the active roster.
Ginn leaves Chicago with a stat line of three catches for 40 yards, plus five punt returns for 24 yards. Now in his 14th pro season, it’s not immediately clear whether he’ll hook on elsewhere. For what it’s worth, Ginn said he’s “still got a few more years left” back in April.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/3/20
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: DE Daniel Wise
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed CB Brian Allen
- Released: LB Kendall Donnerson
Green Bay Packers
- Released: TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DE Gerri Green
- Released: DE Breeland Speaks
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Jake Gervase
- Released: LB Daniel Bituli
Miami Dolphins
- Released: DB Cordrea Tankersley
New York Jets
- Signed: DB Elijah Campbell, LB Sharif Finch, S Saquan Hampton
- Placed on IR: WR D.J. Montgomery
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: WR Marcus Green
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: LB Michael Divinity, LB Mychal Kendricks
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/3/20
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Terrell Bonds, LB Tyus Bowser, DB DeShon Elliott, LB L.J. Fort, LB Malik Harrison, LB Matt Judon, LB Patrick Queen
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: OT Lachavious Simmons
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OG Germain Ifedi, OT Jason Spriggs
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: TE Jake Butt
Detroit Lions
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jarrad Davis
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers (from Titans): DT Isaiah Mack
- Placed on IR: TE Devin Asiasi
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: S Adrian Colbert
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: LB Bryce Hager, S Bennett Jackson
- Released: OL Jimmy Murray
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DL Jullian Taylor
Tennessee Titans
- Released: LS Beau Brinkley
Titans To Release LB Vic Beasley
The Titans have apparently seen enough out of linebacker Vic Beasley. The team announced that they’ll be cutting the veteran on Wednesday.
While Beasley hadn’t even been with the Titans for a full year, his stint in Tennessee was still plenty tumultuous. He inked a one-year deal containing $9.5MM in guaranteed money back in March, but he was placed on the Titans’ reserve/did not report during training camp. He eventually reported in mid-August, but there was never a true explanation for his no-show. Plus, while the two sides reiterated that they had been in contact throughout his absence, the Titans were also clear that the truancy was unexcused.
That wasn’t the end of things. Beasley subsequently failed his physical was placed on the PUP list, and he was finally activated by the Titans in early September. He made his debut in Week 3 for Tennessee, but he’s mostly played in a platoon role; his season-high in defensive snaps played was this past weekend against the Bengals. In total, the 28-year-old’s Titans career will end with only three tackles and one forced fumble in five games played.
Following a standout career at Clemson, the Falcons made Beasley the eighth-overall pick in the 2015 draft. The linebacker’s tenure with the Falcons was a bit trick-or-treat; after playing a giant role in the Falcons winning the NFC Championship in 2016 (15.5 sacks, six forced fumbles), he combined for only 10 sacks between the 2017 and 2018 campaign. There’s a chance a rival team ends up taking a chance on the 28-year-old; a team would owe him only $1.85MM of his remaining 2020 salary, per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
It’s been a busy few days for the Titans. The organization cut cornerback Johnathan Joseph earlier today, and they acquired cornerback/return specialist Desmond King in a trade with the Chargers yesterday.
49ers Waive WR Dante Pettis
Dante Pettis‘ disappointing tenure with the 49ers has come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that San Francisco is waiving the wide receiver. The 49ers made the move after “trying and failing to trade” the former second-rounder.
It’s not a huge surprise that Pettis was on the trade block. After all, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the team was shopping the wideout last month. Shanahan seemed to somewhat walk back those comments after the 49ers had suffered a handful of receiver injuries, but it was still clear that Pettis probably wasn’t going to stick around San Francisco long term.
Other teams apparently weren’t willing to give up even a conditional draft pick for Pettis, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t find another gig. As Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out on Twitter, it’ll only cost a team around $264K in cap space to claim the receiver, so there’s a chance that Pettis may not even hit free agency.
The Washington product was a second-round pick (No. 44) by the 49ers in 2018. He had a solid rookie campaign, hauling in 27 catches for 467 yards and five scores in 12 games (seven starts). He saw time in 11 games (four starts) in 2019, but his production plummeted, as he finished with 11 catches for 109 yards and two scores.
Pettis had basically been phased out of the 49ers offense in 2020. While he’s appeared in five games (one start), he’s mostly appeared on special teams (collecting two punt returns, one kick return, and a lost fumble). He appeared in 73-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 1, but other than three offensive snaps in Week 8, Pettis hasn’t appeared on offense since September.
Titans Cut CB Johnathan Joseph
The Titans have released cornerback Johnathan Joseph, per a club announcement. The 36-year-old cornerback will now be free to sign with any club. 
Joseph agreed to a one-year deal with the Titans earlier this year, making him the NFL’s oldest corner in the 2020 season. The expectation was that Joseph could be a contributor, alongside fellow top Tennessee corners Malcolm Butler, Adoree’ Jackson, and second-round pick Kristian Fulton. At a $2MM salary, he was significantly cheaper than what Logan Ryan was seeking. Ultimately, he couldn’t match Ryan’s value.
Joseph played his lowest percentage of Houston’s defensive snaps last season, dropping to 58% after being a full-time player during his first eight seasons with the franchise. The Titans used him on 76% of their snaps this season, but his performance wasn’t up to snuff. Through seven games, Joseph logged 28 stops, one interception, one forced fumble, and four passes defensed.
Fun fact: Among active players, Joseph’s 32 interceptions trail only Richard Sherman‘s 35. As Sherman continues to sit on the 49ers’ IR list, Joseph could have a chance to leapfrog him, if he latches on elsewhere.