Chargers Activate Melvin Ingram, Justin Jones From IR
As they attempt to snap a four-game losing skid, the Chargers will have some reinforcements back. They activated defensive linemen Melvin Ingram and Justin Jones off IR on Saturday.
Ingram has been out since Week 2 with a knee injury. This year’s tweaked IR policy allows teams to shelve players for just three weeks, and the longtime Bolts defensive end will miss the minimum number of contests before returning to team with Joey Bosa on the edge.
This stretch of games will be key for Ingram, who lobbied for a new contract but failed to secure it during a brief training camp hold-in. The Bolts extended Ingram in 2017, and his contract expires at season’s end. Bosa signed an NFL-high (for defenders) $27MM-per-year deal in August, topping Ingram’s $16MM-AAV deal as the top Chargers contract.
It will be difficult for the Bolts to give Ingram a major raise ahead of his age-32 season in 2021, though Justin Herbert‘s rookie contract will make that easier than it would have been with Philip Rivers‘ deal on L.A.’s books. But Ingram showing good form in his team’s final 11 games would strengthen his bargaining position in free agency.
A third-year defensive tackle, Jones will also miss the minimum number of games. He went down with a shoulder injury. The Chargers have used the 2018 third-round pick as a starting defensive tackle over the past two seasons.
The Chargers also promoted running back Troymaine Pope from their practice squad and waived wide receiver Jason Moore and defensive end Jessie Lemonier.
Lions Release G Kenny Wiggins
Amid several adjustments to the Lions roster and practice squad Saturday, Kenny Wiggins learned of his release. The Lions cut the veteran guard ahead of their Week 7 game.
The team dropped Wiggins and cornerback Chris Jones from its active roster and activated running back Bo Scarbrough and defensive back Mike Ford from IR. The Lions also promoted tight end Isaac Nauta from its practice squad.
A third-year Lion, Wiggins serves as the most notable move here. He started 10 games for the 2018 squad and worked in a three-guard rotation with Joe Dahl and Graham Glasgow last season, playing 41% of Detroit’s offensive snaps. This season, however, Wiggins has not factored into the team’s work up front. He has played one offensive snap in four games, playing only on special teams.
Wiggins began the season on Detroit’s practice squad but was promoted to the active roster ahead of Week 2. Despite Dahl being placed on IR at that point, Wiggins did not see O-line action. The Lions identified a starter in third-round rookie Jonah Jackson as well, and Wiggins — a four-year Chargers contributor and 16-game starter in 2017 — is now a free agent.
Scarbrough played a key role for the Lions down the stretch last season, filling in for an injured Kerryon Johnson. The power back rushed for 377 yards and a touchdown in six games. But the Lions drafted D’Andre Swift and signed Adrian Peterson this year, and Scarbrough landed on IR. He has not dressed for a Lions game this season.
Jets Activate WR Denzel Mims From IR
Denzel Mims is set to make his NFL debut Sunday. After spending six weeks on the Jets’ IR list, the rookie wide receiver is on the team’s active roster going into the Jets-Bills rematch.
A hamstring injury that turned out to be quite troublesome sidelined Mims during training camp. The Jets waited to place Mims on IR until Week 2, which sidelined him for the Jets’ first four games. He ended up missing six for a team that has struggled to keep its receivers healthy.
Mims, Breshad Perriman and Jamison Crowder served as the Jets’ optimal starting receiver crew. All have missed time due to injuries this season. The Jets drafted Mims in the second round, and with this becoming a full-on developmental year already, they will certainly be keen on seeing what they have in the Baylor prospect. Mims may have a bigger opportunity than expected. The Jets downgraded Crowder to doubtful to face the Bills. Crowder missed two games because of a hamstring injury earlier this season; he is now battling a groin problem.
The Big 12 product finished with two 1,000-yard seasons in college — as a sophomore and senior — and scored 28 touchdowns over his final three seasons. Although the Jets seem to be staring at a coaching change that will happen at season’s end at the latest, Mims will begin his development in Adam Gase‘s system.
Bills Place Dawson Knox On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Bills have run into COVID-19 trouble. They are placing Dawson Knox on their reserve/COVID-19 list. The second-year tight end tested positive for the coronavirus, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Bills confirmed the positive test.
Fellow Buffalo tight ends Tommy Sweeney, Lee Smith and Nate Becker (practice squad) have been identified as close contacts and will also miss Sunday’s game against the Jets. Sweeney was already on Buffalo’s PUP list.
The game remains on for noon CT Sunday, however. Tyler Kroft and Reggie Gilliam are the other tight ends on the Bills’ roster. Buffalo promoted four players from its practice squad — guard Jordan Devey, linebacker Andre Smith, cornerback Dane Jackson and wide receiver Duke Williams — but has not made any other moves at tight end.
This game becomes the latest to monitor as one that could cause a schedule change. The timing is similar to Cam Newton‘s positive test weeks ago, and with the league’s beefed-up protocols in the wake of Newton’s positive and the Titans’ outbreak, the Bills will be extremely shorthanded at tight end. A rookie UDFA, Gilliam was already on Buffalo’s active roster along with Knox, Smith and Kroft. The Bills have Kroft and Gilliam available at the position ahead of Sunday’s Jets rematch. The latter has yet to play in a game.
Kroft’s wife going into labor and delivering the couple’s baby Friday morning led to the veteran tight end being spared from this chain reaction, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Kroft attended Bills practice Friday, but Schefter notes his missing position meetings allowed him to avoid getting caught up in this potential outbreak. A former Bengals draftee, Kroft signed with the Bills last year. Knox and Kroft each have six catches this season — most among Bills tight ends; the latter has scored two touchdowns.
Buccaneers, Antonio Brown Agree To Deal
6:08pm: This moved fast. Brown’s one-year Buccaneers deal is done, Schefter reports (on Twitter). As of now, Brown will be eligible to make his Bucs debut in Week 9 against the Saints.
5:52pm: Brown’s Bucs negotiations are “99% done,” according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud (on Twitter). The former Steelers superstar’s latest chance at reviving his career looks almost certain to occur in Tampa.
5:17pm: The Buccaneers appear to have reversed course on Antonio Brown. They are bringing him in for a visit, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.
While the Seahawks still have interest in the superstar wide receiver, Wilson adds the Bucs are the expected team to land the mercurial free agent. The sides have already begun working toward an agreement, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The Seahawks remain in discussions with Brown, but the high-profile free agent is flying to Tampa tonight. Other teams remain interested as well, though Brown and the Bucs each have “extreme interest” in finalizing an agreement, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
This accord will not cover Brady’s Tampa tenure. While Tom Brady has been pushing for Brown for a while, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports this will be a one-year agreement (Twitter links). Brady is signed through 2021. Though, if Brown can rebound from the span that cratered his career, the Bucs would seemingly have interest in keeping him around next season.
Bruce Arians said shortly after the Bucs’ Brady signing the team was not interested in Brown, despite the quarterback’s push for the four-time All-Pro. Arians said at the time a deal was “not going to happen” and Brown was “not a fit here.” However, the Bucs can be viewed as one of the NFC’s frontrunners and made an all-in move when they signed Brady.
Brown would equip Brady with arguably the best weaponry of his career, upon joining Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski. Arians coached Brown for two seasons when he was the Steelers offensive coordinator, so if Brown does sign with the Bucs, it will be interesting to learn what changed between the Bucs HC’s March comments and now. It could be as simple as Brady having convinced his new coach to sign off on reuniting with Brown. Brady and Brown indeed discussed the prospect of playing together again before the QB’s Bucs agreement.
Brady was reported to be against the Patriots releasing Brown last season. Brown is out until at least Week 9 due to his suspension, and the 32-year-old wideout runs the risk of having his ban increased. The NFL is still investigating Britney Taylor’s sexual assault allegation, and Brown’s civil trial in this case is upcoming.
A Brown signing would carry risk, obviously. Since reeling off one of the greatest stretches in wide receiver history, Brown torpedoed his career with a months-long volatility spree. The Steelers traded him after he essentially no-showed their Week 17 game in 2018, and Brown clashed with the Raiders quickly and did not play a game for the team. The Patriots used him in Week 2 of last season, but after text messages from Brown threatening a separate sexual misconduct accuser emerged, New England became the third team to move on from him in 2019. He then spent 13 months in free agency, a time during which he was arrested in connection of an assault on a delivery driver.
This deal being now heavily reported is interesting; the Seahawks were the team most closely connected to Brown this year. Russell Wilson has stumped for the wideout both in 2019 and this year and worked out with him this offseason. He was still lobbying for Brown at the 11th hour, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Brown spoke with Wilson and Geno Smith about an agreement this season.
Both the Bucs and Seahawks already have strong aerial cadres, but Brown’s brief New England stay with Brady may be enough to give the Bucs the edge. Both Evans and Godwin have battled injuries this season, and Gronkowski is one of the NFL’s most injury-prone players. Brown would also provide insurance — as strange as that sounds — against more Bucs skill-position injuries.
Should Brown sign with Tampa Bay, the team will have the 2010s’ top two touchdown scorers. Gronkowski edged his 2010 draft classmate 78-75 here, and the 2019 season barely factored into these totals. It would be fascinating to see these two team up after not playing (excepting Brown’s four-catch, 56-yard Patriots game) last season. Brady has been inconsistent this season, ranking 19th in QBR. The Bucs having Brown for eight games would certainly help their Super Bowl cause, considering their defense leads the league in DVOA.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/20
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: K Joey Slye, OL Trent Scott
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Rasul Douglas
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Ken Crawley
- Placed on IR: WR Bennie Fowler
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: DE Henry Mondeaux
Giants Trade LB Markus Golden To Cardinals
Hours after their loss to the Eagles, the Giants are dealing away a key defender. They will send Markus Golden back to the Cardinals.
The Cardinals announced they have reacquired Golden in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round pick. Originally a Cards second-rounder, Golden signed with the Giants in 2019 and stayed in New York via UFA tender this offseason. The Cardinals will be on the hook for the remaining $2.6MM of Golden’s UFA tender salary.
Golden has rebounded from the ACL tear that docked his stock in his first Cardinals stay. He led the Giants with 10 sacks last season; in 2020, the 29-year-old edge defender has 1.5 sacks and six QB hits. Golden will head back to a different Cardinals coaching staff, but Steve Keim knows him well from being the GM that drafted him five years ago.
The Cardinals are in better shape than they were when Golden was last with the team. Golden finished his first Arizona stint during the Steve Wilks-led 3-13 season. The Cardinals are now 4-2 under Kliff Kingsbury. And they carried a clear edge need after losing Chandler Jones for the season. Golden, who registered a career-high 12.5 sacks for the 2016 Cards, will now help fill that void.
This trade could double as a chance for Golden to submit quality work ahead of another free agency bid — after limited interest came his way in 2019 or ’20 — and contribute to a potential playoff run. He is due to return to free agency in 2021. Golden obviously cannot do a Thursday-Sunday double, with trade acquisitions needing to pass six COVID-19 tests — each at least 24 hours apart — before practicing with their new teams.
This could be the first of multiple pre-deadline deals for the Giants, who fell to 1-6 despite holding a two-score lead over the Eagles in the fourth quarter Thursday. Although they used the rare UFA tender to retain Golden, they were deploying him as mostly a pass rush specialist. Golden played just 36% of Big Blue’s defensive snaps this season.
Eagles To Place DeSean Jackson On IR
DeSean Jackson‘s Friday morning MRI confirmed the Eagles’ fears. The wide receiver’s ankle injury will rule him out indefinitely, leaving the Eagles no choice but to put him on injured reserve (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
The league’s modified rules for injured reserve allow players to return in as little as three weeks. Jackson is expected to miss more time than that, though he still has a chance to return before the season is through.
The Eagles were already keeping a watchful eye on Jackson’s condition as he was returning from a hamstring injury. Unfortunately, his leg twisted on an ill-fated punt return late in last night’s win over the Giants. It’s just the latest blow to an Eagles team that has had awful injury luck throughout the year – top targets Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz, and Alshon Jeffery are also among those sidelined.
On the plus side, the Eagles got some good news on offensive tackle Lane Johnson. The veteran has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain, meaning that he’ll be able to return sooner rather than later. The time off will also allow him to recover from his previous ankle injury.
Jaguars Activate K Josh Lambo From IR
The Jaguars have used five kickers this season, shuffling through four in the past four weeks after Josh Lambo‘s injury. Good news for potential Jacksonville kicker stability. Lambo is back on the team’s active roster.
A hip injury sidelined Lambo after Week 2, leading the Jags on a wild ride of specialists. They used Brandon Wright in Week 3, Aldrick Rosas in Week 4, Stephen Hauschka in Week 5 and Jonathan Brown in Week 6. Lambo will replace Brown, whom the Jags cut to make room for their full-time kicker.
Brown, the Jags’ kicker since the 2017 season, will return ahead of Sunday’s game against his former team. Brown was the Chargers’ kicker from 2015-16.
The team made a few other transactions, including releasing defensive lineman Josh Mauro. While Mauro did not play a down for the Jaguars after signing with the team this offseason, the veteran had an eventful tenure. The former Cardinals, Giants and Raiders D-lineman received a five-game PED ban and landed on the Jags’ reserve/COVID-19 list.
Jacksonville also placed nose tackle Abry Jones on IR. The longest-tenured Jaguar, Jones missed Week 6 with an ankle injury. He has been with the team since the 2013 season, when he landed in north Florida as a UDFA. Jones, 29, has made 52 starts and played in 105 games with the Jaguars.
The Jags promoted tight end Ben Ellefson from their practice squad to take Jones’ place on the 53-man roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/22/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Brandon Williams
- Placed on IR: CB Anthony Averett
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: S Steven Parker
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: TE Temarrick Hemingway
- Waived: TE Marcus Baugh