Rams Sign Kai Forbath, Place Ogbonnia Okoronkwo On IR
After rookie Sam Sloman missed another extra point on Sunday Night Football, it looks like the Rams are making a kicking change. Los Angeles is signing veteran Kai Forbath off Chicago’s practice squad, the team announced Tuesday.
In the corresponding roster move the team placed outside linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo on injured reserve, meaning Sloman is still on the roster for now. The Rams will have Forbath compete with Sloman, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets, so it doesn’t sound like he’s going anywhere at the moment. With the Rams contending in the NFC, they clearly felt like they couldn’t wait on a rookie’s development. Forbath, who has extensive experience, was also on the Panthers’ practice squad earlier this year.
The 33-year-old spent the last few games of 2019 as the Cowboys’ kicker, making all ten of his field goal attempts and all ten of his extra points. His last full-time gig was in 2017 when he was the Vikings’ kicker for all 16 games. Before that he had stints with the Saints and Washington. He doesn’t have the strongest leg, but for the most part he’s pretty accurate and dependable. Rams coach Sean McVay was with him in Washington for a few seasons, so there’s familiarity here.
The Rams, of course, let Greg Zuerlein walk in free agency this past offseason after having him as their kicker for the past eight years. Okoronkwo is a 2018 fifth-round pick from Oklahoma who had been playing a real role on defense this season. Through five games he had been playing around 30 percent of the defensive snaps, picking up one sack. McVay said he expects Okoronkwo to miss 4-6 weeks.
Washington’s Joshua Garnett Retires From NFL
Joshua Garnett is calling it a career, per an announcement from the Washington Football Team. Still only 26, Garnett will turn his attention non-football endeavors. 
The Niners took Garnett No. 28 overall in 2016, but he never lived up to his pre-draft hype as a high-end offensive lineman. The Stanford product started in 11 of his 15 games as a rookie, but failed to impress. Then, knee surgery wiped out his 2017 season and he played in just seven games as a reserve in 2018. The Niners cut him before 2019, and his ensuing workout tour didn’t result in a contract. The Lions picked Garnett up in February and dropped him a few months later, leading him to an August deal with the WFT.
Garnett played in just 22 games between 2016 and 2019. With Washington, he suited up for three, giving him a grand career total of 25 games. He also earned upwards of $9MM over the course of his NFL career, giving him plenty of options off the field. We here at PFR wish Garnett the best in retirement.
Chargers Designate DE Melvin Ingram, DT Justin Jones To Return
The Chargers have once again been one of the most banged up teams in the league, but it looks like reinforcements are on the way. Los Angeles has designated defensive end Melvin Ingram and defensive tackle Justin Jones to return from injured reserve, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets.
Each can now return to practice. The team now has a three-week window to activate either player. If they are not activated in that span, they’ll be ineligible to return for the remainder of the year. Ingram usually forms one of the league’s best pass-rushing duos with Joey Bosa when healthy, and he’s made the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons. Jones, a 2018 third-round pick, is a starter and key run-stuffer.
With guys like Derwin James and Chris Harris sidelined, the Chargers could really use this boost on defense. They’re 1-4 on the year and have blown 17-point leads in back to back weeks. Despite the record the Chargers still have a legit chance, as Justin Herbert has looked like a star in the making and the schedule coming up is extremely soft. Their next five games are against the Jaguars, Broncos, Raiders, Dolphins, and Jets, so if the defense can heal up they’ve got a shot to make some noise.
Ingram has only played in the first two games of the season, and he had a crucial interception in a Week 1 win over the Bengals. The South Carolina product has at least seven sacks in each of the past five seasons. He’s dealing with a knee issue, while Jones has a shoulder injury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to 53 from practice squad: TE Evan Baylis
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DL Margus Hunt
- Waived: DL Andrew Brown
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to 53 from practice squad: DT Justin Hamilton
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers from Colts: DT Eli Ankou
New Orleans Saints
- Designated to return from IR: RB Ty Montgomery
Titans Activate Corey Davis From Reserve/COVID-19 List
We just heard the Titans aren’t going to be harshly punished for any protocol violations, and now the team is getting more good news on the COVID-19 front. Tennessee has activated receiver Corey Davis from the reserve/COVID-19 list, they announced Monday.
Taylor Lewan was as expected placed on injured reserve to free up the roster spot following his torn ACL. It’s a big boost for the Titans, as with Davis on the shelf the team was lacking pass-catchers beyond A.J. Brown. Especially so with tight end Jonnu Smith now dealing with a minor ankle injury. The fifth overall pick of the 2017 draft, Davis has never quite lived up to his draft status, but he’s still a solid receiver.
He took a big step back last year when he only had 601 yards, but it was looking like 2020 could be somewhat of a breakout for him early on. Through the first three games he had 15 catches for 206 yards and a touchdown before COVID forced him to miss the past two contests.
The Titans declined his fifth-year option back in May, making the rest of this season extremely important for his financial future as he’ll now be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. The outbreak in Tennessee was scary, but fortunately things are trending in the right direction and appear to be almost back to normal.
Raiders Place CB Damon Arnette On Reserve/COVID-19 List
Hopefully this isn’t the start of something significant in Las Vegas. The Raiders have placed cornerback Damon Arnette on the reserve/COVID-19 list, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
The new rules dictate that a player doesn’t need to have tested positive to be placed on the list, so this doesn’t mean Arnette is COVID positive. He could also have come in close proximity to someone who tested positive, but we don’t know as of right now. The first-round rookie has already been on injured reserve since October 3rd with a thumb issue.
Arnette is expected to be sidelined at least a few more weeks with the thumb injury anyway, so this most likely won’t effect his return to the field. A couple of weeks ago Raiders defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was placed on the list as well.
Arnette, the 19th overall pick of April’s draft, had started all three games before going down. Here’s to hoping this is an isolated incident and not a sign of things to come within the Raiders’ building.
Broncos Sign Blake Bortles To Practice Squad
Blake Bortles won’t be leaving Denver after all. The Broncos released Bortles on Saturday after Drew Lock got healthy enough to return, but a source told Benjamin Allbright of KOA 850 AM that they’re re-signing Bortles to the practice squad (Twitter link).
Allbright added that Bortles impressed in the quarterback room, and it sounds like the team wants him around as a veteran mentor to the young Lock. For now the team has former Boise State quarterback and 2019 UDFA Brett Rypien as the backup, with Jeff Driskel still on the roster as the third-string. Bortles originally signed with the Broncos back on September 22nd.
The third overall pick of the 2014 draft, Bortles was the starter in Jacksonville for the first five years of his career. After that tumultuous stint he signed in Los Angeles last year, and spent 2019 carrying Jared Goff‘s clipboard. Thanks to the league’s new COVID-19 rules, veterans like Bortles are allowed to sign to practice squads for the first time.
Panthers Send Players And Coaches Home After Positive COVID-19 Test
UPDATE, 5:10pm: The Panthers placed Michael Schofield on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, which would seem to indicate he’s likely the positive test. The reserve interior lineman started two games at guard earlier this year.
12:30pm: There could be a new COVID-19 case in the league. The Panthers announced Monday that they had sent all players, coaches, and staff home for the day following an unconfirmed positive test.
That test is now being re-ran to make sure it isn’t a false positive. The Panthers were under stricter protocols this past week since they played against the Falcons and Marlon Davidson in Week 5, who later tested positive. It’s unclear who the positive within the Panthers organization is, or if it’s related to that contact with Davidson. Carolina did say that they were hoping to all be back in the building on Wednesday, which would mean they wouldn’t miss any real practice time.
Hopefully it turns out to be a false positive or at least an isolated case, but this isn’t what the 3-3 Panthers needed as they prepare for a big divisional game against the Saints where they are big underdogs. Carolina is coming off a disappointing home loss to the Bears on Sunday. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear more on the situation.
Torn ACL For Titans’ Taylor Lewan
On Monday morning, Taylor Lewan‘s worst fears were confirmed. The Titans tackle has been formally diagnosed with a torn ACL (Twitter link via Lewan). 
[RELATED: Titans Activate Jeffery Simmons From Reserve/COVID-19 List]
“I can’t wait to watch my guys crush it, I’m going to be the biggest Titans fan each and every Sunday,” Lewan wrote. “We are doing something special here and this small set back doesn’t change a thing!”
It’s a bad blow for the Titans, who advanced to 5-0 with their overtime win against the Texans. They managed to pull out the W without Lewan at left tackle, but it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Shortly after Ty Sambrailo took over, he allowed J.J. Watt to blow past him and surrendered a sack.
Lewan, a three-time Pro Bowler, stands as one of the NFL’s better left tackles. He’s also a locker room leader for the Titans. Last year, he earned an 80.2 grade from Pro Football Focus, slotting him as the No. 11 tackle in the league. That score was good for fifth among left tackles and his run-blocking grade was the best of any LT. He’s been consistently strong, too, routinely earning top 10 scores for pass and run blocking throughout his career.
If the Titans don’t want to move forward with Sambrailo as their LT, they could bump first-round pick Isaiah Wilson to the starting cast. After being cleared from the COVID-19 list, the Georgia standout could debut as soon as Sunday against the Steelers.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Albert Huggins
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: CB Nate Meadors
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Mason Kinsey
- Cut: WR Devin Ross
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DE Shareef Miller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Mazzi Wilkins