Cowboys’ Trysten Hill Done For Year
Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill is done for the year after tearing the ACL in his right knee against the Giants (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). He’ll undergo an MRI on Tuesday morning to confirm, but the diagnosis was immediately clear to team doctors. 
The hits just keep on coming in Dallas as Hill is the tenth starter to land on injured reserve in 2020. They were counting on the 2019 second-round pick, who seemed to be on the right track after a rocky rookie year. In 2019, Hill was sent home after arriving late to a practice and he even fell asleep in the middle of a speech by Basketball Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas.
Hill was first-string for all five of the Cowboys’ games this season, including Sunday’s 37-34 win over the rival Giants. His sophomore season will end with eleven total tackles, including one TFL. Antwaun Woods and third-round rookie Neville Gallimore are on hand to partner with Dontari Poe up front, but the Cowboys will need some reinforcements. Justin Hamilton — who previously suited up for the Chiefs and Eagles — may be called up from the taxi squad.
Browns Place Greedy Williams On IR
Browns cornerback Greedy Williams will be placed on injured reserve, per a club announcement. While he won’t require surgery, head coach Kevin Stefanski says he’ll need additional time to heal up from a nerve issue in his shoulder. 
[RELATED: Browns Place Nick Chubb On IR]
Williams was absent from the Browns’ first five games. Now that he’s on IR, he’ll miss at least another three. In a best case scenario, Williams will be eligible to return for the Browns’ Nov. 15 game against the Texans.
Williams, a 2019 second-round pick, registered 47 stops as a rookie. The LSU product missed a quarter the season due to hamstring issues and he once again finds himself sidelined. At best, Williams will finish his second pro season with just 20 regular season games played in total.
On the plus side, the Browns beat the Colts on Sunday with Terrence Mitchell, Denzel Ward, and Kevin Johnson as their top trio of cornerbacks. With that, they advanced to 3-1 on the season, though they’ll have to push for separation in the sardine-packed AFC North. Next up, a pivotal matchup against the 4-0 Steelers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/20
Here is the latest barrage of Saturday minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: TE Evan Baylis, S Curtis Riley
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: DB Tyler Hall, LB Edmond Robinson
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Badara Traore
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DT Kahlil McKenzie, CB Torry McTyer
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: DT Joey Ivie, DE Cameron Malveaux
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: T Jake Rodgers
- Placed on IR: RB LeVante Bellamy
Houston Texans
- Promoted: LB Nate Hall, S Jonathan Owens
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: G Jake Eldrenkamp, WR Marcus Johnson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: DL Caraun Reid, LB Quincy Williams, S Jarrod Wilson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: DE Datone Jones, DE Chris Smith
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: DT Eric Banks
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: DE Tyshun Render
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: DE Eddie Yarbrough
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from IR: CB Craig James, WR Quez Watkins
- Promoted: DB Grayland Arnold, TE Jason Croom, DB Elijah Riley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: FB Trey Edmunds
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: CB Brian Allen, CB Jamar Taylor, WR Kevin White
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: S Damarious Randall
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Greg Mabin
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: TE Temarrick Hemingway
Jets Release LB Alec Ogletree
Alec Ogletree‘s atypical stay with the Jets may be at an end. The Jets announced they have released the veteran linebacker, doing so to make room for Le’Veon Bell‘s return and practice squad promotions.
The Jets could stash Ogletree back on their practice squad, which is how he originally caught on with Gang Green despite his seven seasons of experience as a starter. Ogletree does not have to go through waivers, with the trade deadline not yet here, so the former first-round pick is back in free agency.
A two-year Giants starter and five-year Rams first-stringer before heading to New York, Ogletree played in two Jets games. He made one start, upon being promoted from the Jets’ taxi squad in Week 2. After not playing in Week 3, the 29-year-old defender saw action in a reserve capacity last week. Ogletree played 56% of Gang Green’s snaps in both Week 2 and Week 4.
While Bell is officially back on the Jets’ active roster, the team also promoted quarterback Mike White, offensive lineman Jimmy Murray and cornerback Lamar Jackson. They also waived wide receiver Josh Malone.
With Sam Darnold out against the Cardinals, the Jets are starting Joe Flacco. They also have James Morgan on their active roster; White will make four QBs on the team’s 55-man Sunday roster. A former Cowboys fifth-round pick in 2018, White has not dressed for a game.
Cowboys Place C Joe Looney On IR, Activate CB Anthony Brown
The Cowboys will have one of their top cornerbacks in uniform Sunday against the Giants. They are activating slot corner Anthony Brown from IR.
Brown has missed the past three games, joining Chidobe Awuzie in that regard. Dallas, however, will be without its starting center for a while. Dealing with an MCL malady he suffered on the first play of the Cowboys’ Week 4 game against the Browns, Joe Looney is now on Dallas’ injured reserve list.
Dallas re-signed Brown this offseason, bringing back the fifth-year veteran after allowing Byron Jones to leave in free agency. Brown played all 73 of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps in Week 1, but a rib injury sidelined him for the team’s past three games.
The Cowboys made Brown part of their standout 2016 draft class, adding him in Round 6. He has played 57 games with the team since. No. 58 will come Sunday against the Giants, helping the NFL’s last-ranked scoring defense. Awuzie, however, remains on the Cowboys’ IR.
Looney must miss at least three games. While he is not expected to miss the rest of the season like starting tackles Tyron Smith (now on IR as well) and La’el Collins, this is an obvious setback for an injury-riddled Dallas offensive line. The Cowboys will turn to rookie Tyler Biadasz as their starting center Sunday.
The Cowboys also promoted linebacker Francis Bernard, center Marcus Henry and defensive back Steven Parker from their practice squad.
Titans To Activate T Isaiah Wilson From Reserve/COVID-19 List
While it is not a 100% certainty that Tuesday’s Titans-Bills game will take place, Tennessee’s 2020 first-round pick has a chance to make his season debut.
The Titans are activating Isaiah Wilson from their reserve/COVID-19 list, Mike Vrabel said Saturday. The rookie tackle has been on the COVID list for the past 34 days.
Wilson has not enjoyed a smooth ride since being selected 29th overall. The Titans placed the Georgia offensive lineman on their reserve/COVID list twice, and Wilson was arrested on a DUI charge in September. He also received a trespass citation after attending a Tennessee State party in August — something that fell under this year’s “conduct detrimental” umbrella.
Dennis Kelly has operated as the Titans’ starting right tackle in the team’s first three games, serving as a potential bridge between Jack Conklin and Wilson. A ninth-year veteran, Kelly will likely continue to work as a starter Tuesday — should the game be played. Wilson, however, could see action as he attempts to rebound from a bad offseason.
The Titans’ consecutive days of no positive coronavirus tests allowed them to return to their facility after more than a week, putting their Week 5 home game on track to commence.
Jets To Activate Le’Veon Bell From IR
SATURDAY: The Jets will have their starting running back available against the Cardinals. They will move Bell from IR to their active roster Saturday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes.
WEDNESDAY: Le’Veon Bell has spent the required amount of time on IR to return to action, in this unique season, and the Jets have designated their starting running back to return.
While Bell is not yet on Gang Green’s 53-man roster, the team has three weeks from Wednesday to activate Bell. However, Bell returning to practice points to him being back on the Jets’ active roster by Sunday. He has not played since suffering a left hamstring pull in Week 1.
This will mark the latest chapter for Bell and the Jets — a partnership that has thus far not gone well. Bell and Adam Gase disagreed on the former All-Pro’s hamstring situation during training camp. This, of course, was on the heels of Bell’s worst season as a pro and reports of Gase not wanting Bell — at least, not at the $13.1MM-per-year price tag required — in the first place.
Gase now looms as a chopping-block candidate, while Bell is a near-certainty to be off the Jets’ roster before the start of the 2021 league year — at the latest. But the 28-year-old back is back at Jets practice and on track to return to game action. The Jets have primarily used Frank Gore in Bell’s stead. The 37-year-old back, however, has averaged just 3.2 yards per carry.
Chiefs Activate CB Bashaud Breeland
Bashaud Breeland should make his 2020 debut this weekend. The Chiefs have officially activated the cornerback off the reserve/suspended list. To make room on the roster, Kansas City placed rookie defensive end Mike Danna on injured reserve.
Breeland joined the Chiefs prior to last season, and he proceeded to appear in all 16 games (15 starts), compiling 48 tackles, eight passes defended, and two interceptions. The defensive back also started each of Kansas City’s three playoff games, including their Super Bowl win where he finished with an interception and a team-high seven tackles.
The 28-year-old inked a one-year, $3MM deal to stick with the Chiefs this offseason, but he was later suspended for the first four games of the 2020 campaign after violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Breeland should play an immediate role for Kansas City, although the young secondary hasn’t really struggled without him. The Chiefs rank third in the NFL in interceptions, and they’ve got contributions from the likes of Rashad Fenton and fourth-round rookie L’Jarius Sneed.
Danna, a fifth-round rookie out of Michigan, has appeared in all four games for Kansas City, and he played at least 43-percent of the team’s defensive snaps through the first three weeks of the season. Danna suffered a hamstring injury during the Chiefs’ win over the Patriots on Monday, forcing the rookie to miss at least the next three weeks.
Vikings Sign S George Iloka To Active Roster
George Iloka is back on the Vikings active roster. This time, he might actually stick around. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that Minnesota has signed the veteran safety to their 53-man roster.
The Vikings had elevated Iloka from the practice squad for each of their past two games. However, teams are only allowed to seamlessly elevate each practice squad player twice. So, this time around, the front office was required to sign Iloka to the 53-man roster.
After appearing in 16 games for Minnesota during the 2018 campaign, Iloka sat out the 2019 season. He re-joined the Vikings this past summer, and he’s proceeded to compile six tackles through two games. During last weekend’s win over the Texans, the 30-year-old filled in for Harrison Smith following the starter’s ejection, and Iloka proceeded to play 66-percent of his team’s defensive snaps.
“I think George did a good job of trying to come and be that Swiss Army knife,” safety Anthony Harris told Mark Craig of the Star Tribune earlier this week. “He’s working hard to pick up as much as he can and be as versatile as he can. And he was able to come in and make some plays for us and allow us to play as a unit good enough to come out with a win.”
Iloka spent the first six seasons of his career in Cincinnati. He’s appeared in 101 career games (79 starts), collecting 365 tackles and nine interceptions.
IR/Activation Notes: Njoku, 49ers, Rams, Giants
David Njoku is back. The Browns announced this morning that they’ve activated the tight end from the injured reserve.
The 24-year-old suffered a knee injury during Cleveland’s season opener, and he was subsequently placed on IR. He was designated for return earlier this week, and coach Kevin Stefanski indicated that Njoku would see the field sooner than later. The tight end had three receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown in Week 1, surpassing some of the totals he compiled during his injury-plagued 2019 campaign.
Njoku requested a trade back in July, only to rescind it in early August. While the former first-rounder sits behind free agent addition Austin Hooper on the depth chart (and has to battle the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, and Kareem Hunt for targets), Njoku should still see a role in the offense going forward.
Let’s check out some more IR/activation notes from around the NFL…
- The 49ers‘ injury woes continue, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (biceps) and cornerback K’Waun Williams (knee/hip) are heading to the IR. Ansah joined San Francisco in late September, and he’s proceeded to appear in two games. He spent the 2019 campaign with the Seahawks, finishing with 18 tackles, two forced fumbles, and 2.5 sacks. Williams has spent the past three-plus seasons with the 49ers, and he’s started two of his four appearances this season. Fortunately, there is some good news out of San Francisco, as head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will start Sunday against the Dolphins (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter). Garoppolo has missed the past two-plus games, with the team mostly turning to Nick Mullens in his stead.
- 2020 third-round pick Terrell Lewis could make his debut for the Rams this weekend. Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets that the rookie linebacker has been activated off the IR. Following a stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Lewis underwent a knee scope just before the start of the season. The former Alabama standout could immediately see some time on the edge for the Rams.
- The Giants placed linebacker Oshane Ximines on IR with a shoulder injury, reports SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano (via Twitter). The 2019 third-rounder saw time in all 16 games as a rookie, finishing with 4.5 sacks. He started three of the Giants first four games in 2020, collecting five tackles.