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.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/20
Here are today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: CB Khalil Dorsey
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: WR Tyron Johnson
Washington Football Team
- Placed on IR: WR Steven Sims Jr.
- Signed to active roster: G Joshua Garnett
Austin Ekeler Placed On IR
Oct. 9, 3:09pm: Ekeler has been placed on IR, the team announced.
Oct. 5, 2:12pm: Ekeler is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with the injury, Schefter tweets. He notes Ekeler is seeking a second opinion on the injury and the timetable, although it sounds like injured reserve is a near certainty at this point.
Oct. 5, 11:39am: The Chargers collapsed like only they (and maybe the Falcons) know how to do, blowing a 17-point lead against the Buccaneers. The bad news doesn’t stop there however, as it looks like they’ll be without running back Austin Ekeler for a while.
Ekeler suffered a hyperextended knee and hamstring injury that will cause him to miss multiple weeks, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The severity won’t be known until an MRI on Monday, but it sounds like a trip to injured reserve (minimum three games) is a possibility. Ekeler pulled up lame and looked to be in loads of pain, needing to be carted off. The Chargers are expected to place Ekeler on IR, but they’ll wait until a full analysis is completed before making the call (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
It’s yet another brutal blow for a Chargers team that has yet again been besieged by injuries. They’re currently down multiple starters on the offensive line, receiver Mike Williams missed Sunday’s game, and a handful of starters on defense are hurt.
Los Angeles has come very close to winning every game, yet now sit at 1-3 through four weeks. Stop us if you’ve heard that one before. Ekeler was handling by far the biggest workload of his career this season after the Chargers moved on from Melvin Gordon. A dynamic pass-catcher as well as runner, he had 11 receptions in Week 3 against the Panthers.
The unheralded former undrafted free agent had 557 yards and three touchdowns on the ground last year, adding another 993 and eight through the air. The Western Colorado product signed a four-year, $24.5MM pact with the Chargers back in March, so thankfully he’s financially secure. Rookie fourth-rounder Joshua Kelley from UCLA and Justin Jackson will carry the load in his absence.
Dolphins Place LT Austin Jackson On IR
The Dolphins have placed left tackle Austin Jackson on IR due to a foot injury he suffered during Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports (via Twitter). Although the rookie LT would be eligible to return after three weeks under the modified rules for 2020, Barry Jackson says in a full-length piece that head coach Brian Flores was non-committal when asked if Austin Jackson would be back this season.
Indeed, Flores said the team is looking for a “long-term replacement” for Austin Jackson, so it sounds as if the USC product very well may miss the rest of the year. Though Miami has several options, Barry Jackson suggests that Julie’n Davenport — who filled in for Austin Jackson during the Seattle game and played well — might have the first crack at the LT job.
Austin Jackson was the second of three first-round choices that the Dolphins had in this year’s draft. He was thrown into the fire right away, and he acquitted himself reasonably well. He had not allowed a sack this season, and he recently earned praise from his position coach.
“Austin has had a great start to this season,” offensive line coach Steve Marshall said earlier this week. “He’s learning every time he’s going out there. I’m very excited for his future. He can be a heck of a pro offensive left tackle.”
Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics considered Austin Jackson to be a below-average performer in terms of both run-blocking and pass-blocking, but he has certainly shown enough flashes to justify Marshall’s enthusiasm. One wonders if Austin Jackson’s absence will have any bearing on Flores’ decision as to when to insert rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa into the starting lineup.
To take Austin Jackson’s place on the roster, the Dolphins have promoted rookie running back Salvon Ahmed from the practice squad. As Barry Jackson observes (via Twitter), the team has liked what it has seen from the UDFA, though he will be joining a crowded RB depth chart.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/8/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: S Geno Stone
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: LB Devante Bond
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: RB DeAndre Washington
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: OL Will Clapp
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Ross Cockrell, WR Josh Pearson
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/8/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: J.J. Wilcox
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: RB Antonio Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Reggie Begelton
Houston Texans
- Signed: K Brett Maher
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Najee Goode
- Released: CB Christian Angulo
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Marcus Kemp
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DT Lee Autry
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Paul Quessenberry
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Tommylee Lewis
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Sean Chandler
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DB Dante Olson
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/7/20
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: S Kentrell Brice
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on IR: DB Damontae Kazee
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: WR Taywan Taylor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers (from Cardinals): T Brett Toth
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: DL Jonathan Bullard
- Placed on IR: DB Neiko Thorpe
Bills Place CB Levi Wallace On IR
The Bills will be without one of their secondary starters for at least three games. They placed cornerback Levi Wallace on IR Wednesday.
Buffalo, which promoted Cam Lewis from its practice squad to replace Wallace on the active roster, has used Wallace as a starter since his 2018 rookie season. The former UDFA has started all 27 games in which he’s played.
Wallace left Sunday’s game in Las Vegas with an ankle injury, exiting the Week 4 contest on a cart after just six plays. The third-year defender played 76% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps last season and was used at a higher rate prior to this injury. Wallace has intercepted one pass — the third of his career — and made 21 tackles this season. Through three-plus games, Pro Football Focus graded Wallace as the Bills’ top corner (19th overall).
Josh Norman‘s 2020 debut, which included a forced fumble, will help the Bills at corner opposite All-Pro Tre’Davious White. Norman, 32, has 92 career starts. After beginning his Bills career as a backup, Norman figures to see more time without Wallace.