Broncos Add DLs Sylvester Williams, Darius Kilgo To Practice Squad
The Broncos are adding two familiar faces to their practice squad. Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that Denver has signed defensive tackles Sylvester Williams and Darius Kilgo. The two players auditioned for the Broncos earlier this week alongside Timmy Jernigan (who ultimately signed with the team), David Moa, Brian Price, and Niles Scott.
Williams was a first-round pick by the Broncos back in 2013, and while he never really lived up to his potential, he still managed to play a role for those competitive Denver squads. The lineman ultimately spend four seasons with the Broncos, starting a pair of Super Bowls (and winning one).
He signed a three-year deal with the Titans prior to the 2017 campaign, but he lasted less than a year in Tennessee. He’s since had stints with the Lions, Dolphins, Saints, and Chargers, and he had five tackles in five games with Los Angeles in 2019.
A 2015 sixth-round pick by Denver, Kilgo was also a member of that Broncos Super Bowl-winning squad. The 28-year-old hasn’t done a whole lot since getting released by Denver during the 2016 campaign; he compiled five tackles in 11 games for the Titans in 2018, but that’s been it. He’s also had stints with the Patriots (where he earned a second Super Bowl ring), Jaguars, Titans, and Lions.
Bears Sign Lamar Miller To Practice Squad
The Bears are expected to add running back Lamar Miller to the practice squad, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Miller will provide Chicago with some much-needed depth in the wake of Tarik Cohen‘s season-ending injury.
[RELATED: Nick Foles Named Bears Starter]
Miller signed a one-year deal with the Patriots earlier this summer, roughly one year after he tore his ACL during the Texans’ preseason. He wasn’t able to stick in New England, but he’s reportedly healthy and ready to go.
Miller earned Pro Bowl nod during his last healthy season in 2018, rushing for five scores and 973 yards on 210 carries (4.6 yards per carry) with the Texans. He also added 25 receptions for 163 receiving yards and one touchdown during that season.
The Bears deal reunites Miller with Charles London, his former RBs coach in Houston, and Bill Lazor, his old offensive coordinator in Miami. Both coaches know what Miller is capable of, as he notched 1,000-yard seasons for both the Texans and Dolphins.
Cardinals Sign Justin Murray To Extension
The Cardinals have signed Justin Murray to a two-year contract extension, per a club announcement. The offensive lineman can earn up to $9MM over the course of deal, which will keep him under contract through the 2022 season. 
As OverTheCap.com details, the extension is worth $5.5MM in new money. That includes a $1MM signing bonus, a $1.75MM salary in 2021, and a $2.25MM salary in 2022. The 2021-22 seasons also include up to $250K in per-game active roster bonuses. So presumably the $3.5MM difference between the $5.5MM new money value and the $9MM maximum are comprised of other incentives.
Murray, a Cincinnati product, has bounced around quite a bit since he first entered the league with the Broncos in 2016. After stops with the Broncos, Buccaneers, Saints, Bengals, and Raiders, he landed with the Cardinals in 2019 and was quickly thrust into the starting lineup. Murray started in 12 of his 14 games with Arizona, where he has found a real NFL home. Thanks in part to Murray, the Cardinals averaged over five yards per carry in 2019.
The Cardinals re-upped Murray on his low-cost exclusive rights free agent tender earlier this year, and they’ve rewarded him with a fresh deal midway through the 2020 season. No longer serving as the Cardinals’ starting right tackle, Murray now backstops Kelvin Beachum at RT while also supporting J.R. Sweezy at right guard.
This week, the Cardinals will look to advance to 3-1 when they face the Panthers in Carolina.
Titans Place CB Kristian Fulton On Reserve/COVID-19 List
Shut down for the time being, the Titans added another player to their reserve/COVID-19 list. They placed cornerback Kristian Fulton on the list, where he joins five other players.
The Titans took Fulton in the second round out of LSU; he has played 47% of their defensive snaps through three games. Fulton, cornerback Greg Mabin, long snapper Beau Brinkley, linebacker Kamalei Correa, defensive lineman DaQuan Jones and practice squad tight end Tommy Hudson are on the team’s COVID list. Mabin landed there last week, prior to the outbreak that prompted the NFL to postpone Titans-Steelers Week 4 game.
Players do not have to test positive to land on the list, but the Titans confirmed earlier Thursday an unnamed player did so. That moves the count up to 11 players and staffers in total, counting outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen. The Tennessee assistant also wound up on the COVID list last week after testing positive for the virus.
Thus far, no one with the Vikings has tested positive after the team’s Week 3 game with the Titans. Minnesota’s trip to Houston remains a go. The NFL has not announced the Steelers-Titans matchup’s new date yet, but a Week 7 clash — thus moving Steelers-Ravens to Week 8, when both teams have byes — has been the frequently mentioned workaround.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/1/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: K Elliott Fry, S T.J. Green
- Released: P Cameron Nizialek
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Pete Guerriero
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Ryan Switzer
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Juwann Winfree
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: G Ryan Hunter
New England Patriots
- Signed: G Jordan Roos
- Released: WR Mason Kinsey
Cardinals Add T.J. Ward To Practice Squad
The Cardinals have signed veteran safety T.J. Ward to their practice squad, per a club announcement. With injuries throughout the position group, it might not be long before Ward is called up to the varsity squad. 
The Cardinals’ safety group has been ravaged by injuries. Jalen Thompson is on IR, Budda Baker is still healing up from thumb surgery, and Chris Banjo is questionable due to a hamstring pull, which could put Ward on the field for this week’s game against the Panthers. The Cardinals may also have to get creative by moving versatile rookie linebacker Isaiah Simmons to the secondary.
Ward played three seasons with the Broncos, serving as one of the anchors for Denver’s No Fly Zone Super Bowl-winning secondary. He missed the 53-man cut in Vance Joseph‘s first year as the team’s head coach — now, he’s set to play for him in Arizona.
Ward, 33, has not played since the 2017 season. In his last stop with the Buccaneers, Ward registered 30 tackles and three passes defended in 12 games (five starts). Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance, ranking him 58th among eligible safeties.
Ravens, Marlon Humphrey Agree To $98MM+ Deal
The Ravens have agreed to a brand new five-year, $98.75MM extension with star cornerback Marlon Humphrey (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). The deal, which includes $66MM in total guaranteed cash, makes him one of the league’s highest paid players at his position. The Ravens have also confirmed the extension via social media.
[RELATED: Ravens CB Tavon Young Done For The Year]
“Marlon is the type of player we want in Baltimore,” Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said. “Besides his obvious talents as a playmaking corner, he’s a passionate competitor who craves winning. We are excited that he’s going to remain with us for seven seasons.”
Humphrey, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2017 draft, was previously cuffed through the 2021 season via the fifth-year options. Per league rules for the fifth-year option on first-round picks, he was in line for the average salary of the league’s No. 3 – No. 25 highest-paid CBs, which came out to just over $10MM. His new pact will give him $19.5MM per annum, and $37MM paid out by March of 2021.
Humphrey, 24 in July, started nearly every game for the Ravens last year en route to his first career Pro Bowl selection and first ever First-Team All-Pro nod. Along the way, he notched three interceptions, recovered three fumbles, returned two of them for touchdowns. In the interest of equal time: the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 37th best cornerback in the NFL; solid standing, though most evaluators and fans would probably rank him higher.
Humphrey is just the latest corner to hit the jackpot this year, following extensions for Jalen Ramsey (five-year, $105MM deal), Byron Jones (five years, $82.5MM), Tre’Davious White (four years, $70MM), and Darius Slay (three years, $50.05MM). After losing slot corner Tavon Young for the season, the Ravens will be banking on Humphrey more than ever in 2020.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/20
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S T.J. Green
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: S Marcus Gilchrist
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: G Deion Calhoun, LB Kendall Donnerson
- Released: OT Josh Knipfel
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Krishawn Hogan
- Released: QB Chad Kelly
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Chad Williams
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB B.J. Bello
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S Damarious Randall, LB Tim Williams
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Malik Henry
- Placed on PS-IR: Lil’Jordan Humphrey
49ers To Place Dee Ford On IR
The 49ers will place edge rusher Dee Ford on injured reserve this week, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan (Twitter link via NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco). With that, Ford will be held out for a minimum of three games.
Ford played 46 snaps in the 49ers’ Week 1 loss to the Cardinals, but back issues have kept him out ever since. As it turns out, the Niners didn’t need much help against the Jets and Giants, drumming New York’s teams with ease in Weeks 2 and 3. Still, it’s another frustrating setback for both Ford and the Niners. The 29-year-old registered 6.5 sacks last year despite missing five games, and he was said to be looking sharp after offseason knee surgery.
The 49ers sent a second-round draft pick to the Chiefs in 2019 to acquire Ford in a tag-and-trade deal. The impressive edge rusher managed 13 sacks for Kansas City in 2018, but his five-year, $85MM contract has yet to really pay off for John Lynch & Co. Even when he did suit up last year, Ford had to be restricted by a pitch count, putting him on the field for just 22% of SF’s defensive snaps.
The 49ers — sans Ford — will face the Eagles at home on Sunday night.
Texans To Pass On Earl Thomas?
Earl Thomas‘ scheduled workout with the Texans was scuttled, and head coach Bill O’Brien says it was due to the league’s most recent COVID-19 advisory (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). However, that’s not quite the full story, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), who hears that the Texans do not currently see Thomas as a great fit for their locker room. 
[RELATED: Texans Sign Corey Liuget]
Thomas, a seven-time Pro Bowler, left his past two clubs on bad terms. In Seattle, Thomas literally left the team with an extended middle finger as he was carted off of the field. In Baltimore, Thomas failed to grasp the playbook in his first year and wore out his welcome last week when he got into an altercation with a teammate.
Thomas’ perceived attitude problems would explain his ongoing unemployment. The years-long love affair between Thomas and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did not result in a deal this year, and the Chargers were quick to pass on him after losing star Derwin James for the season.
For now, the Texans will continue with third-year starter Justin Reid and newcomer Eric Murray as their starting safeties. Meanwhile, they’re without key backup A.J. Moore, who has been placed on IR due to the hamstring injury he suffered against the Steelers.