Seahawks Lose Trio Of Players
The Seahawks lost a tough one at home to the Cardinals on Sunday, and the news got much worse after the game. Running backs Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise will likely miss the rest of the season with hip and arm injuries respectively, head coach Pete Carroll announced to the media. Caroll also revealed that starting left tackle Duane Brown would undergo surgery on his knee and that while he could make it back for the playoffs, he won’t play next week.
That’s all very unfortunate, since Seattle has a crucial Week 17 game against the 49ers that will determine who wins the NFC West and in turn gets a home playoff game. The Seahawks were already playing without key defensive pieces in Jadeveon Clowney and Shaquill Griffin, and it’s unclear if either of them will make it back for next week. Either way, the Seahawks will now be very shorthanded for their showdown with San Francisco.
Rashaad Penny recently landed on injured reserve with an ACL injury, so Seattle has virtually no running backs left after today. They’ll certainly be making a move or two this week, and Carroll acknowledged as much by saying “John’s gotta get working” in reference to GM John Schneider, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Carson had been having a very solid year before going down, and will finish the season with 1,190 yards on the ground and nine total touchdowns.
Depending on who they add to the roster this week, rookie sixth-round pick Travis Homer currently profiles as the team’s starter at running back for Week 17. The Miami product now has eight carries in his career after handling five on Sunday. Brown is the anchor of the offensive line, and his absence will be sorely felt. 2018 fifth-round pick Jamarco Jones started two games when Brown was hurt earlier this year.
As for who Seattle will pick up, there are plenty of serviceable veteran options available. They worked out Robert Turbin and Alfred Blue last week after Penny went down, so perhaps one of those guys will get a call. Additionally, C.J. Anderson is a player the team might have interest in, Condotta hears (Twitter link). Anderson joined the Rams late in the season last year and ended up playing a huge role in their Super Bowl run, so he’s no stranger to this type of situation. Even more interestingly, Condotta tweets that he doesn’t “think it can be ruled out” that they might sign Marshawn Lynch. Lynch retired back in April, but left the door open for a return to the Raiders in May, so he might not be 100 percent finished. That would certainly be entertaining.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/20/19
One minor move to pass along:
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practiced squad: DT Bryan Mone
Mone will be taking the roster spot of Al Woods, the defensive tackle who was suspended four games earlier today. He’s a rookie UDFA who spent a few games on Seattle’s active roster toward the beginning of the year, making three tackles in their opener while playing significant snaps.
Falcons Place G James Carpenter On IR
The Falcons have placed guard James Carpenter on IR, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (via Twitter). Carpenter has missed the team’s last two contests with a concussion, and Atlanta has decided to play it safe with the 30-year-old vet.
Carpenter, a former first-round pick of the Seahawks, spent the first four years of his career in Seattle and the next four with the Jets. He hooked on with the Falcons shortly after free agency opened this past March, signing a four-year, $21MM pact with the club.
As that contract suggests, Carpenter has generally been a serviceable player, but not a great one. The Alabama product started all 11 games in which he appeared this year before succumbing to the concussion, but he has yielded four sacks (tied for 13th-most in the league) and has committed seven penalties (tied for sixth-most). Advanced metrics are also not fond of his work this year.
However, he has started 108 out of a possible 114 games in his career with three different teams, so he must be doing something right. The Falcons focused heavily on their O-line in the draft this year, and since they wouldn’t save a ton of money against the cap by cutting Carpenter, it seems as though he’ll be back in 2020 while Atlanta addresses areas of more pressing concern.
In a corresponding move, the Falcons signed OL Sean Harlow.
Steelers Waive DB Kameron Kelly
The Steelers have waived defensive back Kameron Kelly, the team announced. Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reported earlier today that Kelly was arrested in the early morning hours on Friday on two counts of terroristic threats and one count of resisting arrest.
Per the criminal complaint, police were called to Mario’s South Side Saloon in Pittsburgh when a man, identified as Kelly, was being disorderly. Police told him he had to leave, and he then became confrontational (he had already physically threatened an employee when his music choice was skipped over on the jukebox). Outside the venue, the arresting officer accidentally stepped on the foot of a woman, which angered Kelly. Kelly said the woman was “his girl” and pushed his chest against the officer’s and threatened him. Kelly then resisted arrest and was punched in the face several times by an officer. He was treated for a busted lip at a nearby hospital and then taken to jail.
Kelly, 23, signed with the Cowboys as a UDFA following the 2018 draft. The San Diego State product was cut prior to the start of training camp and later caught on with the San Diego Fleet of the now-defunct AAF. Kelly signed with the Steelers in April, shortly after the AAF shut down.
He played in every defensive snap for Pittsburgh in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Patriots, but he has only been used on special teams since the middle of the season (though he did record the first interception of his career against Lamar Jackson in the Steelers’ Week 5 loss to the Ravens).
In a corresponding move, the Steelers have promoted safety Marcus Allen from the practice squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/19/19
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Jermaine Grace
- Released: QB Eric Dungey
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DB Jayson Stanley
- Placed on PS-IR: Terry Godwin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Jamal Custis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Jaydon Mickens
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed: DB T.J. Green (from Saints)
- Placed on IR: OL Garrett McGhin
New York Jets
- Promoted: WR Josh Malone
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Ukeme Eligwe
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: TE Codey McElroy
Jets Sign RB Kenneth Dixon
Kenneth Dixon has not played in 2019 but will have a chance to get some time in before the season ends. The former Ravens running back signed with the Jets on Wednesday night.
With Jets second-stringer Bilal Powell dealing with an ankle injury, the team added Dixon. The latter came into the NFL as a fourth-round Ravens pick during current Jets player personnel director Chad Alexander‘s time in Baltimore. The Jets worked out Dixon in November.
A 2016 draft choice, Dixon did not play out his rookie contract with the Ravens. After adding Mark Ingram and Justice Hill this offseason, the Ravens waived Dixon in September. The Louisiana Tech alum has battled injuries and suspensions. He did not play throughout 2017 and participated in just six games last season.
When healthy, Dixon has played fairly well. Last season, he joined the Lamar Jackson-led offense and averaged 5.6 yards per carry on 60 attempts. Dixon averaged 4.3 per tote on 88 carries in 2016.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/18/19
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Alex Wesley
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
- Signed: DB Herb Miller
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Joe Dineen, DE Dewayne Hendrix, RB Jeremy McNichols
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/18/19
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Andre Chachere, LB Keishawn Bierria
- Promoted: LB/DE Vontarrius Dora
- Placed on IR: CB Kevin Peterson, LB Tanner Vallejo
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: LB Danny Trevathan
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DL Jamie Meder
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
- Placed on IR: S Rolan Milligan
New York Giants
- Promoted: S Rashaan Gaulden
Bucs Place Mike Evans On IR
On Wednesday, the Buccaneers officially placed wide receiver Mike Evans on injured reserve. He’ll be joined by safety Jordan Whitehead, who also left Sunday’s game against the Lions with a hamstring injury. 
Evans was held out of the Bucs’ Week 15 game against the Lions due to a hamstring injury, so the move doesn’t come as a huge surprise. The Bucs don’t have much to play for in the final two weeks of the season – besides pride – so they’ll keep Evans off the field and allow him to rest up for 2020.
Evans suffered the injury after reeling in a 61-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter against the Colts. The receiver fell to the turf in pain before limping to the sideline, but he got relatively good news after doctors got a closer look – there’s no tear in the hammy, just a pull.
The 26-year-old was in the midst of another standout season, hauling in 67 receptions for 1,157 yards and eight touchdowns. Justin Watson filled in for Evans, with the former fifth-rounder snagging his first career touchdown.
To fill Evans’ spot on the roster, the Bucs promoted wide receiver Spencer Schnell from the practice squad. Watson and Schnell will get a chance to show their stuff in the final two weeks of the season as Chris Godwin and Scotty Miller deal with hamstring injuries of their own.