Panthers Add K Greg Joseph To P-Squad
The Panthers have acquired competition for incumbent kicker Joey Slye. Former Browns kicker Greg Joseph is now on the Panthers’ practice squad, according to Joseph’s agent, Brett Tessler (Twitter link).
Slye missed a 28-yard field goal that would have given the Panthers a three-point lead in the fourth quarter of what became a three-point loss to the Saints on Sunday. Prior to that, Slye missed two extra points.
Carolina was pondering workouts and will go with Joseph, whose Browns tenure began after Zane Gonzalez‘s rough September 2018 day in New Orleans.
Joseph made 17 of 20 field goal tries last season, the Florida Atlantic alum’s only NFL work to date. Slye is now 19-for-26 on field goals and 22-for-26 on PATs. Carolina went with Slye, a rookie out of Virginia Tech, after longtime kicker Graham Gano landed on IR.
Panthers Waive S Rashaan Gaulden
The Panthers have waived safety Rashaan Gaulden, the team announced. Gaulden was a third-round pick in the 2018 draft, but he never cracked the starting lineup and saw most of his action as a special-teamer.
And when a special teams player makes an error on special teams, that player may not be long for the roster. In Sunday’s difficult loss to the Saints, Gaulden collided with punt returner D.J. Moore, which led to an early turnover, and he also picked up an unnecessary roughness penalty later in the game.
Plus, as Joe Person of The Athletic points out, Gaulden was never happy with his role on the team and left an August practice for reasons that went unexplained (Twitter link). And as Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets, Gaulden has been a healthy scratch this year.
Given his draft pedigree and potential versatility, Gaulden should get an opportunity elsewhere, even if he goes unclaimed on waivers. He ends his Panthers career with 18 total tackles and a pass defensed.
Colts To Place TE Eric Ebron On IR
The Colts suffered a damaging blow to their hopes of winning the AFC South by losing to the Texans on Thursday night, and they have also suffered a key injury. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Indianapolis will be placing tight end Eric Ebron on injured reserve, as Ebron needs surgery on both of his ankles.
Ebron, whom the Lions selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 draft, had something of an up-and-down tenure in Detroit, but the Colts took a gamble on his upside by giving him a two-year, $13MM deal shortly after the Lions released him in March 2018. He did not disappoint, as he developed great chemistry with Colts’ signal-caller Andrew Luck throughout the 2018 campaign and finished the season with 66 catches for 750 yards and a whopping 13 TDs. His efforts earned him the first Pro Bowl nod of his career.
But Ebron struggled to develop the same rapport with Jacoby Brissett this season, and he has battled injuries and consistency issues throughout the year. He will finish the 2019 season with 31 catches for 375 yards and three scores.
It’s bad timing for Ebron, who will be a free agent again this offseason, but assuming he makes a full recovery, he should still be able to land another multi-year pact. The Colts will lean more heavily on fellow TE Jack Doyle as they continue their playoff push, and they will also sign Ross Travis, as Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star tweets. Travis played four games for the Colts in the 2017 season, but an ACL tear wiped out his entire 2018 campaign. Indy re-signed him to a one-year pact in February, but he did not survive final cuts.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/23/19
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: OL Cole Madison
Falcons Promote DE Austin Larkin
Austin Larkin could end up making his NFL debut this weekend. The Falcons announced that they’ve promoted the defensive end from the practice squad. Larkin will take the roster spot that was previously held by offensive lineman Sean Harlow, who was cut yesterday.
Atlanta’s defensive end corps is currently struggling with injuries. Takkarist McKinley is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game with a shoulder injury. Fellow defensive linemen John Cominsky and Adrian Clayborn are also ailing, so the Falcons were clearly in need of some reinforcement.
In comes Larkin, who was a standout for the Falcons during the preseason. The Purdue product had 11 tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss, landing him a role on Atlanta’s practice squad. He’s had three separate stints with the organization this season, and this is the first that’s led to a promotion.
Considering the injuries, Larkin could end up getting some playing time against the Buccaneers. Vic Beasley, Allen Bailey, and Jacob Tuioti-Mariner are the only other healthy defensive ends on the active roster.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/22/19
A couple of practice squad moves to pass along:
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: FB Ricky Ortiz
New York Jets
- Released: FB Valentine Holmes
Holmes is a former rugby star who came over as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. Interestingly, he is expected to “return to his native Australia to rejoin the National Rugby League,” reports Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Ortiz had worked out for the Saints about a month ago, so the signing isn’t surprising.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/19
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: OL Sean Harlow
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Brandin Bryant, DE Porter Gustin
Denver Broncos
- Promoted from practice squad: OLB Ahmad Gooden
- Waived: TE Orson Charles
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Joel Heath, WR Steven Mitchell
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Jason Vander Laan
- Placed on IR: WR Austin Carr
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from the practice squad: TE Tyrone Swoopes
Redskins To Place Vernon Davis On IR
Out since September because of a concussion, Vernon Davis will head to IR. The Redskins will place the 14th-year veteran tight end on their injured list, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets.
Washington will promote defensive lineman Ryan Bee from its practice squad, per NBC Sports Washington’s J.P. Finlay (on Twitter). Defensive line starter Daron Payne is doubtful to face the Lions.
For Davis, it’s fair to wonder if this is the end of his NFL run. The 2006 first-round pick signed with the Redskins in 2016 and enjoyed two productive seasons while helping the team as Jordan Reed insurance and an overqualified No. 2 tight end. Davis’ three-year, $15MM deal expires at season’s end. This contract marks Davis’ second with Washington, following a one-year pact that covered the 2016 season.
In 2016 and ’17, Davis combined for 1,231 yards and five touchdowns while working with Kirk Cousins. He started 30 games during that span, often joining Reed in the Redskins’ lineup. The 35-year-old tight end began this season with a spectacular touchdown against the Eagles but did not surpass 30 yards in a game since that 59-yard Week 1 showing. Reed has missed the entire season, and with Davis’ contract up, Washington may be set to start over at this position.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/21/19
Today’s practice squad updates:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DE Dewayne Hendrix
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: S A.J. Howard
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB John Kelly
New England Patriots
- Signed: DE Tashawn Bower
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Ryan Crozier
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: C J.C. Hassenauer
- Released: TE Kevin Rader
Washington Redskins
- Signed: LB Chris Odom, DL Jojo Wicker
Seahawks To Place Ed Dickson On IR
After having just activated him from injured reserve on Wednesday, the Seahawks are expected to place tight end Ed Dickson back on IR, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Seattle reportedly has concern about Dickson’s recovery from an ongoing knee issue.
Dickson was originally slated to miss four-to-five weeks after undergoing knee surgery in early August, but he never came close to meeting that recovery timeline. The Seahawks have already placed Will Dissly on injured reserve and traded Nick Vannett, so Dickson could have seen immediate work alongside fellow tight end Jacob Hollister had he been able to stay on the field.
Dickson signed a three-year, $10.7MM contract with the Seahawks last spring, but his 2018 debut was delayed by various injuries. After spending the first part of the year on the non-football injury list, Dickson was activated in October, and went on to post 12 receptions and three touchdowns in 10 appearances.
If the Seahawks want to move on from Dickson next spring after essentially two lost campaigns, they could cut the 32-year-old without much financial consequence. Seattle would save $3.4MM in cap space and incur only $866K in dead money by releasing Dickson.