Minor NFL Transactions: 11/16/19
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: S Josh Jones
- Placed on IR: OL Adam Redmond
Detroit Lions
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Bo Scarbrough
- Waived: RB Paul Perkins
Washington Redskins
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Cam Sims
Steelers To Sign WR Deon Cain Off Colts’ Practice Squad
Prior to Thursday night’s ugly conclusion in Cleveland, the Steelers lost multiple wide receivers to injuries. They will respond by adding wideout Deon Cain from the Colts’ practice squad, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson — Pittsburgh’s Nos. 1-2 wideouts this season — suffered concussions during the Week 11 loss to the Browns. The Steelers will add Cain, whom the Colts recently viewed as a player who could be a reliable target.
The Colts cut Cain last week but were able to pass him through waivers and onto their practice squad. They opted not to promote him again and will see him head to Pittsburgh. Indianapolis drafted Cain in the sixth round out of Clemson in 2018 and were pleased with his early development, but an ACL tear during his initial training camp threw that development off course. This season, Cain could not gain a foothold in Indianapolis’ depleted receiving corps, catching just four passes for 52 yards in seven games.
Down James Conner again, the Steelers also signed running back Kerrith Whyte Jr. off the Bears’ practice squad. Chicago drafted White in the seventh round this year. They will make room for these additions with cuts of edge defender Jayrone Elliott and running back Tony Brooks-James.
Jets To Place Ryan Kalil On IR
More changes for the Jets’ starting offensive line. Signed out of retirement, Ryan Kalil will finish this season on IR, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The Jets will promote offensive lineman Leo Koloamatangi to their active roster to replace the longtime center. A knee injury will end Kalil’s season and perhaps send him back to retirement. Kalil had started seven Jets games this season, but that knee malady had kept him out since Week 8. Pro Football Focus graded Kalil as its No. 33 center (out of 34 qualified snappers) this season.
This marks more turnover for the Jets’ front. The team will start a different right guard Sunday, after Brian Winters‘ injury, and has already experienced turnover at every other spot on its line. New York had already started multiple players at left tackle, left guard and right tackle this season. Of Gang Green’s Week 11 starters, only left tackle Kelvin Beachum was present in the Week 1 lineup.
Jonotthan Harrison is next in line to start at center, as he did for much of last season with the Jets. Harrison re-signed this offseason, but after Joe Douglas took the GM reins from Mike Maccagnan, the team lured Kalil out of retirement with a one-year, $8.4MM deal. Harrison has started the past two Jets games.
Kalil, 34, started 145 games for the Panthers from 2007-18. The former second-round pick made five Pro Bowl rosters and ended two seasons as a first-team All-Pro.
Bears To Place TE Trey Burton On IR
Trey Burton‘s second Bears season has not gone well, and it will end with the tight end on IR. The Bears will shuttle the sixth-year player to their IR list, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Burton is battling a calf injury that kept him out of practice this week. The Bears will promote linebacker James Vaughters from their practice squad to take the open roster spot. Burton missed Bears offseason activities due to sports hernia surgery but was ready by Week 1.
After catching 54 passes for 569 yards and six touchdowns in his Chicago debut season, Burton will close his 2019 slate with 14 receptions for 84 yards and no scores. Still, Burton’s 84 yards lead all Bears tight ends. This has obviously been a trouble spot for an offense that has fallen well off its 2018 performance level. Adam Shaheen, a 2017 second-round pick, has just nine grabs for 74 yards in eight games.
Burton’s four-year, $32MM contract runs through the 2021 season. It calls for a $7.5MM dead-money charge, with barely $1MM in cap savings, were the Bears to cut Burton after this season. It’s likely the ex-Philly Special passer will be back next season in an attempt to bounce back from essentially a lost year. But tight end will likely be a need for the Bears, whose 2017 Dion Sims addition also did not work out.
Rams Promote WR Nsimba Webster
Nsimba Webster could make his NFL debut tomorrow. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Rams have elevated the wideout to their active roster.
Part of the reason for Webster’s promotion is due to the Rams’ diminished receiver depth. Brandin Cooks remains sidelined with a concussion, while three of the team’s tight ends (Gerald Everett, Tyler Higbee, Johnny Mundt) were also listed on the injury report with various ailments. Jared Goff will need every healthy target against the Bears, necessitating today’s move.
However, Rapoport notes that Webster was also promoted because a rival team tried to sign him off the practice squad. The Rams clearly believe in the receiver’s potential, leading to his placement on the roster.
There’s plenty of reasons to be intrigued by the undrafted rookie out of Eastern Washington. Webster had a very productive senior campaign, hauling in 84 receptions for 1,379 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also had a standout preseason, leading the Rams in receptions (15) and receiving yards (150). This led to him making the initial 53-man roster.
Webster was inactive for the Rams’ first five games of the season, and he was waived by the team in mid-October. He subsequently landed with the organization’s practice squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/15/19
One practice squad move to pass along:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OT Cedrick Lang
- Released: OT Gerhard de Beer
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/15/19
Not too many minor moves to report as we head into the weekend:
Los Angeles Chargers:
- Signed: LS Matt Overton
- Placed on NFI list: DL Cortez Broughton
The Chargers’ normal longsnapper Cole Mazza has been listed on the injury report with an illness the past couple of days, which helps explain this move.
Broncos Place Bryce Callahan On IR
It’s now official. The Broncos placed cornerback Bryce Callahan on IR, per a press release from the team. To take his place on the roster, the club will activate wide receiver Tim Patrick from IR. 
The Broncos gave Callahan a three-year, $21MM deal with $10MM guaranteed. The former Bears slot standout, unfortunately, has yet to play a down in Denver. This comes after last season’s letdown – he ended the 2018 campaign on Chicago’s IR with a broken foot. This year, he aggravated that injury in training camp.
Callahan was one of three high-profile Broncos free agent additions, joining Kareem Jackson and Ja’Wuan James. While Jackson has delivered in his first full season as a safety, James has missed most of this season. Two out of three ain’t bad, but one out of three is….pretty bad.
The Broncos are 3-6 with nearly no chance of seeing the playoffs this year. On the plus side – they managed to beat the Browns in their last time out and they’ll be ticketed for a high first-round draft pick, provided that they don’t mess things up by winning too much the rest of the way.
Vikings Activate Josh Doctson
The Vikings have activated wide receiver Josh Doctson, per a club announcement. The former first-round pick could be in line to make his season debut on Sunday with Adam Thielen out for yet another week. 
The Vikings signed Doctson towards the end of August, shortly after cutting Laquon Treadwell, who was taken one spot behind him in the 2016 draft. Treadwell has since returned to Minnesota, meaning that the two may actually take the field together.
Doctson’s next game with Minnesota will be his first in purple – at least, his first in Vikings purple. Before joining the Vikings, Doctson started 26 games across the previous two years for the Redskins, but registered just 79 total catches for 1,034 yards and eight touchdowns. Last year, he placed 96th out of 107 qualifying wideouts in yards per route run last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Those numbers aren’t great, but the potential is still there. His history with quarterback Kirk Cousins may also help.
Besides Doctson, Treadwell, and the injured Thielen, the Vikings also currently have wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Olabisi Johnson in the mix.
Eagles To Sign Jay Ajayi
The Eagles intend to sign free agent running back Jay Ajayi, a source tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Ajayi worked out for the club this week and a deal should come together before the end of business today. 
Ajayi joins the club just after word of Darren Sproles‘ season-ending (and possibly career-ending) injury. Given his track record, Ajayi figures to provide some serious support in the backfield, if he is healthy himself.
The Eagles traded for Ajayi in 2017 and saw immediate results out of the former Dolphins ball carrier. After his 1,272-yard 2016 season with Miami, he became a key part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl run the following year. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry with the Eagles in 2017. He did not fare as well with the ’18 Eagles, who lacked consistency on the ground. But, the team will see what the 26-year-old can provide as they come down the home stretch.
Ajayi may make his Eagles return on Sunday, when the Eagles face the Patriots in Philly.