Sprained Ankle For Jaguars’ Marqise Lee
Jaguars wide receiver Marqise Lee has a sprained ankle, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The sprain is viewed as a minor/moderate one, so he’s considered week-to-week, but still likely to miss some time.
Lee, who turns 28 late in November, missed the Jaguars’ disappointing 2018 season with a knee injury. The Jags’ 2016 receiving leader and a key cog in 2017, Lee has not factored in prominently in this Jags receiving corps. In five games this year, he’s caught just two passes for 10 yards.
Lee, 27, was not expected to return until at least late in training camp, so the former second-round pick being a Week 1 question mark is not especially surprising. It is a bit of a blow to a Jags pass-catching corps that already faces questions, however.
The Jags drafted Jawaan Taylor in Round 2, but their optimal lineup would place the Florida alum at right tackle opposite Robinson. The team signed former Bengals first-rounder Cedric Ogbuehi and ex-Bucs UDFA Leonard Wester this offseason.
Between 2016 and 2017, Lee racked up 119 receptions for 1,553 yards and six touchdowns. In 2018, the Jaguars rewarded Lee with a four-year deal worth up to $38MM. They’re still waiting for that deal to pay off as they look to get their season back on track. Heading into Sunday’s game against the Bengals, the Jaguars are sporting a 2-4 mark.
Patriots To Re-Sign Ben Watson
The Patriots are set to bring back tight end Ben Watson, a source tells ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Watson was cut just last week, but he’ll return in the wake of injuries to tight end Matt LaCosse and fullback Jakob Johnson. 
Watson, 38, is still looking to make his 2019 season debut. He flirted with retirement before he signed with the Pats – then, he was slapped with a suspension for the first month of the year. Then, he got cut just before he was eligible to play.
Watson started his career in 2004 as a first-round pick of the Patriots. He been a key player in many offenses throughout his career, but he took on more of a backup role in 2018 with the Saints. Even as a secondary type in New Orleans, he still finished with 35 receptions for 400 yards and two touchdowns.
Giants To Re-Sign Bennie Fowler
Bennie and the Giants. On Monday, the G-Men re-signed wide receiver Bennie Fowler, bringing him back to the Meadowlands after a short hiatus (Twitter link via Pat Leonard of the Daily News). To make room, the Giants dropped linebacker Nathan Stupar. 
Fowler was dropped recently after posting 12 catches for 99 yards through four games. The move helped them clear a spot for the return of Golden Tate, but they need Fowler back in their lives as receiver Sterling Shepard and tight end Evan Engram remain banged up.
The Giants are familiar with Fowler – he spent the 2018 season with the club, though he had just 16 grabs for 199 yards and one touchdown through ten games, mostly as a role player. Before that, Fowler spent four years in Denver.
The Giants fell to the Patriots on Thursday night, dropping them to 2-4 on the season. They’ll look to get things back on track this Sunday, when they face the Cardinals at Metlife Stadium.
Bears To Place Kyle Long On IR
The Bears are expected to put right guard Kyle Long on IR, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (Twitter link). That’s obviously disappointing news for Chicago, whose O-line has struggled mightily this year.
Of course, Long is one of the offensive lineman who has underwhelmed, so losing him might not be as big of a blow as it would have been in years past. It seems that time has taken a toll on the 30-year-old Oregon product, who hasn’t started more than nine games since 2016. He has been dealing with a hip injury this year, and it could be that the hip pain has caused his play to suffer.
Even so, he remains an intelligent veteran presence, so he will still be missed. The Bears, 3-2, have a bye this week and will be without Long for at least eight weeks. If the club is still in playoff contention at year’s end, Long could theoretically return for a postseason push. In the meantime, Rashaad Coward may get the nod in Long’s absence.
Long and the Bears agreed to a contract restructure in February that removed the 2021 season from Long’s deal, meaning he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2020 campaign. But Long was a potential cap casualty before the restructure, so he may have already played his last snap in a Bears uniform.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/12/19
Just one practice squad move to report here on a quiet Saturday night:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Chris Jones
- Released: CB Andre Chachere
Chachere is a 2018 UDFA from San Jose State who briefly spent some time on Detroit’s active roster last year. Jones is a 2018 UDFA from Nebraska who has been on and off Arizona’s practice squad the past two years. He earned some real playing time earlier this season, and started the team’s Week 3 loss to the Panthers. He was waived this past week, but has quickly been re-signed to the practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/12/19
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: OL John Wetzel
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Jason Moore
- Waived: TE Stephen Anderson
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: RB John Kelly
- Waived: WR Nsimba Webster
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Nik Needham
- Waived: S Doug Middleton
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Cameron Smith
- Waived: WR Davion Davis
New York Giants
- Re-signed: QB Alex Tanney
- Waived: RB Austin Walter
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Jacob Hollister
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on IR OG Zack Bailey
Jets, NT Steve McLendon Agree On Extension
Steve McLendon will no longer be in a contract year. The Jets announced they’ve come to terms with the veteran nose tackle on a one-year extension. McLendon re-signed with the Jets in March, agreeing to a one-year, $2.5MM deal.
Although McLendon will turn 34 in January, he is in his fourth season as a Jets starter and is filling this role for a second coaching staff. The Joe Douglas–Adam Gase administration clearly has a similar view of the 10th-year veteran compared to that of the Mike Maccagnan–Todd Bowles regime.
McLendon has registered a sack and 11 tackles for the 2019 Jets. He has started 42 games for the Jets since signing with New York in 2016. Previously, McLendon played six seasons with the Steelers. He served as a first-stringer for multiple Pittsburgh playoff teams.
In 120 snaps this season, McLendon has graded well in the view of Pro Football Focus. The advanced-metrics site slots McLendon as its No. 12 interior defender — well ahead of every other Jet defensive lineman.
Redskins Place TE Jordan Reed On IR
Jordan Reed‘s season has likely ended before it even began. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Redskins have placed the veteran tight end on the injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the team has promoted safety Jeremy Reaves from the practice squad (via Adam Caplan on Twitter).
There was optimism that Reed would play a major role in the Redskins offense this season, but those plans were derailed when the tight end suffered yet another concussion during the preseason. This was the 29-year-old’s seventh documented concussion dating back to his collegiate days. Despite the consistent head trauma, (now former) head coach Jay Gruden previously said that he expected Reed to return to the field.
Injuries have forced Reed to miss 36 regular season games during his six-plus years in the league. The former third-rounder showed a lot of promise during the 2015 campaign, hauling in 87 receptions for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns. He finished last year with 54 catches for 558 yards and two scores in 13 games (eight starts).
Vernon Davis sat out last week’s game as he recovered from a concussion. While he returned to practice this week, he isn’t expected to play vs. the Dolphins tomorrow. This means the Redskins will continue rolling with the trio of Jerome Cunningham, Hale Hentges, and Jeremy Sprinkle.
Jets Waive QB Luke Falk
Luke Falk‘s tenure with the Jets has come to an end. The team waived the quarterback this morning. Taking his spot on the roster is linebacker Brandon Copeland, who had been suspended for the first four games of the season.
With both Sam Darnold and Trevor Siemian out of the lineup, the Jets were forced to turn to the 24-year-old Falk, who had previously been sitting on the organization’s practice squad. He ended up getting into three games for New York, completing 64.4-percent of his passes for 416 yards, three interceptions, and zero scores. The Jets were outscored 20-61 in his two starts.
With Darnold set to return tomorrow vs. the Cowboys, Falk’s days as a starter were clearly over. However, the Jets won’t even keep him around as a backup, instead turning to David Fales. Falk, a 2018 sixth-round pick out of Washington State, will now be looking to join his fourth team in less than two seasons. There’s always a chance he could land back on the Jets practice squad.
Copeland joined the Jets last season and ended up having a career year, compiling 35 tackles and five sacks in 16 games (10 starts). In August, he was slapped with a four-game ban for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Seahawks Place Ethan Pocic On IR
The Seahawks have placed offensive lineman Ethan Pocic on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. In related moves, the club also waived safety Adrian Colbert and promoted tight end Jacob Hollister and guard Jordan Roos from the practice squad.
Pocic started in the team’s season opener against the Bengals and played on every possible snap. He also saw time in the Week 2 contest against the Steelers, but he’s been out for the last three games with a back injury. Now, he’ll miss at least eight more weeks of action, and possibly the rest of the season.
Roos, 26, appeared in seven games after joining the club as a UDFA. He’ll provide some much needed offensive line depth as right guard D.J. Fluker and left tackle Duane Brown deal with injuries. In the meantime, George Fant is expected to start at left tackle when the Seahawks face the Browns on Sunday.
The Seahawks are 4-1 through five weeks. After the Cleveland game, they’ll round out the month with games against the Ravens and Falcons.