Rams Expected To Place RB Malcolm Brown On IR
The Rams are expected to be without their backup running back for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, as Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay told reporters today that Malcolm Brown is likely to be placed on injured reserve after suffering a clavicle injury last week (Twitter link via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com).
Once he is formally moved to IR, Brown’s 2019 campaign will officially end, for a few reasons. One, the Rams have already designated the NFL-maximum two players to return from injured reserve in cornerback Aqib Talib and return man Pharoh Cooper. Two, Brown’s recovery is expected to take eight-to-ten weeks, so even if league rules didn’t prevent him from coming back this season, Brown wouldn’t be ready until — maybe — the NFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl.
Brown didn’t see many snaps behind All-Pro Todd Gurley, but he did produce when called upon. Brown has averaged 4.9 yards per carry this season, while Football Outsiders ranks him as a top-10 back in DVOA among runners with fewer than 99 carries, meaning he was extremely efficient on a per-play basis. Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus assigned him a pass-blocking grade of 90.0, which would rank first among NFL running backs if he had enough snaps to qualify.
Brown, 25, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent next spring. While he almost certainly won’t be offered a first-round tender, a second-round tender (which should be worth approximately $3MM) isn’t out of the realm of possibility. If the Rams don’t believe Brown will have much of an RFA market, they could opt to use the right of first refusal tender, which will only be worth ~$2MM.
Chiefs Extend OL Austin Reiter
The Chiefs announced that they’ve signed offensive lineman Austin Reiter to an extension. Kansas City did not provide the length or terms of Reiter’s new deal.
Reiter, 27, was projected to become a restricted free agent next spring. Restricted free agent tenders are only one year in length and don’t offer any guarantees until the regular season begins, so Reiter may have sacrificed some immediate earning power in exchange for financial security. Reiter almost surely wouldn’t have been offered a first-rounder tender, but a second-round tender (which should be worth roughly $3MM) wouldn’t have been out of the question. A 2019 right of first refusal tender should be worth ~$2MM, so it won’t be surprising if Reiter’s annual salary/guarantees comes in somewhere between those $2MM and $3MM figures.
Originally a seventh-round pick of the Redskins in 2015, Reiter saw two seasons of action with the Browns from 2016-17 before the Chiefs claimed him off waivers this past September. Reiter has made four starts for the Chiefs this year while filling in for the injured Mitch Morse, and earned spectacular grades from Pro Football Focus while handling the pivot. While small sample size is a factor (Reiter has played only 175 offensive snaps), PFF currently ranks him as the No. 10 center in the NFL.
Reiter moved to backup duty when Morse returned in Week 13, and he’ll remain there barring another injury. But given what should be cheap annual rates on his contract, Reiter could prove to be valuable depth. He becomes the second ex-Browns offensive lineman to sign an extension with the Chiefs this year, joining former Cleveland first-rounder Cameron Erving.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Mose Frazier
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Eric Lee
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers: DE Fadol Brown (from Raiders), DB Natrell Jamerson (from Texans)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE Kony Ealy, CB Bené Benwikere
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LS Colin Holba
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Pita Taumoepenu
- Placed on injured reserve: DE Dekoda Watson
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/5/18
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Suspended for four games: DT Daniel Ekuale (PEDs)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Horace Richardson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Justice Liggins
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT DeShawn Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Emmanuel Ellerbee
- Released: CB Simeon Thomas
Packers Place CB Kevin King On IR
The Packers have placed cornerback Kevin King on IR, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Running back Tra Carson has also been ruled out for the remainder of the year. 
King, a second-year pro, has missed the last four games with a hamstring injury. Ultimately, the injury was too serious to overcome and, frankly, it wasn’t worth risking a more serious issue at this stage of the season. The Packers are 4-7-1 and, naturally, are more concerned with the former second-round pick’s long-term health.
Both of King’s pro seasons have ended prematurely. Last year, King appeared in nine games and made five starts before he was shut down in December.
King was the Packers’ first pick in the 2017 draft after Green Bay moved down from No. 29 in a swap for the No. 33 selection (King) and a fourth-round choice. There were other big names available, but the Packers were happy to expand their draft stockpile and land the Washington product after he posted a 4.43 second 40-yard-dash, a 39.5-inch vertical leap, and the best times of any cornerback in both the three-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle.
Raiders Place Bryant, Nelson On IR
The season is already over for three Raiders players. Safety Reggie Nelson, wide receiver Martavis Bryant, and defensive end Shilique Calhoun have all been placed on IR, according to a club announcement. 
[RELATED: Raiders Designate Donald Penn For Return]
Bryant, dubbed the “White Tiger” by coach Jon Gruden for his special ability and inability to stay on the field, appeared in only eight games this season, recording 19 catches for 266 yards and zero touchdowns. It was his weakest showing to date – even in his ten-game rookie campaign, Bryant managed 26 catches, 549 yards, and eight scores. Bryant is headed for free agency in March, but his PCL injury and mysterious suspension (or, non-suspension) for drug use will make him a tough sell on a multi-year deal.
Nelson’s season is through thanks to a shoulder injury suffered on Sunday against the Chiefs. The three-year captain’s season ends with 29 tackles and two interceptions in eleven games. The veteran is also headed towards free agency this offseason, but it’s not clear whether the 35-year-old will look to continue playing.
Broncos Claim WR Andre Holmes
The Broncos claimed wide receiver Andre Holmes off waivers, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Broncos will turn to Holmes for receiving help after the loss of Emmanuel Sanders to an unfortunate Achilles injury. 
Prior to being released by the Bills on Tuesday, Holmes had 12 catches for 157 yards on the season. He’ll have to quickly get familiar with his new team, but his time with offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave in Oakland should help.
Holmes played his best football in Oakland, including a 2014 season in which he caught 47 passes for 693 yards and four touchdowns. Since then, he’s been much more of a role player and has not amassed more than 14 grabs in a season. But, in Denver, he may have a chance to shine now that Sanders is out of action and Demaryius Thomas is in Houston.
Holmes will have an opportunity to make his Broncos debut on Sunday against the Niners.
Raiders Designate Donald Penn For Return
Left tackle Donald Penn will return to practice on Wednesday, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets. The move will trigger a three-week window for the club to bring him back from injured reserve. 
The move is a curious one for a few reasons. First, the Raiders’ season has been long over – at 2-10, winning will only serve to push the Raiders from the top of the draft order in April. Penn, meanwhile, may be a cap casualty candidate and a serious injury could leave the Raiders on the hook for his entire salary in 2019. As it stands, only $1.750MM of his 2019 income is guaranteed.
Also, by designating Penn for return, the Raiders are eliminating the possibility of Marshawn Lynch seeing the field again in 2018. The Raiders already burned one IR-DTR spot on defensive tackle Justin Ellis, so Lynch is now barred from playing in the club’s Christmas Eve home finale against the Broncos.
Penn appeared in 14 games for the Raiders last season, the first time in his career that he failed to appear in all 16 regular season contests. Pro Football Focus ranked him 23rd among eligible tackles, proving that the veteran still has something left in the tank. In his limited sample of four games this season, PFF gave him a putrid 47.0 overall score.
Broncos’ Emmanuel Sanders Suffers Torn Achilles
Awful news out of Denver. During Wednesday’s practice, Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders suffered a torn Achilles tendon, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). 
Sanders is the team’s top receiver and losing him is a huge blow to the team’s playoff hopes. The 6-6 Broncos are riding a three-game winning streak, but they’ll have to make their late season push without the help of their best offensive weapon.
Prior to the injury, Sanders hauled in 71 catches for 868 yards and four touchdowns. Statistically speaking, he was on pace for his second-best season behind a 2014 campaign in which he had 101 catches for 1,404 yards and nine TDs.
The Broncos have lost three other starters (center Matt Paradis, left guard Max Garcia, and tight end Jeff Heuerman) to IR over the past month and cornerback Chris Harris could be next depending on how fast he can recover from a fractured fibula. The Broncos have an easy draw in the 2-10 49ers this weekend, but they’ll be at half-strength for the rest of the regular season, including a Week 17 matchup against the Chargers.
In hindsight, the Broncos may or may not regret their midseason trade of Demaryius Thomas. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and the Broncos will have to bank on youngster Courtland Sutton even more going forward. It’s likely that Tim Patrick will line up on the opposite side of Sutton the rest of the way with DaeSean Hamiton stepping into Sanders’ role.
Sanders, 32 in March, is under contract through next year with a cap number of $12.9MM. It’s worth keeping an eye on his recovery – which often takes 7-8 months – as the Broncos can release him with just $2.687MM in dead money.
Cardinals Place D.J. Humphries On IR
The Cardinals placed left tackle D.J. Humphries on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. In related moves, the club signed offensive linemen Joe Barksdale and Rees Odhiambo from the Colts’ practice squad. 
It has been a disastrous year for the Cardinals on the whole, but their offense line has been hit particularly hard by injuries. So far this year, the Cardinals have trotted out eight different combinations of starting offensive linemen, lost four different linemen to IR, and are presently starting none of their projected front five. Heading into camp, the Cardinals’ line was comprised of A.Q. Shipley, Justin Pugh, Mike Iupati, Humphries, and Andre Smith. The first four were knocked out by injury and Smith was released in November due to inconsistent play in his eight starts.
Humphries, who turns 25 on Dec. 28, has been out of action since suffering a knee injury in the club’s Week 10 loss to the Chiefs. It’s a disappointing way for his season to end, and the Cardinals now have a decision to make regarding his future. The Cardinals can control him through 2019 thanks to his $9.625MM fifth-year option, but the deal is guaranteed for injury only. If the Cardinals want to move on from Humphries, they can cut him loose, provided that he can pass a physical early next year.
The former No. 24 overall pick pick in the 2015 draft is no stranger to the injury bug. He was inactive for every game as a rookie and a knee injury limited him to just five games in 2017.