Saints Sign DE Jason Pierre-Paul
JPP is back in the NFL. Veteran pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul told Josina Anderson that he plans to sign with the Saints. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported earlier today that Pierre-Paul was working out for New Orleans. It is a practice squad agreement, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell notes.
[RELATED: Jason Pierre-Paul Eyeing Free Agent Deal]
“I killed the workout,” the veteran told Anderson. “You can tell I’ve been active and not just sitting around.”
Pierre-Paul was one of many veteran edge rushers who found themselves on the open market for an extended period, and we heard recently that the former Giants star was actively seeking his next opportunity. It had been a quiet offseason and start to the regular season for Pierre-Paul, with his Saints workout marking his first official visit.
The last time we saw JPP, he was getting into 14 games (13 starts) with the Ravens in 2022. While the 34-year-old obviously wasn’t nearly as productive as he was 10 years ago, he still managed to chip in three sacks and three QB hits while getting into about 60 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.
That cameo in Baltimore was preceded by a four-year stint with the Buccaneers, where Pierre-Paul won a Super Bowl ring and compiled 33 sacks. The former first-round pick spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Giants, earning a Pro Bowl nod while also collecting the 10th-most sacks (58.5) in franchise history.
The Saints have needed some pass-rushing help. The team’s 18 sacks is tied for the fifth-fewest in the NFL. Plus, as Matthew Paras of NOLA.com writes, the defensive line has had a tough time containing mobile quarterbacks. Most recently, the Saints allowed QB Joshua Dobbs to run for 44 yards on eight attempts during Sunday’s loss to the Vikings.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/13/23
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: CB Josh Norman
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: TE Lucas Krull, WR David Sills
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from Seahawks): DB Kyu Blu Kelly
- Waived: S Innis Gaines
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers (from Jaguars): RB JaMycal Hasty
New York Jets
- Claimed off waivers (from Texans): OL Austin Deculus
- Waived: DT Tanzel Smart
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: DT Breiden Fehoko
JaMycal Hasty was waived by the Jaguars this past weekend following a year-plus with the organization. The running back had 320 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns during his first season in Jacksonville but was limited to only three games and zero touches this year. He’ll be hard pressed to carve out a role in New England with Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott leading the depth chart.
Vikings, LB Anthony Barr Agree To Deal
In need of a replacement for the injured Jordan Hicks, the Vikings are turning to a familiar face at the linebacker spot. Anthony Barr has agreed to a deal with Minnesota, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Barr will initially be joining the Vikings’ practice squad, per ESPN’s Ben Goessling.
Hicks was injured during yesterday’s win over the Saints, and he was taken to hospital due to compartment syndrome, head coach Kevin O’Connell said on Monday. The veteran remained in the hospital overnight and will be sidelined for at least one game, he added, via Schefter’s colleague Kevin Seifert.
With a hole at the LB position, Minnesota will bring back Barr after he spent his first eight years in the league as a Viking. The former first-round pick earned four Pro Bowl nods during his stay in Minnesota, and he sits 15th on the franchise’s all-time tackles leaderboard.
Barr was limited to two games in 2020 thanks to a torn pectoral muscle, and knee surgery the following offseason played a role in him appearing in only 11 games in 2021. That led to the end of his tenure with the Vikings, and he ended up signing with the Cowboys prior to the 2022 campaign. He was productive during his lone season in Dallas, finishing with 58 tackles in 14 games (10 starts).
Barr was connected to the Giants and Saints during the offseason but didn’t end up signing with either team. His market was apparently heating back up, as NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported earlier today that the linebacker worked out for the Eagles.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Dolphins Open RB De’Von Achane’s Practice Window
The Dolphins’ ground game could be in line for a boost as early as Week 11. Head coach Mike McDaniel announced on Monday that De’Von Achane has been designated for return from injured reserve. 
The rookie back was placed on IR in Week 6, a move which guaranteed at least a month-long absence. Returning to practice as soon as possible represents a good sign for Achane’s prospects of playing against the Raiders in Miami’s next matchup. The Dolphins have 21 days to activate him to avoid having him revert to season-ending IR.
McDaniel hinted that Achane could have continued playing through his knee injury by wearing a brace, but the team understandably took a cautious approach with the 22-year-old. Achane showed considerable promise prior to being sidelined, totaling 518 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns in a span of three straight games. He will add another speed element to the team’s offense upon return, while giving Miami another option aside from Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson in the backfield.
The former has played a major role in the Dolphins’ offensive success, leading the league in yards per carry (5.6) and total touchdowns (13). The latter, meanwhile, has been used sparingly in his three games since being activated. As Miami looks to continue its elite showing in the ground game (averaging 148 rushing yards per contest), Achane will aim to pick up where he left off prior to the injury.
The Texas A&M product’s effectiveness both on the ground and thorough the air will give the Dolphins a number of capable option at the RB spot once at full strength. With both Mostert and Wilson only on the books through 2024 (and with no guaranteed money on their respective deals beyond this season), Achane could cement himself as a long-term fixture in the backfield with a strong showing in the second half of the season. Bringing him back will use up one of the Dolphins’ four remaining IR activations.
Patriots Waive CB Jack Jones
In the wake of seeing his playing time reduced during yesterday’s loss, Jack Jones has seen his time with the Patriots come to an end. The second-year cornerback has been waived, his agent confirmed on Monday. 
Jones played just 10 snaps in New England’s loss in Germany to the Colts yesterday, a continuation of disciplinary measures taken against him. The 25-year-old was benched to start the previous contest along with veteran J.C. Jackson, the latter of whom remained stateside for the international contest. Jackson is a possibility to suit up for the team’s next game, but that will not be the case for Jones. The Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi reports Jones’ response to his benching was unsatisfactory, pointing to today’s move.
A fourth-round pick in 2022, Jones entered the league with a history of disciplinary issues dating back to his time at college. He managed to show promise at Arizona State, however, and he delivered an encouraging performance in his rookie season with 30 tackles, a pair of interceptions and one forced fumble. A hamstring injury led to an IR stint and delayed his 2023 debut, however.
Jones saw a regression in his coverage statistics compared to last year, allowing a 78% completion percentage and 101 passer rating as the closest defender. Those on-field struggles were coupled with another (albeit brief) legal matter. Jones was arrested in July for attempting to bring two loaded firearms onto a plane, but charges on that front have since been dropped. It remains to be seen if any league action will be taken in the wake of his plea agreement being worked out.
Jones will be available to all NFL teams via the waive wire. In the event he goes unclaimed, he will be free to sign with any interested party. Given his age and promise shown in 2022, it will be worth watching closely how aggressively teams are in attempting to add him. In a statement, Jones’ agent expressed (via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network) his willingness to make “an immediate contribution to his next team as soon as Sunday.”
Meanwhile, the Patriots will proceed with a shorthanded CB group. First-round Christian Gonzalez is out for the year with a torn labrum, and Marcus Jones finds himself on IR. Their absences, along with that of Jackson, left a number of relatively new, inexperienced faces in the secondary in Week 10. Regardless of if Jackson (whom New England re-acquired via trade this season) returns to the lineup in the near future, they will be without Jones moving forward unless he clears waivers and remains in the organization via the practice squad.
Dolphins To Sign WR Anthony Schwartz To Practice Squad
For the second time this season, the Dolphins are set to add a reclamation project at the receiver position. Anthony Schwartz has been added to Miami’s practice squad, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. In a corresponding move, Raleigh Webb has been released, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. 
Schwartz was let go by the Browns in September when he was still on injured reserve, a move which brought an end to his underwhelming tenure in Cleveland. The 2021 third-rounder failed to carve out a role for himself during his first two seasons, a span in which he made just 14 catches. The arrival of new pass-catchers over the past two offseasons in Cleveland left it little surprise that Schwartz found himself a free agent after suffering his latest injury.
The Auburn alum entered the league with expectations to become a notable deep threat given his speed. The Dolphins have regularly targeted that trait when adding skill-position players, so Schwartz could find himself at home with his new team. It will be interesting to see how large of a role he can carve out for himself if given the opportunity to spend time on the team’s active roster.
Miami is of course set atop the WR depth chart with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle anchoring their passing attack. The team was willing to take a flier on Chase Claypool, though, acquiring him from the Bears for a swap of Day 3 picks. The former second-rounder proved to be a bust in Chicago, and he has made just one catch so far as a member of the Dolphins. In spite of that, Miami will again make a no-risk addition in search of a depth contributor.
The Dolphins entered Monday with roughly $3.8MM in cap space, more than enough to bring in Schwartz on a flier. It will be interesting to see how healthy he is, and the degree to which he is included in Miami’s plans over the rest of season as he looks to rebound from his first NFL stint.
Latest On Bengals’ WR Corps
NOVEMBER 12: Chase will be active for today’s bout with the Texans. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that Chase “did what was necessary” in his warmups this morning to get the green light.
NOVEMBER 11: Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will be a bit shorthanded coming into a battle with an excited Texans team. We know that much. We learned yesterday that the team’s second-leading receiver, Tee Higgins, will be held out as he deals with a hamstring injury. Today, it was confirmed that rookie receiver and return specialist Charlie Jones, who has been on injured reserve for Cincinnati’s last five games, has been downgraded from questionable to out, per Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network. 
Already down two wide receivers, things could potentially become even more dire for the Bengals offense if star wideout Ja’Marr Chase is unavailable to play tomorrow. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Chase, who is listed as questionable after being limited in practice while dealing with a back injury, will be a true gametime decision, working out Sunday morning in order to determine whether or not he will be able to play.
If Chase is unable to go tomorrow, that will leave Cincinnati with an active roster lineup of Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin, and sixth-round rookie Andrei Iosivas. That trio has combined for 51 catches, 424 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. Chase alone has 64 receptions for 697 yards and four touchdowns. His presence against the Texans could be crucial in keeping a hot Bengals team rolling.
Knowing that they will be extremely short-staffed, Cincinnati has elected to promote two practice squad wide receivers as their standard gameday elevations, choosing Stanley Morgan and undrafted rookie Shedrick Jackson. Morgan has been with the team for the last five seasons, catching five balls for 29 yards over that time. Jackson would be making his NFL debut tomorrow after averaging 13.2 yards per catch over a five-year college career at Auburn.
We should know more tomorrow about the Bengals’ full situation at wide receiver, most notably Chase’s availability. Burrow and the rest of the offense will have to be at their best knowing that the wide receiver corps will be a bit thin.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/23
The NFL’s minor moves, including gameday callups for Sunday of Week 10:
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: WR Frank Darby, DT Timmy Horne
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: CB A.J. Green, WR Austin Watkins
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: LB Rashaan Evans
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: LS Jake McQuaide
Green Bay Packers
- Signed to active roster: S Innis Gaines
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: T Brandon Parker, WR DJ Turner
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed to active roster: LB Nick Vigil
- Elevated: QB Sean Mannion, DL T.J. Smith
New England Patriots
- Elevated: T Conor McDermott, LB Calvin Munson
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from IR: FB Adam Prentice
- Waived: WR Keith Kirkwood
New York Jets
- Elevated: OL Xavier Newman, WR Malik Taylor
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: LB Tariq Carpenter, S Trenton Thompson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: CB Shemar Jean-Charles
- Elevated: LB Curtis Robinson, WR Willie Snead
- Placed on IR: DE Drake Jackson
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: RB Kenny McIntosh, WR Dareke Young
- Elevated: T Jason Peters
- Waived: CB Kyu Blu Kelly
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: CB Keenan Isaac
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: LB Chance Campbell, RB Jonathan Ward
- Elevated: DE TK McLendon, OL Andrew Rupcich
- Placed on IR: T Nicholas Petit-Frere (story)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/23
Saturday’s only practice squad move:
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DT Sheldon Day
With linebacker Nick Vigil getting signed to the active roster today, Day finds his way back to the Vikings’ practice squad. After initially coming to Minnesota in December of last year, Day was with the team until being released from the practice squad earlier this week.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson Out For Week 10
NOVEMBER 11: As expected, Jefferson will indeed be out for Week 10, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. While his ramp-up period continues, the Vikings remain hopeful Jefferson will be able to suit up before their Week 13 bye, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. That comes as little surprise given the timing of their decision to open his practice window, but a relatively quick return would of course be a welcomed development for a shorthanded Minnesota offense.
NOVEMBER 9: When speaking publicly for the first time since returning to practice, Jefferson confirmed he gave no serious consideration to sitting out the remainder of the season (h/t ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). He added, to no surprise, that he will not suit up at less than 100%, pointing further to a Week 10 absence being likely.
NOVEMBER 8, 2:19pm: Kevin O’Connell confirmed the Vikings have a timeline planned for Jefferson’s return, and the second-year Vikings HC admitted (via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Ben Goessling) a return this week would be on the aggressive side. As it stands, the Vikes’ Week 11 tilt in Denver stands to be Jefferson’s earliest return window.
12:25pm: Some murky updates have come since Justin Jefferson landed on IR with a hamstring injury. While the All-Pro wide receiver is no lock to be ready by Sunday, the Vikings will see him back at practice.
Minnesota opened Jefferson’s practice window Wednesday, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, starting his activation clock. The Vikings will have until Nov. 29 to activate Jefferson or see him revert to season-ending IR. With the team still in contention for a playoff spot, Jefferson has a reason to return. Of course, the superstar receiver’s contract stands to affect his timetable.
The Vikings and Jefferson negotiated this summer, talking right up until Week 1. But the sides could not agree to terms, pushing talks to 2024. In the fifth-year option era, no team has extended a wide receiver with two seasons of rookie-contract control previously, and while the Vikings aimed to be the first, they still have another offseason to do so before the franchise tag comes into play. But the failed talks will point to Jefferson waiting until he is 100% recovered from the injury he sustained in Week 5.
As such, Jefferson is not expected to play this week. This timetable would make Week 11 — against the Broncos — the fourth-year playmaker’s first opportunity to come back. But Wednesday sets a clear timeline for Jefferson’s activation. The parties could also opt for a long runway here. Minnesota’s bye arrives in Week 13, which opens the door for a possible extended buildup in which Jefferson spends the full three weeks on IR and receives an extra week of recovery time before a Week 14 return. While that might be overkill, it is important to note some recent hamstring setbacks that have affected other standout pass catchers.
Both Keenan Allen and Darren Waller sustained setbacks during their recoveries, leading to extended hiatuses. Allen ended up missing seven games with his hamstring malady, while Waller missed eight. The latter, who had already signed his Raiders extension when he attempted to return too soon last season, is on IR with another hamstring malady as a Giant. New York also saw left tackle Andrew Thomas aggravate his hamstring injury during recovery this season, and while Thomas is not a skill-position player, the All-Pro lineman needed another month before returning thanks to the aggravation.
The Vikings have won each of their games without Jefferson, and the team’s contender status loomed as a factor in the wideout’s comeback. The Vikes are aiming to become only the second team this century (after the 2018 Texans) to rally from 0-3 to the playoffs. Although, three of the Jefferson-less victories came with Kirk Cousins at the controls. The longtime Minnesota quarterback is out for the season with a torn Achilles. The team received a boost from trade pickup Josh Dobbs last week, and while the eight-game Cardinals starter will start for the Vikes in Week 10 against the Saints, the team’s offense will lack the capabilities it had with Cousins.
Minnesota’s QB setup may also affect Jefferson’s timetable, but in the grand scheme, his price tag is unlikely to drop if a hamstring aggravation occurs. Though, the Vikings would risk losing Jefferson for the season if that transpires. The 2020 first-rounder, who shattered the NFL record for receiving yards through three seasons, still leads the Vikings with 571 receiving yards. Jordan Addison has shown growth during Jefferson’s absence, creating an enticing setup for the resurgent team should it activate its aerial ace this month.