Titans Sign QB Joshua Dobbs Off Lions’ Practice Squad
For the second time in a month, the Lions lost a quarterback off their practice squad. The Titans are signing Joshua Dobbs, according to his agent (on Twitter).
This move follows the Bears’ signing of Tim Boyle late last month. Tennessee’s Dobbs move casts more doubt on Ryan Tannehill‘s Week 16 availability. The fourth-year Titans starter aggravated his ankle injury last week, and although he returned to the Chargers game not too long after going down, he is believed to be facing an uphill battle to play this week.
Dobbs, 27, will join Tannehill and Malik Willis on the Titans’ 53-man roster. Because he is being signed off another team’s practice squad, the well-traveled backup must remain on Tennessee’s active roster for at least three weeks. The Titans will be Dobbs’ third team this year.
The Browns signed Dobbs in April and used him as Jacoby Brissett‘s backup for much of this season, but the team released him ahead of Deshaun Watson‘s first game back from his suspension. In the wake of the Bears’ Boyle poaching, the Lions added Dobbs to their P-squad earlier this month.
This transaction will bring Dobbs back to Tennessee. The 27-year-old passer became a fourth-round draft choice after playing for the Volunteers from 2013-16. The Steelers took Dobbs in the 2017 draft, and he has spent much of his career with the team. Dobbs has been a career reserve option, appearing in six games — all with the Steelers — off the bench. He has thrown 17 career passes. This move will provide the Titans, who do not have a quarterback on their taxi squad, with some depth.
Ravens Place WR Devin Duvernay On IR
DECEMBER 21: Duvernay broke a bone in his foot, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). This injury will require around two months of recovery time, shutting down the Baltimore starter until the offseason.
DECEMBER 20: The foot injury Devin Duvernay suffered in practice Tuesday will knock him out for the rest of the regular season, at least. The Ravens placed the third-year wide receiver on IR, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The team has since announced the transaction.
Duvernay went down today with what the Ravens feared was a significant foot injury. After testing, the team is moving its third-leading pass catcher off the 53-man roster. Duvernay would not be able to return until the divisional round, should the Ravens extend their season to that point.
Baltimore has already been without its No. 1 wide receiver — 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman — since he suffered a season-ending foot injury several weeks ago. Duvernay’s injury further sets back a receiving corps that already entered the season under scrutiny. The Ravens have since added Sammy Watkins, bringing the journeyman target back via waivers this afternoon.
Duvernay and Demarcus Robinson have been the Ravens’ top receivers since Bateman’s injury. A former All-Pro return man, Duvernay scored twice in Baltimore’s opener but has seen his production tail off since his hot start. On the whole, the ex-Texas Longhorn has 37 receptions for 407 yards and three touchdowns. Robinson (418 receiving yards) is now the only receiver on the Ravens’ active roster with more than 250 yards this season. Watkins barely cleared 200 during his time as a rotational Packers option this season.
After making offers to multiple veterans during the 2021 free agency period — which ended with Watkins heading to Maryland on a one-year, $5MM deal — and drafting Bateman soon after, the Ravens largely stood down this year. They entered the season with Bateman and Duvernay atop their receiving corps. The team’s under-the-radar Robinson addition — on a league-minimum accord — has proven pivotal. The former Chiefs tertiary target now residing as the Ravens’ No. 1 wideout does well to illustrate the 9-5 team’s dire situation at this position. The Ravens will attempt to make do with their set of veteran wideouts, with in-season additions Watkins and DeSean Jackson supplementing Robinson.
Bears Place LB Jack Sanborn On IR
Jack Sanborn‘s season has come to an end. The Bears have placed the linebacker on injured reserve, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain (on Twitter).
Sanborn suffered an ankle injury during Chicago’s loss to the Eagles on Sunday. With only three games remaining on the schedule and the Bears out of playoff contention, Sanborn won’t be eligible to return this season.
The undrafted rookie has been a bright spot on Chicago’s defense this year. The Wisconsin product mostly played on special teams to start the season, but following the trade of Roquan Smith, Sanborn took on a larger role on defense.
Since Smith was shipped to Baltimore, Sanborn has started six games while collecting 60 tackles and a pair of sacks. For his efforts, the rookie was ranked 37th among 84 qualifying linebackers, per Pro Football Focus, with the website giving him a top-10 mark at the position for his pass-rushing prowess.
The Bears quickly filled Sanborn’s spot on the roster by signing linebacker Elijah Lee off Kansas City’s practice squad. The six-year veteran got into 16 games for the Browns in 2021 before catching on with the Chiefs this past offseason. He ended up appearing in five games this year, collecting six tackles. The Bears also added linebacker Kuony Deng to the practice squad today.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/20/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: QB James Morgan
- Released: QB Carson Strong
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Mike Thomas
- Released: G Zack Johnson
Carolina Panthers
- Released: CB Tae Hayes
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Kuony Deng, DE Terrell Lewis
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Malik Jefferson
- Released: TE Seth Green
Denver Broncos
- Signed: G Parker Ferguson, DB Devon Key
- Released: LB Harvey Langi
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Tom Kennedy
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Matt Bushman
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR DJ Turner
- Released: WR Malik Turner
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL Jason Moore
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Lester Cotton
- Released: OL Lamont Gaillard
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Terez Hall
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Nephi Sewell
- Released: LB Kenny Young
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Jarrod Hewitt
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL OL Beau Benzschawel, C Daniel Munyer
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/20/22
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed off Steelers practice squad: LB David Anenih
- Designated for return: TE John FitzPatrick
- Placed on IR: RB Caleb Huntley
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return: LB Josh Ross
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return: WR Andre Roberts
Chicago Bears
- Signed off Chiefs practice squad: LB Elijah Lee
- Designated for return: RB Khalil Herbert (story)
- Released: CB Justin Layne
Cleveland Browns
- Designated for return: C Ethan Pocic
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: QB Jarrett Guarantano
- Placed on IR: CB Darius Phillips
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: RB Jordan Wilkins
- Signed off Patriots practice squad: LB Cameron McGrone
- Waived: DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
Kansas City Chiefs
- Designated for return: TE Blake Bell
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return: DT Kalia Davis
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: WR Laquon Treadwell
- Placed on IR: DT Bryan Mone
Washington Commanders
- Designated for return: TE Curtis Hodges
Caleb Huntley suffered a season-ending Achilles injury this past weekend, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The injury is expected to require surgery. The Falcons RB made his NFL this season and has collected 369 yards from scrimmage.
While Russell Wilson is expected to start for the Broncos on Christmas, the Broncos still decided to promote a third QB to the roster in Jarrett Guarantano. According to Troy Renck of Denver7 (on Twitter), there was enough interest from other teams (including the Cardinals) for the Broncos to decide to promote the rookie. The UDFA out of Washington State had his first professional gig with the Cardinals before catching on with the Broncos.
Giants Waive LB Tae Crowder
A 17-game starter last season and a full-time defender to start the 2022 campaign, Tae Crowder is now on the waiver wire. The Giants cut the third-year linebacker Tuesday.
This continues a quick tumble for the former seventh-round success story. The Giants benched Crowder in Week 10 and, after not using him on a single defensive snap in their Week 13 tie with the Commanders, they made him a healthy scratch Sunday night. Crowder’s through-2023 rookie contract is now available to be claimed.
The previous Giants regime made Crowder the Mr. Irrelevant pick in the 2020 virtual draft and turned to him as a starter during his rookie season. After starting six games as a rookie, the Georgia product secured full-time status as an NFL sophomore. Last season, Crowder led the Giants with 130 tackles, intercepted two passes and defensed another six. While that seemingly positioned the off-ball linebacker to be a key piece for Brian Daboll‘s team, he did not end up fitting in under new DC Don Martindale.
The Giants benched Crowder for Jaylon Smith midway through this season. A fifth-round pick this year, Micah McFadden has also moved into a starting role under Martindale. The team re-signed Smith during the season and also brought back Landon Collins, using the former Pro Bowl safety as a linebacker during his second stint.
Collins played in his third game since rejoining the Giants, and the Jerry Reese-era draft choice played 27 defensive snaps in New York’s win over Washington. The Giants have used gameday elevations to promote Collins this season, but this Crowder cut points to the seventh-year veteran having an avenue toward being signed to the team’s 53-man roster.
Big Blue will move forward with its retooled linebacking corps, while Crowder will attempt to catch on elsewhere. He certainly has his detractors. Pro Football Focus rates the 25-year-old defender as the league’s second-worst linebacker, among those with enough snaps to qualify. The advanced metrics site slotted Crowder 86th out of 86 off-ball regulars last season. Considering Crowder’s experience, he certainly should generate attention on the wire. But this year has brought considerable negative momentum.
Ravens Claim WR Sammy Watkins
Sammy Watkins is returning to Baltimore. Following his Packers exit ahead of their Week 15 game, the former top-five pick will return to his fourth NFL team.
The Ravens claimed the ninth-year wide receiver Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. With Watkins attached to a league-minimum salary, the Ravens will not be on the hook for much money by reacquiring him. Watkins, 29, played for the Ravens last season but joined the Packers in free agency.
The journeyman pass catcher signed with the Ravens on a one-year, $5MM deal in 2021 — after talks with JuJu Smith-Schuster, T.Y. Hilton and Kenny Golladay did not produce any signings — and made contributions as an auxiliary target for Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. Watkins caught 27 passes for 394 yards and a touchdown with the Ravens, playing 13 games. Playing in nine games with the Packers this season, Watkins caught 13 passes for 206 yards.
This news comes as the Ravens are potentially set to navigate another receiver injury. Devin Duvernay left Baltimore’s practice Tuesday with what the team fears could be a significant foot ailment, Pelissero tweets). With Rashod Bateman out of the picture, the Ravens have relied more on Duvernay this season. The former third-round pick has started 13 games this year and has not missed any time. Duvernay is undergoing tests today.
Concern about Baltimore’s receiving corps emerged before Bateman went down, but the team has not seen much consistency from this position group since the 2021 first-rounder was lost for the season. The Ravens signed DeSean Jackson to their practice squad and soon promoted the 35-year-old deep threat to their active roster; he has seven receptions for 134 yards in five games. Watkins’ former Chiefs teammate, Demarcus Robinson, leads all Raven receivers with 419 yards. Duvernay is just behind him with 407.
Injuries have dogged Watkins for most of his career. The Packers placed Watkins on IR early this season due to a hamstring issue. He also battled hamstring trouble in 2020, missing five games because of that ailment during his final season with the Chiefs, and saw a thigh problem sideline him for three Ravens games last year. Although Watkins carries injury baggage, he did contribute extensively during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV-winning season three years ago. Watkins posted 288 receiving yards in three Kansas City playoff games that year.
Still south of his 30th birthday, Watkins can nevertheless be labeled a post-prime player due to his health history. But he has produced at points in recent years. The Ravens, who relinquished their AFC North lead in Week 15 after a loss to the Browns, will kick the tires on a veteran who has experience in Greg Roman‘s system.
49ers Designate DT Javon Kinlaw For Return
Knee trouble has defined Javon Kinlaw‘s NFL career thus far, with the player brought in with the draft choice obtained in the DeForest Buckner trade not coming too close to replicating his predecessor’s form. Kinlaw has been out since Week 3 with a knee injury.
The 49ers have not given up on the former first-round pick helping their cause again this season. They are opening the third-year defensive tackle’s practice window, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. This return designation will give the 49ers up to three weeks to evaluate Kinlaw in practice.
San Francisco placed Kinlaw on IR in mid-October, and his season was always expected to be impacted by the knee surgery he underwent. Knee trouble dogged Kinlaw at South Carolina, though he showed enough with the Gamecocks to entice the 49ers to take him at No. 14 overall. He only played in four games last season, and his knee issues led to reconstructive ACL surgery. Despite Kinlaw returning for Week 1, Kyle Shanahan acknowledged there would be ups and downs coming off this surgery. Year 3 has been a lot more “down” for the interior D-lineman.
Although the 49ers have formed the league’s No. 1-ranked defense, they have done so without their starting D-tackles for most of the season. Arik Armstead has missed all but six games this season, but the longtime San Francisco starter has since returned. Kinlaw coming back to join him would obviously represent a positive development for the 49ers, but given his persistent knee trouble, it cannot be assumed the 49ers will use one of their IR activations on him. The 49ers are also without D-tackles Hassan Ridgeway (strained pec) and Kevin Givens (MCL sprain), which puts Kinlaw’s status under the microscope now that he is set to practice again.
Two IR activations remain for the NFC West champions, who also have Elijah Mitchell and D-tackle Hassan Ridgeway — who had filled in as a starter for much of this season — on the injured list. Ridgeway is expected to be sidelined into January. Mitchell is battling his second MCL sprain this season, but the second-year running back could also potentially return in January. Should the 49ers activate Kinlaw, it would be an either/or call between Mitchell and Ridgeway.
Eagles Activate TE Dallas Goedert From IR
After having to wait longer than expected, the Eagles will have their top tight end available for Week 16. The team announced on Tuesday that Dallas Goedert has been activated from IR. 
Philadelphia had designated him for return last week, leading to the expectation that he would be able to suit up for Sunday’s win over the Bears. Instead, he remained sidelined for that game, but this move still falls comfortably within the 21-day window he had to be activated. The move will allow him to play on Christmas Eve against the Cowboys.
Goedert has been out since Week 10 due to a shoulder injury. That interrupted what has been another productive season for him, the first without Zach Ertz present as competition for targets. The 27-year-old posted 544 yards and three touchdowns on 43 catches through nine games prior to being sidelined. Despite the missed time, he still ranks third on the team in receiving yards, behind only A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
The Eagles have won five straight games since the contest in which Goedert went down, their only loss of the season. That demonstrates the ability of their offense to overcome his absence, though a return to full strength will still be a welcomed sight given his production. A win on Saturday against Dallas would clinch the NFC East title and the top seed in the conference for Philadelphia.
A contest which was already important given its playoff implications became even more intriguing yesterday when it was reported that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is facing the possibility of a multi-week absence. Gardner Minshew is expected to play in his place, so having a full complement of pass-catchers via a healthy Goedert could prove critical for Philadelphia’s offense. The unit has been elite in the running game in particular, of course, but a return from the former second-rounder would boost the Eagles’ aerial attack as well.
The move leaves Philadelphia with three IR activations remaining for the season, with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and edge rusher Robert Quinn likely to use up two of the others. Their expected returns, along with that of Goedert, should help keep the Eagles in Super Bowl contention.
Vikings Sign QB Josh Rosen To Practice Squad
Josh Rosen has found another new home in the NFL. The former first-round quarterback has been signed to the Vikings’ practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday. 
This deal makes Minnesota the seventh franchise which Rosen has been a member of in his relatively brief NFL career. The 10th overall pick in 2018, his time in Arizona only lasted one season. That campaign saw him put up underwhelming numbers (55.2% completion percentage, 11:14 touchdown-to-interception ratio) as the Cardinals finished at the bottom of the NFL.
That gave them the opportunity to draft Kyler Murray as his replacement, resulting in a trade sending Rosen to Miami. That one-year stint only saw him make six appearances (including three starts), however, and the selection of Tua Tagovailoa once again ended Rosen’s long-term prospects of seeing consistent time as a starter without another move. The 2019 campaign was followed by brief tenures spent with the Buccaneers, 49ers and Falcons as he bounced around to various depth roles.
This past summer, the UCLA product joined the Browns while they rebuilt their QB room. Signed to provide depth behind bridge starter Jacoby Brissett while Deshaun Watson served his suspension, Rosen was identified as a passer the team wished to keep in the fold. That was evidenced by their decision to sign him to their taxi squad immediately following roster cutdowns. The move also came after the Browns claimed Kellen Mond off waivers from the Vikings.
In his absence – and, more recently, that of David Blough, who signed with the Cardinals’ 53-man roster last week – Minnesota has been in need of a signal-caller on their practice squad. Rosen will fill that vacancy for them down the stretch, serving as an emergency option should starter Kirk Cousins or backup Nick Mullens miss time. The deal will also give Rosen his latest opportunity to audition for a training camp spot in Minnesota or elsewhere during the offseason.