Bills Sign WR Cole Beasley
TODAY, 4:25pm: It didn’t take long for Cole Beasley to make his way to the active roster. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the wideout has been promoted from the practice squad for tonight’s game.
TUESDAY, 8:40am: After a brief stint in retirement, Cole Beasley is set to play once again in the NFL. The veteran wideout is set to re-join the Bills, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the move.
2022 has been a busy year for the 33-year-old. Beasley was released by the Bills in a cost-cutting move at the onset of free agency, after three seasons in Buffalo during which he remained a productive slot receiver and played a key role in the team’s offense. That led to a healthy market for his services, and the opportunity to land with another contenting team.
That appeared to be the case when he signed with the Buccaneers in September, after being recruited by Tom Brady amidst the team’s uncertainty at the WR position. That deal resulted in only two games with Tampa Bay, however, and the former UDFA made just four catches during that time. Shortly thereafter, Beasley retired from the NFL.
Mere months after that decision, though, he will re-join a Bills team which leads the AFC with a 10-3 record. Garafolo tweets that Beasley will begin on the team’s practice squad, but is likely to be elevated to the active roster soon. Buffalo boasts the league’s sixth-most productive passing attack (averaging 274 yards per game through the air), but the slot has not been a consistent source of success on the year.
Free agent addition Jamison Crowder has been out since Week 4, leaving Isaiah McKenzie as the team’s primary option to operate in a complementary role to Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. The latter two have enjoyed successful seasons to date, but McKenzie has recorded 44 receiving yards or fewer in all but two contests this year. Beasley should be able to at least compete for snaps on the inside and provide Josh Allen with a familiar pass-catching option, having received over 100 targets in each of his seasons with the Bills.
This news also marks the second consecutive day in which an Odell Beckham Jr. suitor has signed a veteran wideout. Beckham’s likelihood to miss the remainder of the regular season – if not more of the 2022 campaign – steered the Cowboys towards T.Y. Hilton, who is able to contribute right away; the same is believed to be true of Beasley. Of the teams which hosted Beckham recently, only the Giants have yet to make a move at wideout, perhaps leaving them as the new favorite to strike a deal should one materialize.
Raiders Activate TE Darren Waller, WR Hunter Renfrow
Derek Carr and the Raiders offense will be getting some significant reinforcement. The Raiders have activated tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow from injured reserve, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Waller hasn’t seen the field since October but it took the front office a month to finally place him on IR, delaying his required four-game absence. After two-straight 1,000-yard campaigns in 2019 and 2020, Waller was limited to 665 receiving yards in 11 games in 2021. His hamstring injury has limited him to only five appearances in 2022, with the former Pro Bowler hauling in 16 receptions for 175 yards and one score. Waller inked a three-year, $51MM extension with the Raiders back in September.
Renfrow has dealt with a handful of injuries in 2022, limiting him to 21 receptions in six games before being sidelined. The 26-year-old was coming off a breakout campaign in 2021 that saw him haul in 103 receptions en route to a Pro Bowl nod. The wideout inked a $32MM deal with the organization during the offseason.
Without Waller and Renfrow in the lineup, the Raiders have been leaning heavily on Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs, with both players having already topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage. The Raiders second-leading receiver this season has been Mack Hollins, who has hauled in 47 catches for 588 yards and three touchdowns.
The Raiders made a handful of additional moves as they prepare for tomorrow’s game against the Patriots. Las Vegas promoted offensive linemen Sebastian Gutierrez and Jordan Meredith to the active roster. To make room for today’s transaction, the Raiders cut wide receiver DJ Turner and tight end Jacob Hollister.
Texans Place RB Dameon Pierce On IR
Dameon Pierce‘s season has come to an end. The Texans have placed the rookie running back on injured reserve, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Pierce suffered a high ankle sprain during Houston’s Week 14 loss to the Cowboys, although initial reports indicated that the injury was mild. It was believed that the rookie RB may only have to miss a game or two, which wouldn’t necessitate a move to IR. Instead, the Texans decided to shut down Pierce for the year.
The fourth-round rookie has quickly established himself as an offensive focal point in Houston. He’s started all 13 games for the Texans, and he leads all rookies with 939 rushing yards. In total, the Florida product has contributed 1,104 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. With Pierce out for the final four games, the Texans will likely turn to Rex Burkhead and Dare Ogunbowale to lead their RB room. Royce Freeman will also be signed to the active roster, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).
Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth are also heading to IR, per Yates. Stingley, the third-overall pick in this year’s draft, hasn’t played since Week 10 while recovering from a hamstring injury. He started each of his nine appearances for the Texans this season, collecting 43 tackles and one interception. After starting the season in Kansas City, Stallworth got into one game for Houston in 2022.
There is some good news on the injury front. According to Wilson (on Twitter), the Texans have also activated defensive lineman Jon Greenard from IR. Greenard had eight sacks in 12 starts last season, and he started each of Houston’s first four games this year before landing on IR. To round out their moves, the Texans signed defensive back Jacobi Francis to the 53-man roster and have promoted defensive back Will Redmond and tight end Mason Schreck from the practice squad.
Broncos Place DL Dre’Mont Jones On IR
Dre’Mont Jones‘ season has come to an end. The Broncos are placing the starting defensive lineman on injured reserve, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
Jones suffered a hip injury during Denver’s loss to the Chiefs last weekend. According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (on Twitter), the defensive lineman traveled to see two different hip specialists over the past two days. It was determined that the defensive lineman won’t need surgery but would require four to six weeks of recovery. With Denver out of the playoff picture, the IR stint will end the player’s season prematurely.
The former third-round pick is having a career season during his four year in the NFL. Jones leads the Broncos with 6.5 sacks, and he’s also added 47 tackles and 10 QB hits. The 25-year-old is set to his free agency following the season, and Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets that Denver’s front office would like to re-sign him.
It’s been a disaster of a season for the Broncos, and that could partly be attributed to injuries. Schefter notes that Jones will be Denver’s NFL-leading 19th player currently on IR, and the team’s had 25 players hit injured reserve in total this season.
Titans Place RB Dontrell Hilliard On IR
The Titans made a number of moves today as they prepared for their Week 15 matchup against the Chargers. Most notably, the team placed running back Dontrell Hilliard on injured reserve and activated cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. from IR.
Hilliard suffered a neck injury in last Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars. The running back has turned into a reliable offensive option during his second season in Tennessee, serving as the team’s primary pass-catching back (21 receptions for 177 yards and four touchdowns). As Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky notes on Twitter, the team doesn’t really have a replacement for Hilliard on the roster. Rookies Hassan Haskins and Julius Chestnut will now be relied on to spell Derrick Henry.
After getting waived by the Chiefs during the preseason, Johnson caught on with the Titans. He got into eight games for Tennessee, with the majority of his playing time coming on special teams. The defensive back suffered a hamstring injury during the Titans’ Week 10 win over the Broncos, landing him on IR. The former second-round pick started 19 games for the Texans through his first three seasons in the NFL.
The Titans also signed guard Jordan Roos, cornerback Davontae Harris, and Chestnut to the active roster and promoted wideout Mason Kinsey and linebacker Andre Smith from the practice squad. Tennessee also placed wide receiver C.J. Board on IR. Board suffered a rib injury earlier this month and will now miss the rest of the regular season. Since joining the active roster in November, Board has served as the team’s primary punt returner.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/22
Here are today’s minor moves heading into the Saturday slate of games:
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Anthony Brown
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Daylen Baldwin, LB Tae Davis
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: CB Jacobi Francis
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Darrell Baker, LB Forrest Rhyne
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Parry Nickerson
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/16/22
Here are today’s taxi squad moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Olakunle Fatukasi
New England Patriots
- Signed: LS Tucker Addington
- Released: T Hunter Thedford
New York Jets
- Signed: S Will Parks
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/15/22
Today’s minor moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived from IR: G Lester Cotton
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: OLB Elerson Smith
New York Jets
- Released: S Will Parks
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Godwin Igwebuike
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return from IR: CB Lonnie Johnson
Igwebuike is being elevated for the second time this season. Starting rookie running back Kenneth Walker has returned to the lineup but running back and return man DeeJay Dallas missed a second straight week of practice, meaning Igwebuike will likely have return duties while backing up Walker and Travis Homer.
Smith will be undergoing surgery for a nagging bone spur, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. The surgery will necessitate a recovery period of about four months, so Smith’s 2022 campaign has come to an end.
Parks re-signed with the Jets this offseason after being claimed by the team last December and starting two games. Despite starting another game this season, Parks has spent most of time on special teams in 11 games this year.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/15/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Khalil Dorsey
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT McTelvin Agim
- Released: WR Robert Foster
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Jack Heflin
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Jaylen Smith
- Released: RB Wayne Gallman
Rams To Waive OLB Terrell Lewis
The Rams are set to let go of a recent third-round draft pick as they are reportedly waiving outside linebacker Terrell Lewis, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. It’s a bit of a surprising move considering the team lacks much depth at outside linebacker. 
Lewis was largely considered a risky steal when he was selected by Los Angeles in the third round. The Alabama-product rose up draft boards early in his collegiate career before a torn ACL sidelined him for the entire 2018 season. After appearing in 11 games in 2016 with little playing time as Terrell Hall, he legally changed his last name to Lewis going into his sophomore year. After tearing a ligament in the first game with “Lewis” on his jersey, he would miss the next ten games, returning for the regular season finale and a postseason run that would include an SEC Championship game and two College Football Playoff games. His first collegiate start would be in the Crimson Tide’s National Championship win over Georgia in overtime.
Between the two long-term injuries he suffered in college and only appearing in 26 games over four years, scouts were iffy on Lewis’s durability. But after a strong redshirt junior season that saw Lewis rack up 31 tackles, six sacks, and 11.5 tackles for loss, and saw him play in 11 of the team’s 13 games that year, Lewis had a strong opportunity in the NFL Draft. Evaluating entering the draft early with his injury history led Lewis to an easy decision and he became a Ram.
Unfortunately for both parties, Lewis’s professional career has been more of the same. He spent the first four weeks of his rookie season on the team’s non-football injury list and would miss five more games later in the year, including a playoff loss to the Packers. His second year with the Rams last season started off promising. After showing a healthy start to the year, Lewis earned his first start in the NFL and tallied a sack in three straight games. He followed that up with three straight starts before eventually, the injury bug struck again. After two games with diminishing playing time, Lewis would sit out the rest of the season, including a four-game playoff run that culminated in a Super Bowl win over the Bengals.
This year, once again, started off with promise. Lewis was a constant presence rotating into the Rams linebacking corps behind a usual starting lineup of Bobby Wagner, Ernest Jones, Leonard Floyd, and Justin Hollins. Lewis often split time with Hollins, eventually taking over his starting spot after Hollins was waived in late-November. But after only three starts, Lewis found himself on the injured list once again. Lewis injured his back in a loss to the Chiefs, suffering a disc bulge that limited his flexibility. He’s now missed the last two games and it appears that the Rams have seen enough.
With Lewis out, the Rams have not really gone the replacement route. They have begun to incorporate some linebacking reserves like rookie seventh-round pick Daniel Hardy, undrafted rookie Keir Thomas, and Christian Rozeboom, but, for the most part, the Rams have been playing far fewer four-linebacker sets, relying on their top-three linebackers, Wagner, Jones, and Floyd.
Lewis will head to waivers where he may be lucky enough to find his way to a team with the patience and depth at outside linebacker to weather any potential future absences. He still provides impressive measurables and pass rushing ability for any teams willing to stake a claim on the waiver wire.