NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/6/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Michael Dogbe, LB Blake Lynch
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Cortez Broughton
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: QB Davis Cheek
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: TE Tanner Hudson
- Released: DT Tyler Shelvin
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: OL George Moore
Denver Broncos
- Signed:WR Kaden Davis, QB Jarrett Guarantano
- Released: LB Zach McCloud
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Austin Calitro
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Chris Glaser, WR Diontae Spencer
- Released: WR Tarik Black, RB Jonathan Ward
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: WR Kawaan Baker, CB Javelin Guidry, DT Anthony Rush
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Wayne Gallman Jr.
- Released: DT Jarrod Hewitt
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: OT Dylan Cook, CB Ryan Smith
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: K Caleb Shudak
- Released: LB Wyatt Ray, OL Eric Smith
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/6/22
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: WR Marquez Stevenson
- Signed from practice squad: DT C.J. Brewer
Carolina Panthers
- Signed from practice squad: CB T.J. Carrie
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed from practice squad: P Drue Chrisman (story)
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: LB Sione Takitaki (story)
Denver Broncos
- Waived: OL Quinn Bailey, S Anthony Harris
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: DT Taylor Stallworth
New Orleans Saints
- Released from reserve/PUP list: TE Dylan Soehner
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from IR: DE Janarius Robinson
- Waived: S Andre Chachere
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on IR: S Josh Jones
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: WR Jaelon Darden
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: FB Tory Carter, OLB Sam Okuayinonu
Prior to waiving Stevenson, the Bills activated the second-year wide receiver from IR, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The procedural move would allow Stevenson — should he clear waivers — to return to Buffalo on a practice squad agreement. This will still count toward Buffalo’s eight injury activations, but the team still has six remaining. A 2021 sixth-round pick, Stevenson combined for 21 punt- and kick-return reps as a rookie.
The Eagles placed Robert Quinn on IR on Tuesday but will have a reinforcement in Robinson, a 2021 Vikings fourth-round pick. The Eagles signed Robinson off the Vikings’ practice squad in mid-September. He has yet to play in an NFL game.
A former franchise-tagged player, Harris was unable to carve out much of a role in Denver. The ex-Vikings and Eagles starter only played in three games for the Broncos, who signed him just before the season. Despite having a six-INT season on his resume, the 31-year-old defender did not play a defensive snap with the Broncos.
Cowboys To Add CB Mackensie Alexander
The Cowboys lost longtime cornerback Anthony Brown to a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 13. They will add an experienced option in the wake of that development.
Mackensie Alexander is signing with Dallas’ practice squad, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Alexander will rejoin former Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards with the Cowboys. The former second-round pick has not played this season.
After signing with the Dolphins midway through training camp, Alexander sustained an injury that led him to Miami’s IR. The Dolphins reached an injury settlement with the six-year veteran, allowing him to head back to free agency and sign elsewhere to retain 2022 eligibility. Had no settlement been reached, Alexander would have been unable to return from the Dolphins’ IR. Alexander underwent groin surgery this summer.
Alexander, 29, has worked primarily in the slot as a pro. He held that role for Minnesota during much of Mike Zimmer‘s tenure, playing out his rookie contract in the Twin Cities and then returning in 2021 after a Cincinnati one-off. Following Zimmer’s firing, the team did not bring him back; it instead inked ex-Packers slot Chandon Sullivan to a free agency accord. Alexander has 84 career games under his belt; he played 61% of Minnesota’s defensive snaps last season.
Jerry Jones had said the Cowboys would seek out cornerback help but did not express optimism. Alexander being both in his 20s and available at this point in the season could be a break for the contending team. The Cowboys also lost Jourdan Lewis to a season-ending injury in October. They finished Sunday night’s game with DaRon Bland and Kelvin Joseph as the primary options alongside Trevon Diggs. Joseph saw more action as a result of Brown’s injury.
Rams Claim QB Baker Mayfield
The Rams-Baker Mayfield buzz will lead to a claim. Mayfield is headed to Los Angeles, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Rams held the fourth spot in the Week 14 waiver priority.
L.A. will pick up the remaining $1.35MM left on the former No. 1 overall pick’s contract. Mayfield requested his Panthers release, as The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes (via Twitter) he was set to be Carolina’s No. 3 quarterback following P.J. Walker‘s return. The former Browns starter could become the Rams’ first-stringer at some point soon.
Although Mayfield’s stock has tumbled since his 2020 divisional-round appearance in Cleveland, Schefter adds the Rams still believe in the ex-Heisman winner’s talent. The prospect of nabbing a compensatory pick also played into this claim (Twitter link). The Rams are not viewing this (yet, at least) through a beyond-2022 lens, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets. The Panthers and Browns’ weeks-long haggling over Mayfield’s fifth-year option salary ended up aiding the Rams here, as Mayfield was tied to just a $4.858MM salary instead of the original $18.9MM option number.
Of course, the chance to upgrade on the John Wolford–Bryce Perkins situation naturally would appeal to the reigning Super Bowl champions, who have the worst 12-game record from a Super Bowl champ (3-9) in history. The Rams do not own their 2023 first-round pick, so losses piling up does not exactly do them any good — unless the second-round draft slot, and so on, is factored in.
Sporting what would be the worst season-ending NFL QBR figure in 12 years (18.3), Mayfield is not in position to net the Rams much in compensatory value. The former Oklahoma star and Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up has been linked to needing a one-year, “prove it” deal for a bit now. He will head to L.A. with a 6-6 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio, having completed 57.8% of his throws at 6.4 yards per attempt.
Mayfield, 27, fared far better at points in Cleveland. He lost out to Saquon Barkley for OROY acclaim four years ago but showed promise after the Browns’ midseason coaching change. Following a rough 2019 that featured a one-and-done Freddie Kitchens HC stay, Mayfield rebounded to finish 10th in QBR (a 26-TD, eight-INT season) under Kevin Stefanski and pilot the Odell Beckham Jr.-less Browns to the 2020 divisional round. Playing through a shoulder injury cost Mayfield last season, and his Panthers work has been worse. The Rams will attempt to coax better play from the fifth-year arm. Of course, he will be taking over a Rams team that is without Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson and one that has struggled throughout to run the ball, as its offensive line has encountered numerous injuries.
The Rams playing Mayfield on Thursday night would seem ill-advised, but Schefter tweets there is a shot he sees action against the Raiders. The better bet here is the relocating QB making a push to start in Week 15, when the Rams have a Monday-night tilt against the Packers. That would give the scuffling passer a mini-bye to make an effort to sufficiently grasp McVay’s playbook. While the Panthers were impressed with how quickly Mayfield caught on in Ben McAdoo‘s offense, he had weeks to do so before training camp. The truncated timeframe here will limit how McVay can run his offense, though Wolford, Perkins and a diminished Stafford reduced the Rams’ capabilities as well.
The 49ers did not submit a claim for Mayfield, Schefter tweets, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) no other team is believed to have submitted a claim. Kyle Shanahan expressed doubt the team would make such a move. With the Rams 3-9, it would not have mattered anyway. The Rams effectively blocked the 49ers from investigating this situation later, however. The NFC West leaders, who swept the Rams this season, are set to roll with Brock Purdy for the time being.
Eagles To Place Robert Quinn On IR
The Eagles’ veteran-flooded defensive line will be without Robert Quinn for an extended stretch. Quinn is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery and land on IR, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
A knee injury in practice last week will lead to this shutdown. Quinn hitting IR now would knock him out until at least Week 18. The Eagles are not ruling him out for the rest of the season, with Pelissero adding the team is optimistic the midseason trade acquisition can return. Quinn appeared on the Eagles’ injury report late last week and did not play against the Titans in Week 13.
Philadelphia sent Chicago a fourth-round pick for Quinn and has used the 12th-year veteran as a rotational option. Quinn, 32, has not cleared the 30% snap rate on defense as an Eagle, settling in as a rotational rusher after being more of a full-time player with the Bears during the season’s first half. But this injury will still affect Philly’s edge-rushing capabilities.
Quinn does not yet have a sack as an Eagle and has totaled two quarterback hits. The Eagles are still fairly well stocked up front, rostering Haason Reddick, Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat. The team also added Ndamukong Suh as an interior rush presence, flanking an inside group that already houses Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave.
Bouncing around the league since his Rams days, Quinn has been one of the more durable pass rushers during that span. He has not missed more than two games in a season since 2016. Only the 2015 and ’16 seasons have seen the thrice-traded edge player chart more than two absences, but he will be down for at least four games because of this surgery. With the Eagles pushing for their first playoff bye since 2017, Quinn could have extensive time to recover. The divisional round does not begin until the fourth weekend of January.
Titans Fire GM Jon Robinson
In an unexpected move, the Titans are moving on from one of their top executives. The team is firing general manager Jon Robinson, as reported (on Twitter) by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Tennessee has confirmed the decision.
This comes across as a surprise given the success the the team has enjoyed under Robinson’s tenure, which began in 2016. The Titans have had a winning record during each of those campaigns, including four consecutive 9-7 records between 2016-19. Consecutive double-digit win seasons followed, and the team earned the No. 1 seed in the conference last year. 
At 7-5 in 2022, Tennessee appears poised to win another AFC South title, something which would guarantee a fifth playoff appearance since Robinson took over as GM and fourth in as many years. That span includes a trip to the AFC title game in 2019, and has made Tennessee one of the most consistent organizations in the league in terms of sustained success in recent years. For that reason, it came as little surprise when Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel signed extensions this winter.
“I believe we have made significant progress both on and off the field through investments in leadership, personnel and new ideas,” owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. “This progress includes the core of our business, the football team itself, which is regularly evaluated both by results (wins and losses) and team construction/roster building. I am proud of what we have accomplished in my eight seasons of ownership, but I believe there is more to be done and higher aspirations to be met.
“I want to thank Jon for his dedicated work to set this organization on an upward trajectory and I wish him and his family the best.”
The team announced that VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden will assume Robinson’s duties on an interim basis. A search for a long-term successor will take place after the season is over. Cowden has drawn interest from other NFL teams in their respective GM searches, and interviewed twice with the Steelers this year for their vacancy. Meanwhile, Vrabel is expected to gain “significant power” within the organization as a result of this move (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2).
Robinson and the front office made a number of sizeable moves this offseason, including the trade which sent wideout A.J. Brown to the Eagles after the sides were unable to agree on a long-term extension. A source of questions during the season has been the quarterback position; Ryan Tannehill remains the team’s starter for now, but he has one year remaining on his current contract. That will invite speculation that rookie Malik Willis could start on a permanent basis if Tannehill were to struggle down the stretch, or if the team were to move on from him in the offseason.
That question, amongst others, will need to be answered in the coming months, but Robinson will no longer have a part to play in them. His track record will likely earn him plenty of interest for future front office positions, barring an unforeseen matter having contributed to his sudden dismissal.
Titans Sign OLB Tarell Basham
Tarell Basham is coming back to the AFC South. The former Colts draft choice signed with the Titans on Monday, ending a brief stay in free agency. This is an active-roster agreement, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
After dangling Basham in trades for a bit, the team did not find a taker. Dallas used one of its injury activations to bring Basham off IR, where he resided for much of its season’s first half, but waived him last week. With a high-six-figure total still left on Basham’s deal, he cleared waivers. But the Titans brought him in for a workout late last week and will sign him.
Tennessee has dealt with a steady stream of edge rusher injuries. Harold Landry suffered a season-nullifying ACL tear late this summer, and Bud Dupree has missed three games. Rotational cog Ola Adeniyi has missed most of this season, though the Titans did activate the young pass rusher off IR ahead of Week 13.
Basham stands to provide some more depth for the AFC South leaders. Alongside lead rushers Denico Autry and Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee has seen second-year outside linebacker Rashad Weaver (5.5 sacks) take a step forward this season. DeMarcus Walker, on his third team in three years, has also contributed to the team’s pass rush (4.5). The Titans are tied for 10th in the league with 33 sacks.
The Colts waived Basham early during the 2018 season, and he spent two-plus seasons with the Jets and much of the 2020s with the Cowboys. Basham, 28, totaled seven sacks between the 2020 and ’21 seasons. The ex-Ohio Bobcat’s three forced fumbles during his Jets contract year upped his value in 2021, when he signed a two-year, $5.5MM deal with the Cowboys.
While Basham’s 3.5 sacks helped Dallas’ cause during a 2021 playoff campaign, the team’s changes up front this offseason left less room for him upon return from IR. Basham suffered a quadriceps injury in Week 1 and only played eight defensive snaps upon return. Mike McCarthy said Basham’s exit came about because of a roster crunch, with the Cowboys needing to clear space for Tyron Smith and James Washington eventually.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/22
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed from practice squad: WR DeSean Jackson
- Waived: WR Binjimen Victor
Los Angeles Chargers
- Designated for return: TE Donald Parham
New Orleans Saints
- Signed from practice squad: CB Isaac Yiadom
- Promoted: TE Lucas Krull, WR Kirk Merritt
- Waived: WR Kevin White
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Anthony Chesley, ILB Ulysees Gilbert
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: WR Cody Hollister
For Minor NFL Transactions followers, Jackson is obviously overqualified for inclusion here. He is one of the great deep threats in NFL history. But the Ravens made a procedural move involving the 35-year-old wideout. Jackson initially moved to Baltimore’s 53-man roster as a gameday elevation. He will now reside on the team’s active roster moving forward. Should the Ravens cut Jackson, he will need to pass through waivers. Jackson, who has played in three Ravens games, has five receptions for 100 yards this season.
A hamstring injury has sidelined Parham, but the Chargers are moving into position to have the 6-foot-8 tight end back in uniform. An XFL 2.0 alum, Parham has been a Justin Herbert auxiliary target during his time with the team. Parham caught six touchdown passes from 2020-21; he has yet to score this season. Despite the usual array of Bolts injuries, the team is in good shape for IR activations. The Chargers have only used two of their eight allotted activations this season.
Buccaneers Activate DB Logan Ryan From IR
DECEMBER 5: Ryan is back on the Bucs’ active roster. The team moved the veteran defender back onto its 53-man roster Monday, representing its third injury activation this season. Five remain for Tampa Bay. Ryan has been out since going down in Week 4 with the foot ailment.
NOVEMBER 30: It sounds like the Buccaneers will soon be getting some reinforcement on defense. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), Tampa Bay has designated defensive back Logan Ryan to return from injured reserve. The Buccaneers will now have three weeks to activate the veteran to the active roster.
Ryan suffered a foot injury back in October that ultimately required surgery. Prior to that, the Buccaneers were leaning on Ryan in their secondary. In his four games (two starts), the veteran appeared in more than half of Tampa Bay’s defensive snaps, with Ryan collecting nine tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception.
At the beginning of the year, Ryan generally took the field alongside safeties Mike Edwards and Antoine Winfield whenever the latter was moved to the slot in sub packages. However, whenever Ryan returns, he could end up seeing a different role. Winfield is dealing with an ankle injury that forced him out of Sunday’s loss, while cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting are dealing with their own injuries.
Ryan’s versatility could end up coming in handy as the Buccaneers approach the final stretch of the season. The veteran made a name for himself as a cornerback in New England, and following four seasons and two championships with the Patriots, Ryan landed a lucrative contract from the Titans in 2017. He ended up playing out his deal in Tennessee, and when he joined the Giants in 2020, he decided to switch to safety. It’s been a bit since the 31-year-old played cornerback, but considering his more than 100 games of experience at the position, he could surely fill in if needed.
Bengals Waive P Kevin Huber; KR Brandon Wilson Reverts To IR
Nearly three months after breaking Ken Riley‘s record for games played as a Bengal, Kevin Huber is now available on the waiver wire. The Bengals moved on from the longest-tenured punter in team history Monday.
Huber has not played since Week 9. The Bengals had promoted offseason challenger Drue Chrisman from their practice squad in mid-November, and the younger specialist has handled punts over the past three games. The organization will fully pivot to the younger specialist, though special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said (via Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson, on Twitter) the prospect of Huber sticking around on the practice squad — assuming he clears waivers — as a mentor is in play.
“Kevin was our punter for a very long time,” owner Mike Brown said. “We appreciated every moment he was here. He has been a steadying force for us, an excellent player and a good person. Any football team would be blessed to have him for the length of time we did.”
Huber, 37, is a Cincinnati native who suited up for the Bearcats before being drafted by the Bengals in the 2009 fifth round. The Bengals and Huber agreed on five contracts since, most recently partnering up on a one-year, $1.8MM deal in May. A 2014 Pro Bowler, Huber played 138 straight games from that season until his demotion this year.
Although Lee Johnson‘s 259 career games surpass Huber’s, the latter has long been the longest-tenured punter in Bengals history. Only Sam Koch and Dustin Colquitt punted in more games for one team this century. Huber also served as the Bengals’ field goal holder throughout his stay with the team.
While teams almost never carry two punters on their active roster, Chrisman has been a gameday elevation during this audition of sorts. Chrisman, 25, caught on with the Bengals as a 2021 UDFA. Huber beat Chrisman out for the job last season and this year out of training camp, but the Ohio State product is averaging a strong 51.2 yards per punt. In his nine-game run this season, Huber was at 43.2 — his lowest figure since 2010. Chrisman does not have enough punts to qualify, but his 51.2-yard average would rank second in the NFL.
Additionally, the Bengals are not activating kick returner Brandon Wilson from the reserve/PUP list. Sidelined since suffering a torn ACL in November 2021, Wilson will revert to season-ending IR. The Bengals designated the young returner for return from the PUP list in November but needed to activate him by Monday in order to avoid this outcome.
Wilson served as Cincinnati’s primary kick returner from 2019-21; he notched kick-return TDs in 2019 and ’20. The Bengals have three injury activations remaining and will keep them in their pocket rather than use one on the sixth-year special-teamer. Running backs Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams have seen time returning kicks this season.