Packers Activate WR Sammy Watkins, Place WR Randall Cobb On IR
It’s one in, one out for the Packers receiving corps. Just as Green Bay is able to activate veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins off of injured reserve, the team has to place its other veteran, Randall Cobb, on IR, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The shuffle continues what has been a struggle for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense. 
Watkins was placed on the reserve list only two weeks into the season in order to deal with hamstring injuries. It was early in the season, but, after a 93-yard day against the Bears, Watkins was looking like a dangerous target for Rodgers. Through two games this season, Watkins was already on pace to have his best season since his early days in Buffalo. Rodgers should feel a bit of relief getting one of his favorite targets from early in the season back.
Cobb stepped up when Watkins went down and became the Packers’ second-leading receiver behind Allen Lazard. Just as Watkins is ready to return, though, Cobb will take his turn on IR. There was a bit of silver-lining reported yesterday as Cobb’s injury was determined not to be a broken ankle, as was initially feared, but a high ankle sprain that will keep him out for an expected “two to six weeks,” as opposed to the initial diagnosis of a season-ending injury.
With Cobb out and rookie second-round pick Christian Watson also dealing with hamstring issues, the Packers will look forward to getting Watkins back in the lineup, but they’ll likely be cautious with his return. Watkins is listed as questionable going into Sunday’s game in Landover, and he will likely have limited participation against the Commanders. Lazard and rookie fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs will be the main targets alongside Watkins with return specialist Amari Rodgers and rookie seventh-round pick Samori Toure filling in where needed.
In a couple other moves leading in the Week 7 slate, the Packers also placed offensive lineman Jake Hanson on IR and promoted outside linebacker La’Darius Hamilton as a gameday elevation.
Browns Activate LB Deion Jones
Deion Jones is set to make his Browns debut tomorrow. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports (on Twitter), the linebacker has been activated from injured reserve. The team has also promoted linebacker Dakota Allen and cornerback Herb Miller from the practice squad, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (on Twitter).
Jones was acquired from Atlanta earlier this month despite sitting on injured reserve. He was soon designated for return, allowing him to practice with his new squad for more than a week. The linebacker underwent shoulder surgery back in May, a move that ended up temporarily halting trade talks. While his salary was apparently a concern for some suitors, Jones and Cleveland later agreed to a reworked contract that will make the veteran a free agent at the end of the season.
The linebacker spent the first six seasons of his career in Atlanta, including a 2021 campaign where he collected 137 tackles. The Browns lost veteran linebacker starter Anthony Walker for the season in Week 3, leaving a major hole on their defense. Jacob Phillips has since found himself with a starting gig, and it’ll be interesting to see if he supplants usual starter Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah with Jones in the lineup.
Allen has spent the majority of the 2022 season on Cleveland’s practice squad, although he’s been active for a pair of games. The linebacker got into 14 games with the Jaguars last season, collecting nine tackles. Miller has seen time in 11 games for Cleveland over the past two years, including two this year.
Commanders Place QB Carson Wentz On IR
Carson Wentz‘s broken finger will force him to miss at least the next four weeks. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Commanders have placed their starting quarterback on injured reserve.
[RELATED: Commanders Name Taylor Heinicke Week 7 Starting QB]
Rapoport notes that there’s hope Wentz can return to the lineup when first eligible. The veteran QB will be allowed to return from IR in Week 11 against the Texans, meaning he’ll miss the Week 10 MNF matchup against his former team, the Eagles.
Wentz suffered a fractured finger in his throwing hand last Thursday, an injury that ultimately required surgery. The veteran was initially given a return timeline of four to six weeks, but Wentz expressed interest in playing through the injury. That clearly didn’t end up being the case; the QB was already ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Packers, and the Commanders are now putting him on the shelf for the three following games, as well.
Wentz has been inconsistent during his first season in Washington. The 29-year-old has completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,489 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions, although seven of those scores came in the first two weeks. Wentz and the Commanders offense struggled again in Week 6, with the QB only completing 12 of his 22 pass attempts for 99 yards. Coach Ron Rivera made headlines prior to that Week 6 victory when he attributed the team’s place in the NFC East standings to the “quarterback” position, although he later walked back those comments and defended his role in the team’s decision to acquire the QB from Indy.
As our own Adam La Rose previously pointed out, Wentz’s absence could end up impacting the draft picks that the Commanders sent to the Colts. The 2023 third-rounder sent to Indy will convert to a second-rounder if Wentz plays in 70% or more of the Commanders’ snaps this season. Wentz can still hit that mark if he misses four games, but the Commanders would barely have more than a game’s worth of wiggle room remaining.
Taylor Heinicke, who is in his third season with the organization, will take over under center. He dressed for only one regular season contest in 2020, but he made a name for himself in the playoffs in a one-score loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions. That landed him a two-year extension laden with playing-time incentives. He started all but one regular season contest he appeared in last year, going 7-8 and completing 65% of his passes. Washington is also rostering fifth-round rookie Sam Howell.
Texans Place DE Jonathan Greenard On IR
The Texans will be without one of their top pass rushers for the next month-plus. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Houston is placing defensive end Jonathan Greenard on the injured reserve.
The defensive end injured his calf this week during practice. The injury is expected to sideline Greenard for four to six weeks. The pass rusher missed Week 5 with an ankle injury but was expected to be back on the field after Houston’s bye week. Instead, while preparing for Week 7, Greenard suffered an injury that will keep him off the field for at least the next four games.
The 2020 third-round pick made a name for himself in 2021. In 12 starts for Houston, Greenard finished with 33 tackles, eight sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles. Through four games this season, he collected 1.5 sacks and five tackles for loss, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 78th among 116 qualifying edge rushers. The 25-year-old graded out much better in the past, ranking 11th in 2021.
When Greenard was out of the lineup in Week 5, Mario Addison made his season debut and ended up playing 64 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Rasheem Green has also seen his role grow, culminating in him seeing a season-high in defensive snaps in Week 5. The duo will likely fill in for Greenard at defensive end opposite Jerry Hughes, with Demone Harris and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo also there to soak up some snaps.
Lions Sign P Jack Fox To Extension
The Lions have extended one of their key special teamers. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Detroit has signed Jack Fox to a three-year extension.
The deal is worth $3.775MM annually, making him the highest-paid punter in the NFL. Seahawks punter Michael Dickson previously paced the position with a $3.67MM AAV. Fox will also get $7MM guaranteed, which only trails Dickson ($7.5MM) among punters.
Per Rapoport, the organization used their Week 6 bye to negotiate a new contract with Fox. The 26-year-old was set to hit restricted free agency following the season.
The 2019 undrafted free agent out of Rice originally joined the Chiefs out of college before catching on with the Lions. After sitting on the practice squad for much of his rookie year, he got into 16 games in 2020, earning himself a second-team All-Pro spot and a Pro Bowl nod. He got into 17 games for Detroit last season, averaging 48.8 yards per punt. He re-signed with the Lions after the 2021 campaign.
In five games this year, Fox’s 16 punts have traveled a distance of 48.8 yards, good for ninth in the NFL. While Pro Football Focus only ranks him 23rd among 32 punters at the moment, Fox graded much more favorably through his first two years in the league (including a #1 ranking in 2020).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/21/22
Here are the day’s only practice squad moves:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Washington Commanders
- Signed: CB Troy Apke
Apke returns to Washington after being released just over two weeks ago. At his peak, Apke earned the starting free safety job for Washington over Sean Davis after filling in some during the prior year for injured starter Montae Nicholson. After struggling at the position, Apke lost the starting job and transitioned to cornerback. His role since losing the starting safety job has mostly been on special teams, where he had been a contributor earlier on in his career.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/21/22
Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: OLB Aaron Patrick
Washington Commanders
- Signed to active roster: LB Khaleke Hudson
- Placed on IR: CB Tariq Castro-Fields
Patrick is being placed on injured reserve after an awkward collision on the sideline with a member of the media led to a torn ACL. He becomes the fifth Bronco to suffer the dreaded knee injury since training camp, following wide receiver Tim Patrick, running back Javonte Williams, cornerback Ronald Darby, and running back Damarea Crockett.
Panthers Trade Christian McCaffrey To 49ers
Rumored to be on the trade block for the past several days, Christian McCaffrey is on the move. The 49ers will acquire the former All-Pro Panthers running back, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The 49ers are sending over a major haul for the sixth-year back. Carolina will acquire San Francisco’s second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round 2024 selection, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bills and Rams were also rumored to be in on McCaffrey, and this compensation package certainly indicates interest was there. The trade is now official.
The Rams indeed made a push for CMC, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Los Angeles has made a host of splashy in-season trades in recent years, moves that have helped produce Super Bowl berths, but the team stood down here. The 49ers now have McCaffrey signed through 2025. Despite this Thursday-night transaction, Rapoport notes McCaffrey is expected to play against the Chiefs on Sunday (Twitter link) in a presumably limited role.
The Panthers sought a first-round pick and change for McCaffrey this offseason and wanted a first-round equivalent now, as the two finalists (the 49ers and Rams) did not have 2023 first-rounders (video link). Carolina had opened the door to accepting a picks package headlined by Day 2 choices; that pivot led to a considerable boost in the franchise’s draft arsenal.
Although the Bills called to check on McCaffrey’s availability this offseason and were still interested as he hit the block, Rapoport adds they were not involved in these sweepstakes at the end (Twitter link). While the Bills will move forward with their Devin Singletary–James Cook backfield stable, the 49ers will add one of this era’s top dual-threat backs to theirs.
McCaffrey, 26, will join a 49ers running back cadre currently headed by Jeff Wilson. Starter Elijah Mitchell remains on IR with an MCL sprain but is expected to return around midseason. Like McCaffrey, Mitchell has battled injuries as a pro. Wilson (470 scrimmage yards, two touchdowns this season) has stayed healthy during Mitchell’s hiatus. While Wilson should still have a role, McCaffrey will obviously move into position as San Francisco’s top back for the stretch run.
Because the Panthers restructured McCaffrey’s contract this offseason, the 49ers only owe him $690K for the season’s remainder. However, CMC’s four-year, $64MM deal — still the running back benchmark 2 1/2 years after its finalization — includes base salaries of $11.8MM in 2023 and ’24 and $12MM in 2025. Considering the picks the 49ers are parting with, it does not seem like they view McCaffrey as a one-year rental. That said, only $1MM in injury guarantees remain on the deal, giving San Francisco some flexibility.
McCaffrey’s dominance at Stanford provided the onramp for him to become a rare modern-era top-10 running back draftee, and after a modest rookie year, he broke through with one of this period’s top running back seasons. Despite Cam Newton going down early in the 2019 season, McCaffrey made a run at Chris Johnson‘s single-season scrimmage yards record. He did not get there, but the 2,392-yard, 19-touchdown campaign — on top of a 1,965-yard 2018 season — led to the record-setting extension.
Of course, the 49ers are taking a gamble based on what McCaffrey’s 2020s have produced. A high ankle sprain early in the 2020 season began McCaffrey’s slide toward the “injury prone” label for which he has become known. In addition to injuries to both ankles over the past two years, McCaffrey has run into shoulder and hamstring maladies. In total, the former No. 8 overall pick missed 23 games from 2020-21.
The Panthers are cashing out here, with McCaffrey — chosen during Dave Gettleman‘s GM run — having played in all six games this season. CMC’s 670 scrimmage yards — 104 against the 49ers in Week 5 — rank fourth in the NFL through six games. Carolina also traded Robbie Anderson and is rumored to be willing to ship out eighth-year veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline.
The 49ers are giving up far more than they did for Emmanuel Sanders at the 2019 deadline; the veteran wideout cost third- and fourth-round picks. But McCaffrey provides a much higher ceiling and had much of the Matt Rhule era to conserve his body. McCaffrey gives the 49ers a fourth All-Pro on offense, joining George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams.
The 49ers are sacrificing much of their 2023 draft, as they do not have a 2023 first-rounder (sent to the Dolphins for the Trey Lance draft slot). But the NFC West squad still has two third-rounders in 2023, due to Washington’s Martin Mayhew GM hire and Miami’s Mike McDaniel HC move. However, this is a bit of a zag for the team. The 49ers gave Jerick McKinnon a top-five (at the time) running back deal in 2018; he missed the next two seasons. After McKinnon and Tevin Coleman‘s contracts came off their books in 2021, the 49ers have rolled with low-cost backfields. It does not get more expensive than McCaffrey at this position.
The McCaffrey family has some familiarity with the 49ers and the Shanahans as well. Christian McCaffrey’s father, Ed, is better known for his Broncos days, but the former possession receiver was on the 1994 49ers’ Super Bowl-winning team. Ed McCaffrey played for Kyle Shanahan‘s father, Mike — George Seifert‘s offensive coordinator on that dominant squad — before following the elder Shanahan to Denver in 1995. Ed played nine years for Mike Shanahan in Denver. Kyle Shanahan and Christian McCaffrey each spent time around the Mike Shanahan-era Broncos, though the latter was obviously a child at the time.
With three 2023 picks plus the 2024 fifth-rounder, the Panthers are collecting a somewhat surprising package for a running back. Although David Johnson brought the Cardinals DeAndre Hopkins — in a widely panned 2020 deal that featured a second-round pick going to the Texans as well — no back had brought more than merely a third-round pick since the 2013 Trent Richardson Browns-Colts swap. This trade will boost a transitioning Panthers team come April.
Carolina, which was without some ammo in this year’s draft due to trades for Sam Darnold and C.J. Henderson, sent its 2023 third-rounder to New England in order to trade up for Matt Corral. The Panthers, however, do have their own first- and second-rounders next year. With the picks the 49ers are sending, the NFC South club will have six picks in the first four rounds next year. In the meantime, the Panthers have offseason pickup D’Onta Foreman and 2021 draftee Chuba Hubbard to pick up the pieces in their backfield.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/20/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Dicaprio Bootle
Bootle joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska in 2021. He got into three games as a rookie and has seen time in three games this year, totaling 10 tackles in his six games. Bootle was waived at the end of the preseason before landing back on Kansas City’s practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated to return: DE Tarell Basham
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Designated to return: S Damontae Kazee
Basham suffered a quad injury in Week 1 that landed him on injured reserve. The defensive lineman joined the Cowboys last season, finishing with 39 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 17 games (six starts). The 28-year-old saw time in 18 defensive snaps in Week 1 before suffering his injury.
Kazee landed on IR after the preseason, and he now has a three-week window to return to the roster. The defensive back joined Pittsburgh this offseason after spending the 2021 campaign in Dallas, where he had 52 tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles in 17 games (15 starts).