Minor NFL Transactions: 10/4/22
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: RB Jerome Ford
Green Bay Packers
- Signed off Saints’ practice squad: LB Eric Wilson
Houston Texans
- Designated for return from IR: OLB Mario Addison
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: K Chase McLaughlin
- Waived: WR Dezmon Patmon
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed off Falcons’ practice squad: NT Khyiris Tonga
- Placed on IR: S Lewis Cine (story)
- Activated from reserve/PUP list: LB Ryan Connelly
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Designated for return from IR: WR Calvin Austin
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: WR Willie Snead
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DL Sam Okuayinonu
- Waived: OLB Wyatt Ray
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Tommy Hudson
Cine has now undergone two surgeries in London to repair his leg fracture. The first-round pick underwent a preparatory procedure before his Tuesday operation to repair the compound fracture he sustained. The Georgia product will stay in England for the time being, with Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press noting (via Twitter) doctors want to ensure no infections develop. Cine could travel back to Minnesota as soon as this weekend.
Following Latavius Murray off the Saints’ practice squad this week, Wilson did not see any action for the team this season. The former multiyear Vikings starter signed a one-year, $2.75MM Eagles deal in 2021, but Philadelphia bailed on that contract during the season. Wilson, 28, finished last season with the Texans. In his lone full season as a Vikings starter (2020), Wilson made 122 tackles, registered three sacks and intercepted three passes.
Addison signed with the Texans shortly after the draft, joining fellow ex-Bills edge rusher Jerry Hughes in joining the rebuilding team on a two-year deal. The Texans placed Addison on IR with a groin injury; he is eligible to be activated to the 53-man roster this week. Teams can make eight activations from their injured lists — be it IR, PUP or NFI — this season.
Lions Waive K Dominik Eberle, To Add K Michael Badgley
After beginning the season out of football, Michael Badgley could play for two NFC North teams in two weeks. Shortly after the Bears released the veteran kicker from their practice squad, he landed with the Lions, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. It is a practice squad deal.
Badgley fared well as the Bears’ Cairo Santos replacement Sunday, but with Santos back, Chicago went back to its one-kicker setup. The Lions have a similar need, with Austin Seibert battling a groin injury. Seibert joined Santos in missing Week 4. If Badgley kicks for the Lions on Sunday, he will be the team’s sixth kicker over the past two seasons.
The Lions used Dominik Eberle as their kicker against the Seahawks, but after Eberle missed two extra points in Detroit’s shootout loss, he is back in free agency. The Lions waived Eberle on Tuesday. Badgley is now in line to be Seibert’s Week 5 fill-in, should another replacement be necessary.
Badgley went 4-for-4 on field goals with the Bears, who did not score a touchdown in Sunday’s loss to the Giants. He spent most of last season with the Colts, joining the team after Rodrigo Blankenship‘s early-season injury. Badgley, 27, was 18-for-21 on field goals with Indianapolis. Week 4 marked Eberle’s second NFL game. The 26-year-old specialist made the only field goal he attempted but was 2 of 4 on PAT tries, which impacted the Lions in their 48-45 loss to the Seahawks. A Utah State product, Eberle kicked in one game with the Texans last year.
The Lions had Matt Prater installed as their kicker for several years, but instability has defined this job since the veteran signed with the Cardinals in 2021. Last season, four kickers — including Seibert — saw action for Detroit.
Saints To Sign CB Chris Harris
The Saints’ experienced cornerback corps now includes one of this era’s most accomplished cover men. The team reached an agreement to bring in Chris Harris, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
New Orleans is adding the All-Decade corner on a practice squad deal. This opens the door to Harris playing a 12th NFL season. Prior to Harris signing a two-year deal with the Chargers in 2020, the Saints were in on the ex-Broncos stalwart. New Orleans will now see what the veteran defender has left. The Saints are planning to bump Harris up to their 53-man roster after a short ramp-up period, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets.
Harris, 33, said before training camp he was generating interest. It is unclear how many teams pursued him, but he will rejoin Denver teammate Bradley Roby in New Orleans’ Marshon Lattimore-fronted secondary. The Saints had Paulson Adebo on their injury report last week and placed rookie Alontae Taylor on IR late last month.
The 11-year veteran landed on the 2010s’ All-Decade team for his slot consistency, and although Harris regularly played outside in Denver as well, the former UDFA’s Chargers role would point to the Saints eyeing him for his specialty skill. The Bolts used Harris mostly as their slot defender during his two-year Los Angeles run, but the team added Bryce Callahan this offseason. Despite being on the downside of his career, Harris was still effective when healthy in L.A. He finished with the lowest completion percentage allowed when lined up in the slot last season. That said, the four-time Pro Bowler missed 10 games during his two-year Charger run.
The Saints traded their slot man of recent years to the Eagles, unloading C.J. Gardner-Johnson after a contract dispute led to a brief hold-in period. Adebo missed the first two games this season due to injury but returned to a full workload alongside Lattimore and Roby in Week 4.
Cardinals Waive WR Andy Isabella, Sign C Billy Price Off Raiders’ Practice Squad
Months after shopping Andy Isabella in trades, the Cardinals are cutting bait. The team waived the former second-round pick Tuesday, doing so to make room on the roster for Billy Price.
The Cardinals are signing Price off the Raiders’ practice squad. The team hosted the veteran center as a free agent in May, when it was not known if Rodney Hudson would be back, but Price found his way to Las Vegas. He will move to the NFL’s other desert team this week.
Isabella never came too close to justifying the Cards’ draft investment. The former No. 62 overall pick has played in three Arizona games this season, catching two passes for 21 yards. Despite DeAndre Hopkins‘ suspension and the injuries to Rondale Moore and A.J. Green, the Cards did not turn to Isabella as a steady contributor. He will be available on the waiver wire.
A standout at Division I-FCS UMass, Isabella arrived in Arizona months after Kliff Kingsbury did. The 5-foot-9 slot receiver topped out at 224 yards and two touchdowns — on 21 receptions — in 2020. Isabella, who caught nine passes in 15 games as a rookie, was one of three receivers the Cards chose in that 2019 draft. The other two, fourth-rounder Hakeem Butler and sixth-rounder KeeSean Johnson, are out of the league. This came during a rich receiver draft, which saw D.K. Metcalf, Terry McLaurin and Diontae Johnson chosen after Isabella went off the board on Day 2. The Cards shopped Isabella before free agency and then during the draft but found no takers.
Arizona drafted the 5-7 Moore in the 2021 second round and used their 2022 first-round pick in the Marquise Brown trade. Greg Dortch, who also goes 5-7, became Moore’s primary replacement to start this season. It will be interesting if another team takes a flier on Isabella, whose rookie deal expires at season’s end.
The Bengals drafted Price in the 2018 first round but benched him in his second season. Cincinnati traded Price to the Giants for defensive tackle B.J. Hill last year. Price did not see any action for the Raiders. Hudson is battling a knee injury, though he has not missed any time yet, while Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com adds guard Justin Pugh is also dealing with an injury situation.
The Cards traded for guard Cody Ford before the season, but a subsequent injury led the ex-Bill to IR. Kingsbury said (via Urban) Ford will not return to practice when first eligible this week; the former second-round pick is at least a couple weeks away from his practice window opening. Price will soon move into position as an interior backup in Arizona, his fourth NFL team.
Jake McQuaide Expected To Miss Rest Of Season; Cowboys Add Two Long Snappers
Jake McQuaide‘s second Cowboys season will end early. The veteran long snapper suffered a triceps tear that is expected to sideline him for the rest of the year, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins (on Twitter)
The Cowboys are adding some reinforcements and look set to hold a long-snapping competition this week. Dallas is signing snappers Matt Overton and Tucker Addington to its practice squad Tuesday, Pelissero adds. McQuaide will undergo surgery, Watkins tweets.
An NFLer since 2011, McQuaide spent 10 seasons with the Rams. He has never missed a game, playing in 181 since coming to St. Louis as a UDFA. The Cowboys made McQuaide their L.P. Ladouceur successor last year, signing him to the going long snapper rate. McQuaide is on his second one-year Cowboys deal, having re-signed in March. Ladouceur had been the Cowboys’ long snapper for 16 seasons prior to that change.
Overton has snapped with four teams since coming into the league in 2012. The former Colts Pro Bowler spent time with the Jaguars, Titans and Chargers since his five-year Indianapolis run wrapped. Overton, 37, was with the Bolts throughout last season. Overton will have a considerable experience edge on Addington, who has yet to snap in an NFL game. Addington snapped at Division I-FCS Sam Houston State.
Broncos’ Randy Gregory Avoids Season-Ending Injury; Knee Surgery On Tap
OCTOBER 4: Gregory will end up on IR after all, per a team announcement; the move guarantees that he will be unavailable for at least one month. The Broncos also confirmed on Tuesday that Williams will head to IR, along with the signing of Latavius Murray to try and compensate for his loss.
OCTOBER 3: Although the Broncos lost their top running back to a season-ending knee injury, they are expected to have Randy Gregory back this year. It will just require yet another 2022 surgery for the standout defensive end to return.
Gregory avoided ACL damage and will undergo arthroscopic meniscus surgery, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter links). While Gregory’s timeline will be determined post-surgery, the Broncos free agent acquisition could be ready to come back without needing an IR stay. A two- to six-week absence should be the timetable, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Nathaniel Hackett, however, did say short-term IR — mandating a four-week absence — is on the table.
[RELATED: Javonte Williams Suffers ACL Tear]
This will be Gregory’s third 2022 surgery. Prior to making his decision to commit to the Broncos, Gregory underwent a previous knee surgery. That took place during the winter. Shortly after signing with the Broncos in March, Gregory then underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The shoulder operation led to Gregory being on the shelf for months. While these three procedures did not address severe injuries, they have comprised quite the surgical docket for the pass-rushing standout. Considering the Williams development, the Broncos are still fortunate Gregory will be expected back fairly soon.
The Broncos made Gregory the centerpiece of their free agency puzzle. After seeing their Gregory negotiations nearly lead to the former Cowboys second-round pick re-sign with his original NFL team, guarantee forfeiture language led him to renege on the Dallas commitment and take his five-year, $70MM contract from Denver. The Broncos, who passed on a more expensive Von Miller reunion, preferred the 29-year-old Gregory at $14MM per. They then drafted Nik Bonitto in the second round and traded frequent spot starter Malik Reed to the Steelers.
The Reed trade sets up Baron Browning, who converted from inside linebacker to the edge this offseason, to be Denver’s top Bradley Chubb complementary rusher. A 2021 third-round pick, Browning has played in front of Bonitto to start this season. Gregory was instrumental in the Broncos’ defense leading the team to wins over the Texans and 49ers, recording sacks in both games. He has two forced fumbles to start his Broncos run. But the upper-echelon defense, which is already without Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons, will need to get by without its highest-paid edge defender for the time being.
Broncos Sign RB Latavius Murray Off Saints’ Practice Squad
As the Broncos deal with a season-ending knee injury to starting running back Javonte Williams, they’ve reached out for some help. Denver has reportedly signed running back Latavius Murray off of the Saints’ practice squad, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
The Saints offered Murray a spot on their active roster, according to NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill (on Twitter). But Murray opted for Denver, which looks set to offer a more prominent role. The Broncos will be without their top running back for the rest of the season, and their primary off-the-bench option (Melvin Gordon) is leading all backs in fumbles this season. 
After a similar situation brought Murray to Baltimore last season, the 32-year-old spent the offseason training on his own before signing to the practice squad in New Orleans just after Week 1, returning to the city he called home for two years. With star running back Alvin Kamara out for the Saints’ London matchup against the Vikings last weekend, Murray was called up as a gameday elevation from the practice squad. Splitting carries with Mark Ingram in the backfield, Murray led the team with 11 rush attempts for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Murray reverted back to the practice squad after the game, allowing for other teams in the NFL to pick him away from New Orleans. Enter the Broncos, sans Williams. Denver has similarly been running a two-headed rushing attack with Williams and Gordon. The former first-rounder had put himself in the doghouse on Sunday after his fourth fumble (a league-high for a running back) before Williams was injured and, after a few carries to third-string back Mike Boone, returned to play.
The veteran Murray likely won’t be able to replace the production of Williams, but his ability to function in a split backfield makes him a handsome fit in Denver. While some may not expect much out of Murray as soon as this weekend, one needs only look back to his tenure with the Ravens to change their mind. Murray was one of several veteran running backs to sign with Baltimore following the injuries to J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill. He was signed just three days before the season began and still led the team in carries for two of the first three weeks of the year. He was eventually named the starting running back in Week 4.
In Denver, the Broncos have a legitimate starter in Gordon and an experienced backup in Boone, who has been with the team since last year. There will certainly be no need to rush Murray into action this week, but he certainly has the ability to contribute if needed.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/3/22
Here’s the practice squad moves from around the league today:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Cornell Armstrong
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Eli Ankou
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE Sam Kamara
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Marcus Kemp
- Placed on reserve/suspended: RB Jerrion Ealy
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: QB Reid Sinnett
New England Patriots
- Released: LB Harvey Langi
New York Giants
- Signed: LB A.J. Klein
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: G Tyrese Robinson
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/3/22
Here’s today’s minor moves from around the league, including a couple practice squad elevations for tonight’s NFC West matchup:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: RB Caleb Huntley
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: TE Drew Sample
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed off waivers (from Lions): G Drew Forbes
- Waived: S Richard LeCounte III
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: T Chandler Brewer, RB Malcolm Brown
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: WR Willie Snead
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Tevin Coleman, WR Malik Turner
- Placed on IR: LB Azeez Al-Shaair
Ravens CB Jimmy Smith Retires After 11 Seasons
One of the Ravens’ top defenders over the past decade has officially ended his career. During a press conference earlier today, cornerback Jimmy Smith announced that he signed a one-day contract to retire with the only team he played for in the NFL. 
The team’s first-round pick in 2011, Smith operated in a rotational role for the first two years of his career. It was during the team’s 2012 playoff run, however, that he made quite arguably the play he will be best remembered for. The Colorado product broke up a pass on fourth-and-goal in the closing stages of Super Bowl XLVII, a play which essentially sealed the team’s victory.
From that point on, Smith began a lengthy stretch as a full-time starter and the team’s top cover man. His best statistical season came in 2015, when he totaled 54 tackles, three interceptions and 10 pass deflections. He never earned Pro Bowl honors, but was a steady presence on the backend through the drafting of Marlon Humphrey in 2017 and trade acquisition of Marcus Peters in 2019.
By that point, a number of injuries had started to take their toll on Smith. He was able to suit up for a full campaign just twice in his 11 seasons, and took on a smaller workload over each of the past three years. As a result, his future was very much in doubt this offseason.
Baltimore saw Anthony Averett depart in free agency, a move which, coupled with Smith’s unsigned status, left the team thin behind Humphrey and Peters. The Ravens drafted Jayln Armour-Davis and Damarion Williams in the fourth round of this year’s draft, adding to incumbent Brandon Stephens as long-term rotational options.
Smith, 34, will end his NFL tenure with just under $60MM in career earnings. While injuries will lead to questions of what could have been in terms of his time with the Ravens and how much longer it could have been extended, he will nevertheless have a place in the team’s history as a key defensive contributor.