Browns Place DE Chase Winovich, TE Jesse James On IR
The Browns placed two players on IR today. Tight end Jesse James and defensive end Chase Winovich landed on injured reserve, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). This will knock the duo out for at least the next four games.
It sounds like both players suffered injuries during Cleveland’s loss to the Jets on Sunday. According to Kevin Stefanski, Winovich suffered a hamstring injury and James suffered a biceps injury.
Winovich was acquired from the Patriots this offseason for linebacker Mack Brown. The former third-round pick barely made the roster out of the preseason, and he didn’t see the field for any defensive snaps during Week 1. He got more run this past weekend, appearing in 37 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. He finished that game with a tackle and two QB hits.
James made a name for himself in Pittsburgh, hauling in 120 receptions in 56 games. He had a two-year stint in Detroit before spending the 2021 campaign with the Bears. He started nine of his 14 games last season, hauling in seven receptions. The Browns signed the veteran before the start of the regular season, and he saw a handful of snaps through the first two weeks while serving as the third tight end behind David Njoku and Harrison Bryant. One of Miller Forristall or Zaire Mitchell-Paden could be promoted from the practice squad to replace James.
Panthers Place DT Bravvion Roy On IR
Bravvion Roy will miss at least the next four games. The Panthers placed the defensive tackle on injured reserve today, according to Darin Gantt of the team’s website.
Roy suffered a hamstring injury during Sunday’s loss to the Giants. The defensive lineman was seen limping off the field before being carted to the locker room. Matt Rhule later told reporters that the injury “looked pretty severe.”
The 2020 sixth-round pick appeared in 32 games for Carolina through his first two seasons in the NFL. He appeared in both of the Panthers’ first two games in 2022, collecting two tackles and one QB hit.
The Panthers have been starting Derrick Brown and Matt Ioannidis at defensive tackle, with Roy serving as the third DT on the depth chart. With the third-year player sidelined, Carolina will likely turn to 2021 seventh-round pick Phil Hoskins or undrafted rookie Marquan McCall to soak up some of the defensive snaps.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/20/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: G Lachavious Simmons
- Released: CB Corey Ballentine, WR Jeff Cotton, DB Steven Parker
- Released from PS IR: WR Victor Bolden Jr.
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
- Released: OT Alex Taylor
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB DQ Thomas
- Released: WR Travis Fulgham
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart, G Arlington Hambright
- Released: K Lucas Havrisik, TE Jared Scott
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DE Zach VanValkenburg
- Released: LS Matt Overton
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Scotty Washington
- Released: TE Jalen Wydermyer
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: G Yasir Durant
- Released: G Drew Desjarlais
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Jaylon Smith (story)
- Released: OL KC McDermott
New York Jets
- Signed: WR/KR Diontae Spencer
- Released: P/K Ty Long
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Jaquarii Roberson
- Released: CB Mark Gilbert
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: DB Kary Vincent
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/20/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Devon Kennard
- Released: WR Andre Baccellia
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: WR Dennis Houston
Detroit Lions
- Released from IR: K Aldrick Rosas
Green Bay Packers
- Released from IR: K Gabe Brkic
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived from IR: DB Daniel Isom
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived from IR: S Jared Mayden
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: RB Marlon Mack
A.J. McCarron, Mike Glennon Among QBs At 49ers Workout; Kurt Benkert Lands Deal
4:51pm: It will be Benkert landing the gig after this audition, Garafolo tweets. it is a practice squad deal. The former Falcons and Packers reserve has been in the NFL since 2018, after arriving as a UDFA out of Virginia. Benkert, 27, has appeared in just one game — with the 2021 Packers — and does not have a regular-season pass on his resume yet. Benkert played under Kyle Shanahan Falcons OC successor Steve Sarkisian and spent a year in Matt LaFleur‘s West Coast offense.
3:59pm: Trey Lance‘s injury reopens the door for Jimmy Garoppolo, but it also leaves the 49ers vulnerable. Garoppolo has battled a host of injuries since coming to San Francisco, and the team is looking into reserve options.
Chief among them is A.J. McCarron, who was one of five quarterbacks at a Tuesday 49ers workout, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Mike Glennon, Garrett Gilbert, Kevin Hogan and Kurt Benkert also trekked to the Bay Area for this audition. This year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, is the only other QB on San Francisco’s 53-man roster.
The Falcons did not re-sign McCarron, whose 2021 deal did not lead to any game action. A summer 2021 ACL tear sidelined the former Bengals backup, but the veteran arm expressed interest in returning to the league this year. The Browns worked out McCarron in July but went with Josh Rosen instead.
Now 32, McCarron has been with four teams — Raiders and Texans stints came in between his Cincinnati and Atlanta stays — over an eight-year career. His only notable game action came back in 2015, when Andy Dalton‘s late-season injury sent the Alabama alum into action. McCarron had the Bengals on the precipice of a wild-card win over the Steelers; late-game penalties helped down Cincinnati that night. Since that four-start season, McCarron has made just one additional start — with the 2019 Texans — but has continued to generate interest.
Glennon, 32, spent last season with the Giants but has bounced around the league since his Buccaneers stay ended in 2016. Glennon struggled during his Daniel Jones relief cameos, going 0-4 as a starter and completing 54% of his passes at 4.7 yards per throw. The former Bucs third-round pick also lost his five 2020 starts, helping the Jaguars secure Trevor Lawrence draft real estate. The 6-foot-7 veteran has been with five teams — the Bears, Cardinals, Raiders, Jags and Giants — since his rookie contract expired.
Garoppolo only resumed throwing recently, but he came in to relieve Lance in Week 2. Lance’s season-ending ankle break puts Garoppolo’s health history back under the microscope. The sixth-year 49er missed 13 starts in 2018, 10 in 2020 and two last season. Calf, thumb and shoulder injuries impacted Garoppolo last year, leading to two 2022 surgeries. Lance no longer being present as a backup option, as was the case in 2021, raises the stakes involved with this 49ers search for a veteran arm.
Rams Place CB Troy Hill On IR, Promote G Oday Aboushi
The Rams will not have their primary slot cornerback available for a while. Troy Hill sustained a groin injury during the team’s Week 2 win over the Falcons; the veteran defender is now on IR.
Hill and Week 2’s right guard option — Tremayne Anchrum — are now on the four-week injury list. Veteran guard Oday Aboushi, who joined the Rams’ practice squad last week, is now on the defending champions’ 53-man roster.
Reacquired via trade on Day 3 of the draft, Hill re-emerged in his old gig in Los Angeles to start the season. Hill, 31, played 95% of the Rams’ defensive snaps in Week 1 but left their Week 2 game early. Cobie Durant replaced Hill, but Sean McVay said a hamstring injury could keep him out against the Cardinals as well. Robert Rochell and sixth-round rookie Derion Kendrick represent the team’s top other options here, should Durant not be able to go.
Anchrum became the latest Rams offensive lineman to go down; McVay confirmed the third-year blocker is out for the season. Anchrum, a 2020 seventh-round pick, suffered a fractured fibula Sunday. The Rams had Anchrum, third-round rookie Logan Bruss and veteran Coleman Shelton competing for the right guard job this summer. None of the three are available for that gig presently. Bruss (ACL, MCL tears) is out for the season; Shelton slid to center to replace Brian Allen, who suffered an injury in Week 1. Allen is not on IR, however. His return would shift Shelton back to right guard.
Second-year UDFA Alaric Jackson stepped in at right guard against the Falcons, but Aboushi is far more experienced. A starter for six teams during a nine-year career, Aboushi has 47 career first-string appearances. The 31-year-old blocker could join an ultra-exclusive club by starting for a seventh team. Considering the Rams’ situation, that may happen soon. Aboushi started five games for the Chargers last season, opening the year as their top right guard. An ACL tear ended that run. It will be interesting to see if the Rams move the veteran into their starting lineup this week, assuming Allen is not ready to return.
Commanders To Sign C Nick Martin
In response to losing their staring center for the foreseeable future, the Commanders are making an addition at the position. Washington has reached agreement on a deal with veteran Nick Martin, and will add him to the 53-man roster (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). 
[RELATED: Commanders C Roullier Facing Extended Absence]
Martin, 29, was a second-round pick of the Texans in 2016, though he was sidelined until the 2017 campaign by an ankle injury. Throughout his four-year tenure in Houston, he started all 62 games he appeared in. He received middling overall PFF grades along the way, but was rated highly in pass protection in particular.
That earned him a three-year, $33MM extension in 2019. Despite remaining a starter after signing that deal, though, the Notre Dame alum was released in 2021. On the open market for the first time in his career, Martin joined the Raiders on a much less lucrative one-year contract that same offseason. Even in the absence of Rodney Hudson, Martin was unable to win the starting job, however, and played just seven offensive snaps during the campaign.
That resulted in a lengthy stay on the open market this summer, and a brief stint with the Saints. Martin was signed to New Orleans’ practice squad after roster cutdowns, but has since been released. He will look to return to playing form with Washington, something which will likely require some time given his status as a backup last season.
Martin will look to compete for the starting role vacated for, potentially, the entire season by Chase Roullier. The team’s list of internal replacement options is topped by fellow veteran Wes Schweitzer, who was reported yesterday to be the favorite to take over first-team pivot duties. He now has experienced competition to deal with, as the Commanders look to soften the blow of losing a key member of their offensive front.
Buccaneers To Sign WR Cole Beasley To Practice Squad
Cole Beasley‘s desire to land on a contending team and Tampa Bay’s uncertainty at the wide receiver position have resulted in a deal. The veteran is joining the Buccaneers’ practice squad with the expectation that he will soon be elevated to the 53-man roster, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). 
Beasley, 33, was reported to be fielding offers last week. He is coming off of the least-productive of his three seasons in Buffalo, a campaign which still saw him make 82 catches, resulting in 693 yards and one touchdown. Overall, his Bills tenure demonstrated the durability and consistency he has become known for, making it little surprise that he was the subject of free agent interest.
Likewise, it was hardly newsworthy that the former UDFA was remaining patient on the open market while eyeing a spot on a Super Bowl-caliber team. Garafolo notes that Tom Brady made a push for Tampa Bay to add another veteran, and that Beasley was a preferred target of his. Beasley could see immediate playing time, given the team’s current lack of availability at wideout.
Both Chris Godwin and Julio Jones are nursing injuries which kept them sidelined for Tampa’s Week 2 games against the Saints, leaving their status for Week 3 uncertain. The same is also true of Mike Evans, who is appealing the one-game suspension he was issued yesterday for his involvement in the latest altercation between he and Marshon Lattimore. If he were to lose the appeal, Tampa could face the Packers on Sunday without all three starters.
In the absence of Godwin in particular, Beasley could find himself seeing a notable workload in the slot. He, along with Russell Gage, Breshad Perriman and Scotty Miller would constitute the pass-catching array available to Brady in at least the short-term. The latter in particular has been thought to be on the roster bubble dating back to the end of training camp, and played only a rotational role on Sunday despite the Buccaneers’ injuries.
This deal will surely come in at a far lower figure than the $7.6MM Beasley averaged per season with the Bills. Still, it could prove to be a fruitful investment for the team, and a rewarding commitment on his part.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/22
Today’s minor moves, including some standard practice squad elevations for the two Monday Night Football games:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted to 53-man roster: DL Abdullah Anderson
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: LB Josh Ross
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted from practice squad: DT C.J. Brewer, DT Brandin Bryant
Green Bay Packers
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: WR Osirus Mitchell
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Duke Shelley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Britain Covey, TE Noah Togiai
Washington Commanders
- Claimed off waivers (from Cowboys): DT John Ridgeway
- Waived: DT Donovan Jeter
Brewer has completed a pretty unlikely path to an NFL game. Coming out of Coastal Carolina, the defensive lineman had to have surgery following an injury suffered in the Chanticleers’ bowl game. With no college all-star game and no NFL Combine, Brewer had only his Pro Day to show his ability. After going undrafted and unsigned as a college free agent, he earned a rookie mini camp tryout and got to stay for training camp as the lowest player on the depth chart. Brewer played more than any other defensive player in training camp and stayed healthy. He got cut, signed with the practice squad, and is now getting an opportunity to appear in his first NFL game.
The Cowboys had hoped to re-sign Ridgeway after waiving him. It doesn’t appear that Washington was the only team to keep him from returning to Dallas, as multiple teams reportedly submitted claims for the former fifth-round pick.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/19/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Jovante Moffatt
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: OLB Kyler Fackrell
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OT Brandon Shell
- Released: DT Christopher Hinton