Minor NFL Transactions: 10/18/22
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: TE MyCole Pruitt
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return from IR: TE Charlie Kolar
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: LB Chandler Wooten
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: WR Isaiah Coulter
- Waived: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: LB Dakota Allen
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: WR Blake Proehl
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: S Cody Davis
New Orleans Saints
- Designated for return from IR: CB Alontae Taylor
Washington Commanders
- Released from IR: OL Willie Beavers
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/22
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad additions and subtractions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Blake Lynch
- Released: WR Stanley Berryhill
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: DT Kobe Smith
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Brandon Copeland, LB Julian Stanford
- Released: LB Jeremiah Attaochu, WR Slade Bolden
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Spencer Brown, DE Delontae Scott, DT Raequan Williams
- Released: TE Josh Babicz, DE Austin Larkin, TE John Lovett
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Sammis Reyes
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Brandon Johnson
- Released: TE Dalton Keene
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Innis Gaines
- Released: CB Benjie Franklin, LB Ray Wilborn
Houston Texans
- Signed: S C.J. Moore
- Released: CB BoPete Keyes
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR DeMichael Harris
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Deionte Thompson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Kyle Nelson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB La’Mical Perine
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S Myles Dorn
- Released: S Mike Brown
New England Patriots
- Released: K Tristan Vizcaino
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: QB Jake Luton, DE Jabari Zuniga
- Released: DT Christian Ringo
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Conor McDermott
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Jason Huntley, WR Josh Malone
- Released: S Scott Nelson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Kurt Benkert, CB Ka’dar Hollman
- Released: LB Buddy Johnson, K Sam Sloman
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: WR Kevin Kassis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: OL Justin Skule
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Kyron Brown, DB Steven Parker
- Released: DB Nate Brooks
Washington Commanders
- Released: DT Donovan Jeter
Cardinals Sign K Rodrigo Blankenship, Designate OL Cody Ford For Return
Matt Prater has missed the Cardinals’ past two games. If he is unable to go in Arizona’s short week, the team will roll out a third (fourth if Eno Benjamin‘s emergency kickoffs are counted) kicker this season.
A day after releasing Matt Ammendola from their practice squad, the Cardinals replaced him with Rodrigo Blankenship. Should a promotion to the team’s 55-man gameday roster ensue, this will be Blankenship’s first action since the Colts cut him earlier this season. Prater, who is battling a hip injury, has not practiced this week.
The Colts made Blankenship their full-time Adam Vinatieri successor in 2020, but a 2021 injury and a rough start to this season changed the organization’s plans. The 2019 Lou Groza award winner while at Georgia, who played one game with the Colts this season, worked out for the Cardinals earlier this month. But the team signed Ammendola, using the brief Chief as its Prater fill-in. Ammendola, who has been with three teams since August, is now out to make room for Blankenship.
In addition to missing a game-tying field goal try against the Eagles, Ammendola missed an extra point against the Seahawks on Sunday. Blankenship missed an overtime field goal in the Colts’ season-opening tie and sent two kickoffs out of bounds in that game. The Colts’ primary kickoff man, punter Rigoberto Sanchez, being on IR forced Blankenship into the kickoff role for that contest. During his full season with the Colts in 2020, Blankenship went 32 of 37 on field goals and 43 of 45 on PATs.
Additionally, the Cardinals designated guard Cody Ford for return. The fourth-year blocker has not yet debuted for his new team, having suffered an ankle injury not long after the Cards acquired him from the Bills. Ford can be activated before this week’s game, but Arizona has three weeks from today to make that transaction. If Ford is not activated in that span, he reverts to season-ending IR. The Cardinals have used two of their eight allotted injury activations thus far.
Ravens To Sign WR DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson‘s Ravens visit has produced an agreement. The 14-year veteran wide receiver is signing with the team, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). It is a practice squad agreement, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com notes.
Although Jackson said this offseason he was pondering retirement, he re-emerged recently indicating he was still on the market. The Ravens will be the deep threat’s sixth NFL team. At 35, Jackson will also become the NFL’s oldest active wideout.
The Ravens have No. 1 wideout Rashod Bateman recovering from a foot sprain, and while Devin Duvernay has shown strides as an auxiliary target this season, no other Baltimore receiver has totaled more than 80 yards through six games. Jackson will be expected to fill some of the void created by the trade of Marquise Brown.
Despite his age and recent injury trouble, Jackson has remained a target for teams. The Rams cut him last season, but teams pursued the veteran; that process led Jackson to Las Vegas. The former Pro Bowler made an impact for the playoff-bound Raiders, doing so after helping the Rams early in the season.
Albeit on only 20 receptions, Jackson averaged a career-high 22.7 yards per catch last season. He posted 100-yard games for both of his 2021 teams — a Week 3 explosion against the Bucs as a Ram and a Thanksgiving assist to the Raiders, helping Las Vegas to a last-second win over Dallas — and showed more durability than he had during his second Philadelphia stint by playing in 16 games and the Raiders’ wild-card tilt.
Jackson missed 24 games during his second Eagles stay, but the Rams still took a flier on him. The Ravens will follow suit and will have one of the most impactful deep targets in NFL history prepared to help their cause. Jackson’s three Pro Bowls all came during his first stint with the Eagles, which ended after the 2013 season, but he has five 1,000-yard seasons and four years as the NFL’s top yards-per-catch player. For his career, Jackson has 11,110 receiving yards — 36th all time.
This move follows the Ravens’ in-season pickup of Jason Pierre-Paul. JPP, who was signed to the Ravens’ active roster without a practice squad bridge period, cleared the 50-snap barrier in his first game as a Raven. D-Jax’s recent injury and usage history suggests OC Greg Roman will not deploy him as a full-timer alongside Bateman, but his addition figures to open up the field for he and Mark Andrews going forward.
Falcons Move CB Casey Hayward To IR
Off to a 3-3 start that places them in a tie atop the NFC South, the Falcons will be tasked with staying on that pace without one of their starting cornerbacks. Casey Hayward is now on IR.
The Falcons moved the free agency acquisition to their injured list because of a shoulder injury. Arthur Smith said Monday the team worried about this injury affecting Hayward for a while. He will be out at least four weeks because of the ailment.
At 33, Hayward joins the Saints’ Chris Harris as the NFL’s oldest active corners. The Falcons signed Hayward to a two-year, $11MM deal this offseason and have used him as a starter opposite A.J. Terrell. The former Packers draftee has made 118 career starts and is now with his fourth franchise, having teamed with Gus Bradley with both the Chargers and Raiders. Pro Football Focus graded Hayward as a top-15 corner in 2021; the advanced metrics site has assigned him a middle-of-the-pack mark (50th) thus far this season.
This Hayward news comes just after the Falcons brought Isaiah Oliver off IR. Terrell suffered a thigh injury during the team’s win over the 49ers, but he remains on Atlanta’s active roster. The Falcons are still in good shape, activations-wise, having only used one of their eight IR-return spots this season. Hayward figures to be one of Atlanta’s IR-return moves this year. The team passed on activating Deion Jones from IR, instead trading the veteran linebacker to the Browns.
Darren Hall and Dee Alford were in for Hayward and Terrell against San Francisco, and AtlantaFalcons.com’s Tori McElhaney expects the former to take over for Hayward alongside Terrell. A fourth-round 2021 draft choice out of San Diego State, Hall played a season-high 38 defensive snaps against the 49ers.
Rams Sign Ty Nsekhe, Cut Takk McKinley
As the Rams continue to lose offensive linemen, they keep adding veterans. Ty Nsekhe is now on Los Angeles’ 53-man roster, agreeing to terms with the team Tuesday. The Rams signed Nsekhe off the Colts’ practice squad.
This marks a reunion for Nsekhe, who began his career in St. Louis 10 years ago. The Rams added Nsekhe as a waiver claim back in 2012 — GM Les Snead‘s first season running the team — after the Colts initially signed him as a UDFA. But the then-Missouri-stationed team moved on by 2013, sending Nsekhe on a lengthy odyssey as a backup/spot starter.
No one remains with the Rams from that 2012 team, with Johnny Hekker being released this offseason, but Nsekhe will join a squad that has added a few veterans up front in recent weeks. Oday Aboushi and Matt Skura are on Los Angeles’ active roster, having signed with the team in-season. Nsekhe’s addition comes after the Rams placed left tackle Joe Noteboom on IR; Noteboom suffered an Achilles tear in Week 6.
Nsekhe will turn 37 next week, separating him a bit from Aboushi and Skura, and has played 93 career games (17 starts). He spent time back with the Colts earlier this season, residing on Indianapolis’ practice squad, but did not see any game action. After his brief Rams stint, Nsekhe caught on with New Orleans, Washington, Buffalo and Dallas. He has not started a game since 2019 and has not logged more than one start in a season since 2018.
To run down the list of Rams O-line injuries, Noteboom joins starting left guard David Edwards and guard/center Coleman Shelton on IR. Guard fill-in Tremayne Anchrum, who was filling in as a starter after Brian Allen‘s Week 1 injury, is also on IR. Allen has not played since Week 1 but is expected to return after the team’s Week 7 bye. The Rams lost third-round rookie guard Logan Bruss to an ACL tear during the preseason.
In addition to the Noteboom and Nsekhe moves, the defending Super Bowl champions cut ties with Takkarist McKinley and placed cornerback Grant Haley on IR. They signed McKinley off the Titans’ practice squad last month. By rule, the Rams had to carry the veteran pass rusher on their active roster for at least three weeks, but that time has passed. McKinley saw only 11 defensive snaps with the Rams during his stay back in L.A. The UCLA alum passes straight through to free agency. Although McKinley has consistently generated interest, his stock has dipped considerably since the Falcons waived him late during the 2020 season.
Commanders Name Taylor Heinicke Week 7 Starting QB
Carson Wentz‘s first season in the nation’s capital has been put on pause due to the finger injury he suffered during the team’s Week 6 game. He has since undergone surgery, but is facing a multi-week absence. His immediate replacement was confirmed on Tuesday. 
Head coach Ron Rivera named Taylor Heinicke Washington’s starting quarterback for Week 7 against the Packers. That comes as little surprise, given his experience with the team and the total lack thereof regarding the alternative, rookie Sam Howell. “We think he’s on track,” Rivera said of Howell, “but Taylor right now gives us the best opportunity to be successful” (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post).
Heinicke, 29, is in his third season with Washington. He dressed for only one regular season contest in 2020, but made a name for himself in the playoffs in a one-score loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers. 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. His 6.9 yards per attempt average and 20:15 touchdown-to-interception ratio left plenty to be desired, and made Washington a key player in the offseason QB market. They made a sizeable move in trading for Wentz, but it was made clear after the draft that Heinicke would remain his backup.
Howell will dress as the QB2 on Sunday, after being inactive for the first six weeks of the campaign. The 22-year-old burst onto the scene at North Carolina, throwing 38 touchdowns as a freshman in 2019. After a successful sophomore season, his passing numbers took a step back in 2021, though he added 828 yards and 11 scores on the ground. He ultimately fell to the fifth round – joining a number of other passers in April’s underwhelming class on Day 3 – setting him up for what the team hopes will be a strictly developmental season.
In a depth move to in the wake of Wentz’s absence, the Commanders also signed Jake Fromm to the practice squad, per a team announcement. The former Bills draftee started twice for the Giants last year, and recently worked out with the Dolphins amidst their QB injury woes. A decision on whether or not Wentz will be placed on IR, meanwhile, is expected to be made later this week, reports CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson (Twitter link).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/17/22
Here are Monday’s practice squad additions and subtractions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Devon Kennard
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: Vyncint Smith, TE Jalen Wydermyer
- Released: TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
Miami Dolphins
- Released: RB ZaQuandre White
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR C.J. Board
- Released: WR Josh Gordon
Judging by Gordon’s minimal playing time at his fifth NFL stop, it certainly looks like he is nearing the end. Gordon signed with the Titans shortly after he did not make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster, and while Tennessee used the former All-Pro in two games, Gordon logged six snaps and did not catch a pass. Gordon, 31, has five receptions over the past two seasons. Board spent the past two seasons with the Giants; he caught 15 passes for 152 yards with the team in that span.
The Cardinals released Kennard multiple times this year, the first such transaction coming just before cutdown day. While the team circled back to the Phoenix native previously, the veteran pass rusher is now Baltimore-bound. Kennard, 31, signed a three-year, $20MM Cardinals deal in 2020 but did not deliver much production and accepted a pay cut this offseason. Kennard did not record a sack in 15 games last season, but the 11-year veteran did post back-to-back seven-sack slates during the 2018 and ’19 campaigns with Detroit. He will join a Ravens team that has added both Jason Pierre-Paul and Jeremiah Attaochu during the season.
Cardinals Activate WR DeAndre Hopkins, Waive K Matt Ammendola
The Cardinals’ wide receiver situation has changed considerably this year. Trades and unavailability keep updating Kyler Murray‘s aerial personnel, but his top weapon is on his way back.
Arizona activated DeAndre Hopkins on Monday, waiving kicker Matt Ammendola to make room on its 53-man roster. Hopkins, who served a six-game PED suspension, will begin his third Cardinals season Thursday night against the Saints.
Kliff Kingsbury said Hopkins is not expected to be on a snap count. That will be good news for a scuffling Cardinals offense and a receiving chomping at the bit to resume his career. Hopkins, 30, has not played since Week 13 of last season.
This offseason brought in Marquise Brown, acquired for a package headlined by a first-round pick, but the Brown-Hopkins tandem’s crossover continues to be delayed. Hopkins’ May PED ban meant Brown would be bumped up in Arizona’s receiver hierarchy, and just as Hopkins returns, Brown will miss several weeks due to a foot fracture. The Cardinals have played without A.J. Green and Rondale Moore for stretches and lost Antoine Wesley for the season due to a quadriceps tear. Brown’s injury prompted the Cards to swing a trade for Robbie Anderson.
Arizona’s 22nd-ranked offense produced just three points against a struggling Seahawks defense; Hopkins’ availability will be critical to potential improvement. Hopkins only missed two games during his seven-season Texans tenure — a span that produced three straight first-team All-Pro nods — and caught a career-high 115 passes for 1,407 yards in a second-team All-Pro slate to start his Cardinals career. But a hamstring injury and an MCL sprain limited the star pass catcher to 11 games in 2021. That significantly affected the Cards’ offense, and another late-season swoon commenced.
Hopkins’ contract runs through 2024. His $27.25MM-per-year average made a notable impact on the receiver market this year, but the 10th-year veteran’s cap number spikes from $15.7MM in 2022 to $30.75MM in 2023. The Cards could adjust that, as no void years are presently attached to this deal, but some questions have emerged about Hopkins’ status with the team beyond this season. For now, however, it will be all systems go for Hopkins, who will team with Anderson as the 2-4 Cardinals attempt to move back on track.
Raiders Place CB Nate Hobbs On IR
Nate Hobbs played with a broken hand against the Chiefs in Week 5, but the Raiders will shut him down for a chunk of their midseason schedule. Hobbs is now on IR.
The Raiders already have one of their Week 1 starting cornerbacks — Anthony Averett — on their IR list. Averett will be eligible to return from Las Vegas’ IR in Week 7, though it is not yet known if he will be ready to do so. Averett encountered a similar injury to Hobbs, suffering a broken thumb in his Raiders debut.
This stalls Hobbs’ strong start to his career. The 2021 fifth-round pick became a Week 1 starter last season and has been a Raider regular ever since. An Illinois alum, Hobbs made nine starts for the Raiders as a rookie. Pro Football Focus rated the slot corner as one of the top-performing corners in 2021; he rates 29th through five games this year. Hobbs’ emergence helped the Raiders feel comfortable enough at the position to unload 2019 second-round pick Trayvon Mullen on roster-cutdown day, but Las Vegas is suddenly thin at this position.
Rock Ya-Sin is now the only Raiders Week 1 cornerback starter left standing, though Averett should be expected to return at some point during Hobbs’ four-game shutdown. The Raiders have used 2020 fourth-round pick Amik Robertson as a primary starter in Averett’s absence, and he will presumably continue to work with the first-stringers sans Hobbs. Las Vegas used Sam Webb, a rookie UDFA out of Division II Missouri Western, on 24 defensive snaps in Kansas City.
The team has some interesting options on its practice squad as well, and Hobbs’ ailment could lead to Nickell Robey-Coleman‘s 2022 debut. The Raiders signed the veteran slot corner just before the season began. The team also has Javelin Guidry, a former Jets slot player, on its P-squad. Robey-Coleman, 30, has played 127 career games and worked as the top slot corner for multiple franchises.
The Raiders also added former Chargers contributor Tevaughn Campbell to their taxi squad Monday. The Bolts used Campbell as a fill-in starter at points, trotting him out as a first-stringer 11 times from 2020-21. The former UDFA reached an injury settlement with the Chargers last month, allowing him to move off their IR list and into free agency.