Browns Designate LB Deion Jones For Return
The Browns made the rare move to trade for a player on injured reserve, but Deion Jones‘ status changed Wednesday morning. Cleveland designated the veteran linebacker for return.
Jones will be eligible to practice for his new team today. The former Pro Bowler is not yet on the Browns’ 53-man roster, but he is moving in that direction. The team could have him in uniform against the Patriots.
Were Jones not close to returning from his shoulder injury, it would not make much sense for the Browns to make this trade. So the six-year starter will likely be in position to be activated immediately. The Browns still have all eight of their IR-return activations remaining. Jones, 27, joins new teammate Greedy Williams in being designated for return.
Hovering as a trade candidate for months, Jones underwent shoulder surgery back in May. That paused the prospect of the Falcons trading him, but the team restructured his contract to make a move easier. Despite the Falcons taking Jones off their active/PUP list in late August, they stashed him on IR to start the year. The Browns swooped in three weeks ahead of the trade deadline.
The Browns lost veteran linebacker starter Anthony Walker for the season in Week 3 and have been gashed by two backfields since. The Falcons and Chargers each topped 200 rushing yards in their respective wins over the Browns. The latter outing — one that featured a 173-yard Austin Ekeler rushing day — prompted Cleveland to acquire Jones that night. The Browns added ex-Jones Falcons teammate Tyeler Davison, a seven-year defensive tackle, to their practice squad Tuesday. Cleveland can promote Davison to its active roster before Week 6 as well.
Drafted during the Dan Quinn–Thomas Dimitroff Falcons regime, Jones became an instant starter. He played a key role in helping Atlanta to Super Bowl LI and earned a big-ticket extension in 2019. Jones remains tied to that deal, which runs through the 2023 season. Although he adds to Atlanta’s bloated dead-money total, the LSU product — because of the late-summer restructure — checks in at just $1.74MM on Cleveland’s payroll. With that cap hit spiking to $13.2MM in 2023, this amounts to an audition season for Jones alongside Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in Cleveland. Walker’s deal expires at season’s end.
Jones’ 137 tackles last season were one shy of his career-high total. Nevertheless, the Terry Fontenot–Arthur Smith regime made it known his 2022 status with the team was tenuous. The Falcons signed former Dean Pees charge Rashaan Evans and selected Troy Andersen in Round 2. Jones has five 100-plus-tackle seasons and has five career pick-sixes. Only Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks, Bobby Bell and ex-Brown Karlos Dansby have more among linebackers.
Colts Place WR Ashton Dulin On IR
Ashton Dulin will be out for at least the next four games. The Colts announced that they’ve placed the wide receiver/special teams ace on injured reserve. To fill the open roster spot, the team signed defensive tackle Chris Williams to the active roster from the practice squad.
Dulin suffered a foot injury during Thursday’s overtime win over the Broncos. The 25-year-old made a name for himself in 2021 after earning a second-team All-Pro nod for his special teams prowess, with Dulin’s 17 special teams tackles ranking second in the NFL. Besides his spot as a gunner, he also started to see a bigger role on offense in 2021, finishing with 13 catches for 173 yards and two scores. Dulin still had a significant role on ST this season, but he continued to be used on offense. Through five games (one start), he’s hauled in 12 catches for 168 yards.
The Colts have plenty of options to replace Dulin on offense, with Alec Pierce, Mike Strachan and Parris Campbell among the candidates to soak up the open snaps. However, as Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star points out, the team will surely miss him on ST; the team has already shuffled through kickers, and both punter Rigoberto Sanchez and fellow ST ace Armani Watts are done for the year.
Williams joined the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Wagner in 2020. He collected four tackles in eight games for Indy last season, and he made his 2022 debut last week against the Broncos.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/11/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Ty’Son Williams
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Ra’Shaun Henry
- Released: CB Ka’dar Hollman
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DB Ja’Marcus Ingram, WR KeeSean Johnson
- Released: WR Jaquarii Roberson
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: TE Seth Green
- Released: LS Tucker Addington
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LS Mitchell Fraboni
- Released: WR Darrius Shepherd, WR Vyncint Smith
Detroit Lions
- Signed: K Sam Ficken
Houston Texans
- Signed: DL Micah Dew-Treadway, OT K.C. McDermott
- Released: TE Nick Eubanks
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OL Ty Nsekhe
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: DL Israel Antwine
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Tyler Hall, WR Tyron Johnson
- Released: DB Darren Evans
New England Patriots
- Released: OL Sebastian Gutierrez
New York Jets
- Signed: WR/KR Diontae Spencer
- Released: OL Grant Hermanns
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB David Anenih
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DT T.Y. McGill, K Sam Sloman
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Ulysees Gilbert
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/11/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: CB Daryl Worley
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Brandin Bryant
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR: LB Julian Stanford
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: LB Matt Adams
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DE Khalid Kareem
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Thomas Graham
Denver Broncos
- Waived: OLB Jonathan Kongbo
Houston Texans
- Released from IR: DB Kendall Sheffield
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: G John Miller
- Placed on IR: OL Ben Bartch, LB K’Lavon Chaisson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: WR Albert Wilson
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: RB Jake Funk
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed of Titans practice squad: DB Theo Jackson
- Placed on IR: RB Ty Chandler
New England Patriots
- Waived: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: DT D.J. Davidson
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: RB Marlon Mack
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Xavier Crawford
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: LB Genard Avery
- Released from IR: RB Kenjon Barner
Cardinals To Sign RB Corey Clement
Dealing with some backfield injury trouble, the Cardinals auditioned a few veterans and tried to make a waiver claim. The team’s early-week process will end with Corey Clement‘s arrival.
Clement will join Arizona’s practice squad, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The former Eagle was part of a running back workout that also included Devontae Booker, Ty’Son Williams, Trey Edmunds and T.J. Pledger, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. The Cardinals also, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter), tried to claim Tony Jones Jr. off waivers from the Saints, joining the Broncos in that regard. The Seahawks’ waiver priority landed them Jones on Monday.
While Clement will have a tough time producing a more memorable NFL performance than his Super Bowl LII outing — his role as the Philly Special point man preceding a long touchdown reception in the Eagles’ upset victory — he has been in the league for five seasons now. Clement went to training camp with the Ravens this year but did not last with the team beyond mid-August, but he also auditioned for the Jaguars between that transaction and Tuesday’s.
Clement, 27, spent four season with the Eagles but played as a Cowboys backup in 18 games last season. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry (33 totes, 140 yards) with Dallas and played 61% of the NFC East champions’ special teams snaps. The former UDFA held a special teams role throughout his Philly tenure as well. He also surpassed 400 scrimmage yards during the 2017 and ’18 seasons, totaling eight touchdowns in that span. The Eagles’ ensuing Miles Sanders addition ended up bumping Clement down the depth chart.
James Conner, Darrel Williams and Jonathan Ward all left Week 5’s Cardinals-Eagles tilt with injuries, leaving Eno Benjamin as the last man standing. The Cards entered Tuesday without a running back on their 16-man practice squad.
Seahawks To Bring Back Bruce Irvin
The Seahawks are checking in on one of their former first-round picks. Bruce Irvin, who has already gone through two tours of duty in Seattle, worked out for the Seahawks on Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This will lead to a deal.
Irvin is indeed back with the Seahawks, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reporting (via Twitter) the 10-year veteran is now on Seattle’s practice squad. Irvin was last with the Seahawks in 2020. The Seahawks will release offensive lineman Liam Ryan from their taxi squad to make room for Irvin, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets.
A four-year Seahawk to start his career, Irvin has connections to both the team and new assistant Sean Desai. He was with Desai during the latter’s one-year run as Bears defensive coordinator last season. Irvin, 34, is past his days as a full-time starter, but he did work as a rotational pass rusher in Chicago.
This reunion comes two years after Irvin sustained a torn ACL. That injury, which occurred in September 2020, hijacked Irvin’s second run with the Seahawks. He had started the first two games of that season with the team. Irvin has not registered a sack since 2019, when he served as a full-time starter with the Panthers, but he has remained on the NFL radar despite the late-career injury. Irvin has 52 career sacks.
Going back to 2015, the Seahawks passed on Irvin’s fifth-year option. That led the former Super Bowl starter to Oakland, where he played three seasons. Irvin finished the 2018 season in Atlanta and migrated to Carolina in 2019. He reunited with ex-Raiders DC Ken Norton Jr. in Seattle in 2020. Norton is no longer with the Seahawks, but the team hired Desai this offseason. Clearly, Irvin has made good impressions during his nomadic career.
Despite the change from Norton to Clint Hurtt, the Seahawks are struggling on defense. They rank 31st in points allowed and 32nd in total defense. Seattle revamped its edge-rushing contingent as well, cutting ties with the likes of Carlos Dunlap, Kerry Hyder and Benson Mayowa. Uchenna Nwosu has been a solid addition to the team’s pass rush, and Seattle has wanted to incorporate second-round pick Boye Mafe into the mix more. The team also has former second-round pick Darrell Taylor in place as a part-time rush option, and ex-first-rounder L.J. Collier remains on the team. Collier is on IR, though the Seahawks designated the underwhelming defensive end for return last week.
Rams Place G David Edwards On IR
The Rams’ offensive line continues to struggle, with availability issues plaguing the defending champions up front. They will lose another starter for an extended stretch.
Left guard David Edwards is now on injured reserve. The fourth-year veteran landed in concussion protocol ahead of the Rams’ Week 4 game against the 49ers, missing that contest. After returning against the Cowboys on Sunday, Edwards left the game early and returned to the protocol. He will now miss at least four games.
Concussions are obviously concerning on every level, but a player being forced to miss five games because of one represents less explored territory. This news comes after the Patriots placed Brian Hoyer on IR after his entrance into concussion protocol. The NFL has enhanced its protocols in light of the Tua Tagovailoa saga.
Edwards, who is in a contract year, has been a Rams starter since his rookie season. A former fifth-round pick out of Wisconsin, Edwards has started 45 games as a pro. He started all 21 Rams contests last season and, after the team lost Austin Corbett in free agency, entered this season as a key piece for a retooling Rams O-line that lost left tackle Andrew Whitworth to retirement.
The Rams have dealt with rampant issues on their interior O-line, losing both starters and backups to injuries early this season. These issues have led to Matthew Stafford taking an NFL-most 21 sacks and the Rams’ run game scuffling during a 2-3 start.
Between third-round rookie Logan Bruss‘ ACL and MCL tears during training camp and this Edwards development, the Rams placed two other interior O-linemen — guard/center Coleman Shelton and backup guard Tremayne Anchrum — on the injured list. Center Brian Allen has been out since suffering a knee injury in Week 1. Allen, however, has remained on Los Angeles’ active roster. Shelton and Allen are expected to return this season. Bobby Evans, chosen two rounds ahead of Edwards in the 2019 draft, replaced him in Week 4. He will likely get the call against the Panthers this week.
To replace Edwards on their 53-man roster, the Rams promoted veteran Matt Skura. The former Ravens and Giants blocker makes for an interesting addition. He has made 65 career starts since 2017. The Ravens used Skura as a four-year starter, at center and guard, but did not retain him as a 2021 free agent. The Dolphins signed Skura to a one-year, $1.75MM deal but cut him before last season began. Skura wound up with the Giants and made 14 starts for a depleted New York unit. He joins Oday Aboushi (47 career starts) as veteran backup options for the Rams. Aboushi has played only on special teams for the Rams this season.
Browns To Sign DT Tyeler Davison
Not long after trading for Deion Jones, the Browns are adding another former Falcons defensive starter. Tyeler Davison is joining Cleveland’s practice squad, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Although Davison will begin his Browns run on their P-squad, the team plans to promote the veteran starter soon. Davison, who has started 86 games with the Falcons and Saints from 2015-21, has not been with a team since his Atlanta release in March. The Colts auditioned Jones on Monday, Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star tweets.
These Atlanta imports will arrive after Austin Ekeler shredded the Browns’ defense for 173 rushing yards in Week 5. A week earlier, the largely Cordarrelle Patterson-less Falcons used the ground game to hand the Browns a loss. Cleveland now ranks 28th against the run. The team lost second-year linebacker starter Anthony Walker against the Steelers in Week 3 and did not do much to add help at its needy defensive tackle spot this offseason, despite holding the NFL’s most cap space for months.
Davison, 30, will not eat into Cleveland’s cap room much, and he is a bit removed from his best seasons. Pro Football Focus viewed Davison as a plus run-stopper during the late 2010s but was not especially high on the veteran’s work during his final two Falcons seasons. Atlanta released Davison after decreasing his playing time last year. The 309-pound defender played 43% of the Falcons’ defensive snaps in 2021. While it represented a slight playing-time reduction, it was nearly in line with his previous starter years in the NFC South.
The former Saints fifth-round pick signed a three-year, $12MM Falcons deal during Dan Quinn‘s time in Georgia. The Falcons were running a 4-3 scheme at that point; the Saints ran a 4-3 set during Davison’s four-season New Orleans run. The Browns use a 4-3 scheme and moved on from their two primary D-tackles from last season — Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell — in the offseason. Davison may not supplant starters Taven Bryan or Jordan Elliott immediately, but he should provide a decent depth piece for a defense that features proven performers at every other position.
Panthers Fire Matt Rhule; Steve Wilks Named Interim HC
In a move which comes as little surprise at this point, the Panthers have fired head coach Matt Rhule, the team announced on Monday. Defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach Steve Wilks will replace him on an interim basis.
Talk of Rhule being on the hot seat began at the onset of the 2022 season, his third with the team. It was at that point that he was able to make significant strides at both Temple and Baylor, leading to expectations that he would be able to do the same along a similar timeline in the NFL. Instead, the team has started the season 1-4, dropping his overall coaching record to 11-27. 
Offensive struggles have been at the heart of Carolina’s performances under Rhule. The team has ranked no higher than 24th in the league in scoring during his tenure, something which some hoped would turn around this season with the acquisition of quarterback Baker Mayfield and a return to health from running back Christian McCaffrey. The unit has underperformed in 2022, however.
That led to increased speculation that a mid-season firing could take place. Owner David Tepper had insisted on remaining patient with the 47-year-old, though, as recently as late September. Two losses since have been marked by further underwhelming performances, and reports of tension between Rhule and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. The fact that Mayfield played part of yesterday’s game against the 49ers on an injured left foot did little to help his or Rhule’s job security.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Rhule had the option to leave Carolina in favor of a return to the college ranks, but chose to stay. Now, he will likely be among the top candidates to fill a number of openings which currently exist at high-profile programs. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds (via Twitter) that Rhule is still owed more than $40MM on the seven-year, $62MM contract he signed upon arrival in Charlotte.
With Rhule gone, the Panthers will move forward with Wilks heading the staff. A presence on Carolina’s sidelines from 2012-17, the 53-year-old spent the following season as head coach of the Cardinals. His tenure there lasted only one year, however, after the team went 3-13. The nature of his dismissal from Arizona led to Wilks joining Brian Flores’ ongoing racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and several clubs.
He spent 2019 as the Browns’ defensive coordinator, then one year removed from coaching. In 2021, Wilks was the DC at Missouri, before returning to the Panthers for this campaign. He will now have the remainder of the 2022 season to try and orchestrate a turnaround, while auditioning for the full-time role of head coach. On that point, Rapoport adds that Wilks will be given “serious consideration” for a permanent posting (video link).
The performance of Wilks and the rest of the team will now be worth watching over the coming months. Regardless of their ability to turn the season around, the Rhule era has officially ended after less than three seasons.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/10/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Maxx Williams
- Released: WR C.J. Board
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DT Kobe Smith
- Released: DT Christopher Hinton
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: S Jared Mayden
- Released: CB Ja’Marcus Ingram
Cleveland Browns
- Released: QB Josh Rosen
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Harvey Langi
- Released: TE Dominique Dafney
Houston Texans
- Signed: KC McDermott
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Tino Ellis, DT Jaylen Twyman
- Released: CB Chris Steele, DT Markaviest Bryant
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Robert Foster
Rosen’s short stint with the sixth NFL franchise of his career has come to an end, for now. Rosen joined the Browns in the offseason and battled with Joshua Dobbs and Kellen Mond for backup positions behind temporary starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett while Deshaun Watson fulfills his 11-game suspension. Rosen lost out to Dobbs and Mond, eventually signing on to Cleveland’s practice squad, where he’s stayed until now. Rosen will likely continue to search for a team that he fits with, since he does not have to clear waivers as a vested veteran. It may behoove him to contact two teams he has a history with as both San Francisco and Miami have suffered injuries in their quarterback rooms.