NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/5/22
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DB Bashaud Breeland
- Released: DB Isaiah Johnson
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Jacques Patrick
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: RB Antonio Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Jalen Julius
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DB Stanford Samuels
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: K Elliott Fry
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: TE Mason Schreck
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Artavis Pierce
Denver Broncos
- Released: LB Pita Taumoepenu
Houston Texans
- Released: K Dominik Eberle, RB Darius Jackson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: RB B.J. Emmons
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Matt Bushman
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Warren Jackson
- Released: K Ryan Santoso, LS Carson Tinker
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DB Bryan Mills, G Cole Banwart
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Braxton Hoyett
New York Giants
- Released: T Isaiah Wilson
New York Jets
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: TE Daniel Brown
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: P Cameron Nizialek, K Sam Sloman
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Darqueze Dennard, RB Brian Hill
- Resleased: P Colby Wadman
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Ryan Izzo, DE Da’Shawn Hand
- Released: DB Shyheim Carter, DB Rodney Clemons, WR Golden Tate
Washington Football Team
- Signed: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden
- Released: QB Kyle Shurmur, P Ryan Winslow
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/5/22
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Designated for return: S James Wiggins
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: TE Parker Hesse
- Released: QB Matt Barkley
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off Steelers’ practice squad: DE Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
- Placed on IR: LT Cameron Erving, WR Terrace Marshall
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: TE Jesper Horsted
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Dolphins’ practice squad: RB Dexter Williams
- Promoted: QB Nick Mullens
- Placed on IR: QB Baker Mayfield (story), LB Sione Takitaki
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: TE Blake Jarwin
- Placed on IR: WR Michael Gallup (story)
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: QB Teddy Bridgewater, DB Kareem Jackson, G Dalton Risner
- Released: OLB Pita Taumoepenu
Green Bay Packers
- Designated for return: C Josh Myers
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: LB Will Compton, LB Justin March-Lillard (story)
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: WR J.J. Koski
Miami Dolphins
- Designated for return: RB Patrick Laird
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: QB Kyle Sloter
New Orleans Saints
- Designated for return: TE Garrett Griffin
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: LB Elerson Smith
New York Jets
- Promoted: DE Jabari Zuniga
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return: CB Emmanuel Moseley, WR Mohamed Sanu, S Tavon Wilson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Designated for return: G Aaron Stinnie
Tennessee Titans
- Signed off Seahawks’ practice squad: TE Ryan Izzo
- Designated for return: RB Derrick Henry (story)
- Released: DB Chris Jones, LB Joseph Jones
Cowboys Place Micah Parsons On Reserve/COVID-19 List
Micah Parsons landed on the Cowboys’ reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday due to a positive test. With this news coming four days before the Cowboys’ recently rescheduled Week 18 matchup, Parsons’ regular season is likely over.
The NFL slid the Cowboys’ regular-season-ending Eagles matchup to Saturday. Even with the NFL’s revised protocols, Parsons will likely not be in uniform again until his team’s playoff opener. Week 18 stands to be Parsons’ first absence this season.
While the Cowboys’ Week 17 loss prevented them from vying for the NFC’s No. 1 seed, the NFC East champions could still obtain the conference’s Nos. 2 or 3 seeds. However, they would need to win and see the Rams and Buccaneers lose to move up. A win and a Rams loss to the 49ers would vault the Cowboys to the No. 3 slot. The Bucs are less likely to drop, having opened as 9.5-point home favorites against the Panthers.
As for Parsons, he has likely sewn up the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. The Penn State product has been a revelation for the Cowboys, registering 13 sacks and an NFL-leading 20 tackles for loss while playing both linebacker and defensive end. No rookie has won Defensive Player of the Year acclaim since Lawrence Taylor in 1981. Oddsmakers peg sack leader T.J. Watt as the favorite for that award. Parsons, who has helped the Cowboys vault from 28th to seventh in scoring defense from 2020 to this season, has the second-best odds for the award.
The Cowboys will have a bit more help at linebacker in Philadelphia. They activated Keanu Neal from their virus list Wednesday. Neal missed Week 17 due to COVID-19.
Raiders Cut LB Will Compton
Will Compton‘s latest Raiders stint ended with a Wednesday departure. The Raiders cut the veteran linebacker, moving on after his second tenure with the team lasted nearly a month.
Las Vegas brought in Compton, a former starter for the 2019 Oakland Raiders, last month amid sudden depth issues on its defensive second level. Compton ended up playing in one game — Week 14 against the Chiefs — with the team.
A multiyear starter with Washington in the mid-2010s, Compton has now seen NFL action in nine seasons. He has yo-yo’d between the Titans and Raiders over the past four. With Tennessee in 2020, Compton played in 12 games and started one. The 32-year-old defender caught on with the Raiders on Dec. 7.
The Raiders also waived Justin March-Lillard, a linebacker who has been with three teams this year. Although March-Lillard started five games as a rookie with the Chiefs in 2016, he has been a career special-teamer. March-Lillard did not see any game action with the Raiders but was with two teams in December, playing in one game apiece with the 49ers (Week 13) and Saints (Week 16).
Broncos Place Teddy Bridgewater On IR
Teddy Bridgewater‘s season is over. On Wednesday, the Broncos announced that the quarterback has been placed on the injured reserve list, ruling him out for this week’s finale against the Chiefs. 
Bridgewater is still recovering from the concussion that sidelined — and hospitalized — him a few weeks ago. Without him, the Broncos will once again turn to Drew Lock, the third-year passer who has has come up short in starts against the Raiders and Chargers.
The Broncos fell out of playoff contention without Bridgewater, a steady veteran force who has thrown for 18 touchdowns against seven interceptions this year. Bridgewater’s first Denver season will end with 3,052 passing yards and a 66.9% completion rate, plus 30 carries for 106 yards and two rushing TDs.
This upcoming game might not mean much for the Broncos in the long-term, but it could be a deciding factor in Lock’s future.
The strong-armed Mizzou product has shown flashes at times, but he also led the NFL with 15 interceptions in 2020 — quite the feat, considering he also missed three games. One year remains on the ex-second-rounder’s contract and it’s hard to imagine him returning if he doesn’t deliver this weekend.
Bridgewater, meanwhile, agreed to truncate the three-year, $63MM deal he initially signed with the Panthers. Under the terms of his revised pact, he is now scheduled for free agency in March.
49ers Add CB Darqueze Dennard To Practice Squad
The 49ers have added a former first-round pick to their practice squad. The team announced that they’ve signed veteran cornerback Darqueze Dennard to the taxi squad. The team also added veteran running back Brian Hill and released punter Colby Wadman.
Dennard was a first-round pick by the Bengals back in 2014. While he ended up spending six seasons in Cincinnati, he only started 24 of his 77 games. He caught on with the Falcons in 2020, finishing with 36 tackles in eight games (six starts). He’s had stints with the Cardinals, Colts, and Giants in 2021, with his only playing time coming in Week 16 with New York. 49ers defensive backs Jimmie Ward and Dontae Johnson recently landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, so there’s a chance Dennard sees some playing time during San Francisco’s regular season finale.
Hill had a career-high 664 yards from scrimmage with the Falcons in 2020, but he’s been unable to hold a gig in 2021. The 26-year-old has spent time with the Titans, Browns, and 49ers, but he didn’t take the field for any of those squads. RB Raheem Mostert was recently placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, putting his availability for Sunday in doubt.
Waldman joined the 49ers in late December. Regular punter Mitch Wishnowsky has since cleared reserve/COVID-19 lists, leading to Waldman’s release.
Giants Cut Isaiah Wilson
The Giants have released offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson from the practice squad, per a club announcement. The former Titans first-round pick is now free to sign with any of the league’s other 31 teams. 
Wilson auditioned for the Giants in September and showed enough to earn a spot on the 16-man taxi squad. That’s where he’s been ever since, but he’s yet to see live action in 2021. Of course, the NFL had higher hopes for him last year when the Titans made him the No. 29 overall pick in the draft.
To date, Wilson has just one pro appearance (with four snaps) to his credit. After his rookie year, the Titans effectively gave him to the Dolphins in a swap of seventh-round picks. Sometime after that, he was arrested for a high-speed chase, leading the Dolphins to cut bait as well.
It’s hard to imagine any playoff-bound team adding Wilson to the 53-man roster, but it’s possible that another club could audition him with an eye on 2022. The rest of Giants, meanwhile, will close out the season against Washington on Sunday.
Cardinals Add Bashaud Breeland To Practice Squad
It took a little longer than expected, but the Cardinals have signed Bashaud Breeland. On Tuesday, the cornerback agreed to join Arizona’s practice squad, per a club announcement. 
Breeland verbally agreed to join the Cardinals’ 53-man roster last week, but a positive COVID-19 test put those plans on hold. Now, after the Cards’ 25-22 victory over the Cowboys, he may be called up for the season finale against the Seahawks. The Cardinals have already clinched their playoff spot, but they can take the NFC West with a win, plus a Rams loss.
The Cardinals have been on the lookout for cornerback depth ever since Robert Alford‘s season-ending injury. On top of that, Marco Wilson‘s status is still in flux thanks to his ailing shoulder.
Breeland, 29, offers plenty of big-game experience to offset his iffy 2021 with Minnesota. The veteran notched 63 tackles and two interceptions across 13 games for the Vikings this season, up until their messy divorce in December. For what it’s worth, PFF has ranked as one of the NFL’s worst qualified corners this year.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/4/22
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Released: K Blake Haubeil, G Patrick Omameh, QB Jordan Ta’amu
Chicago Bears
- Waived: DB Dee Virgin
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Nick Guggemos, RB Artavis Pierce
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DT Josiah Bronson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OT Shon Coleman
Green Bay Packers
- Released: OL Jon Dietzen, CB Jayson Stanley
New Orleans Saints
- Released: RB Josh Adams
New York Jets
- Released: LB LaRoy Reynolds
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/22
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: RB Antonio Williams
- Waived: WR Austin Proehl
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: QB Kyle Lauletta, OT Alex Taylor
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: LB Malik Jefferson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Designated for return: CB Chris Lammons, DT Khalen Saunders
New York Giants
- Waived: TE Chris Myarick
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: LT George Fant, DE Bryce Huff
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: DE Cameron Malveaux, LB JaCoby Stevens
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: RB Josh Johnson
- Placed on IR: RB Alex Collins