Buccaneers Activate Richard Sherman
FRIDAY: Sherman is set to make his return in Week 14. Two days after opening his IR-return window, the Bucs activated the 11th-year veteran cornerback. He has not played since Week 6, joining Davis and Murphy-Bunting in missing a sizable chunk of Tampa Bay’s season. All three are set to be in uniform when the defending champions face the Bills on Sunday.
WEDNESDAY: Richard Sherman‘s return is imminent. The Buccaneers designated the cornerback to return from IR today.
Sherman suffered a grade 2 calf sprain back in mid-November, leading to his placement on injured reserve. With today’s move, the Buccaneers will now have 21 days to activate the defensive back to their active roster.
Sherman joined the Buccaneers in late September, and he made his debut for Tampa Bay in Week 4. He started each of his three games for Tampa Bay, collecting 11 tackles and one fumble recovery. The 33-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during Week 6, and he was expected to return to the field for Tampa’s Week 10 game against Washington. However, the veteran suffered an injury prior to the game, sidelining him for an extra few weeks.
The Buccaneers have dealt with their fair share of cornerbacks injuries this season. Starters Sean Murphy-Bunting and Carlton Davis were sidelined for months, but the duo have since returned to the lineup. With Sherman back, the team’s cornerbacks corps should be fully healthy. In fact, head coach Bruce Arians suggested that Sherman could end up playing some safety for the squad down the stretch.
“That’s the beauty of having Sherm here is he’s a veteran player who can play a lot of positions,” Arians said this week (via The Athletic). “We’re looking this week to see if that’s a fit for us.”
Browns To Sign Dustin Colquitt
The Browns have agreed to sign veteran punter Dustin Colquitt (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Colquitt, cut by the Falcons earlier this week, will be eligible to play on Sunday against the Ravens.
[RELATED: Browns GM On Potential Mayfield Extension]
Colquitt, 39, is best known for his time in Kansas City. The Chiefs used a third-round pick on the punter back in in 2005 and he went on to play 15 seasons in KC. The second-generation NFL punter and older brother of Britton Colquitt, Dustin made the Pro Bowl in 2012 and 2016 and finished his first Chiefs stint in Super Bowl LIV.
The Tennessee product punted in five games with the Steelers and one game with the Jaguars in 2020. This year, he saw time in six games for the Falcons with an average of 47.7 yards per punt, the highest single season mark of his career.
The Browns’ Week 12 loss to the Ravens dropped them to 6-6 on the year. They’ll have a chance at redemption — and improving their playoff odds – when they welcome them to Cleveland this weekend.
Texans Signed Derek Rivers, Jonathan Owens To Multiyear Deals
The Texans recently signed a pair of practice squad players to their active roster, and according to Aaron Wilson, the two players both received multiyear deals. Both defensive end Derek Rivers and safety Jonathan Owens were signed to deals through the 2022 campaign.
Rivers was a third-round pick by the Patriots back in 2017, and he collected 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his three-plus seasons with the team (including a 2019 campaign that was lost due to injury). The defensive lineman was waived during the 2020 campaign, and after finishing that season with the Rams, he caught on with Texans in March. He’s spent most of the season on the practice squad, but he has collected five tackles in three games.
Per Wilson, Rivers’ deal includes a $1MM base salary for 2022, plus a $100K signing bonus, up to $100K in per-game roster bonuses, and a $50K workout bonus. The pseudo-two-year deal is ultimately worth $1.58MM.
Owens caught on with the Cardinals after going undrafted in the 2018 draft, but he’s otherwise spent his professional career with the Texans. The 26-year-old has spent time on and off Houston’s roster since 2019, but he’s gotten into one game with the organization. Per Wilson, Owens’ new deal is worth $1.175MM, including a $10K signing bonus, a $10K workout bonus, and a 2022 base salary of $895K.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/9/21
Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Tavien Feaster
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Bobby Hart
- Released: CB Greg Stroman
Detroit Lions
- Signed: T Darrin Paulo
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR J.J. Koski
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Malcolm Roach
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: S Jarrod Wilson
- Released: DL Corbin Kaufusi
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/9/21
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Jonathan Ward
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: P Jamie Gillan, LB Anthony Walker
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: WR Noah Brown
Detroit Lions
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Bobby Price
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LS Trent Sieg
- Waived: LS Carson Tinker
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: LB Tuf Borland, DE Kenny Willekes
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Ty Montgomery, C Scott Quessenberry
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: OL Rashaad Coward, OL Chaz Green
Cards Designate Chase Edmonds For Return
A week after Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins returned to action, the Cardinals could have their starting running back in uniform. Chase Edmonds will return to practice Thursday.
This development starts Edmonds’ 21-day IR-return window. The fourth-year veteran has not played since Week 9, when he suffered a high ankle sprain. His return would continue a positive trend for the Cardinals, who have largely not let high-profile injury issues slow them.
Despite James Conner enjoying one of the better bounce-back seasons of any player this year, Edmonds started the Cards’ first nine games. Acquired a year before Kliff Kingsbury‘s arrival, the former fourth-round pick is in his first season as a starter. The Cards let Kenyan Drake walk in free agency, giving the keys to Edmonds (with a healthy assist from Conner).
Edmonds, who is on track to be a free agent in 2022, has totaled 641 scrimmage yards this season. He topped out with a 120-yard rushing performance against the Rams in October. The Cardinals’ rematch with the Rams looms Monday, and Edmonds has a chance to be in uniform for that game.
Arizona also designated long snapper Aaron Brewer and safety Charles Washington to return from IR.
Eagles Extend OL Le’Raven Clark
The Eagles extended backup lineman Le’Raven Clark today. Per the team, the offensive lineman inked a new deal that will keep him in Philadelphia through at least the 2022 season.
After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Colts, the former third-round pick joined the Eagles this offseason. He didn’t make the team at the end of the preseason, but he re-joined the organization via the practice squad days later. After appearing in 47 games (15 starts) through his first four years in the NFL, Clark has only seen time in two games this season, with all six of his snaps coming on special teams.
The Eagles weren’t done making moves today. According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer on Twitter, Philly waived cornerback Mac McCain. The undrafted rookie out of North Carolina A&T has traveled plenty during his first season in the NFL. He spent the preseason with the Broncos, he later caught on with the Eagles, he was claimed again by Denver, and then he was claimed a second time by Philly. The 23-year-old has seen time in one game this season, collecting 13 special teams snaps for the Eagles in Week 3.
Raiders Extend P AJ Cole
The Raiders are busy extending their key special teamers. After reportedly extending kicker Daniel Carlson earlier tonight, the Raiders have now inked punter AJ Cole to a four-year extension, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Raiders Extend K Daniel Carlson]
Cole joined the Raiders as an undrafted free agent out of NC State in 2019, and he hasn’t missed a single game for the organization since that time. Cole has appeared in 12 games this season, compiling 2,505 yards on 49 punts (good for a league-leading 51.1 yards per punt).
The terms of Cole’s deal haven’t been reported, but Garafolo notes that Cole will be among the four highest-paid punters in the NFL. Seahawks punter Michael Dickson became the highest-paid player at his position when he signed a pact worth $3.5MM per year.
The Raiders front office is making significant investments in their special teams aces. Earlier tonight, the organization signed Carolson to a four-year pact worth $18.4MM, including a $4MM signing bonus and $10.2MM in guaranteed
Raiders Extend K Daniel Carlson
Daniel Carlson will be sticking around Las Vegas for the foreseeable future. The Raiders have signed their kicker to a four-year extension, according to agent Mike McCartney (via Twitter). The four-year pact is worth $18.4MM, including a $4MM signing bonus and $10.2MM in guaranteed money, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
Carlson was a fifth-round pick by the Vikings back in 2018, but he didn’t even make it a month into his first NFL season before receiving his walking papers. He caught on with the Raiders later that season, and he’s been the organization’s kicker ever since. The kicker struggled a bit during his first full season with the Raiders, converting only 73.1 percent of his field goal attempts. However, that number jumped to 94.3 percent in 2020.
Following the kicker’s breakout season, the Raiders slapped Carlson with a second-round tender back in March. The 26-year-old has appeared in all 12 games for the Raiders this season, connecting on 27 of his 30 field goal attempts (90.0%) and 23 of his 25 extra point tries (92.0%). He’s already earned a pair of AFC Special Teams Player of the Week awards this season.
Carlson’s extension makes him the third highest-paid kicker in the NFL. The Dolphins reset the kicker market back in February when they gave Jason Sanders a $22MM extension, the largest kicker contract in the NFL. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker still paces the position with $12.5MM in guaranteed money and a $5MM average annual salary.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/8/21
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: CB Marlon Humphrey (story)
- Designated for return: OT Ja’Wuan James
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated for return: G D’Ante Smith, CB Trae Waynes
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return: CB Bryce Callahan
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on IR: RB Kenyan Drake (story), LB Nick Kwiatkoski
- Designated for return: S Tyree Gillespie, DT Darius Philon
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB Mekhi Sargent
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: RB Patrick Laird
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Mark Ingram
- Designated for return: S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
New York Jets
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Keelan Cole
Washington Football Team
- Signed (off Giants practice squad): RB Jonathan Williams