Buccaneers Place Richard Sherman On IR
WEDNESDAY: Sherman is now on Tampa Bay’s IR list. Given his timetable, this is not a surprising transaction. Although Sherman missed time earlier this year, the Bucs did not place him on IR. This will, then, be Sherman’s 2021 IR stay. The All-Decade cornerback will miss at least three weeks.
TUESDAY: The Buccaneers will be without Richard Sherman for at least a few weeks. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the veteran cornerback suffered a grade 2 calf sprain.
According to Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter), Sherman suffered the injury during pregame warmups prior to Sunday’s game against WFT. The injury should sideline Sherman for at least a few weeks, and an IR stint would presumably be a possibility.
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 this past Sunday’s game against Washington.
The Buccaneers have dealt with their fair share of cornerbacks injuries this season. Starters Sean Murphy-Bunting and Carlton Davis have been sidelined for weeks, and even Dee Delaney, who filled in for Sherman on Sunday, had to exit the game due to a concussion. Fortunately, it sounds like Murphy-Bunting and Davis should be back with the team in the next few weeks.
Patriots Place LB Josh Uche On IR, Activate LB Chase Winovich
One of the Patriots’ rotational pass rushers will be out for at least three weeks. The Pats are moving Josh Uche to IR ahead of their Thursday game against the Falcons.
A second-year player out of Michigan, Uche has played on roughly a third of New England’s defensive snaps. He has worked as an off-the-bench contributor, joining a deeper stable of linebackers than the Patriots featured last season.
Uche has registered three sacks in nine games, though none have come since Week 2. That figure remains second on the team. Matt Judon leads the Pats with 9.5 sacks, but only he and Uche have more than two this season among Patriots. Last year’s 60th overall pick has totaled four quarterback hits as well.
New England will have some additional help, with fellow edge rusher Chase Winovich coming off IR Wednesday. Uche’s ex-Wolverines teammate has missed four games this season but has shown steady flashes as a sack artist in the past. The 2019 third-round pick posted 5.5 sacks in each of his first two seasons.
Vikings Designate Patrick Peterson For Return, Activate Harrison Smith
The Vikings have been playing without their secondary anchors for a bit, but both Harrison Smith and Patrick Peterson are on track to suit up again soon.
Minnesota activated Smith from its reserve/COVID-19 list and designated Peterson for return Wednesday. Peterson went on IR with a hamstring injury Oct. 18. Should he return Sunday against the Packers, it will mark a minimum three-game absence for the decorated cornerback. Minnesota has 21 days to activate Peterson.
Smith missed two games after contracting the coronavirus, ending a four-season stretch without a multigame absence. But the five-time Pro Bowl safety will be back in uniform for the Vikings’ pivotal divisional matchup in Week 11. Pro Football Focus has graded Smith as a top-20 safety this season, bestowing such a distinction on offseason addition Xavier Woods as well.
After multiple down years to close his Arizona tenure, Peterson has fared better in Minnesota. The All-Decade corner has allowed a 59% completion rate in coverage, way down from the 67% figure of 2020. The veterans’ returns stand to aid a Vikings pass defense that ranks 14th through nine games.
Panthers Waive P Joseph Charlton
The Panthers are sticking with Lachlan Edwards as their punter. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the team waived punter Joseph Charlton.
Charlton got into all 16 games for the Panthers last season, averaging 46.3 yards per punt and earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week late in the campaign. However, he struggled through the first five games of the 2021 campaign, seeing that yards-per-punt number drop to 39.1.
The 24-year-old landed on injured reserve with a back injury in mid-October. He was recently designated to return from IR, but the team decided to stick with their fill-in for the rest of the season.
“Lac” Edwards was the Jets full-time punter between the 2016 and 2019 seasons. He’s since had stints with the Bills, Chargers, and Lions, but he didn’t take the field for those squads. He joined the Panthers in late October and has seen time in their last three games, averaging a career-high 48.5 yards per punt.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/16/21
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: G Josh Andrews
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Geronimo Allison
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: OLB Tipa Galeai
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: QB Shane Buechele (story)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: WR Tyron Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: T Greg Little
- Waived: S Sheldrick Redwine
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Garrett Bradbury
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Josh Metellus
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: DT Montravius Adams
New York Jets
- Signed off Bills’ practice squad: CB Rachad Wildgoose
- Promoted: TE Kenny Yeboah
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: OLB Derick Roberson
- Promoted: LB Dylan Cole
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: DL Daniel Wise
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Saahdiq Charles
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/16/21
Keeping tabs on the latest taxi squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: T Jaryd Jones-Smith
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Eli Ankou
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DL Josh Avery
- Released: DT Treyvon Hester
Cleveland Browns
- Released: WR Isaiah Zuber
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: WR Damion Ratley
Denver Broncos
- Released: G Shaq Calhoun, QB Danny Etling
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: OLB Ladarius Hamilton, RB Kerrith Whyte
- Released: DL Auzoyah Alufohai
Miami Dolphins
- Released: DE Jabaal Sheard
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: T Timon Parris
- Signed: FB Garrett Groshek
- Released: C Cohl Cabral
New Orleans Saints
- Released: DT Montravius Adams, RB Lamar Miller
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Keelan Doss, LB Corey Thompson
- Placed on practice squad IR: LB Noah Dawkins
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: QB Jake Luton, DE Alex Tchangam
Washington Football Team
- Signed: TE Temarrick Hemingway, DT Gabe Wright
Saints Sign K Brett Maher To Practice Squad
Having used three Wil Lutz replacement kickers this season, the Saints might be preparing to try a fourth. Brett Maher is back on the team’s practice squad, as of Tuesday.
While Maher has not been one of the kickers the Saints have tried this year, he was with the team during the preseason. New Orleans had Maher on its roster for a week in August but moved on before the regular season began. A Maher groin injury led to his quick New Orleans departure. With yet another kicker scuffling, the Saints may be set to give Maher his first game action in nearly two years.
[RELATED: Saints’ Lutz Done For Year]
The Saints have tried Cody Parkey, Aldrick Rosas and Brian Johnson this season. Johnson has been the team’s kicker for the past four games. He is 8-for-8 on field goal tries but has missed three extra points in eight attempts — including two misfires that made a big impact in Sunday’s loss to the Titans.
Maher, 31, has not kicked since the Cowboys cut him late in the 2019 season. He has been through numerous workouts and non-game-day stays with teams since. Between his Dallas exit and Saints signing in August, Maher was with the Jets, Washington, Texans and Cardinals. He has not been on a team this season.
Although Maher has limited experience for a 2013 UDFA, he was the first kicker in NFL history to have made three 60-plus-yard field goals. The Nebraska-Kearney alum and ex-CFL leg missed 10 field goals prior to the Cowboys cutting him in 2019. However, despite having spent his entire career kicking from the NFL’s modern PAT distance, the veteran kicker is 68-for-69 on extra points.
49ers Waive CB Dre Kirkpatrick
A late roster replacement earlier this season, Dre Kirkpatrick is now on the waiver wire for the first time. The 49ers moved on from the veteran cornerback Tuesday.
The former first-round pick played in six 49ers games this season, making one start for a team that has dealt with some injury issues at corner over the past two months. Despite vested-veteran status, Kirkpatrick will head to waivers because the trade deadline has passed.
Kirkpatrick did not play Monday night due to an ankle injury, one that kept him out of practice throughout last week. Kirkpatrick, 32, has been with the Cardinals and 49ers since his eight-season Bengals run wrapped after the 2019 season. He made 11 starts for the Cards last year.
San Francisco used Emmanuel Moseley and Josh Norman as its outside cornerback starters against the Rams. The team also drafted two corners — Ambry Thomas (Round 3) and Deommodore Lenoir (Round 5) — this year. Kirkpatrick ended up playing 25% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps this season and was a special teams regular.
Although Kirkpatrick has bounced around since his Cincinnati stint ended, several teams were interested in him this offseason. Prior to his Sept. 13 49ers signing, Kirkpatrick visited the Patriots, Saints and Texans. The Alabama product allowed a 129.9 passer rating while in coverage this year — well up from his number with the Cardinals — but may draw interest for a late-season role elsewhere.
Lions To Sign K Riley Patterson Off Patriots’ Practice Squad
Although the Lions no longer have ex-Patriot staffers running their operation, they still looked to the New England roster to help their kicking situation.
The Lions are signing kicker Riley Patterson off the Patriots’ practice squad, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. The team is restocking its kicker situation, with the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett adding (via Twitter) the team is signing Aldrick Rosas to its practice squad. Detroit placed Austin Seibert on IR on Saturday.
By rule, Patterson must remain on the Lions’ active roster for at least three weeks. The former Memphis kicker will replace Ryan Santoso here. Santoso is now off Detroit’s practice squad.
Santoso kicked in three games for the Lions, his fourth team this year, and went 5-for-6 on extra points and 2-for-3 on field goals. The missed field goal came during Sunday’s tie game in Pittsburgh, which certainly did not feature optimal kicking conditions. Santoso has been with the Giants, Panthers, Titans and Lions this year.
Patterson entered the league as a Vikings UDFA in May but bounced to the Patriots last month. Minnesota cut him from its IR via injury settlement in August. Patterson has yet to kick in an NFL game but spent the previous four seasons as Memphis’ kicker. He made 92% of his field goal tries as a junior in 2019 but saw his make rate plummet to 68% last season. Patterson will be the Lions’ third kicker this year, following Seibert and Santoso.
Santoso joined the Giants a few months after they waived Rosas, who has since bounced to the Jaguars and Saints. New Orleans moved on from the former Pro Bowler earlier this season. Rosas kicked in four games with the Saints, making 1 of 4 field goal attempts.
Ravens To Release Le’Veon Bell
The Ravens are releasing Le’Veon Bell, per an announcement from the running back himself. As a post-trade-deadline cut, he’ll be subject to the waiver wire before potentially reaching the open market. 
“This hurts, but it’s been a blessing to be here to say the least,” Bell tweeted. “I’ve enjoyed every second of this short period and got a whole new meaning of what this city is like..it’s a great place to be. I appreciate [GM Eric DeCosta] and [head coach] John Harbaugh for the opportunity to be called a Raven.”
[RELATED: Ravens Activate TE Nick Boyle]
While a reunion is possible, per Harbaugh, Bell’s 2.7-yard average this season does not present considerable upside. Bell joined the Ravens’ taxi squad in early September and earned a promotion to the varsity squad soon after. The 29-year-old has appeared in a total of five games this season, collecting 31 touches for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
“I really appreciate everything about him: professionalism, attitude, work ethic,” Harbaugh said, via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. “Being around him is a joy every single day. He’s really a great guy and he helped us.”
Bell has had issues holding a job since his famed 2018 holdout. No longer producing like his old All-Pro self, he was limited to just 466 yards between the Jets and Chiefs last year. Still, he did register more than 1,000 all-purpose yards with Gang Green in 2019.
The Ravens were expected to use Bell quite a bit following injuries to J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill. Instead, they’ll stick to the rest of their RBs — Devonta Freeman, Ty’Son Williams, and Latavius Murray.