Texans Trade Charles Omenihu To 49ers
The Texans have agreed to trade Charles Omenihu to the 49ers in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick (Twitter links via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Omenihu has drawn interest from multiple teams in recent weeks, but the 49ers managed to come away with the young edge rusher. 
[RELATED: Texans Shopping Multiple Veterans]
Omenihu, a 2019 fifth-rounder, has spent much of his career as a reserve, save for five starts last year and two starts this year. All in all, he has seven sacks and 41 tackles to his credit across two-and-a-half Houston seasons.
While he’s not a household name, Omenihu stood as one of only a few quality pass rushers at the deadline. The Chiefs also considered trading for him before landing Melvin Ingram from the Steelers this morning, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Omenihu, 24, has watched his playing time dwindle over the course of the year. He may have a chance to see more snaps in the Niners’ rotation as they try to make a playoff push. Sunday’s win over the Bears elevated the Niners to 3-4 on the year, but they still face slim odds of overtaking the 7-1 Cardinals and Rams for the divisional crown. Right now, it looks like they’re angling for a strong second half to put them in the Wild Card mix.
Steelers Trade Melvin Ingram To Chiefs
The Steelers have agreed to trade edge rusher Melvin Ingram to the Chiefs (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). In exchange, Kansas City will send a sixth-round pick to Pittsburgh. The deal is now official, per a press release from the Steelers. 
The Chiefs made an offer on Ingram late last week, following a one-sided loss to the Titans. Even with Frank Clark and Chris Jones back on the field, the Chiefs clearly needed to bolster their pass rush. They’ve done just that by acquiring Ingram, a proven vet who was eager for a change of scenery.
So far this year, Ingram has ten tackles, one pass defensed, and one sack across six games. Those numbers don’t exactly jump off of the screen, but he’s been healthy, and that’s good news after his injury-riddled 2020. Ingram’s knee kept him to just seven games with the Bolts last year. Before that, he saw three straight Pro Bowl nods from 2017-2019.
The Chiefs met with Ingram in the early part of the offseason but passed on their opportunity to sign him. In other words, they could have had the 32-year-old on a similar deal without coughing up a draft pick. Still, it’s only a sixth-round choice, so the Chiefs haven’t depleted their stockpile too badly.
Ingram will make his debut on Sunday when the Chiefs host the Packers at Arrowhead Stadium.
Jaguars Claim Devine Ozigbo Off Waivers
The Jaguars have claimed running back Devine Ozigbo off waivers from the Saints (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Ozigbo will return to Jacksonville to potentially fill in for the injured James Robinson.
Ozigbo, a Nebraska product, first entered the league in 2019 as an undrafted free agent with the Saints. He later moved on to the Jaguars and spent two-plus years in Jacksonville. In that span, he saw time in 18 games, collecting 93 yards from scrimmage on 22 touches. The 25-year-old did most of his work on special teams and he’ll likely reprise some of those duties in the second half of the year.
Robinson is considered day-to-day with the foot injury he suffered against the Seahawks. His status for the Bills is TBD, which means that Carlos Hyde and Dare Ogunbowale could see an uptick in playing time. In that event, Ozigbo figures to slot in behind them as they aim for win No. 2 on Sunday.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/1/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Tavien Feaster, OL Marcus Henry
- Released: CB Lavert Hill
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Eric Tomlinson
- Placed on IR: OT Andre Smith
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: QB Brett Hundley
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
- Released: WR Josh Imatorbhebhe
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: CB Tony Brown
Washington Football Team
- Released: DT T.Y. McGill
Torn ACL For Cowboys’ Jabril Cox
The season is over for Cowboys linebacker Jabril Cox. The rookie will miss the rest of the year with a torn ACL, as Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
[RELATED: Cowboys Activate Joseph From IR]
Cox, a fourth-round pick, began his collegiate career North Dakota State before transferring, choosing LSU over Alabama and other top-tier programs. In his lone year with the Tigers, Cox notched 58 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
He’s mostly played as a special teamer through the first half of his rookie campaign, but he also offers quality coverage ability for an outside linebacker. In time, his athleticism could translate to consistent pressure off of the edge. But, in the near-term, he’ll have to focus on his rehab program with an eye on 2022.
The Cowboys are 6-1 following yesterday’s win over the Vikings. Next up, a Sunday afternoon showdown with the Broncos.
Titans To Sign Adrian Peterson
The Titans have agreed to a practice squad deal with Adrian Peterson (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The practice squad part seems to be a formality, however, as RapSheet hears that he’ll soon be elevated to the 53-man roster. 
[RELATED: Titans’ Henry To Miss Time]
Peterson will help fill in for Derrick Henry, who will miss anywhere between 6-to-10 weeks with a foot fracture. This marks the veteran’s first deal of 2021 and a huge opportunity for him to defy Father Time once again. While Peterson is years removed from his prime years as a top-tier rusher, he was still productive with 604 yards and seven rushing touchdowns for the Lions in 2020.
“The training is going well and I’m going to control the things that I can control right now, and, when that time comes, somebody will give me a call,” Peterson said over the summer (via Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk 790). “[A chance] is all I’m asking for. My body feels good…I still feel young. I still feel good. I’m ready to play ball.”
Peterson, 36, is just 180 rushing yards shy of 15,000 for his career. Depending on how the Titans use him, he could be just a few weeks away from joining Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Frank Gore and Barry Sanders in the elusive 15,000-yard club. He’s also about 500 yards away from leapfrogging Sanders for fourth all time in rushing yards and six rushing TDs away from besting Marcus Allen for third place.
Peterson might not start immediately for the Titans, but he’ll surely stand as their biggest name at RB while Henry is out. Once he’s promoted to the 53-man roster, he’ll slot somewhere alongside Jeremy McNichols on the depth chart.
Titans To Place Derrick Henry On IR
Titans running back Derrick Henry will undergo foot surgery on Tuesday morning, head coach Mike Vrabel announced (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Vrabel didn’t specify a timeline for his recovery, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter) hears that he’ll be out for somewhere between 6-10 weeks. 
Although that’s bad news for the Titans, it’s a better outcome than what was expected just a few hours ago. Henry was feared to have suffered a more serious metatarsal fracture, one that surely would have left him in a boot for the rest of 2021. Now, the Titans could have Henry back as soon as Week 15. Or, if he needs additional time to recover, there’s still a chance that he could suit up for the postseason.
Up until last night’s injury, Henry was on pace for another stellar season. He currently leads the league with 937 rushing yards — 300+ yards more than Browns RB Nick Chubb. Had he stayed healthy, Henry could have potentially matched last year’s eye-popping total of 2,027 yards. At minimum, he probably would have captured his third consecutive NFL rushing title.
Without Henry, the Titans are set to deploy Jeremy McNichols as their RB1 with support from Khari Blasingame and Dontrell Hilliard at RB. However, they’ll also audition a few free agents this week, including Adrian Peterson (Twitter link via Rapoport). Peterson might not be the player he once was, but he still managed 604 yards and seven TDs via ground with the Lions last year.
Saints’ Jameis Winston Done For Year
It’s official. On Monday afternoon, Saints head coach Sean Payton announced that Jameis Winston has been diagnosed with a torn ACL (Twitter link via Saints). 
[RELATED: Brees Won’t Come Out Of Retirement For Saints]
Winston also suffered MCL damage, which may prolong his recovery. The timing is especially unfortunate for the quarterback as he’ll be out of contract in the spring.
Winston, the first-overall pick in the 2015 draft, joined New Orleans in 2020 following five underwhelming years in Tampa Bay. He saw time in four games during his first Saints season, completing seven of his 11 pass attempts for 75 yards. He also came up key during the Saints’ postseason loss to the Buccaneers, completing his lone pass attempt for 56 yards and a score. After that, he returned on a one-year deal with $5.5MM guaranteed and the potential to earn up to $12MM via incentives, most of which he will not earn now that he’s shelved for the second half.
The Saints will either turn the offense over to backup Trevor Siemian or Taysom Hill, depending on Hill’s post-concussion status. They could also weigh some out-of-house options, but NBC analyst Drew Brees and free agent Cam Newton will not be among those considered.
Broncos Trade Von Miller To Rams
The Broncos have agreed to trade Von Miller to the Rams (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). In exchange, the Rams will send a second-round draft pick and a third-round selection in upcoming draft. 
The Broncos will assume $9MM of Miller’s remaining salary, allowing the future Hall of Famer to squeeze under the Rams’ salary cap. That also enabled the Broncos to score a much larger haul than they would have otherwise.
The ten-year veteran missed all of 2020 with an ankle injury, prompting the Broncos to ask him for a pay cut earlier this year. Instead, the Broncos exercised his option to guarantee much of his $18MM salary. He’s still on course for unrestricted free agency next year, but he was hoping to finish out the season in Denver.
“I have totally bought into being a Coloradoan for life, let alone a Denver Bronco,” Miller said on Instagram in March. “I want to be here forever, through the thick, the thin, the Super Bowl seasons, the losing seasons. I want to be here forever.”
The Broncos improved to .500 on the year with yesterday’s win over the Washington Football Team, but GM George Paton chose to bolster his long-term prospects by trading Miller. As noted by Troy Renck of Denver7 (Twitter link), the Broncos would have only received a compensatory 2023 fifth-round pick by allowing Miller to leave via free agency. Instead, they’ve scored a pair of valuable Day 2 picks for the upcoming draft — a clear upgrade for 2022 and beyond.
Meanwhile, Miller will provide a serious boost to the Rams’ already star-studded defense. Even at the age of 32, Miller still has plenty left in the tank, as shown by his performance in September. Miller opened the year with four sacks across the first three weeks of the season to notch AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors. Meanwhile, he’s started in all seven of his games, bringing his career total to 142. All in all, the Super Bowl 50 MVP has 110.5 career sacks to his credit to lead the Broncos’ all-time list.
The Rams will now deploy Miller alongside Aaron Donald on the defensive line, in front of a secondary headlined by Jalen Ramsey. He’ll make his debut at home on Sunday when the Rams face the 6-2 Titans.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/1/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/NFI list: LB Malik Harrison
Green Bay Packers
- Designated for return: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: RB Deon Jackson, S Josh Jones
- Released: QB Brett Hundley
- Released from IR: WR JJ Nelson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: LB Javin White
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: WR Tutu Atwell
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: LB Carter Coughlin
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return: RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: C Daniel Munyer