Patriots Place CB Jonathan Jones On IR
New England will be without its slot cornerback for at least three games. The Patriots moved Jonathan Jones to IR due to a shoulder injury.
The team is bracing for an extended Jones absence, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. It is unclear if a three-game break will be enough time, but Jones is down until at least Week 10 because of this transaction.
In his sixth season with the Patriots, Jones has worked his way from UDFA to regular inside defender with the team. Pro Football Focus slotted Jones fifth among all corners in 2020 but has not graded his 2021 performance nearly as well, viewing his work as barely top-100 worthy at the position. But Jones, whose $7MM-per-year Pats extension runs through 2022, will have some time to get healthy.
The Patriots worked out veterans Brian Poole, D.J. Hayden and De’Vante Bausby this week but did not sign them. Second-year cover man Myles Bryant is most likely to serve as Jones’ fill-in, Reiss adds. Late-summer trade acquisition Shawn Wade remains out due to a concussion.
In other Saturday Pats news, they promoted offensive lineman James Ferentz and defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale from their practice squad.
Packers Place OL Josh Myers On IR
The Packers lost Josh Myers on the first drive of their Week 6 win over the Bears, and the rookie offensive lineman will miss at least the next three Green Bay games.
Myers landed on IR Saturday because of the knee injury he suffered last week. He did not practice this week and will have extra time to recover.
Following Corey Linsley‘s departure for Los Angeles, Green Bay chose Myers in the second round. The Ohio State product immediately became a starter, helping out an O-line that has seen standout guard Elgton Jenkins forced to play left tackle — in David Bakhtiari‘s absence — and miss time due to injury. Working primarily at center, Myers has started five games for the Packers thus far.
Green Bay promoted Ben Braden from its practice squad to help out its offensive front. Bakhtiari returned to practice this week but did not come off the Packers’ PUP list Saturday.
Broncos To Acquire Stephen Weatherly From Vikings
The Broncos and Vikings agreed on a trade Saturday, one that will send Stephen Weatherly to Denver. The Vikings are trading the veteran edge defender to the Broncos in a deal that will see the teams swap seventh-round picks, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Weatherly and a 2023 seventh-rounder will go to Denver, which is sending a 2022 seventh to Minnesota. This will reunite Weatherly with new Broncos GM George Paton, who was with the Vikings when they drafted the sixth-year vet back in 2016. Weatherly sought a trade, according to Pelissero (on Twitter), and the Vikings obliged for low-level compensation.
This move will give the Broncos some much-needed depth. Denver finished its Thursday game without all four of its starting linebackers. Von Miller avoided serious injury, but the team is still without Bradley Chubb for an extended stretch. Malik Reed and seventh-round rookie Jonathon Cooper served as the Broncos’ primary edge rushers in Thursday’s 17-14 loss to the Browns.
Weatherly, 27, has played less than 20% of the Vikings’ defensive snaps in each of their past four games. He has served as a key special-teamer for the Vikings and started nine games for the Panthers in 2020. The Broncos are decimated at linebacker, having lost both starters and special-teamers, so Weatherly will likely be plugged in on special teams soon with his new squad.
The Panthers signed Weatherly to a two-year, $12.5MM deal in March 2020 but cut bait after one season. The Vikings brought him back this year. Less than $1MM remains on Weatherly’s contract, which runs through season’s end. The Broncos are not exactly up against the cap, however, holding more than $15MM in space.
To clear a roster spot, the Broncos moved linebacker Micah Kiser to IR. The former Rams ILB starter suffered a groin injury during the Broncos’ Thursday tilt. Vic Fangio said the Broncos are looking for help at this position as well.
Colts Activate Quenton Nelson From IR
Quenton Nelson will end up spending the minimum number of games during his first IR stay. The Colts activated the All-Pro guard ahead of Sunday night’s game against the 49ers.
A high ankle sprain stopped the three-time All-Pro’s start streak at 51 to start his career. Nelson kept that run going despite having foot surgery during training camp. Although Indianapolis went 2-1 without its top lineman, this certainly qualifies as good news for the team’s prospects in its second nationally televised game in three weeks.
The Colts will not have Braden Smith available, however. Indy’s right tackle will miss a sixth straight game due to foot and thumb injuries. Unlike Nelson, Smith has not spent time on IR this season. Nelson returned to practice earlier this week. Nelson, 25, will continue his track toward what will almost certainly be a record-setting guard extension. The Colts extended fellow 2018 draftees Smith, Darius Leonard and Nyheim Hines earlier this year. Nelson, however, has an extra year remaining on his contract thanks to the fifth-year option.
The Colts made room for Nelson by placing Julian Blackmon on IR. The second-year safety suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon in practice this week. Former second-round pick Josh Jones, who joined the Colts’ practice squad this week, is now on the team’s active roster for its San Francisco trip. So is veteran wideout Keke Coutee. The Colts ruled T.Y. Hilton out earlier on Saturday. Hilton made his return from a neck injury last week, but he is now battling a quad ailment.
Giants Promote LB Benardrick McKinney
Days after joining the Giants’ practice squad, Benardrick McKinney has been promoted to the game-day roster. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the veteran linebacker has been elevated to the active roster and will play on Sunday.
McKinney was traded from the Texans to the Dolphins back in March, but he didn’t end up making it to the 53-man roster. It took a few months, but McKinney finally found his next gig in mid-October when he joined the Giants practice squad.
Now, he’ll have a chance to play after spending less than a week with the organization. Linebacker Tae Crowder, who has started each of New York’s first six games this season, landed on the injury report with a thigh issue. At the very least, McKinney will provide the squad with another option at the position.
When McKinney was at his best, he formed one of the league’s best run-stuffing tandems with Zach Cunningham. He earned Pro Bowl nod in 2018 and racked up 100+ tackles again in 2019. Last year, however, a shoulder injury limited him to just four games.
Rams Rework OL Rob Havenstein’s Contract
The Rams have opened some much-needed cap space. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that offensive lineman Rob Havenstein has agreed to restructure his contract.
Specifically, the Rams converted $3.84MM of Havenstein’s salary into a bonus. The team also added three void years to the deal. Overall, the move saved the organization $3.072MM against the cap. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the team previously had about $150K in cap space, so this will provide the front office with some necessary breathing room.
Rapoport also adds that the Rams have used in-season restructurings to move about $48.222MM to future seasons. Teams generally shuffle around cap space as they look to make promotions and midseason signings, but Los Angeles has taken it to another level as they look to contend for a championship.
Havenstein was a 2015 second-round pick by the Rams, and he’s spent his entire career with the organization. The veteran has started all 90 of his regular season appearances, and he’s appeared in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps through the first six weeks of the season. The 29-year-old inked a four-year, $32MM extension with the Rams in 2018.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/22/21
Here are today’s taxi squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: K Elliott Fry
- Released: S Dwayne Johnson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Coy Cronk
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR K.J. Hill
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/22/21
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: LB Kylie Fitts
Carolina Panthers
- Designated to return: S Myles Hartsfield
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jimmy Graham
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Brett Kern
Free agents
Falcons Move Dante Fowler To IR
Dante Fowler will be sidelined into November. The Falcons placed the veteran edge rusher on injured reserve Friday, knocking him out for at least the next three games.
The former top-five pick went down during Atlanta’s Week 5 win in London and has not recovered, leading to the Falcons ruling him out for Week 7 after their bye. After not practicing this week, Fowler will be down until at least Week 10.
Despite missing his entire rookie season due to an ACL during sustained during the Jaguars’ rookie minicamp, Fowler has been durable over the past five-plus seasons. His only other multigame absence came last season, when a positive COVID-19 test led to two missed games.
Thus far in his second Falcons season, Fowler has two sacks and three quarterback hits. Fowler signed a three-year, $48MM deal with the Falcons in 2020 but accepted a pay reduction this offseason, rather than ending up a cap casualty in a buyer’s market. The contract adjustment has Fowler on track to hit free agency again in 2022, which will certainly make the second half of this season pivotal for the 27-year-old sack artist.
Texans Place Terrence Brooks On IR
Terrence Brooks will be out for at least the next three weeks. The Texans placed the veteran safety/special teamer on IR today.
The 29-year-old suffered a lung contusion during Sunday’s loss to the Colts, necessitating overnight medical supervision. Per Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle, Brooks suffered the injury during the first quarter, and he exited the game and didn’t return.
Brooks, who has collected more special teams snaps than defensive snaps in 2021, actually got the start at safety last weekend, collecting one tackle before exiting the game. Lonnie Johnson and former starter Eric Murray will likely take the open starting spot.
Brooks was a third-round pick by the Ravens back in 2014, and while he’s never been a household name, he’s managed to put together an eight-year career. The veteran has seen time in 100 career games (with, incredibly, only four starts), and he’s spent time with the Ravens, Eagles, Jets, Patriots, and Texans.