Ravens Designate Nick Boyle For Return
The Ravens have designated tight end Nick Boyle to return from the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. Meanwhile, they’ve reversed course on their waiver claim of Brandon Knight, as the former Cowboys offensive lineman did not report to the team. Instead, the Ravens pivoted to veteran offensive lineman James Carpenter. 
[RELATED: Ravens Activate Bateman, Phillips From IR]
Boyle opened the year on IR as he was still healing up from his November knee injury. A recent microscopic surgery helped somewhat, but also elongated his rehab. The good news is that Boyle is back to provide blocking for a Ravens squad that will be without Ronnie Stanley. The All-Pro left tackle opted to go under the knife this week, ruling him out for the rest of the year.
Boyle’s best season as a receiver came in 2019, when he had 31 catches for 321 yards and two touchdowns. The Ravens still have him under contract through 2023 thanks to the two-year, $13MM extension he inked back in January.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/21
Today’s minor moves:
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Bobby Hart (from Bills’ practice squad)
Titans To Sign Greg Mabin
The Titans are signing cornerback Greg Mabin off of the Cardinals’ practice squad, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He’ll provide some much-needed depth for the Titans, who have lost several CBs to injury.
Caleb Farley is done for the year after suffering a torn ACL against the Bills. Meanwhile, the Titans are awaiting word on Kristian Fulton‘s hamstring and Chris Jackson‘s foot, which forced him to exit early on Monday night.
Mabin doesn’t offer same kind of upside of Farley, but he did spent time with the team in camp, so he’s familiar with defensive coordinator Shane Bowen‘s playbook.
The 27-year-old appeared in a total of 34 games from 2017-2020, spending time with the Bills, 49ers, Bengals, and Jaguars. Last year, he notched 21 tackles and three passes defensed for Jacksonville in five games, including four starts.
The Titans are 4-2 following their 34-31 win over the Bills. They’ll look to pad their divisional lead even more on Sunday when they welcome the Chiefs to Nashville.
Lions Promote WR Geronimo Allison
The Lions have promoted Geronimo Allison from the practice squad to the active roster. The wide receiver will be eligible to play this week against the Rams with an opportunity to notch his first reception since 2019. 
[RELATED: Lions’ Cephus Placed On IR]
Allison showed promise with the Packers – particularly in the first quarter of 2018 when he recorded 19 catches for 289 yards and a touchdown. In 2o19, he was expected to take on a larger role, but the 6’3″, 202-pound target struggled in the slot. He finished out with 34 catches for just 287 yards and two scores, despite playing in all 16 games.
He hooked on with the Lions in 2020, a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, but he opted out. That deal tolled into this year, when he missed Detroit’s final cut. Now that the Lions are without wide receiver Quintez Cephus, Allison will get a chance to show what he can do.
Giants Place OL Andrew Thomas On IR
The Giants’ left tackle is out for at least the next three weeks. New York placed offensive lineman Andrew Thomas on injured reserve today, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Thomas suffered an ankle injury during Sunday’s loss to the Rams, but ESPN’s Jordan Raanan notes that the lineman isn’t believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain. While Thomas was lucky to avoid that significant injury, the Giants are still being cautious with the second-year pro, especially after he missed Week 5 with a foot injury.
The left tackle was the fourth-overall pick in the 2020 draft, and he started 15 of his 16 games in 2020. He’s started each of his five appearances in 2021, and he appeared in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps through the first four weeks. He was limited to only 29 snaps this past weekend before exiting due to his injury.
The Giants have already scrambling to fill spots on their offensive line, as center Nick Gates and guard Shane Lemieux have already been ruled out for the season. Per Raanan, Matt Peart is expected to fill in for Thomas.
Patriots Place Chase Winovich On IR
Chase Winovich is out for at least the new few weeks. The Patriots placed the pass rusher on injured reserve today, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). New England signed defensive back Myles Bryant to take the open roster spot.
[RELATED: Trade Candidate: Patriots LB/DE Chase Winovich]
The 2019 third-round pick collected 11 sacks through his first two NFL seasons, but he’s seemingly remained in Bill Belichick‘s dog house. That’s been especially evident in 2021. After starting nine games for the Patriots last season, Winovich hasn’t started a single game through the first chunk of the season.
Further, Winovich only got into 71 defensive snaps through the first four games of the season, and that number was reduced to seven in Week 5 and zero in Week 6. So far this season, the 26-year-old has collected only seven tackles and one QB hit.
Bryant, a former undrafted rookie out of Washington, spent much of his rookie season with the Patriots organization. He ended up getting into nine games last season, collecting 12 tackles and one interception. He was waived at the end of the 2021 preseason and landed on the Patriots practice squad, although he’s already made a pair of appearances this season.
Saints Designate LB Kwon Alexander, DE Marcus Davenport, WR Tre’Quan Smith For Return
The Saints are about to get some reinforcement. The team designated linebacker Kwon Alexander, defensive end Marcus Davenport, and wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith for return from injured reserve today, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
Alexander (elbow) and Davenport (shoulder) were both placed on IR in mid-September, meaning the earliest they could have returned was Week 5.
The Saints moved Davenport back into their starting lineup to start this season, providing the player with an opportunity to re-establish himself opposite Cameron Jordan. Davenport registered a sack and two QB hits in the Saints’ dominant Week 1 win over the Packers.
Alexander worked his way back from a December Achilles tear to be ready in time for the Saints’ opener, but this latest injury continued a rough run of health for the former Buccaneers standout. Alexander suffered a torn ACL in 2018, though he still landed a nice contract from the 49ers. However, the veteran linebacker sustained a pectoral muscle tear in his first 49ers season.
Smith landed on IR a bit earlier than his defensive teammates after suffering a hamstring injury. The injury dogged Smith for several weeks, as he tried and failed to come back from it twice. It caused the former third-round pick to miss extensive training camp time.
While the Saints will happily welcome back this trio, they’ll still be without one of the most notable players. While wideout Michael Thomas was eligible to return from PUP this week, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes (via Twitter) that there hasn’t been any news on his potential activation.
Bears Place Robert Quinn On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Bears could be without one of their top pass rushers in their showdown with the Buccaneers on Sunday. The team placed defensive end Robert Quinn on the Reserve/COVID-19 list today, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Quinn came to the Bears in 2020 via free agency, inking a five-year, $70MM deal to help revamp their pass rush. He was the comeback kid in 2019, notching 11.5 sacks for the Cowboys. It was a throwback to his stellar work with the Rams, which included a Pro Bowl appearance in 2014.
Last year, Quinn totaled just two sacks while playing mostly from the right outside linebacker spot. This year it’s a different story — he’s got 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble through six games.
This isn’t great timing for the Bears, as Jeremiah Attaochu recently suffered a torn pectoral muscle and is slated to be shut down for the season. Beyond the eighth-year edge rusher, the Bears have 2020 fifth-round pick Trevis Gipson as a rotational edge presence.
Packers Release CB Quinton Dunbar From Practice Squad
Quinton Dunbar‘s stint with the Packers has already come to an end. Green Bay released the veteran cornerback from their practice squad today, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
With Jaire Alexander sitting on injured reserve, Dunbar was expected to provide the Packers with some reinforcement at cornerback. Ultimately, his stint with the organization only lasted one week; after getting signed last Tuesday, he earned his walking papers today.
Dunbar joined the Cardinals practice squad late last month, but the team cut him only a week later. Prior to that, the defensive back had spent the offseason with the Lions and later got a workout with the Bills. Now, he’ll be getting his third contract of the league year from Green Bay.
Two years ago, Dunbar broke out with Washington via a four-interception season that ended with the former UDFA allowing just a 61.2 passer rating while targeted. Washington’s new regime traded Dunbar to Seattle in 2020, and an injury ended a less successful season after six games. The six-year veteran will now look to bounce back in Green Bay.
Ravens Sign RB Le’Veon Bell To Active Roster
Le’Veon Bell will no longer have to deal with the taxi squad. The Ravens have signed the veteran running back to their 53-man roster, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Bell joined Baltimore’s practice squad in early September, and he’s been promoted to the active roster a handful of times. The 29-year-old has gotten into two games this season, collecting 12 touches for 29 yards and one touchdown. He’s seen time on 42 offensive snaps.
Since sitting out the 2018 season due to a contract dispute, Bell has had issues holding a job, much less matching his All-Pro production. He surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards with the Jets in 2019, but he was limited to only 466 yards in 2020 as he split the season with New York and Kansas City.
With J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill all dealing with seasons-ending injuries, the Ravens brought in Bell for some extra depth. Even though he now has an official spot on the active roster, he’ll still find himself behind the likes of Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, and Ty’Son Williams on the depth chart.