Seahawks Place WR D’Wayne Eskridge On IR
D’Wayne Eskridge has not played since Week 1, and the Seahawks’ top 2021 draft choice will be out for the next three games. The team moved its second-round wide receiver to IR Thursday.
This is a concerning situation for Eskridge, who suffered a concussion in his debut. The 5-foot-9 wideout played 12 snaps against the Colts but left that game with a head injury. While the Seahawks are giving him extra time to recover, Eskridge’s extensive time in the protocol has become a situation to monitor.
Despite the presences of Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, Seattle added Eskridge with the No. 56 overall pick. The Western Michigan alum saw action in five seasons at the mid-major program, redshirting one of those slates, and was one of college football’s top deep threats as an upperclassman. He averaged 23.3 yards per catch (33 receptions, 768 yards) and caught eight TD passes during the COVID-19-altered 2020 season, which reduced the MAC slate to six games.
The Seahawks have used Freddie Swain in an increased role in recent weeks; the 2020 sixth-round pick has two touchdown receptions thus far this season. Penny Hart resides as the fifth wideout on the Seahawks’ 53-man roster, but the team elevated former first-round pick Phillip Dorsett ahead of Thursday night’s game. Dorsett recently re-signed with the Seahawks, joining their practice squad, following his Jaguars exit.
Buccaneers Place CB Carlton Davis On IR
Carlton Davis‘ injury forced newcomer Richard Sherman into a full-time role in his first Buccaneers outing. The Bucs will be without their fourth-year starter for the foreseeable future.
Bruce Arians said this week Davis will not be back in action any time soon due to the quadriceps injury he sustained, and the team placed the veteran cornerback on IR Thursday. This adds to a litany of Bucs injuries at this spot.
Sean Murphy-Bunting is already on IR, and Jamel Dean missed the Bucs’ Week 4 game due to an injury sustained against the Rams. Dean did get in a limited practice to start this week, representing a positive sign for a battered secondary. But Davis will be down for at least the next three games. It will likely be a longer absence for Davis, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting a four- to six-week absence should be expected here (Twitter link).
A 2018 second-round pick, Davis has started 44 games since arriving in Tampa. Davis broke through with four interceptions last season and exited Sunday’s Patriots matchup grading as a top-10 corner this year, per Pro Football Focus. Since 2019, Davis has posted an NFL-high 42 pass breakups; no other defender in that span has more than 35. The Auburn alum will face a key stretch upon returning from injury, being in a contract year.
The Bucs ended the Pats game without their top three corners from last season. Should Dean be forced to miss another game with his knee malady, Sherman will lead a group also consisting of Ross Cockrell and Pierre Desir.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/7/21
Keeping tabs on the latest taxi squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR/KR Nsimba Webster
- Released: OL Alex Taylor
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/7/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for Return: RB Darrynton Evans
Packers To Place Chauncey Rivers On IR
Packers edge rusher Chauncey Rivers suffered a non-contact knee injury that will force him to the injured reserve list (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The injury may or may not be a season-ender, but he’ll be out for a good while either way. And, by placing him on IR, they’ll make room for newly-signed linebacker Jaylon Smith. 
[RELATED: Packers To Sign Jaylon Smith]
Rivers, 24, spent much of the offseason with the Ravens before getting cut in August. The Packers pounced quickly, picking him up off the waiver wire. Rivers stuck in Green Bay as a reserve, saw time in all four games, and recorded two tackles. To date, the UDFA out of Georgia and Mississippi State has five NFL appearances to his credit.
It’s likely an ACL tear for Rivers, which would automatically rule him out for the season. Even with Smith, the Packers may look to reshuffle their depth chart in order to replace Rivers’ special teams work. In the first quarter of the year, Smith played on 44 special teams snaps, in addition to 54 on D.
Packers To Sign Jaylon Smith
Jaylon Smith wasn’t out of work for long. Days after his release from the Cowboys, the linebacker has agreed to a one-year deal with the Packers (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 
Terms of the contract are not yet known, but it’s likely a low-cost deal since the Cowboys are still on the hook for Smith’s $7.2MM base salary.
Smith, a former second-round pick, was slowly being displaced by rookies Micah Parsons and Jabril Cox, as well as Keanu Neal this year. But, before that, he was a shining star for Dallas. Smith made the Pro Bowl in 2019, and his 154 tackles last season finished behind only the Texans’ Zach Cunningham. And, through four games this year, Pro Football Focus has him slotted as a top-15 linebacker.
The Notre Dame product figures to play a key role in Green Bay’s defense, alongside fellow 2016 draftee De’Vondre Campbell. As of this writing, the Packers’ ranks 25th in yards allowed per game and 16th in points allowed. Smith will try and help the cause starting Sunday when the Packers face the Bengals.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/6/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Rashod Berry, G Parker Ehinger
- Released: WR Javon McKinley
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Damon Hazelton
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Elijah Benton
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Ryquell Armstead
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: LB Christian Elliss
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DL Willington Previlon
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/6/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Darrell Daniels
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated for return: S Ricardo Allen
Cleveland Browns
- Designated for return: LB Anthony Walker
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: K Austin Seibert
Green Bay Packers
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: CB Rasul Douglas
Houston Texans
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Zach Cunningham
- Designated to return: LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
- Signed off Browns’ practice squad: WR Davion Davis
Miami Dolphins
- Designated for return: DT Raekwon Davis
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: DL Henry Anderson (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: RB Tony Jones Jr.
New York Jets
- Designated for return: LB Blake Cashman
WFT Places Logan Thomas On IR
The Washington Football Team will place tight end Logan Thomas on the injured reserve list (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). He’s expected to miss the next four weeks as he recovers from a hamstring injury. 
Thomas enjoyed a career year in 2020 as he hauled in 72 catches for 670 yards and six touchdowns. His 72 receptions were the third most of any tight end in the league last year; his yardage total put him seventh at the position. Through four games this year, he has 12 catches for 117 yards and two scores.
To replace Thomas, Washington has plucked fellow TE Jace Sternberger from the Seahawks’ practice squad. Sternberger, a 2019 third-round pick, was dropped by the Packers late month, leading him to the Seahawks’ taxi squad. The Texas A&M product posted 48 passes for 832 yards and ten touchdowns before turning pro, but he’s yet to achieve anything close to that as a pro.
Patriots Sign Jamie Collins
The Patriots have officially signed Jamie Collins, according to agent David Canter (Twitter link). This marks the linebacker’s third stint in New England, where he’ll also reunite with longtime coach Matt Patricia. 
[RELATED: Patriots Trade Gilmore To Panthers]
The Lions cut Collins in late September when they couldn’t find a suitable trade for him. Clearly, his stock has cooled, but he’s just two years removed from a standout season with the Pats. He used that year as a springboard to a three-year, $30MM deal in free agency with the Lions under the Patricia-Bob Quinn power structure.
The Lions ate $11MM+ in dead money by cutting the soon-to-be 32-year-old — the Pats are going to be paying him a whole lot less. It was a similar story last time around — the Browns cut Collins after paying him big bucks; the Patriots brought him back on a cheap one-year pact.
Collins made the Pro Bowl in 2015 with 5.5 sacks and an NFL-high five fumbles for the Patriots. The Southern Miss product later turned in a seven-sack 2019. He’ll now try to turn back the clock with the Patriots, who traded Stephon Gilmore to the Panthers earlier today.