Patriots To Activate WR N’Keal Harry
N’Keal Harry will begin his third season with the Patriots on Sunday. The team intends to activate the former first-round pick from IR, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Teams playing Sunday have until 4pm CT Saturday to arrange their Week 4 rosters, and Harry will soon be on New England’s. He missed the first three weeks of the season with a shoulder injury but will return after missing the minimum amount of time.
The Arizona State alum will return to a reconfigured Pats skill-position corps but one that has not yet found its footing. Offseason addition Nelson Agholor has just 110 receiving yards in three games, while New England’s new tight ends — Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry — have also not been major factors in the passing game early. Former UDFA Jakobi Meyers leads the Patriots in receiving (176 yards).
Harry requested a trade this offseason, but the Pats did not move in that direction. The 6-foot-4 wideout has not panned out thus far, totaling 45 receptions for 414 yards in two seasons. Harry has also missed 14 games through two seasons and change due to injury. It is unclear what Harry’s role will be, but he represents another potential weapon for the team as Mac Jones‘ run begins.
The Pats also elevated linebacker Jahlani Tavai and defensive back Myles Bryant from their practice squad. New England picked up Tavai, a former Lions second-round pick, shortly after his late-summer Detroit exit.
Ravens Elevate RB Le’Veon Bell
Le’Veon Bell‘s Ravens debut could be coming soon. The team elevated the former All-Pro running back to its active roster Saturday, doing so while placing Derek Wolfe on IR.
Amid a brutal run of injuries at running back, the Ravens worked out Bell shortly before Week 1 and signed him to their practice squad. Baltimore promoted Devonta Freeman ahead of the ex-Steelers star but now will have Bell on its active roster as well in Week 4.
Bell joins Freeman, Ty’Son Williams and Latavius Murray on Baltimore’s 55-man Week 4 roster. Teams can dress up to 48 players each week. The Ravens have gone with a committee approach at running back, using Williams and Murray mostly. Freeman has seen sporadic work behind the team’s top duo.
To label Bell’s past three-plus years as underwhelming would be quite the understatement. Following Bell’s 2018 full-season holdout, the lucrative Jets deal he inked failed spectacularly. The Jets dropped Bell midway through last season. While the Chiefs picked him up, Bell saw scant action in the playoffs and was a healthy scratch for both the AFC championship game and Super Bowl LV. The Ravens extended the two-time All-Pro another chance, however, and Bell will likely soon begin his age-29 season.
Wolfe has not played this season and will miss his Denver homecoming game. The eight-year Broncos starter signed with the Ravens in 2020 and played in 14 games, but back and hip injuries have sidelined him since August. The veteran defensive lineman will be out through at least Week 6.
Baltimore also elevated tackle Andre Smith and cornerback Kevon Seymour from its practice squad, with Smith being named a COVID-19 roster replacement for Jaylon Ferguson, who will miss a second straight game after having tested positive. The Ravens did not activate receivers Rashod Bateman or Miles Boykin.
Seahawks Place RB Rashaad Penny On IR
Some Seahawks Saturday roster reshuffling will bring in multiple reinforcements but move former first-round pick Rashaad Penny back to a familiar place. Penny is back on IR, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets.
Penny’s contract year is off to a rough start, with the former San Diego State standout having played just seven snaps — all in Week 1 — before going down with a calf injury. He is now out for Seattle’s next three games.
While the Penny pick surprised most at the time, he has impressed at points. But he has not overtaken former seventh-round pick Chris Carson in Seattle’s lineup and has run into extensive injury misfortune. Penny tore an ACL late in the 2019 season and did not return until December 2020. He underwent another knee surgery this offseason. The Seahawks declined Penny’s fifth-year option in May.
Better news comes at other positions for the 1-2 Seahawks. They activated tackle Cedric Ogbuehi and tight end Colby Parkinson off IR. Parkinson suffered a foot fracture for the second straight summer. His return will help a team that has Gerald Everett on its reserve/COVID-19 list. Everett tested positive for the coronavirus this week and has not submitted a negative test yet. Ogbuehi’s return to work comes at a key juncture, with starting right tackle Brandon Shell ruled out for Week 4 with an ankle injury.
A fourth-round pick out of Stanford last year, Parkinson has played in just six games as a pro. But this year’s foot fracture was not as serious as the injury he suffered in 2020. Parkinson’s return stands to help a Seahawks team that has seen extensive tight end unavailability over the past few seasons.
Colts Place G Quenton Nelson On IR
The hits keep coming for the Colts. The team placed All-Pro offensive guard Quenton Nelson on injured reserve today (per the team’s Twitter). Nelson recently suffered a high-ankle sprain, an injury that will keep him sidelined for at least the next three games.
The sixth-overall pick in the 2018 draft quickly established himself as one of the top offensive guards in the NFL. The lineman has earned a Pro Bowl nod and first-team All-Pro recognition in each of his three professional seasons.
Nelson hadn’t missed a game through his first three year in the NFL. He underwent surgery in early August to repair a bone issue in his foot, and his recovery timeline put him at risk of missing the season opener. The 25-year-old managed to battle back and appear in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 1 (and subsequently Week 2). Nelson was limited to only 13 snaps last weekend before suffering his injury.
The Colts made two additional moves today in anticipation of tomorrow’s matchup against the Dolphins. The team promoted both safety Ibraheim Campbell and quarterback Brett Hundley from the practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/1/21
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Claimed (from Chargers): DL Eric Banks
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Ross Blacklock, LB Zach Cunningham
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: DL Joe Gaziano
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: RB James White (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: LB Sharif Finch, DT Woodrow Hamilton
Washington Football Team Activates Curtis Samuel
Curtis Samuel is set to make his Washington debut. The WFT has officially activated the wide receiver off of injured reserve and onto the 53-man roster (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus). 
Samuel joined Washington on a three-year deal worth up to $35.25MM with $24.5MM guaranteed. Unfortunately, he was saddled by a groin injury throughout the summer and opened the year on short-term IR. Now, after missing the first three weeks of the season, he should be ready to go this week against the Falcons.
Samuel will pair with top wideout Terry McLaurin to provide Taylor Heinicke with better ammunition. Samuel, a 2017 second-round pick, is coming off of a career year with 1,051 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns for the Panthers. He also notched career-high 41 rushing attempts, so he could also help Ron Rivera & Co. out of the backfield.
As of this writing, WFT has seven WRs on the 53-man roster: Samuel, McLaurin, Adam Humphries, third-round pick Dyami Brown, DeAndre Carter, Cam Sims, and seventh-round rookie Dax Milne. One of those players will likely be cut loose before the end of the business day.
Dolphins Place Michael Deiter On IR
The Dolphins have placed center Michael Deiter on injured reserve (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). It’s not clear what Deiter is dealing with, but he’ll be out for at least the next three games.. 
[RELATED: Dolphins To Place Tagovailoa On IR]
Deiter, a 2019 third-round pick, went from starting guard, to backup, to starting center this year. Without him, the ‘Fins will pivot to Greg Mancz, a longtime Texans lineman acquired via trade from the Ravens. Mancz may not be a world-beater, but he does offer a resume with 58 career appearances, including 28 starts.
It’s another blow to the Dolphins offense, following Tua Tagovailoa‘s rib fracture. At minimum, the young quarterback will be out for the next two games against the Colts and Buccaneers. Deiter, meanwhile, cannot return any sooner than Oct. 24 against the Falcons. On the plus side, the Dolphins expect wide receiver Will Fuller to suit up against Indy this week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/21
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DB Luq Barcoo
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DB Trayvon Henderson
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Tim Harris
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: WR Tavon Austin (story)
- Promoted: K Matthew Wright
Texans Waive K Joey Slye
Joey Slye‘s initial stint as the Texans’ kicker will end after three games. The Texans waived the young specialist Thursday, clearing the way for Ka’imi Fairbairn‘s return.
Houston stashed Fairbairn on IR to start the season. After three games, the team designated its longtime kicker to return. Fairbairn, who has been the Texans’ kicker since 2017, suffered a hamstring injury while warming up for Houston’s preseason finale.
The Texans picked up Slye shortly after the Panthers waived him. Slye is 4-for-5 in field goals to start his third season and 7-for-8 on extra points. The Panthers cut him to go with trade acquisition Ryan Santoso, but the team moved on from Santoso after one game. Zane Gonzalez currently serves as Carolina’s kicker.
Should Slye pass through waivers unclaimed, he could return to Houston’s practice squad. While only six teams currently carry an extra kicker on their taxi squad, the Texans opted for this strategy to start the season. The Texans initially added Slye on a P-squad deal before promoting him ahead of Week 1, though they did so knowing Fairbairn was set to miss time.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/21
Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Zack Johnson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on practice squad IR: TE Thaddeus Moss
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Bryan Mills
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: T Jonathan Hubbard