NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/11/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: DL Matt Dickerson, LB Tahir Whitehead
Detroit Lions
- WR Geronimo Allison, G Parker Ehinger, TE Nick Eubanks, OT Darrin Paulo, CB Nickell Robey-Coleman, TE Ross Travis
Houston Texans
- Released: DB Cre’von LeBlanc
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DL Isaiah Buggs, TE Daniel Helm, LB Justin March-Lillard
- Released: LB Asmar Bilal, LB Will Compton, WR Javon Wims
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: K Ryan Santoso, LS Carson Tinker
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR John Hurst
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RB Jeremy McNichols
Giants Fire Joe Judge
After a bit of deliberation, the Giants are moving on from Joe Judge. Despite the votes of confidence the second-year HC received late this season, he is out, per USA Today’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). The Giants announced Judge’s dismissal late Tuesday afternoon.
Judge becomes the Giants’ third straight two-and-done HC, with Judge following Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur out the door. Given the Giants’ brutal finish — a six-game losing streak in which the team was outscored 163-56 — this is not especially surprising. Judge was viewed as safe late this season, with ownership seeking new offensive staffers. That ended up not being enough. The Giants will now conduct searches to fill their HC and GM roles.
[RELATED: Dave Gettleman Announces Retirement]
“Steve [Tisch] and I both believe it is in the best interest of our franchise to move in another direction,” co-owner John Mara said. “We met with Joe yesterday afternoon to discuss the state of the team. I met again with Joe this afternoon, and it was during that conversation I informed Joe of our decision. We appreciate Joe’s efforts on behalf of the organization.”
The Giants plan to hire a GM first and let that executive run the coaching search. This runs the risk of the team missing out on potential candidates, with summons going out from franchises with new HC vacancies. But the Giants do join the Bears and Vikings as teams looking to fill both HC and GM roles.
For the Giants, this comes on the heels of an ugly stretch. Daniel Jones‘ injury brought free agent QB2 Mike Glennon into action. That did not go well. The Giants lost each of their final six games by at least two scores, and Judge yanked Glennon for late-season addition Jake Fromm. Colt McCoy ended up winning two of his three starts as the Cardinals’ Kyler Murray fill-in. The Giants’ decision to make him a one-and-done backup certainly hurt the team Judge deployed by season’s end.
Big Blue finished with a minus-158 point differential, with most of that damage coming after Jones went down. That ranks as the franchise’s worst single-season differential since 1980. The Giants endured a rough patch during the 1970s, but they are currently mired in one of the worst periods in franchise history. Since its 2016 playoff qualification, New York is 22-59. The team has been unable to fill Tom Coughlin‘s post effectively, and after Gettleman hired Shurmur and Judge, a new GM will end up doing so. The Giants have requested interviews with four execs thus far.
This news comes barely two weeks after Judge delivered a lengthy, defiant address seemingly aimed at selling ownership on giving him a third season. The Giants signed the former Patriots special teams coach to a five-year contract in 2020. The team was in the playoff race until the end of the 2020 season, but it finished 6-10. Judge did not have good luck on the injury front, with Saquon Barkley missing almost all of 2020 and Jones going down with a neck issue midway through this season. Even prior to Jones’ injury, the former top-10 pick had not shown much improvement under Judge’s staff. Less than two months after firing Jason Garrett, Judge joins him in coaching free agency.
Buccaneers Activate Shaq Barrett, Place Richard Sherman On IR
The Buccaneers received good and bad news on the health front Tuesday. The defending champions activated pass rusher Shaquil Barrett from the reserve/COVID-19 list but moved cornerback Richard Sherman to injured reserve for the second time, a move that ends his season. 
In 15 games this year, Barrett has produced 51 total tackles, three forced fumbles and a team-leading 10 sacks. His return would be a major boost to the team’s pass rush and defense as a whole. His play from a dominant postseason last year carried over into 2021, as he was voted to the Pro Bowl a second time.
Head coach Bruce Arians expects to also have fellow outside linebacker Jason-Pierre Paul back, along with starting running back Leonard Fournette.
As for Sherman, the fact that he was placed on IR again means his Achilles injury was too much to overcome in time for the playoffs. He missed the team’s regular-season finale and had only played sparingly since his first two contests in Tampa Bay. His 11th NFL season ends with him totaling 11 tackles and one interception.
The Bucs will look to defend their Super Bowl title, beginning Sunday afternoon when the host the Eagles.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/11/22
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: LB Joe Walker
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated to return to practice: WR Auden Tate
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers: S Juju Hughes (from Rams)
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Sam Cooper
Kansas City Chiefs
- Designated for return: DE Joshua Kaindoh
Las Vegas Raiders
- Designated for return: LB Nicholas Morrow
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: RB Trey Sermon
Washington Football Team
- Extended: CB Corn Elder, RB Jonathan Williams
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/10/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: LB Nate Hall
Green Bay Packers
- Released: G Ben Braden
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Jaylen Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Tyler Vaughns
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Tanner Hudson
Tennessee Titans
- Released: OL Paul Adams
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/10/22
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DL Zach Kerr
Denver Broncos
- Claimed off waivers (from Chargers): DB Essang Bassey
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers (from Rams): DB JuJu Hughes
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed to active roster: RB Jason Huntley
- Placed on IR: WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, TE Tyree Jackson, OL Brett Toth
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/10/22
A bunch of teams had their seasons come to an end yesterday, and these front offices are now starting to prepare for the offseason. Today, a number of players were inked to reserve/futures contracts, which allows organizations to retain (mostly) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. We’ve compiled today’s reserve/futures contracts below:
Baltimore Ravens
- DB Robert Jackson, OT Jaryd Jones-Smith, G/DT Kahlil McKenzie, WR Jaylon Moore, C James Murray, TE Tony Poljan, DB Kevin Toliver, WR Binjimen Victor
Carolina Panthers
- RB Spencer Brown, CB Madre Harper, DL Frank Herron, OL Mike Horton, OL Aaron Monteiro, WR Aaron Parker, FB Giovanni Ricci, WR C.J. Saunders, TE Colin Thompson, QB P.J. Walker
Cleveland Browns
- TE Miller Forristall, G Hjalte Froholdt, TE Nick Guggemos, CB Nate Meadors, G David Moore, FB Johnny Stanton, OT Alex Taylor, DE Curtis Weaver
Denver Broncos
- TE Shaun Beyer, RB Damarea Crockett, WR Travis Fulgham, OT Drew Himmelman, G Zack Johnson, LB Barrington Wade
Detroit Lions
- DE Eric Banks, LB Tavante Beckett, DE Bruce Hector, WR Javon McKinley, QB Steven Montez, CB Parnell Motley, OT Dan Skipper, CB Saivion Smith, TE Shane Zylstra
Houston Texans
- RB Darius Anderson, WR Jalen Camp, G Sam Cooper, DT Michael Dwumfour, OL Jake Eldrenkamp, DB T.J. Green, DE Demone Harris, WR Damon Hazelton, CB Cre’Von LeBlanc, FB Paul Quessenberry, OL Jordan Steckler, LB Connor Strachan, LB Josh Watson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Jeff Cotton, RB Nathan Cottrell, OL Coy Cronk, WR Josh Hammond, OL Jared Hocker, WR Tim Jones, DL Jeremiah Ledbetter, OL Badara Traore
Minnesota Vikings
- LB Tuf Borland, S Myles Dorn, WR Trishton Jackson, WR Myron Mitchell, CB Parry Nickerson, T Timon Parris, RB A.J. Rose, DT T.J. Smith
New Orleans Saints
- WR Kawaan Baker, LB Sharif Finch, OT Jerald Hawkins, DT Braxton Hoyett, DB Dylan Mabin, DB Jordan Miller, DB KeiVarae Russell, WR Easop Winston
New York Giants
- LB Omari Cobb, OT Devery Hamilton, LB Trent Harris, TE Jake Hausmann, DE Niko Lalos, QB Brian Lewerke, DT David Moamat, WR Travis Toivonen
New York Jets
- K Matt Ammendola, WR Tarik Black, TE Brandon Dillon, OL Grant Hermanns, WR D.J. Montgomery, OL Ross Pierschbacher, DL Hamilcar Rashed, OL Dru Samia, DL Tanzel Smart, OL Isaiah Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- DT Myles Adams, WR Matt Cole, LB Aaron Donkor, T Greg Eiland, WR Aaron Fuller, DT Jarrod Hewitt, CB Michael Jackson, WR Cade Johnson, G Pier-Olivier Lestage, DT Niles Scott, WR Cody Thompson, LB Lakiem Williams
Washington Football Team
- G Zack Bailey, C/G Beau Benzschawel, G Deion Calhoun, DT Tyler Clark, WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR Kelvin Harmon, G Nolan Laufenberg, WR Marken Michel
Panthers Sign QB P.J. Walker To One-Year Deal
While much remains to be seen regarding Carolina’s future at the quarterback position, the team took care of a small piece of business on Monday. Joe Person of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the Panthers are bringing back P.J. Walker on a one-year deal.
The 26-year old was set to be an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason, but the move means he will stick around in Charlotte and be in contention to be the team’s backup signal caller. Walker made five appearances in 2021, including one start in Week 10 against the Cardinals. He put up 167 passing yards and an interception in the 34-10 win. For his career, the former undrafted free agent has a 55.7% completion percentage, 730 passing yards and two touchdowns go along with eight interceptions.
As for the Panthers’ other quarterbacks from this season, Cam Newton still wants to play in the NFL, according to Pro Football Talk’s Michael Smith. The pending free agent will look for the right fit, but expressed a willingness to sign on as a backup if a starting spot doesn’t become available. Meanwhile, Sam Darnold is still under contract for the 2022 season with a guaranteed salary of just over $18.5MM. His erratic play throughout his first season in Carolina leaves many feeling the Panthers will be active in the quarterback market this offseason, though.
Dolphins Fire HC Brian Flores
‘Black Monday’ has seen its first surprising move of the day. The Dolphins have fired Head Coach Brian Flores, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). 
Flores, 40, took over as the Fins’ HC in 2019, compiling an overall record of 24-25. A 10-6 finish last year was the cause of a great deal of optimism for the future for the team, as they just missed out on the playoffs and were set to hand over the quarterbacking reigns to 2020 first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa.
2021 was a completely different story, however. After winning in Week 1, the team suffered seven straight losses and was seen as arguably the biggest disappointment in the league, given all the optimism heading into the season. In the midst of that skid, it was reported that Flores was on the hot seat. The mounting losses, along with a perceived lack of flexibility made some believe Flores wasn’t the most approachable of coaches.
Not long after, though, the team turned things around and won seven straight to get to 8-8 on the campaign. While they ultimately fell short of the playoffs with a 9-8 record, the fact that a potential tailspin turned into another winning season had many feeling Flores would be safe. Instead, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reports that Owner Stephen Ross met with Flores on Monday before making the decision to fire him. He adds that the latter “didn’t always agree on key team decisions” with General Manager Chris Greer, but also that “there’s a widespread feeling of shock within the team”.
The Team Tweeted out a statement in which Ross said, “after evaluating where we are as an organization and what we need going forward to improve, I determined that key dynamics of our football organization weren’t functioning at a level I want it to be and felt that this decision was in the best interest of the Miami Dolphins. I want to thank Brian for his hard work and wish him nothing but the best in the future”. Schefter adds that Greer is safe for the time being.
Miami joins Las Vegas, Jacksonville, Denver, Minnesota and Chicago as teams in need of a new head coach for 2022.
Bears Fire HC Matt Nagy, GM Ryan Pace
In another expected move to begin ‘Black Monday’ in the NFL, the Bears are parting ways with Head Coach Matt Nagy, according to ESPN”S Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Nagy becomes the fourth recent firing in the NFL, joining Vic Fangio from the Broncos, Mike Zimmer from the Vikings and Brian Flores from the Dolphins. 
It had long been expected that Nagy was on his way out of Chicago as the 2021 season progressed with offensive struggles continuing with and without rookie quarterback Justin Fields. While the 43-year old survived rumors leading up to their Thanksgiving day game against the Lions that he would be let go midseason, he didn’t do enough in the remainder of the campaign to change ownership’s mind.
Not long after the news of Nagy’s firing broke, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero Tweeted that GM Ryan Pace has also been fired. Pace had held the GM title for seven seasons, a span that included the drafting of Mitch Trubisky in 2017 and only two postseason appearances (with no wins). It was reported in November that Pace may be safe for one more year, but the Bears are obviously cleaning house instead.
After four seasons, Nagy finishes with an overall regular season record of 34-31, along with two postseason appearances that each ended in first-round exits. After a 12-4 season that earned him Coach of the Year honors in 2018, the Bears went 8-8 for the next two campaigns and ended up a disappointing 6-11 in 2021.
Even before it was made official that Nagy was let go, a few names came up recently who may be in line to replace him. According to a recent report, two candidates to keep an eye on are Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo. Other options have been linked to the Windy City as well, but in any event it is believed the new HC will lean more towards the ‘leader-of-men’ type than Nagy’s ‘quarterback whisperer’ style.
Along with Jacksonville and Las Vegas, the Broncos’ decision to move on from Fangio over the weekend in addition to the three firings today brings the total number of head coaching vacancies in the league to six. With Pace out, there are now two open GM positions.