Dolphins Add DT Andrew Billings
Andrew Billings passed through waivers today, but the defensive tackle has already found his next gig. Billings is set to sign with the Dolphins, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
Billings was a fourth-round pick by the Bengals in 2016, and it didn’t take him every long to establish himself as a starter. He started 30 of his 32 games between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, collecting a total of 3.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 11 QB hits.
The defensive tackle joined the Browns during the 2020 offseason, but he chose to opt out of the subsequent season. Billings ended up seeing time in only six games for Cleveland this season, collecting a single tackle. He was ultimately waived by the organization on Saturday.
Now, the 26-year-old will have a chance to kick start his career in Miami. Per Rapoport, the veteran will initially start on the practice squad, but he’s expected to be promoted to the active roster relatively quickly.
49ers Place Mohamed Sanu, Tavon Wilson On IR
Add a couple more to the 49ers’ list. On Monday, the team both wide receiver Mohamed Sanu and safety Tavon Wilson on the injured reserve list, per an announcement from head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Both players suffered their injuries against the Cardinals on Nov. 7. Sanu suffered his knee sprain in the third quarter, forcing him to the sidelines in the 31-17 defeat. Before that, the veteran was operating as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver, registering 15 catches for 177 yards through eight games. Without him, they’ll likely shift more targets to the likes of Trent Sherfield and Jauan Jennings.
Wilson, 31, has come off of the bench for seven of his eight games this year. He has a grand total of just ten stops in 2021 and it’s not clear if he — or Sanu – will return this year. In the meantime, they’ll turn to veteran Tony Jefferson, who has been activated for tonight’s game against the Rams.
Packers Cut Blake Bortles From Practice Squad
Well, that didn’t last long. On Monday, the Packers released quarterback Blake Bortles from the practice squad. In a related move, they’ve reinstated fellow QB Kurt Benkert from the taxi squad’s COVID-19 list. 
Bortles signed with the Packers on November 3, just after Aaron Rodgers‘ COVID-19 positive. Brought in to provide an extra layer of insurance behind Jordan Love, he’ll leave after just a handful of scrimmages.
Bortles, once groomed to be the future franchise face of the Jaguars, hasn’t seen live action since his three-game 2019 season. Last year, he spent some time with the Broncos, but didn’t make it into a game.
Bortles, 29, owns a 24-49 regular season record as a starter. At this point, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll ever get an opportunity to make another start. He may, however, find another practice squad opportunity elsewhere.
To date, his 2017 campaign stands as his best. That year, he was under center for the Jaguars’ run to the AFC title game and subsequent loss to the Patriots.
Raiders’ Alec Ingold Done For Year
It’s official. Raiders fullback Alec Ingold has been diagnosed with a season-ending ACL tear (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The Raiders will place Ingold on injured reserve this week, opening up a new spot on the 53-man roster. 
On the plus side, Pelissero hears that it’s an isolated ACL tear. That means Ingold’s MCL and PCL are still in tact, which should make his recovery process at least a little bit easier. If everything goes according to plan, Ingold should be good to go for the 2022 season opener.
With that said, it’s not a given that he’ll return to the Raiders. Ingold — earning just under $900K this year — is on course for free agency in March.
So far, Ingold has spent his entire career with the Raiders, ever since signing as a UDFA in 2019. The Wisconsin product started in all 32 of the Raiders’ regular season games between ’19 and ’20. This year, he’s capped at nine total games and three starts. His season will end with nine catches for 80 yards and one touchdown.
The Raiders are 5-4 following yesterday’s one-sided loss to the Chiefs. They’ll look to rebound on Sunday when they host the Bengals in Las Vegas.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/15/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: DL Matt Dickerson, WR Darrius Shepherd
Green Bay Packers
- Activated: QB Kurt Benkert
- Released: QB Blake Bortles (story)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB BoPete Keyes
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed FB Sutton Smith
- Released: WR Gary Jennings
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: QB James Morgan
- Released: DT Isaiah Mack
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Tyler Mabry
- Waived: QB Jake Luton
WFT’s Chase Young Done For Year
Chase Young‘s season is officially over. On Monday, Washington head coach Ron Rivera confirmed that the defensive end has been diagnosed with a torn ACL (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
[RELATED: WFT’s Fitzpatrick Done For Season]
This was the feared outcome yesterday when Young went down with zero contact. Washington went on to beat the Buccaneers 29-19, but it’s a bittersweet victory given today’s news. They’re now severely shorthanded up front, especially since Montez Sweat is still sidelined with a broken jaw.
Young, the No. 2 overall pick in 2020, finished his first year with Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He had 7.5-sacks last year; this season will end with just 1.5 sacks and 25 total stops.
“It’s definitely sad,” defensive tackle Jon Allen said on Sunday (via ESPN.com). “It’s going to be tough, but knowing Chase’s personality, knowing the way he works and the kind of guy he is, he’ll come back stronger than ever.”
Without Young and Sweat, Washington is left with James Smith-Williams, Casey Toohill, Bunmi Rotimi, and rookie Shaka Toney at defensive end. They’ll look to add another edge rusher to the mix this week as they gear up for Sunday’s matchup with the Panthers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/15/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: RB Tavien Feaster
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: WR Mohamed Sanu, S Tavon Wilson (story)
Bills Place DT Star Lotulelei On Reserve/COVID-19 List
Per a team announcement, the Bills have placed DT Star Lotulelei on the reserve/COVID-19 list, thereby rendering him ineligible for today’s game against the Jets. Fellow DT Brandin Bryant has been elevated from the taxi squad to take Lotulelei’s place on the active roster, as Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic tweets.
Lotulelei, who will turn 32 next month, is in the midst of a five-year, $50MM deal he signed in 2018. He exercised his right to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns, which tolled his contract and keeps him under club control through 2023. He landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list in August, but he returned for Buffalo’s Week 2 win over Miami and has started each of his seven games this season.
Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics have not been high on Lotulelei’s work in some time, and that trend has continued this year. Though his 66.8 pass rush grade is above average — he does have two sacks this year, which matches his 16-game total in 2019 — his overall mark of 53.1 positions him as the 86th-best interior defender out of 124 qualifiers. Still, he typically plays the most snaps in Buffalo’s D-line rotation, so his absence will be noticed.
As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk observes, it is believed that Lotulelei is unvaccinated. That is because the 2013 first-rounder previously needed to isolate for five days following a close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, something that only an unvaccinated player would be required to do.
There is some good news to pass along for Bills fans. As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, RB Zack Moss, who suffered a concussion in last week’s loss to the Jaguars, has cleared protocols and will be able to play this afternoon. Moss and Devin Singletary have shared RB duties this year, but Singletary has been the better performer from a YPC perspective. Moss has mustered just 3.6 yards per carry on 65 attempts, while Singletary has posted a strong 4.9 YPC mark on 73 carries.
Moss, however, has been more effective as a receiver out of the backfield, catching 18 balls for 166 yards and a score.
Contract Details: Beckham, Bitonio, Gano
Rounding up a few contract details from this past week:
- Odell Beckham, WR (Rams): One year, $1.25MM, with up to $3MM in team-based incentives. Incentive package is as follows: $500K if Rams get wildcard win or first-round bye; $750K for divisional round win; $750K for NFC Championship Game win; $500K for Super Bowl appearance, or $1MM for Super Bowl win. OBJ would have to play at least one snap of those postseason contests to earn the incentive (Twitter links via Albert Breer of SI.com). None of the $4.25MM paid by Browns is offset, so Beckham earns that full amount in addition to his Rams payouts.
- Joel Bitonio, G (Browns): Three years, originally reported as $48MM. Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the total value actually checks in at over $49MM, as Cleveland agreed to pay Bitonio 17th-game checks on his 2020 and 2021 salaries. So Bitonio’s AAV is $16.37MM, which narrowly tops Joe Thuney‘s $16MM pact with the Chiefs and makes him the highest-paid guard on a multi-year contract.
- Graham Gano, K (Giants): Agreed to convert ~$514K of base salary into signing bonus, thereby creating ~343K of 2021 cap space (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates).
Steelers Place QB Ben Roethlisberger On Reserve/COVID-19 List
On Saturday evening, the Steelers announced that they were placing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the reserve/COVID-19 list. As a result, Roethlisberger will miss the club’s game against the Lions this afternoon.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the 39-year-old passer self-reported COVID symptoms to the team and subsequently tested positive for the virus (Twitter link). As Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets, Roethlisberger is vaccinated, so he is eligible to be removed from the COVID list as soon as he returns two negative tests taken 24 hours apart. That gives him a good chance to suit up for what could be a critical bout with the Chargers next Sunday.
For today, QB2 Mason Rudolph will get the nod in Roethlisberger’s place (Twitter link via Rapoport). Rudolph, a 2018 third-rounder, has not played a significant snap since Week 16 of the 2019 season — he started a meaningless Week 17 game last year — and he boasts a 5-4 career record as a starter, a record that is accompanied by a subpar 82.7 career quarterback rating.
However, if the Steelers could pick a game for Roethlisberger to miss this year, today’s matchup would probably be the one they would pick. The 0-8 Detroit outfit is ranked in the bottom quarter of the league in terms of yards allowed per game, and next-to-last in terms of points allowed per game. Plus, Rudolph does get regular opportunities to run the first-team offense in practice, so Pittsburgh should not need to limit its playbook in any way.
The Steelers have won four in a row to bring themselves squarely into the AFC playoff picture. During that streak, Roethlisberger — whose early-season struggles prompted speculation about his job security — is averaging over 200 passing yards per game, has thrown six TDs, zero interceptions, and has posted a 104.6 QB rating (h/t Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network on Twitter).