HEADLINES

Year: 2024

Dolphins Add DT Andrew Billings

November 15th, 2021 at 5:48pm CST by Ben Levine

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.

Packers’ Whitney Mercilus Done For Season

November 15th, 2021 at 5:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Whitney Mercilus signed with the Packers less than a month ago, but the pass rusher is now done for the season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the veteran linebacker suffered a season-ending biceps tear.

The veteran was signed to help fill in for Za’Darius Smith, who remains sidelined with a back injury. Mercilus ended up seeing time in three games with his new squad, collecting five tackles and one sack. Before suffering the injury yesterday against the Seahawks, Mercilus had appeared in at least 40 percent of Green Bay’s defensive snaps through his first three games with the organization.

Mercilus was cut by the Texans back in October after seeing his role reduced on defense. The 31-year-old still put up solid numbers despite the part-time role in Houston, compiling 12 tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss, and three QB hits. The defender had spent his entire nine-plus-year career in Houston, starting 102 of his 132 games. He ranks second in franchise history (behind J.J. Watt) in a number of statistics, including sacks (57), forced fumbles (13), tackles for loss (72), and QB hits (115).

49ers Place Mohamed Sanu, Tavon Wilson On IR

November 15th, 2021 at 3:48pm CST by Zachary Links

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

November 15th, 2021 at 3:27pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

Falcons’ Cordarrelle Patterson To Miss Time

November 15th, 2021 at 2:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Cordarrelle Patterson could be out for a couple of weeks (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The Falcons running back is still awaiting further tests, but his ankle sprain will likely rule him out for Thursday night against the Patriots and potentially sideline him for the following game against the Jaguars. 

This would have marked a “revenge game” of sorts for Patterson, who spent time with the Pats in 2018. He’s made the rounds over the years, also spending time with the Vikings, Raiders and Bears, but he’s found his footing in Atlanta. So far this year, he’s registered 39 catches for 473 yards, plus 77 carries for 303 yards. Altogether, that’s 776 all-purpose yards, positioning him as one of the Falcons’ best offensive weapons.

Patterson joined the Falcons on a one-year, $3MM deal this offseason. Most analysts expected them to target RBs in the draft — they declined, opting for a veteran tandem of Patterson and Mike Davis.

While Patterson did not work out as a wideout in Minnesota, he has proven dangerous as a gadget player as a pro. Without the former first-round pick, the Falcons will have an even tougher climb towards playoff consideration.

Raiders’ Alec Ingold Done For Year

November 15th, 2021 at 2:32pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick Tests Positive For COVID-19

November 15th, 2021 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has tested positive for COVID-19 (Twitter link via Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN.com). Fitzpatrick will join Ben Roethlisberger on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, leaving the Steelers potentially shorthanded for this week’s game against the Chargers. 

[RELATED: Steelers Made Late Push For OBJ]

Fitzpatrick’s availability will hinge on his vaccination status and forthcoming tests. If he is vaccinated and does not present any symptoms, he’ll be able to return after two negative tests. If he is unvaccinated and/or symptomatic, he’ll be out for at least ten days. That would mean no Fitzpatrick for the Chargers and potentially impact his availability for Nov. 28 against the Bengals.

The Steelers, sans Roethlisberger, tied the Lions on Sunday with QB2 Mason Rudolph under center. They’re now 5-3-1 on the year, still within striking distance of the 6-3 Ravens for the NFC North lead.

The Steelers traded for Fitzpatrick midway through 2019, shipping first-, fifth-, and sixth-round picks to acquire the star safety. He earned yet another First-Team All-Pro nod last year, tallying four interceptions, 79 total stops, and eleven passes defensed along the way. He also took one of those interceptions back for a pick six, giving him four career defensive TDs. For what it’s worth, he hasn’t been quite as sharp this year — Pro Football Focus has him ranked just 88th out of all qualified safeties.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/15/21

November 15th, 2021 at 12:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Bears Designate Teven Jenkins For Return

November 15th, 2021 at 12:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears have designated Teven Jenkins to return from injured reserve, head coach Matt Nagy announced. The Bears will now have a 21-day window to activate the rookie offensive tackle. 

“It’s been a while since Teven’s put the pads on, so we’ll start there,” Nagy said (via NBCSports.com). “That will be exciting for us to see where he’s at. I know he’s really anxious and excited to get out there. As far as the sides and stuff, we’ll work through it with him. It’s just gonna be honestly, really, an hour-by-hour, day-by-day process with him. But it’s definitely a good thing to have, and we’re excited to get him out there.”

Jenkins, the No. 39 overall pick in this year’s draft, hasn’t put the pads on since undergoing back surgery in August. Before that, the Bears planned to use him as their No. 3 tackle. On the plus side, they were able to add Jason Peters that same week. Once Jenkins is able to return, he’ll slot somewhere behind the ex-Eagles star and Elijah Wilkinson. The Bears also have Lachavious Simmons and fifth-round rookie Larry Borom on hand.

The Bears packed the No. 52 choice and a third-round pick to move up for Jenkins, so they clearly have high hopes for him. Now, the Oklahoma State product could be days away from making his debut.

WFT’s Chase Young Done For Year

November 15th, 2021 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

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