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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/20/22

December 20th, 2022 at 7:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: QB James Morgan
  • Released: QB Carson Strong

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: G Parker Ferguson, DB Devon Key
  • Released: LB Harvey Langi

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: DT Jarrod Hewitt

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/20/22

December 20th, 2022 at 7:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Signed off Chiefs practice squad: LB Elijah Lee
  • Designated for return: RB Khalil Herbert (story)
  • Released: CB Justin Layne

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Caleb Huntley suffered a season-ending Achilles injury this past weekend, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The injury is expected to require surgery. The Falcons RB made his NFL this season and has collected 369 yards from scrimmage.

While Russell Wilson is expected to start for the Broncos on Christmas, the Broncos still decided to promote a third QB to the roster in Jarrett Guarantano. According to Troy Renck of Denver7 (on Twitter), there was enough interest from other teams (including the Cardinals) for the Broncos to decide to promote the rookie. The UDFA out of Washington State had his first professional gig with the Cardinals before catching on with the Broncos.

Cardinals Likely To Part Ways With GM Steve Keim

December 18th, 2022 at 10:53pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cardinals are expected to part ways with longtime GM Steve Keim this offseason, as Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports. Keim recently took an indefinite leave of absence from the team due to an undisclosed health-related matter.

Vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris and vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson are presently sharing Keim’s duties on an interim basis, and Jones says both men are legitimate candidates to be promoted to general manager this offseason. Harris enjoyed a six-year playing career that began in Arizona before becoming a Cardinals scout in 2008, and he has been working his way up the personnel ladder ever since. Wilson left more of an on-field legacy, as he played in the NFL for 13 seasons — 12 as a member of the Cardinals — and earned five Pro Bowl nods during that time.

Wilson, 43, was inducted into Arizona’s Ring of Honor in 2015, the same year he began working for the team as a regional scout. His ascent has been more rapid than that of the 45-year-old Harris, though it appears both execs will have a chance to lead a club’s front office sooner rather than later. The Giants interviewed Wilson and Harris during their GM search earlier this year, and it was reported that the Jaguars nearly hired Wilson as general manager.

While Wilson and Harris are well-respected around the league, Jones’ sources wonder if Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill will choose to look outside the organization to replace Keim. Since Buddy Ryan left his post as Arizona’s head coach/general manager in 1995, the club’s next three GMs — Bob Ferguson, Rod Graves, and Keim — have all been promoted from within.

Of course, Bidwill could also be looking for a new head coach this offseason. Kliff Kingsbury, who was hired in 2019, has compiled a 28-33-1 record to date, and a report detailing his uncertain job security surfaced last month. While some of the factors that have played a role in the Cardinals’ 2022 struggles are beyond Kingsbury’s control — WR DeAndre Hopkins‘ six-game PED ban, QB Kyler Murray‘s ACL tear, etc. — his play-calling and game-planning have been frequently criticized. Bidwill would have to eat a great deal of money by cutting ties with Keim and Kingsbury, as he elected to hand both men thru-2027 extensions back in March, but he may feel he has no other choice.

Some good news for Cardinals fans is that Murray’s ACL tear is a clean one, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Murray is expected to begin training camp on the PUP list and will have a realistic chance of taking the field for the 2023 regular season opener.

Injury Updates: Taylor, Eagles, Morse, McCoy

December 18th, 2022 at 9:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Early in Saturday’s historic loss to the Vikings, the Colts saw star running back Jonathan Taylor leave the game without tallying a single carry. Tests showed that Taylor suffered a sprained ankle, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and while it was considered “nothing major,” it was enough to keep Taylor out for the remainder of the game.

In Taylor’s absence, in-season trade acquisition Zack Moss took over as the team’s lead back, assisted by Deon Jackson. Both put forth good performances for the rest of the contest, combining for 136 rushing yards on 37 carries.

With the Colts on the brink of elimination from postseason contention at 4-9-1, it’s not very surprising that Taylor didn’t risk his long-term health to return. Now the question arises of whether or not interim head coach Jeff Saturday and company will bring back Taylor at all for the rest of the season. If there’s no hope for a playoff run, will Indianapolis want to risk the long-term health of one of its keystone players or will it ride Moss and Jackson for the rest of the year?

Here are a few more injury updates from this weekend, starting with a player who didn’t even get to make an appearance:

  • Some were expecting to see Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert return from injury this week against the Bears, but ultimately, Philadelphia did not activate him. According to Schefter, Goedert is still expected to return from the injury soon, but “it’s not expected to be until next” week’s division game in Dallas. The Eagles will be excited to have their starting tight end back after relying on Jack Stoll and rookie sixth-round pick Grant Calcaterra for the past five games.
  • The Bills continued to take hits to their interior offensive line today after starting center Mitch Morse was knocked out of the game with a concussion. Backup guard Greg Van Roten, who was already filling in at right guard for an injured Ryan Bates, moved to center following Morse’s departure with backup offensive tackle David Quessenberry filling the empty slot at right guard. There is reason for concern due to Morse’s history with concussions. Back in 2020, it was reported he had suffered his fifth career concussion. It’s unclear if he’s suffered any since then, but the extensive history of brain trauma should not be taken lightly by the Bills training staff.
  • Another team that had to dig deep into the depth chart due to concussions, the Cardinals saw quarterback Colt McCoy leave today’s loss to the Broncos with a concussion. McCoy was slated to fill in for the remainder of the season after Kyler Murray‘s torn ACL, so with McCoy out, Arizona turned to third-string quarterback Trace McSorley. McSorley struggled in the loss, completing less than 50-percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions, but the Cardinals didn’t have another option. The team recently signed David Blough off of the Vikings practice squad but did not have him available for today’s game. Already eliminated from playoff contention at 4-10, there’s no reason for Arizona to rush anyone back from injury. If McCoy cannot be cleared by their Christmas night matchup with the Buccaneers, McSorley and Blough will be in line to lead the team from under center.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/22

December 17th, 2022 at 5:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

  • Promoted: C Brock Hoffman

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Injury Notes: Dolphins, Bills, Hankins, Allen

December 17th, 2022 at 8:53am CST by Ely Allen

As we head into what could very well be the season’s first true snow game, the Dolphins and Bills will be preparing to play without a few key players. Miami will be playing without safety Eric Rowe, while Buffalo will head into the matchup without offensive guard Ryan Bates.

Rowe hasn’t been the prominent defensive player he was during his first two seasons in Miami but was forced back into a starting role when safety Brandon Jones was placed on injured reserve. A hamstring injury will hold Rowe out of tonight’s game, pushing the Dolphins to their third-string safety.

With Elijah Campbell also out tonight with a concussion, Miami has only two options to turn to at safety. The team will either have to start undrafted rookie Verone McKinley, who started a game earlier on this year, or veteran Clayton Fejedelem, who hasn’t started a game since 2018 when he was with the Bengals, alongside regular starter Jevon Holland. McKinley did overlap with Holland at Oregon with the two playing a year together in the Ducks’ secondary. The team also has the option of pushing a cornerback like veteran Justin Bethel into the safety role if needed.

The Bills will be without Bates to start a game for the first time this season. Bates suffered an ankle injury in last week’s win over the Jets that knocked him out of the game. Buffalo used two players to fill in for Bates in Greg Van Roten and Bobby Hart. Seeing how Van Roten got the majority of the snaps last week, he’s likely to be tapped to start this week in place of Bates.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league, these both from the NFC:

  • Cowboys veteran defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins suffered a sprained pectoral muscle early in last week’s win over the Texans, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. The injury appears to be significant as owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones told the media that, while Hankins may make a return for the playoffs, “he won’t be back before then.” The foreseen absence has led the team to place Hankins on IR. Any starts or playing time for Hankins will likely be taken by a combination of Neville Gallimore, Quinton Bohanna, and Carlos Watkins for the remainder of the regular season.
  • The Cardinals also lost a defensive lineman to a significant injury last week when defensive end Zach Allen injured his hand in the third quarter of Monday’s loss to the Patriots, according to Charean Williams of NBC Sports. Allen underwent surgery on his hand that will keep him out this week against the Broncos. When asked about Allen’s prospects to return this season, head coach Kliff Kinsgbury responded with uncertainty. Allen is headed to free agency at the end of this season and, after a strong showing last year with four sacks, five tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hits, Allen improved greatly in his contract year tallying 5.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 19 quarterback hits. Arizona doesn’t have much depth on the defensive line, so Jonathan Ledbetter will likely earn the start opposite J.J. Watt this week while the Cardinals may need to elevate some reinforcements from the practice squad.

NFC West Notes: Cards, Purdy, Rams, Hawks

December 15th, 2022 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals will be without their 10th-year GM going forward. Steve Keim stepped away from his post for the time being, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes this health-related matter has been on the radar for months (video link). Keim’s future with the Cardinals is “up in the air,” Rapoport adds. This news comes months after Keim agreed to an extension that runs through 2027. Both Keim and Kliff Kingsbury signed add-ons this offseason, though the latter has also run into some turbulence. With Keim stepping away, Kyler Murray going down with an ACL tear and Kingsbury on the hot seat, this has been one of the more disappointing seasons in recent Cardinals history.

Here is the latest from Arizona and the rest of the NFC West:

  • Brock Purdy was not throwing during the 49ers‘ Tuesday practice, but the new San Francisco starter is expected to play through his rib and oblique injuries against the Seahawks tonight, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Purdy stayed in Sunday’s game despite suffering those injuries. The 49ers, who have lost both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo to major injuries this season, have journeyman Josh Johnson — recently signed off the Broncos’ practice squad — in place as their backup. Purdy and Johnson are the only two healthy QBs on San Francisco’s 53-man roster. Garoppolo remains on the active roster, for IR-management purposes, but is unlikely to return this season.
  • Shifting back to the Cardinals‘ quarterback situation, Murray is not slated to have surgery until after Christmas, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets. This is common for ACL surgeries, with the delay helping the swelling subside. Saquon Barkley ended up waiting over a month to have his ACL surgery in 2020 and was ready in time for the 2021 season. Week 1 will obviously be Murray’s goal, but given the through-2028 extension the Cardinals gave Murray this offseason, it would not surprise to see the organization play this cautionsly.
  • Thought to be leaving for Matt Rhule‘s Nebraska staff, Rams assistant Jake Peetz is staying in Los Angeles. Peetz turned down an offer to head to Lincoln, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Currently a Rams offensive assistant, Peetz was believed to have been offered the Nebraska quarterbacks coach job. He was the Panthers’ QBs coach under Rhule in 2020 and is a Nebraska native who played for the Cornhuskers during the 2000s. With Rams OC Liam Coen leaving to be Kentucky’s OC soon, it would not surprise to see Peetz rise on Sean McVay‘s staff.
  • The Rams will, however, lose their running backs coach — Ra’Shaad Samples — to the college ranks. Samples is heading to Arizona State to become the Pac-12 program’s wide receivers coach and passing-game coordinator, per Matt Zenitz of On3Sports. This season marked Samples’ first in the NFL. Impressively rising to the level of an NFL position coach at just 27, Samples will return to the college ranks. He was previously SMU’s running backs coach before heading to L.A. Samples also drew coordinator interest at the college level, Zenitz adds.
  • McVay’s staff has seen a run of connections to the college level in recent weeks. Prior to Arizona State and Georgia Tech hiring Kenny Dillingham and Brent Key, respectively, the schools were interested in Rams assistants. Tight ends coach Thomas Brown drew interest from the Sun Devils, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds defensive line coach Eric Henderson was on the Yellowjackets’ radar. A Georgia Tech alum, Henderson, 39, has been with the Rams since 2019. Brown, 36, has been with the team since 2020, joining the Rams after 10 seasons as a college staffer. The latter has generated praise as a rising NFL assistant, so the Rams retaining him is critical.
  • The Rams used their high waiver position to claim former Titans defensive lineman Larrell Murchison, but Field Yates of ESPN.com notes the Seahawks and Lions also made claims (Twitter link). Murchison’s rookie contract runs through the 2023 season; the Rams will have a chance to evaluate the former fifth-round pick.

Cardinals GM Steve Keim Taking Indefinite Leave Of Absence

December 14th, 2022 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

A season of tumult and adversity continues for the Cardinals this year as the team announced that general manager Steve Keim would be taking an indefinite leave of absence. Arizona’s announcement detailed that the absence is health-related, but due to legally required privacy, the team “will refrain from commenting further.”

After a short career as an offensive lineman in the NFL and CFL, Keim quickly found his course in personnel. Keim joined the Cardinals’ scouting department as a regional scout in 1999 and has worked his way up the ladder, remaining with Arizona for 23 years, serving the last 10 of which as general manager.

During Keim’s tenure with the franchise, the Cardinals have booked a Super Bowl appearance, played in two NFC championship games, and secured five postseason berths. Keim took over a 5-11 Cardinals team in 2012 as GM, quickly helping to turn the team around to a 10-6 record in his first season at the helm, just missing the playoffs in a competitive NFC. They would make the playoffs the following year and lose to the Panthers in the NFC championship the year after that.

The hurdle of Keim’s absence adds to a season that started with a suspension for star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and has weathered the slump of quarterback Kyler Murray‘s fourth year that ended with a season-ending ACL tear. The team’s staff has experienced its own setbacks, as well. Formerly the Cardinals co-pass game coordinator with Cam Turner, Spencer Whipple has been serving as the team’s third running backs coach of the season following the administrative leave of James Saxon to deal with personal legal matters and the departure of his replacement, Don Shumpert, who left to pursue other opportunities. Former offensive assistant Mike Bercovici was promoted weeks ago to tight ends coach when Steve Heiden, the team’s longest-tenured assistant coach, was asked to coach the offensive line following the dismissal of Sean Kugler for a sexual harassment incident that occurred during the Cardinals’ trip to Mexico City.

This is not even Keim’s first leave of absence from the team. Keim received a five-game suspension back in 2018 after pleading guilty to extreme DUI charges. This is his first reported absence since that incident, though.

In Keim’s absence, the team will turn to vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris and vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson to fill his role on an interim basis. Harris was a defensive back for the team back in the early 2000s and has been a member of Arizona’s scouting/personnel staff since 2008. This is his second year in his current position. Wilson was a long-time star safety for the Cardinals from 2001-12, earning multiple Pro Bowl appearances and a first-team All-Pro selection. Like Harris, Wilson joined the Cardinals as a regional scout shortly after his retirement as a player and quickly rose through the ranks. He is also in the second year in his current position.

The two will take over a 4-9 Cardinals team on the brink of postseason elimination. With no word on how long Keim will be away from the team, Harris and Wilson will not only be focused on maintaining the roster for the rest of the year but also preparing for the personnel-related tasks that will immediately follow the season like the draft and free agency.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/14/22

December 14th, 2022 at 7:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Cowboys Claim CB Trayvon Mullen

December 14th, 2022 at 5:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 14: The Cowboys have claimed Mullen off waivers, per Garafolo (Twitter link). Dallas has been dealing with multiple injuries at the position, including the Achilles tear recently suffered by Anthony Brown. That has let the team in search of depth options late in the campaign.

The most recent example of that was the practice squad deal signed by veteran Mackensie Alexander last week. Mullen will likewise get an opportunity play at least a rotational role during Dallas’ closing games of the regular season and, presumably, the playoffs, aiming to rebuild some of his value along the way.

DECEMBER 13: A full-time starter during much of his Raiders run, Trayvon Mullen could not secure a first-string spot with the Cardinals. The team will move on from the fourth-year cornerback, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).

Arizona sent a conditional draft choice to Las Vegas for Mullen on cutdown day in August. Had Mullen been active for 10 games, the pick would have become a 2023 sixth-rounder. Because the former second-rounder only suited up for eight, the pick will be a seventh.

Still, this represents a disappointing development for both the Cardinals and Mullen. The Clemson product had started 31 games during his three Raiders seasons. Although he played a season-high 42 defensive snaps Monday night, the Cards are still moving on. Mullen only surpassed 30 defensive snaps in one game — the loss to the Patriots.

In limited work, Mullen allowed a career-high 12.1 yards per target and a staggering 156.7 quarterback rating as the closest defender in coverage this season. A Cardinals team that spent much of the offseason in need at corner traded for Mullen just as it was finalizing its initial 53-man roster, but the Raiders’ new regime was planning to cut him. That led to the low-end compensation for a player who was a full-time starter during Jon Gruden‘s time with the Raiders.

The 40th overall pick in 2019, Mullen landed on IR twice last season. Foot trouble led to both stints, and Mullen underwent foot surgery during the spring. He began the Raiders’ training camp on their active/PUP list and did not begin practicing until mid-August. Mullen did not make his Cardinals debut until Week 3 of this season. Arizona has used Marco Wilson and journeyman Antonio Hamilton ahead of Mullen alongside Byron Murphy this season.

Mullen joins Alex Leatherwood and Johnathan Abram as highly drafted players from the Raiders’ Gruden-Mike Mayock era to be waived this year. Both Leatherwood and Abram are still tied to their rookie deals, via waiver claims (two in Abram’s case). Mullen will hit free agency if he is not claimed by Wednesday afternoon.

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