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Panthers Waive LB Charles Harris

November 25th, 2024 at 9:07pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have moved on from their co-leader in sacks. The team announced that they’ve waived linebacker Charles Harris. The move was made to accommodate cornerback Akayleb Evans, who was claimed off waivers from the Vikings.

The Panthers added Harris ahead of Week 2, and the veteran linebacker came in and immediately played a role for his new squad. After coming off the bench in his debut, the 29-year-old proceeded to start the next six games for Carolina. But with D.J. Wonnum recently returning to the lineup, Harris found himself quickly falling down the depth chart.

Harris was suddenly inactive for Week 10 when Wonnum returned to the lineup. Following the team’s bye week, Harris returned to the field and played 33 snaps yesterday. However, his Week 12 appearance coincided with D.J. Johnson‘s absence with a concussion. The Panthers now have their full edge rusher grouping, and Joe Person of The Athletic notes that the team wants to give young players like Cam Gill and Kenny Dyson more reps. That meant there was no spot left for a temporary veteran like Harris.

The linebacker’s Panthers tenure will end with him having compiled three sacks, 21 tackles, and seven QB hits. Harris hinted at some top-end pass-rush ability when he collected 7.5 sacks with the Lions in 2021, but his three-sack cameo with Carolina represents his highest total in three years. Harris should find another gig elsewhere, but he may be hard pressed to earn significant playing time with a new squad.

A 2022 fourth-round pick by the Vikings, Evans started all 15 of his appearances as a sophomore, finishing with 65 tackles, seven passes defended, one interception, and three forced fumbles. Minnesota brought in Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin this offseason, and Evans found himself buried on the depth chart. After getting into only three defensive snaps (along with 83 ST snaps) in seven games, the defensive back was waived by the Vikings this past weekend.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/25/24

November 25th, 2024 at 7:16pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

With Blake Ferguson still injured and the Dolphins having used Tucker Addington‘s three promotions, the Dolphins are turning to a new long snapper. In comes Zach Triner, who is coming off a long stint in Tampa Bay. Triner ultimately spent five-plus seasons with the Buccaneers, getting into 81 games. He was cut by the team earlier this month after his replacement, Evan Deckers, returned from injury.

The Eagles are set to add K.J. Henry to their practice squad, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The 2023 fifth-round pick has already bounced around the league in his short career, spending time with the Commanders, Bengals, and Cowboys. He cleared waivers today after getting cut by the Cowboys this past weekend. The defensive end got into a pair of games for Dallas this season, and he’s collected three sacks in 17 career games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/25/24

November 25th, 2024 at 7:06pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings reduced their tight end depth today by moving on from Nick Muse. The 2022 seventh-round pick has spent the past three seasons in Minnesota, appearing in 15 games. He was limited to only nine offensive snaps in 2024, and he has a single catch on his career resume. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Muse will land back on Minnesota’s practice squad if he clears waivers.

Chargers Place TE Hayden Hurst On IR

November 25th, 2024 at 6:29pm CST by Ben Levine

Ahead of tonight’s Harbaugh Bowl, the Chargers made a handful of changes to their roster. Most notably, the team announced that they’ve placed tight end Hayden Hurst on injured reserve.

After not being listed earlier in the week, Hurst popped up on the injury report this past Friday with a hip injury. That issue ended up being severe enough to sideline the player for at least the next four games. Hurst will be first eligible to return in Week 16.

After getting cut by the Panthers this offseason, Hurst quickly caught on with the Chargers. The veteran led the Chargers TE grouping in snaps through the first four weeks, but he’s since been passed by both Will Dissly and Eric Tomlinson on the depth chart. In seven appearances this year, Hurst has hauled in seven catches. The tight end topped 50 catches in both 2020 and 2022.

The Chargers made additional moves today, including activating Deane Leonard from IR. The cornerback has missed the past five games while nursing a hamstring injury. After garnering three starts last season, Leonard reverted back to primarily a special teams role in 2024.

The team added more defensive depth ahead of tonight’s game. The Chargers signed cornerback Eli Apple to the active roster while promoting safety Tony Jefferson and outside linebacker Caleb Murphy from the practice squad. To open extra roster space, the team waived safety AJ Finley.

Jabrill Peppers Removed From Commissioner’s Exempt List

November 25th, 2024 at 5:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Following his October arrest for an alleged domestic violence incident, Jabrill Peppers was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. The Patriots safety missed the following seven games, but he’ll now have a chance to play for the stretch run of the season. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Peppers was removed from the commissioner’s list today.

[RELATED: NFL Places Patriots S Jabrill Peppers On Commissioner’s Exempt List]

Peppers is accused of choking a woman and shoving her head against a wall outside his Braintree, Mass., apartment in early October. He was hit with charges of assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation and the possession of a class B substance; Peppers pleaded not guilty to each of those charges.

As the league prepared their investigation, Peppers sat in limbo on the commissioner’s list. In addition to being barred from games, Peppers’ placement on the list meant he couldn’t even attend games nor practice with the team. In a statement (via Christopher Price of the Boston Globe), the NFL said their “review will remain ongoing and is not affected by this change in Peppers’ roster status.” The NFL will likely wait for the legal process to play out before handing out any unpaid suspensions.

Source told Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald that Peppers’ stay on the list played a role in his sudden activation. The “baseline suspension” for a similar violation of the personal conduct policy is six games. Since Peppers has already sat out seven contests, the NFL decided to remove the player from the list.

The Patriots also released a statement, acknowledging Peppers’ removal from the list while not addressing the player’s future with the team. Patriots owner Robert Kraft previously stated that Peppers will be released if the accusations he faces are proven true. The safety inked a three years, $24MM extension with the team this past offseason, and his 2025 salary is connected to some guaranteed money. With Peppers now eligible to play, it’s uncertain if the team will allow the player back on the field. Peppers has a court date set for January.

Broncos Waive TE Greg Dulcich

November 25th, 2024 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Showing promise as a rookie, Greg Dulcich has been unable to replicate that form since. The former third-rounder had surmounted his nagging injury issues this season but has not commandeered a role for the Broncos.

As a result of this and injured players being close to returning to the 53-man roster, 9News’ Mike Klis notes the Broncos are waiving Dulcich. The young tight end’s rookie contract runs through 2025; if no team claims him by 3pm CT on Tuesday, he will hit free agency. The Broncos discussed Dulcich in trades before the deadline but opted to hang onto him.

Dulcich’s injury led to the Broncos receiving little — in terms of aerial production — from their tight end contingent last season, with a hamstring injury and subsequent aggravation leading him to two IR placements. The 24-year-old target played just 32 snaps last season. Although he came back to play 120 this year, the Broncos had dropped him to healthy-scratch status several weeks ago. Despite Denver still receiving little from its tight ends, Sean Payton has not found a place for the third-year pass catcher.

As a rookie breaking into the NFL on a team that featured a disjointed offense — during an ill-fated Nathaniel Hackett–Russell Wilson partnership — Dulich totaled 420 receiving yards in just 10 games. The Broncos had included previous starter Noah Fant in the Wilson trade that year, and Dulcich profiled as the obvious successor. But hamstring trouble intervened early, as Dulcich both began and ended the 2022 season on IR.

Payton said Dulcich saw hamstring specialists, and he was not a full participant during the Broncos’ offseason program this year. Dulcich returned in time for training camp and started three games this season, but he quickly fell out of favor. Catching only five passes for 28 yards, Dulcich has not been active since Week 4. Denver has used Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull, a former Saints UDFA during Dennis Allen‘s HC tenure, as its primary tight ends since. Neither player has more than 175 yards, with Trautman sitting at 158 to pace the group.

Dulcich will now have an opportunity to revive his career elsewhere, and it sounds like it shouldn’t take long for the tight end to find his next gig. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Dulcich should draw some interest on the waiver wire. On the third year of his rookie pact, Dulcich could be more than a temporary rental for any interested squads.

The Broncos are preparing to activate Josh Reynolds from IR and linebacker Drew Sanders from the PUP list. The Dulcich exit will open one roster spot, and while the Broncos could bring him back on their practice squad, a waiver claim preventing that should not be ruled out. Dulcich is due less than $400K in remaining 2024 base salary and is tied to a nonguaranteed $1.42MM number in 2025.

49ers OL Jon Feliciano To Land On Season-Ending IR; Dre Greenlaw To Practice

November 25th, 2024 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers expected Jon Feliciano back around the midseason point and had designated the veteran offensive lineman for return from IR earlier this month. No activation will take place, however.

Feliciano’s knee has not responded well upon a return to practice, Kyle Shanahan said, and ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner notes the O-lineman will miss the rest of the season. Feliciano will revert to season-ending IR, as the 49ers will not activate him after an IR-return window. Monday marked the 21-day mark since the window opened, forcing the 49ers to make a determination on Feliciano’s status.

[RELATED: Brock Purdy In Play To Suit Up In Week 13]

A starter in seven regular-season games and all three 49ers playoff contests, Feliciano suffered the knee injury during training camp. The 49ers waited to place him on IR until after setting their 53-man roster, so they will not lose one of their injury activations by shutting him down. The injury-plagued team — one that suited up without Nick Bosa, Trent Williams and Brock Purdy in Week 12 — still has four IR-return moves remaining. The Purdy-Bosa-Williams trio remains on the active roster, though Talanoa Hufanga is an IR-return candidate — if the All-Pro safety is healthy enough to come back.

Some good injury news for the 49ers did emerge Monday, however. As expected, the team is set to open Dre Greenlaw‘s 21-day return window, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows tweets. Greenlaw is set to practice for the first time since tearing an Achilles tendon in Super Bowl LVIII. Greenlaw’s return also will not count against the 49ers’ activation total, as he is set to enter the PUP-return window.

Feliciano also went down during Super Bowl LVIII, and while his injury may well have contributed to Chris Jones‘ seminal third-down pressure to stop the 49ers’ opening overtime drive, it did not lead to this season’s absence. The 49ers have also found an answer at right guard. They turned to third-round rookie Dominick Puni due in part to Feliciano’s injury, and the Kansas alum has started opposite Aaron Banks throughout the season.

Now 32 and in his 10th year as an NFL blocker, Feliciano had hinted — upon re-signing with the 49ers (on a one-year, $2.75MM deal) in March — this would be his final NFL season. It is not yet known if the former Raiders, Bills and Giants interior lineman will change his mind based on the knee injury, but he will not factor into the 49ers’ plans this season. Feliciano, who has made 61 career starts and spent full seasons at both guard and center, was likely to represent solid swing depth had he returned this season.

Greenlaw obviously will be set for a much bigger role. The longtime Fred Warner sidekick has been a three-down linebacker with San Francisco for years, having signed a two-year, $16.4MM extension during the 2022 season. That pact goes through this season’s end, and Greenlaw will soon aim to secure a strong third contract. The 49ers are likely to slow-play the full-time defender’s ramp-up, but as the 5-6 team now faces the Bills after dropping a one-sided matchup to the Packers sans Purdy and Co., the risk of the defending NFC champions falling out of the playoff race is suddenly real.

Greenlaw, 27, coming back can benefit the 49ers’ defense, and it will be interesting to see when the team decides to activate him. His Super Bowl injury dealt the 49ers a cruel blow, as the player who was to be a key part of the team’s Travis Kelce defense effort stumbled to the turf upon trotting onto the field for a first-half defensive possession. Kelce proceeded to catch nine passes for 93 yards to help the Chiefs to an overtime conquest.

The 49ers already decided to extend one of their many contract-year starters, giving Deommodore Lenoir a five-year, $89.8MM deal, doing so months after paying Brandon Aiyuk. Greenlaw joins Banks, Hufanga and Charvarius Ward among core players not contracted for 2025. Although Greenlaw’s sixth NFL season will be abbreviated, a run at full strength over the final month and change — depending on when the 49ers activate him — would strengthen his 2025 market. The 49ers hold exclusive negotiating rights with Greenlaw until the legal tampering period begins March 10.

Dolphins Activate G Isaiah Wynn

November 25th, 2024 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Isaiah Wynn will make a return to an NFL active roster for the first time in 13 months. Down for over a year due to a quad injury, the Dolphins guard is back on the team’s 53-man squad.

Miami is activating Wynn from the reserve/PUP list and waiving offensive lineman Lester Cotton. Wynn had worked as the Dolphins’ left guard starter when healthy last season, but it has been a long road back for the former first-round pick. Because this is a PUP list activation, the Dolphins will not lose one of their injury activations. Only IR and NFI moves count against that total.

The Dolphins have now given Wynn two one-year contracts, the second of which at a slightly lower rate due to the significant injury sustained. Wynn re-signed with Miami for $1.89MM, factoring in an expected in-season absence. Like Bradley Chubb‘s, that absence has proven lengthy. Wynn has not played since Oct. 22, 2023.

Wynn, 29 next month, had not come to Florida with much momentum due to struggling during his New England contract year. Wynn nevertheless won the Dolphins’ left guard job out of training camp last year, playing opposite Robert Hunt. The latter departed for a monster Panthers contract this offseason, leading Miami to make adjustments up front.

Absent Wynn, the Dolphins have used the re-signed Robert Jones at LG and Liam Eichenberg at RG. It will be interesting to see if Miami deems Wynn a starter again or uses him as a swingman behind its current first-stringers. Wynn has worked as a starter for most of his career, though he has primarily played left tackle as a pro. Pro Football Focus grades neither Jones nor Eichenberg as a top-40 option at guard, slotting the latter in the bottom 15 among regulars at the position.

Cotton had been a swingman this season, playing in all 11 games as a backup. The Dolphins had rostered the ex-Raiders draftee since 2022 and likely would be interested in keeping him around on the practice squad, assuming the sixth-year blocker clears waivers. Cotton made eight starts last season, primarily filling in for Wynn after the midseason setback.

Titans Designate Chidobe Awuzie For Return

November 25th, 2024 at 12:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Chidobe Awuzie has been out of the Titans’ lineup since September, but he could be back in the picture soon. The veteran corner will return to practice this week, head coach Brian Callahan announced on Monday. The team has since confirmed the return designation.

Awuzie suffered a groin injury in Week 3, and he landed on injured reserve shortly thereafter. The IR designation ensured at least a four-game absence, but the 29-year-old has been unavailable well past the point when he first became eligible to resume practicing. Today’s news is a positive update regarding Awuzie’s ability to take part in the latter stages of the campaign, though.

Once the free agent pickup officially returns to practice, his 21-day activation period will begin. Awuzie will need to be moved to the active roster within that span to avoid reverting to season-ending IR. Provided that happens, he will give Tennessee another starting option in the secondary after he handled first-team duties during his opening Titans contests.

Awuzie followed Callahan from Cincinnati to Tennessee this offseason, inking a three-year, $36MM deal. Expectations were high for the former second-rounder in particular and the Titans’ secondary overall entering the year. The trade acquisition of L’Jarus Sneed and the hiring of Dennard Wilson as defensive coordinator has helped Tennessee lead the NFL in passing yards allowed per game so far (170). That success has come in spite of Sneed being limited to only five contests in 2024; he is now on IR.

While Sneed is set to continue missing time, Awuzue could return to action as soon as Week 13. He will not play a role in a postseason run given Tennessee’s 3-8 record, but remaining healthy upon activation would be a welcomed development for team and player ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Buccaneers Activate CB Jamel Dean

November 23rd, 2024 at 8:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jamel Dean returned to practice this week, giving him the chance to suit up for Week 12. The veteran corner has indeed been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

A hamstring injury kept Dean out of the fold for each of the past four games. It was an encouraging sign when he resumed practicing at the first point at which he was eligible to do so, something which opened his 21-day activation window. With Dean back in place, Tampa Bay now has four IR return spots remaining.

“I’m ready now,” the 28-year-old said (via ESPN’s Jenna Laine). “I spent the whole bye week getting back into football shape… It was a whole circuit of different things. Shoutout to our trainers for running me to failure.”

Dean was a full participant in practice every day this week, so he should reprise his role as a full-time corner starter upon return. That will especially be true if fellow starter Zyon McCollum is unable to suit up; he is dealing with his own hamstring injury, and it cost him practice time this week. Third-round rookie Tykee Smith – the team’s starting slot corner – remains out of the lineup as he deals with a knee injury.

Tampa Bay traded away Carlton Davis this offseason, but the team retained Dean on a four-year, $52MM deal the previous spring. That led to continued expectations in the latter’s case for him to remain a staple of the Buccaneers’ secondary, and when healthy he has done so. With the team sitting at 4-6 on the year, Dean’s return to the lineup will certainly be welcomed.

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