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Colts Activate DE Tyquan Lewis

November 23rd, 2024 at 12:35pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts will soon get some reinforcement on the defensive line. The team announced today that they’ve activated defensive end Tyquan Lewis off the injured reserve. Lewis is still questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Lions.

Lewis dealt with a long list of injuries to begin the season, with the defensive end suffering wrist, calf, and elbow issues. He landed on injured reserve in early October and has been on the shelf for the past month-plus. He returned to practice earlier this week, and the Colts didn’t take long to add him to the active roster.

The 2018 second-round pick has spent his entire career in Indy. He hasn’t necessarily lived up to his draft billing, as Lewis has only started 20 of his 69 appearances. He’s also spent much of his Colts tenure dealing with injuries, as the Ohio State product has missed 41 games in six-plus seasons with the team.

Still, he’s proven to be a useful rotational pass rusher. The defensive end has collected 15 career sacks, including a career-high four sacks (along with a career-high 13 QB hits) in 2023. That performance earned him a two-year extension from the Colts, and Lewis proceeded to start each of the team’s first four games of the 2024 campaign. 2021 second-rounder Dayo Odeyingbo and 2024 first-rounder Laiatu Latu have both garnered more opportunities with Lewis out of the lineup. With 2021 first-round pick Kwity Paye also sticking around, it’s uncertain if Lewis will continue to start once he’s ready to take the field.

The Colts made a handful of additional moves in anticipation of Week 12. The team announced that they’ve waived defensive end Genard Avery and elevated guard Atonio Mafi from the practice squad.

Vikings Waive CB Akayleb Evans

November 23rd, 2024 at 11:34am CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings are moving on from a former defensive starter. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Vikings have waived cornerback Akayleb Evans.

A 2022 fourth-round pick, Evans had occasional defensive cameos as a rookie before taking on a significantly larger role as a sophomore. The cornerback started all 15 of his appearances in 2023, finishing with 65 tackles, seven passes defended, one interception, and three forced fumbles. The added responsibility didn’t necessarily lead to a bump in effectiveness, as Pro Football Focus only ranked Evans 99th among 127 qualifying CBs last season.

The Vikings reworked their CB depth chart this past offseason, bringing in both Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin to pair with Byron Murphy. As a result, Evans has been limited to only three defensive snaps in 2024, with the third-year player even falling behinds the likes of Jay Ward and Theo Jackson on the depth chart. While Evans seemingly fell out of favor, Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune points out that he was one of the few CBs signed beyond the 2024 campaign, meaning the organization may be eyeing yet another positional makeover this offseason.

As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert notes, there’s a chance that Evans still lands back on Minnesota’s practice squad. Of course, that would require the player to pass through waivers unclaimed, so the Vikings can’t necessarily count on the roster machination.

Chiefs To Sign T D.J. Humphries

November 22nd, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chiefs are signing veteran offensive tackle D.J. Humphries, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. This will mark a return to the league for the longtime Cardinals blocker, who has battled back from a major knee injury.

Humphries was medically cleared to return to the field on Friday after an extensive recovery from a torn ACL suffered in December 2023, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. His contract with the Chiefs is worth $2MM with a maximum value of $4.5MM, per Rapoport, a strong deal for a Week 12 signing coming off a significant injury.

Kansas City likely had to offer Humphries more money than he would otherwise collect from the NFL’s injury protection benefit to motivate him to sign, per OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald. He received interest from the Patriots and visited the Giants earlier this season, but left New York without a deal with the team unwilling to accommodate his financial demands. The Chiefs, however, became desperate for tackle help after their difficulty protecting Patrick Mahomes‘ blindside this season and made Humphries a compelling enough offer to move to Kansas City.

The Chiefs came into the season hoping that one of their two young offensive tackles would lock down the left side, but 2024 second-rounder Kingsley Suamataia and 2023 third-rounder Wanya Morris have both struggled. Suamataia won the starting left tackle gig in training camp, but was benched in Week 2 in favor of Morris, who has started every game since. Morris did exit the game in Week 10 due to injury, with Suamataia putting together a disastrous performance in his place. Suamataia was then a healthy scratch in Week 11, forcing the Chiefs to look for tackle help elsewhere.

As an eight-year veteran with a 2021 Pro Bowl appearance under his belt, Humphries certainly fits the bill. He has struggled with injuries throughout his career, but still brings 98 starts of experience to Kansas City, most of them at left tackle. Now, he offers the Chiefs another option at that position as the franchise attempts a Super Bowl three-peat.

Seahawks Activate S Rayshawn Jenkins

November 22nd, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald announced that Rayshawn Jenkins would be activated from injured reserve, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Seattle is expecting their veteran safety to take the field on Sunday against the Cardinals for his first appearance in Week 6.

Jenkins started the Seahawks’ first six games, racking up 38 tackles and a 102-yard fumble return touchdown, the longest in the NFL this season. He played with a cast over his left hand in Weeks 5 and 6, but landed on injured reserve on October 16 to allow his injury to fully recover. The 2017 fourth-round pick returned to practice this week and quickly got back up to speed in the defense.

Jenkins arrived in Seattle this past offseason on a two-year, $12MM contract to pair with Julian Love as starting safeties in Macdonald’s new defense. In Jenkins’ absence, third-year defensive back Coby Bryant has stepped up at safety, ranking fifth on the team with a 73.2 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

While Jenkins is expected to return to a starting role this weekend, Bryant’s emergence will give Macdonald more options in a defense that prioritizes interchangeability between versatile defensive backs. All three players are capable of playing deep safety or sliding into the slot. Jenkins also saw plenty of time in the box in dime packages, so Macdonald could also call more three-safety formations.

The Seahawks currently have 52 players on their active roster, so they will not need to make a corresponding move to accommodate Jenkins’ activation.

Titans To Place CB L’Jarius Sneed On IR

November 22nd, 2024 at 12:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans’ revamped cornerback group has sustained heavy losses this season. Chidobe Awuzie has not played since Week 3, and L’Jarius Sneed will join the free agent signing on IR.

Sneed is moving to the injured list, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, due to a quad issue. Sneed has not played since Week 6; this will tack on four more absences to the highly paid cornerback’s ledger in what has been another tough season for the Titans’ CB corps on the injury front.

Tennessee rarely saw 2021 first-round pick Caleb Farley healthy, helping to lead to this overhaul. The Titans let Kristian Fulton and Sean Murphy-Bunting walk in free agency, adding Awuzie on a $12MM-per-year contract and then extending Sneed upon acquiring him from the Chiefs. Even with Patrick Surtain signing an extension and Jalen Ramsey being paid again, Sneed’s $44MM guaranteed at signing (on a four-year, $76.4MM deal) outflanks both and sits third among corners. The Titans have not seen the formerly reliable Chiefs cog justify the payday yet.

The Chiefs tagged Sneed but did so, as Chris Jones was the team’s priority in free agency, with the understanding he would be traded. Kansas City allowed the young starter to find a trade partner. After several teams checked in, the price did not dazzle. Although it only cost the Titans a 2025 third-round pick to acquire a tagged performer, the team needed to reward the player with an extension. Sneed, 27, certainly commanded a lucrative payday thanks to becoming a dependable boundary starter during the Chiefs’ past two Super Bowl-winning seasons; he just has not stayed healthy for his new team yet.

Though snubbed for the Pro Bowl, Sneed allowed just a 51% completion rate as the closest defender (at 4.8 yards per target) and a 56.2 passer rating. The Louisiana Tech alum did not yield a touchdown last season, playing an elite level for a Chiefs team suddenly unable to rely on its star-studded offense. Kansas City, however, has passed on paying cornerbacks over the past several years. The team also traded Marcus Peters and let the likes of Charvarius Ward, Kendall Fuller and Steven Nelson walk as free agents. The Chiefs have continued to churn out CBs, though Jaylen Watson‘s injury this season has exposed this plan a bit. The reigning champs are still in better shape than the Titans at this position.

Awuzie has been down with a groin injury, though he is expected to be designated for return next week. The Titans gave the ex-Cowboys and Bengals starter a three-year, $36MM deal that came with $19MM at signing. Sneed did not practice this week, and slot cog Roger McCreary has also missed both Tennessee practices leading up to its Week 12 game. Sneed had not played well before being shelved; Pro Football Focus rated the former Steve Spagnuolo lockdown option as the worst corner among qualified options this season.

As the Titans take a long-term approach during a season that has produced a 2-8 record, they will hope to see Sneed and Awuzie team up to at least establish some momentum for the future. Sneed cannot return until Week 16. The Titans have primarily used waiver claim Darrell Baker and fifth-round rookie Jarvis Brownlee on the perimeter this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/21/24

November 21st, 2024 at 6:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Just one minor move to pass along:

Cleveland Browns

As the Browns prepare for tonight’s matchup with the Steelers, they’ve added some tight end depth to the active roster. Blake Whiteheart is positioned to make his fifth appearance for the Browns this season, with the former UDFA having hauled in three receptions for 13 yards and one touchdown. With fellow TE Geoff Swaim sidelined with a concussion, Whiteheart will likely slide in as the team’s third tight end behind David Njoku and Jordan Akins.

Colts Sign G Mark Glowinski

November 21st, 2024 at 9:45am CST by Adam La Rose

Mark Glowinski has returned to the Colts. The veteran offensive lineman signed to Indianapolis’ practice squad on Thursday, per a team announcement.

Glowinski has 124 starts to his name in the NFL; 59 of those (including 55 starts) came during his first stint with the Colts. The former fourth-rounder was with Indianapolis from 2018-21, handling right guard duties during that time. He landed a three-year, $20MM Giants deal in free agency based on his Colts success.

The 32-year-old played a pair of seasons in New York, operating as a full-time starter in 2022 but seeing his usage drop last campaign. Glowinski was let go in a cost-shedding move in March, leaving him on the open market. That remained the case deep into the season, but he will now return to a familiar environment for the second half of the year. The West Virginia product could be used as a gameday elevation up to three times before the Colts would need to sign him to the active roster.

Will Fries began the season as Indianapolis’ starting right guard, but a leg injury which required surgery landed him on injured reserve last month. Undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker has stepped into a first-team role since Fries went down, but his PFF evaluation has left plenty of room for improvement. Glowinski could reprise his role as a starter opposite left guard Quenton Nelson, or at a minimum provide the Colts with experienced depth along the interior.

In a corresponding move, cornerback Tre Flowers was released from Indianapolis’ taxi squad. The 29-year-old has made four appearances for the Colts this season, and late October marked the most recent point at which he signed to the team’s practice squad. Flowers has yet to see any playing time since, and he will now seek out an opportunity elsewhere.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/20/24

November 20th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor NFL moves:

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Los Angeles Rams

  • Practice window opened: G KT Leveston

Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Unfortunately for Turner-Yell, head coach Sean Payton told the media that it “became too much of a challenge to active” the young safety off the physically unable to perform list, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.

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