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Chargers Place Junior Colson On IR, Designate Gus Edwards For Return

November 6th, 2024 at 8:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers have placed Junior Colson on injured reserve with an ankle injury, another setback for the rookie linebacker who dealt with appendicitis during training camp and missed Weeks 3 and 4 with a hamstring injury.

When healthy, Colson was a rotational contributor to the Chargers’ league-leading defense with a role on special teams. The third-round pick will now be sidelined for at least four weeks, with his earliest possible return coming on December 8 against the Chiefs.

The Chargers have plenty of linebacker depth on the roster with Troy Dye, Nick Niemann, and Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste backing up starters Denzel Perryman and Daiyan Henley.

Los Angeles also designated Gus Edwards to return from injured reserve on Wednesday. The veteran running back landed on IR in October with an ankle injury and is now headed towards a return to the backfield alongside fellow former Raven J.K. Dobbins. Edwards is unlikely to eat heavily into Dobbins’ workload, as he is averaging a career-low 3.0 yards per carry compared to Dobbins’ 4.9 YPC.

The Chargers made another addition to their offense by promoting Jalen Reagor to the active roster to replace Simi Fehoko, who was placed on injured reserve. Reagor signed with the Chargers’ practice squad in September and appeared in the team’s last three games. With Fehoko facing at least a four-game absence with an elbow injury, Reager will move to the 53-man roster to provide receiver depth alongside recently activated veteran DJ Chark.

Jaguars Sign C.J. Beathard From Dolphins’ Practice Squad

November 6th, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jaguars signed C.J. Beathard to their 53-man roster from the Dolphins’ practice squad on Wednesday, adding quarterback depth with Trevor Lawrence‘s status for Week 10 in question.

Lawrence played all of Jacksonville’s Week 9 loss to the Eagles but required some medical attention during halftime after taking a hit, according to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. He was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice with his left shoulder listed on the injury report. Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said it was too early to prognosticate about Lawrence’s availability for Sunday’s matchup with the Vikings, per DiRocco.

Beathard will be insurance if Lawrence can’t play, backing up Mac Jones who will start under center. Jones was traded to Jacksonville by the Patriots this offseason and has appeared in garbage time of two of the Jaguars’ losses this year, completing six of his nine passing attempts for 28 yards.

Beathard spent training camp with the Jaguars and competed with Jones for the backup quarterback gig before injuring his groin in the team’s preseason finale. He was released with an injury settlement and found a new home on the Dolphins’ practice squad in October with Tua Tagovailoa still on injured reserve. Beathard appeared in seven games for the Jaguars in 2023, completing 40 of his 53 passing attempts for 349 yards and one touchdown.

The Jaguars also designated Devin Duvernay for return from injured reserve, opening his 21-day practice window. Duvernay served as Jacksonville’s primary returner with minimal involvement in the offense until he injured his hamstring in Week 5. Parker Washington and Tank Bigsby have split returning duties in his absence, but Duvernay will likely reclaim the job once he’s back on the active roster. He has three weeks to practice with the team before he must be activated or revert to season-ending IR.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/24

November 6th, 2024 at 7:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Gross-Matos was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury on October 5, sidelining him for San Francisco’s last four games. He now has 21 days to practice with the team before he must be added back to the activ roster or revert to season-ending IR. He signed a two-year, $18MM contract with the 49ers in the offseason but struggled with his new team with just one tackle in 81 snaps across three appearances.

Titans Sign Mike Edwards, Place Lloyd Cushenberry On IR

November 6th, 2024 at 6:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Titans signed Mike Edwards after he was released by the Bills on Tuesday, adding safety depth after Quandre Diggs suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury on Sunday.

Diggs was placed on injured reserve, giving Edwards a chance at seeing the field right away in Tennessee.

Edwards only appeared in three games this season with a total of 20 snaps across defense and special teams after signing in Buffalo to compete for a starting safety job. He lost out to Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp and found himself on the trade block with little interest from around the league. Unable to find a trade partner, the Bills released Edwards to give him a chance to find more consistent playing time with a new team.

Outside of starter Amani Hooker, the Titans have two young safeties on their roster: Mike Brown and Julius Wood. Brown is a third-year player with just 58 snaps on defense this year while Wood is an undrafted rookie who has played exclusively on special teams. Brown could see an initial bump in playing time as Edwards picks up the defense, but the veteran is likely to take over a starting role within a few weeks.

Both Diggs and Edwards are set to be free agents after this season, and today’s moves will greatly impact their stock. Diggs will need to prove he’s fully healthy from a notoriously bothersome injury, while Edwards has a chance to audition for the Titans and potentially other teams looking for a veteran safety in the offseason.

The Titans also placed starting center Lloyd Cushenberry on injured reserve after a season-ending Achilles tear suffered in Week 9. Practice squad Corey Levin finished Sunday’s game at center with Daniel Brunskill, who is normally the backup, already starting at right guard for an injured Dillon Radunz.

Tennessee has multiple options for their offensive line moving forward depending on Radunz’s availability. If he can play, Brunskill can start at center. If not, Brunskill will play right guard with Levin called up from the practice squad to play center. Levin has two elevations remaining, but could be promoted to the active roster if the Titans see him as a depth option for the rest of the season.

Broncos Designate C Luke Wattenberg, LB Drew Sanders For Return

November 6th, 2024 at 4:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos are 5-4 but did make a seller’s trade, unloading Baron Browning (to the Cardinals) for a sixth-round pick. This came shortly after the team extended fellow outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper.

Cooper and Nik Bonitto will continue to anchor Denver’s edge rush, while third-round rookie Jonah Elliss figures to see his snaps increase. But the Broncos also may have a boost coming from a 2023 third-rounder soon. Drew Sanders is now back at practice, returning to work months after suffering an Achilles tear.

While Sanders is in the PUP-return window, center Luke Wattenberg has received a return designation as well, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. Wattenberg spent the past four weeks on IR, but he is moving toward being one of the Broncos’ injury activations. Denver has used four and still has Josh Reynolds as a likely candidate to count for a spot. The free agent wide receiver pickup has not returned to practice. While he was in line to be back from the finger injury that landed him on IR, being wounded in an October shooting delayed the timetable.

Sanders will not count toward Denver’s eight activations, having resided on the PUP list all season. He went down soon after the Broncos started their offseason program in April, providing a runway toward a return this season. Last season, Sanders played in all 17 games and made four starts. At Arkansas in 2022, Sanders finished with 9.5 sacks and 103 tackles. His versatility could present options for his pro team as well.

An Alabama transfer, Sanders has spent time at OLB and in an off-ball linebacker spot. A role as a pass rusher would help the Broncos, who could effectively have him replace Browning, though the team also lost top tackler Alex Singleton for the season. Justin Strnad has worked as Singleton’s primary replacement alongside Cody Barton.

Wattenberg beat out Alex Forsyth for the center job following Lloyd Cushenberry‘s free agency defection. Pro Football Focus has viewed Forsyth as having been the better option this season, ranking the 2023 seventh-round pick — who snapped to Bo Nix at Oregon during the 2022 season — 11th compared to Wattenberg’s 28th-place ranking. It will be interesting to see how the Broncos proceed here. If nothing else, the player edged out of the starting lineup would represent important depth.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/6/24

November 6th, 2024 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: T Ryan Hayes

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

While a few players in today’s roundup are catching back on with teams after being cut from their respective club’s active roster, the 49ers are adding Gage. This marks the veteran wideout’s first gig since the Ravens cut him following training camp. Gage, who totaled 700-plus-yard seasons with the Falcons in 2020 and 2021, did not justify a three-year, $30MM Buccaneers contract. The 28-year-old receiver has not played in a regular-season game since suffering a season-nullifying knee injury — a patellar tendon rupture — during Bucs camp in 2023.

Panthers Activate RB Jonathon Brooks

November 6th, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers have slow-played Jonathon Brooks‘ return, but the second-round pick will be eligible to debut as a rookie. Carolina is activating the running back prospect off the NFI list today, Dave Canales said. The move is now official.

Carolina needed to activate Brooks by today; otherwise, this year’s top RB draftee would have needed to be transferred to season-ending IR. While Canales is not committing to Brooks debuting Sunday in Germany, the Texas product is now on the team’s 53-man roster.

Around the Combine, word emerged Brooks would be ready for training camp. But that did not come to pass. Carolina held Brooks out of camp and stashed him on the reserve/NFI list, mandating a four-game absence. More than a month after Brooks was first eligible to come back, he will do so.

A recent report from ESPN.com’s David Newton pointed to Brooks being on track to debut against the Giants on Sunday, and he has now logged four full practices — including today’s. Brooks has been on the shelf since going down in November 2023. Nine- to 12-month recoveries typically cover ACL rehabs, though every injury is obviously different. Given the Panthers’ standing, it is understandable they would want to be patient here.

The Panthers traded in front of the Giants to nab Brooks at No. 46. New York’s second-round window opened at No. 47, though the team was believed to be interested in cornerback help by that point. But GM Dan Morgan had aimed to outflank former coworker Joe Schoen here. The Giants did end up with promising rookie Tyrone Tracy in the fifth round, but Brooks was the only RB chosen in the first or second round this year, pointing to a higher ceiling.

The Panthers have Brooks signed through 2027, while starter Chuba Hubbard is in a contract year. Miles Sanders loomed as a trade candidate, but the former Eagles starter remains on the Carolina roster. Brooks should still be expected to garner steady work once he debuts, with the Panthers again trudging through a rebuild campaign.

Lions Designate CB Emmanuel Moseley, S Ifeatu Melifonwu For Return

November 6th, 2024 at 1:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The most significant of the Lions’ defensive injury matters will not clear up anytime soon, but beyond Aidan Hutchinson, the team should have some pieces back for Aaron Glenn‘s unit soon. Both Emmanuel Moseley and Ifeatu Melifonwu are returning to practice.

Dan Campbell said Wednesday (via ESPN.com’s Eric Woodyard) the veteran cornerback and safety’s IR-return clocks will start. Both will have 21 days to return to the Lions’ 53-man roster. Moseley has been on the shelf since going down early in training camp; Melifonwu also suffered an injury during practice, his occurring in early September.

This is familiar territory for Moseley, who has proven a resilient player. The former 49ers starter suffered an ACL tear midway through the 2022 season and needed more time to recover than the Lions expected. Moseley finally returned but ended up sustaining another ACL tear two plays into his Detroit debut. The Lions still re-signed the veteran boundary corner, and they still have him in their 2024 plan despite the latest injury — a torn pec.

The Lions initially gave Moseley a one-year, $6MM deal in 2023, with Brad Holmes noting he likely would have been out of their price range had the 2022 ACL setback not occurred. Moseley ended up needing a second procedure last summer but was ready to debut by Week 5 of last season. Expected to play a regular role as a boundary defender, Moseley went down once again.

Signed to a one-year, $2.88MM deal this offseason, Moseley was not on the Lions’ active/PUP list to start training camp this year. He suffered the pec tear during the second week of camp. The Lions did not place him on IR until setting their 53-man roster, however, keeping the door open to an in-season return.

Detroit’s CB equation has changed considerably since Moseley’s initial signing. The team ditched Cameron Sutton after his domestic violence arrest and used first- and second-round picks on corners (Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw). That came after a trade for Carlton Davis. It will now be interesting to see what kind of a role Moseley will play. When he was last healthy for an extended stretch, the former UDFA started for the 49ers. Moseley has 33 starts on his NFL resume.

A former third-round pick, Melifonwu has not yet played this season. He suffered the ankle setback shortly before the Lions’ opener. The Syracuse alum started the Lions’ final six games last season and worked with the first-stringers during each playoff contest. The Lions did not bench him when C.J. Gardner-Johnson returned from his pec tear in Week 18, keeping the free agency addition on the bench.

The NFC North leaders, however, have moved Brian Branch to safety to play with ascending talent Kerby Joseph. Both are having strong years, with Pro Football Focus ranking them at Nos. 1 and 2 at the position. Melifonwu, who is in a contract year, now looks to have a ceiling as a depth piece.

Giants Designate K Graham Gano For Return

November 6th, 2024 at 11:53am CST by Sam Robinson

Graham Gano needed an IR stint for a second straight season, as the Giants have not seen their September 2023 extension result in much game work from their veteran kicker. Graham has missed seven games this season, coming after he missed nine in 2023.

The Giants do have some good news at kicker, however, having designated Gano for return from IR on Wednesday. Gano has been out since suffering a hamstring injury on the opening kickoff in the Giants’ Week 2 loss to the Commanders. Gano had come into that game with a groin injury as well, and his injury cost the Giants in a winnable matchup over a Washington team that has since soared to a 7-2 record.

Last season, Gano headed to IR because of a knee injury that required surgery. He missed the rest of the season. While the 36-year-old specialist’s future in New York is certainly in question considering his sudden unreliability, the Giants should be expected to have their kicker back soon. Gano has 21 days to be activated.

New York placing fill-in Greg Joseph on IR last week provides a decent indication Gano is moving toward returning, though the team’s bye week comes after its Week 10 Germany trip. The Giants also made an interesting kicker transaction, elevating Jude McAtamney — a Gaelic football player from North Ireland — to their active roster. McAtamney went 1 of 1 on field goals and extra points in the Giants’ rematch with the Commanders in Week 9. Because he was a gameday elevation, McAtamney is back on Big Blue’s practice squad.

Gano signed a three-year, $16.5MM deal that came with $11.34MM guaranteed at signing. Gano had stabilized the Giants’ kicker situation earlier this decade, coming over from the Panthers and settling in as New York’s kicker in 2020. A full-season 2019 absence preceded Gano’s move to the Big Apple, however, and injuries figure to make him a cut candidate in 2025. The Giants would save $4.5MM by releasing the experienced leg next year. But Gano is poised to suit up again for the 2-7 Giants during this season’s second half.

DT Jordan Phillips Re-Signs With Bills

November 6th, 2024 at 10:05am CST by Sam Robinson

Two Bills defensive tackle reunions will take place Wednesday. Jordan Phillips joined Quinton Jefferson in being released Tuesday, and the recent Cowboys defender will make his return to Buffalo as well.

Not long after coming to terms with Jefferson, the Bills announced they have brought back Phillips. Both are back on one-year deals. The Phillips addition comes after his Instagram post indicated (h/t AllDLLS.com’s Clarence Hill) he would welcome a return to Buffalo. This will be the 10th-year D-lineman’s third stint with the team. This agreement will also mark a third 2024 employer for Phillips, who has moved from the Giants to the Cowboys back to the Bills.

The Bills rostered Phillips from 2018-19 and again from 2022-23, first claiming him off waivers from the Dolphins and then coming to terms on reunion No. 1 after a Cardinals release. This agreement comes after the Cowboys moved Phillips out of their IR-return window and into free agency. Dallas had acquired Phillips via trade from the Giants but only used him in two games.

Phillips and Jefferson filled two open roster spots, one of which created by the team placing D-end Dawuane Smoot on IR on Tuesday. The AFC East leaders now roster six DTs, joining a group already housing Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, Austin Johnson and Zion Logue. The Bills also hope rookie DT DeWayne Carter will come off IR at some point this season, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia notes. The Bills placed the fourth-round rookie on IR nearly two weeks ago.

This DT infusion comes as the Bills completed the season’s first half 17th in run defense. Although Buffalo sits eighth in points allowed, its now-Bobby Babich-run defense has seen some issues develop in the run game. Phillips, 32, stepped in as Jones’ primary replacement last season and should now be expected to play a depth role behind Oliver and Jones upon returning. Phillips has played just 34 defensive snaps this season, going on IR with a wrist injury in Dallas.

Phillips’ 2023 season ended due to a dislocated wrist, capping a nine-start campaign. He signed a one-year, $1.75MM Giants deal, putting off retirement, only to be traded within the NFC East in August. Phillips disputed the Cowboys’ decision to place him on IR in September, claiming his wrist was not damaged. Having been back at Cowboys practice for two weeks now, Phillips appears ready to join Jefferson — a healthy scratch over the past four Browns games — as well-rested cogs familiar with Sean McDermott‘s scheme.

The Bills saw Phillips lead their 2019 playoff team in sacks, with 9.5, but that turned out to be an outlier season. He has been more of a run stopper since, not eclipsing three sacks in a season during the 2020s. Jefferson operates as more of an interior rusher, and the Bills will cover multiple bases with their Wednesday reunions.

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