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Buccaneers To Sign WR Sterling Shepard To Active Roster

October 1st, 2024 at 1:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

Sterling Shepard has made a pair of appearances with the Buccaneers this season as a gameday elevation, but he is now set to receive a more permanent opportunity. The veteran wideout is being signed to Tampa Bay’s active roster, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports.

Players can be designated as a gameday elevation from the practice squad up to three times, so Tampa Bay could have taken that route once more before making today’s move. However, Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer are both dealing with injuries, leaving the Bucs thin at wideout behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Shepard represents a veteran candidate for the WR3 role on a temporary basis.

The 31-year-old remained with the Giants for an eighth season in 2023, doing so after an Achilles tear. Shepard was used sparingly, though, and his 15% snap share was by far the lowest of his career. He took a deal with the Buccaneers in June after being recruited by former college teammate Baker Mayfield. That agreement did not leave Shepard on the team’s initial roster, but to little surprise he re-signed to the practice squad after cutdowns. Now, the Oklahoma product is positioned to handle a rotational role in Tampa.

Shepard was not targeted during his Bucs debut, but he was much more involved on Sunday during the team’s win against the Eagles. The former second-rounder caught three of five targets for 51 yards, and a continuation of that production would help complement Evans and Godwin while Tampa Bay deals with other injuries in the receiving corps. Shepard could of course help his value on a new deal in the offseason by enjoying a strong spell on the active roster over the coming weeks.

To make room on the roster, the Buccaneers waived Ben Stille, per a team announcement. The 26-year-old has made 15 appearances in his career, including three this season. Stille will be a practice squad candidate for Tampa Bay provided he clears waivers.

Seahawks To Re-Sign OL Jason Peters

October 1st, 2024 at 11:26am CST by Sam Robinson

Despite Jason Peters being added during Pete Carroll‘s final year running the Seahawks, Mike Macdonald said a reunion with the accomplished offensive lineman remained in play. That is now a go.

Peters is re-signing with Seattle, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. This agreement, which will send Peters to the Seahawks’ practice squad, will give the veteran a chance to play a 21st NFL season. The former Eagles stalwart is now 42 but has remained a viable option, bouncing around the NFC in his post-Philly years.

This signing comes after a recent visit, and with no other team connected to the former 2004 UDFA, a Seattle return trip is booked. Peters initially joined the Seahawks in September 2023, coming aboard before Week 2. This latest move coming closer to the midseason point may feature a truncated ramp-up period, but it still should be expected Peters stays on Seattle’s P-squad for a bit — especially with the team having a new offensive system in place.

Down both Abraham Lucas and Phil Haynes for much of last season, the Seahawks turned to Peters as a two-game starter. Seattle used a platoon system with Peters, who played almost exclusively at right tackle in 2023. The longtime Eagles LT played 199 snaps on the right side to help the Seahawks, who are again down Lucas. Dealing with persistent knee trouble, Lucas underwent offseason surgery and is on the reserve/PUP list. Seattle is not expecting the 2022 third-round pick to return until at least the midseason point.

A longtime starter for the Bills and Eagles, Peters made 15 starts with the Bears as a 2021 stopgap. He joined a Cowboys team that lost Tyron Smith just before the 2022 season, starting one game and working as a swing backup in 11 more. Peters has now played in 248 career games. Among O-linemen, that sits sixth all time.

Peters can catch former Falcons mainstay Mike Kenn (251) and move into the top five this season, and an outside shot at him passing Hall of Famer Jackie Slater (259) exists depending on his latest Seattle acclimation period and the Seahawks’ need. Though, getting there might be a longshot in 2024. Former Oilers/Titans legend Bruce Matthews leads O-linemen with 296 appearances. Matthews played 19 seasons; Slater and Ray Brown logged 20 as O-linemen. Peters is on the cusp of new NFL territory. No offensive lineman has played 21 NFL seasons. While Peters missed all of the 2012 campaign, he was on the Eagles’ roster. He may soon tie Slater as O-linemen to see action in 20 seasons.

Few non-specialists have hit the 20-year mark in NFL history, adding to Peters’ list of accomplishments in what will likely be a Hall of Fame career. Peters is a nine-time Pro Bowler who landed on the All-Decade team for the 2010s. Two of Peters’ Bills seasons produced second-team All-Pro nods, with two of his Eagles slates resulting in such placement as well. Peters logged first-team All-Pro honors in 2011 and 2013. While he collected a Super Bowl ring as part of the 2017 Eagles, a midseason injury kept him from helping the team during that campaign’s stretch run.

The Seahawks being down Lucas stopgap George Fant, who suffered an injury a few plays into his second Seattle stint, intensified the team’s need for help opposite Charles Cross. Stone Forsythe, a 2021 sixth-round pick, has started the past three games at RT for the Seahawks. Pro Football Focus has graded the fourth-year blocker as the league’s fifth-worst tackle this season. While Fant recovers, a path for a quick Peters assimilation could well be in place.

Cowboys To Sign DE K.J. Henry Off Bengals’ Practice Squad, Place DeMarcus Lawrence On IR

October 1st, 2024 at 10:47am CST by Sam Robinson

10:47am: Lawrence moving to IR will be the Cowboys’ corresponding move, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. The longtime Dallas starter had been set to head to IR due to the Lisfranc injury he sustained against the Giants. This will clear a roster spot, as Lawrence begins a lengthy rehab effort.

10:07am: The Cowboys will begin handling their defensive end crisis with a practice squad poaching. Jerry Jones indicated Tuesday morning this would be an option, and Dallas is turning to Cincinnati’s P-squad for help following the losses of DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons.

Defensive end K.J. Henry is heading to the Cowboys off the Bengals’ practice squad, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. A 2023 fifth-round Commanders draftee, Henry did not make Dan Quinn‘s first Washington roster last month and ventured to Cincinnati. The Cowboys are only obligated to keep Henry on their 53-man roster for three weeks, but Fowler adds they are keeping their options open with a two-year contract.

Not expected to pursue a trade to fill the voids created by Lawrence and Parsons’ injuries, the Cowboys will add a piece who is now signed through 2025. Henry’s rookie contract was to run through 2026, but the Commanders and Bengals have each cut him this year. Cincinnati initially claimed Henry off waivers but cut him earlier this month. Henry, a Clemson alum, had stayed with the Bengals via a practice squad deal after clearing waivers.

While Henry never topped five sacks in a season at Clemson, he notched nine tackles for loss in 2022 and combined for 14 from 2020-21. He played sparingly for the Tigers’ 2018 national championship-winning squad. Henry’s final Clemson season brought second-team All-ACC acclaim, with Pro Football Focus tabbing him a third-team All-American.

Henry was among a wave of 2023 draft choices deemed unworthy of Quinn’s first Commanders roster, with third-round center Ricky Stromberg also among the cut contingent. Washington, which added two Quinn ex-Dallas D-end charges Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, had deployed Henry as a three-game starter last season. The team’s trades of Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the deadline freed up spots for the struggling team, and Henry notched 1.5 sacks in a rematch against the Giants. Henry, 25, has played in two Bengals games this season.

The Cowboys are expected to place Lawrence on IR, as a Lisfranc injury is set to sideline the 11th-year edge rusher for up to two months. Parsons is week-to-week with a high ankle sprain. Both players were moving around the team facility on scooters Monday, and the Cowboys are not expected to have Parsons in uniform against the Steelers. Henry joins second-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland, former third-rounder Chauncey Golston and second-year player Tyrus Wheat as healthy DEs on Dallas’ 53-man roster. Carl Lawson is still on the team’s practice squad but is on track to be in uniform Sunday.

Colts Place DL Tyquan Lewis On IR

October 1st, 2024 at 10:00am CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Colts received good news on Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor, they will not escape an injury-plagued Week 4 without a malady-driven roster move. That transaction will go to Tyquan Lewis, who has dealt with multiple ailments this season.

Indianapolis placed the veteran defensive end on IR on Tuesday. Lewis, who came into the Steelers matchup with wrist and calf injuries, went down with an elbow issue late in the Colts’ first win. This IR placement will cost Lewis at least four games.

A depth player in the past, Lewis has started all four Colts games this season. The team signed veteran defensive lineman Adam Gotsis from its practice squad while also adding cornerback Kelvin Joseph to the taxi squad.

Now on his third Colts contract, Lewis was part of a four-man second-round contingent back in 2018. Chris Ballard‘s 2018 second-round output sent Braden Smith, Shaquille Leonard, Kemoko Turay and Lewis to Indianapolis. That ’18 draft, which also produced Quenton Nelson, Zaire Franklin and Nyheim Hines, formed a key section of Ballard’s Indianapolis core. At No. 64 overall, Lewis was the last of the second-rounders Indy chose that year. But only he and Smith remain from that second-round contingent.

The Colts re-signed Lewis on a two-year, $12MM deal ($6.7MM guaranteed at signing) in March, with that transaction being part of Ballard’s retention wave. The move came after Lewis had recovered from a severe knee injury — a patellar tendon rupture — sustained in October 2022. Lewis rebounded to play in all 17 Colts games last season, working as a backup. With Samson Ebukam out with an Achilles tear, the Colts have turned to Lewis as a starter this season.

Starting in front of Dayo Odeyingbo and first-rounder Laiatu Latu, Lewis has played 64% of the Colts’ defensive snaps this season. After helping Indy finish in the top five in sacks last season, collecting four himself, the seventh-year veteran has tallied 1.5 early this year. The Colts are now down Ebukam, DeForest Buckner and Lewis. All three are return options, however, with the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson indicating Lewis’ elbow injury is not viewed as season-ending.

With Lewis joining Ebukam and Buckner on the shelf, Latu and the team’s 2021 first- and second-round picks — Kwity Paye and Odeyingbo (team-high two sacks) — will need to anchor the pass rush. Latu’s presence still keeps the Colts in decent shape at DE, despite the team losing two regulars to injury. Lewis’ absence stands to free up more opportunities for Latu, who saw his early workload changed when Ebukam went down before the season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/24

September 30th, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Rashaan Evans has landed in a familiar spot. The veteran linebacker has signed with the Falcons practice squad, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. After spending the first four seasons of his career in Tennessee, the former first-round pick spent the 2022 campaign in Atlanta. He ended up having a career year, compiling a team-leading 159 tackles to go along with two sacks and one forced fumble.

Despite the counting stats, it took Evans until last September to find another gig, this time in Philly. He lasted less than a week with the Eagles before settling in Dallas. He ended up getting into nine games with the Cowboys, but he was waived in December after getting arrested for possession of marijuana.

While it once again took him until September to find a job, he’ll step into a potential role in Atlanta, at least temporarily. The Falcons need a bit of depth following the injury to Troy Andersen. At the end of his standout performance on Sunday (16 tackles and a pick-six), the linebacker suffered a knee injury that’s been deemed day-to-day, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. With Nate Landman also sidelined, the Falcons may need some extra bodies when they take on the Buccaneers this Thursday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/24

September 30th, 2024 at 7:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Promoted: WR Dee Eskridge

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Bengals Activate P Brad Robbins From IR

September 30th, 2024 at 12:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals will be the first team this season to activate a player from IR. As it happens, a punter will be the first such transaction. Brad Robbins is coming off IR and will move back onto Cincinnati’s active roster.

Cincinnati’s full-time punter last season, Robbins already received a return designation after suffering an injury this summer. A quad injury sidelined the young specialist, but he will return to the Bengals’ 53-man roster, which now houses two punters. Because the Bengals designated Robbins for return before upon their initial 53, he already counted toward their eight-activation limit. Today’s move does not affect Cincy’s count.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Robbins joins Ryan Rehkow as punters currently on Cincinnati’s active roster. Teams almost never keep two punters on their 53-man roster, and veteran Bengals reporter Jay Morrison notes this is believed to be Rehkow’s job to lose. The Bengals had discussed continuing their punter competition once Robbins recovered. Though, it is a bit difficult to see this being an active-roster battle for an extended period. One figures to be dropped to the practice squad, though that player would need to clear waivers first.

Robbins averaged just 44.3 yards per punt as a rookie. The Michigan alum, who will turn 26 next week, ranked as the league’s third-worst punter in terms of gross average in 2023. He placed 26.3% of his punts inside the 20-yard line.

The Bengals selected Robbins in last year’s sixth round out of Michigan; the ex-Jim Harbaugh recruit spent six years with the Wolverines and had been the program’s primary punter in four of those seasons. He will vie with Rehkow, a rookie UDFA out of BYU, to win his job back. Rehkow will be difficult to unseat, however, as he is averaging an NFL-high 58.4 yards per boot. While 13 games remain, that number would smash Ryan Stonehouse‘s single-season record, illustrating the uphill battle Robbins is set to wage.

Lions Place S Ifeatu Melifonwu On IR

September 28th, 2024 at 8:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ifeatu Melifonwu has yet to play this season, and his 2024 debut will be delayed for a notable stretch. The fourth-year safety was placed on injured reserve Saturday, per a team announcement.

Melifonwu suffered an ankle injury in practice earlier this month. It kept him sidelined through the first three weeks of the campaign, and today’s move confirms a lengthy recovery period is still needed. The 2021 third-rounder will miss at least the next four games as a result of the IR move.

Drafted as a corner, Melifonwu primarily played on the boundary during his rookie campaign. He logged a 53% snap share that year, although he was limited to only seven games. The 25-year-old transitioned to safety the following campaign, but he also played sparingly at cornerback. The 2022 season was also shortened by injury, as Melifonwu suited up for just 10 contests.

Things took a positive turn on the health front last year, with the Syracuse product managing to remain healthy for a full season. Melifonwu played all 20 of the Lions’ regular and postseason games, combining to make nine starts across that span. He collected the first two interceptions of his career and posted three sacks during the year; Melifonwu added a pair of sacks in the playoffs. That production has been missed in the secondary this season, and his absence will continue to be be acutely felt for the foreseeable future.

Detroit has Kerby Joseph in place as a full-time safety starter with Brian Branch available as a versatile contributor on the backend. With Melifonwu still on the mend, Brandon Joseph is in place to continue in a backup/special teams role. The Lions’ defense has performed well in a number of categories this year, but the unit – one which was the focus of several cornerback moves during the offseason – currently ranks just 19th against the pass. Melifonwu returning to health could help in that regard, but it remains to be seen when that will be the case.

As a pending free agent, Melifonwu’s latest injury issue has come at a particularly problematic time. His value is in danger of taking a hit as he continues to miss considerable time, something confirmed by today’s transaction.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/24

September 28th, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Ely Allen

Minor transactions and practice squad callups for the Week 4 weekend:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

  • Elevated: G Kyle Hergel

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Jaguars Place LB Foye Oluokun On IR

September 28th, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

TODAY, 12:50pm: Oluokun has officially landed on injured reserve. The team announced that they’ve placed the injured linebacker on IR, keeping him off the field for at least the next four weeks. Oluokun will be eligible for reinstatement in Week 8.

TUESDAY, 6:30pm: The Jaguars fell to 0-3 on Monday night, and the team’s defense suffered a blow in the process. Linebacker Foye Oluokun is dealing with plantar fasciitis, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

As a result, Oluokun is expected to miss multiple weeks. Pelissero notes the worst-case scenario has been avoided in this instance, adding that no surgery will be needed. Nonetheless, this news means Jacksonville will be shorthanded at the second level on defense for a stretch. It will be interesting to see if injured reserve comes into play.

An IR stint would guarantee at least a four-week absence and deal a blow to the Jaguars’ ability to recover from a poor start to the year. In any case, being without Oluokun will create a notable linebacker vacancy. The 29-year-old is consistently among the league’s top tacklers, and he led the NFL with 184 stops during his debut Jags campaign (2022). He had matched that feat the year prior, and 2023 saw the former Falcon amass 173 stops. Prior to the injury, Oluokun racked up a team-leading 22 tackles while logging a heavy defensive workload.

The former sixth-rounder was one of several incumbent players who landed a Jaguars extension this offseason. Oluokun inked a three-year, $30MM deal in March; as a result, he is on the books through 2027. Missing him for any period will be acutely felt by Jacksonville, a team which ranks 11th against the run this year but sits near the bottom in a number of other defensive categories.

2022 first-rounder Devin Lloyd is still in the fold as a linebacker starter for the Jags. He comfortably reached triple-digit tackles in each of his first two seasons, and the 25-year-old will be counted on to remain productive with Oluokun temporarily unavailable. The likes of Chad Muma, Caleb Johnson, Ventrell Miller and Yasir Abdullah represent the team’s options on the active roster to take on a first-team role. No member of that group is attached to a big-ticket deal, a sign of Jacksonville’s reliance on Oluokun to serve as an anchor at the second level.

The Jaguars designated Keilan Robinson and Andrew Wingard for return ahead of the roster cutdown deadline. That will use up two of the team’s eight IR activations, something which will be taken into account regarding an IR move in Oluokun’s case. His prognosis will be worth watching closely as the team braces for multiple games without him in the fold.

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