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Browns Add James Proche To Active Roster, Waive Jaelon Darden

September 14th, 2024 at 12:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns made a handful of moves today ahead of their Week 2 matchup vs. the Jaguars. The team announced that they’ve signed wideout James Proche and linebacker Winston Reid to the 53-man roster. The team also promoted offensive tackle Germain Ifedi and tight end Blake Whiteheart from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the team waived special teamer .

Proche got into 10 games last season with Cleveland, with the majority of his production coming as a punt returner. The former Ravens draft pick was released by the Browns at the end of the 2024 preseason before landing on the team’s practice squad, although he wasn’t promoted for Week 1. He’ll presumably be taking over return duties for Darden, who was actually productive in his role last week. The former fourth-round pick returned five punts for 72 yards, including one for 28 yards.

Reid caught on with the Browns this offseason as an undrafted free agent out of Weber State. The rookie stuck with the organization after getting cut, and he earned a promotion from the taxi squad for Week 1. While Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was on the injury report this week, the linebacker was a full participant for the team’s final three practices. Reid could see playing time if the depth chart thins out, but he’ll likely be stuck to special teams tomorrow.

Ifedi’s promotion vs. an outright signing is an indication that the Browns’ offensive tackles “will be back sooner than later,” per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin were limited participants this week at practice after missing Week 1 with injuries. James Hudson and Dawand Jones got the starts at the tackle spots last weekend, with Ifedi serving as the temporary backup.

Steelers Promote WR Ben Skowronek

September 14th, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Ben Levine

Ben Skowronek has once again earned a promotion to the Steelers active roster. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Steelers have called up the wideout from the practice squad.

The former seventh-round pick was traded to the Texans this past offseason but was among Houston’s final cuts. He subsequently landed on Pittsburgh’s practice squad and earned a promotion for Week 1, with all 11 of his snaps coming on special teams.

Skowronek showed some flashes during his time with the Rams, including a 2022 campaign where he hauled in 39 receptions for 376 yards. Third-round rookie Roman Wilson was limited at practice this week while dealing with an ankle injury, so Skowronek provides Pittsburgh with some reinforcement on the depth chart.

Speaking of injuries, quarterback Russell Wilson has officially been listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Broncos. The veteran reportedly made the trip to Colorado with the intent to play his former team (per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). Of course, Wilson also traveled to Atlanta for Week 1 before eventually being listed as out, so we shouldn’t read too much into this decision.

If Wilson can’t go, Justin Fields would earn another start with his new squad. There was uncertainty atop the depth chart heading into the season opener, but Fields had the luxury of taking all of the first-team reps this past week. The speedy QB admitted that the extra practice time should help his performance if he does indeed start tomorrow.

“I guess it helps me a little bit,” said Fields (via the team’s website). “But like I said last week, I come into every week the same with the same approach that I’m going to play. I’d rather be ready and just have that mindset.

“So, I guess it helps a little bit. But it’s really the same process for me.”

Chiefs Place Marquise Brown On IR; WR To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

September 13th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

10:05pm: Brown has officially be moved to IR. When addressing his situation, head coach Andy Reid said Brown’s recovery timeline is now “months not weeks” (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter). That ensures he will miss more than the four-week minimum as Kansas City moves forward without Brown in the fold for the foreseeable future.

11:03am: Marquise Brown‘s SC joint injury will further delay his Chiefs debut. The veteran wideout is being placed on injured reserve, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports.

The move comes after testing revealed Brown’s injury has not healed correctly, Schultz adds. To ensure a proper recovery, the free agent pickup will undergo a procedure on Monday. Moving to injured reserve will guarantee at least a four-week absence after Brown already missed Kansas City’s season opener.

The 27-year-old suffered the injury in mid-August, and his initial recovery timeline left his Week 1 availability in doubt. He appeared to be making progress, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported Brown did not suffer a broken bone. That differentiates his situation from that of Tyreek Hill in 2019 when he suffered a similar injury, but in spite of that Brown will be sidelined for a notable stretch.

The Oklahoma product managed a 1,000-yard season during his third and final Ravens campaign, but his stint in Baltimore generally fell short of expectations. After asking to be dealt, Brown spent the 2022 and ’23 campaigns in Arizona. He saw his yards per reception average dip to 10.9 across that span, but he was still viewed as one of the top vertical options in the receiver free agent market. Kansas City inked him to a one-year deal with a base value of $7MM. Another $4MM is in place via incentives, but Brown’s ability to reach those will be impacted by his extended absence.

Adding at the receiver spot was an offseason priority for the Chiefs, and they followed up the Brown signing by moving up on Day 1 of the draft and selecting Xavier Worthy. The 40-yard dash record-holder had a strong NFL debut by scoring a pair of touchdowns, and he will be counted to remain an impact player in the passing attack. Kansas City also has Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster in place on the depth chart.

Brown will be sidelined for the four games remaining until the Chiefs’ bye week. He will be eligible to return after that point, though bringing him back into the fold will use one of the team’s eight allotted IR activations.

NFL Staff Rumors: Jets Front Office, Frost

September 13th, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets announced some restructuring in their personnel department back in August. According to the team site, Jon Carr and Greg Nejmeh will be taking over as co-directors of player personnel. New York will also make Dan Zbojovsky the team’s new senior director of football operations.

Carr is an 18-year NFL veteran in his seventh season with the Jets. During his time in New York, Carr has overseen the college scouting process, managing national and area scouts. He recently added oversight of the pro personnel department to his docket, as well.

Nejmeh’s been with the team since 2009, when he started as a scouting intern, and is now entering his 16th year with the Jets. He has overseen the pro personnel day-to-day operations and managed the free agency process and pro player evaluations. He recently started assisting and overseeing with the college process, as well. With Carr and Nejmeh’s responsibilities bleeding over into each other so much, and with both serving as key generals under general manager Joe Douglas, it makes sense to see them now split a title the same way they split their job duties.

Zbojovsky is also an 18-year veteran in NFL front offices, spending all 18 years with the Jets. In his new role, Zbojovsky will oversee the athletic training staff, medical staff, player development, personnel operations, and video department. He will also still retain some of the scouting responsibilities he held from his previous role.

Here are some other NFL staff moves from the last few weeks:

  • Those weren’t the only adjustments the Jets made to their front office. Formerly a national scout, Jay Mandolesi will spend his 21st year with the Jets as director of college scouting with a new promotion. Nick Sabella has also been promoted after two seasons as assistant director of football administration. He will now serve as senior director of football administration in his sixth year with the team. Sabella will be filling the vacancy left by David Socie who has also been promoted to senior director of football strategy. Socie is in the eighth year of his second stint with the team after a one-year stint back in 2006. Jonathan Stigall is another staffer to earn a promotion, moving into the role of national scout. Stigall has been in the NFL since 1999 and with the Jets since 2014 in various roles. Additionally, after three years as assistant director of personnel operations, Christina Wedding née Salvemini has been promoted to director of personnel operations. Former pro scout Evan Ardoin is also getting a promotion into the role of co-assistant director of pro personnel, alongside Kevin Murphy in the same role. Ardoin will monitor NFL practice squads and league transactions while evaluating players for free agency. Lastly, after serving as a personnel assistant for the past two years, Jordan Burton will spend his third year in New York as the NFS college scout for the team.
  • At the beginning of the month, the Rams announced that they would be adding former UCF and Nebraska head coach Scott Frost to their coaching staff, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Scott is expected to be joining as a senior football analyst. Rams senior staff writer Stu Jackson says that Frost will help special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn but will be expected to contribute on both offense and defense, as well. This makes sense as Frost has playing experience on both sides of the ball, playing quarterback in college at Stanford and Nebraska before getting drafted as a safety in the NFL. He also has experience coaching on both sides of the ball, spending time as an assistant over linebackers, wide receivers, and quarterbacks and spending time as both an offensive and defensive coordinator at the collegiate level.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/13/24

September 13th, 2024 at 7:33pm CST by Ely Allen

Some practice squad transactions to close out the week:

Houston Texans

  • Released from practice squad IR (with injury settlement): T Cameron Erving

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Released from practice squad IR (with injury settlement): RB Boston Scott

Seattle Seahawks

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/13/24

September 13th, 2024 at 6:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s only minor move in the NFL:

New York Giants

Cota, who came into the NFL last year as an undrafted wide receiver out of Oregon after four years at UCLA, has bounced around the league, spending time with the Lions, Chiefs, Texans, and Giants without seeing any regular season action. He is the son of former NFL safety Chad Cota.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/24

September 12th, 2024 at 6:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Miami Dolphins

Harden, a seventh-round rookie, is dealing with a shin injury. Today’s move means he will be out for at least four weeks, further delaying his chance to make his regular season debut. Harden was inactive for the Browns’ Week 1 loss.

Jaguars To Place CB Tyson Campbell On IR

September 12th, 2024 at 10:06am CST by Sam Robinson

Tyson Campbell‘s Week 1 injury will significant affect the Jaguars’ defense. The team is not going week-to-week with its recently extended cornerback, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter noting it will use IR in this case.

A hamstring injury sidelined Campbell, and while teams regularly keep players dealing with this type of injury on their active rosters, the issues often linger. The Jags will give Campbell at least four weeks to heal. He cannot return until Week 6.

Jacksonville has already used two of its eight allotted injury activations, having stashed safety Andrew Wingard and running back Keilan Robinson on IR upon setting its initial 53-man roster. Players placed on IR after that point do not immediately count against a team’s activation total, but those given return designations early — thanks to an offseason rule change — already do. Campbell returning in Week 6 or shortly thereafter would trim the Jags’ activation count to five.

The Jags have moved Tre Flowers back to their active roster, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The veteran cornerback joined the team this offseason but did not land on the 53-man roster last month. Jacksonville still offered Flowers a practice squad spot and has now turned to the six-year vet as a reinforcement.

Campbell commanded a four-year, $76MM extension this summer, one that featured the Jags already handing out the two most lucrative deals in franchise history — to Trevor Lawrence and Josh Hines-Allen. Campbell’s contract included $31.4MM guaranteed at signing, but the deal’s structure calls for $27.7MM more (via an option bonus and a 2026 base salary guarantee) to be paid by March 2025. The Jags certainly have plenty of confidence in Campbell, a third-round pick in 2021.

This stings for a Jags team that blew a two-touchdown lead to the Dolphins in Week 1. The Jags released Darious Williams early this offseason and moved on from veteran slot corner Tre Herndon as well. The team already has an injury-prone CB starter, in free agency addition Ronald Darby.

Campbell’s setback will be a significant test for a team aiming to bounce back from a 2023 collapse. The Jags used rookie third-rounder Jarrian Jones and 2022 seventh-round pick Montaric Brown in part-time roles Sunday; they also drafted De’Antre Prince in Round 5. Darby and Flowers represent veteran presences, with the latter having played for new DC Ryan Nielsen last season in Atlanta.

Vikings, Harrison Phillips Agree To Extension

September 12th, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 12: In terms of base value, the Vikings are giving Phillips a three-year, $15MM accord. The deal includes $10.3MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. Receiving a $5MM signing bonus, Phillips will see his base salary climb from $1.4MM to $7MM from 2024-25, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. Of that ’25 base, $4.7MM is guaranteed.

SEPTEMBER 10: Harrison Phillips had a strong start to the campaign on Sunday, and he has landed a new Vikings deal in time for Week 2. Team and player have reached agreement on a two-year extension, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The deal is now official, per a team announcement.

The pact has a maximum value of $19MM, Pelissero adds. Phillips – who has remained a full-time starter along the defensive line for Minnesota since 2022 – will collect more than $13MM in guaranteed money. This deal means Phillips will remain in place through 2026.

The 28-year-old played out his rookie contract with the Bills. Over that span, he logged 11 starts and served as a run-stopping presence. Phillips recorded only 1.5 sacks in 45 Buffalo contests, but he still managed to secure a three-year pact from the Vikings in free agency. That deal was worth $19.5MM, so his play since joining the team has done enough to command a notable raise in the Vikings’ view. Phillips is set to collect $6.5MM in 2024 while carrying an $8.33MM cap hit. His base salary already locked in just before the start of the regular season, but today’s news will increase his up front earnings while potentially lowering his cap charge for the year.

Phillips logged a career-high snap share of 60% during his debut Vikings season. That produced a consistent performance against the run along with minimal pass rush production. The former third-rounder saw him playing time jump once more to 74% in 2023, the first year after Dalvin Tomlinson departed in free agency. Phillips easily posted a career high in tackles (92) while also setting a new personal best with three sacks. Not long after beginning the final year of his deal, he has now received a new commitment.

Minnesota does not have another big-money deal in place along the defensive interior. The likes of Jerry Tillery, Jonathan Bullard and Levi Drake Rodriguez are in line as complementary players to handle rotational roles alongside Phillips, who should be expected to remain a starter for the foreseeable future. The latter recorded a sack on Sunday, and further development against the pass could prove this new investment to be worthwhile.

Additions along the D-line are a potential goal for Minnesota during the 2025 offseason. The team is currently projected to be among the league leaders in cap space, so a lucrative move from outside the organization could be in play. Regardless of whether of not that takes place, however, Phillips will remain a key member of the unit for years to come.

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