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Lions Sign K Greg Joseph To P-Squad

September 10th, 2024 at 7:50pm CST by Ely Allen

The Lions have had their fair share of headlines concerning their kicking game already this year. First, incumbent kicker Michael Badgley was placed on injured reserve with a season-ending hamstring injury. To replace him, Detroit enlisted UFL-star Jake Bates, whose big leg gained him notoriety throughout the offseason.

Well, today, the Lions signed veteran kicker Greg Joseph to their practice squad, per Joseph’s agent Brett Tessler. The South Africa native has been in the league for the last five years, spending the last three of those in Minnesota as the Vikings’ primary kicker. As a free agent in the offseason, Joseph signed with the Packers but didn’t make the team’s 53-man roster as a result of an expansive kicking competition. Now, he joins his third-consecutive NFC North club.

The Lions had decided on Bates as their main leg after a kicker competition of their own. Throughout training camp, Bates showed an inconsistency that seemed troublesome at the time, but when it came gametime in the preseason and Week 1, Bates got back to the performances that earned him his NFL opportunity.

Still, last year, we saw Detroit actively recruit Badgley and eventually utilize him to replace Riley Patterson midseason. While Bates has a secure hold on the job for now, there’s nothing in Detroit’s recent history to suggest that they won’t continue to make Bates earn his job throughout the season. He’ll likely have to hold Joseph at bay with his own performance all season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/10/24

September 10th, 2024 at 6:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

  • Signed: G Cade Mays
  • Released: T Marcellus Johnson

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

  • Signed: T Anim Dankwah

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/10/24

September 10th, 2024 at 4:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Free Agent

Not long after being a 49ers cut as the NFC champions pared set their initial 53-man roster, Parker secured another opportunity. The 49ers carried Parker on their roster this offseason and brought him back shortly after releasing him. A 33-game starter with the Raiders, Parker joins a Falcons roster housing Storm Norton as the swingman behind Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary.

Isaac went to camp with the Bucs but caught on with the Panthers, via their barrage of waiver claims, after being waived. The Panthers waived Isaac before their Week 1 game. Isaac initially signed with the Bucs as a 2023 UDFA and played in two games last season.

Hatten incurred a five-game suspension today. A Seahawks UDFA this year, Hatten did not make the team’s 53-man roster. At the same time, the NFL lifted the suspensions of the other three free agents, Jackson, Muhammad, and Thomas.

Colts To Place CB JuJu Brents On IR

September 10th, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

3:57pm: In moving Brents to IR, the Colts are signing Lammons to their 53-man roster, Fox59’s Mike Chappell tweets. A former Chiefs backup, the 28-year-old corner played in four games as a Colts reserve last season.

3:03pm: The Colts received scrutiny for inaction at cornerback this offseason. While the team re-signed stalwart slot CB Kenny Moore during an offseason featuring a retention-heavy strategy, no notable moves covered its outside spots. It is possible that will change soon thanks to an injury development.

A knee injury will lead JuJu Brents to IR, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the second-year cover man is expected to miss the rest of the season. The Colts took Brents in last year’s second round. Brents’ injury invites questions for the Colts, who had penciled him in as a starter while holding a competition for their CB2 role.

Brents played 62 snaps against the Texans, and while this injury represents his most significant NFL setback, the Kansas State alum has dealt with other maladies already in his young career. Brents missed eight games due to injury last season and suffered a broken nose during preseason play. He underwent cleanup ankle surgery this offseason.

As Brents was on track to start during the offseason program, the Colts pitted 2023 seventh-rounder Jaylon Jones and UDFA Dallis Flowers against each other for the other perimeter job. Jones won and started in Week 1. The Colts also claimed Samuel Womack off waivers from the 49ers. This led to the team cutting Darrell Baker, who started six games with Indianapolis last season. Baker landed with the Titans.

Flowers, who started all four games he played before suffering a season-ending Achilles tear last year, was a healthy scratch in Week 1. Womack played but did not see any time on defense. Chris Lammons saw 22 defensive snaps, giving the Colts another option. Though, it would not surprise to see a Colts team that struggled against the pass last season seek outside help.

Chris Ballard defiantly stuck to his homegrown roster-building strategy recently, but it was surprising to see the Colts not address the corner position in the draft. Brents represented the lead outside CB for Indianapolis, which waived Isaiah Rodgers following his gambling suspension last year. The Colts showed some flexibility here in 2023, signing Stephon Gilmore. The former Defensive Player of the Year signed with the Vikings recently, but Patrick Peterson and Xavien Howard remain available. Hit with a civil lawsuit this offseason, Howard was not believed to be on Indy’s radar previously.

Pro Football Focus graded Brents 66th among corners last season; the Colts drafted the Indianapolis native 44th overall. While Moore will man the slot, the Colts carry just four healthy corners (Jones, Womack, Flowers) on their active roster. Lammons played as a practice squad elevation in Week 1. Brents’ rookie contract runs through 2026.

Rams To Sign OLs Geron Christian, Ty Nsekhe, Dylan McMahon

September 10th, 2024 at 3:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reminding of their 2022 situation, the Rams have run into considerable offensive line trouble early. As a result, they will turn to one of their patchwork solutions from 2022. Ty Nsekhe is re-signing with the team, according to his agency.

The Rams are signing both Nsekhe and Geron Christian. Both players have primarily functioned as tackles during their careers. Christian went to camp with the Titans this year but did not make their 53-man roster. Nsekhe joined Christian with the Browns last season. This will give Nsekhe a chance to play an age-39 season.

As Los Angeles navigates needs across its front, the team is also signing Dylan McMahon off the Eagles’ practice squad, per his agency. A rookie UDFA, McMahon must remain on L.A.’s active roster for at least three weeks, since the team is poaching him from another P-squad. It would stand to reason Nsekhe and Christian are joining the Rams’ taxi squad, perhaps in preparation for quick elevation due to the dire straits along with position group.

Already playing without suspended left tackle Alaric Jackson, the Rams were without longtime right tackle Rob Havenstein against the Lions. They then lost Steve Avila to an MCL sprain that appears likely to move him to IR. Joe Noteboom also went down during the game, summoning practice squad elevation AJ Arcuri into action. Kevin Dotson played throughout, but the team’s RG starter is dealing with a lateral ankle sprain.

Havenstein, who was not part of the injury brigade in 2022, missed the opener with an ankle injury. As it stands, the Rams have only Jonah Jackson in place as a healthy starter. And the four-year Lions LG, who has already moved from left guard to center back to LG since joining the Rams, missed the preseason due to injury. With backups heavily involved already, the Rams have some extra bodies coming in to work with the team in practice.

The Rams signed Nsekhe early in the 2022 season and used the journeyman as a eight-game starter. This will mark Nsekhe’s third stint with the Rams. He began his career as a member of the St. Louis Rams — in Les Snead‘s 2012 GM debut — but then wandered to Washington, Buffalo and Dallas. Nsekhe, who will turn 39 in October, played in two Browns games last season.

Christian, who turns 28 today, and Nsekhe — teammates in 2018 (Washington) and 2023 (Cleveland) — have each made 25 starts. Christian’s most recent game work came under Bill Callahan in Cleveland. The Browns, who lost their top three tackles last season, used Christian as their left tackle over the season’s second half.

Bills Extend RT Spencer Brown

September 10th, 2024 at 12:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 10: This extension checks in at four years and $72MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. It will provide the fourth-year RT $45MM guaranteed. Despite the recent record-setting cap spike, this only makes Brown the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid player at his position. In terms of guarantees, Brown’s deal ranks sixth among RTs. Still, Brown did quite well by scoring a deal that betters — AAV-wise, at least — high-end 2023 RT signees Mike McGlinchey and Terence Steele.

SEPTEMBER 6: Another extension has been worked out in time for the start of the season. Right tackle Spencer Brown has agreed to a four-year deal Bills deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The news is now official, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Buffalo Bills]

Brown was set to enter 2024 as a pending free agent. Instead, he will complete his rookie contract knowing he will remain a staple of Buffalo’s offensive line for years to come. As a result of this news, the 26-year-old is under team control through the 2028 campaign.

Given the recent report indicating the Bills hoped to get a deal done with Brown before the season, today’s news comes as no surprise. Buffalo has also taken care of an important piece of financial business well before next spring, by which point Brown may have upped his value with another strong season. He and left tackle Dion Dawkins are both on the books for the foreseeable future and they will be counted on as impactful contributors up front.

Brown’s first two seasons included signficant playing time, but they did not draw strong PFF reviews. The Northern Iowa product took a step forward in that regard last season, with his run blocking standing out in particular. The midseason change from Ken Dorsey to Joe Brady as offensive coordinator led to a ground-based approach to close out the year. If that remains the case, Brown could be in position to continue developing (although improvement in pass protection will be a priority as his career continues).

Buffalo has Dawkins, Brown, along with the interior trio of David Edwards, Connor McGovern and O’Cyrus Torrence still intact from last season. That continuity along the O-line will be welcomed to start the 2024 season, one in which the team’s receiver room will look much different. How well the Bills’ passing attack fares with the new skill position pieces in place will be worth watching closely, but an effective unit up front will aid in that regard.

The right tackle market has seen upward movement in recent years, and for a time this offseason Penei Sewell had an extension which dwarfed all those for blindside blockers. That $28MM-per-season Lions accord will no doubt remain well ahead of Brown’s compensation on his second Bills pact, but the latter has nonetheless set himself up for a notable raise moving forward.

Panthers To Sign OLB Charles Harris

September 10th, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Adam La Rose

Known to be in the market for an edge rush addition, the Panthers are set to make a move ahead of Week 2. Carolina plans to sign Charles Harris, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

[RELATED: Derrick Brown Suffers Meniscus Injury]

Harris entered the league with high expectations as a first-round pick. His three-year Dolphins stint did not see him develop into an every-down starter, however. While handling a rotational role, he totaled 3.5 sacks in Miami before flashing more potential during a three-sack 2020 campaign with the Falcons. Harris signed a one-year deal with the Lions in the subsequent offseason, setting himself up for his most productive year.

The Missouri alum started 14 of 17 games during his debut Detroit campaign, totaling 7.5 sacks and 19 pressures. Harris worked under Todd Wash that year; Wash is now the Panthers’ defensive line coach. Harris will hope to deliver another strong year of production upon reuniting with him. The 29-year-old played out a two-year Lions pact in 2022 and ’23, a stretch in which he was limited to 19 games and 2.5 sacks.

The missed time and drop-off in production helped explain how Harris remained a free agent throughout the offseason and into September. By taking a deal in Week 2, his base salary will not be guaranteed. Still, this Panthers pact – which will no doubt be a low-cost, one-year commitment – will give him the opportunity to rebuild his stock while providing Carolina with a veteran contributor in the pass rush department. ESPN’s David Newton notes Harris visited the team last week, so today’s news comes as no surprise.

The Panthers placed both D.J. Wonnum and Amare Barno on the reserve/PUP list ahead of roster cutdowns, meaning those edge rushers will not be available until at least Week 5. Carolina moved on from K’Lavon Chaisson before the season opener, leaving the team particularly thin at the outside linebacker spot. During their blowout loss on Sunday, the Panthers registered only one sack. If he can regain his previous form, Harris may be able to help in that regard for the remainder of the campaign.

 

Steelers To Sign P Corliss Waitman, S Terrell Edmunds

September 9th, 2024 at 9:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Cameron Johnston is out for the year, and as a result the Steelers are in need of a new punter. The team is set to turn to a familiar face at the position. Pittsburgh plans to sign Corliss Waitman, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. This will mark his third stint with the organization.

Besides brief offseason stints with the Raiders and Patriots, Waitman spent the majority of his first two NFL seasons in Pittsburgh, getting into a pair of games during the 2021 campaign. He got a full-time gig with the Broncos in 2022, appearing in all 17 games while pacing the NFL with 96 punts. He earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors in Week 3 of that season after placing six of his 10 punts inside the 20.

Since leaving Denver, he’s had a second stint with the Patriots and a short gig with the Bears. Now, he’ll be joining a Steelers squad that needs some reinforcement after losing their starter for the entire season. Per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer, Waitman was one of six punters who auditioned for Pittsburgh today, with the Steelers also taking a look at Jack Browning, Trenton Gill, Matt Haack, Austin McNamara, and Porter Wilson.

The Steelers weren’t done with reunions today, as the team also signed safety Terrell Edmunds off the Jaguars practice squad, per Pelissero. The former first-round pick started 75 of his 79 appearances in Pittsburgh to begin his career, but the 2023 campaign proved to be a tumultuous campaign for the veteran.

After joining the Eagles last offseason, Edmunds started three of his seven appearances for his new squad before getting shipped to Tennessee. He started one of his nine appearances for the Titans down the stretch. He caught on with the Jaguars this past offseason and was among the team’s final cuts, but he landed on the practice squad to start the season. He was promoted to the active roster for Week 1, getting into six defensive snaps.

Rookie Ryan Watts is out for the entire season with a neck injury, so the team is likely adding Edmunds after getting a look at some of their in-house replacements. Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott will still soak up the majority of the snaps at the position, but Edmunds will now provide the team will additional backup options beyond Damontae Kazee and Miles Killebrew.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/9/24

September 9th, 2024 at 7:29pm CST by Ben Levine

Tonight’s practice squad moves:

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: CB Nehemiah Shelton
  • Released: CB Matt Hankins

New York Giants

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/24

September 9th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

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