HEADLINES

COVID-19 News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/20

November 14th, 2020 at 4:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team 

Dolphins Activate Kyle Van Noy From Reserve/COVID-19 List

November 14th, 2020 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

SATURDAY: Van Noy’s most recent close contact with a coronavirus-stricken person must have come several days ago. The Dolphins activated the linebacker off their reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday, putting him on track to play in Week 10. Van Noy’s final coronavirus test of the week must come back negative Sunday morning in order for him to suit up against the Chargers, but this will certainly help an improved Dolphins defense. Wilkins remains on the team’s reserve/COVID list.

THURSDAY: The Dolphins may be without two key defenders against the Chargers on Sunday. The team placed Christian Wilkins and Kyle Van Noy on its reserve/COVID-19 list.

While the Dolphins removed rookie Lynn Bowden Jr. from the COVID list on Thursday, practice squad wide receiver Matt Cole landed on it as well. A Dolphins staffer tested positive for the coronavirus last week. It is not known if Wilkins and Van Noy’s Thursday designations are related to that case. Van Noy’s placement stems from contract tracing, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets.

Unless Wilkins and Van Noy last came in contact with someone who tested positive prior to Tuesday, they will be forced to miss the Dolphins’ Week 10 game. The NFL requires high-risk close contacts to isolate for five days. This would certainly affect Miami’s hopes at winning a fifth straight game.

A 2019 first-round pick, Wilkins has been a Dolphins starter for two seasons. Van Noy followed Brian Flores from New England, signing a four-year, $51MM contract this offseason. Van Noy has recorded two sacks and 33 tackles this season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/13/20

November 13th, 2020 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Friday’s practice squad decisions:

Dallas Cowboys

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Coaching Notes: Campbell, Smith, Dolphins

November 13th, 2020 at 3:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to hiring Adam Gase, the Jets requested an interview with Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. The Browns were interested as well, before promoting Freddie Kitchens. Instead, the Big 12 leader signed an extension to stay in Ames. But Campbell is intrigued by the prospect of coaching in the NFL, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Known for his offensive acumen and the revitalization effort he authored at Iowa State — which has started 5-2 this season — Campbell could be a more serious contender to fill one of the league’s coaching vacancies next year. Since the last time he popped up on the NFL radar, Kliff Kingsbury and Matt Rhule have made the jump. The Cyclones’ 40-year-old HC may be next.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • Unsurprisingly, Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has emerged as a coaching candidate. “A lot of intrigue” surrounds Tennessee’s second-year OC, Pelissero adds. Smith, 38, did not receive looks last season, but Ryan Tannehill‘s sustained success — Thursday night’s underwhelming performance notwithstanding — after a mediocre Miami career has turned heads. Smith figures to receive interview requests in 2021.
  • Despite the NFL’s recent trend of preferring offense-oriented coaches, Brandon Staley is viewed by some as a future head coach. The Rams plucked Staley off Vic Fangio‘s Broncos staff, making the 37-year-old assistant their defensive coordinator. He is viewed by current and former colleagues as a future HC, Pelissero adds. However, teams may want to see Staley be a coordinator for more than one season. Prior to his Los Angeles arrival, he served as outside linebackers coach in Chicago and Denver.
  • Shifting to current coaching situations, a few teams will be without staffers Sunday. The Dolphins will be hit hardest on this front. After placing Christian Wilkins and Kyle Van Noy on their reserve/COVID-19 list, the Dolphins will be without quarterbacks coach Robby Brown, defensive line coach Marion Hobby, outside linebackers coach Austin Clark and quality control staffer Kolby Smith against the Chargers because of coronavirus protocols, per ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe (on Twitter). Running backs coach Eric Studesville and former Texans OC George Godsey will assist Chan Gailey with QB responsibilities.
  • The Bengals and Steelers have a combined 10 players on their respective COVID lists. The Bengals will also be without wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell because of “COVID-19 reasons,” the team announced. Assistant wideouts coach Troy Walters will take on more responsibility.

Browns Reopen Team Facility

November 13th, 2020 at 2:16pm CST by Zachary Links

2:16pm: The Browns placed offensive lineman Chris Hubbard on their reserve/COVID-19 list, and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets Hubbard indeed tested positive. However, the team reopened its facility after successful contact tracing efforts.

While the Browns remain in the league’s intensive COVID-19 protocols, they are holding a practice this afternoon. That bodes well for their game against the Texans unfolding on schedule, as each NFL game has since Week 7.

9:16am: A positive COVID-19 test has forced the Browns to close their team facility, per a club announcement. The Browns are currently slated to face the Texans on Sunday, but that game may be in jeopardy.

“Earlier this morning, the Cleveland Browns were informed that a player’s test results have come back positive for COVID-19,” the team said in a statement. “The individual has immediately self-isolated and the Browns facility is closed this morning while contact tracing is being conducted. The team will continue to hold meetings remotely (part of the NFL-NFLPA intensive protocol) and will consult with the league and medical experts on the appropriate next steps as the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff, and the entire community remains our highest priority.”

COVID-19 positives have become an almost-daily occurrence in the NFL this year, leading to safety concerns and logistical nightmares across the league. Just yesterday, the Dolphins learned that they could be without two key defenders against the Chargers — they were forced to park Christian Wilkins and Kyle Van Noy on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/12/20

November 12th, 2020 at 5:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts

New York Jets

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Travis Ross

Tennessee Titans

COVID-19 Latest: Chiefs, 49ers, Ravens

November 12th, 2020 at 5:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL has not needed to adjust its schedule since Week 7, though Division I-FBS certainly has. But more teams are dealing with COVID-19 issues over the past several days. Here is the latest on this NFL season’s defining subject:

  • The Chiefs asked the NFL and NFLPA to conduct an investigation after a recent meeting involved a union rep speaking to the entire Chiefs roster without wearing a mask, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The unnamed union rep is not subject to the same testing the players are, which prompted the Chiefs’ concern after the meeting, Schefter adds (on Twitter). The NFLPA has addressed this matter, per Terez Paylor of Yahoo.com (on Twitter).
  • Iman Marshall tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports. He becomes the second Ravens defensive back to test positive in two weeks, following Marlon Humphrey. The latter’s positive test resulted in several Baltimore defenders missing each Ravens practice last week. Marshall, however, cannot play this season due to the Ravens placing him on IR in August. The Ravens announced the infected player, without identifying him, had no high-risk close contacts among the team. Humphrey is no longer on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list.
  • Kendrick Bourne‘s positive test decimated the 49ers‘ receiving corps last week, but an NFL investigation found the team to be compliant with COVID-19 protocols. They will not be punished, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. As for Bourne, he has endured a complicated several days. After testing negative twice and being removed from the 49ers’ reserve/COVID-19 list, he tested positive again and was back on it Monday. He has tested negative this week, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area notes. If Bourne were cleared to make the trip to New Orleans, he would do so after missing most or all of this week’s 49ers practices.
  • The NFL placed the Eagles in its intensive COVID protocols after a coach tested positive, Tim McManus of ESPN.com notes. While Philadelphia’s facility remains open, all Eagles meetings this week will be conducted virtually.
  • A Bengals practice squad player tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The Bengals placed cornerbacks Brian Allen and Winston Rose on their practice squad COVID list. The team currently has five players — Allen, Rose, Trae Waynes (on IR), Margus Hunt and offensive lineman Fred Johnson — on its reserve/COVID list going into its game against Pittsburgh. The Steelers currently have five players — Ben Roethlisberger, Vance McDonald, Vince Williams, Jaylen Samuels and offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins — on their COVID list.

Cory Littleton Lands On Raiders’ Reserve/COVID-19 List

November 12th, 2020 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders continue to run into issues with the coronavirus. They placed top tackler Cory Littleton on their reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

An offseason addition, the former Rams linebacker has registered 48 tackles this season. He joins Trent Brown on the Raiders’ COVID list. While Brown is out for Sunday’s game against the Broncos and is without a firm return timetable, Littleton’s status will come down to when he last came in contact with someone who contracted the virus.

The NFL requires players who land on the reserve/COVID list to isolate for five days, even if they did not test positive. This in-season policy change resulted in the Raiders practicing without their first-string offensive line prior to their Week 7 game against the Buccaneers.

While the Titans led the NFL in players placed on a reserve/COVID list, the Raiders have incurred the stiffest punishment for violating coronavirus protocols. The NFL docked the team a sixth-round pick and has levied more than $1MM in fines against the organization this season.

One of the NFL’s top coverage linebackers over the past two seasons, Littleton opted to sign with the Raiders this offseason. Pro Football Focus has not viewed Littleton’s Raiders debut as a success so far, interestingly rating him as one of the league’s worst coverage ‘backers through Las Vegas’ eight games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/20

November 11th, 2020 at 4:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Tyrone Crawford
  • Claimed off waivers from Colts: DL Ron’Dell Carter

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Shelby Harris Tests Positive For COVID-19

November 11th, 2020 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shelby Harris missed the Broncos’ Week 9 game after he landed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. But the veteran defensive lineman was out due to being a high-risk close contact. This week, he will be out because he tested positive for the coronavirus, Benjamin Allbright of KOA tweets.

The Broncos placed Harris on their reserve/COVID-19 list last week. He reported to the team his wife and children tested positive for the coronavirus last week, Mike Klis of 9News reports, but he did not receive word he had also tested positive until Wednesday morning. The Broncos quarantined Harris away from his family at a hotel last week; he did not travel to Atlanta for the team’s Week 9 game. He will miss at least Denver’s Week 10 game in Las Vegas.

Broncos defensive line coach Bill Kollar is not with the team due to contact tracing, per Klis, but the longtime Denver assistant has not tested positive (Twitter link). The Broncos have seen a few assistants miss time because of the virus, with running backs coach Curtis Modkins testing positive and O-line coach Mike Munchak and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell being sidelined for periods as well. GM John Elway tested positive last week.

After catching on with the Broncos in 2017, Harris re-signed with the team this offseason. The interior defender led the NFL in passes batted down last season and has eight QB hits this year. With Harris sidelined, the Broncos will be without each of their three starting D-linemen against the Raiders. Both Jurrell Casey and Mike Purcell are on IR.

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