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Packers Place OL Jordan Morgan On IR

November 16th, 2024 at 1:53pm CST by Ely Allen

The Packers’ depth on offensive line took a hit today when the team announced that offensive lineman Jordan Morgan would be placed on injured reserve. Taking Morgan’s spot on the 53-man active roster will be practice squad cornerback Robert Rochell.

Morgan, a first-round rookie out of Arizona, hasn’t been a full-time starter in his first NFL season, but he’s seen the field plenty. With Green Bay returning four of its five starters on the offensive line from last year, only the right guard spot was really open for competition, though there were thoughts that, with his first-round pedigree, Morgan could provide an improvement at left tackle, as well.

Throughout his first summer with the team, though, Morgan dealt with a shoulder injury, causing him to miss valuable camp time. It became clear that Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom were locked in at the left and right tackle positions, respectively, and Elgton Jenkins and Josh Myers were sure starters at their own respective positions of left guard and center. Sean Rhyan, a third-round pick out of UCLA who had thus far failed to live up to his Day 2 draft stock, took over the starting right guard job as Morgan dealt with his ailment, but it became clear that if Morgan was going to find the field as a rookie, it would be at guard.

Rhyan has started all nine games of the season for the Packers at right guard, but Green Bay has been splitting time at the position between him and Morgan, whenever Morgan is healthy. Morgan’s shoulder has continued to nag him throughout his rookie campaign, causing him to miss three weeks in a row earlier this year.

When Myers missed last week with a wrist injury, Jenkins shifted in to the center spot, giving Morgan the first start of his career at left guard. Though he played the full game, something must have become clear with his shoulder injury, because after very limited practice this week, the Packers determined that Morgan would require a stint on IR for his shoulder injury.

With Morgan out for at least four games, if Myers is forced to miss any more time due to his wrist, the Packers would need to either turn to third-string center and fifth-round rookie out of Duke Jacob Monk, who has only played on special teams this year, or they would need to shift Jenkins back in to center and ask one of their backup tackles — Andre Dillard, Kadeem Telfort, or Travis Glover — to fill in at left guard.

Rochell has seen plenty of game time this season, playing in four games so far. Most of his games have been as a standard gameday practice squad elevation, but after he reached the limit of three games off a single practice squad contract, he was signed to the active roster for a game, released, then re-signed to the practice squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/24

November 11th, 2024 at 6:34pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s minor moves around the NFL:

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Reinstated from suspension, one-game roster exemption granted: DE Mario Edwards

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Seattle Seahawks

Williams completed his three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He remains on injured reserve after a season-ending knee injury suffered during training camp.

Edwards served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and is now eligible to be reinstated to the Texans’ active roster. Houston requested and received a one-game roster exemption to give Edwards an additional week to practice with the team before being added back to the 53-man roster.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Davis, Vikes

November 7th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Questions about Matt Eberflus‘ status have emerged once again, as the Bears have lost two straight — the first of which featuring one of the more shocking endings in franchise history — to drop to 4-4. Eberflus fended off firing rumors to receive another chance this year, though he hired a new offensive staff upon being retained. Eberflus did not necessarily enter the season with the kind of playoffs-or-bust mandate Robert Saleh faced in New York, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs writes, but it is fairly clear the Bears will again need a good second half for the defense-minded coach to feel comfortable.

Eberflus is 14-28 as a coach, though his first season — a 3-14 campaign — featured a gutted roster early in a rebuild. Ryan Poles did not conduct the search that produced Eberflus, being hired only two days before the HC. But the GM is probably a better bet to outlast the coach, should this season go south. Poles and team president Kevin Warren are aligned in their vision, Biggs observes, pointing to the prospect of Poles being given the chance to hire a second coach. Poles would obviously have a greater influence in the Bears’ HC hire a second time around, should a 2025 change take place.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • John Cominsky went down with an MCL tear early in training camp, but the Lions waited until setting their 53-man roster to place the defensive lineman on IR. Cominsky is still in the mix to return at some point for the NFC North leaders, though Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers notes no reemergence is expected during the regular season. Cominsky is only in play to return if/once the Lions make the playoffs.
  • Elsewhere along the Lions’ front seven, Josh Paschal is on the way back after undergoing a recent treatment. The former second-round edge rusher needed to have a noncancerous mass removed. Diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer in 2018, Paschal has needed yearly scans; his latest led to a two-game absence due to the mass needing to be removed, via DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman. Paschal, who worked as a Lions starter in the two games before the hiatus, did not go on IR and is expected to return in Week 10. He will now be joined by trade pickup Za’Darius Smith, and a big role could await as both Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport are out for the regular season’s remainder.
  • Jamin Davis spent time as an edge defender during his final season with Washington, but in Green Bay, the former first-round pick has returned to his initial NFL role. The Packers have the 2021 draftee working as an off-ball ‘backer, The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman notes. The Pack added Davis to their practice squad but have yet to elevate him for a game. Green Bay drafted two linebackers on Day 2 this year, though as a 36-game Washington starter from 2021-23, Davis now represents Green Bay insurance and perhaps an intriguing rebound piece.
  • Placed on IR due to an ankle injury, Luke Musgrave will not be back for a while. The second-year tight end ultimately needed surgery, Matt LaFleur said recently. LaFleur indicated the hope is Musgrave can return later this season. A second-round pick, Musgrave has seen 2023 third-rounder Tucker Kraft become the Packers’ top tight end. Musgrave also missed six games as a rookie, though he remains in the Packers’ IR-return puzzle for this season.
  • After coming up in trade rumors before the deadline, Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah ended up staying with the team. Minnesota did, however, end up discussing Asamoah with teams, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Some degree of interest existed, but the former third-round pick does not have a role on defense right now. Asamoah has yet to start an NFL game, despite having been in the league for three seasons, further limiting his trade value.

Steelers’ Preston Smith Requested Trade From Packers

November 6th, 2024 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

After rostering the likes of Melvin Ingram and Markus Golden as key OLB backups in recent years, the Steelers now have Preston Smith in that role. They traded a seventh-round pick to the Packers for the proven veteran, capping a two-trade day.

At 6-3, the Packers were not exactly in a seller’s position. But Smith had seen his playing time decline in Jeff Hafley‘s defense. As it turns out, Smith said (via The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo) he approached the Packers with a trade request — one aimed at finding his way back to a 3-4 defense. After more than 10 years in a 3-4 scheme, Green Bay converted to a 4-3 base alignment under Hafley this offseason.

“I didn’t feel like I was being useful in the system, and it wasn’t catering to my play style and moving forward,” Smith said, via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. “I wasn’t surprised when I got the call. I got what I asked for, and I’m at a place that — a great place — with some great teammates, and I’m excited for the new start, and I’m excited for the rest of this journey for this season.”

While base schemes do not matter on the level they once did due to the rise of sub-packages, they do still affect certain players. Edge rushers are among them, and Smith had spent his career as a 3-4 OLB — both in Green Bay and Washington. He will head to a Steelers team that has long used this defensive setup, being set to play a key rotational role behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

Smith, who will turn 32 next week, had played six seasons with the Packers. The former Washington draftee joined fellow deadline trade piece Za’Darius Smith in signing with the Pack in 2019, and the Smiths played central roles in Green Bay booking three straight playoff byes from 2019-21. Preston Smith outlasted Za’Darius, whom the Packers cut in 2022. That came as the team re-signed Preston to a four-year, $52.5MM deal. That contract runs through the 2026 season.

Preston Smith started every Packers game this season, which still makes it a bit surprising the team signed off on this swap. The 10th-year edge rusher — made a defensive end under Hafley — had played 54% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps; that rate is down from his previous seasons with the team. Smith played 71% of the Pack’s defensive snaps in their opener and eclipsed 60% in two of the team’s next three games, but he dipped below 45% in two of the previous three Green Bay contests.

For the season, Smith has 2.5 sacks and just four QB hits. Prior to this year, the ex-second-round pick had given the Packers reliable work on the edge. He tallied between eight and nine sacks between the 2021 and ’23 seasons and notched 12 during his first Packers slate. He will take over the role the Steelers had hoped Golden would play again, but Golden changed those plans by retiring shortly after re-signing in August. Smith has been a more consistent player than Golden, and coupled with Nick Herbig — who is recovering from injury but still on Pittsburgh’s active roster — the recent import should be positioned to make an impact for a suddenly deep OLB corps.

The Packers have Lukas Van Ness seemingly earmarked to take over alongside Rashan Gary. Thanks to the former’s fifth-year option, the Packers can keep both on their current contracts through 2027. Van Ness has played 41% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps this season, though the 2023 first-rounder has just one sack and two QB hits. Kingsley Enagbare will also be positioned to see more playing time, though it is interesting the Packers made this move considering their record and that Gary has not quite recaptured his form. No Packer rusher enters Week 10 with more than three sacks.

Packers Trade Preston Smith To Steelers

November 5th, 2024 at 10:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers are not done on the trade front. Edge rusher Preston Smith is being added from the Packers, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

[RELATED: Steelers Add Mike Williams From Jets]

With the Packers fielding a number of younger options on both sides of the ball, Smith has remained in place as one of the team’s elder statesmen. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has been with Green Bay since 2019, operating as a full-time starter during that span. A heavy workload should not await him in Pittsburgh, but he will be able to step into a key rotational role. Pittsburgh is sending along a 2025 seventh-round pick, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman.

Smith reached an 80% snap share twice during his Packers tenure, but over the past two years he has seen his playing time decrease. The former second-rounder still managed to handle more than half of the team’s defensive snaps in 2024, though. With Rashan Gary in place for the long term along with recent draftees Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare, Smith found himself on the trade block leading up to today’s deadline.

The Steelers already boast one of the league’s top edge rush tandems with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Watt has one year remaining on his pact after this one, while Highsmith landed a four-year extension last summer; he is on the books through 2027 as a result. Smith will operate as the team’s OLB3 behind that pair, one which has combined for 9.5 sacks this season.

On the whole, though, the Steelers have not been as impactful in terms of sack production (19, 22nd in the NFL) in 2024 as they have in recent years. Smith – who has topped eight sacks six times in his career – will aim to provide veteran depth on that front for at least the remainder of the campaign. He is not a pure rental, however; the Mississippi State product is under contract for 2025 and ’26.

Smith is owed a total of $27.5MM over that span, and he is currently on track to carry cap hits of $17.5 and $18.2MM across the next two years. As a result, it could come as no surprise if team and player were to work out a restructure at some point relatively soon. For the time being, attention will be placed on Smith’s ability to add to a defense which already ranks top-1o in both points and yards allowed per game.

Sitting at 6-2 on the year, Pittsburgh currently leads the AFC North. That left the team as a clear buyer ahead of the deadline, and general manager Omar Khan has not been shy about adding via trade during his tenure at the helm. It will be interesting to see how this latest move contributes to the Steelers’ postseason push.

2024 NFL Trades

November 5th, 2024 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

We have reached the 2024 trade deadline, which came one week later than the league’s usual endpoint. An offseason measure to move the deadline back one week passed, sliding the deadline beyond Week 9 after it had resided the Tuesday following Week 8 since 2012. That opened the door to more activity this year.

The 2024 offseason also featured extensive work, as teams added starters and depth pieces. Here are the trades involving veteran players (or rookies already drafted) to take place this year:

March 4

Bears chose defensive end Austin Booker at No. 144

March 9

Broncos sent Seahawks No. 136, included 203 in trade with Jets for QB Zach Wilson

March 10

Patriots chose QB Joe Milton at 193

March 11

Bucs drafted WR Jalen McMillan at No. 92; Lions traded No. 201 to Eagles

Panthers traded down from No. 39, giving Rams access to DT Braden Fiske; team moved No. 141 in Bills deal that sent WR Xavier Legette to Carolina. Giants chose RB Tyrone Tracy at 166.

March 12

Bengals chose DB Daijahn Anthony at No. 224 

March 13

Texans traded No. 232 to Vikings

Ravens chose WR Devontez Walker at No. 113, QB Devin Leary at 218; Jets drafted RB Braelon Allen at 134

March 14

Commanders traded Nos. 78, 152 to Eagles in trade that sent CB Cooper DeJean to Philadelphia; Seahawks moved down from No. 102, drafted G Sataoa Laumea at 179

Bolts traded No. 110 to Patriots 

March 15

Steelers chose LB Payton Wilson at No. 98; Eagles traded No. 120 to Dolphins in package that brought back 2025 third-rounder

March 16

Fields must play in 51% of Steelers’ offensive snaps for pick to elevate from sixth to fourth round

March 22

Chiefs traded No. 221 to Bills; Titans chose OLB Jaylen Harrell at 252

March 29

Pick would have become second-rounder had Reddick played 67.5% of Jets’ 2024 defensive snaps and recorded at least 10 sacks. Reddick’s holdout ensured Philly’s pick will land in Round 3.

April 3

Texans dealt No. 189 to Lions for Nos. 205, 249

April 12

Browns chose CB Myles Harden at No. 227

April 22

In trade that gave Vikings J.J. McCarthy draft real estate at No. 10 overall, Jets sent No. 203 to Minnesota; Broncos chose C Nick Gargiulo at 256

April 27

May 9

August 9

August 11

August 14

Dallas carried Phillips on its active roster for two games, meeting minimum requirement for conditional sixth to transfer

August 22

Pick did not convey due to Commanders cutting York before he played in two games with team

August 23

August 24

August 26

August 27

August 28

October 14

October 15

Pick would upgrade to second-rounder if Adams earns first- or second-team All-Pro recognition or is on Jets’ active roster for 2024 AFC championship game or Super Bowl LIX

October 23

Pick would become fourth-rounder if Hopkins both plays 60% of Chiefs’ remaining offensive snaps and Kansas City advances to Super Bowl LIX

October 28

October 29

Robinson’s playing time will determine if Jags pick climbs to a fourth-rounder and whether Vikings will end up receiving 2026 seventh

November 4

November 5

Sixth-rounder going to New Orleans comes from pick Saints sent Commanders for John Ridgeway 

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/24

November 5th, 2024 at 9:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Tuesday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Free Agent

We don’t have a reason for Moreland’s suspension yet, but we know that it will last three weeks. He hasn’t played in the NFL since 2021, but if a team were to sign him, he wouldn’t be available for three games.

Packers QB Jordan Love Avoids Serious Injury, On Track To Play Week 9

November 3rd, 2024 at 7:13am CST by Ben Levine

NOVEMBER 3: Love suffered no setbacks in practice this past week, and while he carries a “questionable” designation due to his groin injury, he is expected to play in Week 9, per Pelissero. Given that Green Bay (6-2) is hosting the Lions (6-1) with the NFC North lead on the line, this is especially good news for the Packers.

OCTOBER 28: Jordan Love may have avoided a serious injury during yesterday’s win over the Jaguars, but the Packers QB isn’t in the clear for Week 9. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero passes along that Love likely “avoided a long-term injury” in yesterday’s contest. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky notes that today’s tests didn’t show any significant damage, and Love has officially been diagnosed with a strain.

Love tweaked his groin and was seen hobbling throughout the first half of yesterday’s contest. He eventually left the game, with backup Malik Willis playing the majority of the second half. An MCL sprain forced the starter to miss both Week 2 and Week 3, but despite the growing list of ailments, the Packers aren’t intending to slowly nurse Love back to full health.

“Yeah, if he can go, he’ll go,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Love’s status for this weekend (via Demovsky). “So, we’ll see where he’s at by the end of the week. But if we feel like he can’t protect himself, then we certainly wouldn’t put him in that position.”

As LaFleur noted, the Packers will take the week to evaluate Love’s progress before making a final call on their QB situation for Sunday’s showdown with the Lions. If Love is forced to miss the game, Demovsky writes that it would likely only be a one-game absence for the quarterback.

After finally being elevated to the QB1 role in 2023, Love had a breakout campaign, tossing 32 touchdowns before helping guide his squad to the Divisional Round. The QB inked a four-year, $220MM extension this offseason, and Love has started the 2024 campaign with a 4-2 record and a league-leading 7.5 percent passing TD %. Despite missing two-plus games, Love has also tossed a league-leading nine interceptions.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/2/24

November 2nd, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor NFL moves including standard gameday practice squad elevations for Sunday’s slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Packers Sign LB Jamin Davis To Practice Squad

October 29th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Packers announced the signing of former first-round pick Jamin Davis to their practice squad on Tuesday.

The Commanders originally selected Davis with the 19th overall pick in 2021, but never lived up to his draft billing in Washington. He earned a starting role partway through his rookie year after an injury to Cole Holcomb and held onto it in 2022 and 2023, though he was place on injured reserve to end both seasons. Davis led the Commanders with 104 tackles in 2022, but only played in 13 games in 2023 before Washington declined his fifth-year option in the offseason.

Davis converted to defensive end under the Commanders’ new regime in 2024 and made the team’s 53-man roster to start the regular season. He appeared in five games with 13 tackles and a 30% snap share on defense. Washington then waived him on October 22; after going unclaimed, Davis became a free agent.

The Packers have a deep and healthy defensive line, so Davis is unlikely to see much playing time in Green Bay right away. Instead, he will have time to learn the playbook and refine his craft at defensive end behind veterans Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.

The Packers released linebacker Chris Russell from the practice squad in a corresponding move. The undrafted rookie had not appeared in any games for Green Bay this season.

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