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Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/24

October 5th, 2024 at 7:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s gameday elevations and other minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Elevated: OL Charlie Heck, K Chad Ryland

Baltimore Ravens

Elevated: RB Chris Collier, OLB Yannick Ngakoue

Buffalo Bills

Elevated: WR Tyrell Shavers, DT Branson Deen

Carolina Panthers

Elevated: LB Thomas Incoom, DT T.J. Smith
Placed on IR: LB Shaq Thompson (story)

Cincinnati Bengals

Elevated: CB Jalen Davis

Dallas Cowboys

Signed to active roster: LB Nick Vigil
Elevated: DE Carl Lawson, CB Amani Oruwariye

Denver Broncos

LB Levelle Bailey

Green Bay Packers

Signed to active roster: CB Robert Rochell
Elevated: FB Andrew Beck

Houston Texans

Elevated: RB J.J. Taylor

Indianapolis Colts

Elevated: RB Evan Hull, CB David Long

Jacksonville Jaguars

Elevated: LB Tanner Muse, S Matthew Jackson

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed to active roster: DE K’Lavon Chaisson
Placed on IR: LB Luke Masterson
Elevated: RB Sincere McCormick, WR Alex Bachman

Los Angeles Rams

Elevated: WR Xavier Smith, CB Ahkello Witherspoon

Miami Dolphins

Elevated: CB Nik Needham

Minnesota Vikings

Elevated: RB Myles Gaskin, S Bobby McCain

New England Patriots

Signed to active roster: DT Jaquelin Roy
Elevated: OL Bryan Hudson, LB Ochaun Mathis

New York Giants

Activated from IR: LB Matt Adams
Waived: LB Benton Whitley
Elevated: WR Isaiah Hodgins, RB Dante Miller

New York Jets

LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball, QB Adrian Martinez

Pittsburgh Steelers

Activated from IR: OLB Jeremiah Moon
Elevated: WR Brandon Johnson, RB Jonathan Ward

San Francisco 49ers

Activated from IR: DT Kalia Davis
Elevated: DL T.Y. McGill, WR Trent Taylor

Washington Commanders

Activated from IR: QB Marcus Mariota
Elevated: CB Kevon Seymour, WR Brycen Tremayne

Mariota returned to practice on Wednesday, which was the earliest point at which he could be designated for return. As a result, it comes as little surprise he has been brought back onto Washington’s active roster. The 30-year-old is in his first season with the Commanders, and today’s move paves the way for him to handle backup duties moving forward.

Ngakoue remained on the free agent market into the start of the regular season. He was not connected to a Ravens reunion, but one took place last week. The journeyman sack artist had a brief spell with Baltimore in 2020, and he posted three sacks in 11 games. Ngakoue, 29, had one-and done campaigns in Vegas, Indianapolis and Chicago before taking a Ravens practice squad deal. He will make his debut tomorrow and aim to provide depth along the edge.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson Suffers Oblique, Abdominal Strains, Uncertain To Play In Week 5

October 5th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Ben Levine

OCTOBER 5: After practicing on a limited basis during the week, Richardson was initially listed as questionable. He was downgraded to doubtful on Saturday, however, suggesting Flacco will be in line to make his first start since signing with Indianapolis.

SEPTEMBER 30: Anthony Richardson was forced out of yesterday’s game with a hip injury, but there’s a chance the Colts quarterback doesn’t even miss Week 5. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Richardson was diagnosed with oblique and abdominal strains, and the QB has “a shot to play” on Sunday against the Jaguars.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport echoes this report, noting that Richardson’s injury isn’t believed to be serious. In fact, Rapoport says the quarterback likely would have returned to the game had it been the playoffs or a crucial, late-season contest. We heard something similar yesterday, as Richardson told reporters that he attempted to return to the contest again but was overruled by head coach Shane Steichen.

Richardson suffered his injury during the second drive of yesterday’s game. The former fourth-overall pick was only sidelined for a pair of plays before returning to the contest. The quarterback took another shot on the subsequent snap, knocking him out of the contest for good.

Despite Richardson’s inconsistent play to begin the 2024 campaign, Colts fans have surely been holding their breath over the past 24 hours. Richardson was limited to only four games as a rookie. He first missed a game due to a concussion, and he later suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Richardson was dynamic in his return to the field in Week 1 of this season, tossing a pair of touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. However, between Week 2 and Week 3, he completed only 50 percent of his passes while tossing five interceptions.

Fortunately for the Colts, the team has one of the top contingency plans in veteran Joe Flacco. The 39-year-old made his season debut in relief of Richardson yesterday, completing 16 of his 26 pass attempts for 168 yards and two touchdowns in a Colts victory.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/5/24

October 5th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s taxi squad moves:

Indianapolis Colts

Signed: CB Alex Johnson
Released: RB Trent Pennix

Miami Dolphins

Signed: QB Tim Boyle

Boyle was released on Friday, but the team announced today he has been re-signed. In addition, Boyle has been elevated for tomorrow’s contest, meaning he will dress as one of the Dolphins’ quarterback options behind Tyler Huntley and Skylar Thompson. The return of Tua Tagovailoa will push Boyle, 30, further down the depth chart.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/1/24

October 1st, 2024 at 7:39pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad updates around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Released: T Austen Pleasants

Atlanta Falcons

Released: S Dane Cruikshank

Baltimore Ravens

Signed: LB William Kwenkeu
Released: RB John Kelly

Carolina Panthers

Signed: LB Jackson Mitchell
Released: CB Azizi Hearn

Chicago Bears

Released (with injury settlement): DT Sam Roberts

Denver Broncos

Signed: RB Salvon Ahmed
Released: WR Kaden Davis

Houston Texans

Released: LB Zeke Turner

Indianapolis Colts

Signed: RB Trent Pennix
Released: K Spencer Shrader

Jacksonville Jaguars

Signed: RB Jake Funk, CB Tyler Hall
Released: RB Jalen Jackson

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed: TE Cole Fotheringham
Released: S Phalen Sanford

Los Angeles Chargers

Signed: S Tony Jefferson
Released: T Braeden Daniels

Los Angeles Rams

Released: K Tanner Brown

New England Patriots

Signed: WR Jermaine Jackson
Released: WR John Jiles

New Orleans Saints

Released: RB Jacob Kibodi

New York Giants

Signed: WR Kearis Jackson, CB Greg Stroman
Released (with injury settlement): TE Lawrence Cager
Released: CB Alex Johnson, TE Joel Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed: LB Eku Leota, RB La’Mical Perine
Released: RB Jack Colletto, LB Marcus Haynes

San Francisco 49ers

Released: DT Shakel Brown

Seattle Seahawks

Released: DT Matt Gotel

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed: LB Kalen DeLoach

Washington Commanders

Signed: G Marquis Hayes, S Sheldrick Redwine

The Broncos are bringing in the veteran running back Ahmed after he spent four years in Miami. Ahmed’s biggest role came in four starts as an undrafted rookie back in 2020 in which he rushed for 319 yards and three touchdowns over six games. He served as a reliable backup for the Dolphins for the past few years.

The Chargers released Jefferson yesterday, but they’ll keep him around on the practice squad with today’s signing. The veteran adds some quality depth to the roster.

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.

Browns Did Not Submit Offer To Joe Flacco

September 30th, 2024 at 11:07am CST by Sam Robinson

In a development that probably pleased an assortment of fantasy GMs tied to Colts wide receivers, Joe Flacco stepped in after Anthony Richardson‘s minor hip injury and stabilized Indianapolis’ passing attack Sunday. The NFL’s second-oldest active quarterback, behind Aaron Rodgers, showed he remains a viable relief option.

Flacco executed this routine for an extended period last season in Cleveland, rescuing a Browns team that had lost Deshaun Watson to a shoulder fracture. Despite not making his season debut until December, Flacco won Comeback Player of the Year honors after directing the Browns to an 11-6 season and a wild-card spot. The longtime Ravens starter had expressed continued interest in a second Browns season, but the team went in a different direction by signing Jameis Winston. The Colts then landed Flacco, who signed a one-year deal worth $4.5MM.

This contract is Flacco’s most lucrative since his Ravens extension expired after a season in Denver, and while the Colts have since seen the 17th-year veteran remains capable, the Browns did not want him back. Flacco confirmed, via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, he never received an offer to stay in Cleveland.

The former Super Bowl MVP had previously said he was surprised the Browns did not re-sign him, but a market did exist. Prior to committing to Shane Steichen‘s team, Flacco received an offer to return to the Eagles. The Colts did not rule out re-signing Gardner Minshew, but his price moved well beyond the team’s comfort zone. With the Raiders agreeing to terms with Minshew on a two-year, $25MM deal hours into the legal tampering period, the Colts pivoted to Flacco as Richardson insurance.

The AFC South team needed to cash in on that early, and although Richardson might not miss any time due to the hip pointer he sustained against the Steelers, Flacco proved a more accurate passer than the dynamic second-year starter. Richardson entered Week 4 with an NFL-low 49% completion rate; Flacco completed 61.5% of his throws (16-for-26, 168 yards) and tossed two touchdown passes against Pittsburgh.

While Indianapolis is not planning to sit Richardson to aid his development, Cleveland is stuck with Watson due to authorizing a fully guaranteed $230MM contract in 2022. Watson has wildly underwhelmed, costing an otherwise well-built Browns team. Winston came to Ohio after four seasons with the Saints. The former No. 1 overall pick lost his job to Andy Dalton in 2022 and backed up Derek Carr last season, but the Browns had sought him over Flacco.

In March, Watson supported a Winston signing. The Browns gave him a one-year, $4MM deal. Cleveland had considered a reunion with Jacoby Brissett but did not want to match the $8MM offered from the Patriots. The team was believed to have viewed Flacco as a backup plan in the event Winston and Brissett ended up elsewhere, and the fallout from this QB2 chapter ended a stunningly productive partnership.

Given Flacco’s performance last season, calls undoubtedly for him to replace Watson would be ever-present in Cleveland had the sides huddled on on the reunion the late-3o-something wanted. But he is now in the role Minshew played effectively last season. Indy deciding to rest Richardson would lead to more work from the 12-year starter-turned-QB2 nomad.

Jonathan Taylor Sustains High Ankle Sprain

September 30th, 2024 at 8:56am CST by Sam Robinson

Resembling the form he displayed en route to the 2021 rushing title, Jonathan Taylor has excelled to open his fifth season. But reminders of the running back’s recent injury form have reemerged.

Taylor, who famously had not missed any time over his first two seasons and throughout his college career, appears set to be sidelined once again. The high-priced Colts running back sustained a high ankle sprain, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Although Taylor looks likely to be shelved for a bit, Rapoport adds this is not viewed as a particularly troublesome sprain. That said, high ankle sprains are regularly difficult to surmount. And Taylor has a history of ankle trouble being a big-picture issue.

Ankle trouble slowed Taylor for much of the 2022 season, bringing his run of durability to a halt. A sprain sustained in Week 4 of the 2022 season affected the former All-Pro for most of that ’22 slate, with a high ankle sprain diagnosis that December eventually leading to a late-season shutdown. Taylor missed six games in 2022, including the final three, and underwent surgery.

That injury eventually became cover for Taylor to stage a de facto hold-in, landing on the Colts’ reserve/PUP list despite Jim Irsay declaring him good to go before training camp. The Colts ended up paying their starting running back — on a three-year, $42MM deal that undoubtedly affected this year’s RB market — before he debuted in Week 5 of the 2023 season. But Taylor did not match his pre-injury form too often for a Colts team that again lost its RB1 due to a late-season thumb injury.

This year, Taylor is averaging 4.8 yards per carry (349 in total), and his 66 rushing yards over expected (per Next Gen Stats) ranks seventh in the NFL. The Wisconsin alum has not eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards since that dominant 2021 showing (1,811), but was well on his way to a third 1,000-yard season before this injury.

As of now, it does not appear Taylor is an IR candidate. Saquon Barkley suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2 last year and returned by Week 6. Considering Taylor’s history with ankle trouble, the Colts could well be cautious. The team has Trey Sermon in place as Taylor’s top backup, with Tyler Goodson also on Indianapolis’ 53-man roster. Taylor has taken 72 handoffs to Sermon’s nine, however, marking a split that does not resemble the Taylor-Zack Moss workload from 2023. Second-year back Evan Hull resides on Indy’s practice squad.

Colts’ Anthony Richardson Leaves Game With Injury, Not Expected To Miss Much Time

September 29th, 2024 at 6:24pm CST by Ely Allen

The Colts’ frustrations with the quarterback position continued today when starter Anthony Richardson exited today’s game with a hip injury. The second-year passer out of Florida hopes not to miss much time, if any, per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, and he will be evaluated throughout the week.

Richardson actually left the game twice today. Early in the team’s second drive of the game, Richardson walked off the field after hurting his hip. Veteran backup quarterback Joe Flacco stepped in for two plays before Richardson returned to the game. Inexplicably, Richardson’s first play back on the field was a read-option keeper that immediately saw the young quarterback take another shot and, once again, exit with injury.

Luckily for the Colts, Flacco showed up in much the same manner as he did as an emergency starter for the Browns last season, throwing two touchdowns en route to a victory over his old division-rival Steelers. Flacco was signed to a one-year, $4.5MM deal to come to Indianapolis over the offseason due to injuries Richardson sustained in 2023.

Richardson started four of five games to open his rookie season before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. For the remainder of the year, the team relied on Gardner Minshew, who performed admirably enough to earn a Pro Bowl bid but wasn’t able to get the Colts to the playoffs. Keeping in mind the injury history and lack of starting experience of Richardson, it made sense for Indianapolis to bring in an experienced, veteran option like Flacco.

Moving forward, it sounds like Richardson will be looking to continue in his starting role without missing any time. In fact, he told reporters today that he attempted to return to the game again today, but head coach Shane Steichen overruled him since he wasn’t 100 percent, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder. While the Colts will hope to see him return soon, the team knows now that Flacco has the ability to step up and win games off the bench, if necessary.

Colts LB E.J. Speed A Trade Candidate?

September 29th, 2024 at 11:48am CST by Rory Parks

The Colts’ plans to have linebacker Shaquille Leonard anchor the middle of their defense for the long haul took a sour turn when Leonard proved unable to return to form following offseason back surgery in 2022. Indianapolis ultimately waived Leonard last November, and one of the reasons the team felt comfortable in making that move was the presence of fellow ‘backer E.J. Speed.

Speed, 29, was selected by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, and he operated primarily as a special-teamer over the first three years of his career. As a result of Leonard’s health issues, Speed began to see more defensive snaps in 2022, and his performance that season was enough to earn him a two-year, $8MM contract to stay in Indy.

In 2023, Speed started a career-high 11 games and appeared in two-thirds of the Colts’ defensive snaps. HIs 65.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus was solid, if unspectacular, though he scored very highly in terms of run defense and posted 102 total tackles. Through the first three games of 2024, he has become a true every-down linebacker, enjoying a 99% snap share and recording 34 total stops.

PFF is still not enamored with his work, as the site presently considers him the 46th-best LB out of 75 qualifiers in 2024. The usual small sample size caveats apply here, but the Colts’ defense as a whole has underperformed, ranking 31st in terms of total defense (though they have yielded fewer points than the raw yardage would suggest and are currently 14th in points allowed per game).

Between the early struggles of second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson and the porousness of the defense, Indianapolis has gotten off to a 1-2 start. And, as Speed is a veteran on an expiring contract, ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes the Tarleton State product is a “name to watch” at the trade deadline if the Colts fall out of contention (subscription required).

Any number of teams would be happy to plug a tackle machine into the second level of their defense at the deadline, even if Speed is far from the complete defender that Leonard was in his prime. Graziano specifically names the Bills, Patriots, and Raiders as possible landing spots, although New England and Las Vegas appear as if they might be deadline sellers as opposed to buyers as of the time of this writing.

As Mike Chappell of Fox 59 observes, Speed has posted at least 10 tackles in seven straight games, dating back to last year. That is the longest such streak for a Colts player since at least 1987, and the second-longest streak for any NFL player since that same year.