Practice squad moves from the past day:
Detroit Lions
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Anthony Pittman
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DL Anthony Rush
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: P Drew Kaser
- Cut: OL Aaron Neary
The Bears have placed safety Deon Bush on the reserve/COVID-19 list, per a team announcement. According to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com, Bush did not test positive for the coronavirus, but he is considered a close contact with someone who did test positive while he was away from the team (Twitter link).
This is notable because Bush flew with his teammates to Tennessee for this week’s game against the Titans before he learned that the person he was in contact with tested positive, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes. Luckily, COVID-19 tests across the league came back negative this morning, but given the virus’ incubation period, the Bears might not be out of the woods just yet.
Indeed, OL Lachavious Simmons did recently test positive and has joined Bush on the reserve/COVID-19 list. OL Aaron Neary has been summoned from the practice squad to take Simmons’ place on the active roster.
Chicago selected Bush in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. He has started only two games since his rookie season and has seen limited defensive snaps, but he has been a key special teams contributor. Simmons, a seventh-round rookie, just got promoted from the taxi squad earlier this week.
In other Bears news, the club is expected to sign veteran offensive lineman Eric Kush, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Kush has a visit lined up this week, and assuming he clears COVID-19 protocols and passes a physical, he will join the team. He started four games for the Bears in 2016 and seven contests in 2018.
Here is a recap of some recent workouts around the league:
San Francisco 49ers
- WR Bralon Addison, C Jake Brendel, DB Chris Edwards, DT Willie Henry, S Derrick Kindred, DE Jonathan Kongbo, DT T.Y. McGill, LB Derrick Moncrief, OL Aaron Neary, DT Ray Smith, DL Ethan Westbrooks, DE Jonathan Woodard
Seattle Seahawks
- WR J.J. Jones, WR Brendan Langley
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived from IR: LB Alvin Jones
Houston Texans
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Alex McGough
- Waived: CB Cornell Armstrong
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: WR Byron Pringle
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived/injured: DB Dominique Hatfield, C Aaron Neary, LB Trevon Young
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: TE Brandon Dillon
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: DL Mitchell Loewen
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: TE Alex Ellis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: OLB Jayrone Elliott
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Parry Nickerson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Andrew Adams
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Hroniss Grasu
- Waived: RB Dalyn Dawkins
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DL T.Y. McGill, CB Simeon Thomas
- Waived: TE J.P. Holtz
- Waived/injured: CB Greg Stroman
The Rams’ depth took a blow in their most recent preseason game. Linebacker Josh Carraway tore his Achilles while offensive lineman Aaron Neary fractured an ankle, per Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 
Both players will now undergo surgery and miss the entire 2019 season. As Thiry points out, they were both fighting to make the team. Neary was suspended for the first four games of the season back in June, which wasn’t going to help his cause of making the initial 53, although it’s a moot point now. Neary originally entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Broncos back in 2016.
He started for the Rams at center back in Week 17 of 2017, the only regular season appearance of his career so far. He’s spent most of the past two seasons on the Rams’ practice squad. The Rams are going with unproven second-year player Brian Allen as their starting center this year, and now they’re pretty thin at the position.
Carraway was drafted in the seventh round by the Titans in 2017. He spent some time on the active roster but only appeared in one game. After langing on Washington’s practice squad last year, he signed with the Rams back in May. A productive pass-rusher at TCU, Carraway was facing an uphill battle to make the team.
The Rams’ offensive line depth is getting a bit thinner. Center Aaron Neary has been suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season, per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
Neary originally entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Washington back in 2016. He’s been with the Rams for most of the last two seasons, and spent almost all of last year on the practice squad. The suspension was for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and it almost certainly stems from his arrest back in September for DUI.
The Rams stuck by him after that arrest, so this suspension shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise to them. They recently re-signed him to a reserve/futures deal back in February. The Rams let starting center John Sullivan walk in free agency, and will be rolling with unproven second-year player Brian Allen as the starter. Neary was going to compete for a backup role in camp, and the Rams are now a bit thin at center.
Neary originally signed with the Broncos back in 2016, and has bounced around a few stops. He’s had stints with the Eagles and Browns as well, but the only regular season action of his career came when he started a game for the Rams in Week 17 of 2017.
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Los Angeles Rams
- OL Aaron Neary
- DB Steven Parker
- DB Ramon Richards
Pittsburgh Steelers
- LB Robert Spillane
- RB Malik Williams
Here are Monday’s practice squad decisions:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DT Christian Ringo
Denver Broncos
- Signed: NT Niles Scott
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Hakeem Valles
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: C Aaron Neary
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Frank Herron, LB Calvin Munson
- Cut: RB Ralph Webb, DL Vincent Valentine
New York Jets
- Signed: DL Bronson Kaufasi
- Cut: T Dieguot Joseph
Here are Saturday’s practice squad decisions:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Robert Thomas
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DL Devaroe Lawrence
Houston Texans
- Signed: T Roderick Johnson
Los Angeles Rams
- Cut: C Aaron Neary
With Patrick Mahomes being arguably the NFL MVP through two weeks, the Chiefs are exiting a tough two-game stretch — road assignments against the Chargers and Steelers — at 2-0. They’ve done this without their defensive centerpiece. Eric Berry‘s been bothered by a nagging heel injury and hasn’t practice since early August. However, the three-time All-Pro safety is improving in his recovery and may be ready to practice this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The cancer survivor was already trying to surmount his second severe NFL injury, having also missed most of the 2011 season prior to tearing his Achilles’ tendon in Week 1 of last year, and is important for a Chiefs defense that’s struggled in shootout wins.
Here’s the latest out of the Wests entering the Seahawks-Bears Monday tilt.
- Mychal Kendricks will play plenty in his Seahawks debut Monday night, John Schneider said (Twitter link via Stacy Jo Rost of ESPN 710). Austin Calitro will be Seattle’s middle linebacker in place of the injured Bobby Wagner, Schneider said, and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times expects Kendricks to primarily play on the weak side (Twitter link). He’s working with the starters in warmups, per Condotta (on Twitter). Kendricks is facing an NFL suspension for his insider trading charge but is appealing and is thus allowed to play tonight.
- Rams practice squad center Aaron Neary‘s run into trouble. He was arrested Sunday for suspicion of DUI and hit and run charges, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports. Neary’s blood-alcohol level of .17 was more than twice the legal limit, and Thiry adds he was booked into the Ventura County Jail. Neary came to the Rams recently, after being waived by the Browns to create roster space for Anthony Zettel. He spent most of last season on the Rams’ practice squad, playing in one 2017 game, but may have trouble keeping that spot.
- Clive Walford ventured to Kansas City for a Chiefs workout on Monday, Rapoport tweets. The former Raiders tight end was a Jets cut this summer. After being a regular in Oakland’s passing game in 2015-16, the one-time third-round pick only caught nine passes for 80 yards last season.
- The Raiders‘ affinity for 30-somethings this offseason should be well known, and Jon Gruden said the team would have signed Clinton McDonald in March had a medical issue not intervened, per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (on Twitter). McDonald signed with the Broncos, but they reworked his contract because of an injury. He’s now with the Raiders, having made his Raider debut in Denver.
- Joe Callahan was among a contingent that worked out for the Raiders on Monday, Gehlken tweets. The now-well-traveled backup quarterback was most recently with the Eagles during the preseason. Quarterback Kyle Allen, tight end Billy Brown, running back Orleans Darkwa, wide receivers Roger Lewis and Hunter Sharp also auditioned for the Silver and Black, per NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter). The Colts, Jets, Bills, Patriots (twice) and Redskins have brought in Darkwa for workouts this year.
- Former Broncos backup inside linebacker Zaire Anderson will work out for the Cardinals on Tuesday, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Anderson spent three years with the Broncos — 2015-17, being on Denver’s practice squad during its Super Bowl season — before being a post-preseason cut. Also working out for the Cardinals: linebacker Nigel Harris, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).