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Broncos To Activate OLB Baron Browning, RT Mike McGlinchey

October 17th, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

2:01pm: McGlinchey will also return when first eligible. Although the Broncos could have given their two recovering players the mini-bye to move toward a return, they have deemed neither IR-return cog as in need of extra time. The veteran right tackle will join Browning in coming off IR tonight, NFL.com’s Jane Slater tweets.

Adrift at right tackle for a decade, with the team using a remarkable 11 Week 1 RT starters from 2013-23, the Broncos have McGlinchey signed to a five-year deal that features a fully guaranteed 2025 salary. McGlinchey made 16 starts last season, and the former 49ers top-10 pick will be back for a Broncos team that remains without reserve RT option Alex Palczewski. Four injury activations now remain for the Broncos.

12:33pm: The Broncos’ pass rush will have a reinforcement back tonight. Despite Baron Browning returning to practice during a short week, the Broncos will not slow-play his return.

Both Browning and Mike McGlinchey received IR-return designations this week, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the former is coming off IR ahead of tonight’s Saints matchup. It is not yet certain if McGlinchey will join the outside linebacker in playing in New Orleans, but with Denver’s right tackle practicing fully Wednesday, it would seem the team will strongly consider another immediate activation.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Browning went down with a foot injury in Week 2; McGlinchey sustained an MCL sprain during the Broncos’ loss to the Steelers as well. Browning’s return will be pivotal for his future, as this is a contract year for the former third-round pick. The Ohio State alum worked as a starter alongside his former college teammate, Jonathon Cooper, but the Broncos have seen 2022 second-round pick Nik Bonitto enjoy success filling in.

Regardless of how the Broncos structure their OLB corps, the team has another piece to use during a season that has seen Vance Joseph‘s unit help cover for offensive struggles. Browning will join Bonitto, Cooper and third-round rookie Jonah Elliss in the Broncos’ OLB group.

Denver moved Browning from inside linebacker to the edge in 2022, after having used him as a starter off the ball as a rookie. Browning has flashed pass-rushing chops, totaling five sacks in 2022 and 4.5 last season. Browning forced two fumbles in 2023 and tallied 12 QB hits a year prior. Though, injuries have been a consistent part of Browning’s NFL career. An offseason knee injury led Browning to the Broncos’ PUP list last year, costing him seven games. Browning, 25, also missed three games during the 2021 and ’22 seasons.

It would stand to reason, then, that Cooper may be higher on Denver’s long-term priority list. The former seventh-rounder has established himself as a starter in Joseph’s 3-4 scheme, leading the Broncos with 4.5 sacks this season. Cooper joins Browning in a contract year, creating a decision for a Broncos team that has already paid two members from its 2021 draft class — Quinn Meinerz and Patrick Surtain. A Cooper-or-Browning decision may loom, but the latter also will need to show he can stay healthy enough to be a productive player in his contract year to warrant extension consideration.

Bills Add K Lucas Havrisik To Practice Squad

October 17th, 2024 at 9:41am CST by Sam Robinson

A Bills kicker workout will lead to Tyler Bass competition. Lucas Havrisik has secured another opportunity, latching on with Buffalo’s practice squad Thursday.

Bass has missed three field goals this season, all from between 40 and 49 yards, and memorably missed a game-tying kick — albeit in windy conditions — in that range that would have potentially forced overtime against the Chiefs in the divisional round. While Bills GM Brandon Beane has offered a vote of confidence, the Bills have a backup plan in place.

Havrisik spent part of last season as the Rams’ kicker, but the team waived him just before the playoffs. A reserve/futures deal with the Browns did not lead to a spot on their 53-man roster out of training camp, but the Bills will offer an opportunity. Havrisik, 25, was not part of Buffalo’s kicker audition last month; Anders Carlson and Cade York took part in that mid-September workout.

A former Browns UDFA, Havrisik landed in Los Angeles once the Rams signed him off Cleveland’s P-squad. He made 15 of 20 field goals last season, albeit playing in a friendlier home environment compared to what Bass has dealt with in Buffalo, but struggled down the stretch. Havrisik missed field goals in consecutive games before shanking two extra points in Week 17 in New York. The Rams cut him and moved back to Brett Maher, who kicked in their wild-card outing.

An Arizona product from Riverside, Calif., Havrisik does not have too much experience kicking in cold weather — at least, not compared to Bass. The Bills signed Bass to a four-year, $20.4MM extension in 2023. No guaranteed money remains on the deal beyond 2024. Bass, 27, has been Buffalo’s kicker for the past five seasons. The Bills chose him in the 2020 sixth round out of Georgia Southern.

Bass signed his extension after making more than 87% of his field goal tries in 2021 and ’22. This preceded a 4-for-6 season from beyond 50 yards last year. But Bass joined Greg Zuerlein in struggling Monday on a windy night. Before Bass’ Chiefs miss, he also made just 1 of 3 attempts in the Bills’ wild-card win over the Steelers. After six more games of evidence this season, the Bills are preparing to move on if need be.

Titans To Release S Jamal Adams

October 17th, 2024 at 8:42am CST by Sam Robinson

Jamal Adams‘ 29th birthday will involve a morning release. The veteran safety is out in Tennessee, with the Titans moving on after barely using the former All-Pro.

Adams requested to be moved, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. As a vested veteran cut before the trade deadline, Adams will head straight to free agency. Starting one game, Adams played all of 20 defensive snaps with the Titans this season.

The Titans are removing Adams from their reserve/NFI list, having placed him on that particular injured list late last week. Adams did not generate much of a market in the wake of his Seahawks exit, and while the former top-10 pick will likely present some degree of intrigue as a free agent in-season, he has not delivered a productive year since 2021.

Sustaining a season-ending quad injury in Week 1 of the 2022 season, Adams did not make it too far on a then-safety-record extension. The former Jets All-Pro only suited up for nine games last year. Although the Seahawks — now employing a new coaching staff — showed interest in a reunion after cutting him, Adams confirmed he was asked to play linebacker. That move would not have been too far out of step from his previous box role in Seattle, which allowed him to set a DB record with 9.5 sacks in 2020. But he did not come particularly close to justifying the Seahawks’ trade, which sent the Jets two first-round picks earlier in 2020.

The Titans signed both Adams and Quandre Diggs, reuniting the Seahawks starters, this summer. Adams signed first, but Diggs — a more traditional safety who signed for more money ($3MM to $1.29MM) — has seen more playing time in Tennessee. Diggs has started all five Titans games this season, joining holdover Amani Hooker as first-string safeties for Brian Callahan‘s team.

Adams did not start the 2023 season on time and ended it on the shelf due to a knee injury. He also considered retirement amid the lengthy rehab effort that left him off the field for more than a year. It appears Adams wants another shot, but he has not generated any momentum since that quad injury sidetracked his career.

Giants LT Andrew Thomas Out For Season

October 16th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:19pm: The Giants have since placed Thomas on IR, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Regarding a replacement plan, Ezeudu will indeed have the first chance. No firm plan appears to exist, but the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz indicates Ezeudu worked as the team’s first-string LT in practice while Eluemunor remained at RT.

9:12am: After playing through a significant foot injury to close out the Giants’ Sunday-night matchup, Andrew Thomas has opted for surgery. As a result, the talented left tackle is not expected to return in 2024.

Thomas suffered a Lisfranc injury, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the fifth-year blocker’s Charlotte trip has led to a surgery. This procedure will force the Giants into other options, removing an otherwise healthy unit’s best player. The Giants feared this outcome, and they will now be faced with playing 11 games without an All-Pro blocker.

Sustaining the injury during a third-quarter drive, Thomas did not miss a snap during the Giants’ loss to the Bengals. He indicated an issue postgame, however, and the Giants will need to regroup after seeing their Thomas-Jon Runyan Jr..-John Michael Schmitz–Greg Van Roten–Jermaine Eluemunor line not miss any snaps this season. Although the Giants’ line is much healthier than it was at this point last year, Thomas’ injury deals a crushing blow to the unit.

Thomas, 25, signed a five-year, $117.5MM extension just before training camp last year. He joined Dexter Lawrence and Daniel Jones as Dave Gettleman-era acquisitions paid during the Joe Schoen GM regime. While Lawrence has become one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles, Jones and Thomas have run into steady injury issues that have slowed them. This is Thomas’ most notable injury as a pro, and it both casts doubt about his long-term durability and the capability of New York’s O-line moving forward this season.

Last season, a hamstring injury sidelined Thomas — a second-team All-Pro in 2022 — for seven games. An earlier return was expected, but the former No. 4 overall pick sustained a setback during his rehab process. Thomas has also undergone two ankle surgeries previously, though he only missed three games due to injury prior to last last season. The Giants will hope for a smooth recovery, but by season’s end, they will have seen the standout Georgia product miss 18 games since signing his extension.

The Giants used Joshua Ezeudu as Thomas’ primary replacement last season, and the 2022 third-round pick — a converted guard — has been the team’s swingman this year. New York initially turned to Ezeudu when Evan Neal was in place at right tackle. Neal has been a healthy scratch this season, seeing poor play and extensive rehab sidetrack his career. The Giants have installed Eluemunor at RT; the recent Raiders starter was initially set to play left guard on a first-string line including Neal. The Giants changed that plan early in training camp, as Neal was not yet ready to debut.

It would stand to reason Ezeudu would receive the first crack at replacing Thomas. Neal could factor in, and this injury would at least position him to receive a game uniform again. Eluemunor does have a history at left tackle, playing on the blind side sparingly during his career. Though, the recent free agency pickup has never played more than 200 snaps at LT in a season. He did see time there for the Patriots and Raiders, but the Giants had viewed the journeyman best at LG or RT.

Ezeudu made five starts at left tackle last season but went down with a season-ending toe injury. Thomas reclaimed his starting gig soon after, but the Giants will need to turn to either Ezeudu or Neal — potentially in a scenario in which Eluemunor changes positions for a second time this year — to replace their anchor. Either way, the team is likely set to see a steep downgrade from Thomas.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/16/24

October 16th, 2024 at 8:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: WR Malik Knowles

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/16/24

October 16th, 2024 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

A number of players returned to practice today, designating their return from injured reserve. This means teams will have 21 days to activate the players from IR to the active roster.

Noteboom is the most notable name, as the veteran has spent his entire career in Los Angeles. The former third-round pick has settled into a versatile sixth OL for the Rams, starting 32 of his 68 appearances. The lineman started Week 1 but only played in about one third of his team’s offense snaps before suffering an ankle injury.

Browns Designate S Juan Thornhill For Return

October 16th, 2024 at 7:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Juan Thornhill could soon provide a spark to the Browns defense. The team announced that they’ve designated the safety for return from injured reserve. The Browns now have 21 days to activate Thornhill to the active roster.

The defensive back started Cleveland’s Week 1 loss, collecting nine tackles while getting into 60 defensive snaps. However, he suffered a calf injury in that game that ultimately landed him on the shelf. Thornhill was first eligible to return from IR this past weekend.

Thornhill inked a three-year deal with the Browns during the 2023 offseason. A calf injury forced him to miss six games during his debut season in Cleveland, but he otherwise managed to start all 11 of his appearances while contributing 54 tackles. The former second-round pick started his career in Kansas City, where he hauled in eight interceptions in 65 games (52 starts). He appeared in nine additional postseason contests, winning two Super Bowl rings along the way (although he was inactive during the team’s 2019 run).

The Browns have been forced to deal with an inconsistent safeties corps in 2024. Rodney McLeod Jr. and Ronnie Hickman both stepped up alongside Grant Delpit during Thornhill’s absence. However, both Delpit and Hickman were inactive for Week 6, forcing the team to turn to D’Anthony Bell.

Chargers WR DJ Chark Returns To Practice

October 16th, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Ben Levine

The Chargers could soon add some veteran talent to the WR depth chart. Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports that DJ Chark returned to practice today, meaning the team opened the wideout’s 21-day activation window.

Chark caught on with the Chargers this offseason and was expected to help soak up the snaps left by Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. However, the veteran suffered a hip injury prior to Week 1 that ultimately landed him on injured reserve. Chark required more than a minimum stay on IR, but it sounds like he’s now zeroing in on a return to the field.

The former second-round pick had a breakout sophomore campaign with the Jaguars, hauling in 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns. Unfortunately, he was unable to stay completely healthy in his two follow-up seasons, including a 2021 campaign where he was limited to four games thanks to an ankle injury.

Chark has bounced around the NFL in recent seasons. He spent the 2022 season with the Lions, where he collected 502 receiving yards in 11 games. He managed to get into 15 games with the Panthers in 2023, but he was limited to only 35 receiving yards per game, his lowest average since his rookie year.

In Los Angeles, Chark was initially expected to start alongside Josh Palmer in Jim Harbaugh‘s new-look offense. With the veteran out of the lineup, rookie second-round pick Ladd McConkey and 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston have stepped up, with the young duo leading the Chargers in targets. Chark may have an uphill battle to break the starting lineup, but he could slide in ahead of the likes of Derius Davis, Simi Fehoko, and rookie Brenden Rice.

Seahawks Place S Rayshawn Jenkins On IR

October 16th, 2024 at 5:24pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks have lost a key defender for at least the next four games. The team announced that they’ve placed safety Rayshawn Jenkins on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the Seahawks signed practice-squad safety Ty Okada to the active roster.

As ESPN’s Brady Henderson notes, Jenkins was a mainstay on the injury report over the past two weeks with a hand injury. The safety also played the past two games with a cast over his left hand. The injury will now force him off the field for at least the next four games. Jenkins will be eligible to return in Week 12.

The Seahawks have been especially reliant on their offseason acquisition, as Jenkins hasn’t missed a defensive snap through the first six weeks. The veteran has collected 38 tackles, and he returned a fumble for a touchdown in Week 5. Pro Football Focus only ranks Jenkins 56th among 84 qualifying safeties, although the site is high on his coverage ability.

The former fourth-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chargers, evolving from a special teamer into a starting defender. He inked a four-year, $35MM deal with the Jaguars in 2021, but he was handed his walking papers back in March after starting all 48 of his appearances in three seasons with the organization.

Julian Love will continue to sit atop the depth chart, and K’Von Wallace will likely slide into the starting lineup during Jenkins’ absence. The team could also turn to versatile defensive back Coby Bryant, and they’ve now added Okada to the grouping. The former UDFA has appeared in six games for the Seahawks over the past two seasons.

Panthers Open RB Jonathon Brooks’ Practice Window

October 16th, 2024 at 9:45am CST by Nikhil Mehta

OCTOBER 16: This is now official. Brooks will begin practicing with the Panthers, who have 21 days to activate him. This week will mark the second-round rookie’s first practices since his November 2023 ACL tear.

OCTOBER 14: Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks is one step closer to making his NFL debut. The Panthers are set to open his 21-day practice window, setting up a prepared activation from the non-football injury list, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Carolina did not officially make the move on Monday, but head coach Dave Canales told reporters a practice debut is imminent. This will be a welcome development for a Panthers team still in the early stages of a rebuild, and Brooks is expected to play a key role in that plan.

The 46th overall pick back in April, Brooks tore his ACL in late 2023, which damaged but did not plummet his draft stock. The Panthers still took him in the second round as the potential future of their backfield, a decision that drew criticism considering Carolina’s other needs and lack of future draft capital after the Bryce Young trade. No other team chose a running back in the first or second round this year, illustrating Carolina’s confidence in Brooks’ talents.

Brooks began the season on the NFI list, with the Panthers prioritizing his long-term health over a speedy return. Chuba Hubbard has excelled as Carolina’s lead back in the meantime, ranking third in rushing yards (485), second in success rate (64.0%), and fifth in yards per attempt (5.6). Hubbard’s early success should allow Brooks to slowly build up his workload as he adjusts to the NFL and acclimates to Canales’ offense.

At 1-5, the Panthers need all the help they can get, but Brooks’ return will do little to kickstart an anemic offense that has struggled with poor quarterback play and offensive line injuries this year. The Texas product should be a bigger pass-catching threat out of the backfield, as both Hubbard and Miles Sanders have yet to crack 100 receiving yards on the year.

Once he is designated for return, Brooks will have 21 days to be added to the Panthers’ 53-man roster. Otherwise, he will revert to season-ending injured reserve, though that would only happen with a significant health setback.

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