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Broncos Designate RT Mike McGlinchey, OLB Baron Browning For Return

October 15th, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

A loss to the Chargers halted the Broncos’ win streak at three, but reinforcements are on the way. Both Baron Browning and Mike McGlinchey are back at practice for the AFC West team.

Denver designated both its starting right tackle and fourth-year linebacker for return Tuesday, 9News’ Mike Klis tweets. This would make each eligible to be activated ahead of Thursday’s game in New Orleans. While the Broncos may be cautious with both given the short week and each having a 21-day return timetable, the early return designations are certainly notable.

McGlinchey went down with an MCL sprain in Week 2, while Browning also headed to IR after an injury (a foot issue) sustained against the Steelers. The Broncos have since lost backup right tackle Alex Palczewski to a high ankle sprain; McGlinchey’s top reserve did not play in the team’s Week 6 loss to the Bolts. The Broncos also cut linebacker Kristian Welch from their active roster.

While the Broncos have a greater need along an offensive line than also recently saw center Luke Wattenberg placed on IR, Browning’s return stands to be interesting for a defense that has been one of the NFL’s most surprising units this season. Denver ranks fourth in scoring defense and yards allowed. Browning, who joins ex-Ohio State teammate Jonathon Cooper in a contract year, served as a starter in both games he played this season. Third-year player Nik Bonitto has taken over in that role; the replacement has four sacks in six games. Browning, who tallied 4.5 last season, did not register a sack before going down this year. Rookie third-rounder Jonah Elliss has operated as Denver’s top rotational rusher.

McGlinchey, 30, missed just one game for the Broncos last season and did not miss any time for the 49ers in 2022. The former top-10 San Francisco draftee missed nine games during the 2021 season due to a torn quad but rebounded to boost his market, leading to a five-year, $87.5MM Broncos agreement. McGlinchey’s 2025 salary became fully guaranteed in March, and the Broncos appear to be close to having him back at full strength.

Palczewski had played well in relief of McGlinchey, but the ankle injury he suffered in Week 5 clears a path for the starter to return. With the Broncos having a 10-day break before their Week 8 matchup, the team has some time to decide on Browning and McGlinchey. The Broncos have six injury activations remaining.

Bills Cut WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling

October 15th, 2024 at 3:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Set to add Amari Cooper to their receiving corps, the Bills will jettison one of their current wideouts. It will be Marquez Valdes-Scantling who is cut, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

The Bills agreed to terms with Valdes-Scantling in mid-May, with Josh Allen making a sales pitch to the former Packers and Chiefs starter. MVS, however, has not made many contributions to Buffalo’s cause. He has two receptions for 26 yards. The Bills have since announced the release.

With MVS not playing special teams, the Bills resided in a difficult spot regarding his fit — seeing as they obtained a more talented receiver who does not play special teams. It is possible MVS could be retained on a practice squad deal, as he would not need to pass through waivers to get there. For now, however, the seventh-year veteran is out of the picture in Buffalo.

Valdes-Scantling, 30, has played 39% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps this season. The Bills had added several role player-level receivers this offseason — from MVS to Curtis Samuel to Mack Hollins to Chase Claypool — and the recent Chiefs contributor will join Claypool in free agency. The Bills released Claypool with an injury settlement in August.

Although Valdes-Scantling scored a touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII and made critical long-range grabs in Chiefs wins over the Bills and Ravens in the AFC playoffs, he has been trending downward. MVS, who also came through with a 100-yard day for a receiver-depleted Chiefs team in the 2022 AFC title game, recorded just just 315 yards on 21 catches for Kansas City during the 2023 regular season. That span included a brutal drop late in a Chiefs loss to the Eagles.

Still, Valdes-Scantling had a market. The Chargers met with him, and the Saints showed interest. The ex-Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes tertiary target may be able to catch on elsewhere — the two-time defending champions have brought back Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster and remain in need at WR — but his stock has certainly dropped since inking a three-year, $30MM Chiefs deal in March 2022.

49ers To Sign K Anders Carlson

October 15th, 2024 at 11:52am CST by Adam La Rose

Another short-term Jake Moody replacement option is in place for San Francisco. The 49ers are adding Anders Carlson to their practice squad, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Moody is dealing with a high ankle sprain, and his injury prompted a kicking addition last week. Matthew Wright was brought in, and the 28-year-old connected on all three of his field goal attempts and extra points in Week 6. Wright suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday, however, so this move will provide the team with a healthy insurance option.

Carlson was a sixth-round pick of the Packers last season, and he went 27-for-33 on field goal attempts during his rookie campaign. He missed five extra points, however, and Green Bay’s postseason run saw him miss one each of his field goal and extra point kicks. After struggling during the summer (one in which the Packers cycled through several kickers), Carlson was let go. Green Bay has relied on Brayden Narveson so far this year; the undrafted rookie has missed five of his 17 field goal tries.

Carlson has drawn interest since passing through waivers after roster cutdowns. The Auburn product visited the Bills last month amidst Tyler Bass‘ inconsistency. Bass remains in place with Buffalo for the time being, though. Carlson was also among the kickers who auditioned for San Francisco prior to Wright being signed. He did not do enough to land a deal right away, but his performance was clearly well-received.

Should Wright be forced to miss this week’s game (a Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs), it will be Carlson in place to handle kicking duties. Moody could be an IR candidate based on his recovery timeline, but no move on that front has been made yet. Over at least a short-term period, Carlson could find himself seeing game action with San Francisco.

Jaguars Trade DL Roy Robertson-Harris To Seahawks

October 14th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

The terms of the first midseason trade of 2024 are in place. Jacksonville is sending defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seahawks, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The Jaguars will receive a 2026 sixth-round pick in return.

Robertson-Harris spent his first four seasons with the Bears, logging a notable role during the 2019 and ’20 seasons in particular. His play during that span helped his market value considerably, and the Jaguars handed him a three-year, $24.4MM deal on the open market. That led to high expectations for the former UDFA, and he served as a full-time starter during his three full campaigns in Jacksonville.

After posting three sacks in each of his first two Jaguars seasons, Robertson-Harris landed a three-year, $21.6MM extension. As a result, he remains under contract through 2026, something which does not make this deal a rental agreement as many trades worked out shortly before the deadline are. With that said, no guaranteed salary exists on the final two years of the UTEP product’s deal, so Seattle is not necessarily making a long-term commitment with this swap.

Robertson-Harris is due to see his cap hits jump to $8.9MM and $9.1MM over the next two years barring any kind of adjustments to his contract. For now, though, the Seahawks will only be responsible for the remainder of his $1.7MM 2024 base salary. This low-cost acquisition will provide depth along the defensive front for a Seattle team which is need of improvement against the run.

The Seahawks currently rank 10th in terms of passing yards allowed per game, but only 27th on the ground. Upgrades along the D-line could help in defending the run, something which has been central to Robertson-Harris’ skillset throughout his career. The 31-year-old has totaled between 30 and 45 tackles in each of his past four healthy seasons, and he will be tasked with chipping in on early downs on his new team.

The Jaguars were not initially interested in adopting a sellers’ standpoint in the build-up to the trade deadline. After another loss dropped the team to 1-5, however, it will be interesting to see if that mindset changes. Jacksonville owner Shad Khan offered an endorsement of general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson ahead of Sunday’s game, but today’s deal could be the first of multiple trades sending veteran players to new teams over the coming weeks.

Ravens Sign DE Yannick Ngakoue To Active Roster

October 14th, 2024 at 9:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens have signed defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to their active roster, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, solidifying the veteran’s status in Baltimore after joining the practice squad at the end of September.

Ngakoue was elevated from the practice squad for the Ravens’ last two games and flashed the bend and burst that made him such an effective edge rusher earlier in his career. He recorded one sack of Jayden Daniels in Baltimore’s Week 6 win over the Commanders on Sunday, potentially putting him on other teams’ radars. Ngakoue still had one elevation remaining, but the Ravens moved quickly to add him to the active roster to prevent another squad from signing him, signaling that they see him as a part of their edge rotation for the rest of the season.

The Ravens already had a full 53-man roster as of Monday, so they will need to make a corresponding move on Tuesday to accommodate Ngakoue. There are no clear cut candidates on the roster, but both Malik Harrison and Broderick Washington missed practice last week with injuries. One could be headed to injured reserve, creating the space for Ngakoue on the roster.

The Ravens are hoping that Ngakoue’s second stint in Baltimore will be more successful than his nine-game stint in 2020 after being acquired at the trade deadline. He struggled to find a role in then-defensive coordinator Wink Martindale‘s defense and only recorded three sacks after starting the season with five in six games for the Vikings. While Martindale tended to design blitzes with pass rushers dropping into coverage, current DC Zach Orr has prioritized getting pressure with four pass rushers this season and giving less coverage responsibilities to his edge rushers. Ngakoue has been a pass-rusher on two-thirds of his snaps this season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Adding Ngakoue to their 53-man roster complicates the Ravens’ future roster plans, with cornerback Arthur Maulet designated for return from a preseason knee injury and running back Keaton Mitchell nearing his recovery from last year’s ACL tear. Barring additional injuries, the Ravens will have to make multiple cuts to add both players to their 53-man roster in the coming weeks.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/14/24

October 14th, 2024 at 8:11pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Monday’s practice squad transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Chargers To Sign CB Eli Apple

October 14th, 2024 at 6:54pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers have agreed to terms with veteran cornerback Eli Apple, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Apple will start on the Chargers’ practice squad after working out for the team earlier today, according to Pelissero.

The former first-rounder has become somewhat of a journeyman cornerback, playing for five different teams since the 2018 season. He last played for the Dolphins, appearing in 10 games and making four starts in 2023.

Before that, Apple started 30 games across the 2021 and 2022 seasons for the Bengals, but they let him walk in free agency with a focus on getting younger in their secondary over the last few offseasons. Still 29 despite coming into the NFL in 2016, Apple is heading to his sixth career team.

Jim Harbaugh coached against Apple during his first year at Michigan, with the eventual Giants first-round pick part of Ohio State’s cornerback pipeline. The Giants traded Apple to the Saints during the 2018 season, and after he played out his rookie deal in New Orleans, a Panthers one-and-done commenced.

The Chargers are dealing with a number of injuries in their secondary, with Asante Samuel Jr. and Ja’Sir Taylor both missing Week 6 with injuries. With Samuel now on injured reserve, the Chargers needed to add reliable cornerback depth in case they suddenly needed a stopgap solution from their practice squad. Apple may never have lived up to his draft billing after going 10th overall in 2016, but he has 82 starts and almost 100 career appearances under his belt, so he could quickly pick up the defense and play in Week 7 if necessary.

Former Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs also participated in the Chargers’ workout. Jacobs started 12 games in Detroit last season but was nontendered as an RFA this offseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/14/24

October 14th, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Houston Texans

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Jones will get to make his Cardinals debut in Week 7 after serving a five-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Arizona requested and received a one-week roster exemption so Jones could get acclimated to his new offense before being added to the 53-man roster. He will bring a veteran presence to a young Cardinals receiver room that lost Marvin Harrison Jr. to a concussion on Sunday.

Texans DL Mario Edwards Issued Four-Game Suspension

October 14th, 2024 at 3:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans will get Denico Autry back from suspension in Week 7, but the team will be without Mario Edwards for a notable stretch. The latter was issued a four-game ban for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Edwards will thus be sidelined until Week 10, dealing a notable blow to Houston’s defensive front. The free agent pickup has logged a 59% snap share so far this season. That matches the highest total of his career, so his absence will be felt as the team looks to continue its strong start to the campaign.

An NFL journeyman well before he decided to head to Houston, Edwards spent his first three seasons with the Raiders. That time was followed by short stints with the Giants, Saints, Bears, Titans and Seahawks. The 30-year-old inked a one-year deal to return to the AFC South this spring, signing for just over the veteran minimum ($1.65MM, $500K guaranteed). Serving as a full-time starter during his debut Houston campaign, Edwards has provided strong value to date.

The Florida State product posted one sack in each of the team’s first two games, and he recorded a season-high eight tackles during Sunday’s win over the Patriots. That production could be difficult to replace in the short term, although getting Autry back will certainly help in that regard. Autry received a six-game PED suspension in July, but now that he has served that penalty the Texans will receive a one-week roster exemption for him. A corresponding move will need to be made for Autry to return to the active roster if he is not activated ahead of Houston’s Week 7 game.

Edwards is once again a pending free agent, and today’s news is obviously an unwanted development with respect to his market value. A strong start to the season will lead to his expectations for his return, however. The Texans rank third in total defense, and they will look to remain among the league’s top units without Edwards in the picture for the time being.

Vikings Open G Dalton Risner’s Practice Window

October 14th, 2024 at 2:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

Dalton Risner is nearing a return to action. The Vikings guard had his practice window opened on Monday, per a team announcement.

The move allows Risner to resume practicing. He must be activated in the next 21 days to avoid reverting to season-ending injured reserve. Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell indicated at the beginning of the month Risner would not be ready to practice when first eligible, but he has clearly made progress since then.

The 29-year-old landed on IR in August, a move which guaranteed he would be sidelined for at least the first four games of the season. The Vikings took advantage of the NFL’s new offseason IR rules by designating him for return ahead of roster cutdowns. Doing so prevented the team for needing to name him to the initial roster, although he did use up one of the eight available in-season activations for the campaign.

Once Risner is back in the picture, he will offer a starting-caliber option up front for the undefeated Vikings. The former Bronco started each of his 62 appearances with Denver, and after plenty of time on the open market he landed a one-year Vikings pact. The former second-rounder wound up making 15 appearances during his debut Minnesota season, including 11 starts.

Once again, a longer free agent spell than expected ensued, but Risner ultimately re-signed with the Vikings. The terms of that pact – one year, $2.41MM – certainly do not guarantee a first-team role in 2024, and Ed Ingram and Blake Brandel have handled guard duties to date. Risner could look to unseat the latter once he if back to full health, although Brandel’s 2024 PFF grade (64.5) is the highest of his career.

Minnesota’s offense has performed better than expected with Sam Darnold at quarterback this season, and his market value has received a notable boost given how things currently stand. Bringing Risner back into the fold will help that unit once he is activated.

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