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Buccaneers CB Troy Hill Placed On IR

December 6th, 2024 at 8:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The Buccaneers’ depth at cornerback continues to be an issue in 2024. Five weeks after acquiring the veteran 33-year-old corner, Tampa Bay will now officially put Troy Hill on injured reserve, per Jenna Laine of ESPN. He joins Bryce Hall on IR and Josh Hayes and Tykee Smith from the secondary on the injury report.

The Bucs added Hill to their practice squad near the end of October, a little over a week after his release from the Panthers. He wasn’t able to play in his first two games with Tampa Bay as he dealt with ankle and foot issues. Finally, two weeks ago, he debuted with his fifth career team after a couple of limited practices. He was likely playing through the issues, though, as in both games he appeared in, Hill only saw three special teams snaps. Adding a knee injury to his issues forced the team’s hand to place him on IR.

Hill wasn’t likely to come in and take starting snaps across from Zyon McCollum, the only cornerback, and one of only three defenders, to start every game this season, but his depth was very necessary. Jamel Dean missed a four-game stretch before making it back for the last two games, rookie nickelback Tykee Smith has missed four of the team’s past five games, and undrafted rookie Tyrek Funderburk has worked his way into eight games this year.

Some of Hill’s best years have come in the slot. During his time with the Rams, he recorded at least two interceptions in three straight years, finishing 2020 as the league-leader in interception return yards (119) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (2), adding on a fumble return for a touchdown that year, as well.

Hill has struggled to find the same success he has experienced in Los Angeles elsewhere in the NFL, though. Over his time in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Carolina, Hill was viewed as a rotational defensive back, only tallying nine of his 60 career starts outside of LA.

For a former undrafted free agent out of Oregon, Hill has enjoyed a long career in the NFL, but seeing as his age-33 season could be ending with a limp, we may be seeing his time in the league coming to a quiet end. He still has time to try to make a return before the end of the season, and the Buccaneers do have a few IR activations remaining, but for now, Tampa Bay will need to look elsewhere for cornerback depth.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/6/24

December 6th, 2024 at 6:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Cincinnati Bengals

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Williams, an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee, had appeared in every game for Seattle so far this year. While he only managed four snaps on defense in that time, Williams was the team’s primary punt returner and was back on kickoffs, as well.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/6/24

December 6th, 2024 at 3:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Friday’s practice squad moves:

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: T Coy Cronk
  • Placed on practice squad injured list: G Henry Byrd

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Peters has not seen any game action this season, keeping him from an official 21st NFL slate. Peters, 42, would make NFL history by becoming the first O-lineman to be on an active roster in a 21st season. After seeing action in eight games last season in Seattle, making two starts, Peters has not climbed to the team’s 53-man roster yet this year. Despite Abraham Lucas coming back, George Fant is back on IR. And Peters remains on the team’s practice squad. Though, he is running out of time to turn his insurance role into in-game duties.

McGill is not quite on the Josh Johnson journeyman tier, but the 10th-year defensive lineman has been with 10 teams. The Browns are not a new one, as he previously stopped through Cleveland during the 2017 season. McGill, 32, played in one game for the 49ers this season. He had spent three years in San Francisco but is now roster depth back in Cleveland, where he played three games in 2017.

Jets To Activate Allen Lazard, Place C.J. Mosley On IR

December 6th, 2024 at 12:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets will have Allen Lazard back in the fold in time for Week 14, but they will not see C.J. Mosley again this season. The latter is headed to injured reserve, head coach Jeff Ulbrich announced on Friday.

Mosley has been dealing with a herniated disk in his neck, and he has been limited to only four games in 2024. The veteran linebacker said last month he intended to return after New York’s Week 12 bye, but that did not turn out to be the case. Now, his attention will turn to recovery for the 2025 campaign.

After opting out of the 2020 campaign, Mosley posted three consecutive seasons without a major injury issue while serving as a full-time starter. His success in that regard landed him a fresh set of guarantees via an extension this past March. Only some of the five-time Pro Bowler’s compensation for 2025 is locked in, however, leading to questions about his future with the Jets in the wake of his missed time this season.

Mosley, who will turn 33 next summer, agreed to a pay cut in exchange for the guarantees this year. With the Jets set to retool around a new coaching staff and GM, it is worth wondering if this will be it for the decorated linebacker in New York.

That said, the team inserted three void years into Mosley’s contract. With $4.25MM of Mosley’s $8.25MM base salary guaranteed for next year and the void years present, the Jets would take on considerable dead money by cutting their most experienced defender. It would cost the Jets $16.4MM in dead cap to release Mosley in 2025, though a post-June 1 designation would split that bill over two years. With new regimes less concerned about dead money coming from old contracts, this could be something to monitor still.

The Jets also activated offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer from IR, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Plenty has changed since Schweitzer was last on the roster; the veteran swingman went on IR with a hand injury after Week 1. Still, the Jets have seen him return to full strength. Schweitzer, 31, has not seen action in a game this season but will have a chance to suit up and play for another midlevel contract come 2025. The former Falcons and Commanders blocker is on track for free agency at season’s end.

Lazard would seem likely to be done in New York after this season. Although the ex-Packers pass catcher showed notable improvement from a disappointing 2023 thanks to Aaron Rodgers‘ return, his contract containing no guarantees beyond 2024 — along with the Rodgers-driven nature of his arrival — points to a 2025 exit. The Jets would save more than $6MM by cutting Lazard next year. One void year is on Lazard’s contract, which includes an $11MM base salary for next season. Lazard, 29 next week, has 30 receptions for 412 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Cardinals Extend RB James Conner

December 5th, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Ben Levine

DECEMBER 5: Details of Conner’s contract have emerged via OverTheCap. The deal includes $10.39MM in total guarantees, including $8.25MM of fully-guaranteed money. Conner’s $6.75MM signing bonus and his $1.5MM guaranteed salary in 2025 are both fully guaranteed, with an additional $2.14MM of 2025 salary that becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year.

The contract also includes $100k in workout bonuses and $510k in per-game roster bonuses in both 2025 and 2026, as well as a $1MM roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2026 league year. Connor’s 2024 salary cap number rose to $11.24MM to account for the $2.25MM prorated portion of his new signing bonus. His cap hit will be $6.5MM in 2025 and $10.25MM in 2026.

Overall, the deal rewards Conner for his success this season with solid guarantees while the structure minimizes risk for the Cardinals if his effectiveness dips next year. Conner can be released after the 2025 season with just $2.25MM in dead money while saving $8MM against the cap.

NOVEMBER 30: James Conner is sticking in Arizona. The impending free agent running back has signed a two-year extension with the Cardinals, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal is worth $19MM. The extension will keep Conner in Glendale through the 2026 campaign.

The 2025 campaign will represent Conner’s age-30 season, a milestone that teams have generally been wary of investing in. While the RB missed time in each of his first three seasons with the organization, he’s still topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage each year. He’s collected 35 touchdowns over that span, including an 18-score campaign during his debut in Arizona.

Conner has avoided the injury bug for the first chunk of the 2024 campaign, and he’s continued to produce. In 11 games, the 29-year-old has collected 993 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. As Schefter notes, the Cardinals are 5-1 when Conner reaches 100 scrimmage yards…and 1-4 when he doesn’t. The team continues to be especially reliant on their RB1, and he should continue to be a focal point over the next few seasons.

The former third-round pick started his career as Le’Veon Bell‘s backup in Pittsburgh. When the starter sat out the 2018 campaign due to a contract dispute with the Steelers, Conner literally and figuratively ran with the job. Conner finished his sophomore campaign with 1,470 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. Thanks in part to injuries and a drop in efficiency, Conner’ was barely able to match his 2018 numbers to his 2019 and 2020 outputs; between those two campaigns, the RB collected 1,651 scrimmage yards and 13 scores.

The Cardinals were somewhat taking a chance on Conner during the 2021 offseason, signing the RB to a one-year deal. His 18-touchdown performance earned him a new three-year pact with the organization, so today’s extension represents his third contract with the Cardinals.

The front office could have been preparing for a post-Conner backfield when they selected running back Trey Benson in the third round of this year’s draft. The Florida State product will move forward as high-end insurance behind the oft-injured starter.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this article.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/5/24

December 5th, 2024 at 8:04pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the NFL:

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

The Seahawks waived Shenault on Monday after being a non-factor on offense all year. He played just 45 offensive snaps across 11 games, but carved out a role on special teams with 168 snaps between returns and coverage. Shenault was Seattle’s primary kick returner for much of the year with an average of 28.7 yards per return. His 97-yard touchdown in Week 6 was one of the league’s six kickoff return scores this season.

However, the Seahawks had to make room for Uchenna Nwosu‘s activation from injured reserve. He will get another chance in Los Angeles where he could quickly factor into the special teams picture.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/24

December 5th, 2024 at 7:31pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest moves from around the league, including game day elevations for Thursday Night football:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Designated to return from injured reserve: CB Elijah Jones

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Elevated to the active roster from the practice squad: CB Kalen King

Houston Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

The Lions signed Adams to their practice squad on Sunday after a slew of injuries on Thanksgiving. The onetime All-Pro played 20 snaps across three games for the Titans this year before he landed on the Non-Football injury list and requested his release. Though he’s still listed as a defensive back, Adams is likely to play in the box after Malcolm Rodriguez joined three other Lions linebacker on injured reserve.

Seahawks Activate Uchenna Nwosu From IR

December 5th, 2024 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

As they vie for their first NFC West title since 2020, the Seahawks will have some more help in a crucial division matchup. They are activating Uchenna Nwosu ahead of Sunday’s Cardinals rematch, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson notes.

Nwosu has missed almost all of this season, sustaining separate injuries that have required weeks-long rehab odysseys. This comes after the former Chargers draftee missed much of the 2023 season. Nevertheless, the Seahawks will have him back after an quadriceps injury.

Nwosu said (via The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar) he sustained a torn quad that did not ultimately require surgery. While Seattle is in good shape for injury activations, still holding four after this move, it has continued to see roadblocks form for Nwosu.

The quad strain occurred 20 plays into Nwosu’s season debut — against the Giants in Week 5 — and it brought more rehab time. Nwosu had missed the Seahawks’ first four games due to an MCL injury sustained during the preseason. Nwosu entered the offseason after a pectoral injury shut him down in October 2023. He has missed 22 games since that point, effectively putting a promising career on pause.

This is Nwosu’s third season as a Seahawk. A productive 2022 slate (9.5 sacks, 26 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles) earned him a three-year, $45MM extension. The run of injuries has prevented Seattle from benefiting much from that deal. The former Joey Bosa Bolts sidekick has more to prove now, stepping into Mike Macdonald‘s defense. No guaranteed money remains on Nwosu’s deal for 2025. At the same time, the Seahawks are welcoming a productive edge defender back at a key juncture.

In terms of resources allocated, the Seahawks have a deep OLB corps. Homegrown second-rounders Boye Mafe and Derick Hall are on rookie deals, while Dre’Mont Jones — primarily an interior defensive lineman in Denver, before shifting to more of an EDGE role under Macdonald — is attached to a three-year, $51MM deal. Hall (six sacks) has elevated his play this season, doing so after Maye thrived during Nwosu’s 2023 absence. Mafe has five sacks this year. How the Seahawks use Nwosu after his batch of injuries will be interesting, but this activation certainly gives Macdonald more options as he attempts to secure the team its first division crown since the Russell Wilson years.

Nwosu, 28, is also a former second-round pick. He spent much of his Los Angeles stay as a rotational player behind Bosa and Melvin Ingram. The Bolts traded for Khalil Mack in 2022 and let Nwosu walk in free agency. Nwosu’s second Seahawks contract runs through the 2026 season, and while the team has not seen much from the seventh-year veteran since authorizing it, a return to form would give the Seahawks a bargain. Whether Nwosu can return to form will be a key storyline in a tightly bunched NFC West — a division that may well send only one team to the playoffs this season.

Texans, TE Brevin Jordan Agree To Extension

December 5th, 2024 at 10:53am CST by Adam La Rose

Brevin Jordan was on track for free agency, but that will no longer be the case. The fourth-year tight end worked out a Texans extension on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

This will be a one-year deal, meaning Jordan will remain in Houston for the 2025 campaign. His season was brought to an early and abrupt end by a Week 2 ACL tear, something which threatened to hinder his value on the open market. Instead, Jordan’s immediate future is now secure.

Selected in the fifth-round of the 2021 draft, Jordan has served as a key rotational figure on offense throughout his time in Houston. The 24-year-old’s role in the passing game remained consistent through his first three seasons, averaging just over 25 targets, 17 catches and 175 yards per year. That production includes five total touchdowns along with a career-best 12.9 yards per reception from 2023, so expectations were high for a step forward this season.

The ACL tear has left Jordan on the sidelines for the rest of the year, but the Texans do of course still have Dalton Schultz in place as a pass-catching option at the TE spot. The former Cowboy inked a new deal this offseason, and as a result he is on the books through 2026. Today’s move will give Houston added continuity with not only Schultz but also Jordan in place for next year.

Given the timing of the latter’s injury, he will have a strong chance of being available for the start of the 2025 campaign; Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes that is indeed expected to be the case. If Jordan can manage to remain healthy next year, he will have the opportunity to boost his free agent stock while remaining in a familiar environment.

Ravens Suspend WR Diontae Johnson

December 4th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens have suspended veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson for one game, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

General manager Eric DeCosta issued the following statement on the team’s decision, one that stems from Johnson refusing to enter the team’s Week 13 game against the Eagles.

“We have made the difficult decision to suspend Diontae Johnson for our upcoming game against the New York Giants for conduct detrimental to the team,” DeCosta said. “Diontae’s suspension stems from refusing to enter our game against the Philadelphia Eagles.”

DeCosta added that the Ravens would not have any additional comment on the situation moving forward.

Johnson did not play a single snap in the Ravens’ Week 13 loss to the Eagles despite a knee injury that knocked starter Rashod Bateman out of the game. Head coach John Harbaugh declined to elaborate on Johnson’s absence after the game, though his comments hinted at the sort of internal issue that DeCosta’s statement revealed.

Johnson has been active for all five games since his arrival in Baltimore, but only played 39 snaps on offense with just one catch for six yards on five targets. Bateman’s injury appeared to be an opportunity for the veteran wideout to see more targets from Lamar Jackson, but Johnson refused to enter the game, leading to his suspension. Nelson Agholor and Tylan Wallace filled in for Bateman instead, with Agholor unable to reel in his two targets while Wallace caught both of his for 14 yards.

The suspension continues a tumultuous contract year for Johnson in which he was averaging 51.0 yards per game in Carolina before his trade to the Ravens. Johnson quickly grew frustrated with his minimal role in Baltimore’s offense, though it is unclear why he would turn down the opportunity for more snaps when it arose.

The Ravens’ decision to suspend Johnson signals that the team is considering moving on from the veteran receiver. Baltimore still thinks that Johnson “could help them down the stretch,” according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, especially if Bateman misses time. However, a team with strong playoff chances and Super Bowl aspirations needs “everyone to be fully committed and team-focused,” per Schultz, forcing the Ravens to determine if Johnson is worth keeping around.

Baltimore has some time to weigh their options with a bye week before their Week 15 matchup against the Giants in which Johnson will be ineligible to play. Keeping him on the roster after the bye would indicate that the Ravens have resolved the situation with Johnson.

This is not the first internal issue the Ravens have dealt with this season. Marcus Williams has been reduced to a healthy scratch multiple times after his struggles in coverage, and Eddie Jackson was released after refusing to travel with the team to Pittsburgh in Week 11.

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