Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
Cleveland Browns
Los Angeles Chargers
New Orleans Saints
Tennessee Titans
An extension between the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell — originally reported a month ago — is “getting done,” a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. While the deal could take days or weeks to become official, it’s “getting papered right now,” per Schefter.
While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did indeed attempt to block a new contract for Goodell, his complaints were “shot down” by the league’s other owners, reports Schefter. While Jones wanted to extend the search process and possibly look for other candidates, the NFL’s six-man compensation committee — comprised of Arthur Blank (Falcons), Clark Hunt (Chiefs), Robert Kraft (Patriots), John Mara (Giants), Bob McNair (Texans) and Art Rooney II (Steelers) — had other ideas.
Goodell, who became NFL commissioner in 2006, is reported to have been extended through the 2021 campaign. For the 2012 season, Goodell raked in $44.2MM, but his salary was lowered in the following years, as he earned $35MM in 2013, $34.1MM in 2014, and $32MM in 2015. Goodell’s salary won’t be public any longer, as the NFL dropped its tax-exempt status in 2015.
Goodell’s rival, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, was also extended this week, as Smith landed a new contract through the 2021 campaign. Both men are now signed through the NFL’s current contractual bargaining agreement, ensuring stability for both sides as the parties head towards a possible work stoppage, something Smith referred to as a “virtual certainty.”
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has made “huge progress” in his recovery from a high ankle sprain and is “close” to returning to the field, head coach Hue Jackson told reporters, including Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). However, Jackson wouldn’t commit to Garrett being available for Sunday’s Week 3 contest against the Colts.
[RELATED: Browns Place Corey Coleman On IR]
Without Garrett in tow, the Browns rank just 25th in defensive DVOA and 22nd in scoring. Clearly, Garrett alone won’t cure Cleveland’s defensive woes, but he should be able to improve the club’s adjusted sack rate of 4.4%, which ranks 25th in the NFL. Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Nassib, and Nate Orchard have played as the Browns’ edge defenders, but all three have earned below average grades from Pro Football Focus.
Garrett, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2017 draft, also dealt with a foot injury this summer and had a history of foot issues during his time at Texas A&M.
The Chargers don’t have a return date for cornerback Jason Verrett, who is dealing with soreness in his knee as he continues to recover from a torn ACL that ended his 2016 campaign, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com.
“There’s really not a timetable on Jason right now,” head coach Anthony Lynn said. “We’re still evaluating him and we just want him to get right before he’s back on the football field.
“It was never right in my opinion, just watching him in practice,” Lynn said of Verrett’s knee. “He’s such a competitor. … But he wasn’t able to play to his standard. So we just want him to get healthy.”
Verrett, 26, played nearly every snap for Los Angeles in the club’s Week 1 loss to the Broncos, but sat out for the Chargers’ game against the Dolphins on Sunday. The fourth-year defensive back was placed on injured reserve last October after playing with a torn ligament for at least two weeks. A former first-round pick, Verrett is signed through the 2018 season thanks to his fifth-year option.
With Verrett sidelined, the Chargers turned to 2016 undrafted free agent Trevor Williams to play every defensive snap at corner opposite Casey Hayward. Williams played well, as he allowed just three receptions and 41 yards on five total targets.
In January, the Rams had planned to interview Kyle Shanahan for their coaching vacancy, but a snowstorm on the East Coast put the powwow on hold, as Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com writes. Days later, the team 86’d the meeting altogether as they pivoted eventual hire Sean McVay.
“They told me if I didn’t sit down, they might end up having to move on,” Shanahan said, “and I was definitely OK with that. I think it worked out for both parties.”
On Thursday night, the Rams will get a glimpse at what might have been when they take on San Francisco at Levi’s Stadium. Of course, the Rams are very high on McVay – who is the league’s youngest coach – so they have no cause for regret at this time.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
The Packers have re-signed defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The 30-year-old was released on Sept. 12, but he’ll rejoin the team eight days later. 
Jean-Francois played only six snaps against the Seahawks in Green Bay’s season opener. His release came as a bit of a surprise after the team gave him a one-year, $2MM deal in the offseason, a pact that included a $250K signing bonus. The Packers were eyeing him for years before finally signing him in March.
The defensive tackle started seven games for the Redskins last season. Last year, he saw action on roughly 40% of Washington’s defensive snaps, racking up 32 tackles and 1.5 sacks in that span.
To date, he has appeared in games for four different NFL teams.
The Eagles announced that they have claimed safety Trae Elston off waivers from the Bills. He’ll be on the 53-man roster when the Eagles take on the Giants on Sunday. 
The Bills dropped Elston on Tuesday, opting to replace him with fellow safety Robert Blanton on Wednesday morning. A UDFA out of Mississippi last year, Elston spent time with three different clubs in 2016 before Buffalo claimed him off waivers from the Browns. He is still looking for steady work, but on the plus side he has already amassed a solid jersey selection. The 23-year-old saw time in both of the Bills’ games this season with the bulk of his work coming on special teams.
The Eagles have been looking for safety depth and they initially tried to fill that void by signing safety DeAndre Houston-Carson off of the Bears’ practice squad this week, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). They were blocked on that attempt when Chicago bumped him to the 53-man roster, however.
Elston is likely to be on the active roster this weekend with starter Rodney McLeod and reserve defensive back Jaylen Watkins on the mend.
The Bills announced that they have signed defensive tackle Deandre Coleman and safety Robert Blanton. The addition of Coleman was necessary given the Bills’ issues in the middle of the defensive line.
The Bills are concerned about the status of Marcell Dareus‘ ankle and he may not be available for Sunday’s contest against the Broncos. Without Dareus, the Bills are expected to use either free agent pickup Cedric Thornton or Adolphus Washington in a starting role. Coleman will help to provide depth behind them while Jerel Worthy remains in concussion protocol.
Blanton, meanwhile, joins the roster just one day after the team dropped fellow safety Trae Elston.
The Bills, who may also be without left tackle Cordy Glenn, will take on the Broncos in Week 3.
The Lions have signed defensive end George Johnson. To make room, Detroit has waived fellow defensive lineman Alex Barrett. 
Johnson spent the 2014 season with the Lions, a campaign sandwiched by his two stints with the Buccaneers. He was quietly effective in that season, appearing in all 16 games and earning a positive grade from Pro Football Focus. The Lions are hoping that he can still be an effective pass rusher in 2017.
Johnson’s second stint with the Bucs came to an end earlier this month when he missed the 53-man cutdown. Tampa Bay saved $2.25MM by terminating his deal in advance of Week 1.
In the process, the Bucs get themselves off the hook for his $2.25MM salary, which would have become guaranteed if he was on the roster for Week 1.
Unfortunately, Johnson hasn’t seen the field since the 2015 season. Last August, an ACL tear shut him down for the year.
The Saints re-signed defensive end Darryl Tapp, according to a source who spoke with Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). Tapp was released by the Saints just after the 53-man cutdown deadline. 
[RELATED: Saints Trade LB Stephone Anthony To Dolphins]
Tapp, 33, appeared in all 16 games for the Saints last year, giving him his third consecutive season of perfect regular season attendance. Although his 17 tackles and half a sack weren’t eye-popping numbers, the advanced metrics were fond of his work. He finished out as the 43rd best edge defender in the NFL last year out of 109 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus. The 78.0 overall score was his best showing since 2012.
Tapp will give the Saints another body in the front seven following Tuesday’s trade which sent linebacker Stephone Anthony to Miami. Tapp will look to get snaps behind starting DEs Alex Okafor and Cameron Jordan.