HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/18

September 11th, 2018 at 6:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

Eagles Re-Sign WR Kamar Aiken

September 11th, 2018 at 5:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles have re-signed wide receiver Kamar Aiken, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Philadelphia originally inked Aiken to a pact this summer, but released him during final cutdowns. He didn’t garner any known interest over the past week, except from the Eagles, who worked him out on Monday.

Aiken, 29, posted a disappointing 2017 campaign: instead of running with the Colts’ second wide receiver job, Aiken managed only 155 receptions and 133 yards in 15 games (seven starts). His last meaningful production came in 2015, when the former undrafted free agent put up nearly 1,000 yards with the Ravens

Philadelphia currently has six receivers on its roster, but Alshon Jeffery is expected to be sidelined for several more weeks. Nelson Agholor, Mike Wallace, and DeAndre Carter saw most of the work in the Eagles’ season opener, while Shelton Gibson and Markus Wheaton are also on the club’s roster.

Raiders Re-Sign WR Martavis Bryant

September 11th, 2018 at 5:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders are re-signing free agent Martavis Bryant to a one-year deal, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) first reported Bryant was nearing a deal with Oakland, while Mike Garafolo (Twitter link) first noted Bryant was back in the Raiders’ facility.

Bryant is reportedly facing a year-long suspension after once again violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but nothing official has yet been announced on that front. As such, Bryant is eligible to sign and play until the league formally bans him.

Bryant is expected to play on Sunday, according to Pelissero, which would represent quite the turnaround for the 26-year-old pass-catcher. For now, he’ll slot into a receiver group that includes Amari Cooper, Jordy Nelson, Seth Roberts, and Brandon LaFell.

Oakland sent a third-round pick to Pittsburgh for Bryant earlier this year, but subsequently waived him during final cutdowns. Bryant passed through waivers (presumably because rival clubs believe he’ll be suspended), and was free to sign with any team.

By signing Bryant, the Raiders aren’t taking much of a financial risk. If he ultimately is suspended, Bryant wouldn’t collect his paycheck from Oakland while he’s away from the club. And he’s unlikely to ink anything more than a minimum salary contract, anyway.

Buccaneers Meet With CB Bashaud Breeland

September 11th, 2018 at 5:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers met with free agent cornerback Bashaud Breeland this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Tampa Bay was torched by Drew Breees, Michael Thomas, and the rest of the Saints’ passing attack on Sunday, so the club is looking for all the help it can get. The Bucs, already short on cornerback talent with veteran Brent Grimes inactive, saw Vernon Hargreaves go down with injury in Week 1, leaving rookie Carlton Davis as the club’s top pass defender.

Breeland, 26, hasn’t been wanting for interest this offseason, as he’s either met with or been linked to the Raiders, Ravens, Browns, Colts, Chiefs, and Jets. However, no club has yet to sign Breeland, and while injury issues are surely playing a part in most teams’ decision not to ink the veteran defensive back, the Ravens — for one — believe he’s asking for too much money.

Breeland was originally a fourth-round Redskins pick in 2014 draft. A Clemson product, Breeland has been a starter from day one, totaling eight interceptions in 58 starts during his four-year career. Last season, Pro Football Focus ranked Breeland as the No. 50 cornerback among 121 qualifiers.

Breeland, of course, agreed to a three-year, $24MM deal with the Panthers earlier this year, but that contract was voided after he failed a physical. A foot injury that was subsequently infected is reportedly the root cause of Breeland’s health question marks.

Texans Place CB Kevin Johnson On IR

September 11th, 2018 at 5:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Texans have placed cornerback Kevin Johnson on injured reserve, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Houston head coach Bill O’Brien admitted on Monday that Johnson would likely miss time after suffering a concussion, with a return timeframe of four-to-six weeks as the likeliest outcome. With that in mind, the Texans moved Johnson to IR with the knowledge they can re-activate him after an eight-week absence.

Without Johnson in tow, the Texans are short on talent in their defensive secondary. Kareem Jackson moved to safety this offseason, leaving Aaron Colvin and 34-year-old Johnathan Joseph as the club’s starting corners. Free agent addition Kayvon Webster, luckily, is close to returning to action after suffering a torn Achilles in 2017.

Patriots Expected To Sign RB Kenjon Barner

September 11th, 2018 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots will attempt to fill the void Jeremy Hill‘s injury created in their backfield by signing Kenjon Barner, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

Barner worked out for the Patriots last week. The sixth-year running back’s spent his NFL days with the Panthers and Eagles. He and Hill’s skill sets don’t exactly overlap, however, with the 28-year-old soon-to-be Patriot known mostly for his return acumen.

Barner could well replace Riley McCarron as the Pats’ punt returner. The Patriots waived McCarron after a game that featured a fumbled punt. Barner served as the Eagles’ kick- and punt-return specialist last season, marking his first season of sustained punt-return work. He returned 27 punts in 2017, averaging 8.9 yards per return. Cordarrelle Patterson is a two-time All-Pro return man, but he’s been strictly a kick returner in his NFL career.

The Panthers released Barner after the preseason, despite signing him in May. The former sixth-round draft pick began his career with the Panthers before spending four seasons with the Eagles.

Texans To Shift Seantrel Henderson To IR

September 11th, 2018 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Texans starting right tackle Seantrel Henderson won’t have a chance to reprise that role for the rest of this season. Expected to be out for the year after a Week 1 ankle injury, Henderson will spend his season on IR.

The Texans made that procedural move Tuesday. But instead of bringing aboard one of the veteran tackles the team worked out earlier today, Houston will promote tackle Roderick Johnson from its practice squad, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

Johnson arrived in Houston via offseason trade, one of a many moves the John Dorsey-era Browns made to ship Sashi Brown-era draft picks out of Cleveland. The Texans then stashed the 2017 fifth-rounder on their practice squad. They’ll now begin to see what they have in the trade acquisition. Johnson has yet to play a regular-season snap.

The Florida State alum will slot in behind recent third-round picks Julie’n Davenport and Martinas Rankin. Kendall Lamm also represents possible tackle depth on Houston’s roster, and the Texans will again have eight offensive linemen on their active roster after bringing up Johnson.

Colts Move J’Marcus Webb To IR

September 11th, 2018 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

J’Marcus Webb picked up a start for his fifth team on Sunday, but the veteran offensive lineman won’t have a chance to suit up again for a while. He may miss the rest of the season.

The Colts placed Webb on IR on Tuesday and promoted cornerback Lenzy Pipkins, a recent trade acquisition, from their practice squad, the team announced.

Webb started in place of Denzelle Good at right tackle and suffered a hamstring injury late in the fourth quarter of Indianapolis’ Week 1 loss. The Colts were already without their top tackle, left-side starter Anthony Castonzo, but are expected to have him ready for Week 2. Good sat Sunday because of wrist and knee injuries.

Indianapolis signed Webb to a one-year deal worth the league minimum in late July. The 30-year-old blocker’s now started for the Bears, Vikings, Raiders, Seahawks and Colts. He may not profile as an IR-return candidate, given the other injuries that could affect more essential players’ statuses early in the season.

Pipkins came to Indiana via trade, with the Packers shipping the defensive back in exchange for linebacker Antonio Morrison last month. The Colts waived Pipkins, a 2017 UDFA, after training camp but stashed him on their practice squad.

Falcons Place Deion Jones On IR

September 11th, 2018 at 2:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Deion Jones‘ foot injury is serious enough an IR trip will occur. The Falcons placed their top linebacker on IR Tuesday, meaning he will be out until at least November.

The Falcons announced the move but also expect the third-year defender to return this season. However, a corrective procedure will be required for Jones, who joins Keanu Neal as Falcons starting defenders whose Week 1 injuries will result in IR trips.

“Following the game last Thursday, Deion reported soreness in his foot, so we sent him for further tests,” Dan Quinn said. “We got the results of those tests back today, and he unfortunately will require a procedure that will result in us having to place him on injured reserve. We are bummed for Deion, but we do expect to get him back at some point this season.”

Running back Brian Hill will take Jones’ place on Atlanta’s 53-man roster, with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reporting the Falcons will promote the Wyoming product. Devonta Freeman also left the Falcons’ Week 1 game with an injury, but he’s believed to have avoided a serious setback.

Jones and Neal were both 2017 Pro Bowlers and critical players to the Falcons’ cause of pushing for a Super Bowl appearance in their home stadium. Neal is out for the year, and Jones will be shelved for at least eight weeks.

Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 coverage linebacker last season, Jones intercepted a pass against the Eagles and made nine tackles. He made 138 stops last season. McClure notes outside linebacker Duke Riley could slide into Jones’ middle spot. The Falcons are thin at linebacker, having now only five healthy second-level defenders. They did sign former Broncos backup Corey Nelson, however, likely in preparation for a Jones absence. They may be on the lookout for more help at this spot as well, now that Jones will miss at least the first half of the season.

Texans Work Out Austin Howard, Chris Clark

September 11th, 2018 at 2:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the Texans’ three offseason additions to their starting offensive line did not last through Week 1, and the team is auditioning Seantrel Henderson replacement options. This includes one familiar name in Houston.

Chris Clark trekked to the Texans facility on Tuesday for a workout, joining Austin Howard and Cornelius Lucas in doing so, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

An eight-year veteran, Clark spent the past three seasons with the Texans. He started 26 games, becoming an essential depth piece after injuries to Duane Brown and Derek Newton thrust him into the starting lineup. The Texans placed Henderson on IR on Monday because of an ankle injury.

Howard has bounced around lately but has given multiple teams quality right tackle work in recent years. After playing well in spots for the Raiders from 2014-16, Howard caught on with the Ravens and gave them 16 starts at right tackle. However, the 31-year-old blocker could not commandeer the Colts’ right-side job and was released before the regular season.

A former UDFA, Lucas has served as mostly a backup in his four-season NFL run — spent with the Lions and Rams.

Houston added Henderson, Zach Fulton and Senio Kelemete and may start third-round rookie Martinas Rankin at left tackle after moving Julie’n Davenport to the right side. Clark, 32, and Howard, 31, though, obviously bring far more experience.

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