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Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC North

September 2nd, 2018 at 3:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC North teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, and Steelers are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Baltimore Ravens

Practice squad:

Cincinnati Bengals

Signed:

Practice squad:

Cleveland Browns

Claimed:

Cut:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Practice squad:

* = international player
** = practice squad exception

Bengals Sign Christian Hackenberg To PS

September 2nd, 2018 at 1:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bengals have signed quarterback Christian Hackenberg to their practice squad, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Cincinnati opted to keep Jeff Driskel as Andy Dalton‘s backup after veteran Matt Barkley was placed on injured reserve. Given that the Bengals are only keeping two quarterbacks on their active roster, Hackenberg will serve as the club’s de facto No. 3. He’ll reunite with offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, with whom he’s reportedly close, per Garafolo.

Hackenberg, a former second-round pick, has bounced between the Jets, Raiders, and Eagles this offseason. He’s still yet to attempt a pass in the NFL.

Jets To Work Out WR Breshad Perriman

September 2nd, 2018 at 1:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets will work out former Ravens receiver Breshad Perriman on Monday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Perriman, the 26th overall selection in the 2015 draft, has never lived up to his draft billing, as injuries and ineffectiveness have prevented him from reaching his potential. After missing his entire rookie campaign, Perriman posted 33 receptions in 2016, but managed only 10 catches last year.

Baltimore added multiple free agent wideouts this offseason, including Michael Crabtree, John Brown, and Willie Snead, limiting the chance Perriman would make the club’s initial roster. Perriman went on waivers, but no team claimed him this morning.

New York formed its initial 53-man roster with six receivers in tow: Robby Anderson, Terrelle Pryor, Jermaine Kearse, Quincy Enunwa, Andre Roberts, and Charone Peake.

Giants Waive Davis Webb

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

In a surprising move, the Giants have waived QB Davis Webb, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). We learned earlier today that the Giants were open to trading either Webb or rookie signal-caller Kyle Lauletta, but it did not seem likely that either player would be waived. Instead, if the Giants could not find any trade partners, it appeared more plausible that the team would part ways with 30-year-old Alex Tanney.

But GM Dave Gettleman decided to cut ties with Webb, a 2017 third-round choice who played fairly well throughout the preseason and who at one point appeared to have a big lead over Lauletta for the backup QB job. Of course, Webb was selected by the Giants’ prior regime, so Gettleman & Co. did not have any attachment to him.

Raanan adds in a separate tweet that New York did discuss trading Webb to the Raiders before Oakland acquired A.J. McCarron to be its backup signal-caller. We will have to wait and see what the future holds for Webb, though he is not likely to be without work for long given his draft pedigree and the league-wide need for competent QBs.

Broncos To Cut Paxton Lynch

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos’ Sunday-morning claim of Kevin Hogan will lead to a higher-profile quarterback’s exit. Paxton Lynch survived Denver’s initial cutdown day, but the Broncos are planning to cut him, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Lynch will go to waivers, and the Broncos’ quarterback depth chart now goes Case Keenum, Chad Kelly and Hogan. The latter is a 2016 fifth-round pick. Lynch went off that year’s board at No. 26 overall but failed to make much of an impression in Denver.

While the Broncos only gave him four starts in two seasons, the former Memphis standout consistently looked shaky in preseason games and could not beat out Trevor Siemian in the 2017 offseason. Injuries largely limited Lynch last year, leading to the Broncos’ Brock Osweiler signing, but he had a road map to becoming Keenum’s backup this offseason only to see Kelly — Mr. Irrelevant in 2017 — beat him out.

It might benefit Lynch to receive a fresh start, and a team potentially claiming him would get two more years of club control. And, while unlikely at this point, Lynch has a fifth-year option that covers the 2020 season as well. The 24-year-old quarterback has only thrown 128 career passes, completing 79 of them, in five games across his two-year career. He’s averaged just 6.2 yards per attempt.

It will cost the Broncos more than $4MM in dead money to waive Lynch. They are already eating more than $5MM in dead-money charges upon parting with Menelik Watson last month. It’s telling that Hogan (60 of 101 passing in eight career games with the Browns) will take Lynch’s spot, perhaps indicating the Broncos could not get any team to take their first-round bust off their hands.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Cannon, Coleman

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:21pm CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins currently have three quarterbacks on the roster, and it looks like it will stay that way. Per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said he anticipates keeping three signal-callers all year, although he would not say whether David Fales or Brock Osweiler would serve as Ryan Tannehill‘s primary backup. Beasley suggests the No. 2 QB could change depending on the week (Twitter links).

Now for more from the AFC East:

  • The Dolphins cut former third-round pick Leonte Carroo yesterday, but Beasley tweets that Carroo could find himself on the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers. Although Carroo has disappointed in the pros thus far, other teams with a need at wide receiver may be willing to give him a shot.
  • Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon, who missed the entire preseason with a leg injury, is expected to be cleared to play in Week 1, as Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets. As Howe details, Cannon’s availability could have an impact on other members of the team’s roster (Twitter link).
  • The Bills cut Corey Coleman yesterday, less than one month after trading a non-conditional draft pick for him and assuming his guaranteed base salaries in each of the next years. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that Buffalo did not like Coleman’s attitude from the time he arrived, and the former first-rounder is also still dealing with tightness in his hamstrings. It is telling that the Bills would let Coleman go despite the team’s obvious need for receiving talent.
  • The Jets made a strong offer for Khalil Mack, but that offer did not include two first-round picks, which helped convince the Raiders to ship Mack to Chicago.

Patriots Claim Two Wide Receivers

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots’ wide receiver group just got more crowded. The Pats have claimed former Jet Chad Hansen and ex-Seahawk Amara Darboh, as Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets.

The Patriots thinned the herd in recent weeks by dropping Kenny Britt and Malcolm Mitchell from the roster (Eric Decker’s retirement also took away one potential option, though he was probably a longshot to make the team). Now, Hansen and Darboh will help to fill in for Julian Edelman during his four-game ban.

Currently, the Pats project to carry Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, Matt Slater, and the two newbies on their Week 1 roster. Miami speedster Braxton Berrios was also in the mix for a spot, but the team’s decision to place him on IR has taken him out of the equation.

Giants Claim Mario Edwards

September 2nd, 2018 at 11:59am CST by Rory Parks

The Giants have claimed DE Mario Edwards off waivers from the Raiders, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter). The Raiders had been shopping Edwards, whom they selected in the second round of the 2015 draft, but they could not find any takers. Edwards has not lived up to his draft status yet, but he will get a fresh start in the Big Apple.

Edwards entered the league very young as a 21-year-old rookie and missed most of his second season with a hip injury. Edwards bounced back a bit last year, as he started in each of his 14 appearances and set a new career high with 3.5 sacks. However, he never impressed new Oakland head coach Jon Gruden, and the team was reportedly frustrated with him.

In New York, Edwards will certainly have a chance to show off the pass rushing ability that made him a second-round draft choice, as rookie B.J. Hill and second-year player Dalvin Tomlinson are currently penciled in as the team’s starting defensive ends.

In addition to Edwards, the Giants have also claimed the following players, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB (via Twitter):

Broncos Claim Kevin Hogan Off Waivers

September 2nd, 2018 at 11:53am CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have claimed quarterback Kevin Hogan off waivers, as Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. Hogan was dropped from the Redskins’ roster on Saturday as they made moves towards a 53-man roster.

The Redskins moved down 17 spots in the sixth round to acquire Hogan from the Browns back in April. The 25-year-old (26 in October) was unable to join the Redskins’ QB room as a backup to Alex Smith, but it sounds like he’ll be stationed behind Case Keenum in Denver.

The move could have serious implications for the Broncos as they weigh their options under center. Former Mr. Irrelevant Chad Kelly appears to have cemented his spot on the roster, so the arrival of Hogan could lead to a trade of former first-rounder Paxton Lynch. Lynch was a hot commodity in 2016, but the Broncos may have to settle for a late draft pick if they trade him now.

Contract Details: OBJ, Mason, Bengals

September 2nd, 2018 at 11:41am CST by Rory Parks

We have already learned a fair amount about the details of Odell Beckham Jr.‘s new mega-deal with the Giants, but Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv passes along some important information about OBJ’s cap hits. While his contract will provide New York with $3MM of cap relief in 2018, Beckham’s cap number balloons to $21MM in 2019 and will be between $15MM and $19.75MM from 2020 to 2023.

In 2019, then, the Giants could be devoting half of their cap space to just five players, and they are projected to have just $12MM in cap room in 2019 at the moment. That number will increase with several easy cuts and restructures, but Beckham’s contract will force the club to make a few difficult decisions, which Vacchiano explores in greater detail.

Now let’s take a look at a few more notes on recently-signed contracts:

  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports that Shaq Mason‘s extension with the Patriots includes $45MM in new money, a $12MM signing bonus, and $5MM in incentives. He also provides a breakdown of Mason’s guarantees, base salaries, and cap numbers (Twitter links).
  • Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Geno Atkins‘ extension with the Bengals includes a $13MM signing bonus, which is part of $17MM in guaranteed money. Atkins is also eligible for up to $500K per year in per game active bonuses and workout bonuses. Carlos Dunlap‘s new deal with Cincinnati, meanwhile, features $18MM in guarantees and several sacks escalators. Owczarski also provides the base salaries for both players.
  • Greg Mancz‘s two-year extension with the Texans, which kicks in after the 2018 season, is worth $6MM in total, per NFL insider Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
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