HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West

August 28th, 2024 at 2:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders moves are noted below.

Denver Broncos

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed:

Claimed:

  • CB Eric Scott Jr.

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR: 

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Chargers

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC North

August 28th, 2024 at 2:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bears, Lions, Packers and Vikings moves are noted below.

Chicago Bears

Signed:

Claimed:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Detroit Lions

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Green Bay Packers

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Minnesota Vikings

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Packers Release K Greg Joseph

August 28th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

All three of the kickers in Packers training camp are now off the 53-man roster. A day after moving on from 2023 kicker Anders Carlson, the Packers released offseason pickup Greg Joseph.

The former Vikings kicker is off the Pack’s roster. This comes after Green Bay added a hopeful replacement, picking up Brayden Narveson, who had gone to camp with the Titans. Tennessee, which re-signed Nick Folk this offseason, waived Narveson on Tuesday.

Narveson spent five years as a college kicker, playing at three schools. The Iowa State recruit made his way to Western Kentucky and NC State. After kicking plenty of extra points during Bailey Zappe and Austin Reed‘s time with the Hilltoppers, Narveson made 78.3% of his field goal tries with the Wolfpack last season.

The Titans saw Narveson make 6 of 7 field goal tries during the preseason; the aspiring rookie drilled a 59-yarder as part of that effort. The team is sticking with Folk, which appears to have piqued the Packers’ interest.

As the Packers continue to search for a Mason Crosby replacement, they have cycled through a few options. Joseph, however, spent most of the offseason on Green Bay’s 90-man roster. He had been the Vikings’ kicker for the past three seasons. The South Africa native endured some struggles at points in Minnesota but kicked in every Vikings game from 2021-23. He made 80% of his FG attempts last year. As a vested veteran, the former Browns draftee will head straight to free agency.

Jets To Sign S Lewis Cine

August 28th, 2024 at 12:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

No team claimed Lewis Cine‘s rookie contract, leaving the Vikings with a notable dead money bill after the team cut its losses on the 2022 first-round pick. But the Georgia alum will land another opportunity.

The Jets are bringing in Cine, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Cine will join Chuck Clark and Tony Adams among New York’s safety contingent. This is a practice squad agreement, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.

Although Cine is starting on the Jets’ P-squad, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini adds he will be elevated once he is sufficiently comfortable with the team’s playbook. Chosen 32nd overall, Cine sustained a severe knee injury that derailed his rookie season. The Georgia product needed to stay in London after his teammates had departed, undergoing more surgeries overseas. Cine managed to return in time for the Vikings’ 2023 opener, but he was a nonfactor in Brian Flores’ defense.

The Vikings took calls on Cine, and while teams showed interest, they wanted no part of his first-round contract. Minnesota has now moved on from the first and second draft choices of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah era, trading 2022 second-rounder Andrew Booth as well. The Vikings cut the player obtained for Booth (Cowboys CB Nahshon Wright) but brought him back on their practice squad today.

It would be interesting if the Jets acted early with Cine, as he may need more development given his track record (10 career games played). Former third-round pick Ashtyn Davis remains with New York as a backup, and the team kept Isaiah Oliver as well. Still, Cine profiles as an interesting piece for Robert Saleh and Co. to mold. First-rounders regularly receive second chances, and this one will join a defense that has been one of the NFL’s best for the past two seasons.

Bears To Place LS Patrick Scales On IR, Sign LS Scott Daly

August 28th, 2024 at 11:55am CST by Sam Robinson

11:55am: Daly will indeed be the Bears’ pick. In completing the Scales IR transaction, Chicago will add the former Detroit deep snapper, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

10:17am: Going into his 10th season as the Bears’ long snapper, Patrick Scales will not begin the year on time. The team will soon place its deep snapper on IR, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs.

Scales is set to undergo back surgery, per Biggs, who adds the team is hoping for a recovery timetable of roughly six weeks. Dealing with a disk issue, the 36-year-old specialist has been out since going down in the Hall of Fame Game.

The Bears waived the other long snapper on their roster — Cameron Lyons — on Tuesday, but they will certainly need someone here soon. Scott Daly, the Lions’ snapper for the previous three seasons, is on the team’s radar, Biggs adds. Detroit cut Daly, 30, to go with rookie UDFA Hogan Hatten on Tuesday.

While Chicago could have placed Scales on IR before setting its 53-man roster, the team already allocated those spots. Swing tackle Larry Borom and rotational rusher Jacob Martin received IR-return designations Tuesday; the NFL’s tweak to the IR rule allows for up to two such designations.

Scales’ niche position and the nature of his injury also may have made the Bears hesitant about burning one of their IR-return slots so early. The Bears are down to six IR-return slots already, but the upcoming Scales move will not further subtract from that total just yet. By waiting until today to make the IR transition, the Bears will not lose an activation until they actually move Scales back onto the active roster.

Acquired during the 2015 season, Scales has played 122 Bears games. He also has a notable injury history — for a long snapper, at least. The veteran role player missed the 2017 with a torn ACL. The Bears still have Scales in their plans, having re-signed him on a one-year deal this offseason. But he will need another stint off the roster before attempting to suit up again.

Chiefs To Add Bailey Zappe To Practice Squad

August 28th, 2024 at 11:47am CST by Sam Robinson

Both the Chiefs’ starting and backup quarterbacks are locked in, but the defending Super Bowl champions are adding a third option to work behind Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz.

Andy Reid will see what he can coax from Bailey Zappe, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting the former Patriots backup/spot starter is joining the Chiefs on a practice squad deal. Zappe has once again cleared waivers, but this time he will leave New England.

Mahomes has not missed a game due to injury since the 2019 season, though he did miss time during the 2020 and ’22 divisional-round games. Wentz signed this year, after the Chiefs pursued him in 2023; those two are the only active-roster Chiefs arms. Zappe will attempt to reset in Missouri and learn from one of the best coaches in NFL history.

Generating fanfare after winning two games as a rookie, Zappe started eight games in two seasons. He is a 63.2% passer who holds an 11-to-12 TD-to-INT ratio. Zappe, who threw a Division I-FBS-record 62 touchdown passes during his lone season with Western Kentucky, has averaged 6.8 yards per attempt as a pro. He played in three Pats offenses in three years, so learning a new scheme will be rather familiar territory for the former fourth-round pick.

The Pats had waived Zappe in 2023, completing an unusual plan that had Mac Jones as the only QB on the roster for a bit. Zappe did return and eventually replaced a struggling Jones late last season. Zappe closed the 2023 slate as New England’s starter, but the team — now under Eliot Wolf‘s guidance — overhauled its QB room by signing Jacoby Brissett and drafting Drake Maye and Joe Milton. The sixth-round Tennessee prospect beat out Zappe for the Patriots’ QB3 gig.

Packers To Waive QBs Sean Clifford, Michael Pratt

August 28th, 2024 at 11:40am CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 28: Clifford has cleared waivers and remains in Green Bay’s plans. The Packers are bringing back the former fifth-round pick on a practice squad deal, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.

AUGUST 27: The Packers will need Malik Willis to digest Matt LaFleur‘s playbook quickly, as he is now the only backup quarterback on their roster. Less than 24 hours after acquiring the former Titans draftee, the Packers moved on from their other two non-Jordan Love options.

Green Bay is cutting both Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Unless the Packers circle back to one of the young passers via the practice squad — assuming one clears waivers — they will not have any non-Love QB who went through its offseason program.

LaFleur expressed disappointment in the team’s backup options after a 27-2 loss to the Broncos, a game that featured Denver starters and mostly Green Bay backups. The outing, however, did not get much better after Broncos starters exited. The Packers have since acquired Willis, who has two years left on his rookie contract. Despite the 2022 third-rounder struggling in Tennessee, he appears poised to be Love’s lone active-roster backup.

Chosen in the 2023 fifth round, Clifford spent last season as Love’s backup. The Aaron Rodgers successor stayed healthy, keeping the Penn State product sidelined. Clifford completed just 51% of his passes during preseason play, averaging just 4.8 yards per attempt. The Pack chose Pratt in this year’s seventh round. It would stand to reason the team — for continuity’s sake, if nothing else — would want one of the signal-callers back on the P-squad, so it will be interesting to see how the team proceeds with this position group Wednesday.

This is certainly quite the swing for Willis, who entered the week as a Titans third-stringer after underwhelming in his rookie-year game action. The Titans fired the GM who drafted Willis (Jon Robinson) and hired a new coaching staff. With Will Levis in place as a Tennessee young QB, Willis suddenly did not make much sense on the team’s roster. The Titans found a trade taker, and despite completing 50.8% of his passes at a ghastly 4.5 yards per attempt, the former Liberty standout has a nice opportunity ahead.

Two years remain on Willis’ rookie deal. Clifford is signed through 2026, though that contract will no longer be active if he goes unclaimed Wednesday.

49ers To Bring Back S Tracy Walker

August 28th, 2024 at 11:37am CST by Sam Robinson

With Talanoa Hufanga uncertain to start the season on time, the 49ers will retain some insurance. They are bringing back veteran Tracy Walker.

The 49ers released the former Lions starter Tuesday, but ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports the sides are reuniting with the aim of a Week 1 role. Walker is set to be elevated from the practice squad in time for the 49ers’ opener against the Jets.

A six-year Lions contributor, Walker joined the 49ers during training camp. The 49ers kept Hufanga, 2023 third-rounder Ji’Ayir Brown, rookie fourth-rounder Malik Mustapha and veteran special-teamer George Odum at safety. Walker being eyed for Week 1 suggests the 49ers do not expect Hufanga back in time to face the Jets.

Hufanga is returning from an ACL tear sustained on Thanksgiving night. He had targeted a return during training camp, but that did not come to pass. The 49ers considered stashing the contract-year standout on their reserve/PUP list, but the team kept him in its pre-Week 5 plans instead.

Walker made 43 starts with the Lions, being demoted last season. Detroit moved on via release in February, and Walker did not resurface with a team for nearly six months. The 49ers look to have a clear role in mind for the 29-year-old defender, whose active-roster status may well be tied to Hufanga’s recovery timetable.

Panthers Claim Three Cornerbacks, Add DB Lonnie Johnson

August 28th, 2024 at 11:20am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bryce Young trade prevented the Panthers from using their 2-15 record to land an impact prospect atop the draft. Carolina’s consolation prize comes months later, and the rebuilding team will use its top waiver position.

Cornerbacks are coming to Charlotte in droves. The Panthers have already used three claims on corners, bringing in Tariq Castro-Fields, Keenan Isaac and Shemar Bartholomew, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The Commanders, Buccaneers and Jets respectively released the CBs, who will join a Panthers team in need.

Carolina also claimed linebackers Jon Rhattigan and Jamie Sheriff from the Seahawks, per Pelissero and veteran reporter Jordan Schultz. The Panthers will soon follow with cuts, as this marks a multi-position makeover for the NFC South club. In addition to the CB waiver claims, Pelissero reports Lonnie Johnson — whom the Texans released Tuesday — is signing with the Panthers’ practice squad, Pelissero adds. Carolina is expected to elevate the veteran DB by Week 1.

Initially a 49ers sixth-round pick, Castro-Fields played eight games with Washington last season. A 2023 UDFA, Isaac saw action in two Bucs games last year. Bartholomew was part of the Jets’ UDFA contingent this year. Johnson went to camp with Houston, which originally drafted him in Round 2. He played in 12 Saints games last season, working primarily on special teams.

This lot of inexperienced players, along with Johnson, will join a Panthers team that traded Donte Jackson and placed Dane Jackson on IR due to a hamstring injury. Carolina kept six cornerbacks on its active roster, including veteran slot man Troy Hill and recent trade pickup Michael Jackson, so some shuffling will soon occur.

As the team begins clearing roster space, the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye notes rookie UDFA wideout Jalen Coker received word he will be waived. The Panthers also claimed former 49ers guard Jarrett Kingston. The Panthers also cut wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, guard Cade Mays, cornerback D’Shawn Jamison, defensive tackle Jayden Peevy and Demani Richardson. Mays started seven games at guard over the past two seasons.

Browns Pondering Trade Involving Jameis Winston Or Tyler Huntley?

August 28th, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 28: The Browns are expected to make a quarterback move today, according to veteran NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, but it will not involve Winston. Cleveland kept four QBs on its active roster Tuesday. With waiver claims set to come in and other roster moves likely on tap as well, the Browns cutting into their overstocked passer depth chart seems imminent. Schultz pushes back on the notion the Browns discussed moving their recently signed backup, and it appears the 10th-year vet is firmly set in Cleveland.

AUGUST 27: The lowest-profile member of the Browns’ collection of reserve quarterbacks, Dorian Thompson-Robinson has received word he made the team. This will create an interesting roster situation in Cleveland.

Adding both Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley this offseason, the Browns now need to move on from at least one of them by 3pm CT today. They are planning to take calls on Winston and Huntley, according to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, with a trade potentially in the cards. Both passers are pending free agents.

Winston spent the past four seasons in New Orleans, primarily operating as a backup. The Saints provided him with a secure environment after his Buccaneers tenure (capped off by his 30-30 2019 campaign) came to an end. The former No. 1 pick has stated his desire to once again serve as a starter in the NFL, but his decision to take a one-year Browns pact set him up for QB2 duties behind Deshaun Watson. That chances of that being the case given Thompson-Robinson’s inclusion on the 53-man roster are low.

Winston’s deal includes $4MM in guarantees, but a trade or release would only incur a dead money charge of $558K due to the inclusion of void years. The 30-year-old could be an attractive backup option to a number of suitors, although the NFLPA’s decision to veto a rule change which would have allowed teams an unlimited number of emergency QB practice squad elevations could lead many to only carry two signal-callers. Still, Winston is a veteran of 93 games and 80 starts, so he could add considerable experience to an acquiring team.

Huntley, 26, entered the NFL as a Ravens UDFA, and each of his 21 combined regular and postseason appearances have come with Baltimore. Operating as Lamar Jackson‘s backup, he compiled a 64.6% completion percentage and 79 passer rating, adding 4.4 rushing yards per carry and three touchdowns on the ground. Huntley’s 8:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio illustrates his limitations a passer, however.

Huntley’s pact would only lead to $470K in dead money charges in the event he were to be traded or released, so finances will not play a major role in how the Browns proceed at the quarterback spot. It will be interesting to see how much of a trade market emerges for Winston and/or Huntley given the fact at least one of them will be let go by the afternoon if no agreement for a swap can be worked out.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

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