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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/29/24

August 29th, 2024 at 8:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

PFR’s practice squad rundown, signaling we are indeed close to games that count, begins Thursday. Here is how teams began to handle their 16-man P-squads.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Slovis went to camp with the Colts, joining the team as a UDFA this year. Houston placed Case Keenum on IR and released Tim Boyle, who is now the Dolphins’ P-squad QB. Slovis, who played at USC, Pittsburgh and BYU in college, is now the Texans’ de facto third-stringer.

Shelley has 11 career starts — with the Bears and Vikings — on his resume. He joined the Raiders last year but ended up with the Rams, playing in 11 games as a backup. The Giants have spent time searching for a cornerback answer, having not been too satisfied with their Cor’Dale Flott–Nick McCloud CB2 competition. New York did not make any waiver claims at the position Wednesday.

Reagor, who played for the Patriots last season, is back after being released earlier this week. The former Minnesota first-rounder played in 11 New England games last season, returning a kick for a touchdown. Latu joins the Browns after being a 49ers cut. The 2023 third-round pick missed all of last season with an ACL tear. Jefferson is back with the Bolts hours after being released.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/29/24

August 29th, 2024 at 8:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys 

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

  • Removed from IR via injury settlement: LB Keandre Jones, S Ben Nikke

Schlottmann suffered what Brian Daboll called a long-term injury. Elaborating on the injury Schlottmann suffered in practice Wednesday, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes the veteran backup O-lineman will rehab a broken fibula. The injury is expected to shut down the free agency addition for at least two months. No surgery is on tap for Schlottmann. The Giants considering him for activation may depend on their injury situation, as teams only have eight regular-season IR activations. The Giants have seven presently, as they used a summer IR designation on linebacker Matthew Adams on Tuesday.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West

August 28th, 2024 at 9:30pm 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 49ers, Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks moves are noted below.

Arizona Cardinals

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Rams

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

San Francisco 49ers

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Seattle Seahawks

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

2024 NFL Waiver Order

August 28th, 2024 at 10:42am CST by Sam Robinson

Waiver claims can begin coming in at 11am CT. While the waiver order will depend on 2024 records in several weeks, teams’ 2023 finishes currently determine it. Here is how the waiver priority list stacks up heading into today’s round of claims:

  1. Carolina Panthers
  2. Washington Commanders
  3. New England Patriots
  4. Arizona Cardinals
  5. Los Angeles Chargers
  6. New York Giants
  7. Tennessee Titans
  8. Atlanta Falcons
  9. Chicago Bears
  10. New York Jets
  11. Minnesota Vikings
  12. Denver Broncos
  13. Las Vegas Raiders
  14. New Orleans Saints
  15. Indianapolis Colts
  16. Seattle Seahawks
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars
  18. Cincinnati Bengals
  19. Los Angeles Rams
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers
  21. Miami Dolphins
  22. Philadelphia Eagles
  23. Cleveland Browns
  24. Dallas Cowboys
  25. Green Bay Packers
  26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  27. Houston Texans
  28. Buffalo Bills
  29. Detroit Lions
  30. Baltimore Ravens
  31. San Francisco 49ers
  32. Kansas City Chiefs

Cardinals Waive QB Desmond Ridder

August 27th, 2024 at 11:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals gave up Rondale Moore for Desmond Ridder in March, marking one of a few trades this year involving a 2022 QB draftee. Arizona is moving on quickly.

While Ridder could conceivably still be in the Cardinals’ plans (via the practice squad), he will need to clear waivers first. After battling for the team’s backup job with 2023 draftee Clayton Tune, Ridder received word he will be cut, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Between their Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. additions, the Falcons quickly moved to deal Ridder. The team had benched the 2022 third-rounder twice last season, a year that led to Arthur Smith‘s ouster. It had been assumed going into the Cards’ offseason program Ridder would likely be Kyler Murray‘s new backup, but Tune has changed the equation. The 2023 fifth-rounder will remain in that role, with Ridder now available to be claimed before Wednesday’s 11am CT deadline.

This move might come with an injury designation. Ridder sustained a concussion in the Cardinals’ preseason finale against the Broncos. Tune, however, completed 67% of his preseason passes and averaged 6.9 yards per attempt. Ridder closed at 57% and 6.4 yards per pass. Tune also spent the second half of last season as Murray’s backup. Although Tune submitted an ugly showing in Cleveland following the Josh Dobbs trade, he held his own this summer.

Arizona has moved on from its presumed backup for a second straight summer. The team cut Colt McCoy last year, acquiring Dobbs via trade and turning to him as a Week 1 starter despite a late-August arrival. The Cardinals traded Dobbs to the suddenly QB-needy Vikings at the deadline, moving Tune up the depth chart. Tune did throw an interception against the Broncos on Sunday, but the Cards’ staff looks to feel comfortable enough to move on from a notable trade addition.

Two years remain on Ridder’s rookie contract, but the Cards will incur no dead money from the cut due to the Falcons having taken on the prorated signing bonus money in the trade. Three seasons remain on Tune’s deal, and it is certainly worth noting this Cardinals regime drafted the Houston product. Ridder has conversely seen his stock tumble since being drafted by the Falcons.

The Falcons showed surprising confidence in Ridder last year, proclaiming the Cincinnati alum their starter months before training camp. Ridder had replaced Marcus Mariota late last year, and Arthur Blank expressed interest in building around his rookie contract. After Ridder finished with a 12-12 TD-INT ratio and ranked 26th in QBR, the Falcons returned to the high-priced QB business by paying Cousins hours into the legal tampering period. They traded Ridder later that week.

A team claiming Ridder would have him on a $985K base salary. If unclaimed by Wednesday’s deadline, the 2022 No. 74 overall pick will make a surprising voyage into free agency.

Cardinals Get Down To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 6:37pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals finalized their initial 53-man roster with the following moves:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

We’ve already reported on the most notable name, Ridder. The Cardinals instead opted to rely on second-year passer Clayton Tune to back up Kyler Murray behind center. There’s still a chance Ridder could remain on the practice squad as QB3.

Robinson and Jones will miss the first four games of the season, but both have been designated to return from IR eventually. Jones Jr. will miss the 2024 season, though.

Two rookie draft picks failed to make the 53-man. Alabama Birmingham receiver Palmer (sixth-round) and Miami (FL) cornerback Davis (seventh-round) both hit the waiver wire following the preseason. Undrafted receiver Xavier Weaver out of Colorado, does make the roster, though.

Other surprises were the cutting of Carter and Barnes. Carter struggled last year before parting ways with the Jets, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2021. Six games in Arizona last year were not enough to warrant a return in 2024 on the active roster. Carter had been shopped around a bit as of late, but with no buyers, he hits the waiver wire. Barnes started six games for the team last year after three years in Green Bay, where he started 24 games.

Cardinals Trade LB Cameron Thomas To Chiefs

August 26th, 2024 at 10:13pm CST by Ben Levine

With some extra depth at linebacker, the Cardinals are moving on from a former third-round pick. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Cardinals have traded linebacker Cameron Thomas to the Chiefs for a seventh-round selection.

While the Cardinals have tried to get creative with their usage of Thomas, he seemed destined to be buried on the edge depth chart in 2024. Zaven Collins and Dennis Gardeck are still expected to lead the positional grouping, and the team is also still rostering former sixth-round pick Victor Dimukeje, who outsnapped Thomas in 2023.

While fellow edge rusher BJ Ojulari will miss the entire 2024 campaign, Thomas was still facing an uphill battle toward playing time. The team added rookie Xavier Thomas in the fifth round, and the team is still hanging on to former bottom-of-the-depth-chart options like Jesse Luketa and Tyreke Smith. More moves are surely coming at outside linebacker, but today’s trade should provide some temporary relief in Arizona’s position room.

The Chiefs will be taking a chance on a player whose San Diego State performance made him a third-round pick in 2022. After finishing with three sacks as a rookie, the Cardinals were clearly counting on more from Thomas in 2023, with the OLB starting three of his 15 appearances. However, Thomas was shutout in the sacks category, and he finished with only 22 tackles while getting into about one third of his team’s defensive snaps.

The Chiefs will return a similar edge grouping in 2024, with George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, and 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah leading the way. Charles Omenihu and BJ Thompson are currently on PUP and NFI, respectively, so there could be a chance for Thomas to soak up some snaps in the interim.

Cardinals Cut 7 Ahead Of Deadline

August 26th, 2024 at 8:56pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals parted ways with seven players today as they begin the process of working their roster down to 53 players. Per azcardinals.com writer Darren Urban and KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson, those players are:

Released:

Waived:

Ojemudia and McKinley are the only ones of the seven to start games so far in their NFL careers. Ojemudia started 11 games as a rookie third-round pick out of Iowa in 2020. After experiencing a setback in 2021 on injured reserve, Ojemudia’s role in Chicago continued waning until he eventually found himself on the practice squad for the Rams last year.

McKinley, a former standout at Oregon, started two of 10 game appearances as an undrafted rookie for the Dolphins back in 2022. He spent part of 2023 on Miami’s practice squad.

Contract Details: Moore, McPherson, Froholdt

August 25th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on recent contracts from across the league:

  • D.J. Moore, WR (Bears): Four years, $110MM. Per OvertheCap.com, Moore’s deal includes $43.65MM guaranteed at signing, consisting partially of a $20MM signing bonus. The signing bonus will be spread out over the next five years. After getting paid $3MM in 2024, Moore will receive base salaries after that of $20.65MM in 2025 and $23.49MM in the remaining four years. Also, after this season, Moore will not have a cap hit lower than $24.5MM. From 2026 to through 2029, Moore will earn per game active roster bonuses of $45K for a potential season total of $765K.
  • Evan McPherson, K (Bengals): Three years, $14MM. After some initial numbers were reported when McPherson’s extension was announced, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 provided a few more details on his three-year deal. the initial report listed the potential max payout to be $16.5MM, but Wilson notes that number to be $17.56MM. He received a $5MM option after the signing bonus and will see another $2.5MM option bonus in the future. His base salaries for the next for seasons will be $1.06MM, $2.4MM, $2.8MM, and $3.5MM. According to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, McPherson claimed that he preferred the shorter three-year deal because it would give him another opportunity for a third contract while he’s still relatively young.
  • Hjalte Froholdt, C (Cardinals): Two years, $12MM. Of the $8MM in guarantees that were initially reported, $7.25MM of that is fully guaranteed, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire. The remaining $750K is guaranteed for injury as part of Froholdt’s 2025 base salary and will become fully-guaranteed if he is still on the roster by the fifth day of the 2025 league year. Wilson lets us know that $4MM of those guarantees comes in the form of a signing bonus and that the deal has a potential maximum value of $14.75MM.

Cardinals’ First-Round DE Darius Robinson Out Multiple Weeks

August 24th, 2024 at 5:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals’ defensive line depth took a hit this afternoon when it was reported that first-round defensive end Darius Robinson suffered a calf injury. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Robinson’s injury will require a multi-week absence.

Armed with two first-round picks in this year’s draft, Arizona selected Robinson out of Missouri at pick No. 27 after securing wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth-overall pick. Robinson was a five-year defender for the Tigers. He provided contributions throughout his collegiate career, but it wasn’t until his redshirt senior season that he broke out. His 2023 sack (8.5) and tackle for loss (14.0) numbers surpassed the stats he had put up in the previous four years combined (4.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss).

The Cardinals were hoping that Robinson’s addition would provide an upgrade to a pass rush that ranked 30th in the NFL last year with only 33 total sacks. Robinson was set to join returning starters Zaven Collins and Dante Stills on the defensive line, along with free agent additions Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones. Most of the team’s sacks came from outside linebacker, despite a base 4-3 defense, but the addition of Robinson had the potential to change that and take some pressure off of the linebackers.

Rapoport posits that Robinson’s extended absence may warrant a start to the season on injured reserve. If that’s the case, the rookie pass rusher would have the possibility to make his NFL debut as early as Week 5 of the 2024 season. In the meantime, the Cardinals could field a defensive front consisting of Collins-Nichols-Jones-Stills, with Stills shifting to end, where he spent about half his time last season.

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