Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Daylen Baldwin, RB Hassan Hall
- Released (with injury settlement): WR Jeff Smith
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on PUP: RB Robert Burns
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB John Kelly
- Waived (with injury settlement): LB Quincy Roche
Buffalo Bills
- Waived-injured: WR Bryan Thompson
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR (with injury settlements): OT J.D. DiRenzo, TE Curtis Hodges
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: LB Alec Mock
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Essang Bassey
- Waived-injured: LB DaRon Gilbert
- Reverted to IR: WR Antoine Green
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Chris Russell
- Released from IR (with injury settlement): CB Don Callis
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Savion Jackson, LB Shaq Quarterman
- Waived: TE Ben Mason, CB Chris Wilcox
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Jordan Kunaszyk
- Waived-injured: LB Jabril Cox
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Kaleb Ford-Dement
- Waived: RB Zander Horvath
- Released from IR (with injury settlement): WR Jermaine Jackson
New York Jets
- Released from IR (with injury settlement): WR Hamze El-Zayat
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived-injured: WR Tarik Black
Seattle Seahawks
- Released from IR (with injury settlement): NT Matthew Gotel
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/24
Friday’s minor transactions to close out the week:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: OLB Marquis Haynes
Carolina Panthers
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Daewood Davis
Green Bay Packers
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Rory Starkey
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived (with injury settlement): TE Josh Pederson
New York Giants
- Waived (with injury settlement): RB Jashaun Corbin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from active/NFI list: RB Cordarrelle Patterson
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived (with injury settlement): C Pat Elflein
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived (with injury designation): NT Matthew Gotel
Haynes quick exit after a short stint in Arizona comes after he signed a contract including an injury waiver. He spent time on injured reserve with the Panthers last season, precipitating the presence of the injury waiver in his latest deal. The team utilized the waiver to terminate his contract today.
Cardinals Host Carl Lawson
Carl Lawson continues to draw interest around the league. The veteran edge rusher recently visited the Cardinals, per ESPN’s Field Yates. 
[RELATED: Cardinals Extend Zaven Collins]
Lawson lined up a visit with the Dolphins in April, but that did not produce a deal. Remaining on the market deep into the offseason, the 29-year-old has also met with the Panthers and Cowboys. He now has the chance to join the Cardinals, a team looking for depth options along the edge as the regular season nears.
Arizona signed Marquis Haynes on Tuesday, and he will provide the team with a veteran presence over at least the coming weeks. That move came in the wake of BJ Ojulari being lost for the season. The 2023 second-rounder suffered an ACL tear, sidelining him until the start of next year at the earliest. Lawson could help further fill the void created by Ojulari’s injury.
The Auburn alum established himself as a full-time starter during his time with the Bengals (2017-20). Lawson’s production earned him a three-year, $45MM deal with the Jets in free agency, but an Achilles tear delayed his debut campaign with the team by one year. The former fourth-rounder served in a first-team role in 2022, totaling seven sacks and 26 QB pressures. Last year, though, he fell out of favor and played only six games.
The Cardinals currently have more than $33MM in cap space, so another signing at the edge spot would not be a problem. Lawson’s poor showing in 2023 would also keep his price down, although three unsuccessful visits (and counting) demonstrate the hesitancy shown on the part of several teams to commit to a deal. It will be interesting to see if Arizona bucks that trend or moves on to other options options at the position.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: EDGE Marquis Haynes, CB Delonte Hood
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from NFI: LB Adisa Isaac
Buffalo Bills
- Released from IR: DL David Ugwoegbu
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE Marcus Haynes, LB Landon Honeycutt
- Waived: WR Jalen Camp, OT Chukwuma Okorafor
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Darius Harris, DT Albert Huggins, LB Nick Vigil
- Waived: LB Byron Vaughns
- Placed on IR: DE Sam Williams
- Placed on reserve/did not report: WR CeeDee Lamb (story)
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Alec Mock
- Waived/injured: LB Ronnie Perkins
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DE Zach Morton
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Dax Milne
- Waived/injured: DT Tomari Fox
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: QB Luis Perez
- Waived: LB Savion Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OL Matt Kaskey, OL Alec Lindstrom
- Waived: TE Neal Johnson, DB Kenny Logan Jr.
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Mike Rose
- Waived/injured: OT Chandler Brewer
New York Giants
- Reverted to IR: RB Jashaun Corbin
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: WR Malik Turner
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Jamie Sheriff
- Waived/injured: LB Josh Onujiogu
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OL J.C. Hassenauer
- Waived: TE Armani Rogers
- Waived/injured: T Alex Akingbulu
CeeDee Lamb isn’t usually mentioned in this type of post, but the transaction involving the wideout was simply procedural. As ESPN’s Todd Archer notes, placing Lamb on the reserve/did not report list opens up a roster spot for the Cowboys, something that was necessary after the team signed three players today. This move doesn’t impact negotiations, and Lamb can be activated once he returns to practice. Lamb continues to holdout while he waits for a new deal, but the front office is working hard to get him back in the building.
Justin Herbert‘s recent foot injury necessitated some extra depth at the position. The team ended up opting for Luis Perez, who led the UFL last season in completions (225), passing yards (2,309), and touchdowns (18). Perez will soak up some temporary snaps alongside Easton Stick, Max Duggan, and UDFA Casey Bauman.
Cardinals, Marquis Haynes Agree To Deal
The Cardinals are making a free agent addition along the edge. Pass rusher Marquis Haynes has agreed to a deal with Arizona, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. 
The team recently worked out an extension for Zaven Collins, and the former inside linebacker will remain a key contributor on the edge for the foreseeable future as a result. Arizona lost second-year player BJ Ojulari to an ACL tear, though, creating the need for depth in the pass rush department. Haynes will look to provide that in the desert this season.
The latter had spent his entire six-year career with the Panthers, making 71 appearances during that span. Haynes only made two starts but remained consistent in terms of usage and production. The 30-year-old recorded between three and five sacks each season from 2020-22. He was limited to seven games last year, something which helps explain his lengthy stay on the open market.
Carolina recently hosted a number of veteran edge rush options, and Haynes was among them. The former sixth-rounder did not reunite with the team, however, paving the way for today’s agreement with the Cardinals. Improving on the edge will be a key 2024 priority for Arizona, and Haynes will play a role in that respect if he manages to make the team’s 53-man roster.
Aside from Collins, the Cardinals also have Dennis Gardeck, L.J. Collier, Cameron Thomas and Xavier Thomas in place as edge rush options. Arizona entered today with more than $35MM in cap space, and this addition will not eat into the figure to a large extent. Haynes will use the remainder of training camp and the preseason to compete for playing time in the wake of Ojulari’s injury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: LB BJ Ojulari (story)
Buffalo Bills
- Reverted to IR: DL David Ugwoegbu
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Jesper Horsted
- Waived: WR Tayvion Robinson
- Waived-injured: WR Devin Carter
Cleveland Browns
- Released from IR: LB Charlie Thomas
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from PUP: TE Tucker Kraft
- Released: QB Jacob Eason
Houston Texans
- Reverted to IR: OT Jaylon Thomas
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from PUP: CB Chris Lammons
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Reverted to IR: TE Josh Pederson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from PUP: WR Jalen Guyton
New England Patriots
- Signed: LS Tucker Addington
- Placed on IR: OL Jake Andrews
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Mike Rose
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Commanders): CB Christian Holmes
- Waived-injured: RB Jashaun Corbin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: OL Jason Poe
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Blake Lynch
- Waived: C Mike Novitsky
Cardinals Extend DE Zaven Collins
The Cardinals have been on a journey with 2021 first-round pick Zaven Collins, helping him transition from inside linebacker to defensive end this past season. Analytics marked the position change as a successful one, and as a result, the Cardinals have decided to extend Collins for two more years, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
Collins’ new deal is set to earn him $14MM through 2025 and 2026. The contract will include $11.25MM of guarantees, as well. The team had recently declined Collins’ fifth-year option as a former first-rounder. OvertheCap.com predicts that, with his official position switch to defensive end, Collins’ fifth-year option would’ve been a fully-guaranteed $13.25MM. The Cardinals decision to handle Collins’ situation how they did essentially gave them an additional year on his contract for only $749K extra.
Collins’ NFL career got off to a slow start. After a stellar junior year at Tulsa, in which he recorded 11.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) in just eight games, Collins forewent his remaining eligibility and went 16th overall to Arizona. In his rookie year, Collins only made six starts. He was classified on the depth chart as a defensive back but spent most of his time in the box as a linebacker failing to make much of an impact with just 25 tackles and three passes defensed.
In 2022, Collins was made a full-time starter. He did make an impact on the defense, finishing third on the team with 100 total tackles and second on the team with 11 tackles for loss, but Pro Football Focus (subscription required) didn’t seem to respect Collins’ second-year jump as much. According to PFF, Collins graded out as the league’s 51st-best linebacker out of 81 players at the position.
This past season, Collins and the Cardinals experimented with another position shift, putting the third-year player almost exclusively on the edge. While, predictably, Collins’ pass-rushing arsenal could use some improvement, he graded out favorably, per PFF, in run defense and coverage. His efforts in a new position last year saw him grade out as the 44th best edge defender out of 112, according to PFF.
Collins’ new contract won’t put him anywhere on the radar of the top contracts at the position, and he hasn’t yet done anything to deserve such a contract. Instead, what this extension does is give Arizona ample time to figure out how Collins fits into his new role long-term. Instead of one contract year to decide his future, the Cardinals will now have an additional two years before their versatile former first-round selection tests free agency.
Cardinals OLB BJ Ojulari Suffers Torn ACL
BJ Ojulari‘s second season in the NFL has ended before it even began. The linebacker suffered a torn ACL during practice on Friday, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. The injury will knock the sophomore out for the entire 2024 campaign.
According to Darren Urban of the team’s website, Ojulari suffered the injury during an 11-on-11 drill. Urban notes that the linebacker didn’t need to be carted off the field, although he did require assistance from two trainers.
This is a gut punch for a squad that was counting on Ojulari on the edge. The 2023 second-round pick didn’t start a game as a rookie, but he still managed to get into all 17 games for the Cardinals. He finished the year with 40 tackles and four sacks, appearing in more than a third of Arizona’s defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked him 65th among 112 qualifying edge defenders.
The Cardinals will now have to dig into OLB depth that was already light behind Ojulari and Zaven Collins. Dennis Gardeck is coming off a six-sack season in Arizona, but the veteran fell behind Ojulari on the depth chart in the second half of the 2023 campaign. Victor Dimukeje also contributed four sacks last year and could see an increase on his career-high 386 defensive snaps from 2023.
Broncos, Cardinals, Giants, Texans Pursued RB Josh Jacobs
As the 2023 offseason foreshadowed, Josh Jacobs departed the Raiders in free agency. The former rushing champion inked a four-year, $48MM deal with the Packers this spring, a move he long contemplated. 
[RELATED: Raiders Did Not Discuss New Deal With Jacobs Prior To Departure]
When addressing his decision to sign in Green Bay, Jacobs noted (via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette) he turned down more lucrative offers from other interested parties. He added that roughly one dozen teams showed different levels of interest in the lead-in to free agency. Joining a contending team helped make Jacobs’ decision easier, though.
“I didn’t want to go to a team where I felt like I wanted to be in a rebuilding situation,” the 26-year-old said. “I didn’t want to go to a team where I felt like I couldn’t come in and immediately make an impact and be able to be one of the factors to get over the hump.”
Jacobs said his suitors included the Texans, Giants, Broncos and Cardinals. Those teams offered varying potential in terms of Super Bowl contention in the immediate future, and the former first-rounder noted he spent much of the 2023 campaign observing the Packers’ development on offense. Green Bay’s offer was $3-$4MM lower than ones made by other teams, he said, but familiarity was another factor working in the Packers’ favor in this situation.
Jacobs contacted Rich Bisaccia while exploring the possibility of a Green Bay deal. The latter served as special teams coordinator (and, briefly, interim head coach) of the Raiders before taking charge of the Packers’ special teams in 2022. Bisaccia, along with former Raiders teammate Keisean Nixon and ex-college teammate Xavier McKinney represent familiar faces Jacobs will be reuniting with on his new team. Given the Packers’ decision to move on from Aaron Jones, he will also face heavy expectations as the their undisputed lead back.
“I wanted to be a Raider,” Jacobs added. “Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to be with one team, finish my career with one team… So coming into that [2023] season, everything felt weird. I felt like I’m going to have this crazy year, and you don’t even want me here. So the writing was already on the wall. Obviously, I still tried to come in and put my best foot forward, but I knew it was coming toward that time.”
Jacobs was limited to 13 games last season, and he had career lows across the board. As expected, Vegas moved on with Zamir White as their lead back while adding veteran Alexander Mattison as a backup. That tandem will be much more cost-effective than a RB room led by Jacobs would have been, but Green Bay’s run to the NFC divisional round will lead to expectations of a strong 2024 performance. It will be interesting to see how he fares with his new team and whether or not his free agent decision proves to be a sound one.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/24
Wednesday’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Reverted to IR: OL Carter O’Donnell
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Zack Bailey
- Waived: G Ryan Coll, P Ryan Sanborn
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE Jeremiah Martin, T Chim Okorafor
- Waived: LB Caleb Johnson
Detroit Lions
- Activated from active/NFI list: CB Carlton Davis, T Giovanni Manu, WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, CB Amik Robertson, WR Tre’Quan Smith
- Activated from active/PUP list: S Brian Branch, DE Marcus Davenport
- Waived (with failed physical designation): G Matt Farniok
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from active/NFI list: WR Jayden Reed
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Laquon Treadwell
- Placed on active/NFI list: DT Raekwon Davis
- Placed on active/PUP list: CB Chris Lammons
- Waived: WR Xavier White
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Keelan Doss, OL Corey Luciano
- Waived (with injury designation): G Jake Johanning
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from active/NFI list: WR DeWayne McBride
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from active/NFI list: WR Chris Olave
- Activated from active/PUP list: DE Chase Young
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze, WR Shaquan Davis
- Placed on active/PUP list: S Sydney Brown
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on active/NFI list: RB Cordarrelle Patterson
- Placed on active/PUP list: LB Cole Holcomb, DE Dean Lowry
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on active/PUP list: DE Drake Jackson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: G Ilm Manning
- Activated from active/NFI list: CB DJ James, CB Nehemiah Pritchett
- Released: G Tremayne Anchrum
Washington Commanders
- Activated from active/NFI list: DT Johnny Newton
- Placed on active/PUP list: DE Efe Obada
In New Orleans, Young has officially made the comeback from offseason neck surgery, passing his physical today alongside Olave, who is no stranger to offseason injuries.
Treadwell will join his eighth team in nine years after only making one catch in five games with the Ravens last season.
Brown is working his way back from an ACL tear that he suffered in the final game of his rookie season last year, so it’s no surprise that he will start the offseason on PUP.