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Minor NFL Transactions: 8/23/23

August 23rd, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor NFL transactions from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Waived from IR with injury settlement: CB Kemon Hall

New England Patriots

New York Giants

  • Waived from IR with injury settlement: LB Troy Brown

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Free Agents

The Broncos get an important piece back today in Purcell. The veteran defensive tackle found a strong role last year on in the Denver rotation. After passing his physical today, Purcell may be able to get his sea legs back in the team’s last preseason game, but they may choose to rest him following his return from a minor knee injury.

It’s bit of a surprise to see Johnson get cut loose in Philadelphia. The 26-year-old lineman had recently been promoted to second-team left tackle. With the Eagles’ preseason finale tomorrow, he was likely set to get a strong share of snaps. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the team could bring back soon, only cutting him temporarily to fix something to do with his paperwork.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/22/23

August 22nd, 2023 at 8:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: CB Elijah Hamilton
  • Waived/injured: OL Jake Hanson

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: LB Tae Crowder
  • Waived/injured: OT Andrew Trainer

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Claimed off waivers (from Panthers): DL Marquan McCall
  • Released: WR Tre Nixon

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: WR Malik Flowers
  • Waived: CB Montrae Braswell

Tae Crowder has found his next gig after getting cut by the Steelers in May. The former Mr. Irrelevant spent the first three seasons of his career with the Giants, including a 2021 season where he compiled 130 tackles and a pair of interceptions. He started only eight of his 13 appearances last season before getting cut, but he quickly caught on with Pittsburgh’s practice squad. Entering his age-26 season, Crowder is a low-risk option for the Chargers, but he could provide big returns if he can show his form from 2021.

Marquan McCall was a surprise cut by the Panthers earlier this week. The former UDFA ended up getting into 16 games for the Panthers last season, finishing with 15 tackles, two TFLs, and one QB hit. He’ll now look to catch on in New England. He’ll be taking a roster spot from wideout Tre Nixon. The former seventh-round pick has spent the past few seasons on New England’s practice squad but never got into a regular season game.

Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba To Undergo Wrist Surgery

August 22nd, 2023 at 5:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

5:37pm: While Pete Carroll is notoriously optimistic on injury timetables, the 14th-year Seahawks HC gave one that does not make it look like the No. 20 overall pick will recover in time for Week 1. Smith-Njigba will be sidelined for at least three or four weeks, Carroll said (via Fox 13 Seattle’s Curtis Crabtree).

12:44pm: Seattle may be notably shorthanded at the receiver spot at the start of the regular season. First-round rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba is undergoing wrist surgery today to treat a broken bone, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).

The injury occurred during the Seahawks’ preseason game against the Cowboys on the weekend, and it could cost him regular season time. Schefter adds that the surgery will determine whether or not Smith-Njigba will be able to suit up for Week 1, which is less than three weeks away.

Seattle has D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett firmly in place as receiver starters, but it came as little surprise that the team sought out an addition to that tandem early in the draft. After using the 2023 first-rounder acquired in the Russell Wilson trade on cornerback Devon Witherspoon, the Seahawks used their other Day 1 selection on Smith-Njigba.

That began a run of four straight wideouts being taken, and gave the Seahawks a pass-catcher capable of making an impact on their offense in both the short- and long-term. The 21-year-old staked a case to be the No. 1 wideout in the 2023 class during his sophomore season at Ohio State. Competing for targets with eventual first-rounders Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Smith-Njigba posted 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns on 95 receptions. That led to massive expectations for a follow-up in 2022, but a lingering hamstring injury limited him to just three games.

Seattle would be wise to proceed with caution if Smith-Njigba’s procedure leaves his Week 1 availability in doubt. Any extended absence would, however, leave a noticeable drop-off beyond Metcalf and Lockett at the receiver position. Dee Eskridge was suspended for the first six games of the campaign after a domestic violence arrest, which will place more responsibility on Smith-Njigba to at least serve as an effective third option when he starts his pro career. The time at which that will happen is now up in the air.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/23

August 20th, 2023 at 8:03pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

It appears that, like Colby Wadman before him, Palardy is just a camp body. Incumbent punter Tress Way is dealing with a back ailment, and he will only work as the holder in the Commanders’ preseason contest against the Ravens tomorrow night (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). So Palardy, who has appeared in 80 games in his career (including eight with the Patriots in 2022), will have a chance to audition for other clubs that may be on the lookout for a punter at some point.

Washington is also in need of another player to rotate in on the defensive line, as Jonathan Allen (plantar fasciitis) and Phidarian Mathis are both banged up (Twitter link via ESPN’s John Keim). Mack, who has 25 appearances in his pro career, will at least help the team get through camp and the rest of the preseason slate.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/23

August 19th, 2023 at 8:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Reverted to IR: CB Jordan Swann

Detroit Lions

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: DL La’Darius Hamilton, DL Tomasi Laulile
  • Waived: RB Khalan Lanorn
  • Placed on IR: DE Taco Charlton

Seattle Seahawks

Charlton signed with the 49ers earlier this month, but he will not see time with them this season. Being placed on IR means he will be sidelined until 2024, which could lead to yet another new opportunity being needed for the former first-rounder to continue his career. Charlton has played 60 games (with 13 starts) during his time in the NFL, including five appearances with the Bears last year. San Francisco will likely now look elsewhere for depth options on the edge.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/23

August 18th, 2023 at 8:22pm CST by Ely Allen

Minor transactions around the league heading into Week 2 of the preseason:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Waived from IR with injury settlement: T Nicolas Melsop

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Ta’amu and Laulile become the 55th and 56th players from the 2023 XFL season to sign an NFL contract. Ta’amu has spent time with five different NFL squads since going undrafted out of Ole Miss in 2019. In 2022, Ta’amu lead the USFL in both passing yards and touchdowns. In this past XFL season, Ta’amu was awarded Offensive Player of the Year honors for his efforts in DC. After gaining starting experience in the USFL and XFL over the past two years, Ta’amu will hope to make his first NFL appearance with his sixth NFL team.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/23

August 17th, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OT Trevor Reid

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: WR Tyler Adams

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Released from IR: WR D.J. Turner

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Players placed on injured reserve during training camp or the preseason can’t be activated during the 2023 campaign. However, if they’re released from IR (often via an injury settlement), they’re free to sign and play elsewhere. For instance, Anthony Averett will surely be a player who can catch on with a new squad. The cornerback has seen time in 51 games (27 starts), collecting 114 tackles, three interceptions, and 23 passes defended. He had a career season in 2021 with the Ravens, starting all 14 of his appearances while chipping in 54 tackles, 11 passes defended, and three picks. He spent the 2022 season with the Raiders, starting six of his seven appearances while dealing with a pair of IR stints. He caught on with the 49ers earlier this month.

Among today’s signings, Davion Taylor is an intriguing addition to the Bears linebackers room. The former third-round pick spent the first two seasons of his career with the Eagles, including a 2021 campaign where he started six of his nine appearances while compiling 41 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. A knee injury ended that breakout campaign early, and he spent most of the 2022 season on the Eagles’ practice squad.

Bills Place T Brandon Shell On Reserve/Retired List

August 15th, 2023 at 2:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brandon Shell caught on with the Bills earlier this offseason, moving into position to play for a third AFC East team. But it does not look like that will happen. The veteran tackle is now on Buffalo’s reserve/retired list, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia tweets.

Earlier Tuesday, Buscaglia noted Shell was not at Bills practice and was planning to retire (Twitter link). This news will wrap a seven-year career. A 2016 fifth-round pick, Shell worked as a regular starter for most of his pro career.

A Jets draftee, Shell moved into the team’s starting lineup as a rookie and ended up starting 40 games for the team. Blocking for the likes of Josh McCown and Sam Darnold, Shell signed a decent second contract (two years, $9MM) with the Seahawks in 2020 and became a starter for a playoff-bound team. Seattle used the South Carolina alum as a two-year starter, trotting him out as such in 20 games. Shell, 31, added a start in the Seahawks’ wild-card playoff loss to the Rams to close that season.

Although Shell’s third NFL team — the Dolphins — also ventured to the playoffs, Miami’s primary right tackle last year was not healthy enough to start against the Bills in January. A high ankle sprain sidelined Shell for the Dolphins’ wild-card tilt. Nevertheless, Shell made 11 starts for a Dolphins team that lost Austin Jackson in Week 1 of last season. The Seahawks moved on from Shell to 2022 third-rounder Abraham Lucas last year, while Dolphins are giving Jackson another opportunity.

This retirement comes after Shell was believed to have interest in re-signing with the Dolphins, who instead signed Cedric Ogbuehi. Shell ended up with the Bills in May. Buffalo added Shell on a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum; he did not receive any guaranteed money from the defending AFC East champions. For his career, Shell made 72 starts.

The Bills have Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown returning as starters. They also re-signed swingman David Quessenberry, whom Buscaglia recently had making the 53-man roster over Shell (subscription required). In light of Shell’s mid-camp retirement, the Bills could be in the market for a backup option at tackle.

Seahawks Activate LB Jordyn Brooks From Active/PUP List

August 15th, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jordyn Brooks suffered an ACL tear during the Seahawks’ Week 17 game last season, making him a candidate to start the season on the reserve/PUP list. That is no longer an option for Brooks, who passed his physical Tuesday.

The Seahawks moved the fourth-year linebacker off their active/PUP list. A Brooks return to practice makes him ineligible for a reserve/PUP designation — a move that would have shelved him for the season’s first four games — and increases the chances he will be in uniform come Week 1.

While the Seahawks might slow-play Brooks’ return to regular practice work, Tuesday’s development is obviously a good sign for the contract-year defender. Brooks, 25, has been a three-down performer for the Seahawks for the past two seasons, moving into the lineup alongside Bobby Wagner in 2021 and anchoring the position group after Wagner became a March 2022 cap casualty. Wagner is now back in Seattle, and a Brooks return would give the Seahawks a solid outlook at the position.

In addition to bringing back Wagner, the Seahawks added ex-Steelers first-rounder Devin Bush in free agency. That move came after Cody Barton left for Washington. Wagner is back ahead of an age-33 season, and Bush is looking to re-establish his value after the Steelers let him walk in free agency.

Hurting the Seahawks’ chances in their playoff matchup against the 49ers, the knee injury Brooks suffered on New Year’s Day also put the former No. 27 overall pick on shaky ground regarding his fifth-year option. The Seahawks joined the other teams who made linebacker picks in 2020 — the Cardinals, Ravens and Chargers — in passing. Declining Brooks’ $12.7MM option, the Seahawks made 2023 a contract year for their top tackler. Brooks has only missed one regular-season game since his full-fledged lineup entrance. He led the NFL in solo tackles in 2021 (109) and registered 103 solo stops last season. In that span, Brooks tallied 345 total tackles. Only Foye Oluokun (376) has totaled more over the past two seasons.

Pete Carroll said in May the option decision does not mean the team plans to move on from Brooks after this season, but the Texas Tech alum has a clear opportunity in front of him. Returning to form would put Brooks in solid position for a nice second contract — from either the Seahawks or another team.

RB Alex Collins Dies At 28

August 14th, 2023 at 7:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens and Seahawks have announced Alex Collins‘ death Monday. The running back, who played five NFL seasons, was 28.

A report from Ian Margol of WPGL indicates Collins was killed in a motorcycle accident in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. A collision with a Chevrolet Suburban caused the accident, and Margol reports Collins was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman driving the Suburban turned onto Northwest 33rd Ave., leading to the wreck, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

Collins last played in the NFL during the 2021 season, which he spent with the Seahawks. Collins went through two stints with the Seahawks and was with the Ravens in between those stays.

Collins came into the NFL after three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons at Arkansas; his 3,703 rushing yards rank second in Razorbacks history. Collins’ most prominent pro work came in Baltimore. The Fort Lauderdale native and fifth-round Seahawks draft choice in 2016 failed to make Seattle’s 53-man roster in 2017. The Ravens picked up the SEC product but stashed him on their practice squad to start the ’17 season. But the Ravens promoted Collins early in the year and saw him lead the team in rushing, approaching a 1,000-yard season.

Collins finished the 2017 slate with 973 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He earned another opportunity with the 2018 Ravens edition; he finished that season with 411 yards on the ground, making contributions in a season that saw Baltimore return to the playoffs. But Collins’ career ended up sidetracked after a 2018 foot injury. The Ravens waived Collins in March 2019, following an arrest, and he spent the season out of football due to another injury — a broken leg sustained in July 2019 — and a suspension.

The Seahawks, however, gave him a second chance in 2020, bringing him in midway through that season. Collins spent the final two years of his career back in Seattle. Injuries to Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny led to Collins receiving extensive work in 2021; he finished his last NFL campaign with 411 rushing yards.

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