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Bills Place WR Chase Claypool On IR

August 15th, 2024 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 15: As expected, the Bills have reached an injury settlement with Claypool, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. This will send the former second-round pick back into free agency, though the terms of the settlement will dictate when he can sign. This settlement will allow Claypool to play this season, but his stock has nosedived since some early-career promise.

AUGUST 13: Not standing out in a crowded Bills receiver competition, Chase Claypool will exit this derby early. Buffalo placed the big-bodied wide receiver on IR on Tuesday.

The Bills dropped Claypool from their 90-man roster and added wideout Deon Cain. The latter joins Monday addition Damiere Byrd among wideouts competing for back-end roster spots or practice squad gigs in Buffalo. Additionally, Buffalo placed quarterback Shane Buechele on IR. This move will officially bring Ben DiNucci onto the team’s active roster.

[RELATED: Marquez Valdes-Scantling On Bills’ Roster Bubble?]

This does not necessarily end Claypool’s season. Depending on the nature of his injury, the fifth-year receiver can catch on elsewhere and play in 2024 via an injury settlement. But Claypool’s career has trended in the wrong direction for a bit. He has not been the same player since his initial Steelers seasons, and the Bills will continue to look for players to round out their new-look wideout group.

A toe injury sends the 26-year-old target to IR. Assuming this is not a season-ender, the terms of a likely injury settlement will dictate when he can join another team. Though, ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg notes the former second-round pick has missed most of Buffalo’s training camp. The Bills, who made several free agent moves at this position during an offseason that featured Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis leaving, will now evaluate the likes of Byrd and Cain as part of an evolving receiver battle.

Buffalo added Claypool, Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to its roster this spring. Hollins is believed to be on steady ground, while Samuel is a roster lock based on the terms of his contract. Khalil Shakir and second-round pick Keon Coleman also will be regulars for this Bills edition, leaving the rest of the contingent to vie for backup gigs.

Claypool, who signed with the team shortly after the draft, is coming off an unremarkable Dolphins season. That came after an unproductive Bears stint. The 238-pound Notre Dame alum topped 850 receiving yards in each of his first two years, catching nine touchdown passes as a rookie. Maturity issues have dogged Claypool, who still totaled 451 yards during a 2022 season in which he fetched the Steelers the No. 32 overall pick in a trade. The Bears could only land a late-round pick swap in a Dolphins deal last September. Claypool caught eight passes for 77 yards in 2023.

Aiming to be the Bills’ third-string quarterback behind Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky, Buechele sustained a neck injury that will take him out of that equation. A 2021 Chiefs UDFA, Buechele who played at SMU and Texas, Buechele joined the Bills’ practice squad in August 2023 and received a reserve/futures deal in January. DiNucci is now the team’s third-string option.

Chargers To Sign DT Teair Tart

August 15th, 2024 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another team will give Teair Tart an opportunity. The Titans and Dolphins have now cut the veteran since December, but a new Chargers regime will sign off on another chance.

After a Wednesday workout, the Bolts are signing the veteran defensive tackle, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. This will be Tart’s fourth NFL team. The Texans had claimed him following the Titans cut late last season. Tart did not need to clear waivers after his Dolphins exit, which will lead him to Los Angeles.

Despite the two recent cuts, Tart is coming off a season in which he registered a career-best (by a wide margin) eight tackles for loss. The former Tennessee nose tackle starter got there in just 13 games, split with the Titans and Texans, but has suddenly struggled to find his footing. The Dolphins released Tart months after he signed a one-year, $1.75MM deal. The Titans had waived him despite applying a second-round RFA tender in March 2023.

Undrafted out of Florida International, Tart started 36 Titans games from 2020-23. Shane Bowen‘s defense ranked first against the run in 2022, with Pro Football Focus ranking Tart as a top-25 interior D-lineman that season. This preceded the second-round tender, which the Titans also applied to then-center Aaron Brewer. Both players ended up in Miami, but the Dolphins — who had been pitting Tart and Benito Jones against one another for the NT gig — surprisingly moved on from the defender early and took on more than $500K in dead money.

The Chargers have not been particularly aggressive in staffing their D-line this offseason. After releasing Sebastian Joseph-Day late last season, the Bolts only added Poona Ford (one year, $1.79MM) and fourth-rounder Justin Eboigbe. Morgan Fox remains on the two-year deal he signed in 2023. Tart will attempt to carve out a role for Jesse Minter‘s defense.

Giants To Release DB Jalen Mills

August 15th, 2024 at 9:03am CST by Adam La Rose

Jalen Mills was placed on the non-football injury list in July, preventing him from taking part in the Giants’ training camp. The veteran defensive back is no longer in the team’s plans, but he could find a deal in advance of the regular season.

Mills is being released from the NFI list, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. He adds the 30-year-old has now recovered from the calf strain he was dealing with, and as a result he could draw attention as a free agent. Once his release becomes official, Mills will be eligible to sign with an interested team (rather than having to clear waivers).

Beginning his career as a corner with the Eagles, the former seventh-rounder has also seen time at safety. Mills spent the past three seasons with New England, serving as a regular on defense. He saw his playing time drop considerably from 2021 to ’22 and then again last year, though. Mills quickly agreed to terms on a one-year Giants pact aimed at helping to fill the void created by Xavier McKinney‘s departure.

That contract only contained $468K in guarantees, so releasing Mills will not carry major financial implications for the Giants. The team’s attention will remain focused on finding a safety partner for Jason Pinnock in the starting lineup, an ongoing competition between Dane Belton and second-round rookie Tyler Nubin. Belton appears to have the have the inside track on a first-team gig, although plenty can change over the coming weeks.

Mills is a veteran of 106 games and 83 starts. He logged a 90% defensive snap share as recently as 2021, so he could be counted on to at least handle a rotational role in the secondary upon finding a new team. It will be interesting to see if his market takes shape right away, or if he will need to wait for roster cutdowns at the end of the month to determine his next move.

Patriots, Falcons Complete Matt Judon Trade

August 14th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

After their Michael Penix Jr. selection, the Falcons tried to trade back into the first round — for the purpose of acquiring a pass rusher. Atlanta is circling back here, doing so via trade. The NFC South team is set to resolve the Patriots’ Matt Judon issue.

The Falcons finalized an agreement to acquire Judon from the Pats, according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz. As New England has gone through with several pricey deals for veterans this offseason, Judon remains in a contract year and has expressed frustration. He would stand to fill a key need for a Falcons team short on edge rushers.

Atlanta is sending New England a third-round pick for the ninth-year edge presence, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This will bring an end to an offseason saga that had Judon at odds with the team’s new-look front office. The former Ravens draftee, who produced double-digit sack seasons in his first two Patriots years, is going into his age-32 season.

Both the Falcons’ top sack artists from last season — Bud Dupree, Calais Campbell — signed elsewhere this offseason, and the Falcons were unable to swing a deal that would have landed them one of this draft’s premier edge players. This has been an Atlanta issue for a long time now, as Thomas Dimitroff-era first-round investments Vic Beasley and Takk McKinley did not pan out. In Judon, the Falcons land a proven sack artist — albeit one coming off an injury-shortened season.

It will be interesting to see if the Falcons have a deal ready for Judon, as this otherwise could remind of the situation transpiring in New York. The Jets traded a conditional third-round pick to the Eagles for Haason Reddick but have been unable to bring him in, with a lengthy holdout transpiring due to a contract impasse. One season remains on Judon’s contract, which he attempted to upgrade during his final months in New England. No new contract is in place yet, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.

We heard earlier this week teams were calling on Judon’s availability, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports several teams discussed the pass rusher with the Pats. After signing off on several extensions and re-signings of Bill Belichick-era acquisitions, new Pats front office boss Eliot Wolf will move on in exchange for a Day 2 pick. This deal makes sense from both sides, as a rebuilding team will move a disgruntled 30-something in a contract year to a club suddenly readier to win thanks to Kirk Cousins‘ arrival.

A recent report indicated the Patriots made multiple offers to Judon; the ninth-year edge disputed this account. Those alleged offers were not believed to be extensions, and Judon watched the Pats pay other defenders (Christian Barmore, Kyle Dugger, Davon Godchaux) while leaving his contract untouched. The Division II product recently noted that, coming off a significant biceps injury that limited him to four games last season, he was not expecting to draw a top-market number. But he added that he is worth more than his current $6.5MM base salary.

This comes a year after the then-Belichick-led Patriots adjusted Judon’s contract, moving money from 2024 to 2023 and increasing the player’s guarantees last year. Judon could not hit the incentives included in that package, going down early. But the Pats did reward their 2021 free agent signing after he notched 12.5- and 15.5-sack seasons in 2021 and ’22.

Judon signed a four-year, $54.5MM deal as a 2021 free agent, joining the Pats as the team deviated from its M.O. and signed a host of veterans on a pandemic-affected market. The five-year Raven was by far the best of those signings, and the Falcons will bet on him bouncing back from the biceps tear.

Before attempting to trade into the middle of Round 1 for defensive help (specifically edge player Laiatu Latu), the Falcons had tried to obtain Montez Sweat at the 2023 deadline. They offered a third-round pick, but the Bears beat that by sending the Commanders a second. Dupree and Campbell each finished the season with 6.5 sacks before respectively leaving for Los Angeles and Miami. While Atlanta still rosters former second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie (six 2023 sacks), Judon offers an anchor-level presence.

Turning 32 on Thursday, Judon has four Pro Bowls on his resume. The first two came in Baltimore. In 2019, Judon compiled 33 QB hits and ahead of the Ravens franchise-tagging him in 2020. He finished with 28 QB hits during his most recent full season (2022), driving the third-round compensation for a player unsigned for 2025.

Although the Falcons famously passed on hiring Belichick as HC, they will hope one of his former finds can provide a boost for a pass rush that desperately needs it. Judon will now pair with D-line stalwart Grady Jarrett, who recently received full clearance following an ACL tear, for Raheem Morris‘ defense.

Jerod Mayo‘s team, meanwhile, is suddenly shorthanded on the edge. The Pats did, however, draft Keion White in the 2023 second round and re-signed Josh Uche this offseason. With Judon being a rare veteran Wolf did not extend, the Pats will prepare to use that third-rounder to help future squads.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/24

August 14th, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed: C Cohl Cabral
  • Waived (with injury designation): DE Shaka Toney

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Cabral joins the Cowboys after UFL stints in Birmingham and Michigan. He adds more depth to the team’s offensive line after the team lost Chuma Edoga in their first preseason game and saw Earl Bostick helped off the field today. Toney suffered a groin injury, leading to this injury waiver, but could return to the team should he clear waivers.

Powers-Johnson was on some concerning ground with how much time he had missed with a concussion, but the Raiders saw him return to practice today.

The 49ers are adding some significant depth on the defensive line in Williams, who has vast starting experience in the NFL. Cutting Turner could mean that the return of Dre Greenlaw may on a better timeline than expected.

Giants Trade DT Jordan Phillips To Cowboys

August 14th, 2024 at 8:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys are acquiring a division-rival defender, per NFL Insider Josina Anderson. Amidst injury troubles along the defensive line, Dallas has made the move to acquire Giants veteran defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tells us that Phillips’ departure will be accompanied by a pick swap, with New York sending a seventh- along with Phillips in exchange for a sixth-rounder in 2026.

A former second-round pick out of Oklahoma, Phillips has spent most of his career in the AFC East. Drafted by the Dolphins, Phillips made 26 starts in his first three years with the team before seeing his playing time start to dwindle in Year 4. An outburst of dissatisfaction eventually led to Phillips’ getting waived by Miami.

Buffalo quickly picked up their division-rival’s scraps, claiming Phillips off of waivers. He played mostly as a rotation player with the Bills as he finished out his fourth season. In 2019, Phillips rewarded Buffalo for their faith in him, accompanying his nine starts that year with 9.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 16 quarterback hits — all career-highs by a wide margin.

Phillips leveraged a career year into a three-year contract with the Cardinals. He was a full-time starter during his time in Arizona, but injuries limited him to only 18 games over two years. His limited playing time would lead the Cardinals to release him, allowing the Bills to pick him up once again. Phillips was eased back into a rotation as he continued to play through injuries in Buffalo, starting only one game in 2022. He made nine starts last season but continued to play on a rotational snap count throughout the year.

After briefly considering retirement, Phillips signed with the Giants this offseason. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tells us that New York has really liked what they’ve seen so far from some young defensive linemen like Elijah Chatman and D.J. Davidson, while Phillips had yet to make much of an impact this summer. Pat Leonard of the NY Daily News echoed this sentiment, claiming that it wasn’t very likely that Phillips was going to make their roster, so a pick swap was a nice consolation prize for a veteran free agent signing that didn’t pan out.

In Dallas, most of the injury issues have been coming at end. Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports that regular defensive tackles Chauncey Golston and Viliami Fehoko have been moved to defensive end to cover for the absences, so it makes sense that the Cowboys were on the lookout for someone to help fill out the middle. With players like Mazi Smith, Osa Odighizuwa, and Carl Davis leading the position at the moment, Phillips provides some much-needed veteran, starting experience as a depth piece.

Panthers To Sign S Rudy Ford

August 14th, 2024 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers spent big for Xavier McKinney at safety. Their three primary options from 2023 are now each with other teams. Following Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens, Rudy Ford now has a gig.

Ford agreed to terms with the Panthers on Wednesday, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets. The veteran DB spent the past two seasons in Green Bay, starting 15 games. He will join a Panthers team that has seen some turnover at safety.

Carolina released Vonn Bell after one season, adding ex-Ejiro Evero Rams charge Jordan Fuller. The team also brought in fellow ex-Evero L.A. cog Nick Scott, whom the Bengals cut this offseason. Ford has no experience with Evero, though he did work with former Evero coworker Joe Barry in Green Bay.

The Packers turned to Ford as a regular over the past two seasons, marking a role increase compared to a nomadic start to his career. Playing five seasons split between Arizona, Philadelphia and Jacksonville, Ford started six games in that span. He worked with Savage during both Packers seasons, intercepting five passes.

Pro Football Focus graded Ford just outside the top 30 among safety regulars last season. The 49ers brought the 29-year-old defender in for a recent workout but did not sign him. He will bring more experience to a unit that also houses Xavier Woods, who is going into his second season with the team.

Rams Waive K Tanner Brown; Rookie Joshua Karty Wins Kicking Competition

August 13th, 2024 at 9:43pm CST by Ben Levine

The Rams have settled on their starting kicker. The team announced that they’ve waived Tanner Brown, meaning sixth-round rookie Joshua Karty has won the kicker competition.

Karty is coming off a standout career at Stanford. The kicker earned a pair of first-team All American nods while converting 85 percent of his field goal attempts and 98.6 percent of his extra point tries. That performance helped elevate him above the standard grouping of undrafted kickers, with Karty being the first kicker off the board (and one of only two overall alongside Cam Little) during the 2024 draft.

The rookie had an especially strong showing during the Rams’ preseason opener. Karty connected on both of his field goal attempts plus the game-winning extra point. Most notably, he got all of the team’s looks at the position, so the writing was on the wall for the other kicker on the roster.

Brown went undrafted out of Oklahoma State last offseason. He spent the entirety of his rookie campaign on the Rams practice squad, failing to leap the likes of Lucas Havrisik and Brett Maher. Brown should get another shot following 2021 and 2022 campaigns where he nailed 88.6 percent of his FG tries.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/24

August 13th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

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

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: LB Chris Russell
  • Released from IR (with injury settlement): CB Don Callis

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: CB Kaleb Ford-Dement
  • Waived: RB Zander Horvath
  • Released from IR (with injury settlement): WR Jermaine Jackson

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Released from IR (with injury settlement): NT Matthew Gotel

Raiders Sign QB Nathan Peterman

August 13th, 2024 at 5:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Nathan Peterman‘s NFL journey has landed him back with the Raiders. The organization announced today that they’ve signed the veteran quarterback. In a corresponding move, the team waived/injured wide receiver Keelan Doss.

Peterman is most known for tossing five interceptions during the first half of his NFL debut, but he’s since garnered a reputation as a steady backup QB. He had a nearly four-year stint with the Raiders, making only brief cameos in relief of Derek Carr. He also had a two-year stay with the Bears between 2022 and 2023. In total, Peterman has gone 1-4 in his five career starts.

The veteran signed with the Saints back in March but was cut loose earlier this month. The Raiders will now take a chance on a player who’s not only familiar with the organization, but also the playbook. As Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal observes, Peterson played the last two seasons in Chicago under new Raiders OC Luke Getsy, so it shouldn’t take the QB long to get his feet wet.

Bonsignore notes that Peterman might have simply been added to soak up preseason snaps. However, he could also provide an upgrade at QB3 over the likes of Anthony Brown Jr. and UDFA Carter Bradley (and behind Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell).

Doss has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted in 2019, including a handful of stints with the Raiders. He most recently spent two years with the Chargers, hauling in six catches for 33 yards.

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