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Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/23

October 23rd, 2023 at 7:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

  • Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: RB Jashaun Corbin

San Francisco 49ers

This marks a New York return for Corbin, who went to training camp with the Giants. A UDFA out of Florida State, Corbin signed a reserve/futures contract with the Giants in January but did not make their 53-man roster. The Panthers had kept Corbin on their practice squad since early September. Rather than promote Corbin to their 53-man roster to block this New York return, Carolina will let him join the Giants’ 53. Corbin joins Saquon Barkley, Gary Brightwell and fifth-round rookie Eric Gray as running backs on Big Blue’s 53-man roster. Both Brightwell (hamstring) and Gray (calf) suffered injuries in Week 7, creating a need at the position.

Vikings LB Jordan Hicks Drawing Trade Interest

October 22nd, 2023 at 7:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings have been connected to plenty of trade talk centered on quarterback Kirk Cousins recently, but the team has a few defenders who could be attractive to interested teams. One of those is edge rusher Danielle Hunter, but another is inside linebacker Jordan Hicks.

The latter has drawn “outside interest,” per Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson. Hicks earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after the Vikings’ Week 6 win over the Bears, part of his strong performance so far this season. The 31-year-old has posted 53 tackles, one interception and a fumble return touchdown through six contests, proving his continued ability to fill the statsheet.

Hicks joined the Vikings on a two-year, $10MM pact last March after finding himself as a cap casualty of the Cardinals. He reworked his pact this past offseason to stay in Minnesota and move his 2023 salary to $3.25MM. An acquiring team would take on a prorated portion of that figure in any possible trade. Dealing him would create $3.5MM in cap space for the Vikings.

The former Eagles third-rounder has eclipsed 100 tackles in each of the past four seasons, and he has reached double-digits in that regard four times already this year. A resurgence in pass coverage relative to the past several campaigns has resulted in a standout 80.3 PFF grade, something which could add further to his value for contending teams. As Robinson notes, however, Hicks’ age, position and status as a rental would put a firm limit on the value the Vikings could receive in draft capital in a swap. As such, it would come as little surprise if they turned down offers.

The same may not be true for Hunter, who entered Week 7 with the league lead in sacks. Positional value would no doubt help Minnesota extract more draft assets in a trade involving Hunter, but Hicks’ play should have him firmly on the radar of teams in search of low-cost additions in the middle of their defense. Minnesota (2-4) has not committed to a seller’s stance in advance of the October 31 deadline despite their slow start and Justin Jefferson‘s absence, though, so it will be interesting to see how willing they could be to part ways with Hicks.

Vikings OLB Danielle Hunter Generating Extensive Trade Interest

October 20th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Danielle Hunter missed the bulk of the previous three seasons due to injury, and his contract has come up frequently during this span. But the ninth-year Vikings edge rusher has rocketed out of the blocks in his contract year. Hunter’s eight sacks pace the NFL through six games.

The Vikings are 2-4 and have their top player on IR. Justin Jefferson is a non-starter in trades, and Kirk Cousins is not expected to waive his no-trade clause. But teams are monitoring the Hunter situation, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the veteran edge rusher would have a big market if made available.

Minnesota discussed Hunter in trades this offseason, doing so as a contingency as his latest round of contract talks had created uncertainty. But the parties huddled up and agreed on another adjustment, a one-year, $17MM deal that put the Pro Bowler in a contract year. Nearly three months after the new agreement, however, Fowler adds the Vikings are not shopping Hunter. The defending NFC North champions are not yet throwing in the towel on this season, keeping their top non-Cousins trade chip off the table for the time being.

If the Vikings were to make Hunter available, one exec suggested (via Fowler) a first-round pick could be necessary to pry him from the Twin Cities. Hunter also leads the NFL with 11 tackles for loss. After shaking off the neck and pectoral injuries that sidelined him for all but seven games from 2020-21, Hunter returned to the Pro Bowl with 10.5 sacks last season. The youngest player to reach 50 career sacks, Hunter turns 29 later this month. He is on the verge of creating a strong free agency market in 2024.

The Jaguars loomed as a team connected to Hunter during the preseason, per Fowler, but they have seen Josh Allen display consistency in his contract year. Jacksonville has Allen and 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker anchoring its edge. Walker, however, has not played up to his draft slot just yet; 2020 first-rounder K’Lavon Chaisson has not come especially close to living up to his, either. Ex-Vikings GM Rick Spielman, in a piece for The33rdteam.com, mentioned the Jags as a logical trade destination for the player he drafted in the 2015 third round.

As for the Vikings, they swapped out 2022 Hunter sidekick Za’Darius Smith for Marcus Davenport in free agency. Minnesota signed Davenport to a one-year, $13MM deal and dealt Smith to Cleveland. Davenport is now on IR, and Kevin O’Connell said (via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert) surgery remains a possibility as the ex-Saints first-rounder rehabs a high ankle sprain. With Davenport out for at least four games, the Vikings moving Hunter would gut their pass rush. Hunter is stampeding toward his fifth double-digit sack season. In the official sack era (1982-present), only Hall of Famers John Randle and Chris Doleman have finished with more 10-plus-sack seasons than Hunter as Vikings.

The Vikings did make a seller’s trade involving an edge rusher in 2020, sending Yannick Ngakoue to the Ravens despite acquiring him from the Jaguars that summer. The Ravens sent third- and fifth-round picks to the Vikes for Ngakoue; the Vikings were 1-5 at that time. Hunter is attached to a $10MM base salary, which teams would likely not view as prohibitive given the start he has put together.

As the Rams’ Von Miller pickup in 2021 showed, a standout edge rusher can make a considerable impact during a Super Bowl push. The Vikings have no real edge rusher certainty beyond 2023, with both Hunter and Davenport due for free agency, so the position will be a top-tier need in 2024 regardless of where Hunter calls home come November. Minnesota also has longtime defensive staple Harrison Smith tied to a pay-cut agreement, clouding his post-2023 Minnesota future. The Vikes will be one of the most interesting teams at the trade deadline, but for now, they have yet to truly engage.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/23

October 18th, 2023 at 7:08pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s practice squad updates:

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Vikings Place OLB Marcus Davenport On IR, Activate KR Kene Nwangwu

October 18th, 2023 at 9:37am CST by Sam Robinson

Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter–Marcus Davenport edge-rushing partnership hit a snag with a Davenport injury. That will lead to a paused season for the free agency pickup.

The Vikings placed Davenport on IR on Wednesday, shelving the former Saints first-rounder until at least Week 11. Davenport is battling a high ankle sprain. In addition to the Davenport transaction, the Vikings activated running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu from IR and designated wide receiver Jalen Nailor for return from IR.

While Nwangwu represents Minnesota’s first IR activation this season, Davenport will be on track to join him later. The Vikings gave Davenport a one-year, $13MM deal this offseason, bringing him in to replace Za’Darius Smith. This move led to uncertainty at Minnesota’s edge positions, with Smith remaining on the roster for several weeks ahead of a trade to Cleveland. While Smith is now part of a top-tier Browns defense, the Pro Bowler has yet to record a sack. Davenport, who notched a half-sack despite playing 15 games last season, has two through six Vikes contests.

Davenport, 27, and Hunter are together for now, but the Vikings’ edge situation is not settled from a long-term standpoint. Neither starter is signed beyond 2023, and Hunter profiles as one of this season’s top trade candidates. The ninth-year Viking has eight sacks thus far, pacing the NFL. Davenport’s injury weakens the Vikings’ pass rush and likely prevents them from dealing the 2018 first-rounder. The Vikes did make a seller’s trade involving an edge rusher three years ago, trading Yannick Ngakoue to the Ravens. But Davenport’s injury probably squashes his market, with the trade deadline Oct. 31.

The team considered Hunter trades this offseason, and with Kevin O’Connell‘s squad starting 2-4, it will be interesting to see if the defending NFC North champions consider moving on. But Hunter may still be in Minnesota’s long-term plans. For Davenport, this injury hurts his chances of putting quality production on film for a potential 2024 free agency push. It also hurts Davenport’s hopes of showing he can provide consistency. His up-and-down New Orleans tenure led to a “prove it” deal in March.

Nwangwu returned to practice Oct. 11. The Vikings have not used the third-year back much in the backfield, but the Iowa State alum has been one of the NFL’s best kick returners during his career. Nwangwu is the only NFLer to have tallied three kick-return touchdowns since the start of the 2021 season. Nyheim Hines is the only other player with even two kick-return scores. Nwangwu, 25, will stand to give the Vikings a boost on special teams.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/23

October 17th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed off Giants practice squad: S Alex Cook

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles

Rams Reunite With Darrell Henderson, Add Myles Gaskin Off Vikings’ Practice Squad

October 17th, 2023 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:05pm: Henderson’s path back to the Rams’ 53-man roster is no longer as smooth as it looked. In addition to moving Freeman up on a full-time basis, the Rams are signing Myles Gaskin off the Vikings’ practice squad, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. A four-year Miami contributor, Gaskin caught on with the Vikings after an August Dolphins release. Gaskin, who led the Dolphins in rushing in 2019 and ’20, has played in one Vikings game this season.

2:35pm: Stung by running back injuries, the Rams will complete a reunion to help the cause. With Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers injured, Darrell Henderson is coming back to the Rams.

The Rams are adding Henderson to their practice squad. The former third-round pick, who played for the team from 2019-22, has not been on a roster since last season. In addition to bringing back Henderson, the Rams are signing Royce Freeman to their 53-man roster. Freeman had played in three Rams games this season, doing so as a practice squad elevation. Sean McVay said Monday both Williams and Rivers would miss time; Rivers is an IR candidate after suffering a PCL sprain.

Henderson worked as the Rams’ starter for much of their 2021 Super Bowl-winning season, but injuries and a COVID-19 contraction slowed his momentum and led to Sony Michel and then Cam Akers taking over the starting role. Henderson suffered a thigh injury late in the 2021 season, and after the COVID bout, he sustained an MCL sprain. While the Rams activated Henderson for Super Bowl LVI, he has not recaptured the momentum from the ’21 regular season.

With Akers and the Rams at odds early during the 2022 season, Henderson filled in as a seven-game starter. But the Rams encountered a number of offensive line injuries and were eventually playing without Matthew Stafford. Henderson finished his abbreviated 2022 with 283 rushing yards (4.0 per carry); the Rams waived him in late November. While the Jaguars stepped in with a claim, they moved on without using Henderson in a regular-season game. Summer workouts for the Patriots and Colts did not lead to a signing.

Henderson, 26, produced back-to-back 600-yard rushing seasons from 2020-21. Akers became the Rams’ go-to back down the stretch in 2020, but after he suffered an Achilles tear in July 2021, the eventual championship team rolled with a Henderson-Michel duo. Zach Evans came into Tuesday as the only healthy back on Los Angeles’ 53-man roster. Freeman will now join him, though Henderson certainly is familiar with McVay’s system and would make sense as a roster elevation for Week 7.

Freeman, 27, joined the Rams just after this year’s training camp. The former Broncos third-round pick, whom Phillip Lindsay displaced as a starter during each’s rookie year (2018), spent last season with the Texans. Houston re-signed Freeman, a 2021 waiver claim, but did not use him much on offense. Freeman has not eclipsed 200 rushing yards in a season since 2019. The Rams cut Freeman after this preseason slate but kept him on their practice squad, rolling with first- or second-year backs on their active roster following the September Akers trade. Evans has taken four handoffs this season; all of Freeman’s 2023 snaps have come on special teams.

Vikings DE Marcus Davenport Facing Multi-Week Absence

October 17th, 2023 at 9:19am CST by Adam La Rose

Marcus Davenport‘s Vikings tenure has run into renewed injury trouble. The veteran edge rusher is dealing with a high ankle sprain and is likely facing a four-to-six week absence as a result, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The news makes Davenport a candidate to be placed on injured reserve, something which would sideline him for at least four weeks. The 27-year-old was limited to just four snaps across Minnesota’s first three games this season, his first with the Vikings. Davenport inked a one-year, $13MM deal including $10MM guaranteed in free agency.

That pact resulted in high expectations for the former Saints first-rounder, who has contributed when healthy in 2023. Davenport posted one sack in each of his two full games, adding four quarterback hits and a pair of tackles for loss in that span. The injury suffered during Minnesota’s Week 6 win over the Bears forced him to be carted off the field, though, and it threatens to cost him signficant time through the middle portion of the campaign.

The Vikings entrusted Davenport with a starting role to help offset the Za’Darius Smith trade and provide a complimentary presence to Danielle Hunter. The latter was mentioned in frequent trade speculation this offseason, but he ultimately signed a revised one-year pact which provided a raise compared to his original 2023 compensation. Both Hunter (who has his own track record of lengthy injury-induced absences) and Davenport are set to hit free agency in March, so an extended stretch without the pair in place could hinder not only the team’s edge rush but also their respective markets come the spring.

Hunter has posted a league-leading eight sacks so far, but Minnesota will need to find a new bookend for at least the short term while Davenport (who was unable to play a full season in any of his five years in New Orleans) recovers. Former fourth-rounder D.J. Wonnum – who ranks tied for second amongst Vikings edge rushers with two sacks – could be in line for an increased workload with Davenport not in the fold. Minnesota also has 2021 third-rounder Patrick Jones and undrafted rookie Andre Carter in place as depth options in the pass-rush department.

Latest On Justin Jefferson, Kirk Cousins; Vikings Audition Colt McCoy

October 15th, 2023 at 8:40am CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 15: In a full-length piece, Schefter reiterates his earlier point that Jefferson could miss the rest of the season if the Vikings are out of contention by the time he is healthy enough to return to the field. From a purely medical perspective, Jefferson stands to miss up to six weeks, and he will undergo imaging tests in four weeks’ time to determine his status.

OCTOBER 12: After going three-plus seasons without missing a game, Justin Jefferson is set to miss at least four. After a hamstring injury in Week 5, the Vikings placed the superstar wide receiver on IR. A few factors could determine Jefferson’s true return timetable.

The Vikings do not expect this injury to require more than the four-week minimum, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport; that would give Jefferson a Week 11 reentrance stage. Kevin O’Connell said (via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Ben Goessling) the team does not view this as a season-ending injury, though the second-year HC labeled it “significant” in nature. While hamstring injuries present potential for aggravation, they are rarely deemed as season-threatening maladies — at least, not at this point on the calendar. That said, both Keenan Allen and Darren Waller missed large chunks of last season due to hamstring ailments.

[RELATED: Jets Not Looking Into Trading For Cousins]

Jefferson’s summer contract talks may also play into this. After an early-summer report indicated the Vikings were fine tabling these negotiations to 2024, the team attempted a late push to extend the record-setting pass catcher before Week 1. These talks went up against the season opener but did not produce a deal. Despite T.J. Hockenson signing a monster tight end extension, the Vikings have their best player in Year 4 of a rookie contract. Although no team has picked up a wide receiver’s fifth-year option and extended him with two years of control remaining, the Vikings appeared close to breaking this precedent with Jefferson.

The team not doing so opens the door to the wideout playing this cautiously and, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter noted, the Vikes’ record by the time Jefferson is moving closer to a return could factor into these proceedings. After turning a negative point differential into a 13-4 season, the Vikings are 1-4 and potentially staring at some decisions before the trade deadline. The team already cut ties with a few veterans this offseason — Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, Za’Darius Smith — and has other names to monitor ahead of the deadline. Danielle Hunter is in a contract year, and Harrison Smith took a pay cut this offseason. Both Pro Bowlers would appeal to other teams, should the Vikings become serious about selling.

Regarding Jefferson’s contract situation, it is unlikely his value would diminish if he aggravated this short-term injury by coming back too soon. The 2020 first-rounder will enter the offseason in position to command an extension that separates him from his peers, presenting the Vikings with a potentially challenging negotiation. Jefferson’s stats will obviously take a hit this year, but a secure long-term outlook will allow him to take his time in recovering, especially if the team remains under .500 when he is due back.

Kirk Cousins could theoretically join Smith and Hunter as a high-profile trade chip, being unsigned beyond this season and agreeing to an offseason restructure that dropped his 2023 base salary to $10MM. But the sixth-year Vikings starter holds a no-trade clause. He has indicated several times he would prefer to stay in Minnesota and did not address the topic (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert) when asked if he would waive his clause to be moved this season.

The Vikings cannot realistically tag Cousins in 2024, due to the two Washington tags that led him to the Twin Cities in 2018, giving the team an interesting scenario with its longtime starter. Cousins, 35, can set himself up for yet another payday by playing well this season. With the QB not expecting to discuss another contract until after the season, the Vikes will soon find themselves in a time crunch. Jefferson’s absence stands to impact this, however, and it will be interesting to see if Cousins adjusts his stance if the Vikes continue to stumble.

Cousins reaching the market would put him in position for a fourth lucrative contract, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes an AFC exec mentioned Derek Carr‘s $37.5MM-per-year Saints deal as a good comp for Cousins. Then again, Cousins has posted better numbers than Carr and has navigated the financial landscape about as well as anyone in NFL history. But the ex-fourth-rounder will be going into his age-36 season in 2024, limiting his value to some degree. This process will put the Vikings to a decision, as Cousins’ abilities may lead to the team winning enough games to move out of realistic range to nab a replacement near the top of the draft.

The Vikings used a fifth-round pick on Jaren Hall in April; as of now, the BYU product is Cousins’ backup. Nick Mullens moved to IR on Wednesday, and ex-Cousins backup Sean Mannion returned to the practice squad. Prior to reacquiring Mannion, the Vikings worked out Colt McCoy, GOPHNX.com’s Howard Balzer tweets. McCoy, 37, has been a free agent since the Cardinals released him just before the season. While he was connected to both the Patriots and Jets recently, the journeyman backup is still unattached.

Vikings Not Expected To Trade Kirk Cousins

October 14th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings appear destined to become sellers at the trade deadline with a 1-4 record and star receiver Justin Jefferson on injured reserve. Even if the team is out of contention by the October 31 trade deadline, though, a deal involving quarterback Kirk Cousins should not be considered likely.

The four-time Pro Bowler is expected to remain in place through the 2023 season, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Cousins would need to waive his no-trade clause for any deal sending him (and his expiring contract) out of Minnesota to be possible, and that remains highly unlikely at this point. He declined to offer a firm response regarding his long-term future with the franchise when speaking publicly about his situation, but it would not come as a surprise to see him play out the campaign in familiar territory.

Cousins has been with the Vikings since 2018, but his status beyond 2023 has been in doubt since it was learned extension talks would not take place until after the season. Both the team and the 35-year-old have expressed interest in continuing their relationship, and no clear-cut successor is in place on the Vikings’ roster. However, the team’s ability to turn a slew of one-score wins into a division title last season has not been replicated in 2023, and Jefferson’s hamstring injury will keep him out until at least Week 11. It remains to be seen how competitive Minnesota will be by that point.

Due to a restructure from this past offseason, Cousins carries a base salary of just $10MM this year, which would make his contract a fairly absorbable one. As Schefter notes, however, the “perfect storm” would need to be in place – essentially, a team with a familiar offense losing its starter to a major injury – for Cousins to reconsider his stance. The Jets’ season took an unexpected turn when Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear four snaps into his New York career, leading to speculation connecting them to Cousins.

No trade talk is believed to have taken place between the Vikings and Jets, though, and the latter squad remains committed to Zach Wilson under center. Projected buyers ahead of the upcoming deadline have a well-established signal-caller, and teams with uncertainty at the QB position are highly unlikely to have a desire to acquire Cousins for the second half of the campaign. The latter’s market could thus be limited regardless of how he and the Vikings fare in the near future.

Jefferson’s status will be worth watching with respect to the urgency the team shows in bringing him back considering their projected dire status in the standings when he is able to return. His pending mega-extension represents another complicating factor is his desire to come back to their field in what could be a lost season. Jefferson will, in all likelihood, at least have a familiar face at the QB spot if/when he next suits up, though.

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