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Minor NFL Transactions: 12/13/23

December 13th, 2023 at 7:31pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Agnew has missed the four games required to return from injured reserve, and though he’s not been activated yet, the Jaguars took the first step towards that outcome today in returning him to practice. It was shoulder and rib injuries that led to the return specialist’s placement on IR. During his absence the team had turned to rookie sixth-round receiver Parker Washington to return punts and veteran backup running back D’Ernest Johnson to return kickoffs. Jacksonville still has a few days to determine whether or not they’ll activate him right away for this weekend. If not, the team will have 21 days to activate him before his practice window closes and Agnew is reverted to season-ending IR.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

December 13th, 2023 at 2:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two different teams have held the No. 1 overall pick in consecutive years since 2017. Amid a radical rebuild effort, the Browns carried the top pick into the 2017 and ’18 drafts. The Jaguars did the same in 2021 and ’22. It is possible the Bears will follow that up in back-to-back years. The big difference here would be the Bears traded the 2023 top choice and may unload the 2024 top pick for another windfall, depending on their evaluation of Justin Fields.

The Bears and Panthers’ March trade, giving Carolina access to Bryce Young, has become a seminal moment for both teams. As it stands now, Chicago holds two top-five picks. The Panthers are 1-12, giving the Bears a two-game lead on the Patriots and Cardinals for the top slot with four games left. Chicago finishing with the first overall selection, providing access to the quarterback of its choice, would create a big-picture decision for a Bears team that already passed on the 2023 quarterback class to stick with Fields — a QB the Ryan Poles regime did not draft. North Carolina’s Drake Maye has declared for the draft, while USC’s Caleb Williams is widely expected to follow suit.

A new Cardinals regime is also evaluating its QB, though Kyler Murray‘s $46.1MM-per-year contract (which runs through 2028) will be much harder to escape compared to Fields’. This creates an interesting scenario that will have teams who do not land two-two draft slots monitoring how Chicago and Arizona proceed. The Patriots are widely expected to pursue a quarterback in the draft, and they are likely to do so without Bill Belichick.

With gridlock forming in the AFC and NFC wild-card races, considerable movement will take place over the next month. The winner of the NFC South will likely lose several spots in the ’24 draft, as the Buccaneers did this year by winning the ’22 division title at 8-9. Here is how the draft order looks going into Week 15:

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

Ravens To Move Devin Duvernay To IR, Sign Malik Cunningham Off Pats’ Practice Squad

December 12th, 2023 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots have regularly passed quarterbacks through waivers to their practice squad this season, but they will bid farewell to one of those arms. Rather than sign Malik Cunningham to their active roster once again, the Pats will let him head elsewhere.

Cunningham will trek to Baltimore; the Ravens are signing the rookie UDFA to their 53-man roster, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. This will mark a reunion for Cunningham and Lamar Jackson. Despite the superstar QB being in his sixth NFL season, he and Cunningham were teammates at Louisville in 2017. Cunningham, who was at the ACC school for six years, redshirted during the ’17 slate.

As the Ravens add a quarterback, they will lose a wide receiver. Devin Duvernay sustained a back injury in Week 14, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the former All-Pro return man will head to IR. Though, Rapoport adds the fourth-year wideout will not require surgery and is expected to be ready to return in the playoffs. Duvernay will be eligible for activation to start Baltimore’s playoff journey, whenever that point comes. But he is done for the regular season.

Emerging as an intriguing gadget-type player during the preseason in New England, Cunningham did not make the Pats’ 53-man roster out of training camp. The team took a chance on exposing Cunningham to waivers on cutdown day, waiving both he and Bailey Zappe. Cunningham indeed passed through waivers and stayed in Foxborough on the Pats’ practice squad.

Cunningham will join a Ravens team that has used a Jackson-Tyler Huntley QB depth chart for the past three seasons. The team now has four QBs on its active roster, with journeyman extraordinaire Josh Johnson still with the team. This could point to a versatile role for Cunningham, for whom the Patriots had designed special packages this season. Even as the Pats moved from Mac Jones to Zappe and designed a package of plays for Cunningham recently, the athletic rookie has played only six regular-season snaps — all against the Raiders in Week 6.

This move will ensure Cunningham stays on Baltimore’s active roster for at least three weeks, though Schefter adds it could be a play for next season as well. Given an original-round RFA tender this offseason, Huntley will be a UFA in 2024. Cunningham, 25, can be kept through the 2026 season before he hits unrestricted free agency. Though, it remains to be seen if the ex-Louisville star will pan out as a QB2 option.

A thinner Ravens wide receiver depth chart last year required regular Duvernay contributions, but Baltimore reloaded at the position this offseason. The team signed Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr. and drafted Zay Flowers in Round 1. With Rashod Bateman recovering from his 2022 foot injury, the Ravens have a solid top four at receiver. Tylan Wallace also became a memorable fill-in for Duvernay at punt returner, notching only the fourth overtime punt-return walk-off in NFL history.

While Duvernay caught 37 passes for a career-high 407 yards last season, he exited Week 14 with just four grabs for 18 yards. The former third-round pick had operated as Baltimore’s primary kick- and punt-return option this season. Duvernay, who is set for free agency in 2024, also finished last season on IR (due to a foot injury).

Additionally, the Ravens will use one of their IR activations on cornerback Damarion Williams, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes. The 2022 fourth-rounder played in 14 games as a backup last season but suffered an ankle injury this summer. The Ravens had expected Williams back around October. Regardless of the delay, the Houston alum will be in position to contribute. Williams will fill Mark Andrews‘ roster spot. The Ravens now have four IR activations remaining.

AFC East Rumors: Eichenberg, Hines, Pats

December 10th, 2023 at 7:53pm CST by Ely Allen

With a little more time and a lot more publicity, Dolphins offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg could have a case for Comeback Player of the Year. Not really, but Eichenberg has done an impressive job of turning around his career, which was trending downwards through his first two years in the league.

An offensive tackle at Notre Dame, Eichenberg struggled as a rookie full-time starter at left tackle in Miami. In 2022, Eichenberg slid inside to the left guard spot and delivered a more admirable performance before having his season derailed by injuries.

Eichenberg opened this year as a sixth-man for the Dolphins’ offensive line, specializing on interior play. When injuries held out starting center Connor Williams, Eichenberg stepped in to complete his trifecta of starting at every position on the left side of the line. Later on, he filled in with starts at right and left guard, as well. He’s reportedly more comfortable at right guard, but the Dolphins opted to start him at left guard last week ahead of Lester Cotton, who had started there the past two weeks.

In fact, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Miami’s staff has been so impressed with Eichenberg that, barring a miraculous return by Isaiah Wynn from a significant quadriceps injury, Eichenberg could have won the starting left guard job for the remainder of the season.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC East:

  • Patriots star pass rusher Matt Judon has now missed the team’s last nine games on injured reserve. Judon has certainly missed enough time to come off of IR, but there’s been no word of that possibility yet. According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, when head coach Bill Belichick was asked about the possibility of Judon returning this year, the long-time skipper replied, “We’ll see. That’s a good question.” He continued, “I know he’s working hard. Matt’s been in here, works hard on a daily basis, but again, that’s a medical question that I wouldn’t be able to answer.”
  • When Bills running back Nyheim Hines suffered an off-site jet ski injury that would end his 2023 season before it even began, that put the veteran rusher in an uncomfortable position concerning his contract. Since the injury occurred away from play, Hines was placed on the non-football injury list, “which technically doesn’t require the team to pay him anything,” per Zak Keefer of The Athletic. Hines was out millions in incentives and bonuses. It took the two sides a few months to hammer out the details, but eventually, they “agreed on a smaller sum” than the $9MM over two years that they had originally agreed to. This allows the Bills to stay on good terms with Hines when he’s able to return to the team next year while saving them from having to pay his full contract for a year in which he won’t see the field.
  • When it was reported that Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown failed to make the trip to Frankfurt with the team for personal reasons, Brown took exception to the speculation that followed. Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Brown felt the need to clarify that the reason he was unable to make the trip was because of the second opinion he sought on his ankle sprain. While he did attend a funeral during the team’s visit to Germany, he was not able to spend much personal time with his family as he was due back in New England for rehab.

Dolphins Place LB Jerome Baker On IR

December 9th, 2023 at 12:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Jerome Baker is heading to injured reserve. The Dolphins have placed their starting linebacker on IR, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

[RELATED: Dolphins To Host LB Reuben Foster]

Baker suffered an MCL injury last weekend that limited him to a season-low 22 defensive snaps. Fortunately, the injury wasn’t described as a season-ender, and while Baker will be forced to miss the next four weeks, there will still be plenty of time for him to get right before the postseason.

A 2018 third-round pick, Baker has turned into one of Miami’s most dependable defenders. Through his first five seasons in the NFL, the linebacker collected 509 tackles, 21 sacks, and 42 QB hits. It’s been more of the same in 2023, as the 26-year-old has compiled 69 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions (including a pick-six) in 12 starts.

Duke Riley was inserted into the lineup last Sunday when Baker exited the game. The veteran ended up playing in a season-high 31 defensive snaps in the win over the Commanders, and he’ll likely be in line for more playing time on Monday night against the Titans.

After taking a look at Reuben Foster earlier this week, the Dolphins decided to move in a different direction as they look to temporarily replace Baker. Per Schefter, the Dolphins have signed linebacker Calvin Munson off the Patriots practice squad.

Munson has effectively split his career between Miami and New England; this latest transaction marks his third stint with the Dolphins and ends his third stint with the Patriots. The veteran has seen time in 46 career games, collecting 88 tackles. He’s been limited to four appearances with the Patriots over the past two seasons, with the majority of his playing time coming on special teams.

Additionally, the Dolphins placed linebacker Alexander Johnson on the practice squad/injured list.

Patriots Waive RB/WR Ty Montgomery

December 8th, 2023 at 4:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second time this year, the Patriots have cut Ty Montgomery. Unlike the team’s decision to leave the versatile veteran off its 53-man roster in August, Montgomery will be exposed to waivers.

To make room for waiver claim Christian Elliss, the Patriots will move Montgomery off the roster Friday, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss tweets. Montgomery has been with the Patriots since 2022.

New England claimed JaMycal Hasty off waivers from Jacksonville last month, and Reiss suggested the younger player was a threat to Montgomery’s roster spot. After Montgomery was part of a Pats special teams unit that allowed a blocked punt in the team’s upset win over the Steelers, the former third-round pick will hit the waiver wire. A Montgomery claim will not process until Monday.

The Pats gave Montgomery a two-year, $3.6MM deal in 2022, bringing the receiving specialist to town after he had bounced around the league. Best known for his time with the Packers, the 30-year-old veteran has also spent time with the Ravens, Jets and Saints since going off the 2015 draft board 94th overall.

While Montgomery logged 11 starts in the backfield from 2016-17 in Green Bay, he has been used as an off-the-bench weapon on offense and in the return game. The Stanford alum resided as the Pats’ primary kick returner this season. The team kept Montgomery around despite his one-game 2022 — a season shortened by injury — and could sign him back to the practice squad if he clears waivers. But Montgomery has offered minimal contributions on offense (13 touches, 62 yards) since joining the Patriots.

New England will make this move with Rhamondre Stevenson on the shelf with a high ankle sprain. This has moved summer signing Ezekiel Elliott back into a lead role. Elliott and Hasty are the only healthy RBs on the Pats’ 53-man roster presently. Second-year back Kevin Harris played as a practice squad elevation Thursday night.

Montgomery, who moved from receiver to running back early in his Packers career, totaled 805 scrimmage yards during a 2016 season in which he worked partially as Green Bay’s starting running back. The Pack waived Montgomery during the 2018 season, and after a stint in Baltimore, he signed three one-year deals (with the Jets and Saints) before his two-year Pats pact came to pass. While Montgomery has done well to play nine seasons as a part-time running back, he may soon be in search of a new team.

The Patriots also released kicker Matthew Wright from their practice squad. The team had signed the nomadic specialist after rookie Chad Ryland had missed multiple field goals from inside 40 yards.

Latest On Bill Belichick’s Future With Patriots

December 7th, 2023 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s seeming increasingly likely that Bill Belichick and the Patriots are heading towards a divorce after the 2023 campaign. While many pundits assumed the iconic coach would be a hot commodity, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post isn’t so sure.

[RELATED: Bill Belichick Candidate For Panthers HC Job?]

La Canfora spoke to league sources around the NFL that believe Belichick’s market may not be as robust as initially believed. As the reporter notes, there doesn’t appear to be a “slam dunk” suitor for the coach, and there’s a sentiment that it’ll be a “soft market” for the future Hall of Famer.

As one personnel executive explained, teams with coaching vacancies will likely target young, inexpensive coaches…the 71-year-old Belichick is neither young nor cheap. The executive also opined that Belichick “doesn’t really fit with any of these owners” who will have HC vacancies.

It seems unlikely that the Patriots would outright fire Belichick since the team would be on the hook for his remaining salary. The organization could look to amicably part ways with Belichick and allow their coach to either retire or hit the HC free agency carousel.

The Patriots could also take a hard stance on Belichick’s contract status and require compensation from potential suitors. “Three high-ranking executives” indicated to Jeff Howe of The Athletic that this might be the best route for the organization. Those executives agreed that Belichick could fetch a first-round pick in a potential trade. Other executives weren’t as sure, and one echoed La Canfora’s report that Belichick could have a tough time even finding a new job.

“I’ve got questions about how he relates to this generation of players,” the executive told Howe. “Can he still be a motivator? A leader of men? How does he pivot and adjust his culture?

“I’ve got a lot of questions with those recent roster moves. Is he going to just be the coach, or does he want (general manager) responsibilities? Because I’m not trading for that.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/7/23

December 7th, 2023 at 6:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

Elliss was waived by the Eagles yesterday following the team’s signing of Shaquille Leonard. The linebacker spent the better part of the past three seasons in Philadelphia, getting into 19 total games. He appeared in a career-high 12 games this season, collecting 21 tackles while appearing in about 15 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Elliss also had a significant role on special teams.

Since the Patriots play tonight, the move will be deferred to tomorrow, per ESPN’s Field Yates.

Riley Reiff Reverts To Season-Ending IR

December 6th, 2023 at 12:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles became the first team to let a player’s IR activation window close this season, leaving safety Justin Evans on IR; the Patriots will be the second. New England will not activate Riley Reiff for a second time, with Bill Belichick indicating the tackle’s three-week activation window will close.

Reiff signed a one-year, $5MM deal with the Patriots in March, representing a low-cost solution attempt for the team at right tackle. But the former first-round pick could not stay healthy. The Pats placed Reiff on IR before Week 1, and his return consisted of just one game. Back on IR soon after, Reiff returned to practice on Nov. 15. Wednesday’s transaction will end the longtime starter’s season after 45 snaps.

[RELATED: Week 14 Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Belichick said (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss) three Reiff setbacks will lead the team to keep him on IR rather than use another activation. New England activated Reiff in Week 5, when he was first eligible, after a leg injury had sidelined him. Reiff, 35, sustained a knee injury — one Belichick classified as different from the ailment that shelved the 12th-year vet in August — upon attempting to come back.

This marks familiar territory for Reiff, whose RT run with the Bengals ended because of a late-season injury, but the former Lions first-rounder has largely avoided steady injury trouble. Reiff came into this season having never missed more than five games in one campaign; other than 2021, he had never missed more than three in a season. His injury-prone run with the Pats has represented one of the team’s many problems in a season that has been bad enough to remind of the franchise’s pre-Bill Parcells days.

Although the Patriots still carry five IR activations, matters pertaining to the 2023 team’s status are almost immaterial at this point. New England has dropped to 2-10 this year. Belichick’s Foxborough future is up in the air, and the team will look to the 2024 draft and free agency to reboot its quarterback position.

Brought in to take over for Isaiah Wynn at right tackle, Reiff came to Massachusetts with 149 career starts under his belt. The ex-Lions, Vikings, Bengals and Bears blocker had spent most of his career at left tackle; though, the 2020s brought a switch. Reiff also spent time at guard in New England and did not start the one game he played. The Pats have used multiple cogs on the right side, most notably Michael Onwenu — a guard the team kicked back to the edge during the season. Onwenu is a 2024 free agent.

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson Facing Multi-Week Absence

December 5th, 2023 at 9:51am CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots’ offense has endured major struggles in recent weeks in particular, and the team’s top producer is now in line to miss time. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to miss multiple weeks due to a high ankle sprain, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Stevenson exited New England’s 6-0 loss to the Chargers in the first quarter and did not return. Today’s update will no doubt sideline him for at least the team’s upcoming Thursday night game against the Steelers, and any additional missed time will deal a blow the the Patriots’ ground game. Stevenson comfortably leads New England with 619 rushing yards.

The 25-year-old has also logged a team-leading 38 receptions as the Patriots have struggled mightily to generate a consistent passing attack. Stevenson has recorded 238 yards through the air while scoring four touchdowns on the ground. His absence will interrupt his third season with the team (and second as the clear-cut lead back) while forcing New England to rely heavily on Ezekiel Elliott for the time being.

The latter joined the Patriots after a lengthy free agent period which came about from his long-expected Cowboys release. Elliott’s incentive-laden deal set him up for a backup role on a team which (even before experiencing the quarterback uncertainty which has transpired) was expected to use a run-heavy approach. The former rushing champion has posted 429 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 112 attempts, good for an average of 3.8 yards per carry. The latter figure figure sits only slightly lower than Stevenson’s, but Elliott will now be tasked with a larger workload than he has previously handled this season.

The three-time Pro Bowler logged a season-high 17 carries on Sunday after Stevenson went down. After New England received some interest in Elliott in advance of the trade deadline, no serious negotiations took place and he remained with the Patriots as a result. Receiving an extended RB1 look late in the year could help Elliott boost his free agent stock ahead of the offseason. The missed time for Stevenson, on the other hand, could hurt his value on a new deal, something he will be eligible for this spring.

New England has mustered only 13 points across the past three games, as the team has struggled through poor quarterback play with both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe under center. Regardless of which passer suits up on Thursday, they will not have the benefit of a healthy backfield.

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