Minor NFL Transactions: 1/11/21
Today’s minor transactions:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to one-year extensions: WR Ashton Dulin, DT Taylor Stallworth
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed off waivers (from Buccaneers): LB Chapelle Russell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Mike Danna, LB Anthony Hitchens
- Waived: WR Gehrig Dieter
New Orleans Saints
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: S D.J. Swearinger
- Waived: WR Austin Carr
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: NT Steve McLendon, LB Devin White
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kevin Minter
Washington Football Team
- Waived: LB Shaun Dion Hamilton
Saints Sign K Blair Walsh To Practice Squad
Blair Walsh back in the playoffs? The Saints are signing the veteran kicker to their practice squad as insurance, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets.
While the move ostensibly makes sense just as extra insurance in case COVID-19 impacts New Orleans’ kicking situation with too little time to find an outside replacement, it’s possible it’s a bit deeper than that. Saints kicker Will Lutz was shaky down the stretch, going just 5/9 on field goals in his final seven games while also missing an extra point. Then in Sunday’s wild card win over the Bears, he missed a 50-yarder.
Head coach Sean Payton expressed confidence in Lutz after the game, but it’s fair to wonder why if it was entirely about COVID, the Saints didn’t make this move before the playoffs. Whatever the case, Walsh hasn’t attempted a meaningful kick since the 2017 season with the Seahawks. He was with the Falcons briefly during 2019 training camp, but that’s it.
The last time Walsh kicked in the postseason, he infamously shanked a 27-yarder at the end of a game that would’ve given the Vikings a win over the Seahawks. Walsh started his career in Minnesota in 2012, and made the Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro as a rookie. After that playoff disaster his career quickly went downhill, and he was released midway through the following 2016 season. He was Seattle’s kicker for all of 2017, but wasn’t re-signed.
Lions To Interview Dan Campbell
The Lions are set to interview Saints assistant Dan Campbell in the coming days, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The club has also formally scheduled an interview with Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. 
Campbell moved up the coaching ranks soon after retiring in 2021. Starting as a coaching intern with the Dolphins in 2010, he advanced to Miami’s interim head coach in 2015. After impressing in that brief run, he hooked on with the Saints. A few years later, the Dolphins requested an interview, but he had no interest in a South Beach reunion. He did, however, say yes to the Browns, Cardinals, and Packers.
Bowles, who had just 24 wins across four seasons as the Jets’ head coach, reported to be on the Lions’ list a few days ago. Here’s the current list, via PFR’s 2021 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker:
- Darrell Bevell, Lions interim head coach: Interviewed on 1/5
- Eric Bieniemy, Chiefs offensive coordinator: Interviewed on 1/4
- Todd Bowles, Buccaneers defensive coordinator: To be interviewed
- Dan Campbell, Saints assistant head coach: To be interviewed
- Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern head coach: Rumored candidate
- Marvin Lewis, Arizona State co-defensive coordinator/former Bengals head coach: Interviewed
- Urban Meyer, former Ohio State head coach: Rumored candidate
- Robert Saleh, 49ers defensive coordinator: Interviewed on 1/7
- Arthur Smith, Titans offensive coordinator: To be interviewed
Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara To Return
Drew Brees will have his top weapons back. The Saints activated both Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas on Saturday.
Thomas missed the Saints final three regular-season games, going on IR before Week 15 because of a troublesome ankle injury. Kamara is back after contracting COVID-19 last week. The All-Pro running back will end up missing just one game.
The Saints shut down Thomas in hopes he could recover from an injury that has bothered him for months. Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1, costing him early-season time. That began a complicated season for the perennial Pro Bowler. The Saints handed Thomas a one-game suspension for striking a teammate and then saw him run into a hamstring injury in practice. Altogether, the fifth-year standout missed nine games this season.
Entering 2020, Thomas had missed just two contests. He finished the regular season with with just 40 catches for 438 yards and no touchdowns but will have a chance to end the season on a more positive note.
Kamara contracted the coronavirus shortly after his record-tying Christmas Day performance. Despite not playing in Week 17, the fourth-year running back finished the season with a league-high 21 touchdowns — six of which coming against the Vikings in Kamara’s most recent outing.
New Orleans has been without key cogs throughout the season, losing Brees and Emmanuel Sanders at points as well. Ahead of what could be Brees’ final postseason run, the Saints will have their top guns in uniform.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/9/21
Here are the latest NFL minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Sam Koch
- Promoted: QB Tyler Huntley, T R.J. Prince
- Placed on IR: OL Ben Bredeson
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: WR Ja’Marcus Bradley, CB A.J. Green, T Alex Taylor
Green Bay Packers
- Signed to reserve/futures deal: WR Chris Blair, S Innis Gaines, LB Ray Wilborn
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from IR: WR Deonte Harris, CB Patrick Robinson
- Placed on IR: OL Nick Easton
- Promoted: LB Chase Hansen, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
- Waived: WR Jake Kumerow
New York Giants
- Signed to reserve/futures deal: QB/WR Joe Webb
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed to reserve/futures deal: QB/TE Tyree Jackson, CB Kevon Seymour
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from IR: G Matt Feiler, LB Robert Spillane
- Promoted: TE Kevin Rader
- Waived: LB Tegray Scales
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: DT Cedrick Lattimore
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Jonathan Bullard
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: OL Daniel Munyer, LB Brooks Reed
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/8/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves right here:
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: OL Jordan Devey, WR Duke Williams
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Jovante Moffatt
Denver Broncos
- Claimed off waivers (from Rams): LB Natrez Patrick
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: RB Darius Anderson, T Jared Veldheer
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Michael Brockers
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: RB Alex Collins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: LB Deone Bucannon, G Ted Larsen, CB Herb Miller, DL Benning Potoa’e
- Waived: LB Chapelle Russell
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Dontrelle Inman
Saints GM: Brees’ Playing Future Is Up To Him
Most believe that Saints quarterback and slam-dunk HOFer Drew Brees will retire at season’s end. New Orleans has prepared for just such a scenario, as it agreed to an extension with Taysom Hill this offseason to keep Hill under club control through 2021.
However, GM Mickey Loomis said in an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio that no decisions have been made one way or another with respect to Brees’ future (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). Loomis added that, if Brees wants to return, the Saints will welcome him back.
“We give him his space, we give him time at the end of the season to determine that, and we’ll see what happens next year,” Loomis said. “I’m not counting him out. It’s going to be entirely up to him.”
If the Saints, who have dealt with heartbreaking playoff exits over the past couple of seasons, are able to capture the Lombardi Trophy this year, it would certainly be a surprise to see Brees come back. After all, he has already signed a deal with NBC Sports, and his transition to the broadcast booth is expected to be a seamless one. But if New Orleans should suffer another difficult defeat, perhaps the soon-to-be 42-year-old will try one last time for a second championship ring. Like Hill, he is under contract through 2021.
Brees has clearly lost some arm strength, but he continued to play at a high level in 2020, even though he and star wideout Michael Thomas were only on the field together in three games. Brees once again completed over 70% of his passes and threw for 24 TDs against just six interceptions en route to a 106.4 quarterback rating. He missed just four games despite suffering 11 fractured ribs and a collapsed lung, and he will lead his troops against the Bears on Sunday afternoon, a matchup in which the Saints are heavily favored.
Jets To Interview Aaron Glenn, Robert Saleh
The Jets have requested permission to interview Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn for their head coaching job, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Glenn, who played for the Jets in his first eight NFL seasons, has impressed as a lieutenant to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. 
The Bengals were interested in hiring Glenn as their DC in 2019, before the Saints blocked their interview request. In this case, Glenn is in the clear, since teams cannot block assistants from discussing head coaching opportunities. The move to HC would slingshot Glenn up the ladder, but it wouldn’t be an unprecedented leap.
The Jets are also set to interview 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh for the position, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Saleh — who is also in the mix for the Falcons, Lions, Jaguars, and Chargers — appears to be one of the hottest candidates in this cycle.
Even though much of the talk in New York is centered around the quarterback position, the Jets could use the defensive expertise of someone like Glenn or Saleh.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/6/21
We’ll keep track of the latest minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: K Joey Slye (ERFA)
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: OL Nick Harris (knee)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Michael Danna
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived/injured: K Kai Forbath
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: FB Michael Burton, RB Latavius Murray, RB Dwayne Washington
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR: CB Kevon Seymour
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: LS Colin Holba
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: TE Luke Willson
- Placed on IR: DB Jayson Stanley
Jets, Falcons, Lions To Interview Eric Bieniemy
It’s shaping up to be a busy week for Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. He’ll conduct virtual interviews with the Lions and Falcons on Monday afternoon, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Meanwhile, the Jets have officially requested an interview of their own. 
Head coaching candidates whose teams are in the playoffs aren’t allowed to interview until after wild-card weekend. But, for Bieniemy, there’s a loophole, thanks to the Chiefs’ first-round bye. The same goes for 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who is also slated to meet with the Lions. The Lions’ latest round of interview requests also includes Saints AHC/TE coach Dan Campbell and Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Saleh, a Dearborn, Michigan native, may be poised for a homecoming. Still, the Lions have a candidates list in the double digits, so he’ll have lots of competition. Bieniemy, of course, is one of the hottest coaches on the block, and he has the offensive acumen the Lions need to get the most out of their talent.