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Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/23

October 9th, 2023 at 6:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Penny Hart

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

Jones will be headed to his third team since the preseason concluded. With James Conner going down with a knee injury, the Cardinals are better equipping themselves in the backfield. Jones, who went to camp with the Broncos and had returned to the Saints, will head to the desert. Jones scored two touchdowns in the Saints’ Week 2 win over the Panthers and played in three other Saints games this season. But the team waived him Saturday. Jones will join Keaontay Ingram and rookie UDFA Emari Demercado on Arizona’s active roster; Damien Williams resides on the Cardinals’ practice squad. Ingram has missed time with a neck injury recently.

Because the Packers have used up their practice squad elevations with Taylor, they are signing him to their 53-man roster. Taylor will come up to replace Aaron Jones, whom the Pack declared inactive. Despite Jones having returned for Week 4, the standout starter is out again with a hamstring injury.

Raiders Eyeing Edge Rush Addition

October 8th, 2023 at 10:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Having moved on from Chandler Jones, the Raiders are without a projected starter amongst their edge rush contingent. The team is eyeing a replacement for at least the remainder of the season.

[RELATED: Davante Adams Not Expected To Request Trade]

Jones was inactive throughout the beginning of the campaign as his off-field situation spiraled quickly. After the four-time Pro Bowler was arrested, though, Vegas made the expected move of releasing him. The Raiders still have Maxx Crosby in place as their pass-rushing anchor, but a new veteran presence would be welcomed. The team is eyeing a trade acquisition in that regard, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required).

Russini adds that Vegas has been active contacting teams for a potential addition, and that a player-for-player swap would be preferred. That comes as little surprise, as the 1-3 outfit would be well-suited to retain as much of its draft capital as possible. The Raiders might not be prepared to pay a signficant price in a rental move, Russini notes.

Crosby has posted a team-leading four sacks this year, but no other Raider has recorded more than one, and no other edge rusher has any. Collectively, Vegas’ total of seven ranks just 26th in the league, proving the need for reinforcements along the edge. Given the fact any move would likely involve a player on an expiring deal being acquired, a relatively small addition would likely be involved. A starting-caliber arrival would, on the other hand, allow first-round rookie Tyree Wilson to continue operating in a rotational role.

The No. 7 pick in April’s draft was originally ticketed for a part-time workload behind Crosby and Jones, but the latter’s departure altered those plans. Wilson has logged a 41% snap share through four games, and he has yet to register a sack or QB pressure. Providing a veteran insurance policy would be a welcomed move for his development, but it will be interesting to see how interested teams are with respect to moving on from a depth member of their own edge rush group.

The Raiders currently have just under $11MM in cap space, which puts them in better financial shape than most teams around the league. While their record would suggest a seller’s status, their interest in making at least one addition before the October 31 trade deadline will be an interesting story to follow.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/5/23

October 5th, 2023 at 5:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

  • Signed: OL Xavier Newman-Johnson
  • Released: OL Adam Pankey

This will be a bit of a homecoming for quarterback Tanner Morgan, who played college ball at the University of Minnesota. Morgan had a breakout campaign in 2019, finishing with 30 touchdowns, but he only had a combined 26 passing touchdowns between 2020 and 2022. As a result, the QB went undrafted in this year’s draft, and following a preseason stint with the Steelers, he’ll now be joining the Vikings’ quarterbacks room.

Vikings backup QB Nick Mullens is dealing with a back injury that kept him out of practice today. Morgan will temporarily slide into the QB3 role behind Kirk Cousins and fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall.

Owners Not Expected To Approve Tom Brady’s Raiders Stake At Meetings

October 5th, 2023 at 1:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

In place for months, Tom Brady‘s agreement to buy a Raiders stake remains on hold ahead of a crucial point. The next round of NFL owners’ meetings are set to begin Oct. 17, and the Washington Post’s Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala report Brady’s purchase is unlikely to be ratified at that point.

Brady’s stake of the franchise is believed to be between five and 10%, according to Maske and Jhabvala, who report owners have issues with the discounted price Mark Davis is offering the recently retired quarterback. Although minority pieces of a sports franchise are frequently sold for discounted rates — due to limited partners’ minimal contributions in franchise operations — the Post reports Davis may be offering Brady an approximate 70% discount to join his ownership group.

Multiple issues are clouding the deal, but the stake price appears to be the lead item. The former Patriots and Buccaneers passer has said he plans to play a “very passive” role as a Raiders owner, and he was recently approved as a part-owner of the Las Vegas Aces, a WNBA franchise Davis owns. Twenty-four owners must approve Brady’s share of the Raiders. As of now, that is not expected to take place at the upcoming meetings, which run from Oct. 17-18.

Support does exist among NFL brass and the league’s finance committee for Brady’s Raiders agreement to be approved, per Maske and Jhabvala. Brady remaining involved with the NFL would understandably be enticing for many, though the all-time great is also planning to begin a career as a FOX analyst in 2024. Brady agreed to a 10-year, $375MM contract in 2022 to become FOX’s lead analyst when his playing career ended. Brady, 46, delayed that move for a year, intending to take time off before committing fully. But the finance committee is not planning to approve Brady’s stake at the above-referenced price.

Considering Brady’s popularity, it is certainly notable this many “no” votes are in place. The other issues holding up a deal are not known, but Brady agreed to become a Raiders part-owner less than a year after the NFL slapped the Dolphins with a steep penalty — loss of a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 third — for a tampering scandal in which the AFC East franchise eyed Brady as a player/owner and Sean Payton as head coach. That arrangement would have needed full ownership approval, which seemed unlikely given how Brady’s talent could have affected other teams under that plan. Brady serving as a Raiders player/owner — a scenario that has been shot down on multiple occasions — would also need 31 “yes” votes; that would also be viewed as unlikely.

Unlike last year, Brady has said he is done for good. The Jets were not planning to reach out to the future first-ballot Hall of Famer after Aaron Rodgers‘ injury. The Raiders have used fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell as Jimmy Garoppolo‘s backup, though the team did look into Brady as a player before his February retirement.

For now, Brady remains unattached. But it is not out of the question the remaining issues are resolved and the 23-year veteran signs on in a Raiders ownership-only role. The next round of meetings are scheduled for Dec. 12-13.

Davante Adams Not Planning To Seek Trade

October 5th, 2023 at 10:16am CST by Sam Robinson

Mustering only 17 points against a Broncos defense that has been by far the league’s worst over the first four games has kept the Raiders from an 0-4 start. They rank outside the top 20 in total offense and points, opening the door to bigger-picture questions.

Las Vegas’ offense looks quite different from the top-flight attacks Davante Adams aided in Green Bay and is not the one he signed up for, seeing as longtime friend Derek Carr was booted after the ex-Fresno State teammates reunited for one season. While Adams would qualify as a splashy option in trades, such a scenario does not look to be on the radar.

Adams expressed curiosity when assessing his fit with Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the All-Pro wide receiver is not eyeing a trade out of Las Vegas. The ex-Packers star is aiming for a long-term Raiders stay.

After helping the Packers to three straight playoff byes to close out his tenure, Adams pinpointed the Raiders as his ideal destination during the 2022 offseason. Carr played a key part in Las Vegas becoming Adams’ preferred landing spot, but he said before the team’s Week 18 game last year — a contest the Raiders played after Carr left the team — he wanted to stick around. Through four games, Adams does not appear to have changed his mind.

Even as the Raiders struggled in Josh McDaniels‘ debut — a season in which Carr took a statistical step back — Adams showed he could thrive independent of Aaron Rodgers, posting a third straight first-team All-Pro season. This year, the 30-year-old wideout is at 33 receptions for 397 yards and three touchdowns. He caught six passes for 66 yards and no scores last week sans Garoppolo, and while the Raiders passed on drafting a quarterback despite visiting with each of this class’ top signal-callers, Fowler adds Adams is high on fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell.

Khalil Mack‘s six-sack spree notwithstanding, O’Connell threw for 238 yards and had the Raiders at the Chargers’ 3-yard line in the final minutes. An Asante Samuel Jr. interception nixed a potential game-tying score, though O’Connell also fumbled twice as Mack revved up. Garoppolo is not in any present danger of losing his job. But O’Connell profiles as a player to watch, especially considering he sits behind the NFL’s most injury-prone starting quarterback and became the Raiders’ pick after they met with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis and Hendon Hooker.

If the Raiders’ struggles continue, Adams’ status will be worth monitoring. His five-year, $140MM contract also features a fully guaranteed 2024 salary ($16.89MM), with a total of $42.9MM injury guarantee shifting to a full guarantee this past March. This would affect Adams’ trade value, but for now, that appears a moot point for a Raiders team that has seen Adams and No. 2 wideout Jakobi Meyers produce to start the season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/2/23

October 2nd, 2023 at 8:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Released: QB Reid Sinnett

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

  • Released: DL Junior Aho

New Orleans Saints

Raiders To Start Aidan O’Connell At Quarterback In Week 4

October 1st, 2023 at 8:20am CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders are expected to start fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell at quarterback in their Week 4 matchup with the division-rival Chargers, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com first reported that Las Vegas was leaning in that direction.

Offseason acquisition Jimmy Garoppolo completed the team’s Week 3 loss to the Steelers, though he sustained a concussion during that contest and went into the league’s concussion protocol. He was not able to clear the protocol in time for today’s game against the Bolts, leaving head coach Josh McDaniels with an interesting choice to make.

The Raiders also signed soon-to-be 38-year-old Brian Hoyer in free agency and guaranteed over $4MM of his two-year contract. Hoyer has dressed as Garoppolo’s backup in each of the first three games of the 2023 campaign and has started 40 games in his NFL career, the most recent of which came just last season. However, it has been seven years since Hoyer last won a game that he started, and McDaniels declined to confirm that the veteran would fill in for Garoppolo if necessary.

O’Connell had an impressive preseason, completing 43 of 62 passes for 482 yards and three TDs over Las Vegas’ three-game slate, which led many to believe that he would overtake Hoyer on the depth chart sooner rather than later. The Chargers may represent something of a soft landing for him, as Los Angeles is giving up a league-worst 337 passing yards per game over the first three weeks of the regular season.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter points out that Hoyer and O’Connell both took reps in practice during the early part of last week, but by the end of the week, O’Connell was taking most, if not all, of the reps.

“I think the preseason was valuable for me at the time, just to get out there and play and get it under my belt,” O’Connell said. “But I think at this point it’s pretty far gone and it’s different teams and different schemes and different game plans for us. So I’m happy it happened, but it’s time to move on, I think, and see what happens.”

The Raiders and Chargers are both 1-2 and are looking to keep pace with the 2-1 Chiefs in the AFC West.

Raiders Release DE Chandler Jones

September 30th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chandler Jones situation is set to come to an expected conclusion. The veteran defensive end is being released by the Raiders, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move is now official, per the transactions wire.

The move comes after Jones was arrested in Las Vegas for two violations of a domestic temporary restraining order yesterday. That, in turn, marked the latest chapter in an off-field saga which has prevented the four-time Pro Bowler from seeing game time in 2023, the second year of his Raiders deal. Jones had been on the team’s NFI list prior to his release.

Jones went public with his criticism of head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler at the start of the month, something which was sparked by Jones being locked out of the team’s facility when attempting to work out. The situation has escalated quickly since then, with the 33-year-old adding he did not want to continue playing for the organization so long as the ex-Patriots tandem remained in place.

As his absence lasted deeper into the campaign, it seemed increasingly likely the Raiders would elect to move on from Jones in response to his situation. The two-time All-Pro cautioned against the chances of that, however, when alleging owner Mark Davis is keeping a “huge secret.” No further details have emerged on that front, and it will be interesting to see if any will moving forward now that Jones is no longer with the team.

The former Patriots and Cardinals starter said earlier this week that he was recently taken to Seven Hills Behavioral Health Hospital “against my will.” In spite of that, the Raiders were thought to be open to a return to the field on Jones’ part at some point down the road. Instead, they have decided to put an end to his tenure in Sin City, which was marked by underwhelming statistical performances prior to recent events.

Attached to a three-year, $51MM deal signed in free agency last year, expectations were high for Jones upon arrival in Vegas. He recorded only 4.5 sacks and three tackles for loss across 15 games in 2022, however, leaving him with plenty of room for improvement this season, something which will not come to pass. His release will create roughly $12.2MM in dead cap charges in 2023 and ’24, Schefter notes.

Maxx Crosby remains in place as the anchor of the Raiders’ edge rush contingent. First-round rookie Tyree Wilson – whom the team planned to use in a rotational capacity alongside Jones early in his career – will likely be in line for an increased workload with a return for the latter no longer an option. Wilson has logged a 40% defensive snap share so far, totaling three tackles in as many games. Jones, meanwhile, will begin a stint in free agency which will no doubt last for some time given his current situation.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/23

September 30th, 2023 at 8:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s gameday elevations and other minor moves ahead of tomorrow’s slate of Week 4 games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Walker’s elevation comes amidst a degree of uncertainty regarding Deshaun Watson‘s Sunday availability. The latter is dealing with a shoulder injury, but he has expressed confidence he will be able to suit up. In the event he is unable to play, though, Walker will provide insurance under center. NFL Network’s James Palmer reports Watson will be a game-time decision.

Chosen, formerly Robbie Anderson, made his Dolphins debut in Week 3, scoring a 68-yard touchdown on his only catch. His performance – along with other depth wideouts currently being sidelined for Miami – will give the 30-year-old a longer look with his new team.

Gore’s elevation will give him the chance to see regular season game action for the first time since 2021. The former UDFA recorded 361 scrimmage yards with the Chiefs that season, but a subsequent IR stint marked the end of his time in Kansas City. Gore has since spent time on the Saints’, and now Commanders’, taxi squads. Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes that fellow depth back Chris Rodriguez has bee ruled out with an illness, opening the door to Gore seeing limited snaps.

Raiders Rule Out QB Jimmy Garoppolo For Week 4

September 30th, 2023 at 3:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 30: Garoppolo will not clear the protocol in time to suit up on Sunday. He has officially been ruled out by the team, leaving Vegas with an interesting Hoyer-or-O’Connell decision for the contest against the Chargers. Garoppolo should be expected to be available in time for Week 6, a Monday night affair against the Packers.

SEPTEMBER 25: Jimmy Garoppoloplayed the Raiders’ Week 3 game in full, but his availability for the team’s next contest is now in doubt. Head coach Josh McDaniels said on Monday, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, that Garoppolo is in the concussion protocol.

It is unknown when exactly in Vegas’ primetime loss Garoppolo suffered the injury, but he was evaluated for a concussion after the game. Having now been placed in the protocol, the team’s free agent addition faces a tough road to be cleared in time for Week 4. Provided he is forced to miss a game, it will be interesting to see how the Raiders proceed under center.

As Tashan Reed of the Athletic notes, McDaniels declined to confirm that veteran Brian Hoyer would suit up as Vegas’ starter if necessary. The latter has dressed as the backup in every game so far this season, giving the Raiders a familiar face given the ties shared between he, Garoppolo and McDaniels dating back to their respective days with the Patriots. Hoyer, 37, contemplated retirement this offseason before taking a deal including $4.21MM guaranteed across two seasons. His last start came with New England in 2022, but it has been seven years since his most recent win.

Vegas also has fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell in place as an option. The Purdue alum drew praise for his performances in preseason, leading to speculation he could overtake Hoyer on the depth chart. O’Connell has been designated the Raiders’ emergency third quarterback each game to date, but a full week of preparation with the first-team offense would of course alter the situation for either non-Garoppolo passer in advance of a Week 4 start.

“We’ll prepare for everybody,” McDaniels said when asked about the team’s QB situation, via Reed and colleague Vic Tafur (subscription required). “I mean, obviously, that would change things relative to Aidan, also, if Jimmy was not to progress through the protocol to be able to play. So, we’re hard at work prepping how we manage that situation as best we can as it progresses through the week.”

After moving on from Derek Carr, the Raiders turned to Garoppolo with a three-year, $72.75MM deal. Offseason foot surgery prompted the team to include an injury clause in that contract, and today’s news adds further to the lengthy injury history for the former 49ers starter. Garoppolo threw three interceptions last night, bringing his season total to a league-leading six. Still, the 1-2 Raiders would have uncertainty under center (especially with O’Connell) if Garoppolo were to miss Week 4, so his progress will be worth monitoring over the coming days.

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