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Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/23

July 31st, 2023 at 8:14pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: CB Lorenzo Burns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: CB Anthony Witherstone
  • Placed on IR: LB Isaiah Moore

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Derrick Gore is probably the most intriguing signee on the list, with the running back having seen time in 11 games for the Chiefs in 2021. He finished that season with 361 yards from scrimmage and a pair of touchdowns, but he didn’t have a chance for a followup performance in Kansas City. After landing on IR in late August last year, he was ultimately released by the Chiefs. Gore caught on with the Saints and spent the majority of the 2022 season on their practice squad.

Yasir Durant is another Chiefs product, with the lineman getting into 11 games for Kansas City in 2020. He appeared in seven games for the Patriots in 2021 before spending most of last season on the Saints practice squad. He’ll be taking the roster spot previously held by Christian DiLauro, who got into five games for the Titans and Broncos over the past two years.

Darius Harris will be joining the Raiders following a career year in Kansas City. After being limited to only 11 games through his first two seasons in the NFL, Harris got into all 17 games for the Chiefs last year, including four starts. The former UDFA finished the year with 43 tackles and 1.5 sacks, and he added another five tackles in three playoff games. One of Harris’s strongest performances of the 2022 season came against the Raiders when he had 10 tackles and a sack.

Raiders Offered Josh Jacobs $12MM-Per-Year Deal?

July 28th, 2023 at 4:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Saquon Barkley‘s Giants negotiations brought a run of term updates, with the sides’ back-and-forth leading to a narrowing gap but no extension. Josh Jacobs‘ Raiders talks did not feature numbers ahead of the deadline, but at least one has emerged in the days since.

The Raiders are believed to have offered Jacobs a deal worth $12MM per year, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com said during a Rich Eisen Show appearance (video link). Conflicting reports have circulated regarding how close the Raiders and Jacobs were on a deal, with one indicating this Raiders regime was not especially keen on making a higher-end running back extension part of their roster blueprint. This report suggests the parties appeared to be near the same page.

As Jacobs’ less public negotiations played out, Garafolo adds he and Barkley were in communication during the final hours before the July 17 extension deadline. Barkley had seen the Giants slash their AAV offer as their guarantees climbed to the $22MM level. It is not known where the Raiders were, guarantee-wise, but Garafolo adds Barkley likely would have accepted the offer the Raiders made to Jacobs had the Giants presented those terms to him.

A $12MM-per-year pact would have put Jacobs in the dwindling upper class of RB contracts. That group has absorbed a number of blows this offseason. The Cowboys cut Ezekiel Elliott, and the Vikings moved on from Dalvin Cook. Two other $12MM-per-year backs — Aaron Jones and Joe Mixon — agreed to pay cuts. The only players left with unchanged deals in this salary neighborhood are Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb. With the Giants and Raiders not going into the CMC-Kamara neighborhood, each proposed deals in line with the Henry ($12.5MM per year) and Chubb ($12.2MM AAV) numbers.

The Giants provided a small incentive package for Barkley, preventing a lengthy absence that could have stretched into September. Jacobs, 25, is the only tagged back staying away from his team. The Raiders cannot fine Jacobs, since he has not signed his $10.1MM franchise tender. They can rescind the tag, a scenario that would make the reigning rushing champ a free agent. That should not be considered likely, at this point, but the fifth-year back is staying away as Las Vegas’ camp begins.

Jacobs has made references to standing up for the running back position as a whole, and considering the discussions among NFL backs in recent days, it is interesting he and Barkley were communicating about their respective negotiations. Barkley was best positioned to make a Le’Veon Bell-like stand by withholding services into the regular season, due to his $38MM-plus in career earnings and the Giants not having a No. 1 wide receiver-type presence. Jacobs has earned just more than $11MM during his career. Passing on a $10.1MM payment is not especially realistic, given the diminished earning power this period’s backs possess.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/23

July 27th, 2023 at 7:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: WR Ty Scott

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Signed: CB Isiah Brown
  • Waived/injured: CB Jordan Perryman

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: LB Blake Lynch

New York Giants

  • Signed: DT Kevin Atkins

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Ben Burr-Kirven was a fifth-round pick by the Seahawks back in 2019, and he transformed into a key special teamer through his first two seasons in the NFL. However, he suffered a knee injury during the 2021 preseason that ended up wiping out that entire season. The issues persisted in 2022, and after spending that year on PUP, he was ultimately released in March. Coach Pete Carroll apparently reversed course and ended up bringing back the linebacker.

“He’s in a little bit of an experimental mode,” Carroll said earlier this year (via the team’s website). “The surgeries that he has had and the process he is going through, he is making progress. He’s always in the weight room with us. He’s always here working with a tremendous mentality. The nerve issues, really intricate stuff going on, so he’s had to have a really good attitude about it to stay in the fight and he is. He’s planning on getting back out there. So, we are going to give him every chance. If he can do it, this is going to be the place that he does it.”

Xavier Henderson was released today with an injury settlement, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (via Twitter). The undrafted free agent landed on the physically unable to perform list earlier this week.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/23

July 26th, 2023 at 9:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: WR Cody Chrest
  • Placed on NFI: OT Caleb Jones
  • Waived/injured: WR Jeff Cotton

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Among the additions on today’s list, defensive back A.J. Moore is the most notable. The defensive back spent four years with the Texans to begin his career, compiling 69 tackles in 55 games while primarily playing on special teams. The 27-year-old spent a chunk of last season on the Titans practice squad, and he ultimately got into one game with the big-league club.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/23

July 25th, 2023 at 7:43pm CST by Ben Levine

With a number of teams preparing for the start of training camp, a long list of players were placed on inactive lists today. We’ve compiled all of those and today’s other minor moves below:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Free Agents

Isaiah Wilson hasn’t had an NFL gig since he was released by the Giants in January of 2022. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the free agent lineman was slapped with a three-game suspension, but it’s uncertain what led to the temporary ban. Wilson was a first-round pick by the Titans in 2020 but got into only one game with Tennessee before getting shipped off to Miami. He was waived by Miami after showing up late to his team physical, and his practice squad stint with New York only lasted one season.

Max Garcia is an experienced addition to the Saints OL room, with the veteran having most recently started seven of his 12 appearances with the Cardinals in 2022. The 31-year-old has 59 games of starting experience, although Pro Football Focus was iffy on his production last year (63rd among 77 qualifying offensive guards).

Following a three-year stint in Cleveland, Terrance Mitchell has spent the past two seasons bouncing around the NFL. He got into 14 games (13 starts) for the Texans in 2021, finishing with 60 tackles and 10 passes defended. He spent the 2022 season with the Titans, finishing with 39 tackles in 11 games (five starts). 49ers fifth-round pick Darrell Luter Jr. is set to miss some time with a knee injury, providing Mitchell with an opportunity during training camp.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/23

July 24th, 2023 at 9:34pm CST by Ely Allen

In a very busy day for the NFL in transactions, here are some of the minor moves that may have slipped through the cracks:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Ravens signed Ott after working out a trio of long snappers that also included Ryan Langan and Shane Griffin. The former Pro Bowler for the Seahawks won the tryout and is expected to be the replacement for Baltimore’s usual long snapper Nick Moore, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon during his offseason training, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Also, the breath of relief for Bateman is short-lived as, a day after being activated from the reserve/did not report list, Baltimore has placed the young receiver on the PUP list.

On a more positive note, a day after the Bears placed Claypool on the PUP list, he has been removed from it. He’ll now be eligible to participate in training camp starting this Wednesday. Tomlinson returns to Houston after being released back in May. He’ll get another chance to work in the tight ends room that includes Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, and Brevin Jordan.

Raiders, CB Marcus Peters Agree To Deal

July 24th, 2023 at 4:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Monday’s second workout with veteran cornerback Marcus Peters has resulted in a Raiders deal. The sides agreed to terms on a one-year deal Monday, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Pro Football Network’s Adam Caplan tweets that it is a $3MM contract worth up to $5MM.

Peters has long been connected to Vegas this offseason, and it comes as no surprise that a deal has materialized at the onset of training camp. The 30-year-old met with the Raiders earlier today, and he will now look to add a playmaking element to the team’s secondary after a productive stint in Baltimore.

An ACL tear ended his 2021 season before it began, so Peters faced plenty of question marks upon his return last year. He suited up for 13 regular season games as well as the Ravens’ wild-card loss, but his performance fell short of the form he had previously shown with the team. The two-time All-Pro (who has 32 career picks) was limited to only one interception, the lowest single-season total of his career.

In addition, Peters struggled in coverage, surrendering seven touchdowns as the nearest defender and allowing a passer rating of 113.7. Those figures led to his lengthy stay on the open market, and a general lack of interest on Baltimore’s part to re-sign him. The Ravens went in a different direction, signing former Raider and Colt Rock Ya-Sin on a one-year, low-cost deal.

Peters will look to showcase a return to full mobility another year removed from the ACL tear in a new home, one which will allow him to see signficant playing time. The Raiders’ interest in him was a sign of their need for a starting-caliber addition at the CB spot. Before news of the Peters deal broke, Rapoport reported the team also hosted fellow veteran Troy Hill on a free agent workout (Twitter link).

It remains to be seen what awaits the latter now that Peters is on board, but the Raiders have a potential buy-low upgrade for their secondary. Vegas ranked 29th against the pass in 2022, and their six interceptions placed second-last. If Peters can return to form, he should help in both categories while the Raiders look to take a needed step forward in 2023.

Josh Jacobs Begins Raiders Training Camp Holdout

July 24th, 2023 at 12:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Josh Jacobs is one of three running backs faced with the prospect of playing on the franchise tag this season. Since he has yet to sign the $10.1MM tender, however, he is not obligated to take part in the Raiders’ training camp.

[RELATED: RBs Discuss Position’s Depressed Market]

To no surprise, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Jacobs is not at camp and that he “doesn’t plan to return anytime soon” (Twitter link). All signed players are subject to fines from their teams for unexcused training camp absences, but Jacobs (like the Giants’ Saquon Barkley) is not yet under contract. The failure of player and team to agree to a new contract before last week’s deadline has left both Pro Bowlers in their current situation.

Conflicting reports have emerged with respect to how close Jacobs and the Raiders came to reaching an agreement on a multi-year deal. The two sides cannot negotiate until January, in any case, leaving the 25-year-old’s immediate future as the most pressing question at the moment. Jacobs enjoyed a career-year in 2022, leading the NFL in rushing (1,653) and scrimmage (2,053) yards while earning his first All-Pro nod.

While fewer details of the former first-rounder’s asking price are known compared to Barkley’s, it has been clear for some time that Jacobs has given thought to remaining absent through the start of the regular season. Doing so would result in missed game checks and cost him $560K per week, so such a step is still unlikely at this point. For now, though, Las Vegas will be required to move forward without the catalyst of their run game available during practices.

2022 fourth-rounder Zamir White could receive an increased workload in the lead-in to the season, after only seeing 17 carries in 14 games as a rookie. Veterans Brandon Bolden and Ameer Abdullah are also on the books, but they too saw limited usage in 2022 with Jacobs operating as a workhorse. A number of other backs are still on the open market, but attention will no doubt remain on Jacobs and how long he remains willing to stay away from the Raiders.

Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo Passes Physical

July 23rd, 2023 at 11:04am CST by Rory Parks

Although a report last month indicated that Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was expected to be medically cleared in time for training camp, there are no sure things when it comes to Garoppolo and his health concerns. Fortunately for Las Vegas and its new signal-caller, Garoppolo has passed his physical and will be on the field when camp opens this week (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).

Garoppolo, who was in the midst of a strong 2022 season for the 49ers, suffered a foot fracture in a Week 13 victory over the Dolphins in December. He had attempted non-surgical rehab so that he could be ready in the event that San Francisco made a deep playoff run (which it did), but that attempt was unsuccessful. Ultimately, Garoppolo went under the knife shortly after he signed a three-year, $72.75MM contract with Vegas in March.

In order to protect themselves financially, the Raiders later amended Garoppolo’s deal by converting a roster bonus of $11.25MM, which would have become due on Day 3 of the 2024 league year, into base salary. The other $22.5MM of Garoppolo’s $33.75MM in guarantees came in the form of 2023 salary, and under the amended contract, that money would only be payable if Garoppolo passed a physical. Now that he has, Garoppolo will secure the $22.5MM payout.

Counting the 49ers’ three playoff contests in January, the 31-year-old passer has missed 33 games due to injury since suffering an ACL tear in September 2018. Garoppolo played every game for the Super Bowl LIV-bound Niners a year later but suffered an ankle injury that shortened his 2020 season to six games. San Francisco’s starter battled calf, thumb, and shoulder maladies in 2021, and he ultimately required two surgeries after that season.

When he is healthy, though, Garoppolo is a quality player, and the Raiders clearly believe that he will be an upgrade over longtime starter Derek Carr, who was released in February. Garoppolo will take the reins of an offense that has a fair amount of skill-position talent in wideouts Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Hunter Renfrow, running back Josh Jacobs (assuming he ultimately signs his franchise tender), and tight ends Austin Hooper and Michael Mayer.

The Raiders did finish as a top-12 offense in 2022 in terms of both yards-per-game and points-per-game. However, Carr’s completion percentage and yards-per-attempt rate dropped considerably in his first (and only) year in Josh McDaniels‘ offense, and Garoppolo — who began his career in New England as a McDaniels protege — is viewed as a better fit.

Las Vegas did host the top five QB prospects in this year’s draft and even had trade talks with the Bears regarding the No. 1 overall pick. Ultimately, the club did not select a collegiate signal-caller until the fourth round (Aidan O’Connell), and the only other quarterbacks on the roster are Brian Hoyer, who is entering his age-38 season, and former UDFA Chase Garbers. As such, if he can stay healthy and productive, Garoppolo stands a good chance of remaining with the Silver-and-Black in 2024, and perhaps beyond.

Garoppolo led the 49ers to a 7-3 record as a starter in 2022, completing 67.2% of his passes for 16 TDs against just four interceptions. That amounted to a quarterback rating of 103.0.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler first reported that Garoppolo was expected to pass his physical (Twitter link).

Raiders Haven’t Shopped WR Hunter Renfrow

July 22nd, 2023 at 11:28am CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders added a number of wideouts this offseason who are capable of playing slot receiver, leaving Hunter Renfrow‘s spot on the roster in doubt. However, it sounds like the wide receiver will be staying put, at least temporarily. According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, the Raiders haven’t been shopping Renfrow.

[RELATED: Raiders Have Not Received Calls On WR Hunter Renfrow]

This news helps twist the narrative a bit, as previous reports indicated that the Raiders hadn’t garnered any interest in their veteran wideout. Indeed, Reed notes that’s still the case, as the front office still hasn’t “received any trade offers for him.”

The Raiders’ big move at the position was signing Jakobi Meyers away from the Patriots, but the team also added slot-capable receivers in DeAndre Carter, Phillip Dorsett, and rookie third-round pick Tre Tucker. With Davante Adams also prime to bounce around the offense, Renfrow has seemed like a natural candidate to be the odd man out.

Following a breakout, Pro Bowl season in 2021, Renfrow took a bit of a step back in 2022. Limited to only 10 games thanks in part to a concussion, the receiver finished with 36 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Renfrow inked a two-year, $32MM deal with the Raiders last offseason, and he’s set to earn more than $13MM in 2023. The team could save around $7MM in cap space by trading the wideout before the regular season begins.

As Reed notes, Renfrow is well regarded in the locker room, and at only 27 years old, he still has plenty of good football in front of him. As a result, the Raiders may simply roll into the season with a deep WRs room and bite the bullet from a financial perspective.

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