Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
Green Bay Packers
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
Seattle Seahawks
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Rams
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Redskins
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots are noted below.
Additionally, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads today. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s AFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.
* = International Pathway Program player
In the wake of Avery Williamson‘s unfortunate ACL tear, the Jets are making a move. The team is signing linebacker Albert McClellan, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Williamson’s injury left the Jets thin at linebacker, so this move makes some sense. McClellan spent the first nine seasons of his career with Baltimore, but was cut by the Ravens early on last season. He latched on with the Patriots and spent the last couple months of the year with New England, ultimately earning his second Super Bowl ring in the process.
McClellan has always been known as an elite special teamer, but he’s also capable of playing defense. He missed the entire 2017 campaign with an ACL tear, but he started 11 games in 2016. For his career, McClellan has appeared in 103 games and made 24 starts. He played almost exclusively on special teams for the Pats, making only four tackles in seven games.
McClellan certainly won’t be able to replace Williamson, who was supposed to be the Jets’ defensive signal-caller, by himself. But he is a decent cheap depth piece to add this late in the process, and can contribute in a pinch. That being said Williamson was Pro Football Focus’ No. 18 traditional linebacker last season, so this move doesn’t come close to making them whole.
Cut to make room for Ty Montgomery on the Ravens’ roster, Albert McClellan may not be going back to Baltimore as he did previously this year.
The Patriots worked out McClellan on Monday and plan to sign the free agent defender, Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic reports (Twitter links.)
The Ravens cut McClellan, who’s been a key special teams presence and part-time starter at linebacker for most of this decade in Baltimore, out of training camp but re-signed him in mid-September. The Ravens wanted to bring back the 32-year-old veteran again, per Zreibec, but their injury situation didn’t give them room for such a move in their view.
It appears McClellan will return to New England after his workout. McClellan’s only played for the Ravens in an eight-year career. He played in 96 Baltimore games, making 24 starts, and saw action in all four playoff games en route to the franchise’s Super Bowl XLVII victory.
A team known somewhat for valuing special-teamers, the Patriots were also missing Nicholas Grigsby due to an illness in Week 9 and have rookie Ja’Whaun Bentley on IR.
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams
New York Giants
Oakland Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Redskins
The Ravens are expected to re-sign linebacker Albert McClellan, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Baltimore needs help at the second level after starting middle linebacker C.J. Mosley was carted off the field with a bone bruise near his knee on Thursday night. While Mosley isn’t expected to face a long-term absence, it’s unclear exactly how long he’ll be out. With Mosley sidelined, the Ravens moved Patrick Onwuasor to middle linebacker and deployed rookie Kenny Young on the weak side.
McClellan, 32, offers plenty of experience with the Ravens, as he’d been with the club since 2011 before being released at final cutdowns. While he’s primarily served on special teams, McClellan has been called on to play defensive snaps in the past. In both 2012, and 2016, McClellan started 11 games as an injury replacement. Overall, McClellan has appeared in 90 games and managed 98 tackles.
The Eagles auditioned quarterback Paxton Lynch and a host of other free agents on Tuesday, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link).
Philadelphia, of course, has already brought in one failed early-round quarterback this year in Christian Hackenberg, who didn’t make it through final cutdowns. Lynch, a first-round selection in the 2016 draft, has already met with the Bills and Lions since being cut by the Broncos last week.
Lynch, 24, failed to beat out seventh-round signal-caller Trevor Siemian in Denver for two consecutive seasons, and though he ultimately did make starts for the Broncos, his performances were abysmal. In four career starts, Lynch has completed only 61.7% of his passes for 792 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions, and was dreadful again during the 2018 preseason.
The Eagles don’t necessarily need another quarterback on their roster, as Nate Sudfeld is currently backing up temporary starter Nick Foles. Carson Wentz, still recovering from a 2017 ACL tear, is expected to be sidelined for a few more weeks.
Here’s the list of other players worked out today by Philadelphia, per Caplan:
Two prominent 2015 Ravens draft picks were informed they won’t be on this season’s initial 53-man roster. Breshad Perriman and defensive lineman Carl Davis, a third-round draft choice three years ago, did not make the cut.
Davis started nine games for Baltimore last season but has just 30 career tackles. He missed the entire 2016 season.
The Ravens will also cut guard Nico Siragusa, a 2017 fourth-rounder who saw an injury end his rookie season before it started. Recently coming off suspension, tight end Darren Waller also won’t be part of the Ravens’ season-opening roster.
Here is the full list of Baltimore’s cuts, the first group including the players who will head to the waiver wire:
Released:
Placed on Reserve/NFI list:
After nine years in Baltimore, Albert McClellan will be looking for a new home. Jeff Zrebiec of The Atlantic reports (via Twitter) that the Ravens have released the veteran linebacker.
The move is a bit surprising considering McClellan’s tenure with the team, but the move seems to make sense for the Ravens. The 32-year-old is getting up there in age, and he missed the entire 2017 campaign due to a torn ACL. However, he arguably had his mostly productive NFL season in 2016, when he finished with a career-high 55 tackles in 16 games (11 starts). The 2010 undrafted free agent out of Marshall will now have to find another gig if he hopes to play this upcoming season.
With the release, undrafted rookie linebacker Chris Board seems to have a good chance of making the team. Otherwise, the team would only have three inside linebackers in C.J. Mosley, Patrick Onwuasor, and Kenny Young. The team is also rostering Bam Bradley, who is on the PUP.