Today’s practice squad moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Will Sherman
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Anthony Averett
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden
- Placed on practice squad IR: TE Qadir Ismail
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Blake Watson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Zyon Gilbert
- Placed on practice squad IR: CB Anthony Averett
PFR’s practice squad rundown, signaling we are indeed close to games that count, begins Thursday. Here is how teams began to handle their 16-man P-squads.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Jordan Murray, DL PJ Mustipher, OL Luke Tenuta
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Monty Rice, OL Elijah Wilkinson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Ja’Tyre Carter, WR Jalen Coker, TE Feleipe Franks, LB Thomas Incoom, DE Tarron Jackson, DT Jayden Peevy, S Demani Richardson
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Chris Glaser, DL Sam Roberts
- Released: DB Quindell Johnson, DL Dashaun Mallory
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: G Tashawn Manning, RB Kendall Milton, DT Justin Rogers, DE Isaiah Thomas
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Gary Brightwell, WR Tulu Griffin, TE Cameron Latu, TE Blake Whiteheart
- Released: LS Rex Sunahara
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DT Phil Hoskins, CB Amani Oruwariye
Detroit Lions
- Released: S C.J. Moore
Houston Texans
- Signed: T Braeden Daniels, TE Cole Fotheringham, WR Xavier Johnson, S Mark Perry, QB Kedon Slovis
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT McTelvin Agim, DE Titus Leo, TE Sean McKeon, G Atonio Mafi, K Spencer Shrader
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Blake Hance, S Matthew Jackson, WR Louis Rees-Zammit
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: TE Justin Shorter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Tony Jefferson, C Sam Mustipher, TE Eric Tomlinson
- Released: CB Robert Kennedy
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: RB Zach Evans
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: QB Tim Boyle
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Ricky Lee, RB Zavier Scott
- Released: WR Jeshaun Jones, RB DeWayne McBride
New England Patriots
- Signed: DE Brevin Allen, G Jerome Carvin, DT Trysten Hill, C Bryan Hudson, G Michael Jordan, WR Jalen Reagor
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: T Austin Deculus, TE Treyton Welch
- Released: TE Mason Fairchild
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Art Green, DT Elijah Garcia, CB Duke Shelley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Brett Toth
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Anthony Averett, FB Jack Colletto, CB Zyon Gilbert, CB Thomas Graham Jr., LB Marcus Haynes, DL Jacob Slade, RB Jonathan Ward, TE Rodney Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Terrace Marshall, RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Josh Jobe, LB Tyreke Smith
- Released: T Raiqwon O’Neal
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: C Avery Jones, T Lorenz Metz, WR Ryan Miller, WR Cody Thompson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL James Lynch
Washington Commanders
- Signed: LB Jalen Graham, CB Bobby Price
Slovis went to camp with the Colts, joining the team as a UDFA this year. Houston placed Case Keenum on IR and released Tim Boyle, who is now the Dolphins’ P-squad QB. Slovis, who played at USC, Pittsburgh and BYU in college, is now the Texans’ de facto third-stringer.
Shelley has 11 career starts — with the Bears and Vikings — on his resume. He joined the Raiders last year but ended up with the Rams, playing in 11 games as a backup. The Giants have spent time searching for a cornerback answer, having not been too satisfied with their Cor’Dale Flott–Nick McCloud CB2 competition. New York did not make any waiver claims at the position Wednesday.
Reagor, who played for the Patriots last season, is back after being released earlier this week. The former Minnesota first-rounder played in 11 New England games last season, returning a kick for a touchdown. Latu joins the Browns after being a 49ers cut. The 2023 third-round pick missed all of last season with an ACL tear. Jefferson is back with the Bolts hours after being released.
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers moves are noted below.
Baltimore Ravens
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- OT Corey Bullock, RB Chris Collier, CB Bump Cooper Jr., WR Malik Cunningham, G Darrian Dalcourt, OLB Joe Evans, CB Ka’dar Hollman, TE Qadir Ismail, RB John Kelly, WR Keith Kirkwood, QB Devin Leary, WR Anthony Miller, DE C.J. Ravenell, ILB Josh Ross, WR Dayton Wade
Cincinnati Bengals
Signed:
Claimed:
- DE K.J. Henry
Released:
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Nate Brooks, WR Cole Burgess, T Devin Cochran, DT Domenique Davis, CB Jalen Davis, TE Cam Grandy, LB Shaka Heyward, C Trey Hill, WR Shedrick Jackson, S PJ Jules, WR Kendric Pryor, QB Logan Woodside
Cleveland Browns
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- DT Jowon Briggs, CB Tony Brown, WR Jaelon Darden, S Christopher Edmonds, CB Mike Ford, CB Justin Hardee, T Germain Ifedi, T Sam Kamara, T Roy Mbaeteka, WR James Proche, LB Winston Reid, LS Rex Sunahara, T Lorenzo Thompson, WR Michael Woods
Pittsburgh Steelers
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Anthony Averett, RB Boston Scott
The Steelers were one of several teams who made adjustments to their roster today with cut day looming on the horizon. The past two days saw the team put center Nate Herbig on injured reserve followed by his roster spot being taken up by linebacker Kyahva Tezino. The latest roster adjustment saw Pittsburgh release veteran cornerback Anthony Averett, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. 
Averett is a former fourth-round pick out of Alabama who was originally drafted by the Steelers’ division-rival in Baltimore. He spent the duration of his rookie contract with the Ravens, gradually increasing his role until he became a full-time starter at cornerback in 2021. Injuries often hampered his availability, limiting him to just 44 of a possible 65 games in Baltimore, but in his contract year, Averett started all 14 games he appeared in, recording career-highs in tackles (54), interceptions (3), and passes defensed (11).
Those efforts earned him a one-year, $4MM deal with the Raiders. In Las Vegas, Averett would make six more starts in seven appearances, but injuries would limit him to only that in 2022. Last year, Averett signed with the 49ers late in the offseason but was released two weeks later. He signed to the Lions’ practice squad in early October but would only remain there for five weeks before being released again. The Steelers signed him back in May, hoping he would add some experienced depth behind Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson.
Quickly filling up Averett’s roster spot, the Steelers signed defensive end Marcus Haynes, who was waived by the Browns a week ago. Additionally, another defensive back hit the free agent market as the team released cornerback Grayland Arnold from IR with an injury settlement, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
Anthony Averett was one of several experienced players who used rookie minicamps as a way to earn an NFL deal. The veteran corner spent the past few days at the Steelers’ camp, and that has indeed produced a contract.
[RELATED: Steelers Met With Cameron Sutton]
Averett’s agent told Pro Football Talk a one-year Pittsburgh agreement has been reached. The 29-year-old will thus spend the remainder of the offseason looking to earn a 53-man roster spot. The Steelers already have Joey Porter Jr. and trade acquisition Donte Jackson in place as projected starters, but Averett has notable first-team experience of his own.
The latter entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Ravens in 2018. Averett was used sparingly during his first two Baltimore campaigns, but he logged 18 starts across the 2020 and ’21 campaigns. That led to a one-year, $4MM Raiders agreement during his first trip to free agency. He was limited to just six games in 2022, however, something which hindered his market value.
Averett began last year with the 49ers, but he was let go amidst further injury issues. That led to a brief Lions practice squad agreement before San Francisco checked back in. No agreement was reached the second time around, though, and the Alabama product did not see any regular season action in 2023. He will aim to bounce back this season on a Steelers team which has made a number of moves on defense.
The team’s draft was centered mainly on offense, however, and sixth-rounder Ryan Watts represents Pittsburgh’s only rookie in the secondary. Veteran Patrick Peterson – who played with the Steelers last season but was released midway through his $14MM pact – remains unsigned. Head coach Mike Tomlin is open to bringing Peterson back into the fold, but it will be interesting to see if this Averett addition changes that stance.
Pittsburgh entered Sunday with over $18MM in cap space. With most of the team’s draft class having been signed already, the Steelers thus have the flexibility to make post-draft veteran additions such as this one. Averett’s pact will no doubt be a low-cost flier, but his previous starting experience gives this move a degree of upside.
NFL teams often use rookie minicamp as an opportunity to bring in some veterans for workouts. Here are a few such instances of teams who invited some veteran free agents for the weekend:
- The Steelers invited a former division-rival in cornerback Anthony Averett, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pittsburgh acquired veteran Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson in the trade that sent Diontae Johnson to Carolina, and Jackson is expected to start across from last year’s rookie starter Joey Porter Jr. Behind them, though, the team’s depth chart shows seventh-round rookie selection Ryan Watts and last year’s seventh-round pick Cory Trice as the top backup options. After playing out his rookie contract in Baltimore, Averett played the 2022 season with the Raiders before getting place on injured reserve. He spent a little time with the 49ers in the preseason before getting signed to the Lions’ practice squad. He could provide starting, veteran experience to a young corners group in Pittsburgh.
- The Jaguars also brought in a veteran cornerback from Detroit, inviting Jerry Jacobs, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Despite coming in as an undrafted free agent, Jacobs started 29 of his 40 game appearances for the Lions. Jacksonville is apparently looking to add some depth to the position after replacing Darious Williams with Ronald Darby as the starter opposite Tyson Campbell.
- The Buccaneers brought in some competition for their punter of the past two years, Jake Camarda, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. Tampa Bay invited former Steelers punter Pressley Harvin III after he was waived by Pittsburgh in February. Harvin isn’t likely to impact the depth chart, though, after Camarda set Tampa Bay’s franchise record for single-season punt average just last year.
- The Packers invited an extra arm to the rookie minicamp, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, bringing in Jacob Eason. Green Bay just drafted Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt in the seventh round to compete with last year’s fifth-round pick Sean Clifford for the backup job. Alex McGough is also in the room but has yet to make an NFL debut despite being drafted back in 2018. Eason has in-game experience with the Colts and Panthers and could certainly find himself in the running for a roster spot with an impressive performance.
- Finally, the Jets brought in veteran running back Qadree Ollison, per Wilson. Ollison’s only NFL touches came over two years ago during his stint with the Falcons, so it’s unlikely that he’ll make an impact on the depth chart in a young running backs room that includes 2022 second-round pick Breece Hall, last year’s fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda, rookie fourth-round pick Braelon Allen, and rookie fifth-round pick Isaiah Davis.
The 49ers have run into injury troubles in the secondary, and a veteran addition could be coming soon as a result. Anthony Averett is set to visit San Francisco, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Averett was in line to play for the 49ers this season after he agreed to a deal in August which sent him to the Bay Area. Injuries became an issue during training camp, however, and he was let go later that month in a move which left him free to sign elsewhere.
The 28-year-old landed with the Lions in October by joining their practice squad with Detroit banged up on the backend. That agreement led to Averett remaining with the team through mid-November, but he did not make any appearances. His last game action came in 2022 during his one-year stint with the Raiders. The former fourth-rounder dealt with multiple injuries in Vegas, limiting him to seven games and hurting his market value in the offseason.
Prior to that, Averett had spent his first four seasons with the Ravens. He saw his playing time increase incrementally with each passing year during his time in Baltimore, taking on full-time starting duties in 2021. The Alabama product delivered his best season to date at that point with 54 tackles, three interceptions and 11 pass deflections. Now on his second team in 2023, he will look to provide CB depth to the NFC West leaders.
San Francisco’s defense has, as expected, produced elite rankings in a number of categories this season. Their pass defense (213 yards allowed per game) sits mid-pack, however, and the team has run into injury troubles at safety with starter Talanoa Hufanga and special teamer George Odum set to miss the rest of the season. Averett could provide an experienced perimeter option down the stretch as the 49ers aim to patch together part of their secondary.
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: OT Josh Wells
- Released: TE Eric Tomlinson
Carolina Panthers
- Released: G Deonte Brown
Denver Broncos
- Released: CB Reese Taylor
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Michael Schofield, CB Kindle Vildor
- Released: CB Anthony Averett, RB Devine Ozigbo
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Austin Ajiake
Houston Texans
- Signed: OT Jaylon Thomas
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: S Mark Webb
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed:RB Myles Gaskin
- Released: DL Michael Dogbe
New Orleans Saints
- Released: DE Jordan Willis
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Lecitus Smith, TE Noah Togiai
- Released: TE E.J. Jenkins
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: G Joey Fisher, TE Scotty Washington
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Jaquan Johnson
- Released: DE C.J. Brewer
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: WR Xavier Malone
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Collin Johnson
- Released: K John Parker Romo
Denver Broncos
- Released: WR Michael Bandy
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Anthony Averett (story), TE Anthony Firkser
- Released: CB Darius Phillips, WR Trey Quinn
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: WR Juwann Winfree
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Cornell Armstrong
- Released: WR Marquez Callaway, CB Rejzohn Wright
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB Jake Funk
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: QB Tanner Morgan
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Yodny Cajuste
- Designated to return: WR Cole Beasley
- Released: CB Amani Oruwariye, WR Cam Sims
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: FB Jack Colletto
Anthony Firkser will provide the Lions with some veteran tight end depth. Darrell Daniels has mostly transitioned to a fullback role and James Mitchell is sidelined with a hamstring injury, leaving Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright as the two healthy TEs on the roster. Firkser has seen time in 69 regular season games, hauling in 115 catches for 1,207 yards and five touchdowns. The 28-year-old tight end got into 11 games for the Falcons in 2022, finishing with nine catches for 100 yards.
Yodny Cajuste is back in New York after getting cut by the Jets back in August. The former third-round pick got into 17 games (five starts) for the Patriots between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was waived by New England back in May before catching on with the Jets for the preseason.