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Da’Shawn Hand

AFC West Notes: Bolts, Broncos, Wilkins

March 25th, 2025 at 5:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Retaining Najee Harris was believed to still be a Steelers option this winter, but the team had declined its starting running back’s fifth-year option last May. Passing on that opened the door to the 2021 first-rounder becoming a one-contract Steeler, and Harris said (via ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim) he began to believe late last season he was on his way out. The Steelers do not negotiate with players in-season, but serious re-signing talks did not emerge this offseason. Harris landed a one-year, $5.25MM deal with the Chargers.

The Miami alum said Jim Harbaugh was a lead reason he signed with the Bolts. The team ramped up its run-game usage last season and has since cut Gus Edwards. Primary starter J.K. Dobbins is also a free agent. He of four 1,000-yard seasons, Harris is almost definitely set to start for the Bolts this season. The Steelers slapped a second-round RFA tender on Jaylen Warren and signed ex-Eagles backup Kenneth Gainwell in free agency.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • Staying on the running back beat here, the Broncos have not replaced Javonte Williams (who signed with the Cowboys). With a deep running back draft approaching, the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson views it as a near-certainty the team will bolster this position come April. The Broncos hold picks in the first three rounds for the first time since 2021, before the Russell Wilson and Sean Payton trades depleted their draft capital. Having addressed linebacker, safety and tight end in free agency, Denver should have a clearer runway to add to its backfield during the first three rounds.
  • Elsewhere on Denver’s roster, the team already turned to Jonathon Cooper‘s contract — agreed to at the midseason point — as a restructure avenue. The team moved Cooper’s $4MM roster bonus into a signing bonus, per the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel, who adds the team created $3.2MM in cap space via the adjustment. The Nik Bonitto sidekick remains signed, at $13.5MM per year, through the 2028 season.
  • The Broncos also replaced fired inside linebacker coach Michael Wilhoite, hiring former college DC Jeff Schmedding, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Schmedding, 47, comes over after two seasons as Washington State’s DC. He was Auburn’s DC in 2022 and Boise State’s from 2019-20. This Broncos ILB post will be Schmedding’s first NFL job.
  • Back to the restructure topic, the Raiders cleared out cap room by turning to Christian Wilkins‘ monster deal. Las Vegas converted Wilkins’ $20.5MM roster bonus, which was due earlier this month, into a signing bonus. That will spread out the D-tackle’s cap hits over the life of the contract and free up 2025 cap room, with the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore indicating the team created $15MM in space. The Raiders hold $50.9MM in cap space as of Tuesday, according to OverTheCap.
  • Winding up some Chargers contract matters, the team added two defenders on low-end deals. The Bolts’ accord with defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand is for one year and $2.35MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, adding $1.93MM is guaranteed. Hand can earn another $1MM via playing-time incentives. Hand, 29, started two games for the Dolphins last season; he had previously gone since 2020 without starting a game. Linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips‘ Bolts deal is worth $2MM over one year, per OverTheCap. The team is guaranteeing Phillips $700K, between a $400K signing bonus and a partial salary guarantee, Wilson adds. Phillips, 28, will reunite with Chargers GM Joe Hortiz, who was a Ravens exec during the reserve LB’s two-year run in Baltimore.

Chargers To Sign DLs Da’Shawn Hand, Naquan Jones

March 13th, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ben Levine

The Chargers have agreed to terms with a pair of defensive linemen. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Chargers have agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $3.35MM with defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand. Meanwhile, agent Mike McCartney announced that Naquan Jones has also agreed to a one-year deal with the organization.

Hand brings some veteran experience to Los Angeles, although he’s settled into a backup role at this point. The journeyman bounced around the league a bit to begin his career, but he found some stability in Miami over the past two seasons.

He got into 33 games for the Dolphins between 2023 and 2024, collecting 48 tackles and two sacks. After getting into only 19 percent of his team’s defensive snaps during his first season with the organization, he saw that number jump to 53 percent in 2024. In total, Hand has appeared in 64 career games, collecting 102 tackles and five sacks.

Jones is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career. The defensive lineman got into 12 games for the Cardinals last year, finishing with 27 tackles and a career-high three sacks. His 260 defensive snaps represented his highest total since his rookie campaign with the Titans in 2021.

The Chargers have been in the market for some reinforcement in the trenches after losing Poona Ford to the Rams earlier this week. The team is still rostering Teair Tart, Otito Ogbonnia, and Scott Matlock for some bulk on the defensive line, but the team’s two newest additions should be able to carve out their own roles in 2025.

Dolphins To Sign DL Benito Jones, Re-Sign DT Da’Shawn Hand

March 14th, 2024 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins have agreed to contracts with some familiar faces. The Dolphins are expected to sign defensive lineman Benito Jones, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. The team is also expected to re-sign defensive tackle De’Shawn Hand, according to Russini.

Jones spent the first two seasons of his career in Miami, although he was limited to only six games between the two campaigns. He was claimed off waivers by the Lions prior to the 2022 season and proceeded to get into 34 games for Detroit over the next two years. This culminated in a 2023 campaign where Jones started 15 of his 17 appearances, finishing with a career-high 26 tackles.

Hand joined the Dolphins last August and ended up getting into a career-high 16 games with his new squad. He appeared in about 20 percent of his team’s defensive snaps, finishing the year with 17 tackles and one sack.

The Dolphins have been busy adding to their defensive line after Christian Wilkins left for the Raiders. The team has also added Isaiah Mack, Daviyon Nixon, and Neville Gallimore, and the team will be counting on their new additions to soak up some DL snaps in 2024.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/23

September 16th, 2023 at 8:14pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s callups and adjustments heading into Week 2:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Dolphins Reduce Roster To 53 Players

August 29th, 2023 at 10:34pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins began trimming their roster yesterday, cutting 14 players. That made today’s daunting task a bit more bearable, but the team still had to cut a number of players to get to the 53-player roster limit:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on IR:

Nik Needham, a 2019 UDFA out of UTEP, has spent his entire career with the Dolphins, appearing in 51 games (27 starts). He started five of his six appearances in 2022 before landing on IT in October with a torn Achilles tendon. His placement on PUP means he can’t make his season debut until at least Week 5.

Tight end Tyler Kroft signed with the Dolphins back in May, but the veteran was unable to beat our younger options for a roster spot. Kroft has seen time in 92 career games (52 starts), hauling in 105 catches for 1,081 yards and 13 touchdowns. He spent the 2022 campaign with the 49ers, collecting four receptions in 11 games (four starts).

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/23

August 6th, 2023 at 8:29pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves as the weekend comes to a close:

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Andrews joins Philadelphia as a potentially strong depth piece on the offensive line. The seven-year veteran has played 48 games over the years with five different teams, so rejoining the Eagles, even with a new staff from when he left, shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Last year, he started five of the six games he played with the Saints.

Woolen underwent arthroscopic knee surgery back in May and was given a four-to-six-week recovery timeline. He was forced to start camp on the physically unable to perform list, but it’s time for him to make his way back to the field. Last year’s other starter at cornerback, Michael Jackson, has had a great camp and rookie Devon Witherspoon is pushing for a starting role, so Woolen will be glad to get back and reestablish his role in the secondary.

Latest On Titans’ DL Competition

July 9th, 2022 at 2:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Titans’ defensive line played a significant role in the unit’s 2021 success, and the top of the depth chart is relatively settled heading into this season. One starting spot is up for grabs, though, and the team has a number of depth options to consider during training camp. 

Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com notes that Jeffery Simmons is set to once again anchor the team’s d-line. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2021 with 8.5 sacks, earning him a Pro Bowl nod and Second-Team All-Pro honors. The Mississippi State product will be 25 this season, making him a prime candidate for the team to make a long-term commitment to sometime in the near future.

Another first-team role will belong to Denico Autry. The veteran’s first year in Tennessee was one of the most productive of his career. He matched a personal best with nine sacks and set a new mark with 18 QB hits, leading to optimism for the remaining two seasons of the deal he signed with the Titans last offseason. Who will join Simmons and Autry as a starter remains to be seen, though.

McCormick writes that former UDFAs Teair Tart and Naquan Jones are the likeliest candidates for that spot. Tart registered 10 starts in 2021, seeing a defensive snap share of nearly 50% along the way. Jones, meanwhile, offered more pass-rushing potential with 2.5 sacks as a rookie; he is also a player the Titans “are high on” to take a step forward in 2022. The rest of the position group is set to be rounded out by some combination of former Lions Da’Shawn Hand and Kevin Strong, and free agent signee DeMarcus Walker.

One interesting name in this positional competition is Larrell Murchison. A 2020 fifth-rounder, the NC State alum has yet to claim a full-time starting role, and has totalled just 13 tackles so far in the NFL. Considering the talent and depth ahead of him, McCormick points out that Murchison’s roster spot could be “in jeopardy.” How the depth chart shakes out will depend on his training camp performance, and those of several intriguing options the Titans have at the position.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/14/22

February 14th, 2022 at 6:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Tennessee Titans

Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Broncos (with Bassey and Waitman), Lions (with Hughes), and Texans (with Keke) placed their respective claims earlier in their offseasons. Since these players were on playoff teams, they weren’t immediately assigned. Instead, the teams needed to wait for the league year to switch over to 2022, allowing the players to join their new squads.

Latest On Titans’ Backfield Situation

January 8th, 2022 at 1:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although a Derrick Henry return in Week 18 surfaced as a possibility weeks ago, the Titans will remain cautious with the two-time reigning rushing champion.

Tennessee will not activate Henry from IR on Saturday, keeping him shelved until the playoffs. The Titans designated Henry for return this week, giving them options moving forward. Henry’s ramp-up period can last up until before the AFC championship game, should the Titans’ season extend that far. But the team has long been preparing to have its top weapon ready to go before that point.

Henry has been out since suffering a Jones fracture in his foot in Week 8. The Titans initially struggled to pick up the pieces, and they moved on from Adrian Peterson fairly quickly. However, the AFC South champs have since seen D’Onta Foreman — also a midseason pickup following Henry’s injury — begin to establish himself as a starter. Foreman has notched three 100-yard games over his past five. Should Henry indeed return to action in the playoffs, Foreman would stand to be a key off-the-bench performer.

For now, however, the Titans are reshuffling their backfield. One of the early candidates to replace Henry, Jeremy McNichols, is no longer on the roster. The Titans waived the veteran backup Saturday and promoted Jordan Wilkins from their practice squad. A former Colts fifth-round pick, Wilkins caught on with the Titans after a midseason Indianapolis exit. He joins Dontrell Hilliard alongside Foreman on Tennessee’s active roster.

Wilkins topped 5.5 yards per carry in each of his first two seasons, playing behind Marlon Mack, and eclipsed 300 rushing yards in each of his first three. Now rostering the NFL’s rushing leader in Jonathan Taylor, the Colts dropped Wilkins this season. A former Buccaneers fifth-round pick who also spent time with the Colts, McNichols has been with the Titans for the past two seasons. He is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry this year, on 41 totes, and saw Foreman take over the backfield down the stretch.

The Titans also promoted defensive linemen Da’Shawn Hand and Kevin Strong on Saturday. The team has a chance to clinch home-field advantage for the first time since 2008 Sunday. A win over the Texans would secure Tennessee the AFC’s No. 1 seed. This would obviously be beneficial for both the Titans and Henry. The Chiefs would recapture the conference’s top slot with a win over the Broncos today and a subsequent Titans loss.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/31/21

December 31st, 2021 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: C Cohl Cabral
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