HEADLINES

Donte Jackson

Steelers Sign CB C.J. Henderson To Active Roster

October 21st, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine

C.J. Henderson has earned a promotion to Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Steelers have signed the practice-squad cornerback to the active roster.

The former first-round pick joined the Steelers practice squad in late September. While today’s move comes after Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson aggravated his shoulder injury last night, Rapoport notes that Henderson was also drawing interest from other cornerback-needy squads. By adding Henderson to the active roster, the Steelers now control the player’s fate this season.

The ninth-overall pick in the 2020 draft, Henderson showed flashes as a rookie with the Jaguars, hauling in an interception to go along with 36 tackles. He ended his rookie campaign on IR with a shoulder injury, and he only got into two games with Jacksonville in 2021 before getting dealt to Carolina. He ultimately spent two-plus seasons with the Panthers, finding himself in and out of the starting lineup. Pro Football Focus was never especially fond of Henderson’s performance, with the site often giving him one of the worst positional grades in pass coverage.

After hitting free agency this past offseason, Henderson quickly caught on with the Texans. He was among the team’s final cuts, and it took him about a month before he got an offer from the Steelers.

Joey Porter Jr. and Jackson have soaked up the majority of Pittsburgh’s snaps at CB this season, although the latter has been limited in each of the past two weeks while dealing with his shoulder injury. With Beanie Bishop Jr. penciled in as the nickelback, James Pierre has been tasked with filling in during Week 6 and Week 7, with the former UDFA getting into a season-high 35 snaps yesterday. With only those four aforementioned CBs on the active roster, Henderson could be in line for a role if Jackson if forced to miss any time.

Panthers Claim Three Cornerbacks, Add DB Lonnie Johnson

August 28th, 2024 at 11:20am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bryce Young trade prevented the Panthers from using their 2-15 record to land an impact prospect atop the draft. Carolina’s consolation prize comes months later, and the rebuilding team will use its top waiver position.

Cornerbacks are coming to Charlotte in droves. The Panthers have already used three claims on corners, bringing in Tariq Castro-Fields, Keenan Isaac and Shemar Bartholomew, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The Commanders, Buccaneers and Jets respectively released the CBs, who will join a Panthers team in need.

Carolina also claimed linebackers Jon Rhattigan and Jamie Sheriff from the Seahawks, per Pelissero and veteran reporter Jordan Schultz. The Panthers will soon follow with cuts, as this marks a multi-position makeover for the NFC South club. In addition to the CB waiver claims, Pelissero reports Lonnie Johnson — whom the Texans released Tuesday — is signing with the Panthers’ practice squad, Pelissero adds. Carolina is expected to elevate the veteran DB by Week 1.

Initially a 49ers sixth-round pick, Castro-Fields played eight games with Washington last season. A 2023 UDFA, Isaac saw action in two Bucs games last year. Bartholomew was part of the Jets’ UDFA contingent this year. Johnson went to camp with Houston, which originally drafted him in Round 2. He played in 12 Saints games last season, working primarily on special teams.

This lot of inexperienced players, along with Johnson, will join a Panthers team that traded Donte Jackson and placed Dane Jackson on IR due to a hamstring injury. Carolina kept six cornerbacks on its active roster, including veteran slot man Troy Hill and recent trade pickup Michael Jackson, so some shuffling will soon occur.

As the team begins clearing roster space, the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye notes rookie UDFA wideout Jalen Coker received word he will be waived. The Panthers also claimed former 49ers guard Jarrett Kingston. The Panthers also cut wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, guard Cade Mays, cornerback D’Shawn Jamison, defensive tackle Jayden Peevy and Demani Richardson. Mays started seven games at guard over the past two seasons.

Diontae Johnson Sought Trade From Steelers

March 31st, 2024 at 7:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers have made a habit of moving on from starting wide receivers following their rookie contracts, regularly finding replacements in the draft. This assembly line, however, did feature an exception for Diontae Johnson, who signed an extension in 2022. But the Steelers wrapped Johnson’s tenure after five seasons by trading him to the Panthers.

Swapping out Johnson, 27, for Carolina cornerback Donte Jackson, Pittsburgh bailed on a player who led the team in receiving three times (2020-22) and one who displayed strong route-running chops. While some turbulence came along with the former third-round pick, the team has a need at receiver entering April.

[RELATED: Steelers Sign WR Quez Watkins]

Rumblings about a Johnson trade emerged around the Combine, and The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly indicates the talented pass catcher requested a trade (subscription required). Going into the final season on the two-year, $36.71MM extension he signed in summer 2022, Johnson will now count $10MM on Carolina’s cap and give Bryce Young a second veteran receiver to target alongside Adam Thielen.

It is unclear why Johnson wanted out, though the Steelers’ quarterback situation may well have played a role. Chosen in Round 3 out of Toledo, Johnson soon saw the Steelers’ QB fortunes change when Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury in September 2019. He showed potential with Mason Rudolph as a rookie, but Roethlisberger was a diminished version of himself upon returning in 2020. More limitations emerged in 2021, and the future Hall of Famer called it quits at season’s end. Drop issues notwithstanding, Johnson became Big Ben’s most trusted target following the elbow injury; he posted 144- and 167-target seasons in 2020 and ’21, posting a career-high 1,161 yards in Roethlisberger’s final season.

Kenny Pickett did not provide an upgrade. Johnson famously did not score a touchdown in 2022, going nearly two years between regular-season TDs. He added five TDs last year and averaged more yards per game (55.2) compared to 2022 but brought baggage stemming from comments and a dispute with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The five-year veteran also chirped at coaches during a rocky 2023 slate. Johnson was also criticized for showing little effort to recover a Jaylen Warren fumble during a game against the Bengals last season. A Johnson-Mitch Trubisky shouting match also took place in 2022, and the Steelers have closed the book on their partnership with the 5-foot-10 WR as they revamped their QB room around Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

The Steelers have nabbed numerous starting wideouts on Day 2 of the draft during the Mike Tomlin–Kevin Colbert partnership — from Mike Wallace to Emmanuel Sanders to JuJu Smith-Schuster to Johnson to George Pickens — and it would certainly not surprise to see the team turn to the draft’s second day to address this spot once again. This is viewed as another deep receiver draft, and the Steelers have continually done well to staff this job. They need help alongside Pickens now, with Quez Watkins, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin and gadget/returner addition Cordarrelle Patterson in the fold.

Mike Tomlin said the team had targeted Jackson, 28, in the past. The former second-round pick joins Joey Porter Jr. as the Steelers’ top corners. The team reduced its recent trade acquisition’s cap number as well. The sides agreed on a new deal that dropped Jackson’s 2024 cap number to $6MM, per OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald, who adds the seventh-year corner will receive $4.75MM guaranteed. The Steelers already picked up Jackson’s $4MM roster bonus upon acquiring him.

The Jackson trade left $9.78MM in dead money on Carolina’s payroll; the team moved on from the corner two years after re-signing him to a three-year, $35.18MM contract. Pittsburgh’s Johnson trade left $5.83MM in dead money on its cap sheet. Both players’ contracts still expire after the 2024 season, though their new teams hold exclusive negotiating rights until March 2025.

Steelers To Trade WR Diontae Johnson To Panthers For CB Donte Jackson

March 12th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Diontae Johnson trade rumors will indeed produce a deal, and for the second straight day, the Panthers are involved in a big trade. The Steelers are sending the veteran wide receiver to Carolina, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.

One season remains on Johnson’s contract, with Schefter adding the Panthers will now pay the sixth-year receiver’s $3MM roster bonus due later this week. After five Steelers seasons, the shifty route runner will settle in as a Bryce Young weapon.

The full trade will involve cornerback Donte Jackson coming back to the Steelers, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Carolina will send Jackson and a sixth-round pick for Johnson and a seventh. The picks will come in 2024. The Steelers are sending No. 240 in this swap, with the Panthers moving No. 178 to Pittsburgh, per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer. The No. 178 choice is originally a Cardinals selection.

[RELATED: Steelers To Sign QB Russell Wilson]

A report earlier this month indicated the Panthers would move on from Jackson, via trade or release; Carolina has found a trade partner. After rumblings of a Johnson deal surfaced as well, the two will end up being exchanged.

For the Panthers, this provides Young with a proven wide receiver. The Panthers were light here last season, contributing to the steep freefall. Johnson will now join Adam Thielen atop the Carolina aerial pecking order. As Thielen is going into his age-34 season, this trade will provide a player in his prime for Young to target.

Heading into his age-28 season, Johnson has not been the most consistent receiver. Drops have plagued the elusive target, whose effort level has also come into question in Pittsburgh. But Johnson will be playing for a big contract in 2024. The Steelers gave the Toledo alum a two-year, $36.7MM extension just before the 2022 season. That deal fell short of the market set by fellow 2019 Day 2 picks A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and D.K. Metcalf, but Johnson’s production has checked in south of those standouts’. He has still shown a consistent ability to create separation, doing so almost entirely with limited QB play. Johnson’s presence will help the Panthers determine Young’s value as a pro.

Johnson totaled 1,161 yards in 2021, Ben Roethlisberger‘s final season, and exceeded 850 yards in 2020 and ’22. Last season, the Steelers’ Kenny Pickett–Mitchell Trubisky–Mason Rudolph platter struggled for the most part. Johnson also missed four games due to a hamstring injury, coming in with 717 receiving yards and five touchdowns — after he memorably failed to score in 2022.

This will leave the Steelers with George Pickens leading the way at receiver, though it should be expected the AFC North club will target another starter-caliber wideout in a deep draft at the position. Johnson is one of many Day 2 wideouts the modern Steelers have turned into long-term starters. Pittsburgh broke with its usual tradition of these players leaving during or after their rookie contracts by extending Johnson, but after trading Chase Claypool and then executing this swap — and then cutting Allen Robinson — Pittsburgh will need to give Pickett (or, more likely, Russell Wilson) more help.

The Panthers also gave Jackson a second contract, re-signing the boundary corner in 2022. He is due a $4MM roster bonus March 16; these teams are trading picks, players and bonus obligations. One year remains on Jackson’s pact, a three-year, $35.18MM deal signed after the expiration of his rookie contract.

The former second-rounder has spent his entire six-year career in Carolina, but he was due to count $15.72MM against the cap in 2024. The Steelers will have Jackson on their 2024 cap sheet at $10.5MM, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.

Coming back from a 2022 Achilles tear, the 28-year-old corner also had a down 2023 in coverage. Jackson allowed three touchdowns as the nearest defender and surrendering an opposing passer rating of 107.7. Pro Football Focus graded Jackson just outside the top 60 at corner, though he has shown better form in the past. The Steelers, who released Patrick Peterson last week, will see if Jackson can become a fit opposite Joey Porter Jr.

Panthers To Move On From Donte Jackson

March 4th, 2024 at 12:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

As cost-cutting season continues around the NFL, the Panthers are among the teams which will be shedding veteran contracts. Carolina is expected to trade or release cornerback Donte Jackson, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Jackson is due a $4MM roster bonus on March 16, meaning a decision one way or another will likely be made by that point. The Panthers will no doubt attempt to find a trade partner before proceeding with a release if necessary. In the latter case, the team will see $5.94MM in cap savings against $9.78MM in dead cap charges for 2024.

One year remains on Jackson’s pact, a three-year, $35.18MM deal signed after the expiration of his rookie contract. The former second-rounder has spent his entire six-year career in Carolina, but he was due to count $15.72MM against the cap in 2024. He was on the trade block in advance of this year’s deadline, but no takers emerged. Now, he will again be available.

Jackson was limited to nine games in 2022 due to an Achilles tear. He managed to recover in full, though, and he suited up for 16 contests in 2023. He totaled 53 tackles while remaining a full-time starter, although he was held without an interception for the first time in his career. The LSU alum also had a down year in coverage, allowing three touchdowns as the nearest defender and surrendering an opposing passer rating of 107.7.

Nevertheless, the LSU alum could have suitors as a free agent in particular. Jackson recorded 14 interceptions and 41 pass breakups across his first five seasons, and managing to play a full campaign in 2024 coming off the Achilles tear will help his value on the health front. It will be interesting to see if any suitors show a willingness to trade for him (and take on the remainder of his contract in doing so) to prevent him from reaching the open market.

Carolina – a team which entered Monday with roughly $35MM in cap space – will now need to find a new starting CB option to pair with Jaycee Horn. The Panthers, of course, also have a number of financial matters to work out with their incumbent defensive nucleus. Edge rusher Brian Burns is a pending free agent, as is hybrid linebacker Frankie Luvu. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown is also eligible for an extension, and talks on that front have begun. In any case, the team’s secondary will have a new look without Jackson in the fold any longer.

Panthers Unlikely To Trade Brian Burns; Eagles Looked Into Jeremy Chinn

October 27th, 2023 at 8:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

In a strange position of being 0-6 and looking to add a wide receiver, the Panthers possess one of this year’s top trade pieces. Brian Burns continues to be mentioned in trades, with the parties’ failed summer negotiations playing a role in the edge rusher’s cloudy Carolina future.

The Panthers, however, are open to revisiting extension talks with Burns in-season. That may be leading to the chatter the fifth-year defender is more likely to stay. After a report earlier this week indicated the Panthers were informing teams they are not putting Burns on the table, The Athletic’s Joe Person indicates (subscription required) the expectation is Carolina’s top sack artist is not expected to be dealt.

Given what the Panthers rejected for Burns at multiple points over the past year, committing to hammering out an extension would make sense. The team turned down a Rams offer of two first-rounders last year. Los Angeles not having a 2023 first-round pick played into Carolina’s decision to pass there, but Burns — who is now in a contract year, being tied to a $16MM fifth-year option salary — will almost definitely not generate that kind of offer before this year’s Tuesday deadline. Carolina also refused to include Burns in its March trade with Chicago, which led to the Bears insisting D.J. Moore be part of the package that netted the Panthers the No. 1 overall pick.

Those organizational decisions have likely emboldened Burns on the extension front, and Nick Bosa raising the defensive salary ceiling to $34MM per year undoubtedly impacted the Panthers’ negotiations as well. While Burns was previously believed to be in line for a deal that placed him in the top five among edge rushers — more likely at the bottom of that list, around Maxx Crosby‘s $23.5MM-per-year extension — Bosa’s agreement and the salary cap’s rise have likely led Burns’ camp to push for more.

If Carolina commits to revisiting the extension talks, the team will have a 2024 franchise tag in its back pocket. Using a base 3-4 defense, the Panthers would be in line to attempt to save some money on a Burns tag. Even though he functions primarily as an edge rusher, teams have successfully classified 3-4 OLBs as linebackers — rather than defensive ends — under a tag formula that still groups all linebackers together while separating defensive ends. Recent precedent favored the teams here.

In 2020, 3-4 OLBs Shaquil Barrett, Bud Dupree and Matt Judon were each tagged as linebackers. Though, the Ravens and Judon agreed to a compromise that upped the edge defender’s tender number that year. OverTheCap projects the 2024 linebacker tag to check in at $17.42MM and the D-end tag to be $21.64MM. This could be a negotiating tool for the Panthers, should they decide to continue down the road with Burns rather than trade him by Tuesday.

Additionally, the Panthers are still open to trading Jeremy Chinn, Donte Jackson and Terrace Marshall. This has been the case for a bit now, and Marshall requested to be moved. The Eagles made a splashy safety trade this week, landing All-Pro Kevin Byard from the Titans. Prior to the Byard deal being completed, Person adds Philadelphia pursued Chinn.

However, the contract-year DB suffered a quad injury that led him to IR. The Eagles were close to drafting Chinn in the 2020 second round, ultimately deciding to take Jalen Hurts instead despite rostering Carson Wentz at the time. That decision changed the direction of the franchise. While Chinn has excelled at points for the Panthers, he had seen his snaps reduced in Ejiro Evero‘s system prior to the injury. The Panthers should still be expected to be thrown into trade rumors before the 3pm Tuesday deadline, but Chinn is now likely to close out his contract year in Charlotte.

Panthers OLB Brian Burns Generating Trade Interest; Latest On Team’s Other Trade Candidates

October 22nd, 2023 at 7:50am CST by Rory Parks

Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns is once again the subject of trade rumors. Burns is in a platform year, and as the Panthers are sitting at 0-6, GM Scott Fitterer is unsurprisingly fielding calls on the two-time Pro Bowler, as Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required).

Burns was also a popular name at last year’s deadline, and Fitterer turned down an offer from the Rams that featured two first-round picks. That development ostensibly gave Burns plenty of leverage in negotiations on a long-term contract, negotiations that apparently have not generated much traction. Indeed, previous reports indicated that the two sides have not come close to striking an accord, as Burns is said to be seeking a deal with an average annual value approaching Nick Bosa‘s astronomical $34MM figure, while Carolina believes Maxx Crosby‘s $23.5MM AAV is a more appropriate comp.

In September, we learned that the Panthers were willing to continue contract talks in-season, though it is unclear if that has actually happened. Of course, an acquiring team would need to work out a lucrative contract extension in addition to parting with a premium trade package, which is perhaps one reason why Russini reports the Panthers are not expecting to deal Burns.

That said, they are listening to offers, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports writes. Robinson acknowledges that Carolina would prefer to keep Burns, but the club’s top priority is to furnish the offense with more talent to aid the development of rookie quarterback Bryce Young. As such, Fitterer could be willing to move Burns and would be seeking a first-round pick plus a talented, young offensive player or a first-round pick plus additional draft capital — including at least one Day 2 selection — in exchange.

Per Robinson, the 5-1 Lions — who have recorded a middling 15 sacks in 2023 — are one possible suitor for Burns. Robinson also believes the Rams could get in the mix again if they should win their next two contests and hit the October 31 deadline with a 5-3 record.

Generally, both Russini and Robinson hear that the Panthers are operating as both buyers and sellers in the run-up to the deadline. We have heard repeatedly over the past several weeks that the club is in pursuit of a high-end wideout, and a report from earlier this month suggested that receiver Terrace Marshall, safety/linebacker Jeremy Chinn, and cornerback Donte Jackson are all on the trade block.

Marshall has been granted permission to seek a trade, while Chinn is dealing with a significant quadriceps injury that will sideline him until December, which obviously represents a major blow to his trade value (though Russini hears that the contract-year defender is still available).

Jackson, meanwhile, is under club control through 2024, and both Robinson and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com report that there is outside interest in his services.

Panthers’ Jeremy Chinn, Terrace Marshall, Donte Jackson On Trade Block

October 13th, 2023 at 8:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers have been connected to making an addition in advance of the trade deadline (specifically at the wide receiver position), but the league’s only winless team should be expected to be sellers on the whole. A number of players could soon find themselves out of Carolina as a result.

Two-time Pro Bow edge rusher Brian Burns would of course be the top prize for an acquiring team in any Panthers-related swap, but having an extension worked out would be necessary to justify the trade price required on that front. The Panthers turned down a haul for Burns including two first-round picks from the Rams last season, so another substantial proposal would no doubt be required for serious trade talks to take place. Extension negotiations for the former first-rounder — who is playing on the fifth-year option in 2023 and is thus due for free agency or a franchise tag in March — are on hold.

A trio of other Panthers are available to be had in the near future, however, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Hybrid safety/linebacker Jeremy Chinn, along with wideout Terrace Marshall and cornerback Donte Jackson find themselves on the trade block. Any member of that trio would require far less to acquire than Burns, and they would arrive with varying degrees of expectations on a new team.

Chinn is in the final year of his rookie contract, and he would make for a logical rental candidate on a team with the right scheme to utilize his skillset. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year runner up eclipsed 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons, and he remained a full-time starter last year (one in which he missed signficant time due to a hamstring injury). Chinn was one of a select few players essentially deemed off-limits ahead of the 2022 deadline, but his playing time has dropped considerably this year in new DC Ejiro Evero‘s 3-4 scheme. A fresh start may be beneficial to team and player.

Marshall, like Jackson, is on the books through 2024. The former had high expectations as a second-round pick, but he has yet to lock down a full-time starting workload to date. The LSU alum seemed to be assured of a role ahead of the campaign by new head coach Frank Reich, but he did not see the field in Week 5 despite dressing. Marshall has totaled 16 catches for 114 scoreless yards while seeing a 64% snap share. Of course, any WR addition on Carolina’s part would threaten to knock him further down the depth chart and make a move sending him elsewhere a logical one.

Unlike the other two, Jackson is not attached to a rookie contract and would require a larger financial investment from an acquiring team. The 27-year-old would be due the balance of his $10.62MM in compensation this year if he were dealt, and his new club would be on the hook for that amount next year as well. Jackson’s 2024 cap hit, though, is set at $15.82MM, something which would take him off certain teams’ radars. Carolina would incur a dead cap charge of $5.2MM this season and next by trading the former second-rounder; only 2024 would yield a net gain in cap space.

Jackson has started all but four of his 68 games, each of which have been spent with the Panthers. He has recorded between two and four interceptions each season, though injuries have ended his last two campaigns. An Achilles tear limited him to nine contests in 2022, but Jackson has returned to full health and logged a starting workload in his four games played this year.

The Panthers are taking a cautious approach with respect to their new-look coaching staff, but changes could be coming on the field if calls on Chinn, Marshall and/or Jackson produce a trade agreement. Other players could be on the move as well, of course, but for now the future of that trio will be worth watching.

DB Rumors: Elam, Panthers, Bolts, Bucs

August 2nd, 2023 at 10:28am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills have hoped to plug Kaiir Elam into their starting lineup opposite Tre’Davious White, but the 2022 first-rounder remains in a position battle. Elam is battling 2022 sixth-rounder Christian Benford and veteran Dane Jackson for the boundary job opposite White, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Elam played 477 defensive snaps as a rookie, but even as White did not debut until Thanksgiving, the younger Buffalo Round 1 corner only started six games. Benford started five of the nine he played, while Jackson led Bills corners with 14 first-string appearances in 2022. The Bills would clearly prefer Elam seize the role, but for now, the Washington product has not distinguished himself as a surefire starter.

Here is the latest from NFL secondaries:

  • Asante Samuel Jr. resides in a similar boat, needing to fend off a lower-profile challenger. Thus far, it appears Samuel has fallen behind Ja’Sir Taylor for the Chargers‘ slot cornerback role. As it appeared in June, Taylor looks to be the favorite to open the season as the Bolts’ slot player, Daniel Popper of The Athletic notes. Samuel’s shaky run defense has concerned the Bolts, per Popper, with Taylor — a 2022 sixth-round pick — seeing time ahead of the second-generation pro as an outside corner last year due to tackling ability. With primary 2022 slot defender Bryce Callahan unsigned, Taylor and Samuel are battling for the position. Despite Samuel’s experience (27 starts) and draft pedigree (Round 2), he may well open the season as the top backup behind a Taylor-J.C. Jackson–Michael Davis trio. Having Samuel as a depth piece would certainly benefit the Chargers, with Jackson attempting to come back from a ruptured patellar tendon.
  • The Panthers have played without first-round pick Jaycee Horn for extended stretches, and the 2021 top-10 pick spent time rehabbing another injury this offseason. Horn did not say how he injured his foot this spring, but he is 100% early in Panthers camp. Ditto Donte Jackson, who missed eight games last season due to an Achilles tear. Both starting corners have received full clearance, GM Scott Fitterer said recently.
  • Although the Buccaneers have re-signed Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean in free agency over the past two years, they let Sean Murphy-Bunting leave in March. Murphy-Bunting, who had spent time in the slot in Tampa Bay, left for Tennessee. The Bucs are holding an expansive slot competition in training camp. Zyon McCollum, Dee Delaney, Josh Hayes, Christian Izien and Anthony Chesley are all vying for the gig, Todd Bowles said (via Buccaneers.com’s Brianna Dix and Scott Smith). Delaney and Chesley have both bounced around the league, while Hayes and Izien are rookies. Some of these players will not end up on the Bucs’ 53-man roster, but it is interesting to see a five-man competition for this role. A 2022 fifth-round pick who played 277 defensive snaps last year, McCollum may have the lead here. Bowles expects the second-year cover man to play a big role in the nickel spot, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/22

November 14th, 2022 at 8:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Mitchell has been out of the mix for the Jets since suffering a dislocated knee early last month. Although Mitchell was carted off the field because of that injury, he appears on track to come back. The Jets also have George Fant on IR, but he has not yet been designated for return. The Jets have used Duane Brown and journeyman Cedric Ogbuehi at tackle over the past two games. Gang Green has six injury activations remaining.

The Giants four activations left. A 2021 sixth-round pick, Williams ran into a bone-spur issue during training camp. The Giants claimed Layne off waivers from the Steelers after cutdown day. The former third-round pick has worked on special teams throughout the season.

Load More Posts