HEADLINES

Jacob Martin

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/24

October 26th, 2024 at 6:24pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturdays minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Bears Open Practice Window For DE Jacob Martin

October 9th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bears are set to add some veteran depth to their pass rushing attack in a couple weeks after opening the 21-day practice window for defensive end Jacob Martin, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The opening of the window will give Martin three weeks to make his return to the active roster.

Martin opened the season on injured reserve with a toe injury. Thanks to new rules dictating NFL roster spots, teams were allowed to place two players on IR before the roster cut deadline and designate them to be able to return during the season. Before this rule change, any players placed on IR before the deadline would be lost for the season. Martin was one of Chicago’s two designations alongside offensive tackle Larry Borom.

After missing the first four games, both players were eligible to return to practice and the active roster, but it appears Borom and Martin each needed a bit more time. Borom’s window still has not been opened.

In his seventh NFL season, Martin is hoping to debut soon for the sixth team of his NFL career. Originally a sixth-round pick for the Seahawks out of Temple, Martin has also spent time with the Texans, Jets, Broncos, and Colts. His time in Seattle and Houston was the most productive of his career. Traded to the Texans after a three-sack rookie campaign, Martin collected 10.5 sacks in three years in Houston. He spent the final year of his rookie deal finally emerging as a full-time starter. Since then, he’s bounced around in minor roles.

Now that his practice window has been opened, Martin has 21 days to be activated from IR onto the active roster. If he’s unable to return to the 53-man roster after those three weeks, Martin will be relegated back to season-ending IR, unable to return in the 2024 NFL season. The Bears will hope to add him and bolster a group currently led by Montez Sweat and DeMarcus Walker.

Bears Drop Roster To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 5:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears have set their initial 53-man roster. Here is the full breakdown of the moves they made on Tuesday ahead of the cutdown deadline in addition to releasing veteran quarterback Brett Rypien:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

With Rypien out of the picture, it will be interesting to see if Reed is kept the organization with a practice squad deal. For the time being, Chicago’s only passers are Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent. It comes as no surprise those two were kept on the 53-man roster, of course, but it neither Rypien nor Reed are available in the next few days, the Bears will be in the market for a depth addition.

Waitman was one of two punters in place during the offseason, so the decision to cut him means fourth-round rookie Tory Taylor has won the gig. Waitman, 29, played for the Steelers in 2021 and the Broncos the following season. He led the NFL in punts during his full campaign in Denver, but he did see any regular season action in 2023. Waitman signed a futures deal in the winter, the Taylor selection suggested he would need to find a new home once roster cuts took place.

Borom and Martin were not named to the initial 53-man roster, per a new role for 2024. Teams may designate two players to return from IR before naming their rosters, although they are still required to miss at least the first four games of the season. In Pettis’ case, on the other hand, today’s move confirms he will be sidelined for the entire campaign.

Bears Sign DE Jacob Martin

March 16th, 2024 at 8:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jacob Martin is set to join a sixth career NFL team. The veteran defensive end signed a one-year deal with the Bears on Saturday, per a team announcement.

The 28-year-old was drafted by the Seahawks in 2018, but he only spent a single season in Seattle. Martin’s longest run with one team came from 2019-21 during his time with the Texans. He started 14 of 17 games during his final campaign in Houston, and his four sacks from that year remain the highest single-season total of that career.

Over the past two years, Marin has bounced around the league. The Temple product split his time between the Jets and Broncos in 2022, seeing himself traded from New York to Denver in November of that year. He was limited to five games with the Broncos due to injury, so it came as no surprise he was again a free agent last offseason. Martin originally re-joined the Texans, but he was among the team’s final roster cuts.

That set up another AFC South agreement, as the former sixth-rounder signed with the Colts ahead of the regular season beginning. Martin suited up for all 17 contests last season, but his defensive snap share (16%) was the lowest of his career. He recorded seven tackles, two sacks and four QB pressures while operating in a strictly second-team role.

Martin will aim to carve out a larger role in Chicago, a team in need of additions along the edge. 2023 trade acquisition Montez Sweat is in place as the anchor at the defensive end spot, having inked a monster extension upon arrival in the Windy City. Both Yannick Ngakoue and Rasheem Green joined the Bears as free agents last offseason, but they did so on one-year deals. Neither have been re-signed, leaving room for an addition in the form of Martin. Still, edge rush will no doubt remain a priority during next month’s draft for Chicago.

Colts To Sign DE Jacob Martin

August 31st, 2023 at 1:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jacob Martin will bounce to a third team this year. This move will be an intra-AFC South switch. After the Texans released the veteran pass rusher, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes the Colts will sign him.

The Texans showed interest in bringing Martin back after the Tuesday release, per Wilson. A number of teams have re-signed vested vets they released Tuesday, doing so after rearranging their roster — largely via IR moves — following submissions of their initial 53s. But Martin will instead head to Indianapolis.

Indy will be Martin’s fifth NFL destination. Going from the Seahawks to the Texans in the 2019 Jadeveon Clowney trade, Martin then signed a multiyear Jets deal. The Broncos acquired Martin shortly after sending Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins. Weeks after Sean Payton took over as head coach, Denver released Martin, leading him back to Houston.

The Colts did not bring back Yannick Ngakoue this offseason, despite his extensive history with DC Gus Bradley. Ngakoue signed with the Bears earlier this month. Indianapolis did sign Samson Ebukam, who comes over after two years with San Francisco. Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo remain on their respective rookie contracts, and former second-round pick Tyquan Lewis is on the active roster 10 months after suffering a patellar tendon rupture. Lewis re-signed on a one-year, $2.1MM deal in March.

Martin, 27, is coming off a down season that ended with him on the Broncos’ IR list. He finished with 2.5 sacks last season. However, Martin earned a three-year, $13.5MM Jets deal in 2022; this came after his four-sack, two-forced fumble 2021 slate (which also included a safety). Martin profiles as a depth piece for the Colts, who continue to hope their top two 2021 draftees take steps forward.

Texans Set 53-Man Roster

August 29th, 2023 at 8:33pm CST by Ben Levine

The Texans are in the midst of a rebuild, but that doesn’t make their roster decisions any easier. The organization ultimately settled on 53 players today:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Three veteran tight ends were let go in Mason Schreck, Eric Tomlinson, and Nick Vannett. Vannett has the most epxerience of the bunch, having seen time in 86 career games. He spent the 2022 seasons with the Giants and Saints, hauling in six catches. Tomlinson has appeared in 85 career games, including 34 over the past two seasons. He started 12 of his 17 appearances for Denver in 2022, serving mostly as an extra blocker.

Adam Humphries was an 800-yard receiver with the Buccaneers in 2018, but he’s compiled only 985 yards in three years since. He didn’t get into a game during the 2022 season, but he did haul in 41 catches for Washington in 2021.

Texans To Bring Back DE Jacob Martin

May 23rd, 2023 at 10:55am CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 23: Martin’s deal has a maximum value of $3.5MM, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 (Twitter link). That falls well short of what he earned on his Jets pact, but it should allow him to earn a rotational role in his return to the Texans. Another consistent season could earn Martin a more lucrative contract next offseason, in Houston or elsewhere.

MAY 19: Not long after Jacob Martin‘s hometown team cut him, he will reunite with his longest-tenured NFL employer. The Texans intend to bring back Martin, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

This is a one-year agreement for the veteran pass rusher, who initially played in Houston from 2019-21. Martin, who has now been part of two trades, spent last season with the Jets and Broncos.

Sean Payton said a Martin reunion was not out of the picture for the Broncos, but once the franchise moved on (to create some cap space), outside interest emerged. Martin visited the Texans a day later, and while he is obviously familiar with the organization, the former Seahawks draftee will soon learn a new system under DeMeco Ryans — the fourth Houston HC in four years.

Like No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr., Martin will transition from standup outside linebacker to defensive end in Ryans’ 4-3 scheme. The Texans lost Obo Okoronkwo and Rasheem Green in free agency, seeing the edge rushers defect to the Browns and Bears, respectively, in free agency. Martin, 27, stands to supply some depth to the now-Anderson-led edge group.

The Texans initially obtained Martin in 2019’s Jadeveon Clowney trade. Martin represented one of the throw-in pieces in a Texans haul headlined by a third-round pick. Martin played a supporting role for Houston’s most recent playoff-qualifying team, in 2019, and moved into a full-time starting position by 2021. Martin’s production has remained steady regardless of role. In each season from 2018-21, he recorded between three and four sacks. In 2021, he tallied four sacks, six QB hits and a safety on a Kyler Murray rushing attempt. That effort enticed the Jets to give Martin a three-year, $13.5MM deal that included $6MM guaranteed.

Down Randy Gregory and having traded Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins on deadline day last year, the Broncos acquired Martin’s contract in a pick-swap trade with the Jets. But injury trouble slowed the Aurora, Colorado, native. Martin played in just five Broncos games before finishing the season on IR. Last season marks Martin’s first NFL instance of failing to reach three sacks; he finished with 2.5.

GM Nick Caserio has made a habit of bringing batches of middling veterans on one- or two-year deals each offseason. Martin joins Denzel Perryman, Cory Littleton, Chase Winovich, Hassan Ridgeway and ex-Jets teammate Sheldon Rankins as front-seven Houston free agency additions this spring. Winovich, Martin, Jerry Hughes and fourth-round pick Dylan Horton currently comprise the team’s Anderson support staff on the edge.

Texans Meet With DE Jacob Martin

May 11th, 2023 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jacob Martin may have a quick opportunity to bounce back from his Broncos release. A day after that cut, the Texans brought Martin in for a visit, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports.

Although this can be viewed as more of a reacquainting, seeing as the Texans have been Martin’s primary NFL employer throughout his five-year career, the team has changed coaches (again). Martin, 27, is meeting up with the team’s DeMeco Ryans-led staff.

Martin began his career with the Seahawks and split the 2022 season with the Jets and Broncos, but he suited up for the Texans from 2019-21. Houston acquired Martin as one of the assets sent over in the Jadeveon Clowney trade, bringing in the young linebacker just before the ’19 season. Martin worked as both a rotational edge player and a starting outside rusher in Houston, totaling 10.5 sacks in three Texans seasons.

His 14-start 2021 campaign, which included four sacks and a safety — on a play in which Martin corralled Kyler Murray on a rushing attempt — enticed the Jets to give him a three-year, $13.5MM deal that included $6MM guaranteed. The Jets bailed on that contract quickly, sending it to the Broncos on the same day Denver dealt Bradley Chubb to Miami. That pick-swap trade only led to five Martin games with his hometown team. The Denver-area native finished last season — a one-sack slate — on IR due to a knee injury. The Broncos saved $3.8MM in cap space by cutting Martin.

The Texans did make a major draft investment at defensive end, trading a monster haul to move up nine spots for Will Anderson Jr., but they lost both Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Rasheem Green from last year’s edge corps. The rebuilding team still rosters Jonathan Greenard, Jerry Hughes and free agent pickup Chase Winovich. Houston also drafted TCU’s Dylan Horton in the fourth round.

Broncos Release OLB Jacob Martin

May 10th, 2023 at 3:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two months after cutting Chase Edmonds, the Broncos have parted ways with the other player they acquired at last year’s trade deadline. They released Jacob Martin on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets.

While Edmonds came over in the Bradley Chubb trade — a deal that also included the first-rounder sent to the Saints for Sean Payton — Martin was part of the team’s post-Chubb edge-rushing contingent. The Jets dealt Martin to the Broncos in a pick-swap trade, which sent a 2024 fourth-rounder to New York and a 2024 fifth to Denver.

A Denver-area native, Martin played in five games with his hometown team. The outside linebacker recorded a sack and two tackles for loss as a Bronco. Knee trouble limited Martin last season, and he finished his Denver cameo on IR.

As a vested veteran, Martin will skip the waiver process and pass through to free agency. The Jets gave Martin a three-year, $13.5MM deal in 2022. The Broncos will save $3.8MM by shedding the through-2024 contract from their cap sheet. This will bump Denver’s cap-space figure just past $10MM. Denver had created $5.9MM in cap space by cutting Edmonds in March.

Last season, the Broncos dealt with injuries to most of their edge rushers. Randy Gregory went down in October and did not return until mid-December. Both he and Martin finished the season on IR, with the Broncos moving Martin off their 53-man roster in December. Denver also played without Baron Browning for a stretch. These maladies and Chubb’s midseason exit certainly affected the Broncos’ pass rush.

Martin had tallied at least three sacks from 2018-21, totaling four with the Texans during his ’21 platform year. Also part of the 2019 trade that sent Jadeveon Clowney to Seattle, Martin played three seasons for the Texans before commanding that Jets free agency deal. Gang Green guaranteed the former sixth-round pick $6MM via the 2022 agreement, but the Broncos’ Wednesday decision closes the book on that contract.

Gregory, Browning and 2022 second-round pick Nik Bonitto reside as the Broncos’ top edge players. The team did not draft an outside ‘backer nor did it make a notable investment at the position in free agency. Though, third-round linebacker Drew Sanders recorded 9.5 sacks at Arkansas last season and may be set for a hybrid role of sorts.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/14/22

December 14th, 2022 at 7:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

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