Jaelon Darden

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/29/24

Here are the latest transactions from around the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Murray suffered a torn pectoral in the Bears’ loss to the Commanders on Sunday, thinning out Chicago’s offensive line depth. He played 37 snaps at left guard in Week 5 in relief of an injured Tevin Jenkins, who left Sunday’s game with another injury. After full participation in practice last week, Larry Borom should be ready to be activated from injured reserve to reinforce the Bears’ offensive line before Week 9.

The Texans officially played Diggs on injured reserve after tests confirmed a season-ending ACL tear, a non-contact injury that occurred in Houston’s Week 8 victory over the Colts. With Nico Collins already on IR, C.J. Stroud will turn to Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz to keep the offense afloat until Collins returns. Diggs’ injury could heavily affect his market in free agency after requiring the Texans to remove the final three years of his contact to facilitate his trade from the Bills.

Sutton is eligible to play for the first time this year after serving an eight-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He was suspended after he was arrested for domestic battery by strangulation in March, leading to his release by the Lions. The Steelers then signed him to a one-year deal in June before the league handed down his suspension in July, forcing Pittsburgh to turn to Beanie Bishop at nickel.

Browns Activate G Wyatt Teller

The Browns are adding some reinforcement to their offensive line. The team announced that they’ve activated guard Wyatt Teller from injured reserve. To make room on the active roster for Teller, the team waived cornerback Kahlef Hailassie. Cleveland also promoted wideout Jaelon Darden from the practice squad as a standard gameday elevation.

Teller suffered a knee injury in Week 3 that ultimately required the minimum stay on IR. Zak Zinter was first tasked with filling it at right guard, with Michael Dunn eventually taking the spot. Teller will immediately slide back into the starting spot, and other than Dawand Jones filling in for Jedrick Wills, the Browns should have their full line this weekend.

Teller, a 2018 fifth-round pick, has spent the majority of his career in Cleveland, earning a pair of second-team All-Pro nods. He only missed a pair of games between the 2021 and 2023 seasons, with Pro Football Focus consistently ranking him among the top-20 players at his position (including a fifth-place finish in 2021). This season, Teller has dropped to 30th among 80 qualifying guards.

Darden has already seen time in three games with the Browns this season. The majority of his snaps have come on special teams, where he’s returned four kickoffs and 12 punts. Hailassie has spent the better part of the past one-plus seasons in Cleveland, including a 2023 campaign where he appeared in nine games. The defensive back has only been active for a single appearance in 2024.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/24

Today’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad callups:

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Autry was hit with a six-game PED suspension in July, leaving the Texans without a key figure along the defensive line. The free agent pickup could have suited up by means of Houston using his one-week roster exemption; instead, he has been activated in time for Week 7. Autry, 34, posted a career-high 11 sacks last season and he will look to make an immediate impact during his Texans debut. Especially with Mario Edwards having been issued a four-game suspension of his own earlier this week, he should have a notable role right away.

Browns Activate DL Mike Hall Jr.

Mike Hall Jr. is set to make his NFL debut. The Browns announced a series of roster moves this morning, including activating their rookie defensive tackle from the commissioner’s exempt list.

[RELATED: Browns’ James Hudson Undergoes Shoulder Surgery]

The 54th-overall pick in this year’s draft, Hall was hit with a suspension to begin his NFL career following his arrest on domestic violence charges. The player ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct and was subsequently handed a one-game suspension that was tacked on to the four games he already missed. The Ohio State product may have a tough time carving out a role, with Shelby Harris, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Quinton Jefferson dominating the snaps at defensive tackle this season.

The Browns will also be adding another defensive tackle to the mix in Maurice Hurst II, who has been activated from injured reserve. Hurst suffered an ankle injury during the season opener that required a stint on IR. The DT mixed in with his three aforementioned healthy position mates during Week 1, and there’s a chance the Browns go back to a similar arrangement tomorrow against the Eagles.

The Browns weren’t done adding to their defense, as the team also activated outside linebacker Mohamoud Diabate from IR. Diabate was knocked out of the season opener with a hip injury that required him to miss the next four games. The Browns have been mixing and matching their edge depth behind Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith, and Diabate may have to temporarily settle for a special teams role before returning to the defense.

The team made a handful of additional moves this morning, placing offensive tackle James Hudson III on injured reserve, releasing wideout James Proche II, and promoting safety Christopher Edmonds and wide receiver Jaelon Darden from the practice squad. Hudson underwent shoulder surgery this week that could knock him out for the rest of the season. Proche earned his walking papers after serving as the team’s primary punt returner for the first chunk of the season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/17/24

Tuesday’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: T Marcellus Johnson
  • Released: T Ricky Lee

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

Woods joins the Falcons’ practice squad after a workout last week that also included veterans Kwon Alexander and Rashaan Evans.

The Browns are adding Freeman after the seven-year veteran was released by the Cowboys before the regular season. Freeman could potentially pitch in as the team keeps working without Nick Chubb.

Yeast becomes the next former-Rams defensive back to join the Panthers. Current Carolina defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero used to serve as the secondary coach in Los Angeles, and Yeast joins Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, and Troy Hill as former students of Evero to sign a deal with the Panthers.

Chosen’s time off the Dolphins’ practice squad could be a short one. Chosen was called up as a standard gameday elevation twice in the first two weeks of the season, reaching his limit for the year. If the team re-signs him to a new practice squad contract, his count should start over.

Reagor saw 11 games and a start last year for New England, catching seven passes for 138 yards as a deep threat. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the Patriots will be giving him similar opportunities this year after this release.

Pierre played a big part in the Steelers’ secondary in 2021 and 2022, starting six games and logging an interception in each season. His role was extremely reduced last year with the arrivals of Joey Porter Jr.. and Patrick Peterson, but his experience could be crucial in a position room that only rosters five cornerbacks as Cameron Sutton remains on suspension.

Browns Add James Proche To Active Roster, Waive Jaelon Darden

The Browns made a handful of moves today ahead of their Week 2 matchup vs. the Jaguars. The team announced that they’ve signed wideout James Proche and linebacker Winston Reid to the 53-man roster. The team also promoted offensive tackle Germain Ifedi and tight end Blake Whiteheart from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the team waived special teamer .

Proche got into 10 games last season with Cleveland, with the majority of his production coming as a punt returner. The former Ravens draft pick was released by the Browns at the end of the 2024 preseason before landing on the team’s practice squad, although he wasn’t promoted for Week 1. He’ll presumably be taking over return duties for Darden, who was actually productive in his role last week. The former fourth-round pick returned five punts for 72 yards, including one for 28 yards.

Reid caught on with the Browns this offseason as an undrafted free agent out of Weber State. The rookie stuck with the organization after getting cut, and he earned a promotion from the taxi squad for Week 1. While Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was on the injury report this week, the linebacker was a full participant for the team’s final three practices. Reid could see playing time if the depth chart thins out, but he’ll likely be stuck to special teams tomorrow.

Ifedi’s promotion vs. an outright signing is an indication that the Browns’ offensive tackles “will be back sooner than later,” per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin were limited participants this week at practice after missing Week 1 with injuries. James Hudson and Dawand Jones got the starts at the tackle spots last weekend, with Ifedi serving as the temporary backup.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/24

Here are all the NFL’s minor transactions for Saturday, including the gameday callups leading into the first Sunday of the 2024 season:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

With regular kicker Matt Gay listed as questionable for the season opener after hernia surgery, the Colts will call up Shrader from the practice squad as an emergency option. The 25-year-old has not made a regular season appearance in his career, but that could very well change tomorrow.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC North

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 BengalsBrowns, Ravens and Steelers moves are noted below.

Baltimore Ravens

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Cincinnati Bengals

Signed:

Claimed:

Released:

Signed to practice squad:

Cleveland Browns

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Browns Release RB D’Onta Foreman, Trim Roster To 53

The Browns kept four quarterbacks on their active roster, using other position groups to make their way down to 53. Here is how Cleveland maneuvered there:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/non-football illness list:

Placed on reserve/non-football injury list:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on IR:

Placed on commissioner exempt list:

Kevin Stefanski pointed to Foreman not being out of the picture, alluding this only being the team’s initial 53-man roster. The veteran back, who signed as a depth/rotational option this offseason, should be expected back, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot tweets. Teams can use up to six practice squad slots on vested veterans. This is Foreman’s fourth team in four years, but he has managed to play regular roles for each. The Browns also have their two other high-profile options — Chubb and Hines — out for at least four games, as they recover from 2023 injuries.

Cleveland considered trading Jameis Winston or Tyler Huntley, with second-year QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson showing enough improvement to have made the 53-man roster. But the team stopped short and made the rare move to carry four active-roster arms. One of the non-Deshaun Watson passers could be vulnerable, however, as the waiver wire will come into play soon. Winston and Huntley are vested vets and would head straight to free agency if released; Thompson-Robinson would need to pass through waivers. Teams often prioritize those players on cutdown day.

Hall is out of the picture for the foreseeable future, as his legal issue runs its course, and Wypler is out for the year with a broken ankle. The Browns designated Dunn for return. This will cut into Cleveland’s eight injury activations, and while the veteran blocker will miss at least four games, the team prioritized his comeback enough to use this early designation. Dunn has been with the team since 2020.

Latest On Browns’ WR Corps

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will be throwing to a lot of the same targets in 2024 that he did last year, but the single addition of a player like Jerry Jeudy largely changes the outlook of that group. The acquisition of Jeudy solidifies Cleveland’s starting group, but some questions still remain further down the depth chart.

Amari Cooper did Amari Cooper things last year, and though he only reached the endzone five times, he put up a career high in receiving yards with 1,250. Former Jets second-round pick Elijah Moore benefitted from a change of scenery last year. Like Cooper, Moore put up a career-high 640 yards, though he only scored twice. Then, the room adds Jeudy, who has mostly failed to live up to his first-round draft stock over his four-year stint in Denver. His best year saw him catch 67 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns, and if he can reach those peaks again, the top line of the receiving corps is in good shape.

Behind the likely starters, Cedric Tillman, David Bell, and James Proche return from last year. All three players were given opportunities to start following the trade of Donovan Peoples-Jones, but it was the rookie, Tillman, who showed the most growth and promise near the end of the year. According to Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal, those efforts and a strong spring in the absence of Cooper and Jeudy have likely secured Tillman in the WR4 position.

Bell and Proche, on the other hand, will likely join Michael Woods and rookie fifth-round pick Jamari Thrash, among a number of other names, for the remaining roster spots. Bell is likely safe. Though his yardage and target shares decreased last year from his rookie season, Bell finished second in the room last year with three touchdowns. Proche didn’t have any catches in 10 games with the team last year but became the team’s primary punt returner after the departure of Peoples-Jones. Proche’s special teams prowess helps his case, but he may need to show more on offense to earn a roster spot this year.

Thrash is perhaps the next most likely to keep a job as a recent draft pick. After a stellar 2022 campaign with Georgia State that saw him catch 61 balls for 1,122 yards and seven scores, Thrash transferred to Louisville and led the team by far in receptions (63), receiving yards (858), and receiving touchdowns (6). Woods, a sixth-round pick from 2022, faces longer odds after missing all of last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon and receiving a six-game suspension for personal conduct. Behind them, players like Jaelon Darden, Jalen Camp, Matt Landers, and Ahmarean Brown make up the rest of the room competing for roster spots.

With Cooper, Jeudy, and Moore locked in as starters and Tillman seemingly the favorite as the first off the bench, there’s a remaining one to three spots on the roster, depending on the team’s preferences. A combination of Bell, Proche, and Thrash feels like the most likely outcome, but strong training camp performances from any of the others, or poor camps from any of those three, have the potential to shake things up a bit in Cleveland.