LeShaun Sims

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/25/20

Here are today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

 

Titans Place LeShaun Sims On IR

The Titans have placed cornerback LeShaun Sims on injured reserve, the team announced. To fill his spot on the roster, Tennessee signed fellow corner Demontre HurstLeShaun Sims (vertical)

Sims appeared in 13 games this season as the team’s No. 3 corner behind Logan Ryan and Adoree’ Jackson. It’s an unfortunate loss for the Titans as they fight for a playoff spot in the final two weeks of the season.

Sims’ season ends with 36 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble. He rates as Pro Football Focus’ No. 72 cornerback in the NFL, well behind Jackson (No. 37) and Ryan (No. 51), but well ahead of Brice McCain (102) who now advances to the No. 3 CB spot on the depth chart.

Hurst was with the Titans in camp but did not make their Week 1 cut. He could now have an opportunity to suit up for the playoffs and show that he is a fit for the team in 2018.

The Titans have a 66% chance of making the postseason, according to the New York Times‘ playoff odds calculator.

Titans Cut Damaris Johnson, Add 11 UDFAs

The Titans, one of the last teams in the NFL to formally announce their undrafted free agent class, have done so today, confirming in a press release that they’ve agreed to terms with 11 rookies who weren’t selected in the 2016 draft. The team announced that it has reached deals with six members of its ’16 draft class as well.

In addition to bringing in 11 undrafted free agents and locking up six draftees, the team also announced that it has waived two veteran players — wide receiver Damaris Johnson and cornerback Steven Clarke. A former Vanderbilt CB, Clarke spent last summer with the Dolphins but has never appeared in an NFL regular season game. Johnson, on the other hand, has played in 44 career contests, most notably catching 31 balls for 331 yards and a touchdown during the 2014 season for the Texans.

Here’s the complete list of the Titans’ 11 incoming UDFAs:

And here’s the list of Titans draft picks who have agreed to terms with the team so far:

First-round tackle Jack Conklin and second-round edge defender Kevin Dodd are among the draftees who have yet to finalize contracts with the club.

 

Titans Acquire No. 157 Pick From Broncos

The Titans have traded back into the fifth round, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, who tweets that Tennessee has acquired the No. 157 overall pick from the Broncos. The Titans led off the fifth round by snagging UMass wide receiver Tajae Sharpe and have now landed a second pick, which they used to draft Southern Utah cornerback LeShaun Sims.

In exchange for the No. 157 overall pick, the Broncos have received the 176th overall pick (a 2016 sixth-rounder) and a sixth-round pick for 2017, per Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post (Twitter link). The Titans also picked up a 2016 seventh-rounder in the deal, which falls at No. 253 — that’s the last pick of this year’s draft, so Tennessee is currently in line to select this year’s Mr. Irrelevant.

One reason the Broncos may have added this 2017 selection: the trade with the Eagles for a conditional ’17 choice that brought Mark Sanchez to Denver now looks like it will be for a sixth-round pick and not a seventh-rounder, Klis tweets. The presumptive Week 1 starter for the Broncos, Sanchez was traded for a conditional 2017 draft choice last month.

The Broncos initially acquired this fifth-round choice from the Jets in the teams’ Ryan Clady swap — one that also involved Denver sending a seventh-rounder to New York — earlier this month. The defending champions now hold three picks in the draft’s final two rounds.

Tennessee selected a safety during its busy Day 2 in Kevin Byard of Middle Tennessee but could use some help at corner presently beyond starters Jason McCourty and Perrish Cox. The Titans also added to the position by signing Brice McCain, however.

Draft Rumors: Bosa, Jones, Elliott, Jack

About seven Cowboys coaches were in Columbus, Ohio, recently to work out top Buckeyes prospects, including Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott and Cardale Jones, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.

Owners of the fourth pick in the draft, the Cowboys’ selection window resides in the neighborhood where Bosa currently is expected to go off the board, with the team in need of running back help as well.

Here are some other draft items as we advance further into the month where prospects dominate the NFL news cycle.

  • Also involved in Ohio State scouting, the Ravens put a full-court press on Buckeyes talents Wednesday, assessing their stock in multiple cities. They visited with Bosa in Baltimore and worked out Braxton Miller and Michael Thomas in Columbus, NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets. The Ravens, who pick at No. 6, also interviewed Myles Jack and Vernon Hargreaves n Baltimore.
  • The Bengals recently worked out Jones, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. He’ll also visit with the Cardinals and Bills, per Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Texans are meeting with Illinois wide receiver Geronimo Allison in Florida today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Packers are bringing in BYU wide receiver Mitch Mathews, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter). Mathews, he adds, is the type of receiver that the Packers like to target in the late rounds.
  • The Buccaneers worked out Southern Utah cornerback LeShaun Sims on campus last month, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
  • Bucs offensive line coach George Warhop went to Nebraska to work out offensive tackle Alex Lewis last month, Auman tweets.
  • The Saints worked out Western Kentucky tight end Tyler Higbee this week, according to Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate (on Twitter).
  • Western Carolina wide receiver Karnorris Benson worked out for the Falcons on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report