HEADLINES

Nick McCloud

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/30/24

November 30th, 2024 at 9:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo is listed as questionable, but head coach Raheem Morris is confident he’ll play, calling Patterson an emergency option.

Speculation out of Baltimore was that Maulet wouldn’t require a second stint on injured reserve with his calf injury, but that intel appears to have been off. Maulet and Kolar could potentially make a return in time for the postseason, but they’ll miss four games before they do.

VanSumeren served double-duty as a fullback and linebacker. With his placement on IR, Uzomah was targeted as a possibility to fill in at fullback.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/23/24

November 23rd, 2024 at 7:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves, including gameday elevations for Week 12:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/16/24

November 16th, 2024 at 8:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Toney is set to make his debut for the regular season. The former first-round pick out of Florida has had a rocky first four years in the league, despite coming away with two Super Bowl rings in Kansas City. He was signed to the Browns’ practice squad just after the season opener and will be eligible to see game action with Cleveland in Week 11.

O’Donnell was added to the 49ers’ practice squad earlier this week given the chance of Mitch Wishnowsky missing time. The latter is now on injured reserve, ensuring at least a four-game absence. O’Donnell, 32, is a veteran of 145 games but Week 11 will mark his first regular season action since 2022.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/24

November 11th, 2024 at 8:06pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s NFL practice squad updates:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

The Bengals signed Brightwell after hosting several veterans for workouts on Monday, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Leonard Fournette and Xavien Howard were among the players who auditioned in Cincinnati, but neither player left with a deal.

49ers To Sign CB Nick McCloud

November 11th, 2024 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Nick McCloud has not needed to wait long to find a new home. The former Giants corner has a deal in place with the 49ers, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

McCloud was let go last Tuesday after he declined to take a pay cut. New York attempted to reduce his base salary before the start of the campaign, and with no agreement being reached on that front a decision was made to move on at the trade deadline. McCloud started five of his seven appearances this season, handling a rotational role on defense while remaining a core special teams contributor. Heading to a contender as a midseason free agent was a priority for him, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan adds.

The 26-year-old will now join San Francisco’s practice squad with the potential to be used as a gameday elevation up to three times. McCloud will offer depth in the secondary, although his third phase ability may represent his largest addition to the 49ers. San Francisco currently ranks 30th in special teams DVOA, and taking a step forward in that department would help the 5-4 team’s chances of reaching the postseason.

The 49ers have a number of options to choose from at the cornerback spot for the remainder of the 2024 season, but questions loom at that position with respect to free agency. Both Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir are set to hit the open market this spring, and keeping both in place will be a challenge given San Francisco’s multitude of financial commitments on offense (not to mention the pending extension for quarterback Brock Purdy). McCloud could play his way into an extended stay in the Bay Area based on how he performs down the stretch with his new team.

The former UDFA was attached to a deal with just under $3MM in base pay prior to the Giants moving on from him. McCloud will be in line for much smaller earnings in San Francisco, but he could help his market value with a strong showing over the coming weeks.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Slayton, Ojulari, McCloud, Cowboys, Mingo

November 7th, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Despite rumored trade interest, the Giants were not interested in dealing wide receiver Darius Slayton at the trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

The 2-7 Giants were thought to be sellers at the deadline as they ponder the team’s future, especially at the quarterback position. Slayton is set to be a free agent after the season and New York has yet to explore an extension with their 2019 fifth-round pick, so a trade could have recouped some value for the Giants if they were planning to part ways in the offseason.

Not only has Slayton been extremely consistent in the NFL, with at least 45.0 yards per game in four of his five seasons, he is on pace for one of the best seasons of his career with 32 catches for 469 yards through nine games. While he doesn’t have the same pedigree as other receivers who were moved at the deadline like Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins, Slayton was statistically outperforming both players even though all three were dealing with uneven quarterback play.

But rather than enter the active receiver trade market, the Giants held onto Slayton. It’s possible the team wants to keep him in New York past this season, but they may also be trying to field the most competitive team possible for the rest of the season. They declined to trade Saquon Barkley at the 2023 deadline for the same reason, per Raanan.

Giants Waive CB Nick McCloud

November 5th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Ely Allen

During a mostly anticlimactic trade deadline today, there was a dramatic transaction in New York, where the Giants shockingly waived cornerback Nick McCloud after starting him in five games this year, according to Giants senior managing editor Dan Salomone. Additionally, the team released veteran punter Matt Haack.

The Giants claimed McCloud off waivers after he was waived by the Bills, Bengals, and Bills a second time after going undrafted in 2021. Since arriving in New York, McCloud has found a consistent contributing role, starting 16 games in 38 appearances since 2022. After three years of favorable grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), McCloud is having a down year analytically, grading out as the 104th-best cornerback out of 110 players graded in the league.

Though he hasn’t played up to his potential this year, McCloud still provided some essential versatility to an injury-riddled secondary, being able to roam to the nickel and safety positions when needed. The need to waive McCloud was exacerbated by a want for cap space. According to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, the Giants approached McCloud about taking a pay cut to open up some much-needed cap space and help them navigate the remainder of the season financially. McCloud declined the pay cut and now finds himself in free agency.

Haack was signed to help fill in for regular punter Jamie Gillan. Gillan was questionable heading into the team’s Week 6 matchup with a hamstring injury, and Haack came in to relieve him for the next four games as injury continued to limit Gillan’s availability. With Haack being released, it could be assumed that Gillan is soon to come off the injury report and return to play.

NFC East Notes: Bland, Eagles, Giants

September 10th, 2024 at 1:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys managed fine without DaRon Bland in Week 1, smothering Deshaun Watson‘s comeback effort. But the team has not gotten a chance to play Bland and Trevon Diggs together since September of last season. Bland’s IR-return designation leaves the 2023 All-Pro out of the picture until at least Week 5. While a late-August report suggested Bland could miss eight games due to the foot stress fracture he suffered, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Cowboys are optimistic Bland will be ready to return when first eligible.

This would be welcome news for a Cowboys team that has seen each of its preferred top three corners sustain a significant injury since 2022. Jourdan Lewis suffered a career-threatening Lisfranc injury that season, and Diggs tore an ACL in September. The latter issue moved Bland from the slot to the boundary, leading to his record-breaking five-pick-six performance last season. The Cowboys used fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson as their starter alongside Diggs in Cleveland.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • Devin White‘s role will be one to monitor when he debuts for the Eagles. The free agency addition missed Week 1, with Nakobe Dean starting alongside Zack Baun. Dean and Baun served as Vic Fangio‘s LB regulars in the Brazil game, and while White should still have a role upon debuting, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane notes Dean beat out the former Buccaneers top-five pick for a starting job. White was believed to be on track for a starting role before camp. The Eagles had planned for Dean to be their top linebacker last season, but two IR stints — because of a foot issue — changed that plan. Dean’s injury-plagued second season, after he backed up Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards as a rookie, led to the White and Baun signings. White is coming off a disappointing Bucs season, which ended with a reduced role. After previously aiming for a top-five ILB deal in 2023, White is on a one-year, $4MM contract.
  • The Eagles lost four front office execs to assistant GM roles in 2022, leading Howie Roseman to rebuild his power structure. This resulted in both Alec Halaby and Jon Ferrari being elevated to the assistant GM role that had previously stood vacant despite the front office talent Roseman had stockpiled. Halaby interviewed for the Commanders and Panthers’ GM jobs during this year’s cycle, meeting about the Carolina gig twice. Ferrari should be expected to be summoned for GM meetings soon as well, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes (subscription required). Ferrari has been with the Eagles since 2016. Prior to the AGM bump, he worked mainly in the team’s compliance department.
  • Both Nick McCloud and Gunner Olszewski are expected to miss time for the Giants. McCloud, who pushed for a starting cornerback spot in training camp, sustained a knee injury that could keep him out weeks, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano notes. Olszewski sustained a groin injury and will miss extensive time. Both players re-signed on one-year deals this offseason.
  • Staying with the Giants, the team used 2023 third-rounder Jalin Hyatt as its No. 4 wide receiver in Week 1. Hyatt played only 16 snaps against the Vikings, with Vacchiano indicating the Tennessee alum is “clearly behind” the Malik Nabers–Wan’Dale Robinson–Darius Slayton trio. This could certainly change if the Giants considered a Slayton trade — which they did not during the offseason — but the deep threat played at least 16 snaps in 15 of his 17 rookie-year games.
  • The Cowboys were among the teams to create cap space recently. They restructured Terence Steele‘s contract, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates. This update creates $4.5MM in cap space for the team, one that just agreed to the most lucrative deal in NFL history (Dak Prescott‘s four-year, $240MM extension).
  • Josh Harris will work with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment CEO Tad Brown in running the search for the team’s next president, the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala tweets. The Commanders are searching for a successor to Jason Wright, who announced he will leave the post after the season.

Giants Expected To Add CB; Tyler Nubin Moving Toward Starting S Role

August 24th, 2024 at 9:50am CST by Sam Robinson

While Cor’Dale Flott spent the offseason and training camp as the favorite to land the Giants’ No. 2 cornerback job, he has not locked down the gig. As a result, uncertainty defines this position as cutdown day nears.

Hundreds of players will soon become available via waivers, and the Giants will be monitoring this situation closely. They are expected to address this position following Tuesday’s cutdown to 53 players, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes (subscription required). The team may be on the hunt for depth, but this effort also figures to involve a search for a player who could move into the starting lineup opposite Deonte Banks.

The Giants had been preparing to move Flott from the slot to a boundary starter role, but the former third-rounder’s struggles during camp have left the door open for Nick McCloud. The latter, who began his NFL career with the Bills during Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll‘s time with the AFC East club, has pushed Flott for the job. A quad injury has also intervened for Flott, further limiting the third-year corner’s chances of being a starter to open the year.

This obviously does not represent an ideal juncture for a team to be looking for a potential starter, but teams have used the period before cutdown day as a trade window for several years now. The Giants would have that option, but if nothing else, a Wednesday waiver claim appears likely.

Hard Knocks revealed a heavy interest in second-round corners; rather than trade up for one of their two second-round targets — Kool-Aid McKinstry and Kamari Lassiter — the Giants stood down and chose safety Tyler Nubin at No. 47. The Giants re-signed McCloud on a one-year, $2.99MM deal but guaranteed the former waiver claim nothing. This represents a low-end investment at outside corner this offseason. The team looks to be circling back to this need area.

If Flott is unable to cross the finish line in this CB2 competition, it would remind of last year, when the Giants changed their CB plan early. The team had aimed to use 2023 sixth-rounder Tre Hawkins as its starter opposite Banks, having shifted Adoree’ Jackson into the slot to accommodate the then-rookie. Don Martindale quickly benched Hawkins, moving Jackson outside once again. Eyeing Flott (or a potential second-round pick) to start opposite Banks, the Giants did not re-sign Jackson, who remains a free agent.

Nubin may not have been Big Blue’s preference at No. 47, but after trailing Dane Belton in a competition to start alongside Jason Pinnock, the Minnesota product has made a late charge. It appears Nubin is moving past Belton for the starting job, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. Nubin’s draft slot made him an obvious starter candidate, but an injury early in camp provided a setback. It is now looking like Nubin will follow former Golden Gophers teammate John Michael Schmitz as a second-round rookie who becomes an immediate starter.

Of course, this secondary will be one of the NFL’s least experienced, as the Giants moved on from Jackson and Xavier McKinney. This will be a position group to monitor as teams rearrange their rosters over the next few days.

NFC East Notes: Belichick, Giants, CBs, Phillips, Cowboys, Commanders

August 17th, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bill Belichick‘s media blitz will cover the 2024 season; the legendary coach has deals in place with the Manningcast, Inside the NFL and Underdog Fantasy Sports. Come 2025, however, the goal remains to land a third HC gig. The Cowboys and Eagles continue to be mentioned as possible landing spots, due to their strong rosters being closer to Super Bowl-level status, but the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard believes the Giants — should they fire Brian Daboll — will make Belichick their first call. Leonard, during an appearance on The Carton Show, said GM Joe Schoen joins Daboll on the hot seat but added the GM having a past with Bill Parcells — Belichick’s boss with the Giants, Jets and Patriots (1996 only) — could leave the door open to working with Belichick. Schoen and Parcells debuted with the Dolphins, the former as a national scout, in 2008 and overlapped as coworkers for three years.

The Giants, who employed Belichick from 1979-90 and won their first two Super Bowls during his time as DC, came up as a team that would interest Belichick back in April. New York’s quarterback uncertainty may be an issue for a coach who will be 73 by the time he would land another opportunity, but it is not like the six-time Super Bowl-winning HC was in demand during this year’s cycle. A return to the Giants could be of interest if Belichick’s market is again limited.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

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