Shane Zylstra

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/18/25

Tuesday’s minor transactions:

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Clapp returns to the Big Easy after three seasons away from the team. Clapp has enjoyed more opportunities to start with the Chargers and Bills over the past three years after only starting seven of 34 game appearances in New Orleans. He’ll likely serve as a reliable backup to Erik McCoy who has missed 19 games in the last four seasons, including 10 last year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/24

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

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Elevated: LB Curtis Bolton, WR Isaiah Hodgins

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Spector will miss at least the next four games as a result of the Bills’ move. He has remained a mainstay on special teams this year, having also done so in 2022 and ’23. The former seventh-rounder has made three starts on defense, however, so his absence will be felt moving forward. Linebacker has been a position hit hard by injuries this season, and Buffalo’s depth at the second level will now be tested even further.

Wattenberg had his 21-day practice window opened by the Broncos earlier this week, paving the way for today’s activation. The 27-year-old operated as the team’s starting center prior to going down after having won a summer competition for the gig with Alex Forsyth. Forsyth handled first-team duties over the past four games, drawing a superior PFF evaluation and therefore potentially playing his way into an extended look atop the depth chart. At a minimum, having Wattenberg back will give Denver – a team with three IR activations left – depth up front.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/2/24

Today’s minor NFL moves including standard gameday practice squad elevations for Sunday’s slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/24

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

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.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC 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 BearsLionsPackers and Vikings moves are noted below.

Chicago Bears

Signed:

Claimed:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Detroit Lions

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Green Bay Packers

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Minnesota Vikings

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Lions Get Down To 53 Players

The Lions used a couple of different methods to get their active roster to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

The Lions released a lot more vested veterans than we typically see at this time in the year, perhaps a sign of the young talent on the roster. Peko seemed like a sure thing to make the roster after starting 10 games for the Titans in 2023.

Detroit will dismiss a couple of young rushers in Jefferson and Knight after the two failed to develop a significant role on the roster. Fromm was easily outshined in the preseason by an electric Hendon Hooker, who will take the backup job behind Jared Goff. Fromm continues to search for his place in the NFL after nearly winning it all at the collegiate level.

Martin, like Mahogany, will be able to return after four weeks, thanks to a new NFL rule that allows each team to place two players on IR before or at the roster cut deadline and designate them to return. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley has the other designation.

Mahogany is the only drafted rookie not to make the initial 53, but he’ll stick around in Detroit. On the other side of things, the Lions kept three undrafted rookie signees on their active roster to start the season. Most notably Hogan Hatten will come in and operate as the team’s new long snapper. Safety Loren Strickland from Ball State and wide receiver Isaiah Williams from Illinois are the other two undrafted rookies to make the initial roster.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/26/24

There have been plenty of posts today about a number of teams releasing and waiving players ahead of roster cuts. Here are the best of the rest of the minor moves for Monday:

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Waived: DE Justin Blazek

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

  • Waived: DE Levi Bell
  • Released: C Mike Panasiuk

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Waived: CB Willie Roberts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Nelson was an effective swing tackle for the Lions in the past three years. While he wasn’t able to stick with the Giants, he’s likely to draw interest elsewhere in the NFL.

The Eagles like Sam a lot at safety, but with a number of veterans atop the depth chart, there wasn’t room for him on the roster. The team plans to retain him on the practice squad should he clear waivers, per Andrew DiCecco of 975 The Fanatic. The Buccaneers have similar plans with Isaac, Taula, and Wisdom.

Lions Re-Sign Shane Zylstra

After missing all of last season with a knee injury, Shane Zylstra will likely be sticking in Detroit for the 2024 campaign. The Lions announced that they re-signed the tight end today. Zylstra was set to become an exclusive rights free agent.

The former undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State had a brief stint with the Vikings before catching on with the Lions in 2021. After getting into four games as a rookie, Zylstra appeared in 13 games in 2022, finishing with 11 catches while playing in about 25 percent of his team’s offensive snaps.

He was set to take on an even bigger role in 2023 but suffered a knee injury following a hit from teammate Khalil Dorsey during training camp. He was waived/injured by the organization in early August but ultimately reverted to their injured reserve. At the time of the injury, coach Dan Campbell reflected on Zylstra’s value to the Lions.

“He was a pivotal part of our success last year once we started turning the corner,” Campbell said (h/t Pride of Detroit). “And he just does everything right, man. He works, he’s a grinder.”

Sam LaPorta should lead the Lions’ depth chart for the foreseeable future, and the organization is also set to return James Mitchell, who has seen time in 29 games across the past two seasons. Zylstra could slide in as a primary backup with Brock Wright hitting restricted free agency and veteran Anthony Firkser reaching unrestricted free agency.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/23

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: RB Toriano Clinton, TE La’Michael Pettway, T Dan Skipper
  • Waived: T Jordan Murray, TE Kaden Smith, DT Jamal Woods

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

  • Claimed (from Bears): WR Thyrick Pitts
  • Placed on reserve/retired list: WR Jalen Hurd

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Chosen in the third round by the 49ers back in 2019, Hurd never ended up seeing regular-season action. A converted running back who played in front of Alvin Kamara at points while at Tennessee, Hurd transferred to Baylor and became a wide receiver. Two season-ending injuries — a back malady in 2019 and an ACL tear in 2020 — derailed Hurd’s 49ers tenure. The team cut him during the 2021 season. Barely a week after the Patriots signed Hurd, it appears he is throwing in the towel on an injury-plagued career.

Penisini had unretired this offseason, joining the Panthers. The former Lions sixth-rounder played two seasons on his rookie contract but called it quits in June 2022. His unretirement will precede a Panthers exit. The Lions are moving Zylstra off their 90-man roster due to a severe knee injury. If unclaimed, Zylstra would revert to Detroit’s IR list. Zylstra has seen action in 17 games for the Lions over the past two seasons.

Hassenauer will require surgery to repair a triceps injury, and this transaction will shut him down — as far as the Giants are concerned. The only way Hassenauer can play in 2023 would be if the Giants removed him from IR via an injury settlement. Hairston suffered a herniated disk during practice, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).