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Shemar Bartholomew

Chiefs Notes: Suamataia, Perine, Humphrey

September 2nd, 2024 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kingsley Suamataia represents the only new piece along the Chiefs’ offensive line this season. The second-round rookie beat out Wanya Morris for the team’s left tackle job, the Kansas City Star’s Jesse Newell notes. The Chiefs had brought in the BYU product for a “30” visit and traded up (via the 49ers) one spot for the rookie blocker in Round 2. The agile prospect will succeed Donovan Smith, who remains a free agent. Kansas City needed to adjust at left tackle after seeing Orlando Brown Jr. reject its extension offer at the July 2022 franchise tag deadline. Although that caused some frustration among Chiefs brass, the team got by with Smith (with Morris as his backup) in 2023. The team now has Suamataia signed through the 2027 season.

Here is the latest out of Kansas City:

  • Andy Reid has apparently shown notable hesitancy about adjusting to his current area code, as Samaje Perine confirmed the 12th-year Chiefs HC called him from a phone still tied to the Philadelphia region. The veteran running back said (via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher) he heard directly from Reid when making his decision about where to sign. This reminds of Reid’s pitches to J.J. Smith-Schuster and Drue Tranquill, both of whom having now signed two Chiefs contracts. Kansas City added Perine shortly before placing Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the reserve/NFI list. The veteran, who served as the Broncos’ top passing-down back in 2023 before being cut last week, joins rookie UDFA Carson Steele as the Chiefs’ active-roster RBs behind starter Isiah Pacheco.
  • The Chiefs have not seen a player seize their No. 2 cornerback job, and they looked to the waiver wire for some depth. The two-time defending champions submitted unsuccessful claims on corners Samuel Womack and Shemar Bartholomew, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates. Waived by the 49ers, Womack ended up with the Colts. Bartholomew did not make it past the No. 1 spot on the wire; the Panthers made the rookie UDFA one of their six claims Wednesday. Kansas City will start Trent McDuffie, preparing to use him outside and in the slot once again, but has not landed on a full-time L’Jarius Sneed replacement. McDuffie 2022 draft classmates Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson saw the most time last year, and the team kept yet another 2022 draftee — seventh-rounder Nazeeh Johnson — on the roster as well. Reid said recently the team may use a rotational setup into the season.
  • Creed Humphrey reset the center market recently, agreeing to a four-year, $72MM extension. Of the fourth-year center’s $50MM guarantee number, OverTheCap indicates $35MM is guaranteed at signing. The Chiefs fully guaranteed Humphrey’s 2024 and ’25 base salaries and locked in $8.9MM of his 2026 base ($14.3MM) at signing. If/when Humphrey is on Kansas City’s roster on Day 3 of the 2025 league year, the remainder of his 2026 base locks in. That rolling guarantee structure is in place for Humphrey’s 2027 pay as well, with $10MM of his $17.2MM ’27 base salary becoming guaranteed on Day 3 of the ’27 league year. In terms of AAV, Humphrey’s $18MM number leads the center market by more than $4MM.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC South

August 28th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

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 Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints moves are noted below.

Atlanta Falcons

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Carolina Panthers

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

  • WR Jalen Coker

Waived from IR:

Signed to practice squad:

New Orleans Saints

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Panthers Claim Three Cornerbacks, Add DB Lonnie Johnson

August 28th, 2024 at 11:20am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bryce Young trade prevented the Panthers from using their 2-15 record to land an impact prospect atop the draft. Carolina’s consolation prize comes months later, and the rebuilding team will use its top waiver position.

Cornerbacks are coming to Charlotte in droves. The Panthers have already used three claims on corners, bringing in Tariq Castro-Fields, Keenan Isaac and Shemar Bartholomew, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The Commanders, Buccaneers and Jets respectively released the CBs, who will join a Panthers team in need.

Carolina also claimed linebackers Jon Rhattigan and Jamie Sheriff from the Seahawks, per Pelissero and veteran reporter Jordan Schultz. The Panthers will soon follow with cuts, as this marks a multi-position makeover for the NFC South club. In addition to the CB waiver claims, Pelissero reports Lonnie Johnson — whom the Texans released Tuesday — is signing with the Panthers’ practice squad, Pelissero adds. Carolina is expected to elevate the veteran DB by Week 1.

Initially a 49ers sixth-round pick, Castro-Fields played eight games with Washington last season. A 2023 UDFA, Isaac saw action in two Bucs games last year. Bartholomew was part of the Jets’ UDFA contingent this year. Johnson went to camp with Houston, which originally drafted him in Round 2. He played in 12 Saints games last season, working primarily on special teams.

This lot of inexperienced players, along with Johnson, will join a Panthers team that traded Donte Jackson and placed Dane Jackson on IR due to a hamstring injury. Carolina kept six cornerbacks on its active roster, including veteran slot man Troy Hill and recent trade pickup Michael Jackson, so some shuffling will soon occur.

As the team begins clearing roster space, the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye notes rookie UDFA wideout Jalen Coker received word he will be waived. The Panthers also claimed former 49ers guard Jarrett Kingston. The Panthers also cut wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, guard Cade Mays, cornerback D’Shawn Jamison, defensive tackle Jayden Peevy and Demani Richardson. Mays started seven games at guard over the past two seasons.

Jets Set 53-Man Roster

August 27th, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Ben Levine

The 2023 campaign obviously didn’t go as planned for the Jets, but the organization is hoping for much more success with a healthy Aaron Rodgers under center in 2024. Of course, before they can take the field, the team had to set their 53-man roster. The Jets announced the following roster moves today:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/NFI list:

Following today’s moves, the Jets are temporarily rostering only a pair of tight ends in Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert. Anthony Firkser isn’t an especially surprising cut, but the veteran could have provided some experience to the position grouping. After topping 30 receptions with the Titans in 2020 and 2021, Firkser was limited to nine catches in 2022 before appearing in only a pair of games with the Lions in 2023. The Jets also moved on from 2023 seventh-round pick Zack Kuntz, although there’s a chance the six-foot-eight tight end lands back on the team’s practice squad.

The Jets also moved on from a notable rookie in Jaylen Key, who had the distinction of being this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. The safety had a strong one-season stint at Alabama, where he collected 60 tackles and one interception.

Jets Sign 17 UDFA Rookies

May 4th, 2024 at 2:21pm CST by Ely Allen

The first five of the Jets’ seven draft picks last week focused on the offensive side of the ball. Luckily, they were able to add a number of defensive rookies who fell out of the draft as undrafted free agents. Here are the 17 players heading to New York as UDFAs:

Latham, a four-year starter for the Razorbacks spent nearly all of his time as a left guard at the collegiate level. His father was an All-Conference center for Oklahoma back in the 1980’s, and some NFL teams thought Latham had potential to follow his father’s footsteps as a center at the next level.

Many saw McGregor as a draft-and-develop prospect that could go on Day 3 of the draft, but instead the 22-year-old leaves Ann Arbor as an undrafted free agent. He’s long, fast, and explosive but will need to get coached up in order to turn those attributes into starting potential.

Taylor falling out of the draft altogether was one of the more surprising outcomes from last weekend. A former 5-star recruit for the Hurricanes, Taylor racked up five sacks and 20.0 tackles for loss in his first two seasons. A disappointing junior year had teams questioning whether the lack of production came from discipline on the field or perhaps an inability to buy-in. Still, the raw talent available to Taylor was thought to warrant at least an early-Day 3 selection. Instead, he falls to the Jets, where he could find rotational playing time behind two excellent role models in Javon Kinlaw and Quinnen Williams.

Taylor is joined in New York by two former teammates who spent time in the transfer portal. Harrell only spent one year in Coral Gables after transferring from Alabama, where he also spent only one season. A burner with track experience, Harrell showed the most potential during his final year at Louisville in 2021, when he averaged 29.1 yards per catch and caught six touchdowns. Blades spent his final year of eligibility at Duke but played his first four seasons at Miami. He had two strong seasons for the Hurricanes in 2019 and 2020, nabbing four interceptions and 13 passes defensed, but was quiet the following two years until he transferred to Durham, where he led the Blue Devils in passes defensed with 10 in 2023.