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Tavierre Thomas

NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Kelly, Pack

March 20th, 2025 at 10:50am CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the Bears agreeing to re-sign Travis Homer, they considered a veteran with ties to Ryan Poles and new running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. Chicago considered Kareem Hunt in free agency, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Poles and Bieniemy were with the Chiefs when they drafted Hunt in the 2017 third round, with the current Bears GM serving as Kansas City’s college scouting director at that point. Hunt won a rushing title as a rookie and was off to a better start in 2018, when a video of him kicking a woman led to his initial Kansas City ouster. The Chiefs circled back to Hunt six years later, after an Isiah Pacheco injury, and have since re-signed him. The Bears still have Homer and Roschon Johnson behind starter D’Andre Swift, who joins Jonah Jackson in reuniting with Ben Johnson.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • On the subject of Jackson, he is set to play right guard next season, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Jackson started four seasons at left guard in Detroit, but he will end up deferring to Joe Thuney, who landed as the All-Pro first team’s left guard in back-to-back seasons. The older of the Bears’ two guard trade pickups is in a contract year, Thuney gave no clues about a potential extension (via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin). Keeping with the reunion theme, Thuney signed with the Chiefs when Poles was still on Brett Veach‘s staff.
  • Losing durable veteran Kevin Zeitler to the Titans, the Lions appear in need at guard. Graham Glasgow remains, but the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett expects the team to add another starter-level option at the position. This could come in free agency or the draft. A few free agency options are available. Brandon Scherff, Dalton Risner, Cody Whitehair, Will Hernandez and Andrus Peat are among the top veteran options. Teven Jenkins is the leader in this clubhouse right now, and it will be interesting to see where the three-year Bears starter lands. Early in free agency, Jenkins had set a high price. Christian Mahogany, a 2024 sixth-round pick, looks to be in position to still compete for the job Zeitler held last season, Birkett adds.
  • The Vikings paid a high price for Will Fries but landed ex-Colts center Ryan Kelly on a mid-market deal. Kelly agreed to a two-year, $18MM contract that comes with $9.15MM guaranteed. No part of Kelly’s $7.89MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes, giving Minnesota some flexibility on the soon-to-be 32-year-old center. The Vikings would carry no dead money if they cut Kelly next year. Elsewhere on Minnesota’s cap sheet, DB Tavierre Thomas‘ deal comes in at one year and $2MM, Wilson adds. The former Browns, Texans and Buccaneers defender commanded a $1MM guarantee.
  • Marcus Davenport‘s second shot at becoming a regular Lions contributor will include a pay cut. Reported as signing a deal worth up to $4.75MM, Davenport will be tied to $2.5MM in base value, via OverTheCap. Of that total, $1.65MM is guaranteed. The Lions are guaranteeing Davenport’s $1.35MM base salary, per Wilson, which would leave them with a near-$2MM dead money hit if they moved on. Davenport has missed 28 games over the past two seasons. Roy Lopez‘s “up to” report checked in at $4.75MM; the actual value of the Lions DT’s contract (via Wilson): $3.5MM.
  • The Lions also brought in former Bills tight end Quintin Morris on a free agency visit this week, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes. Buffalo did not tender Morris as an RFA, passing on a $3.26MM price to retain its primary blocking tight end. The Lions matched a 49ers RFA offer sheet for Brock Wright last year; two years remain on Wright’s deal. Morris, 26, played 214 offensive snaps for the Bills last season.
  • Isaiah McDuffie‘s two-year, $8MM Packers pact does not bring any 2026 guarantees, though ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky indicates it carries a $750K roster bonus next year. Guaranteeing the 2024 linebacker starter $2.25MM, the Packers can move on for barely $1MM in dead money after the 2025 season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/25

March 12th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the minor moves from the first day of the 2025 league year:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Yes, a few of these players have graduated from our minor-moves sector, but today’s signing blitz being what it was, they land here. Ford highlights the batch contractually, agreeing (per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter) to a two-year, $4MM deal. Ford played on more than 70% of Cleveland’s special teams snaps over the past two seasons.

Trask will reprise his role as Baker Mayfield‘s backup, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating the former second-round pick is staying on a one-year, $2.79MM contract. Trask and Mayfield competed for the job in 2023, but as was the case with the Drew Lock–Geno Smith battle a year prior, the winner never looked back. Trask will be in place for a fifth Bucs season, having moved from third-stringer during the Tom Brady era to QB2 in the Mayfield years.

Hawkins will stay with the Patriots on a two-year deal worth up to $2.2MM, according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. A 2022 full-time Falcons starter, Hawkins saw Jessie Bates replace him in 2023. The Falcons later waived Hawkins, who ended up on the Chargers in 2023. The Pats used him as a seven-game starter in 2024, when he made 48 tackles (three for loss).

Buccaneers To Sign CB Tavierre Thomas

March 18th, 2024 at 3:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Buccaneers created a vacancy at the cornerback spot by trading away Carlton Davis, but the team has made a few moves aimed at adding replacement options. That has included a deal with Tavierre Thomas.

The latter has agreed to terms on a deal with the Bucs, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. This will be a one-year agreement, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Thomas was on the Buccaneers’ radar last offseason, and that remained in the case in 2024. The 28-year-old recently visited the team, as noted by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Thomas played sparingly on defense during his three-year run with the Browns to begin his career. He had been in Houston since 2021, though, and the Texans provided him with a much larger workload. The former UDFA started 19 games over the past three years logging snap shares between 56%-60% along the way. He will compete for playing time in the slot with Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers dealt Davis to the Lions, a team known to be in the CB market. Tampa Bay also brought in Bryce Hall last week, though, and he will provide another depth option in the secondary. The team used undrafted rookie Christian Izien in the slot last year, and he impressed in that role. Thomas (who posted posted 178 tackles and five forced fumbles with the Texans) could see time on the inside, or at a minimum he will be in line for special teams duty.

A Detroit native, Thomas visited the Lions prior to this Bucs agreement, per Wilson. Instead of joining his hometown team, he has elected to head to the NFC South champions for 2024. Tampa Bay has retained a long list of incumbents on both sides of the ball, and the secondary will also have a new but familiar face in the form of safety Jordan Whitehead. Thomas will join that unit and attempt to establish himself as a full-time starter along the way.

Texans CBs Derek Stingley Jr., Tavierre Thomas To Miss Time

September 22nd, 2023 at 9:40am CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 22: After undergoing an MRI, Stingley’s injury is likely to sideline him for six to eight weeks, Wilson notes in an update to yesterday’s report. That news confirms the initial fears that an extended absence will be coming for the 22-year-old, and an IR placement will surely be coming his way soon.

In another injury-related update to the team’s secondary, Wilson adds that starting safety Jalen Pitre will miss Houston’s Week 3 contest. The latter suffered a bruised lung in the Texans’ Week 1 loss, and he has been recovering since then with the expectation he would not miss much game time. Pitre is likely to return to practice next week, per Wilson, which should give him a strong chance of suiting up in Week 4.

SEPTEMBER 21: The Texans played their Week 2 game against the Colts without most of their starting offensive line. One of those blockers — center Juice Scruggs — is poised to be an IR activation near the season’s midpoint. The Texans may soon need to use at least one more IR spot for a starter.

Derek Stingley Jr. suffered a hamstring injury in practice this week, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports, and an MRI points to a several-week absence for last year’s No. 3 overall pick. The LSU product is likely headed to IR, Wilson adds.

In addition to Stingley’s forthcoming absence, the Texans are set to see nickel corner Tavierre Thomas sidelined for a bit. Thomas suffered a broken hand in the Texans’ loss to the Colts and has since undergone surgery, according to Wilson. The Texans have not used an IR spot on Thomas yet, but he is expected to miss multiple games.

Stingley went down during Wednesday’s practice. Offseason addition Shaquill Griffin is expected to replace him in Houston’s lineup. Grayland Arnold will fill in for Thomas, per Wilson. These maladies hit a Texans secondary that has been without Jimmie Ward over the season’s first two games. The ex-DeMeco Ryans 49ers pupil is working his way back from a hip injury. Ward also began last season out of action, opening his final 49ers season on IR due to a hamstring injury. Ward managed a limited practice Wednesday, putting him in position to debut for his new team in Week 3.

For Stingley, this is familiar territory. He missed the Texans’ final seven games last year due to a hamstring injury — one that eventually led him to IR in December. Overall, Stingley missed nine games during his rookie season. Drafted to anchor Houston’s secondary in Lovie Smith‘s defense, Stingley remains a cornerstone piece for the Ryans-led team. Stingley and Jeff Okudah are the only corners to go off a draft board in the top three during the 21st century.

The Texans dropped their previous slot corner — Desmond King — before roster-cutdown day, releasing he and linebacker Christian Kirksey. While the latter made retirement plans Thursday morning, King caught on with the Steelers. King’s exit opened the door for Thomas, who is in his third season with the Texans. Thomas, 27, has made 15 starts with his current team; he played 69% of Houston’s defensive snaps over this season’s first two games.

Thomas re-signed with the Texans on a one-year, $2.25MM deal this offseason. Houston gave Griffin a one-year pact worth $3.5MM shortly after the draft. A former Eagles UDFA, Arnold joins Thomas in being on his third Texans team. He has worked almost exclusively as a special-teamer in Houston. Twenty of his 23 defensive snaps with the team came upon replacing Thomas in Week 2.

Steelers To Sign CB Desmond King

August 30th, 2023 at 8:18am CST by Sam Robinson

Desmond King did not make the Texans’ 53-man roster, but the veteran cornerback will have another opportunity soon. The Steelers are expected to add King, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The sides have agreed on a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The Steelers will be a fourth team for King. The former Chargers UDFA and All-Pro has spent his career in Los Angeles, Tennessee and Houston. King has spent much of his career in the slot. The Steelers added veteran slot defender Chandon Sullivan this offseason, but it looks like they will bring in more help.

This would require a roster move, as the Steelers set their 53-man squad Tuesday. But teams will be making a host of veteran additions today, as players are moved to IR. In order for players to be eligible for in-season activations from IR, teams must carry them through to their 53-man roster and then shift them to the injured list.

While teams often use post-cutdown-day IR moves to re-sign vested veterans they recently cut, veterans released by other clubs factor into equations as well. King, 28, is a six-year vet who started 25 games for the Texans from 2021-22. Pro Football Focus viewed King’s 2022 season fondly, slotting him 20th overall among corners. King’s value as a tackler helped produce that placement; the Detroit native finished with a career-high (by a substantial margin) 10 tackles for loss last year.

The Steelers obviously go into the season with bigger goals compared to the Texans, who have produced four-, four- and three-win seasons in the 2020s. But Houston is transitioning to a new defensive scheme under DeMeco Ryans. The rebuilding AFC South team is planning to use the recently re-signed Tavierre Thomas in the slot, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, with Grayland Arnold in that mix as well.

King, who was attached to a two-year deal worth $7MM in Houston, played more than 900 defensive snaps in each of the past two seasons. The ex-Charger UDFA has also contributed regularly as a punt returner. He earned first-team All-Pro honors as both a slot corner and punt returner in 2018. Although King has not operated in a return capacity in each of his NFL seasons, he has done so frequently — including over the past two years with the Texans. King returned punts for touchdowns in 2018 and ’19.

Texans To Re-Sign DB Tavierre Thomas

March 15th, 2023 at 8:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Tavierre Thomas is back with the Texans. Houston has re-signed the defensive back, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston (via Twitter).

Thomas got a one-year deal worth $3MM, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter). The deal includes a fully guaranteed $1.5MM base salary, a $500K signing bonus, a $250K per-game roster bonus, and $750K in playing time incentives.

The defensive back spent three years with the Browns before joining the Texans in 2021. He’s turned into a spot starter for the Texans, starting 14 of his 27 appearances. This past season, he started six of his 10 appearances, collecting 41 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles.

“Glad to be back, man,” Thomas said in a message to Wilson. “Let’s make it a great one!”

In 2023, Thomas will likely continue serving as a nickel back and contributing on special teams.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/3/22

November 3rd, 2022 at 5:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

  • Promoted: LB De’Jon Harris

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/22

October 26th, 2022 at 6:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Preseason Rumors: Workout, Injuries

August 17th, 2022 at 7:33pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans released defensive end Jordan Jenkins this week and there will likely be plenty of interest in the six-year veteran as rosters start to come together. The first bite on the line came rather quickly as Jenkins went to Las Vegas to work out with the Raiders today, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network.

Jenkins was a five-year starter for the Jets after being selected in the third-round of the 2016 NFL Draft. It took some time for Jenkins to find his footing, but he exploded onto the scene over the 2018 & 2019 seasons. After only recording 5.5 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits in his first two seasons, Jenkins broke out with 15.0 sacks, 15.0 tackles for loss, and 28 quarterback hits over the next two years. Jenkins also has a tendency for causing turnovers over his career with seven forced fumbles and five recoveries to date.

The Raiders are strong atop the depth chart with Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones starting and Clelin Ferrell coming off the bench. The depth behind those three, though, could be significantly improved if they can add the best version of Jenkins. Jenkins didn’t start any games for the Texans last year and struggled with injuries during his final year in New York. But if he can bounce back to his 2018-19 form, Jenkins and the Raiders might be a perfect match.

Here are a couple of updates surrounding some injuries from around the NFL this preseason:

  • Panthers center Bradley Bozeman suffered an ankle injury in practice yesterday and may lose out on the starting job because of it. After starting the last three years on Baltimore’s offensive line (the first two at left guard and the third at center), Bozeman was brought in to compete with Pat Elflein for the starting center job in Carolina. It seems he’ll lose some ground in that battle as head coach Matt Rhule announced that Bozeman will likely be out two to three weeks because of the injury, according to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus.
  • Texans cornerback Tavierre Thomas is out indefinitely after suffering a pulled quadriceps muscle, according to a tweet from Wilson. Thomas started eight games last year for the Texans after coming over from Cleveland. The former special teams ace has begun to carve out a role in the secondary during his time in Houston. When given the opportunity last year, Thomas recorded his first two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, and four passes defensed.
  • A promising rookie season for Colts’ sixth-round pick Andrew Ogletree ended today before it could even begin after the tight end tore his ACL at practice, according to the Indy Star’s Joel A. Erickson. The 24-year-old out of Youngstown State impressed in camp this summer and was hoping to compete for the backup tight end job behind Mo Alie-Cox.

Contract Details: Dunlap, Bills, Texans, Burns

April 4th, 2021 at 9:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Let’s catch up on some of the latest contract details from around the league:

  • Seahawks DE Carlos Dunlap: Two-years, $13.6MM. This had previously been reported as $16.6MM, but it turns out Seattle got Dunlap back for a few million cheaper than that, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. It’s actually a five-year pact with three years that automatically void for cap spreading purposes. As previously reported, it has $8.5MM in guaranteed money. Dunlap was set to have a $14.1MM cap charge for 2021 before the Seahawks cut him and then re-signed him to this less expensive deal.
  • Bills LB Tyler Matakevich: One-year extension. Buffalo gave their special teams ace a one-year extension through the 2022 season, which lowered his 2021 cap number to $2.95MM from $3.7MM, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic tweets. His base salary for 2021 is now fully guaranteed. He’ll count for $3.25MM against the 2022 cap, but there will only be $750K in dead money if he’s released.
  • Texans CB Tavierre Thomas: Two-years, $4MM. We now have details on this contract, as Thomas will be getting $2MM in guaranteed money, Wilson tweets. Not bad for a player who prior to 2020 was mostly a special teams guy. He ended up playing almost 20 percent of the defensive snaps for the Browns last year as they dealt with injuries in their secondary. He got a $1MM signing bonus, a $1MM guaranteed salary for 2021, and a non-guaranteed $1.5MM salary for 2022 with $250K in per game active roster bonuses for each season.
  • Bears CB Artie Burns: One-year, $990K. The financial terms on this one were previously not reported, and it turns out the former first-round pick only got the veteran’s minimum from Chicago, Wilson tweets. The 25th pick of the 2016 draft by the Steelers got over $1MM to sign with the Bears last offseason, but then tore his ACL in August before playing a down for the team.
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