HEADLINES

Zach Banner

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/17/20

March 17th, 2020 at 6:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Tuesday’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions will be posted below. Deals will be updated throughout the day.

RFAs

Tendered at second-round level: 

Tendered at original-round level:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

Steelers Sign OT Zach Banner

August 12th, 2018 at 2:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers have signed free agent offensive tackle Zach Banner, the club announced today. In a corresponding roster move, Pittsburgh has waived/injured offensive lineman Kyle Meadows.

Banner, an absolutely mammoth human being at 6’9″, 360 pounds, was selected by the Colts in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. However, the USC product didn’t even make it through final cutdowns in Indianapolis, and became the highest rookie draft choice to be waived last year.

Claimed off waivers by the Browns, Banner played just 27 offensive snaps in eight games for Indianapolis before going on waivers again. He was acquired by the Panthers in March, but spent only two months on Carolina’s roster before being cut in May.

At present, the Steelers don’t appear to have any room for another offensive tackle on its 53-man roster. Alejandro Villanueva and Marcus Gilbert are locked in as Pittsburgh’s starters, while Matt Feiler and third-round rookie Chukwuma Okorafor will serve as backups. Banner’s chances with the Steelers, then, likely hinge on whether the club suffers any injuries over the next few weeks.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/18

March 16th, 2018 at 9:39pm CST by Micah Powell

Here are today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

  • Re-signed: DT Dylan Bradley

Oakland Raiders

  • Signed: P Colby Wadman

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Browns Release Eight Players

March 15th, 2018 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Cornerback Jason McCourty and wide receiver Sammie Coates aren’t the only players on their way out of Cleveland. The Browns have also cut cornerback B.W. Webb, defensive lineman Ricky Ali’ifua, offensive lineman Zach Banner, defensive lineman Collin Bevins, linebacker Jeremy Cash, offensive lineman Joseph Cheek, defensive back Trevon Hartfield, and running back Josh Rounds.

Banner figures to draw interest from teams given the lack of quality tackles available. A USC product, Banner was selected by the Colts in the fourth round of last year’s draft. When he missed Indianapolis’ final cut, the Giants tried to claim him off waivers before the Browns scooped him up. He saw time in eight games for the Browns last season.

Rounds, 25 in October, re-upped with the Browns on a futures deal in January. Same goes for Hartfield and Webb, but they’re now in search of new teams.

NFC East Notes: Redskins, Eagles, Giants

September 5th, 2017 at 8:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Su’a Cravens‘ decision to retire (and then reverse his course of action) stunned both the Redskins‘ front office and many of the club’s players, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), although Jones report that Cravens had discussed his intentions with some Washington coaches. Cravens, who’s now on the exempt/left squad list, took to Snapchat on Monday to express that while he doesn’t feel the need to “explain” his reasons for leaving the Redskins, he will attempt to be more open, as Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post writes. Walking away could cost Cravens more than $1MM, as Washington could force the second-year safety to pay back a portion of his signing bonus, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

  • Offensive guard Chance Warmack‘s one-year extension with the Eagles has a base value of $2.5MM and can be worth as much as $5MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Given that Warmack, a former top-10 draft pick, is scheduled to earn roughly $1.3MM in 2017, his new deal could allow him to take a leap in terms of salary in 2018. Warmack isn’t projected to start for Philadelphia during the upcoming season, but he’ll be the club’s top backup guard behind Brandon Brooks and Isaac Seumalo. Speculatively, the Eagles could view Warmack as a future starter if they part ways with Jason Kelce and shift Seumalo to center.
  • The Redskins put in a waiver claim for former Jaguars quarterback Brandon Allen but lost out to the Rams, who had the higher waiver priority, tweets Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post. Allen, a sixth-round pick in 2016, would have become Washington’s third quarterback behind Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy. Instead, the Redskins — who waived signal-caller Nate Sudfeld over the weekend — signed 2017 undrafted free agent Alek Torgersen to their practice squad.
  • Similarly, the Giants attempted to claim offensive tackle Zach Banner off waivers from the Colts, but lost out to the Browns, reports Dan Duggan of NJ.com (Twitter link). Currently, New York boasts Chad Wheeler and D.J. Fluker as tackle depth, while guard Justin Pugh can also move outside. Banner, who stands a gargantuan 6’9″, 350 pounds, was a fourth-round selection in this year’s draft.
  • After acquiring Ross Cockrell from the Steelers in exchange for a conditional 2018 pick over the weekend, the Giants have now reduced the cornerback’s pay from $1.797MM to $1.1MM, tweets cap guru Ian Whetstone. Cockrell will now earn a base salary of $1MM, while that extra $1MM is available via bonuses, per James Kratch of NJ.com. A restricted free agent during the spring, Cockrell was tendered at the original round level by Pittsburgh, but RFA salaries aren’t guaranteed. Cockrell is expected to serve as depth for a stacked New York secondary that includes Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/4/17

September 4th, 2017 at 8:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • The Browns claimed offensive lineman Zach Banner off waivers from the Colts, who cut him despite drafting him in the fourth round this year. Cleveland made room for Banner by placing offensive lineman Rod Johnson on IR. Additionally, the Browns continued their busy offseason regarding secondary turnover by releasing former safety starter Ed Reynolds from IR.
  • The Steelers re-signed linebacker Steven Johnson and waived safety Jordan Dangerfield with an injury designation. Johnson initially saw his name appear on Pittsburgh’s cut list Saturday, but the backup will return. Pittsburgh also placed cornerback Cameron Sutton, a rookie third-rounder, on IR.
  • Jacquies Smith will move from the PUP list back to the Buccaneers‘ 53-man roster. The team reinstated the defensive end on Monday. A fourth-year player, Smith is expected to be a rotational player in Tampa Bay this season.
  • The Dolphins re-signed tackle Sam Young. Miami cut the offensive lineman on Saturday but will keep him around for now. Miami guaranteed Young’s salary, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets, signing Young this week instead of next because an unspecified team wanted him. This will mark Young’s eighth NFL season. The Dolphins signed him to an extension in December.
  • Quarterback Jeff Driskel will land on the Bengals‘ IR list. The former 49ers sixth-rounder has yet to play in a game.
  • A starter in three games last season, linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin landed on the Jets‘ IR Monday. To replace the third-year player, Gang Green re-signed linebacker Bruce Carter. Now a seventh-year veteran, Carter played a depth role with the Jets last season.
  • Wide receiver Chris Matthews re-signed with the Ravens, who made room on their 53-man roster by placing cornerback Maurice Canady on IR.
  • The Falcons released defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman, who resides on the Commissioner’s Exempt list as a result of misdemeanor charges from 2016. While Hageman is on that list, the Falcons will not have to pay Hageman.
  • The Chargers claimed linebacker Hayes Pullard off waivers from the Jaguars. A former Browns seventh-rounder in 2015, Pullard started two games for the 2015 Jags and played in all 16 Jacksonville contests last season.
  • Jelani Jenkins was expected to start for the Raiders, but the former Dolphins linebacker found himself on the team’s cut list Saturday. The Raiders, though, reached an injury settlement with the fifth-year linebacker, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports (on Twitter). Jenkins suffered a groin injury during the preseason. Oakland also reached an injury settlement with Jaydon Mickens, per Gehlken, who adds Mickens suffered an ankle injury.
  • The Seahawks waived cornerback Demetrius McCray with an injury settlement, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets.
  • The Redskins reached an injury settlement with center Ronald Patrick, waiving the interior blocker from IR as a result.

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC South

September 3rd, 2017 at 4:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC South teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Texans, Colts, Jaguars, and Titans are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans

Draft Pick Signings: 5/15/17

May 15th, 2017 at 8:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s draft pick signings, with teams continuing to work on their Day 3 additions.

  • The Bengals added five draft choices on Monday — including five of their final six picks in an 11-selection draft. Cincinnati reached agreements with fourth-round defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow (Michigan), fifth-round kicker Jake Elliott (Memphis), sixth-round linebacker Jordan Evans (Oklahoma), sixth-round safety Brandon Wilson (Houston) and seventh-round tight end Mason Schreck (Buffalo). This large draft contingent will bring about heavy roster competition, with 11 roster spots likely unavailable. Elliott was one of three kickers taken in the draft, but the other two came off the board in the seventh round. He and Randy Bullock figure to battle for a job.
  • Fourth-round safety Eddie Jackson signed his Bears deal. The Alabama product will step into a safety corps that includes recently signed Quintin Demps and two-year starter Adrian Amos.
  • Continuing the string of fourth-round signings, the Colts and tackle Zach Banner (USC) agreed to terms. Banner could provide depth or possibly compete for a starting spot on the right side of Indianapolis’ offensive line, which is less settled than the left side. The Colts did not use another pick on a blocker after having four offensive linemen from their 2016 draft class on the roster.

Draft Notes: Mixon, Tight Ends, Giants

February 4th, 2017 at 9:04am CST by Ben Levine

A pair of notable college players will not be showcasing their talents at the NFL scouting combine. ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan reports that Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon and Baylor wide receiver Ishmael Zamora were not invited to the event.

Both players have had their share of issues. Mixon was suspended for the entire 2014 season after having punched a woman, while Zamora was suspended three games this past season after videos emerged of him beating his dog. The ESPN report indicates that it’s uncertain whether these “off-the-field troubles were factors in their omission” from the combine.

The Sooners running back finished the 2016 campaign with 1,274 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on only 187 carries. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes Mixon is among the top-five most-talented running backs in this year’s class (behind Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, D’Onta Foreman and Christian McCaffrey). Meanwhile, Zamora appeared in 10 games this past season, compiling 63 catches for 809 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Let’s take a look at some more draft notes…

  • A trio of University of Washington defensive backs are garnering plenty of interest from NFL teams. Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com writes that Budda Baker, Sidney Jones and Kevin King have been intriguing front offices. Jones is generally regarded to be one of the top cornerbacks in the draft, while Baker is projected to be taken outside of the first round.
  • USC wideout Adoree Jackson is a “lock” to be a first-round pick, writes Pauline. His teammate, offensive tackle Zach Banner, is projected to be drafted in the fourth round.
  • While many scouts believe Alabama’s O.J. Howard is the best tight end in the class, Pauline writes that South Alabama’s Gerald Everett isn’t far behind. The talented playmaker impressed coaches at the Senior Bowl, and Pauline notes that he’s currently the top tight end on the Giants‘ draft board.
  • One prospect who didn’t look good during the Senior Bowl was Troy offensive tackle Antonio Garcia, with one scout comparing him to “a deer in headlights.” Pauline notes that the lineman looked unsure of himself during team practices.