Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: DT Zion Logue
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: T Devin Cochran, TE Cam Grandy
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: DL Andrew Billings (story), DB Jaylon Jones
- Signed from practice squad: DB Tarvarius Moore
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Isaiah Williams
Miami Dolphins
- Designated for return from IR: S Patrick McMorris
New York Giants
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: K Greg Joseph
Logue will lose his roster spot after the Bills signed both Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Phillips on Wednesday. Both vets landed on Buffalo’s active roster. A sixth-round Falcons draftee this year, Logue had caught on with the Bills last month; Buffalo signed the rookie off Atlanta’s practice squad. Logue played 36 defensive snaps with the Bills.
Joseph, who has been with four teams since 2024 began, will head back into free agency. The length of his injury settlement will determine how quickly he can join a team. The three-year Vikings kicker signed with the Packers in free agency and landed with the Lions’ practice squad shortly after not making Green Bay’s 53-man roster. The Giants had signed Joseph off the Detroit taxi squad after Graham Gano‘s injury. Gano is in the IR-return window now, and New York used former Irish Gaelic footballer Jude McAtamney against Washington last week. McAtamney is back on the Giants’ practice squad.
Tuesday’s minor NFL transactions:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed (off Falcons’ practice squad): DT Zion Logue
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: P Brad Robbins
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: RB Gary Brightwell
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: CB Cam Lampkin
New England Patriots
- Released (with injury settlement): DT Armon Watts
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed (off Commanders’ practice squad): LB Jalen Graham
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: LB Antonio Grier
- Placed on IR: LB SirVocea Dennis
Robbins’ release today marks the end of what was supposed to be the continuation of the battle for the punter position in Cincinnati, setting the table for Ryan Rehkow to continue his job as the primary punter for the Bengals. Robbins was activated from injured reserve yesterday, but his stint on the active roster ends after only one day. It’s an interesting move after the team dedicated one of their eight IR activations for the season on Robbins before the season began.
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:
- WR Chris Blair, CB Natrone Brooks, S Dane Cruikshank, OL Julién Davenport, WR Dylan Drummond, TE John FitzPatrick, DL Demone Harris, CB Kevin King, DT Zion Logue, DL LaCale London, WR Jesse Matthews, OL Andrew Stueber, RB Carlos Washington Jr.
Carolina Panthers
Signed:
Claimed:
- CB Shemar Bartholomew, CB Tariq Castro-Fields, CB Keenan Isaac, LB Jon Rhattigan, LB Jamie Sheriff
Waived:
- WR Jalen Coker
Waived from IR:
Signed to practice squad:
- G Mason Brooks, RB Mike Boone, S Alex Cook, LB Kenny Dyson, TE Jordan Matthews, QB Jack Plummer, DL T.J. Smith, DL Walter Palmore, LB Chandler Wooten
New Orleans Saints
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- S Johnathan Abram, S Ugo Amadi, WR Kevin Austin, S Millard Bradford, LB Isaiah Stalbird, TE Treyton Welch
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Signed:
Claimed:
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- S Marcus Banks, DL C.J. Brewer, DL Mike Greene, LB Antonio Grier, OLB Daniel Grzesiak, OL Luke Haggard, LB Vi Jones, QB Michael Pratt, WR Sterling Shepard, TE Tanner Taula, P Seth Vernon, RB D.J. Williams, S Rashad Wisdom
Here are the Falcons’ Tuesday moves which brought the team’s roster to 53 ahead of the cutdown deadline:
Released:
- CB Dane Cruikshank
- T Julien Davenport
- DE Demone Harris
- CB Kevin King
Waived:
- WR Chris Blair
- CB Natrone Brooke
- RB Spencer Brown
- WR Dylan Drummond
- LB Milo Eifler (injury designation)
- DT Prince Emili
- TE John FitzPatrick
- WR O.J. Hiliare
- CB Anthony Johnson
- DT Zion Logue
- DT LaCale London
- WR Jesse Matthews
- LB Kenny Oginni
- CB Jayden Price
- OL Andrew Stueber
- S Tre Tarpley
- CB Josh Thompson (injury designation)
- DT Tommy Togiai
- RB Carlos Washington
- OL Barry Wesley
Placed on IR (designated for return):
Taylor Heinicke was widely believed to be on the trade block, and it would have come as little surprise if the veteran passer had been released. Atlanta signed Kirk Cousins in free agency and drafted Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall in April. Those two are set to handle starting and backup duties in 2024 (and beyond, if things go according to plan), which suggested Heinicke was expendable. Instead, he will prepare for a second season with the Falcons.
King’s efforts to return to regular NFL action included a contract with the Falcons in March. The former Packers corner sat out the 2022 season while rehabbing multiple injuries. Last year, an Achilles tear forced him to miss another campaign. He was unable to carve out a roster spot in Atlanta, but as a vested veteran he will immediately hit free agency without needing to pass through waivers.
A number of recent draftees are included in the list of players being waived. As a former UDFA, Blair does not meet that criteria but his inclusion is a surprise. The 26-year-old was a standout in the preseason, and ESPN’s Marc Raimondi notes Atlanta is interested is retaining him via the practice squad. The same will no doubt be true of Logue, a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft.
Teams are allowed to designate two players to return from IR without naming them to the 53-man roster. A number of teams have taken advantage of that new rule today, and in Atlanta’s case it means Hellams will not occupy a spot for the time being. The earliest he can be activated is Week 5.
Yesterday’s rush of rookie signings continued today. Here are Friday’s draft pick signings:
Arizona Cardinals
- TE Tip Reiman (third round, Illinois)
Atlanta Falcons
- LB JD Bertrand (fifth round, Notre Dame)
- RB Jase McClellan (sixth round, Alabama)
- WR Casey Washington (sixth round, Illinois)
- DT Zion Logue (sixth round, Georgia)
Cincinnati Bengals
- DT McKinnley Jackson (third round, Texas A&M)
- CB Josh Newton (fifth round, TCU)
- TE Tanner McLachlan (sixth round, Arizona)
- S Daijahn Anthony (seventh round, Mississippi)
- C Matt Lee (seventh round, Miami (FL))
Cleveland Browns
- G Zak Zinter (third round, Michigan)
- WR Jamari Thrash (fifth round, Louisville)
- LB Nathaniel Watson (sixth round, Mississippi State)
- CB Myles Harden (seventh round, South Dakota)
- DT Jowon Briggs (seventh round, Cincinnati)
Detroit Lions
- T Giovanni Manu (fourth round, British Columbia)
- RB Sione Vaki (fourth round, Utah)
- DT Mekhi Wingo (sixth round, LSU)
- G Christian Mahogany (sixth round, Boston College)
Las Vegas Raiders
- T DJ Glaze (third round, Maryland)
Los Angeles Chargers
- LB Junior Colson (third round, Michigan)
- CB Tarheeb Still (fifth round, Maryland)
- CB Cam Hart (fifth round, Notre Dame)
- RB Kimani Vidal (sixth round, Troy)
- WR Brenden Rice (seventh round, USC)
- WR Cornelius Johnson (seventh round, Michigan)
Minnesota Vikings
- K Will Reichard (sixth round, Alabama)
- C Michael Jurgens (seventh round, Wake Forest)
- DT Levi Drake Rodriguez (seventh round, Texas A&M-Commerce)
New England Patriots
- CB Marcellas Dial (sixth round, South Carolina)
- QB Joe Milton III (sixth round, Tennessee)
- TE Jaheim Bell (seventh round, Florida State)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- G Mason McCormick (fourth round, South Dakota State)
- DT Logan Lee (sixth round, Iowa)
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Dominick Puni (third round, Kansas)
- S Malik Mustapha (fourth round, Wake Forest)
- LB Tatum Bethune (seventh round, Florida State)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- RB Bucky Irving (fourth round, Oregon)
- G Elijah Klein (sixth round, UTEP)
Washington Commanders
- WR Luke McCaffrey (third round, Rice)
- LB Jordan Magee (fifth round, Temple)
- S Dominique Hampton (fifth round, Washington)
- DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste (seventh round, Notre Dame)