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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/30/24

August 30th, 2024 at 9:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Many teams used Friday to make further adjustments to their practice squads. Here is the full breakdown:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: DT Cory Durden
  • Released: DT Tuli Letuligasenoa

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Wolford’s seven regular season appearances to date have all come with the Rams. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Buccaneers, though, working with then-offensive coordinator Dave Canales. Canales is now the head coach in Carolina, and Wolford has followed him in a bid to earn a 53-man roster spot at some point during the season. The Panthers already had Jack Plummer on their taxi squad, but Wolford will offer Canales and Co. a more familiar option behind Bryce Young and Andy Dalton.

Chargers To Extend K Cameron Dicker

August 30th, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eligible for an extension a year early due to his UDFA status, Cameron Dicker will capitalize. The Chargers have a deal in place to lock down their young specialist.

Dicker agreed to terms on a four-year, $22MM extension with the Bolts, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The deal will include $12.5MM guaranteed. While the deal is technically worth $22.004MM, Dicker effectively checks in — at $5.5MM per year — tied with Evan McPherson and Graham Gano at No. 5 among kicker salaries.

The former Texas kicker has only played one full season with the Chargers, who ended Dicker’s nomadic 2022 run with an in-season agreement. Originally a 2022 Rams UDFA, Dicker bounced to the Ravens and Eagles before catching on with the Bolts on a November 2022 practice squad pact. Dustin Hopkins‘ hamstring injury that year changed the Bolts’ plans at kicker.

Upon cutting their roster down to 53 last summer, the Chargers traded Hopkins to the Browns to clear the way for Dicker. Hopkins signed an extension with Cleveland this offseason, and Dicker now has security in Los Angeles. The Chargers will hope this can provide some kicker stability, as the team has gone through some hiccups at the position over the past several years.

Injuries and inconsistency have plagued the Bolts at this spot for a while. They have gone through multi-kicker seasons in five of the past seven years, seeing Week 1 kickers Younghoe Koo and Tristan Vizcaino not pan out in that span. Even mid-2010s option Josh Lambo only lasted two seasons in San Diego, with Nick Novak the last Charger to firmly establish himself here. This deal will give Dicker, 24, a runway to become the longest-tenured Bolts kicker since Nate Kaeding (2004-11).

Dicker impressed during his 2022 half-season audition, going 19-for-20 on field goals. In 2023, he showed that form could hold up over a full season, making 31 of 33 tries — including 9-for-9 from 40-49 yards and 7-for-9 from beyond 50 — in 17 games.

Despite the Chargers changing regimes this offseason, its Jim Harbaugh-led power structure will sign off on the Tom Telesco-era pickup for the long haul. Well, for the short term and then a wait-and-see period, as this is a kicker. But the $12.5MM guarantee — tied for the sixth-highest kicker figure — gives the longtime Longhorns option some stability after being unable to catch on to start his career.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/29/24

August 29th, 2024 at 8:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

PFR’s practice squad rundown, signaling we are indeed close to games that count, begins Thursday. Here is how teams began to handle their 16-man P-squads.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Slovis went to camp with the Colts, joining the team as a UDFA this year. Houston placed Case Keenum on IR and released Tim Boyle, who is now the Dolphins’ P-squad QB. Slovis, who played at USC, Pittsburgh and BYU in college, is now the Texans’ de facto third-stringer.

Shelley has 11 career starts — with the Bears and Vikings — on his resume. He joined the Raiders last year but ended up with the Rams, playing in 11 games as a backup. The Giants have spent time searching for a cornerback answer, having not been too satisfied with their Cor’Dale Flott–Nick McCloud CB2 competition. New York did not make any waiver claims at the position Wednesday.

Reagor, who played for the Patriots last season, is back after being released earlier this week. The former Minnesota first-rounder played in 11 New England games last season, returning a kick for a touchdown. Latu joins the Browns after being a 49ers cut. The 2023 third-round pick missed all of last season with an ACL tear. Jefferson is back with the Bolts hours after being released.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/29/24

August 29th, 2024 at 8:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys 

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

  • Removed from IR via injury settlement: LB Keandre Jones, S Ben Nikke

Schlottmann suffered what Brian Daboll called a long-term injury. Elaborating on the injury Schlottmann suffered in practice Wednesday, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes the veteran backup O-lineman will rehab a broken fibula. The injury is expected to shut down the free agency addition for at least two months. No surgery is on tap for Schlottmann. The Giants considering him for activation may depend on their injury situation, as teams only have eight regular-season IR activations. The Giants have seven presently, as they used a summer IR designation on linebacker Matthew Adams on Tuesday.

Chargers Release S Tony Jefferson

August 29th, 2024 at 2:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tony Jefferson survived the Chargers’ initial roster cuts, but he is set to quickly hit the open market. The veteran safety is being released, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: Chargers Acquire Taylor Heinicke From Falcons]

Rapoport notes, to little surprise, that Jefferson is expected to remain in the organization by signing a practice squad deal. The 32-year-old retired last May, but he spent the spring attempting an NFL comeback. That process included a free agent visit with the Chargers in June, and it resulted in a contract later that month.

Jefferson began his career with the Cardinals, and he landed a big-ticket free agent deal with the Ravens in 2017. The former UDFA spent three seasons in Baltimore, serving as a full-time starter until an ACL tear ended his 2019 campaign. Jefferson followed defensive coordinator Don Martindale to the Giants in 2022, making nine appearances. That was a positive sign after he had missed 2020 altogether and bounced on and off the Ravens’ and 49ers’ rosters the following year.

Presuming Jefferson is retained on the taxi squad, he will provide depth to the Chargers – a team which features a familiar face in defensive coordinator Jesse Minter – in the secondary. Given the time which has elapsed since his last game action, expectations will be relatively low if/when he is signed back to the active roster. Still, Jefferson could prove to be an effective pickup as the Bolts aim to find low-cost contributors on defense and special teams.

In another roster move, the Chargers waived running back Jaret Patterson. The former Commander played two seasons in Washington, but did not make any regular season appearances last season. He signed a futures deal with Los Angeles in January, and he managed to remain on the roster until today. Patterson will now hit the waiver wire, and if he clears he will be free to re-sign with the Bolts on the practice squad or join a new team in advance of Week 1.

Falcons Trade QB Taylor Heinicke To Chargers

August 28th, 2024 at 10:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Taylor Heinicke is heading to Los Angeles. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the Falcons are trading the quarterback to the Chargers. Atlanta will receive a conditional sixth-round pick in return. The conditions of that pick are based on playing time, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

[RELATED: Falcons Hoping To Trade QB Taylor Heinicke?]

We heard earlier this month that the Falcons were eyeing a Heinicke trade. While the veteran represented the team’s lone holdover at the position, his future was uncertain after the Falcons revamped their depth chart this offseason. First, the front office signed Kirk Cousins to a lucrative contract, and they later surprised many when they selected Michael Penix Jr. in the first round. That left Heinicke without a clear role on the team.

While the Falcons generally opted for three active QBs in 2023 while taking advantage of the league’s emergency quarterback spot, it sounded like the team preferred to stash their QB3 on the practice squad for the 2024 campaign. Atlanta ultimately carried Heinicke on the 53-man roster through final roster cuts, but they’ll now move forward with only a pair of QBs on their active roster.

While Heinicke was pushed off the roster in Atlanta, it’s not necessarily a reflection of his standing in the league. The former UDFA had a successful two-year stint in Washington between 2021 and 2022, guiding his squad to a 12-11-1 record as a starter. That performance helped earn him a two-year, $14MM deal with his hometown Falcons last offseason, where he was expected to provide former third-round pick Desmond Ridder with some competition. Heinicke ultimately got four starts for Atlanta, going 1-3 while completing a career-low 54.4 percent of his passes. The veteran took a pay cut from $5MM to $1.21MM to stick in Atlanta for 2024, but now he’ll be earning that reduced salary in Los Angeles.

The Chargers were only carrying a pair of QBs following final cuts, with Easton Stick lined up to be the QB2 behind Justin Herbert. Stick, a former fifth-round pick, has spent his entire career with the Chargers, and he finally got an extended look while filling in for Herbert in 2023. While the Chargers went 0-4 in his four starts, Stick still managed to complete 63.8 percent of his passes for 1,129 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Heinicke will provide the organization with a bit more starting experience behind Herbert, but it’s uncertain how the depth chart will ultimately shake out.

Raiders Waive DT Byron Young

August 28th, 2024 at 9:07pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders moved on from a recent draft pick today. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team has waived 2023 third-round defensive tackle Byron Young. The team also signed cornerback Darnay Holmes, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The team wasn’t done adding, as the Raiders claimed defensive tackle Jonah Laulu off waivers from the Colts and safety Thomas Harper off waivers from the Chargers, according to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez.

Following a standout college career at Alabama, Young was selected by the Raiders with the No. 70 pick in the 2023 draft. He barely saw the field as a rookie, appearing in only 99 defensive snaps in six games. Still, after having to start his first training camp on PUP, there was hope he’d take a step forward with a full offseason program. Instead, the defensive lineman will have to resume his career elsewhere.

He’ll be replaced on the roster by Laulu, who was cut by the Colts yesterday. The rookie seventh-round pick split his college career between Hawaii and Oklahoma. The team also added Harper, a UDFA out of Oklahoma State University and Notre Dame.

Holmes’ stint with the Giants came to an end earlier this week. The former fourth-round pick had spent his entire career in New York, starting 11 of his 54 appearances. Despite getting into a career-high 16 games in 2023, the cornerback was limited to a career-low 123 defensive snaps. He re-signed with the organization this past offseason, but he didn’t end up making it through final cuts with the Giants.

In more corresponding moves, the team waived rookie CB M.J. Devonshire and placed CB Brandon Facyson on injured reserve (per Gutierrez). Facyson was at one time competing for the team’s CB2 role, but the cornerback was sidelined for most of the preseason with an undisclosed injury. The former UDFA was limited to only three appearances with the Raiders in 2023, but he had 55 tackles during his first stint with the organization in 2021.

Titans To Trade Elijah Molden To Chargers

August 28th, 2024 at 7:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:35pm: The Titans are receiving a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange for Molden, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The Chargers have since announced that the trade is official.

3:00pm: Another trade will come to pass a day after the 53-man deadline. Following the Saints-Commanders John Ridgeway swap, the Chargers are adding a cornerback from the Titans.

Tennessee is sending Elijah Molden to Los Angeles, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Titans, whose Ernest Jones trade just became official, are expected to acquire a late-round pick for Molden, who is going into a contract year.

The Titans made two big-ticket cornerback investments this offseason, signing Chidobe Awuzie and reaching a tag-and-trade agreement with the Chiefs to bring in L’Jarius Sneed. With Roger McCreary still in the fold, Tennessee is moving on from another homegrown cover man. The team cut former first-rounder Caleb Farley on Tuesday.

As Dennard Wilson‘s defense continues to see changes, the Chargers are adding another corner from the Mike Vrabel–Shane Bowen era. The Bolts agreed to terms with Kristian Fulton in March. Molden and Fulton played together for three years, with the former spending time in the slot early in his career. McCreary mans the slot in Tennessee and will be set to work alongside Sneed and Awuzie. With Molden a 2025 free agent-to-be, the Titans will acquire an asset for a player no longer in their plans.

Molden, 25, started 16 games with the Titans; eight came last season, when he played a career-high 701 defensive snaps. The Titans benched Fulton and did not have Farley’s services throughout the season. During seven of Molden’s eight starts last year, he played 100% of Tennessee’s defensive snaps. The Washington alum also saw time at safety, increasing Bolts DC Jesse Minter‘s options. Though, the Chargers have locked-in safety starters in Derwin James and Alohi Gilman.

Also transitioning to a new scheme, the Chargers have J.C. Jackson dead money on their books and are keeping costs low at corner. Fulton signed a one-year, $3.13MM. Molden remains on his third-round salary, with Asante Samuel Jr. joining him in a contract year. Samuel has played in the slot and outside in L.A. The former second-rounder, who joins Molden in being a second-generation NFL corner, is expected to play on the outside across from Fulton. Ja’Sir Taylor has been the Bolts’ slot; Molden would stand to push the converted safety.

While Asante Samuel Sr. played with the Patriots and Eagles, Molden’s father (Alex) nearly overlapped with Jim Harbaugh in San Diego. For what it’s worth, the Chargers signed the former first-round pick just after Harbaugh’s contract expired. A younger Molden will join the team his father played for from 2001-02, with a chance at using the season as a springboard to free agency.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West

August 28th, 2024 at 2:34pm 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 Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders moves are noted below.

Denver Broncos

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed:

Claimed:

  • CB Eric Scott Jr.

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR: 

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Chargers

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

2024 NFL Waiver Order

August 28th, 2024 at 10:42am CST by Sam Robinson

Waiver claims can begin coming in at 11am CT. While the waiver order will depend on 2024 records in several weeks, teams’ 2023 finishes currently determine it. Here is how the waiver priority list stacks up heading into today’s round of claims:

  1. Carolina Panthers
  2. Washington Commanders
  3. New England Patriots
  4. Arizona Cardinals
  5. Los Angeles Chargers
  6. New York Giants
  7. Tennessee Titans
  8. Atlanta Falcons
  9. Chicago Bears
  10. New York Jets
  11. Minnesota Vikings
  12. Denver Broncos
  13. Las Vegas Raiders
  14. New Orleans Saints
  15. Indianapolis Colts
  16. Seattle Seahawks
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars
  18. Cincinnati Bengals
  19. Los Angeles Rams
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers
  21. Miami Dolphins
  22. Philadelphia Eagles
  23. Cleveland Browns
  24. Dallas Cowboys
  25. Green Bay Packers
  26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  27. Houston Texans
  28. Buffalo Bills
  29. Detroit Lions
  30. Baltimore Ravens
  31. San Francisco 49ers
  32. Kansas City Chiefs
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