HEADLINES

Transactions News & Rumors

Dolphins Sign OL Sean Harlow

August 3rd, 2024 at 11:09am CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins have added some more experience to their offensive line. The team announced that they’ve signed lineman Sean Harlow. In a corresponding move, the team has waived offensive lineman Ireland Brown.

The journeyman Harlow has seen time in 41 career games (eight starts). Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, the Oregon State product has spent time with the Falcons (two stints), Colts, Cardinals, Giants (two stints), and Cowboys.

The 29-year-old lineman is coming off a 2023 campaign where he bounced around the NFC East. He spent the 2023 preseason with the Giants before joining the Cowboys practice squad. The Giants snagged him from Dallas and added him to their active roster, where he proceeded to play a backup role in seven games.

While Harlow has the ability to play around the OL, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald surmises that the veteran will be competing for a backup center gig. The team is currently rostering the likes of Liam Eichenberg and Andrew Meyer behind starter Aaron Brewer.

Brown was previously part of that competition but will now be looking to resume his NFL career elsewhere. The Rutgers UDFA earned a deal with the Dolphins following a successful minicamp tryout.

Texans To Sign OL Cameron Erving

August 3rd, 2024 at 8:36am CST by Ben Levine

Weeks after auditioning Cameron Erving, the Texans are set to sign the veteran offensive lineman. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reports that Erving is signing with the organization.

[RELATED: Texans Host OL Cameron Erving]

After dealing with their fair share of OL injuries last season, the Texans seemed to be doing their due diligence when they hosted Erving back in July. It didn’t take long for a need to arise. Per Wilson, offensive tackle Charlie Heck is currently nursing a flareup of plantar fasciitis, necessitating some extra depth at the position.

Erving certainly brings experience and versatility to Houston’s offensive line. The former Browns first-round pick bounced around the OL to begin his career, spending a significant amount of time at both offensive guard spots and center. He later started 22 games at left tackle for the Chiefs, Cowboys, and Panthers between 2019 and 2021 before barely seeing the field for Carolina in 2022.

It was a similar story in 2023, as Erving was buried on the practice squad with the Saints. He eventually got a chance to play when Ryan Ramczyk was placed on IR in December, with Erving starting two of his three appearances down the stretch. The 31-year-old didn’t play enough snaps to qualify for Pro Football Focus’ leader boards, although his score would have placed him towards the bottom of the OT pool (continuing a trend of below-average grades from the site).

Heck’s injury doesn’t necessarily open a role for Erving, but the veteran should be able to soak up some snaps during training camp and the regular season. Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard are slotted in as the starting OTs, and the team is also rostering rookie second-round pick Blake Fisher. Erving’s versatility provides him some additional pathways to playing time, which could be notable since the left guard spot is up for grabs during training camp and the preseason.

Saints Release QB Nathan Peterman

August 2nd, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints have trimmed their quarterback depth chart. The team announced on Friday that veteran Nathan Peterman has been released.

Peterman has been in the NFL since 2017, but he has made just 15 appearances in his career. Four his five starts came during his first two Bills campaigns, and he has bounced on and off the practice squads of the Raiders and Bills since then.

The 30-year-old joined the Saints in March to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster. New Orleans already has Derek Carr in place as the starter along with 2023 fourth-rounder Jake Haener and fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler, however. The latter two have spent the offseason battling for the QB2 role, and that competition will no doubt continue through the rest of training camp and into the preseason. As a vested veteran, Peterman will not be subject to waivers.

The former fifth-rounder will be able to join a new team in a bid to latch onto a roster spot during cutdowns at the end of the summer. He will otherwise be a candidate for taxi squad spot upon a potential return to New Orleans. Teams will have unlimited elevations for signal-callers to dress as their emergency No. 3 quarterback in 2024. The runner-up in the Haener-Rattler competition will of course be a strong candidate to serve in that capacity, though.

To fill the roster spot created by Peterman’s release – a move which will create a dead money charge of $80K, the guaranteed figure in his veteran minimum pact – the Saints signed wideout Samson Nacua. The brother of last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up Puka Nacua, Samson initially entered the NFL as a Colts UDFA in 2022. He failed to make the roster and spent the past two seasons playing spring football in the USFL and UFL. Now, the 26-year-old will attempt to carve out a depth spot in New Orleans’ WR room.

NFL Staff Updates: Titans, Patriots, Hightower

August 2nd, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Titans announced a number of new hires and promotions within their front office staff recently. While we had already reported on a number of these, there were a few updates that we were not yet aware of.

Dale Thompson has been promoted to assistant director, college scouting. He’s in his 14th year with the team after breaking into the league doing pro scouting for the Seahawks. Mical Johnson earns a promotion to become the pro scouting coordinator. She served most recently as a scouting assistant in Tennessee. Mike Boni will move up to senior national scout in his eighth year with the Titans. He brings 19 years of NFL experience to the position.

Two more scouts earned promotions as former pro scout Brandon Taylor becomes a college scout for the southeast region and Kalan Reed becomes a personnel scout. Once made Mr. Irrelevant by the Titans in 2016, Reed is now making his name in the scouting world.

Here are a few other teams with recent staff updates:

  • The Patriots also made some recent additions and promotions, per their team website. A.J. Richardson and Landon Simpson join the team as new scouting assistants. Both come from the collegiate ranks with Richardson joining from Mizzou and Simpson coming from Miami (FL). Richardson was a personnel scouting assistant for the Tigers after spending a couple years as a receiver trying to make rosters in the NFL. Simpson was the coordinator of player personnel/head coach recruiting analyst for the Hurricanes. They can thank Marquis Dickerson for the open positions after he vacated one of them due to a promotion to pro scout. Dickerson takes the job of Sam Fiorini, who was promoted to assistant director of pro personnel. Patrick Stewart earned a bigger promotion, still. He’ll now serve as director of pro personnel after returning to the team two years ago as a senior personnel advisor. The veteran Patriots scout spent part of the interim time with the Panthers, where he worked his way as high as vice president of player personnel.
  • We had announced that former wide receivers coach Troy Brown was sticking around, as is pass rushing consultant Joe Kim. While neither were included as part of the new staff announcement, they have reportedly been confirmed to be working with the team in skill-development roles, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Lastly, we had previously noted that former linebacker Dont’a Hightower would be working with outside linebackers, but the most recent information indicates that he’ll work with inside ‘backers, instead.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/24

August 2nd, 2024 at 6:50pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions as we head into the weekend:

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Petit-Frere has been rehabbing back from a medical procedure he underwent on his knee. The third-year lineman will now get an opportunity to enter the team’s position battle at right tackle.

Cowboys Sign DE Al-Quadin Muhammad

August 2nd, 2024 at 4:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 2: Muhammad will be eligible to play in Week 1 if he makes Dallas’ roster. Shortly after his signing became official, team reporter Patrik Walker noted the NFL removed the final game from Muhammad’s 2023 PED suspension. As a result, he will not miss time in September whether he finds himself on the Cowboys or another team.

AUGUST 1: Dallas’ defensive end workout will produce an agreement with Al-Quadin Muhammad. The former Colts defensive end is joining the Cowboys after auditioning for the team today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.

Muhammad did not see any game action last season but completed a six-sack showing in the not-so-distant past. That came with the 2021 Colts. The Cowboys will see what the veteran can contribute following the news of Sam Williams‘ ACL tear.

While this marks a second Carl Lawson workout that did not lead to a deal over the past week, as the former Bengals and Jets sack artist also auditioned for the Panthers, it represents another opportunity for Muhammad, who was part of the Saints’ trajectory-changing 2017 draft class. Muhammad joined Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams, Alvin Kamara, Trey Hendrickson and Alex Anzalone in that group — one that went 4-for-4 in playoff berths from 2017-20 — but was not part of those late-Drew Brees-era squads beyond his rookie year. The Saints waived Muhammad in 2018, leading to a long-term Colts partnership.

Mostly working as a rotational defender in Indianapolis, Muhammad did secure a starting role in 2021 — after the team did not re-sign Justin Houston. Playing under ex-Cowboys linebackers coach Matt Eberflus that year, Muhammad totaled six sacks, 13 QB hits and a forced fumble. This led to a Bears free agent signing (two years, $8MM), though Chicago cut bait after one season.

Should the Cowboys end up keeping Muhammad into the regular season, they would need to wait until Week 2 to deploy him. Muhammad’s return to the Colts in 2023 produced no playing time and a six-game PED suspension. That ban came down with only five games left last season, which will lead to the 29-year-old DE being sidelined for one game to start this campaign.

The Cowboys had big plans for Williams, as they let Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler follow Dan Quinn to Washington. The team did, however, use a second-round pick on Marshawn Kneeland. The rookie figures to see more playing time in the wake of Williams’ injury, though Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence remain the team’s edge-rushing cornerstones. Muhammad will attempt to mix in behind the top two, and his 2023 season on the Colts’ practice squad could also point to an emergency-stash-type role for the eighth-year vet.

49ers Sign OL Pat Elflein

August 2nd, 2024 at 12:26pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers have added experienced depth along the interior of their offensive line. Pat Elflein was signed on Friday, per a team announcement. He was among the players who visited San Francisco for a recent workout, as noted by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Elflein has started all but one of his 65 career games, and players with his level of experience in a first-team role rarely last deep into the summer on the free agent market. In his case, though, it comes as little surprise he has needed to wait until August to find a new deal. The 30-year-old missed all of last season with his latest injury troubles, something which has marred much of his career.

Beginning his NFL tenure in Minnesota, Elflein avoided any significant missed time from 2017-19. In the years since then, however, he has struggled to remain on the field. The former third-rounder played six games with the Jets in 2020 before landing a three-year, $13.5MM deal with the Panthers in free agency. Elflein saw time as a starter at both center and left guard in Carolina, but he was only available for 15 games across his two seasons there.

The Ohio State product was released by the Panthers with one year remaining on his pact, setting up a one-year Cardinals deal last offseason. By August, Elfien found himself on injured reserve, however, sidelining him for the campaign. Considering his missed time, today’s deal will contain little (if any) guaranteed money.

San Francisco has Jake Brendel in place at the center spot. He has served as the team’s full-time starter in the middle for each of the past two years, and that should continue in 2024. At guard, Aaron Banks remains in place on the left while a competition between Spencer Burford, Jon Feliciano and Dominick Puni continues for the right guard spot. Elfien will aim to carve out a depth role with the 49ers at either the center or guard positions. In a corresponding move, fellow O-lineman Briason Mays was waived.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/24

August 1st, 2024 at 7:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

New Orleans Saints

Rourke joins a third team this year. The Patriots waived the former CFL quarterback in May, and the Giants — after claiming him — moved him off their 90-man roster shortly after Daniel Jones received full clearance. Rourke spent most of last season with the Jaguars, catching on with the Pats late in the year. He will try to stick on a Falcons team with three QBs — Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix Jr. and Taylor Heinicke — already rostered. Heinicke expects to be jettisoned before Week 1, with the Falcons planning to keep two QBs on their active roster. Though, the veteran could have a place on Atlanta’s practice squad.

This will mark a third Callaway Saints stint. Utilized frequently during a 2021 season that featured zero Michael Thomas participation and brought back in 2023 after the Broncos and Raiders cut him, Callaway returns days after a Steelers departure. The former UDFA, who has a 698-yard 2021 season on his resume, played in three Saints games last season but did not make a catch. This comes at an interesting point, at least, with the Saints having moved on from OC Pete Carmichael en route to a Klint Kubiak hire.

Sullivan suffered a quadriceps injury, per the Panthers. The 2020 Seahawks seventh-round pick, who reunited with ex-Seattle assistant Dave Canales this offseason, has been with the Panthers for the past three seasons.

Cowboys To Sign DE Shaka Toney

August 1st, 2024 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

It looks like the Cowboys will be taking two defensive ends from their Thursday workout. In addition to adding Al-Quadin Muhammad, they are signing Shaka Toney, per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson.

Toney joined Muhammad, Carl Lawson and Justin Hollins at the Dallas workout. While Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler followed Dan Quinn to Washington, the Cowboys will check on a former Commanders DE contributor.

This represents a second chance for Toney, who missed all of last season due to a gambling suspension. Washington did not immediately waive Toney, separating him from some of the other gambling offenders last year, but the new regime cut ties this offseason. The Cowboys look set to see how Muhammad and Toney fare, potentially giving two rushers a chance to vie for one roster spot following Sam Williams‘ ACL tear.

A 2021 Washington seventh-round pick, Toney mostly operated as a reserve in Montez Sweat-fronted DE groups during his two-year on-field run. The Penn State product combined for just 1.5 sacks in that span but played in 26 games. He was then part of the initial wave of gambling suspensions, joining a host of Lions. The Commanders kept Toney, who was found to have bet on NFL games while on team grounds, last year. Once Toney was reinstated, however, the Adam Peters regime dropped him. Toney’s Washington exit came shortly after the Armstrong and Fowler arrivals.

Toney, who also worked out for the Giants in May, did register 21.5 sacks in four seasons with the Nittany Lions. He and Muhammad join a Cowboys DE corps including starters Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, along with second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland. A prospective Toney-Muhammad competition may also produce a practice squad spot for the loser (or both); Muhammad is also set to miss Week 1 due to a PED suspension.

Patriots Sign DT Mike Purcell

August 1st, 2024 at 3:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

In need of depth along the defensive interior following Christian Barmore‘s blood clots diagnosis, the Patriots have brought in Mike Purcell. The veteran agreed to a deal on Thursday, per an announcement from his agency.

Purcell is a veteran of eight seasons, with his past five campaigns coming in Denver. The 33-year-old did not survive roster cuts last year, but he was immediately retained and wound up remaining a key member of the Broncos’ D-line. Purcell started 10 of his 16 appearances in 2023, logging a defensive snap share of 44% and recording 25 tackles.

[RELATED: Patriots, Davon Godchaux Reach Another Extension Agreement]

The Broncos, who are now down to just five John Elway-era cogs remaining, took a flier on a player who had bounced out of the league — and into the short-lived Alliance of American Football — back in 2019. The veteran nose tackle provided a steady presence in Denver and started for the team’s three coaching staffs in that span.

Overall, Purcell started 37 games with the Broncos, a period that saw the team authorize a three-year, $14.8MM extension, and made an impact as a run defender. Pro Football Focus viewed Purcell’s 2021 and ’22 seasons favorably, respectively slotting him 39th and 42nd among interior D-linemen, but ranked him 106th at the position last season. While rumors about another Broncos-Purcell pact emerged earlier this offseason, he will relocate to New England after the concerning Barmore development.

Originally a 2013 49ers UDFA, Purcell stopped through six NFL cities before sticking around in Denver. This is actually a reunion for Purcell, who was with the Patriots in October and November of 2017. The 328-pound defender did not see any game action with that season’s AFC champion and finished the season with the Chiefs. The former Wyoming standout has also enjoyed short stints with the Bears, Rams and Panthers (and the AAF’s Salt Lake Stallions).

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Load More Posts