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Minor NFL Transactions: 10/29/24

October 29th, 2024 at 7:37pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest transactions from around the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Murray suffered a torn pectoral in the Bears’ loss to the Commanders on Sunday, thinning out Chicago’s offensive line depth. He played 37 snaps at left guard in Week 5 in relief of an injured Tevin Jenkins, who left Sunday’s game with another injury. After full participation in practice last week, Larry Borom should be ready to be activated from injured reserve to reinforce the Bears’ offensive line before Week 9.

The Texans officially played Diggs on injured reserve after tests confirmed a season-ending ACL tear, a non-contact injury that occurred in Houston’s Week 8 victory over the Colts. With Nico Collins already on IR, C.J. Stroud will turn to Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz to keep the offense afloat until Collins returns. Diggs’ injury could heavily affect his market in free agency after requiring the Texans to remove the final three years of his contact to facilitate his trade from the Bills.

Sutton is eligible to play for the first time this year after serving an eight-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He was suspended after he was arrested for domestic battery by strangulation in March, leading to his release by the Lions. The Steelers then signed him to a one-year deal in June before the league handed down his suspension in July, forcing Pittsburgh to turn to Beanie Bishop at nickel.

Jaguars To Sign WR Velus Jones

October 29th, 2024 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Velus Jones went unclaimed on waivers but looks to have found a landing spot. The Jaguars are expected to add the free agent wide receiver, The33rdTeam’s Ari Meirov tweets.

Jacksonville just lost Christian Kirk for the season and is expected to be without emerging rookie Brian Thomas Jr. for a bit. As a result, the recently cut Bears receiver/returner/recent running back will head to Duval County. This is a practice squad addition, per the team.

Never taking off with Chicago, Jones received his walking papers late last week. Best known for his return-game work, Jones caught just 12 passes with the Bears. An offseason running back experiment did not lead to a long runway, as the Bears moved on with 1 1/2 seasons remaining on his rookie contract. That deal has since wrapped, with no team claiming Jones on waivers.

Jones worked as the Bears’ primary kick returner as a rookie and again in 2023, averaging more than 27 yards per return in both seasons. Jones ranked seventh and fifth in kick-return yards in 2022 and ’23, respectively, with 607 and 435. The Bears did not make him their returner following this offseason’s radical change to the kickoff; Jones returned just one kick this season. He did not factored into the Bears’ punt-return mix prominently throughout his Windy City stay.

Rushing for a touchdown as a rookie, Jones only logged two carries following this Bears offensive staff’s effort to try him in the backfield. The Jaguars have a greater need at receiver, with Kirk suffering a broken collarbone in Week 8 and Thomas encountering a groin injury. Gabe Davis remains a healthy option among Jags starters, and the team also rosters second-year cog Parker Washington and fourth-year UDFA Tim Jones. But roster adjustments will be needed soon; Jones now represents part of that equation.

The Jaguars also signed offensive lineman Blake Hance from the practice squad to their 53-man roster and released running back Jake Funk from their P-squad.

Chiefs Acquire Josh Uche From Patriots

October 28th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

Josh Uche is indeed on the move. The fifth-year edge rusher is being traded from the Patriots to the Chiefs, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

Kansas City will send New England a 2026 sixth-round pick, Rapoport adds. That level of compensation comes as little surprise given Uche’s status as a pending free agent. He was a healthy scratch yesterday, an indication that a trade was possible. After the Patriots elected not to pull of a trade in his case last year, he will now be on the move.

Nearing the end of his rookie contract last year, Uche drew trade interest and the Pats nearly worked out a deal ahead of the deadline. Instead, he remained in place and ultimately re-signed on a one-year deal. That pact included a base salary of only $1.3MM, and with much of that total already being paid out this will be a very low-cost addition on the Chiefs’ part. The league’s only remaining undefeated team will now have another rotational option along the edge.

Uche’s best year came in 2022 when he posted 11.5 sacks. Considering he only logged a snap share of 38% that season, expectations were raised for continued production or at least a heavier workload moving forward. Neither has turned out to be the case, with the Michigan product totaling five sacks since the start of last season and logging a similar snap count to the earlier portion of his career. He will be viewed as a third-down specialist upon arrival with Kansas City.

The Chiefs have of course continued to rely on Chris Jones as a foundational contributor in the pass-rush department. Along the edge, the team has Mike Danna, Charles Omenihu along with recent draftees George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Uche will aim to carve out a role as part of that group while attempting to boost his free agent stock. For Kansas City, meanwhile, this move marks another midseason addition (following the DeAndre Hopkins trade) as a third straight Super Bowl title is sought.

The Chiefs entered Monday near the bottom of the league in terms of cap space, so any further moves could be challenging unless they were also of the short-term, low-cost variety. Kansas City has been linked to pursuing a cornerback in the wake of Jaylen Watson‘s (likely season-ending) injury, and it will be interesting to see if anything happens at that position before the November 5 deadline.

Kansas City currently sits 22nd in the NFL with 15 sacks through seven games. Improving in that department could provide a notable boost to the league’s No. 5 scoring defense, and Uche will look to chip in on that front. At 2-6 on the year, meanwhile, New England could be a team to watch from a seller’s perspective regarding further moves.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/24

October 28th, 2024 at 7:13pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Cowboys defensive lineman Sam Williams has already been ruled out for the 2024 season thanks to a torn ACL, and now he’s been slapped with a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy (via Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). The unpaid suspension went to effect prior to Week 8, and the player will be eligible for reinstatement prior to Week 11. The punishment stems from Williams’ reckless driving charge from 2023.

The Colts lost a key special teamer for the season in Trevor Denbow, as Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star reports that the player suffered “injuries to multiple ligaments and cartilage” during yesterday’s game. Denbow has appeared in 65 percent of his team’s ST snaps over the past two seasons, and he’s been limited to only six defensive snaps over that time.

Cardinals Activate Darius Robinson From IR

October 28th, 2024 at 5:58pm CST by Ben Levine

Darius Robinson could end up making his NFL debut this Sunday. With the first-round rookie’s activation window coming to an end later this week, the Cardinals have added Robinson to the active roster. Howard Balzer reports that the team has activated the defensive lineman from injured reserve.

Per Darren Urban of the team’s website, Robinson’s 21-day activation window was set to end this Wednesday. This meant the Cardinals either had to activate the defensive lineman or lose him for the rest of the season.

Robinson suffered a calf injury in August that ultimately landed him on IR. He returned to practice earlier this month but suffered a brief setback with his calf that kept him out of practice. That unexpected absence likely played a role in Robinson’s almost-21-day stay in the activation window.

The Missouri star transitioned from the interior to the edge in 2023, leading to a career-high 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. That performance helped put him on the first-round radar, and the Cardinals ended up selecting the DL with the No. 27 pick in this year’s draft.

With BJ Ojulari being lost for the season with a torn ACL, the Cardinals were going to be especially dependent on their rookie in 2024. The Cardinals rank towards the bottom of the league in sacks (15), so Robinson could certainly add a spark to a pass-rush unit currently led by Dennis Gardeck and Zaven Collins.

Jets Activate Haason Reddick; Latest On DE’s 2024 Earning Potential

October 26th, 2024 at 11:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Haason Reddick remained on the Jets’ reserve/did not report list until his contract holdout came to an end. Now that he is officially back in the fold, he has been brought onto the active roster in time for Week 8.

In a corresponding move, fellow edge rusher Takk McKinley was released. McKinley appeared in all seven games for the Jets this season, handling a 28% snap share. Reddick will be counted on to be on the field much more than that, just as he will be expected to outproduce McKinley’s 0.5 sacks for the year. Reddick’s playing time and production will be key in determining his overall 2024 earnings.

In a detailed breakdown of Reddick’s revised Jets accord, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry notes the two-time Pro Bowler now has $5.34MM available in incentives in the form of an option bonus escalator. Void years remain on the pact (now running from 2025-28), and they will spread out the cap hits generated by the bonus. If Reddick remains healthy and productive for the remainder of the season, he will begin earning back a portion of the money he lost through fines and forfeited salary.

The 29-year-old will see just over $791K if he reaches the 40% snap threshold for the campaign, something which will be much more plausible than the 67.5% mark which would be needed for the conditional third-round pick the Jets sent the Eagles to become a second-round selection. In terms of pass-rush production, Reddick will collect $500K for eight sacks along with another $500K for a ninth and 10th in that department. As well, $500K is available for a Pro Bowl nod, something which should also not be expected given the fact he was absent for the first seven weeks of the campaign.

Should the Jets reach the Super Bowl, Reddick will earn an additional $2MM (provided he plays in the game). New York currently sits at 2-5 on the year, so a postseason berth – let along a deep playoff run – is far from a certainty. In all, as Corry notes, an earnings total of just over $14MM is possible – a figure not much lower than than $14.5MM Reddick was originally due in base salary. However, he adds that a realistic scenario (given the unlikely nature of several of his incentive thresholds) is only $9.99MM in compensation, an illustration of how costly this holdout saga could prove to be.

Reddick’s total financial penalties have yet to be fully determined due an NFLPA grievance filed over the preseason fines he accumulated this summer. Remaining away from the Jets resulted in $2.38MM in fines; the team may be willing to waive those, but it remains to be seen if that will be possible as the league and union discuss the matter. Reddick accrued $2.05MM in training camp fines (which, since he is not on a rookie pact, cannot be rescinded) in addition to, most notably, $5.54MM in lost game checks during the regular season.

Reddick remains on course for free agency, although a strong showing over the coming weeks could open the door to new agent Drew Rosenhaus and the Jets agreeing to a deal which would keep him in place for 2025. In any event, his value (along with overall earning potential) will be dictated by his playing time and production during the rest of the season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/24

October 26th, 2024 at 6:24pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturdays minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Panthers Place S Nick Scott On IR

October 26th, 2024 at 4:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Injuries continue to mar the Panthers’ 2024 campaign, particularly on defense. The latest hamstringing of the collective unit comes as Carolina places safety Nick Scott on injured reserve for an actual hamstring injury, per team writer Darin Gantt.

Scott had been starting at safety for the Panthers since Week 4 after taking over for an injured Jordan Fuller, whom he now joins on IR. Scott was a big free agent signing for the Bengals defense two offseasons ago after playing his first full season as a starter in the final year of his rookie contract with the Rams. Unfortunately, after 10 starts in Cincinnati to start the year, Scott found himself coming off the bench for the remainder of the season.

This offseason, Scott found another opportunity, signing with a Panthers defense that finished 29th in yards allowed last year despite allowing the third-fewest passing yards and tying for the fourth-fewest passing touchdowns allowed. With Vonn Bell leaving for Cincinnati in the offseason, Scott found himself competing with his former Los Angeles teammate, Fuller, for the starting job. Fuller won the job to open the season, before ceding it to Scott due to injury.

Scott joins seven others on IR, including veteran defenders Fuller, Anthony Brown, Derrick Brown, and Shaq Thompson. Three other players remain on the non-football injury and physically unable to perform lists, as well. This also doesn’t include the 16 other players on Carolina’s injury report not currently on an injured list.

Scott’s placement on IR left two open spots on the active roster. To fill those slots, the Panthers activated safety Sam Franklin from IR and signed practice squad safety Russ Yeast to a 53-man roster contract. Franklin, a special teams captain for Carolina, has yet to make his 2024 debut due to a broken foot that he suffered in training camp. He’ll get that opportunity this weekend. Yeast, yet another former Rams safety, will come up to help fill the role left empty by his former Los Angeles teammates.

Additionally, the Panthers announced that cornerback Caleb Farley and quarterback Jack Plummer will be called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for this weekend.

Tua Tagovailoa Clears Concussion Protocol, To Start In Week 8

October 26th, 2024 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 26: The Dolphins have officially made the move to activate Tagovailoa from IR. After clearing concussion protocol, the oft-injured quarterback will attempt to prove the doubters wrong by trying to show that he was right not to retire.

In a corresponding move, Miami made room for Tagovailoa on the 53-man roster by releasing veteran backup Tim Boyle. Additionally, the team made the announcement that defensive tackle Neil Farrell and long snapper Matt Overton would serve as the Dolphins’ standard gameday practice squad elevations tomorrow.

OCTOBER 25: Tua Tagovailoa‘s anticipated Week 8 return is a go. The Dolphins quarterback has cleared concussion protocol and will start against the Cardinals on Sunday, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe tweets. Mike McDaniel confirmed the clearance.

Miami will activate Tagovailoa from IR before Saturday afternoon’s deadline. While the QB’s concussion history will continue to generate scrutiny, Tua did not consider retirement after his latest head injury — sustained back in Week 2.

Consulting doctors across the country, Tagovailoa received good news regarding his NFL future. None of the doctors recommended he retire, McDaniel said. That said, ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques and the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson note the high bar for doctors to recommend retirement. Two neurologists informed Jackson a future Tagovailoa concussion should prompt a lengthy absence.

In accordance with the NFL’s protocol, an independent neurologist cleared Tagovailoa after Miami’s Thursday practice. Tua will be back after missing the minimum four games, though even that absence qualified as notable since teams generally do not place players on IR because of concussions.

Tagovailoa, 26, is a special case due to his high profile and injury past. Tua sustained two confirmed concussions in 2022 and most likely suffered three, with a Week 3 injury that season leading to the NFL revamping its concussion protocol. The Miami QB returned to action in that Bills matchup but suffered a concussion against the Bengals four days later. That led to a two-game absence. When Tua was concussed again during a Christmas Day game, he missed the rest of the Dolphins’ season. Despite the left-handed passer returning in 2023 and not missing any time, his latest head injury has naturally brought tremendous concern about his future.

The Dolphins gave their top quarterback a four-year, $212.4MM extension in July. This did not check in as a top-market deal, but it landed in the upper reaches of QB money. This came after a report surfaced indicating the Dolphins were not prepared to go into the Jared Goff–Trevor Lawrence range for Tua. His Week 2 scramble that led to a concussion brought calls for retirement, but with the fifth-year player now cleared, retirement would deny him access to the bulk of the mega-deal he recently signed.

In terms of the Dolphins’ 2024 prospects, this is massive news. After finishing second in scoring last season, McDaniel’s offense has plummeted to 32nd. The team has started both Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley, with neither playing well, and Tim Boyle — who failed to stick with the Texans in training camp after the Jets had released him in-season last year — saw action as well. These QBs restrained Miami’s speed armada on offense, as the team slunk to 2-4.

The Dolphins will need to heat up in a hurry to have a realistic chance of returning to the playoffs for a third straight season, but Tagovailoa will provide a fighting chance. He will not use a Guardian Cap upon returning, and how Miami goes about protecting its centerpiece player will be a key storyline to monitor as he returns to action.

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