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Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/24

October 15th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves in the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Nichols is reportedly out for the season, per the Cardinals, but Prater could still return after an additional four-game absence. He’s already missed two games so far with a left knee issue. The 40-year-old was a perfect six-for-six on field goal attempts this year while 10-for-10 on extra points.

The Browns lose an important depth lineman in Harris. Harris started games at left tackle and center as an injury replacement this year, but he’ll be out for at least the next four games with an ankle injury.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris reported that Abernathy will be out for a “significant time,” per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Packers Sign K Brandon McManus, Waive K Brayden Narveson

October 15th, 2024 at 7:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:11pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Packers have gone forward and signed the veteran kicker, McManus. In order to make room on the roster, Green Bay has officially waived the undrafted rookie, Narveson, after his five missed kicks in the first six games of his NFL career, per Tom Peliserro of NFL Network.

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel adds that the Packers don’t intend to release practice squad kicker Alex Hale. This is a likely indication that Narveson will not be expected to return as a practice squad signee. Also an undrafted rookie, Hale may have gotten the nod due to his Australian roots which qualify him for an international roster exemption, allowing him not to count toward the team’s 16-man limit on the practice squad.

4:20pm: Kicker issues have gripped the Packers for a bit now, with the team unable to find a stable option following Mason Crosby‘s exit. As a result of their most recent kicker’s struggles, Brandon McManus is back on the NFL radar.

Brayden Narveson has missed five field goals this season, and while the rookie UDFA was on Green Bay’s radar while it waged an Anders Carlson–Greg Joseph offseason competition, the team’s support looks to be wavering. McManus auditioned for the Packers on Tuesday, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.

The NFL recently revealed McManus would not be suspended for his role in an alleged sexual assault that occurred on a plane last season while he was a member of the Jaguars. A civil suit against the veteran kicker is on going, but he is back under consideration to return to the league soon after the NFL’s statement.

Green Bay added Narveson via waivers from Tennessee, doing so after cutting both Joseph and Carlson. The rookie swooped in to win a competition he was not part of, with the Packers having eyed him for a bit before that transaction. But Narveson’s miss count ballooned from three to five during the Pack’s win over the Cardinals; Narveson has gotten there without attempting a 50-plus-yard try.

McManus signed a one-year, $3.6MM deal with the Commanders in March, but the team dropped him after the civil suit emerged. The Broncos had cut McManus after nine seasons, leading to the Jaguars agreement. Last season, McManus made 81.1% of his field goal tries (30-for-37, with five of the misses from beyond 50 yards) and did not miss an extra point. Narveson has not missed a PAT, either, but the Packers appear close to ending this experiment.

McManus, 33, denied the two flight attendants’ allegations and is aiming to resume his career. The Commanders paid the 10-year veteran his full $1.5MM signing bonus. This audition comes after the Packers worked out Chad Ryland and Lucas Havrisik earlier this month.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/15/24

October 15th, 2024 at 6:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s NFL practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: T Spencer Rolland

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Amos is far-removed from his days as a full-time starter in the NFC North. With Talanoa Hufanga on injured reserve, though, and only three safeties on the active roster, Amos could have an opportunity to make an impact in the Bay Area.

Texans To Trade Cam Akers To Vikings

October 15th, 2024 at 5:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

While not quite on the level of the two receiver trades from earlier Tuesday, the Vikings and Texans will collaborate on another swap during a busy NFL day. Cam Akers is on the move again.

The Texans are trading the fifth-year running back to the Vikings, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will mark the second year Minnesota has acquired Akers in-season; the team brought him in from Los Angeles early last season.

Akers and a 2026 seventh-round pick are going to the Vikings, with Pelissero adding a 2026 sixth-rounder — as part of a standard pick-swap agreement — is coming back to the Texans. With Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce missing time this season, Akers had worked as a fill-in starter. Mixon and Pierce returned in Week 6, and pass-down specialist Dare Ogunbowale is on Houston’s roster as well. This gave the AFC South leaders some flexibility, and it will lead to Akers heading back to the Twin Cities.

The former Rams second-round pick will head to a team with a recent running back issue, as Aaron Jones left the Vikes’ Week 5 game due to a hip injury. This deal is not a reflection on Jones’ availability, per Pelissero, as the starter has a shot to play coming out of Minnesota’s bye week. Akers will join Jones and reunite with Ty Chandler in the Vikings’ backfield. Akers, 25, is tied to a one-year, $1.18MM deal. With five Vikings games in the books, the team will add Akers at less than $1MM in base salary.

Akers’ previous Minnesota stay did not end well. The former Super Bowl starter suffered the second Achilles tear of his career. While the first of those injuries sidetracked Akers in L.A., he has rebounded from the second one to play a role for a division-leading team. He signed with the Texans just before training camp. As Akers heads to another, he will bring a 40-carry, 147-yard, one-touchdown stat line with him. The Texans used Akers as a two-game starter, with Ogunbowale receiving extensive time as well. Akers caught a touchdown pass against the Vikings in Week 2 — the Texans’ only points in a 34-7 loss — and The Athletic’s Alec Lewis notes the Florida State alum was popular with the coaching staff last season.

This move may well be a lateral transition for Akers, who would top out as a Vikings third-stringer if Jones returns to full strength soon. Jones not being ready for Week 7, however, would give the Vikings a need behind Chandler. Akers totaled 208 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in six Vikings games last season, rejoining ex-Rams OC Kevin O’Connell in Minneapolis. The 5-0 Vikes will bring him back for some insurance.

Broncos Designate RT Mike McGlinchey, OLB Baron Browning For Return

October 15th, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

A loss to the Chargers halted the Broncos’ win streak at three, but reinforcements are on the way. Both Baron Browning and Mike McGlinchey are back at practice for the AFC West team.

Denver designated both its starting right tackle and fourth-year linebacker for return Tuesday, 9News’ Mike Klis tweets. This would make each eligible to be activated ahead of Thursday’s game in New Orleans. While the Broncos may be cautious with both given the short week and each having a 21-day return timetable, the early return designations are certainly notable.

McGlinchey went down with an MCL sprain in Week 2, while Browning also headed to IR after an injury (a foot issue) sustained against the Steelers. The Broncos have since lost backup right tackle Alex Palczewski to a high ankle sprain; McGlinchey’s top reserve did not play in the team’s Week 6 loss to the Bolts. The Broncos also cut linebacker Kristian Welch from their active roster.

While the Broncos have a greater need along an offensive line than also recently saw center Luke Wattenberg placed on IR, Browning’s return stands to be interesting for a defense that has been one of the NFL’s most surprising units this season. Denver ranks fourth in scoring defense and yards allowed. Browning, who joins ex-Ohio State teammate Jonathon Cooper in a contract year, served as a starter in both games he played this season. Third-year player Nik Bonitto has taken over in that role; the replacement has four sacks in six games. Browning, who tallied 4.5 last season, did not register a sack before going down this year. Rookie third-rounder Jonah Elliss has operated as Denver’s top rotational rusher.

McGlinchey, 30, missed just one game for the Broncos last season and did not miss any time for the 49ers in 2022. The former top-10 San Francisco draftee missed nine games during the 2021 season due to a torn quad but rebounded to boost his market, leading to a five-year, $87.5MM Broncos agreement. McGlinchey’s 2025 salary became fully guaranteed in March, and the Broncos appear to be close to having him back at full strength.

Palczewski had played well in relief of McGlinchey, but the ankle injury he suffered in Week 5 clears a path for the starter to return. With the Broncos having a 10-day break before their Week 8 matchup, the team has some time to decide on Browning and McGlinchey. The Broncos have six injury activations remaining.

Bills Cut WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling

October 15th, 2024 at 3:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Set to add Amari Cooper to their receiving corps, the Bills will jettison one of their current wideouts. It will be Marquez Valdes-Scantling who is cut, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

The Bills agreed to terms with Valdes-Scantling in mid-May, with Josh Allen making a sales pitch to the former Packers and Chiefs starter. MVS, however, has not made many contributions to Buffalo’s cause. He has two receptions for 26 yards. The Bills have since announced the release.

With MVS not playing special teams, the Bills resided in a difficult spot regarding his fit — seeing as they obtained a more talented receiver who does not play special teams. It is possible MVS could be retained on a practice squad deal, as he would not need to pass through waivers to get there. For now, however, the seventh-year veteran is out of the picture in Buffalo.

Valdes-Scantling, 30, has played 39% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps this season. The Bills had added several role player-level receivers this offseason — from MVS to Curtis Samuel to Mack Hollins to Chase Claypool — and the recent Chiefs contributor will join Claypool in free agency. The Bills released Claypool with an injury settlement in August.

Although Valdes-Scantling scored a touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII and made critical long-range grabs in Chiefs wins over the Bills and Ravens in the AFC playoffs, he has been trending downward. MVS, who also came through with a 100-yard day for a receiver-depleted Chiefs team in the 2022 AFC title game, recorded just just 315 yards on 21 catches for Kansas City during the 2023 regular season. That span included a brutal drop late in a Chiefs loss to the Eagles.

Still, Valdes-Scantling had a market. The Chargers met with him, and the Saints showed interest. The ex-Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes tertiary target may be able to catch on elsewhere — the two-time defending champions have brought back Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster and remain in need at WR — but his stock has certainly dropped since inking a three-year, $30MM Chiefs deal in March 2022.

49ers To Sign K Anders Carlson

October 15th, 2024 at 11:52am CST by Adam La Rose

Another short-term Jake Moody replacement option is in place for San Francisco. The 49ers are adding Anders Carlson to their practice squad, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Moody is dealing with a high ankle sprain, and his injury prompted a kicking addition last week. Matthew Wright was brought in, and the 28-year-old connected on all three of his field goal attempts and extra points in Week 6. Wright suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday, however, so this move will provide the team with a healthy insurance option.

Carlson was a sixth-round pick of the Packers last season, and he went 27-for-33 on field goal attempts during his rookie campaign. He missed five extra points, however, and Green Bay’s postseason run saw him miss one each of his field goal and extra point kicks. After struggling during the summer (one in which the Packers cycled through several kickers), Carlson was let go. Green Bay has relied on Brayden Narveson so far this year; the undrafted rookie has missed five of his 17 field goal tries.

Carlson has drawn interest since passing through waivers after roster cutdowns. The Auburn product visited the Bills last month amidst Tyler Bass‘ inconsistency. Bass remains in place with Buffalo for the time being, though. Carlson was also among the kickers who auditioned for San Francisco prior to Wright being signed. He did not do enough to land a deal right away, but his performance was clearly well-received.

Should Wright be forced to miss this week’s game (a Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs), it will be Carlson in place to handle kicking duties. Moody could be an IR candidate based on his recovery timeline, but no move on that front has been made yet. Over at least a short-term period, Carlson could find himself seeing game action with San Francisco.

Jaguars Trade DL Roy Robertson-Harris To Seahawks

October 14th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

The terms of the first midseason trade of 2024 are in place. Jacksonville is sending defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seahawks, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The Jaguars will receive a 2026 sixth-round pick in return.

Robertson-Harris spent his first four seasons with the Bears, logging a notable role during the 2019 and ’20 seasons in particular. His play during that span helped his market value considerably, and the Jaguars handed him a three-year, $24.4MM deal on the open market. That led to high expectations for the former UDFA, and he served as a full-time starter during his three full campaigns in Jacksonville.

After posting three sacks in each of his first two Jaguars seasons, Robertson-Harris landed a three-year, $21.6MM extension. As a result, he remains under contract through 2026, something which does not make this deal a rental agreement as many trades worked out shortly before the deadline are. With that said, no guaranteed salary exists on the final two years of the UTEP product’s deal, so Seattle is not necessarily making a long-term commitment with this swap.

Robertson-Harris is due to see his cap hits jump to $8.9MM and $9.1MM over the next two years barring any kind of adjustments to his contract. For now, though, the Seahawks will only be responsible for the remainder of his $1.7MM 2024 base salary. This low-cost acquisition will provide depth along the defensive front for a Seattle team which is need of improvement against the run.

The Seahawks currently rank 10th in terms of passing yards allowed per game, but only 27th on the ground. Upgrades along the D-line could help in defending the run, something which has been central to Robertson-Harris’ skillset throughout his career. The 31-year-old has totaled between 30 and 45 tackles in each of his past four healthy seasons, and he will be tasked with chipping in on early downs on his new team.

The Jaguars were not initially interested in adopting a sellers’ standpoint in the build-up to the trade deadline. After another loss dropped the team to 1-5, however, it will be interesting to see if that mindset changes. Jacksonville owner Shad Khan offered an endorsement of general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson ahead of Sunday’s game, but today’s deal could be the first of multiple trades sending veteran players to new teams over the coming weeks.

Ravens Sign DE Yannick Ngakoue To Active Roster

October 14th, 2024 at 9:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens have signed defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to their active roster, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, solidifying the veteran’s status in Baltimore after joining the practice squad at the end of September.

Ngakoue was elevated from the practice squad for the Ravens’ last two games and flashed the bend and burst that made him such an effective edge rusher earlier in his career. He recorded one sack of Jayden Daniels in Baltimore’s Week 6 win over the Commanders on Sunday, potentially putting him on other teams’ radars. Ngakoue still had one elevation remaining, but the Ravens moved quickly to add him to the active roster to prevent another squad from signing him, signaling that they see him as a part of their edge rotation for the rest of the season.

The Ravens already had a full 53-man roster as of Monday, so they will need to make a corresponding move on Tuesday to accommodate Ngakoue. There are no clear cut candidates on the roster, but both Malik Harrison and Broderick Washington missed practice last week with injuries. One could be headed to injured reserve, creating the space for Ngakoue on the roster.

The Ravens are hoping that Ngakoue’s second stint in Baltimore will be more successful than his nine-game stint in 2020 after being acquired at the trade deadline. He struggled to find a role in then-defensive coordinator Wink Martindale‘s defense and only recorded three sacks after starting the season with five in six games for the Vikings. While Martindale tended to design blitzes with pass rushers dropping into coverage, current DC Zach Orr has prioritized getting pressure with four pass rushers this season and giving less coverage responsibilities to his edge rushers. Ngakoue has been a pass-rusher on two-thirds of his snaps this season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Adding Ngakoue to their 53-man roster complicates the Ravens’ future roster plans, with cornerback Arthur Maulet designated for return from a preseason knee injury and running back Keaton Mitchell nearing his recovery from last year’s ACL tear. Barring additional injuries, the Ravens will have to make multiple cuts to add both players to their 53-man roster in the coming weeks.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/14/24

October 14th, 2024 at 8:11pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Monday’s practice squad transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

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