Transactions News & Rumors

Rams Activate OL Joe Noteboom

November 5th, 2024 at 4:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

An important reinforcement has arrived on the Rams’ offensive front. Joe Noteboom has been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

Absences at multiple spots along the O-line has been a constant for the Rams throughout the 2024 season. The team’s left tackle spot has been settled since Alaric Jackson returned from suspension, but there could be a right tackle vacancy with Rob Haverstein expected to miss Los Angeles’ Week 10 contest. Noteboom (who suffered an ankle injury in Week 1) could step in at that spot.

The Rams designated him for return on October 16, opening Noteboom’s 21-day activation window. That period had nearly come to an end before today’s announcement. The 29-year-old’s return will be welcomed considering he has logged 32 starts amongst his 68 appearances. Noteboom agreed to a pay cut this offseason, lowering his base pay for 2024 in exchange for additional guarantees. As a pending free agent, his play once back on the field will be key in determining his value.

Along the interior, the Rams still have both Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila on injured reserve. Getting one or both of them back in the fold would be critical to the team’s offensive outlook. Los Angeles ranks ninth in the league in production through the air, but the team’s ground attack sits only 26th with an average of 97.1 yards per game. Overall, the Rams’ offense has averaged 21.3 points per game, good for 21st in the league.

Better health along the line will provide the team with a chance to improve those totals. Getting Noteboom back will help at the tackle spot in particular as the Rams look to remain in the thick of things in the NFC West.

Colts Place C Ryan Kelly On IR

November 5th, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Colts’ offensive line will be shorthanded for a stretch. The team announced on Tuesday that center Ryan Kelly has been placed on injured reserve.

As a result, he will be sidelined for at least the next four games, although CBS4’s Mike Chappell reports that Kelly is expected to miss only those four contests. Indianapolis’ longest-tenured player has made 188 appearances (all starts), and he has failed to play double-digit games in a season only once in his career. The team now faces the rare circumstance of finding a replacement over at least the short term. Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Start reports this is not expected to be season-ending ailment, and a return after the four-game minimum could be in play.

Kelly has been a model of consistency for much of his career, posting a top-10 PFF rank amongst centers three times out of the past six years. 2024 has seen him take a step back, however, with his run blocking in particular drawing a poor evaluation. The four-time Pro Bowler’s absence will nevertheless be felt on a Colts offense which has struggled for much of the year, prompting a quarterback change.

Joe Flacco is certainly not as mobile as Anthony Richardson, so the team’s pass protection moving factor will be a key factor in its ability to contend for an AFC postseason berth. Kelly is attached to the NFL’s fourth-most valuable center contract in terms of annual average compensation ($12.41MM). His ability to return to full health in short order will thus be an important story to follow. The Alabama product is also a pending free agent, so his level of play once back on the field will play a role in determining the value of his next pact.

In a corresponding move, the Colts claimed safety Darren Hall off waivers from the Cardinals. A fourth-rounder of the Falcons in 2021, Hall handled a part-time defensive role as a rookie and took a notable step forward in playing time the following year. He did not see any regular season game action in 2023, a season in which he found himself on the Colts’ practice squad. Hall, 24, made four appearances with the Cardinals this season and played a minor role on defense while chipping on a special teams. A similar workload can be expected in Indianapolis.

Cowboys Release DT Jordan Phillips

November 5th, 2024 at 3:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Involved in an intra-NFC East trade this summer, Jordan Phillips has now been jettisoned from two teams in that division. The Cowboys moved on from the veteran defensive tackle Tuesday.

The Giants had traded Phillips to their division rivals in August, but the Cowboys placed him on IR early this season. Phillips, 32, played in just two games with Dallas. That satisfied the terms of the Dallas-New York trade, even though the swap did not move the needle for the Cowboys. Although Phillips considered retirement after last season, he had inked a one-year, $1.79MM Giants deal. New York traded Phillips and a 2026 seventh-round pick to Dallas for a 2026 sixth-rounder.

Dallas had designated Phillips for return from IR, but since the team will not move him back to its active roster, it will not lose one of its remaining activations. Phillips still had another week to return to Dallas’ 53-man roster, but he is no longer in that window. The Cowboys have only activated DaRon Bland from IR this season, leaving them with seven such moves to use in the second half.

Phillips spent the previous two seasons with the Bills, returning to Buffalo after his Cardinals deal did not work out. The Cards cut Phillips in 2022, leading him back to the Bills, with whom the interior D-line presence had played previously. Phillips finished with 9.5 sacks in 2019, leading to a three-year, $30MM Cardinals deal. That proved an outlier campaign from a pass-rushing standpoint, but the Bills used the proven DT as a regular upon re-signing him.

DaQuan Jones‘ pectoral tear last season brought Phillips back into Buffalo’s starting lineup, but after he had logged nine starts for the AFC East champs, a dislocated wrist shut him down. More wrist trouble led Phillips to IR this year, though the 10-year contributor said he, in fact, was not injured and thus disputed the transaction. It went through, and he will not end up exiting IR with Dallas.

49ers To Acquire Khalil Davis From Texans

November 5th, 2024 at 3:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Right at the deadline, one final trade has been agreed to. Defensive tackle Khalil Davis is headed from the Texans to the 49ers, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.

Houston will acquire a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange. This move will provide San Francisco with depth along the defensive front, something which will be welcomed given the fact Javon Hargrave is out for at least the remainder of the regular season. Davis will look to carve out a rotational role on his new team.

The 28-year-old made only a pair of appearances with the Buccaneers during his rookie season. That was followed by a single game played with the Colts the following year. Davis not see any regular season action in 2022, but it was with the Texans that he managed to find a regular spot on the active roster. He played 15 games last season, collecting 32 tackles and a pair of sacks.

The Nebraska product has played in all nine contests for Houston in 2024, although his snap share (32%) has taken a step back compared to last season. Now, Davis will look to handle at least a similar workload upon arrival in the Bay Area. Davis – a pending free agent – is attached to a base salary of only $1.1MM, so this will be an easily affordable pickup for the 49ers.

Under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco has made a trade at or near the deadline every season except 2018 (h/t ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). As such, it comes as no surprise the team has gone ahead with another move just before this year’s trade deadline. Sitting at 4-4 on the year, the 49ers are in the thick of the wide-open NFC West race while awaiting the return of multiple key players over the coming weeks.

Of course, this is not the first time these teams have hooked up for a D-lineman trade. Houston dealt Maliek Collins to San Francisco in March, and he has been a full-time starter for the 49ers this year. Collins will have a familiar face alongside him for the second half of the season.

Ravens Acquire CB Tre’Davious White From Rams

November 5th, 2024 at 2:26pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tre’Davious White is indeed on the move, with the Rams having found a suitor for the veteran corner. White is headed to the Ravens, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The teams have now announced the deal.

This deal will include a future late-round pick swap. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Los Angeles is sending White to Baltimore along with a 2027 seventh-round pick. The team will receive a 2026 seventh-rounder in return.

Baltimore’s pass defense has struggled for much of the year; the team ranks dead last in passing yards allowed per game this season, a stark contrast to its No. 1 position against the run. To no surprise, then, help in the secondary has been sought out, with Dianna Russini of The Athletic noting the Ravens have been making calls on that front for days. The team was in the running for Marshon Lattimore, but this move represents a notable contingency plan.

White saw a heavy workload early in the season, his first with the Rams. Los Angeles was dealing with a number of injuries at the cornerback spot, thrusting the former Bill into an unplanned full-time role. More recently, however, White has been a healthy scratch. As a result, discussions between team and player took place regarding a potential trade. The two-time Pro Bowler will now start over in the hopes of landing a regular defensive role.

When healthy, White was one of the league’s more productive corners. His Buffalo tenure included double-digit appearances for each of its first five seasons, but injuries have been a major issue since then. The 29-year-old played only 10 games between the 2022 and ’23 campaigns, and he suffered an Achilles tear last October. That helped inform Buffalo’s decision to move on this offseason and limited the former All-Pro to a one-year deal.

That pact carries a base salary of just $1.5MM for the year, making this a very cost-effective addition on Baltimore’s part. Expectations will be tempered upon arrival, however. White was charged with four touchdowns and an opposing passer rating of 138.4 during his time in the Rams’ lineup, and improvement in coverage will be needed for him to earn snaps on defense. At a minimum, White will provide Baltimore with additional depth in the secondary as consistency is sought for the second half of the campaign.

The Ravens have Marlon Humphrey, pending free agent Brandon Stephens and first-round rookie Nate Wiggins atop their CB depth chart. White is unlikely to see much time in the slot with Arthur Maulet healthy, but he could handle a rotational workload along the perimeter. Succeeding in any capacity – and remaining healthy, of course – will help his 2025 free agent market.

Baltimore recently added at the receiver spot by acquiring Diontae Johnson from the Panthers. The team has now made a depth move on defense, mirroring the Steelers’ path ahead of the deadline (with Pittsburgh acquiring Mike Williams and then Preston Smith on Tuesday). Both teams have six wins on the year, positioning them for a pair of critical divisional matchups later in the season. Several new faces will be in place for those contests.

Bengals Release Lawrence Guy; Team Looking Into DT Addition

November 5th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 5: A hour before the trade deadline, the Bengals are getting the hang of this buyer’s mindset. Before acquiring Khalil Herbert on Tuesday morning, the Bengals had added just one player via trade in season over the past 50 years. Now 4-5, Cincinnati is on the hunt for defensive tackle help, Russini adds. Injuries have been an issue here this season, and the Bengals’ defense has certainly underwhelmed on the whole.

NOVEMBER 2: Lawrence Guy landed a deal with the Bengals shortly after the start of the regular season. His Cincinnati deal allowed him to make four appearances with the team, but the veteran defensive lineman is now once again headed for free agency.

Guy was released on Saturday, the Bengals announced. That move makes him a free agent, meaning he could find a new opportunity in short order. Failing that, the 34-year-old will be a candidate to be retained on a practice squad pact. Guy saw his seven-year Patriots tenure end this offseason, and his Bengals pact came about shortly after he explored a Ravens reunion with a free agent visit. In a corresponding move, undrafted rookie running back Kendall Milton was signed from the taxi squad to the active roster.

Aside from Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals have struggled to find production along the edge. Guy was limited to a a pair of tackles with Cincinnati, a team which does not have a track record of being active at the trade deadline. That could change in the near future, though, especially if help on defense can be obtained for the right price. The 3-5 Bengals face a steep path to the postseason, but a buyer’s stance would not come as a complete surprise.

Cincinnati has looked into a trade addition in advance of the November 5 deadline, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required). She adds the defensive line and cornerback spots in particular are targets for improving a unit which sits 23rd in points allowed per game. The Bengals rank outside the top 20 in the league against both the run and pass this year, and their 12 sacks leave plenty of room for increased production along the edge.

Hendrickson’s Bengals future beyond 2024 is uncertain given his contract status and the trade request which was denied by the team this spring in the wake of no adjustment or extension being negotiated. For the time being, however, the three-time Pro Bowler – who has seven sacks on the year – is very much in the fold and he will play a central role if Cincinnati is to make a second half playoff push. Adding a starting-caliber edge presence (like Azeez Ojulari of the Giants, whom Russini adds the Bengals have on their radar) would boost the pass rush. Veterans Za’Darius Smith (Browns) and Jadeveon Clowney (Panthers) have also been floated as trade candidates in recent weeks.

Dax Hill‘s ACL tear ended his 2024 season, the first in which he was being used as a full-time perimeter corner. His absence has created a vacancy alongside Cam Taylor-Britt and Mike Hilton for a starting option. Bringing in a cover man capable of immediately taking on first-team duties for a rental price is unlikely, but adding a depth contributor in the secondary would give DC Lou Anarumo another option in the wake of Hill’s injury.

The Bengals enter Week 9 with just under $9MM in cap space, so a midseason addition is certainly feasible from a financial perspective. Whether or not the team makes the rare move of swinging a trade will be an interesting storyline to follow over the coming days.

Vikings To Place K Will Reichard On IR; Team To Add K John Parker Romo, LS Jake McQuaide

November 5th, 2024 at 1:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Perfect on field goals until Sunday night, Will Reichard will see his rookie season interrupted by injury. After battling through a quad issue in Week 9, the Vikings kicker is headed to IR, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

The Vikings are bringing in John Parker Romo, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo, and making an injury-driven long snapper change. With Andrew DePaola going down, Garafolo adds Jake McQuaide is coming aboard.

This will mark some noticeable changes for the Vikes, who saw DePaola go down with a hand injury that will require surgery. McQuaide will stay in the NFC North, having made his previous two career stops with the Lions and Bears. Chicago released McQuaide from its practice squad last week.

A sixth-round pick out of Alabama, Reichard started his season 14 of 14 — including a 4-for-4 connect rate from 50-plus yards. He missed two kicks Sunday night, doing so as the quad injury hindered him. The Vikings, who moved on from three-year kicker Greg Joseph this offseason, will turn to Romo while the rookie recovers.

Prior to adding Romo, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes the Vikes worked out Tristan Vizcaino. Randy Bullock was also at this audition, per KTSP’s Darren Wolfson. The Giants released Bullock this week; he had been serving as their Graham Gano fill-in.

Romo is 27 but has yet to kick in an NFL game. Like McQuaide, he has a past in Detroit and Chicago — along with New Orleans — but spent time with the Vikings this offseason. Minnesota, however, waived the former UDFA in July. Having kicked at three schools (Central Arkansas, Tulsa, Virginia Tech over a six-year period), Romo kicked in the XFL in 2023. That marks his only regular-season game experience since college. That figures to change soon.

This is poised to be McQuaide’s first action this season. A 10-year Rams veteran who snapped in Super Bowl LIII, McQuaide caught on with the Cowboys in 2021. After two Dallas seasons, the now-36-year-old snapper played for the Lions last year. This will mark a third straight season of part-time duty for McQuaide, who caught on with Detroit midway through last season and played just four games with Dallas in 2022.

Browns To Release DT Quinton Jefferson

November 5th, 2024 at 11:40am CST by Sam Robinson

Mentioned in trade rumors, Quinton Jefferson looks to have been unable to generate sufficient interest for the Browns. As a result, Cleveland will drop the veteran D-lineman.

The Browns will give Jefferson a chance to catch on elsewhere, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicating they are cutting him hours before today’s trade deadline. By doing so now, the Browns are allowing Jefferson to pass through waivers and straight to free agency. Had Cleveland waited until after the deadline to cut Jefferson, he would have been subject to waivers.

This figures to mark yet another team change for the veteran defender, who has been with five franchises since 2020. Jefferson has moved from the Bills to the Raiders to the Seahawks to the Jets to the Browns. He has two Seattle stints on his resume but most recently chose Cleveland, signing a one-year, $4MM deal. The Browns will take on around $3MM in dead money by cutting Jefferson now.

It is not too surprising no team wanted to give up a draft asset for Jefferson, who has spent recent weeks inactive. Jefferson, 31, has not played since Week 5; the Browns have made him a healthy scratch for each of their past four games. While this stands to affect teams’ interest in the ninth-year veteran, Jefferson not driving a market could also benefit him due to the Browns agreeing to cut bait early.

Jefferson is not a stranger to releases, either. The Bills and Seahawks have cut him this decade, though both teams moved on during the offseason. Jefferson had signed two-year deals with Buffalo and Seattle, but following those releases, he managed to catch on elsewhere. For his career, Jefferson has worked as a 62-game starter. This includes a 14-game stretch for the Jets last season.

The Jets saw Jefferson produce a career-high six sacks under Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich; that came after the interior defender posted 5.5 during his Seahawks return. Jefferson tallied 13 QB hits in each of those slates. This season in Cleveland, he has one sack and two QB hits. The Browns have Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris, second-round pick Michael Hall and Maurice Hurst at DT. While they are open for business beyond a few cornerstone players, the Browns have moved on from one veteran piece without making a trade.

Panthers Trade Jonathan Mingo To Cowboys

November 5th, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Sam Robinson

Jerry Jones‘ mystery wide receiver is now revealed. The Cowboys will make a deal with the Panthers, who are sending Jonathan Mingo to the NFC East team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

In a corresponding move, Pelissero notes cornerback Andrew Booth has been waived. The 2022 Viking made only a pair of starts across two seasons in Minnesota. The former second-rounder was dealt to the Cowboys in a swap for fellow corner Nahshon Wright back in August, giving both players a change of scenery. Booth, 24, played just 38 snaps with Dallas and he will now hit the waiver wire.

Mingo was viewed as a player no longer in Carolina’s plans, and the 2023 second-rounder had not caught on in either of the two offensive systems in which he has played. The Cowboys are taking a flier on a player who was a top-40 pick just last year. The Cowboys will add Mingo and a seventh-round pick, while the Panthers will receive a fourth-rounder, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.

Mentioned in PFR’s rundown of the WR trade market, Mingo joins Adam Thielen as players the Panthers appeared OK dealing. Thielen remains with Carolina, but the 34-year-old veteran is believed to be eager to join a contender. Thielen is signed through 2025 but profiles as a cut candidate next year — due to his age and his ’25 salary being nonguaranteed. The Panthers have already dealt two of their WRs; a third would certainly be interesting, even for a rebuilding team.

This is a better return than the Panthers received for Diontae Johnson, who fetched merely a Day 3 pick swap in the Ravens trade. Mingo being signed through 2026 undoubtedly procured that for the Panthers, as the Cowboys will have multiple years to evaluate the Ole Miss alum. Mingo’s age (23) and contract status factored into this value, as it is worth noting the Cowboys-Browns Amari Cooper trade and the Dallas-Houston Brandin Cooks swap did not involve a fourth-round pick.

Mingo managed a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at 220 pounds during the 2023 Combine, leading to the Cowboys showing interest, per Jones. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rated Mingo as its No. 37 overall prospect. Mingo only topped 300 receiving yards in one of his four Rebels seasons, however, with the 2022 campaign bringing 861 yards and five touchdowns last season. But he still caught the Panthers’ eye before becoming the No. 39 overall pick last year. Carolina had managed to keep No. 39 despite acquiring Bryce Young via trade-up; that decision led to Carolina trading No. 61 to Chicago, which also acquired the Panthers’ 2025 second-rounder in that seminal swap.

The Cowboys had chosen Jalen Tolbert in the 2022 third round and had traded for Cooks shortly before last year’s draft. Cooks is now on IR. Mingo profiles as more of a developmental piece compared to one that will immediately reignite the Cowboys like Cooper did following a 2018 in-season trade. Mingo has just 12 receptions for 121 yards this season. During a rookie season that featured Frank Reich being fired after 11 games, Mingo managed 43 catches for 418 yards. He does not yet have an NFL touchdown. Under the hood, The33rdTeam.com notes Mingo ranks either last or second-to-last in yards per route run and catch rate for players with 50 receptions since 2023.

Mingo will now join Tolbert and CeeDee Lamb in Dallas’ receiving corps. Carolina, meanwhile, has until 3pm CT today to decide on trading Thielen. It is also possible Thielen becomes a post-deadline release, though that is far from certain. The Panthers will retool around rookie first-rounder Xavier Legette and rookie UDFA Jalen Coker.

Bengals, Bears Agree On Khalil Herbert Trade

November 5th, 2024 at 7:44am CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be on the trade block, Khalil Herbert will be on the move on deadline day. The Bears are trading the veteran running back to the Bengals, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.

The Bengals, who lost Zack Moss to a neck injury that caused him to miss Week 9, will send the Bears a 2025 seventh-rounder, Pelissero adds. This is a rental move, as Herbert is in a contact year, but it is certainly notable for a Bengals team not known for in-season moves. Moss’ injury prompted the Bengals to call around on RBs over the past week, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Moss is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, Pelissero and NFL.com colleague Mike Garafolo report.

This marks only the second time in 52 years the Bengals have acquired a player in-season. They did so in the Carlos Dunlap trade four years ago, adding O-lineman B.J. Finney. But Mike Brown‘s franchise is deviating from its M.O. to help a team that entered the season with high expectations.

Herbert had fallen out of Chicago’s RB rotation, playing behind free agent signing D’Andre Swift and 2023 draftee Roschon Johnson. Although the Bears do not profile as a true seller due to their 4-4 record, they will give Herbert an opportunity to finalize his free agency case. Herbert had operated as a key Bears back from 2021-23, but he was drafted by prior GM Ryan Pace. Ryan Poles will pick up an asset for a player no longer in the team’s plans.

Rumors about Herbert’s availability came up recently, as the former Kansas and Virginia Tech cog’s Bears role had diminished. Although Herbert heads to Cincinnati after having logged just eight carries for 16 yards this season, the former sixth-round pick played much bigger roles for high-end Bears rushing attacks previously. Herbert helped Chicago’s then-Justin Fields-centered ground game lead the NFL in 2022. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry in 2022, totaling a career-high 731 rushing yards that season. Last year, Herbert gained 611 on the ground, averaging 4.6 per tote.

The Bengals are 4-5 and have a difficult Week 10 assignment — a Thursday Ravens matchup in Baltimore — but they are not believed to be done adding at today’s deadline. Cincinnati continues to push for defensive help, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. The Bengals have regressed significantly on defense, ranking 25th to effectively remove Joe Burrow‘s margin for error on the other side of the ball. With the Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase–Tee Higgins troika perhaps in its final act together, it is understandable Cincy — its reputation for deadline inactivity notwithstanding — intends to explore more trades today.

Herbert will join Burrow and Co., being set to team with second-year RB Chase Brown. Both players came into the NFL with speed-based profiles. Herbert, 26, has a chance to assemble a free agency case with his second NFL team. Brown is signed through 2026, while Moss is attached to the Bengals through 2025. Though, Moss’ two-year, $8MM deal does not feature any 2025 guarantees. The Bears have Swift signed through 2027, and Johnson’s rookie contract goes through 2026.

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