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Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/24

September 16th, 2024 at 8:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Peyton Hendershot made headlines in Week 1, with the tight end earning a fine after participating in a shoving match in defense of QB Patrick Mahomes. Hendershot wasn’t even active for that contest, but he made his Chiefs debut yesterday and got into seven special teams snaps. The former UDFA out of Indiana was traded by the Cowboys to the Chiefs at the end of August. As DLLS’s Clarence Hill Jr. notes, today’s move means the Cowboys won’t receive the 2026 conditional seventh-round pick from the Chiefs.

Giants’ Graham Gano Facing Multi-Week Absence

September 16th, 2024 at 8:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

Graham Gano was added to the Giants’ injury report on Saturday with a groin issue. The veteran kicker then suffered a hamstring injury on the opening kickoff of New York’s Week 2 loss, and the latter ailment has him set to miss time.

When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Brian Daboll said Gano will be sidelined for “a few weeks” (h/t ESPN’s Jordan Raanan). Daboll added the team will host free agent workouts to evaluate options, while Jude McAtamney is currently in place on the practice squad. This marks the second consecutive season in which Gano has suffered an injury which requires a multi-week absence.

The 37-year-old was limited to eight games in 2023 due to a knee injury which required surgery and landed him on injured reserve. This latest ailment altered New York’s approach to Sunday’s game. Punter Jamie Gillan attempted an extra point after the team’s first touchdown but missed. The Giants then unsuccessfully attempted a two-point conversion after their other two scores, and were stopped on a fourth-and-four while within field range (under normal circumstances) late in the fourth quarter.

New York made history by scoring three touchdowns in a contest while not allowing any but still losing in regulation time. Missing Gano played a role in that, and replacing him during the coming days will be an obvious priority. With roughly $5.8MM in cap space, the team should be able to add a free agent kicker relatively easily. McAtamney does not have any regular season experience, so it would come as no surprise if a veteran option were to be added in short order.

Randy Bullock and Mason Crosby handled kicking duties for the Giants last season after Gano went down. Both are on the open market at the moment, as is Cade York (who spent time on New York’s practice squad in 2023 but did not see any game action). York briefly returned to the Browns before being traded to the Commanders. He was let go in favor of Austin Seibert, however, and it was the latter who went seven-for-seven on field goals yesterday to help Washington win.

Placing Gano on injured reserve would ensure at least a four-week absence. Keeping him on the active roster while injured for a shorter period will be an option, albeit an usual route given that teams typically only keep one available kicker in the fold at any given time. While a decision on that front is made, the Giants will once again look for a midseason replacement.

Falcons Place LB Nate Landman On IR

September 16th, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons got some bad news ahead of tonight’s showdown with the Eagles. The team announced that linebacker Nate Landman has been placed on injured reserve. The team also announced that they signed cornerback Kevin King to the active roster and elevated safety Dane Cruikshank from the practice squad.

[RELATED: Falcons Host Free Agent LBs]

Landman had already been ruled out for Monday Night Football after being sidelined with a calf injury throughout the week. It’s uncertain if this is related to the quad injury that the linebacker was fighting towards the end of the preseason. Landman started Atlanta’s season opener, appearing in about half of his team’s defensive snaps while contributing seven total tackles.

The former UDFA saw a limited role as a rookie before breaking out in 2023. Landman was inserted into the starting lineup following Troy Andersen‘s season-ending injury, and the fill-in proceeded to start 14 of his 16 appearances. The Colorado product finished the campaign with 110 tackles, two sacks, and three forced fumbles.

Fortunately for the Falcons, there’s still plenty of ILB depth on the roster. Kaden Elliss obviously leads the depth chart, and Andersen got into 31 defensive snaps during his return in Week 1. The Falcons are also rostering fifth-round rookie JD Bertrand. Still, that didn’t stop the organization from at least exploring some outside help. We learned late last week that the team hosted free agent linebackers Kwon Alexander, Rashaan Evans, and Josh Woods.

King got into a handful of snaps for the Falcons in Week 1, the first time he’s seen the field for a regular season game since the 2021 campaign. The former Packers starter is one of six CBs on the active roster, although Antonio Hamilton will be sidelined again tonight as he recovers from a groin injury. Cruikshank has bounced around the NFL in recent seasons and could make his 2024 debut tonight.

Ravens To Sign DL Chris Wormley

September 16th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens are set to reunite with a familiar face along the defensive line. Chris Wormley worked out with the team on Monday and he has a deal in place, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. This will be a practice squad arrangement, he adds.

Wormley began his career in Baltimore in 2017. He spent his first three seasons with the team, making 39 appearances and 15 starts during that span. The former third-rounder’s playing time increased with each passing campaign, but ahead of the final year of his rookie contract he was traded to the Steelers.

Pittsburgh used Wormley sparingly during his first season there, but he did enough to land a two-year contract. That pact proved to be worthwhile during the 2021 campaign in particular, when the Michigan alum started 14 games and easily set a career high with seven sacks. He returned to rotational duties the following season and departed as a free agent by joining the Panthers.

Wormely made just five appearances last season and only totaled 46 defensive snaps. As a result, it came as no surprise the Panthers did not elect to retain him or that he remained on the open market well into the start of the regular season. This Baltimore pact will give him the opportunity to work his way back onto an active roster in relatively short order, though.

The Ravens lost a number of key defenders during the offseason, but their defensive line remained intact. Nnamdi Madubuike, Michael Pierce, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington and Brent Urban are all returnees from the 2023 campaign. Wormley thus has plenty of competition for a roster spot and playing time, but he will provide veteran D-line depth at a minimum upon returning to his original team.

Dolphins To Sign QB Tyler Huntley Off Ravens’ Practice Squad

September 16th, 2024 at 9:44am CST by Adam La Rose

In need of a quarterback addition, the Dolphins have found a passer capable of stepping into the backup role. Miami is set to sign Tyler Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during the Dolphins’ Week 2 loss, and given his history of head injuries a long absence would not come as a surprise. In the wake of that development, head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed the team would be in the market for a signal-caller. Huntley – who spent the offseason with Cleveland before returning to Baltimore – will serve as Miami’s backup while Skylar Thompson handles starting duties.

Thompson started the final two games of the 2022 regular season as well as Miami’s wild-card loss that season while filling in for Tagovailoa. The former seventh-rounder did not see any game action last year, but he managed to win the backup competition over Mike White during the 2024 offseason. Thompson is thus positioned to lead the team’s offense for the foreseeable future, but the Dolphins have elected against promoting Tim Boyle from the practice squad for the QB2 spot.

Instead, Huntley will be brought in from outside the organization. The former UDFA spent much of his Ravens tenure as Lamar Jackson‘s backup, and he totaled 10 regular and postseason starts when Jackson missed time over the past three years. Huntley, 26, has amassed 509 rushing yards in his career (along with another 86 in the playoffs) while operating as a dual-threat quarterback. His passing totals – eight touchdowns, seven interceptions, 5.7 yards per attempt – leave plenty of room for improvement, though.

Baltimore chose to keep Josh Johnson in second on the quarterback depth chart this spring, which paved the way for Huntley’s departure. The Utah alum took a league-minimum pact with the Browns as they sorted out their depth options without Joe Flacco in place as QB2. To no surprise, veteran Jameis Winston earned the backup gig, and Cleveland also has Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the fold. That allowed Huntley to released as part of the team’s final roster cuts, something which was quickly followed up by his Ravens reunion.

That has proven to be short lived, as Huntley will now turn his attention to learning Miami’s offense. The progress Tagovailoa makes over the coming weeks will be a central storyline for the Dolphins, as will Thompson’s performances under center. The team will have a new backup option moving forward, though. For Baltimore, meanwhile, Huntley’s departure will leave the team with sixth-round rookie Devin Leary as the lone signal-caller on the taxi squad.

49ers To Place RB Christian McCaffrey On IR

September 14th, 2024 at 10:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Christian McCaffrey is officially out for at least the next month. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the 49ers are placing their star running back on injured reserve.

NFL Network Ian Rapoport says the team is hoping McCaffrey will be ready to play when first eligible in Week 6. That October 10th showdown with the Seahawks could end up marking the running back’s season debut, although ESPN’s Nick Wagoner cautions that it’s “no guarantee” that McCaffrey is ready by that date, and Rapoport added that CMC could be sidelined for six weeks, and possibly longer (video link).

McCaffrey was limited with calf issues during the preseason and the practices preceding Week 1, leading to him being a sudden inactive for the team’s season opener. It’s since been revealed that the RB is dealing with a serious case of Achilles tendinitis, although both the player and the team expressed some optimism that the star would be back for Week 2. At the very least, there was optimism that McCaffrey would only have to miss one more game.

However, the organization’s tone changed over the past 24 hours. Yesterday, coach Kyle Shanahan definitively ruled out McCaffrey for Week 2 while also admitting that an IR stint was a real possibility. Now, the team will be rolling without their top offensive weapon for at least the next four games.

Jordan Mason had a breakout performance while filling in for his star teammate. The running back finished Week 1 with 152 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown, and it sounds like the third-year back will continue to lead the depth chart.

The team actually didn’t give any carries to backups Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor, with wideout Deebo Samuel getting eight rushing attempts of his own. When asked about the receiver’s usage in the running game, Shanahan said it would be a “game by game proposition” (per Wagoner). The head coach also expressed trust in Guerendo and Taylor, so perhaps we’ll see more of the duo in the coming weeks.

Patriots T Chukwuma Okorafor Leaves Team

September 14th, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots made a pair of transactions today ahead of their matchup tomorrow with the Seahawks. One of those transactions was essentially an announcement as offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor was placed on the exempt/left squad list, per Patriots staff writer Evan Lazar.

According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Okorafor informed the team that he would be leaving. As Kyed puts it, “the team’s understanding is that this is not a temporary decision” as Okorafor “has been checked out mentally over the past month or so.” These events must have taken place in the last 24 hours or so as Okorafor was present in the locker room yesterday. This is the second year in a row that New England has seen a player voluntarily walk away, though quarterback Matt Corral did not give notice of his departure before leaving the team last season.

After six years of playing right tackle for the Steelers, Okorafor was asked to step in as a left tackle for New England in 2024 after the departure of Trent Brown this offseason. In 12 snaps of football during the team’s Week 1 game against the Bengals, Okorafor was asked to pass block six times. In those six passing snaps, Okorafor allowed three quarterback pressures. He was quickly replaced by Vederian Lowe, who played on the first-team offense for the remainder of the game.

Lowe seems to be the next man up as the Patriots move forward without Okorafor. A former sixth-round pick for the Vikings in 2022, Lowe was traded to the Patriots last year for a 2024 sixth-rounder and made eight starts in 11 games for New England at both left and right tackle. The swingman will once again be asked to step into a starting role.

In addition to placing Okorafor on the exempt/left squad list, the team also called up offensive guard Michael Jordan as a standard gameday practice squad elevation for the second straight week. Jordan was promoted in Week 1 as the Patriots expected starting guard Sidy Sow to miss the game with an ankle injury. Jordan ended up starting the game and playing all 64 snaps at left guard. With Sow expected to miss this week’s game, as well, Jordan could be lined up with the first-team offense, once again.

Practice squad players can only be called up as gameday elevations twice, so if the team has plans to start, or even play, Jordan any more after this week, they will need to sign him to the active roster. After doing so, they can still cut Jordan and return him to the practice squad, where he can be called up twice again.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/24

September 14th, 2024 at 8:06pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor transactions and gameday practice squad callups:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Patrick was among the Broncos’ final roster cuts after a Saints trade was discussed. The 30-year-old missed the 2022 and ’23 campaigns due to ACL and Achilles tears, respectively. Patrick did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity, though, quickly landing a practice squad deal with the Lions. He is now positioned make his season debut tomorrow as a complementary option in Detroit’s passing attack.

Olszewski is dealing with a groin injury and he was known to be facing a long-term absence. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise, but it ensures at least a four-week absence. The former All-Pro scored a punt return touchdown with Pittsburgh early last season and added another during his 10-game Giants stretch to close out the year. The team will need to rely on other options in the return game for the time being.

Rams Waive S Russ Yeast

September 14th, 2024 at 4:21pm CST by Ely Allen

The Rams made a number of roster moves in advance of their Week 2 trip to Arizona. Among those moves, Los Angeles made the decision to place defensive back Russ Yeast on injured reserve.

Yeast is in his third season since getting drafted in the seventh round by the Rams. He played a bit of a reserve role as a rookie in 2022, making one start as a fifth defensive back in 15 game appearances. Yeast followed that up with a more impactful 2023 campaign, starting nine of 17 games and recording 61 total tackles and five passes defensed. Yeast played all over the field last year, spending most of his time at safety but playing a healthy number of snaps in the slot and in the box.

Yeast entered the year as the presumed starting nickelback for Los Angeles, but in the season opener in Detroit, Yeast only appeared on the field for one defensive snap. Not yet a vested veteran, Yeast will be subjected to the waiver wire, where any team can claim him if they so desire. In his place, Quentin Lake will take over that nickel role. Lake started four games late into last year before taking the starting role in the opener last week. Lake was drafted a round before Yeast back in 2022, and the two have jockeyed for preference on the depth chart ever since.

Taking Yeast’s spot on the active roster will be practice squad cornerback Cam Lampkin. Lampkin was originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State. He failed to make the initial 53-man roster but was signed to the practice squad, where he remained until today’s promotion.

Joining Lampkin off the practice squad as standard gameday elevations are offensive lineman Justin Dedich and tight end Nikola Kalinic. Both players will revert back to the practice squad after tomorrow’s contest.

Bears Place G Ryan Bates On IR

September 14th, 2024 at 2:36pm CST by Ely Allen

As the Bears prepare for a Week 2 trip to Houston, they will be doing so without a key depth piece on the offensive line. According to Bears senior writer Larry Mayer, interior offensive lineman Ryan Bates will find his way to injured reserve.

Bates was traded to Chicago early in the offseason this year after five seasons with the Bills. Since entering the league in 2019, Bates has made 19 starts in 73 game appearances, spending only one season as a full-time starter. Upon arriving in Chicago, Bates immediately entered into a position battle at center, losing out to current Bears starter Coleman Shelton.

Even though he lost out on the center job, Bates became an instant competitor for snaps at an uncertain right guard spot. Despite seeing Nate Davis start at right guard, Week 1 saw Bates split time at the position, actually dominating the snaps in the game 38 to 18. With Bates going on IR, Davis will be relied upon more heavily in Week 2.

Taking Bates’ spot on the active roster will be long snapper Scott Daly. This transaction felt inevitable after the Bears placed long-time long snapper Patrick Scales on IR back in August. Daly was elevated off the practice for Week 1, but practice squad players can only be elevated twice off of one contract. With a roster spot opening up, Chicago took advantage and promoted Daly, as Scales will be forced to miss at least three more games.

Joining Daly from the practice squad will be wide receiver Collin Johnson, who will come up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation. Johnson flashed in this year’s Hall of Fame Game, catching two touchdowns from quarterback Brett Rypien but missed the rest of the preseason with an injury. The former fifth-round pick out of Texas will get another regular season opportunity tomorrow before being relegated back to the practice squad after the game.

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