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Panthers Place TE Ian Thomas On IR

September 7th, 2024 at 12:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Ian Thomas is set to miss at least the first four weeks of the 2024 campaign. The Panthers announced that they’ve placed the tight end on injured reserve with a calf injury. To take Thomas’s place, Feleipe Franks has been signed to the active roster.

Thomas has been dealing with a nagging calf injury since the early part of training camp. He was already ruled out for Week 1, but it sounds like he’ll need at least an additional three weeks to recover.

The 2018 fourth-round pick has spent his entire career in Carolina. Despite getting into more snaps following the departure of Greg Olsen, Thomas hasn’t translated the extra playing time into offensive production. While starting 38 of his 50 appearances between 2020 and 2022, Thomas hauled in a total of 59 catches for 530 yards and one touchdown. He finished with a career-low five catches in 2023, with the veteran finding himself behind Tommy Tremble and Hayden Hurst on the depth chart.

Thomas could have been in line for more snaps in 2024, at least in the interim. Tremble is uncertain for tomorrow’s season opener, so the Panthers may have to rely on fourth-round rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders. The team is also rostering former WR Jordan Matthews and recent addition Messiah Swinson. Franks will now be joining that group. The former QB moved to the TE position with the Falcons in 2022, and after spending the 2023 season on IR, he stuck around Carolina’s practice squad as a tight end heading into the 2024 campaign.

The Panthers announced a handful of additional moves today. The team signed defensive tackle Jayden Peevy to the active roster, elevated running back Mike Boone and cornerback Lonnie Johnson from the practice squad, and waived cornerback Keenan Isaac.

Jets To Place OL Wes Schweitzer On IR

September 7th, 2024 at 11:56am CST by Ben Levine

After missing a significant chunk of his first season in New York, Wes Schweitzer will once again visit injured reserve. The Jets offensive lineman is heading to IR, according to coach Robert Saleh (via Brian Costello of the New York Post).

Schweitzer popped up on Thursday’s injury report with a hand injury. While the severity of the injury is unknown, there’s a good chance the veteran will only have a minimum stay on IR.

After inking a two-year contract with the Jets last offseason, Schweitzer twice landed on IR in 2023 with a calf injury. He was ultimately limited to six games (two starts) during his first season with the squad. In the meantime, Joe Tippmann officially solidified himself as the team’s starting center. Schweitzer is expected to play a backup role in 2024, but that gig will temporarily be held by 2023 UDFA Xavier Newman.

Injuries have been a theme for Schweitzer over the past three years, as he was limited to 18 games during his final two seasons in Washington between 2021 and 2022. Prior to that, the lineman started 54 of his 73 appearances in stints with Washington and Atlanta.

Pro Football Focus generally graded the former sixth-round pick as a middle-of-the-road lineman during his early seasons in the NFL, and the recent injuries haven’t helped his performance. The impending free agent will have to show he’s healthy in 2024 if he hopes to get a gig in 2025.

Dolphins Extend CB Jalen Ramsey

September 6th, 2024 at 10:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

In advance of his second Dolphins season, Jalen Ramsey has agreed to another big-ticket deal. The All-Pro corner has worked out a three-year, $72.3MM extension, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Cameron Wolfe. Head coach Mike McDaniel has since confirmed the news.

This pact will include $55.3MM guaranteed, Rapoport adds. Ramsey and the Dolphins worked out the agreement a few days ago, but the news has now broken in preparation for his return to the practice field. Ramsey is a candidate to suit up for Week 1 on Sunday with the title of the league’s highest-paid corner.

Patrick Surtain moved the top of the position’s market forward earlier this week when he agreed to a Broncos extension averaging $24MM per season. Ramsey’s deal checks in at $24.1MM annually. The 31-year-old had two years remaining on his existing pact (the five-year, $100MM extension he inked in 2020), one which was restructured this spring to clear 2024 cap space. No guaranteed salary was in place for 2025, but that will no doubt change in the wake of today’s news.

Acquired via trade with the Rams last offseason, Ramsey was limited to 10 games in his debut Miami campaign due to a knee injury. He recorded three interceptions and five pass deflections during that span, though, and returned in time for the team’s wild-card game. The former No. 6 pick earned his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl nod in 2023, setting himself up another notable payday. Ramsey rose to the top of the pecking order on his 2020 deal, and he has now managed to replicate that feat four years later.

The Dolphins moved on from Xavien Howard this offseason, one in which Kendall Fuller was added in free agency. The Ramsey-Fuller tandem will be counted on to anchor the team’s secondary as Miami has a number of inexperienced options on the depth chart, although it remains to be seen if they will both be on the field for Week 1. McDaniel- who himself recently landed a multi-year extension – noted during his Thursday press availability that he is unsure if Ramsey will get enough practice time in between now and the season opener to be able to play (h/t Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald).

Miami has qualified for the postseason in each of the past two years, bowing out in the wild-card round both times. The team will be expected to improve in that regard in 2024, with many key players on offense (quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in particular) landing sizable new contracts to remain in place for the foreseeable future. The Dolphins ranked 15th against the pass last year, so taking a step forward in that regard will be a goal for the coming campaign. Ramsey is positioned to handle a central role in that effort through the 2028 campaign.

Just like the Surtain deal, this pact will represent a target for extension-eligible corners next offseason. The likes of Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley and Jaycee Horn will be in line for new deals in the spring. The previous high point for the position in terms of AAV was $21MM, but a new benchmark has been established. It will be interesting to see how the market takes shape once the next wave of monster extensions comes about in 2025.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/6/24

September 6th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Ely Allen

Practice squad updates to close out the week:

Green Bay Packers

  • Released from practice squad IR (with injury settlement): RB Nate McCrary

Houston Texans

New York Giants

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/24

September 6th, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor moves as we continue with Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season:

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

The Packers and Eagles both elect to utilize their two gameday practice squad elevations on the offensive side of the ball as they get their seasons started in São Paulo. With rookie third-round rusher MarShawn Lloyd out to start the season, Merriweather will add some depth at running back for Green Bay.

Philadelphia will use their callups to supplement an offensive line that has two players listed as out tonight and one on injured reserve. A normally deep tight ends group for the Birds sees Albert Okwuegbunam on IR, as well. Jenkins will back up Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra.

Commanders Release WR Byron Pringle

September 6th, 2024 at 5:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

Byron Pringle remained with the Commanders by taking a deal in July, but he is not in the fold for at least the time being. The veteran receiver was released on Friday, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: Recapping Commanders’ Offseason]

Pringle spent the 2023 campaign in Washington under offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy after the pair worked together in Kansas City. The 30-year-old was available for the full season, but he only started one contest and logged an offensive snap share of just 17%. That was balanced out by a notable special teams workload.

Not long after training camp started, Pringle inked a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum to remain with the Commanders. He survived roster cuts, but vested veterans have their base salaries ($1.13MM in this case) become fully guaranteed just before Week 1. For that reason, teams sometime elect to briefly cut such players immediately before the start of the season. It will be interesting to see if Pringle – whose deal does not include any money in the form of a signing bonus – is brought back in short order.

Washington moved on from 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson by trading him to the Eagles. That move was one of many which saw players added before the current Josh Harris/Adam Peters/Dan Quinn regime took over find new teams this offseason, and it came after a reported clash with Bieniemy which took place last year. Dotson was set operate as a complementary receiving option in 2024, but his absence has created a vacancy for that role.

Martavis Bryant‘s comeback efforts produced a Commanders contract, but he was let go ahead of the roster cutdown deadline. With Pringle out of the picture (for now, at a minimum), Washington’s receiver room is led by returnees Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown and Jamison Crowder, free agent addition Olamide Zaccheaus, third-round rookie Luke McCaffrey and recent pickup Noah Brown. The Commanders will save $985K in cap space via the Pringle release.

Commanders To Extend G Sam Cosmi

September 6th, 2024 at 3:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 6: Of the guarantee figure, $26.6MM is locked in at signing, per Over the Cap. That includes a $20MM signing bonus. Cosmi can earn six-figure per game roster bonuses every year as well as annual workout bonuses. His 2024 cap number now sits at $5.66MM, and it will jump to $10.5MM next year before roughly doubling after that point.

SEPTEMBER 4, 12:48pm: Cosmi agreed to a four-year, $74MM deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The contract includes more than $45MM guaranteed. At $18.5MM per year, Cosmi is now the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid guard. Pouring a bit of cold water on this value, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano indicates the $74MM number reflects the deal’s max payout. This would point to incentives being included. Full terms are not yet available.

11:27am: The Commanders’ offensive line features some questions ahead of Jayden Daniels‘ rookie season. Midlevel veteran free agents are in place at multiple spots, and a rookie third-round pick is set to debut at left tackle. But the team answered one long-term question today.

Sam Cosmi will be signed beyond 2024, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting the team’s right guard agreed to terms on a four-year extension. This will lock in the converted tackle through the 2028 season.

This will only be Cosmi’s second full season at guard. Washington used the 2021 second-round pick primarily at right tackle during this first two seasons, moving him inside in 2023. Cosmi played well at his second NFL spot, and the team’s new regime took notice. Cosmi will be the only Ron Rivera-era draft choice set to line up for Washington’s starting O-line in Week 1. The rest of the group will consist of free agency additions (Andrew Wylie, Tyler Biadasz, Nick Allegretti) and third-round rookie Brandon Coleman.

Pro Football Focus slotted Cosmi fourth overall among guards in 2023, reminding this positional switch of Teven Jenkins‘. The latter has been a much better guard for the Bears compared to his tackle work. Despite one less season at guard, Cosmi will beat his 2021 second-round classmate to the extension punch.

Cosmi, 25, started all 17 Washington games last season; he entered the 2023 campaign with 15 career starts. PFF deemed Cosmi an effective tackle as well, but the Commanders kicked him inside upon signing Wylie during Eric Bieniemy‘s OC one-off. Cosmi’s run blocking has stood out thus far, and the Commanders will count on the former Texas Longhorn in that department again this season.

PFF graded the Commanders’ O-line 24th as a whole last season, and the team made some changes. Peters’ regime cut left tackle Charles Leno and center Nick Gates, with those funds helping the team as it added both Biadasz and Allegretti. At $10MM per year, Biadasz entered the week as the Commanders’ highest-paid O-lineman. The terms on Cosmi’s deal, however, should be expected to change that.

Washington chose Cosmi 51st overall in 2021, doing so in the first draft in which Rivera collaborated with then-GM Martin Mayhew. The latter remains with Washington as an advisor to new GM Adam Peters. The two worked together in San Francisco. Mayhew remaining in place may have helped Cosmi’s cause, as the Commanders spent most of their offseason funds on free agents as opposed to extensions.

Steelers, Pat Freiermuth Agree To Extension

September 6th, 2024 at 12:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

To little surprise, a deal is now in place for Pat Freiermuth. The Steelers’ push for an extension in time for the start of the season has resulted in a long-term accord.

Team and player reached agreement on a four-year extension Friday, per his agency (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). Freiermuth will collect $48.4MM on his new deal. He was attached to the final year of his rookie contract for the coming campaign, so he will now be on the books through 2028. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette adds the pact includes $23.38MM guaranteed.

A report from earlier Friday pointed to the sides making progress toward a deal. As a result, this news comes as little surprise. Freiermuth played a key role in the Steelers’ offense during his first two seasons in the league, notching back-to-back years with 60 receptions. He scored nine touchdowns during that span, though his production took a step back in an injury-shortened 2023 campaign. At the age of 25, however, Freiermuth has emerged as a key figure in Pittsburgh’s long-term offensive planning.

The former second-rounder’s $12.1MM AAV ranks ninth at the position, in between Cole Kmet and Dalton Schultz. The top of the position’s market remains set with Travis Kelce, T.J. Hockenson and George Kittle leading the way, but Freiermuth was never expected to reach those heights on his second contract. He will nevertheless become one of the team’s top earners on the offensive side of the ball.

The Steelers have Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in place as an inexpensive quarterback tandem. Running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are on their rookie contracts, as are three starters on the offensive line. With Diontae Johnson no longer in the fold, George Pickens (who will not be eligible for an extension until next year) is in place as the team’s top receiver. Freiermuth’s cap charge will likely not spike to a cumbersome figure with this extension, but he will take up a larger piece of the allocated resources when general manager Omar Khan evaluates the offense in the future.

Questions linger entering the season about Pittsburgh’s depth in the receiving corps. Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, Scotty Miller and third-round rookie Roman Wilson will be counted on to complement Pickens after a trade agreement with the 49ers over Brandon Aiyuk did not result in a swap taking place. Aiyuk inked a San Francisco extension, leaving future cap resources available to Freiermuth and others. He will be expected to deliver a rebound in 2024 and beyond while playing out a lucrative new contract.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/5/24

September 5th, 2024 at 8:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: DL Tyler Manoa

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: RB Dillon Johnson

New York Giants

  • Signed: LB Carter Coughlin

Coughlin also appeared in today’s Minor NFL Transactions installment, but as a vested veteran, he does not need to clear waivers in order to join a team’s practice squad. Coughlin, who has been a core Giants special-teamer since 2020, re-signed with the team in March.

Browns Waive WR David Bell

September 5th, 2024 at 6:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns have used third-round picks on wide receivers three times under GM Andrew Berry. Two of those are now off the roster.

Chosen in the 2022 third round, David Bell made Cleveland’s initial 53-man roster. But the team informed the Purdue product Thursday he would be waived. While the Browns could bring Bell back via a practice squad agreement, the former No. 99 overall pick would need to clear waivers first.

Bell arrived in Cleveland in between the Anthony Schwartz (2020) and Cedric Tillman (2023) third-round investments. The Browns moved on from Schwartz last September. Tillman remains on Cleveland’s 53-man roster, which houses five receivers presently. Behind starters Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore, Tillman and rookie fifth-rounder Jamari Thrash remain. The Browns already have four receivers (Michael Woods, James Proche, Lideatrick Griffin and Jaelon Darden) on their practice squad.

One of Aidan O’Connell‘s targets at Purdue, Bell has been unable to make a big impact with the Browns. He scored three touchdowns last season but ended the year with 14 receptions for 167 yards in 15 games. A two-time 1,000-yard receiver with the Boilermakers, Bell accumulated 214 receiving yards as a rookie.

Cleveland’s receiver room now consists of three trade acquisitions and two homegrown draftees. The Bell cut also comes less than a year after the team traded Donovan Peoples-Jones, a 2020 sixth-round pick, in his contract year. Teams have until Friday afternoon to submit claims for Bell, who has two years remaining on his rookie contract.

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