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Transactions News & Rumors

Jets To Sign Donte Moncrief

August 29th, 2020 at 9:54am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are set to sign Donte Moncrief (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The deal, pending a physical and COVID-19 testing, will give the Jets some sorely needed depth at wide receiver. 

[RELATED: Dolphins Trade Kalen Ballage To Jets]

Moncrief made his name with the Colts, playing as a featured regular in Andrew Luck‘s offense. The former third-round pick totaled 13 touchdown receptions between the 2015-16 season and set a career-high in ’15 with 733 yards. Since then, things have been a bit rocky for the 27-year-old. Last year, he appeared a grand total of eight games for the Panthers and Steelers, resulting in four catches for 18 yards.

The Jets are curious to see what Moncrief can offer at this stage, especially since they’re dealing with a rash of injuries at WR. Newcomer Breshad Perriman and highly-touted rookie Denzel Mims are both banged up; ditto for reserves Vyncint Smith, Jeff Smith, and Lawrence Cager. That’s left the Jets with only a handful of recognizable receivers, including Jamison Crowder, Braxton Berrios, and Chris Hogan. Moncrief will look to show a bit of his old form and make the fast-approaching final cut.

Dolphins Trade LB Raekwon McMillan To Raiders

August 29th, 2020 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have agreed to trade linebacker Raekwon McMillan to the Raiders, according to a source who spoke with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). In exchange, the Raiders are sending a 2021 fourth-round pick to Miami, but they’ll also receive a 2021 fifth-round pick along with McMillan (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). 

[RELATED: Raiders’ Tyrell Williams Battling Labrum Tear]

In 2019, McMillan ranked as the Dolphins’ best defensive player, according to Pro Football Focus. Earlier this year, the Dolphins were said to be considering an extension for McMillan, but the pandemic threw a wrench into those talks. The Dolphins also had their doubts about McMillan’s pass coverage, and they were planning to mostly use him on run downs this year. DeVante Parker, Jesse Davis, Allen Hurns, and Jakeem Grant all received extensions recently, but the Dolphins ultimately did not want to lock down the young ‘backer.

McMillan, who has one year and $1.1MM left on his deal, will now try to make his case in Las Vegas. There, he’ll support a revamped linebacker group that previously had depth concerns, despite the additions of Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski.

McMillan wasn’t the right fit for Brian Flores‘ 3-4 hybrid scheme, but he could fare better with Jon Gruden. He comes to the Raiders with ample experience, having started 28 of his 29 games since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2017.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/20

August 28th, 2020 at 4:18pm CST by Rory Parks

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves in this post. In addition to the transactions listed below, note that Broncos DT Joel Heath and Giants CB Shakial Taylor, who had previously been listed as cut, actually opted out of the 2020 season. As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, both players were reinstated to their teams’ rosters and placed on the Reserve/Opt-Out List. The full (and final) opt-out tracker can be found here:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Cardinals Cut CB B.W. Webb

August 27th, 2020 at 4:57pm CST by Ben Levine

B.W. Webb‘s stint with the Cardinals lasted all of (*checks calendar*) six days. ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter) that Arizona has cut the veteran cornerback.

The Cardinals signed the 30-year-old to a one-year deal last Friday, and it was believed he’d fill in for the injured Robert Alford (who suffered a season-ending pec injury). However, the team has since added some depth to their secondary, as they signed both Ken Crawley and Dre Kirkpatrick. With the cornerbacks room getting increasingly crowded, the Cardinals apparently saw no use for Webb.

It was only last offseason that Webb was able to snag a two-year, $10.5MM deal from the Bengals, but he only lasted a single season in Cincinnati. He ultimately started 12 of his 15 games in 2019, compiling 37 tackles, one interception, and seven passes defended. He was released by Cincy back in March.

However, he had a stronger season in 2018 as a member of the Giants. As our own Zach Links pointed out last week, Webb ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No.77 cornerback, putting him on the same tier as the likes of Morris Claiborne, Marcus Peters, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Jimmy Smith. Thanks in part to those metrics, it wouldn’t be shocking if Webb catches on with another squad before the season begins.

Bills Cut Stephen Hauschka

August 27th, 2020 at 3:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills parted ways with one-time fantasy football hero Stephen Hauschka. With the veteran kicker out of the picture, they’ll turn the job over to Georgia Southern product Tyler Bass.

[RELATED: Bills, Ravens Monitoring Ziggy Ansah]

Hauschka spent the bulk of his career with the Seahawks and had stops with the Ravens and Broncos before landing with the Bills in 2017. In his first Buffalo season, he converted 87.9% of his field goals. Since then, he’s gone 22-of-28 in each of his last two campaigns. Last year, the 35-year-old struggled from deep range, going just 1-for-5 on kicks of 50+ yards. After watching him compete with Bass – a sixth-round pick – the Bills have decided to go in a younger (and cheaper) direction.

By cutting Hauschka, the Bills will save $1.55MM against the 2020 cap while carrying an equal amount as a dead money hit.

Eagles’ Andre Dillard Done For Year

August 27th, 2020 at 3:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The hits just keep on coming for the Eagles’ offensive line. Andre Dillard has been ruled out for the season with a biceps injury, as NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Dillard, a 2019 first-round pick, was reportedly having an inconsistent camp, following his up-and-down rookie campaign. Still, it’s a bad break for an Eagles O-Line that has already been spread thin by injuries.

[RELATED: Eagles, Ertz Resume Negotiations]

As Dillard gets set for surgery, the Eagles will scramble for solutions. They managed to quickly replace guard Brandon Brooks by re-signing Jason Peters (and shifting him to the interior), but Dillard’s absence creates a whole new problem for the Birds. Peters, in theory, could return to his usual post, but the Eagles would then have to figure out their right guard situation all over again.

If they put Peters at left tackle, the Eagles could draw from their current group of guards which includes Matt Pryor and fourth-round pick Jack Driscoll. They could also take things down to the wire by waiting a few days to see what shakes loose after cutdowns. There will undoubtedly be a number of proven guards and tackles available when teams trim down their rosters, but any new addition will have to learn the scheme in a hurry.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/20

August 27th, 2020 at 3:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

  • Released: P Lachlan Edwards

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Waived: LS Wes Farnsworth

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

 

New York Giants

  • Signed: RB Tavien Feaster
  • Released: WR Tony Brown

New York Jets

  • Released: RB Pete Guerriero

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Dolphins Trade Kalen Ballage To Jets

August 27th, 2020 at 1:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Dolphins toldd Kalen Ballage that he was getting cut. Instead, they’re trading the running back to the rival Jets, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In exchange, Miami will receive a conditional late-round draft choice.

It’s a situation that plays out often in the NFL. Before formally releasing a player, teams will often leak word of their impending release to reporters. That sometimes prompts teams further down the waiver wire to make a call. In this case, it worked out for the Dolphins, who will be receiving something, rather than nothing, for their former fourth-round pick.

In an admittedly small sample size of 36 carries, Ballage averaged 5.3 yards per attempt as a rookie. He was far less impressive last season, but the Jets could find a role for him behind starter Le’Veon Bell and RB2 Frank Gore.

49ers Sign WR Kevin White

August 27th, 2020 at 1:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have signed Kevin White, per a club announcement. This marks yet another stop for the former No. 7 overall pick, who has yet to realize his potential as a pro. 

White, a West Virginia product, came out of West Virginia with tons of hype. The Bears jumped at the chance to grab him in 2015, but injuries have limited him ever since. Over the last five years, he’s played in just 14 games. And, in the last ~365 days, he’s been pretty much off the radar. The Cardinals were his last employer, and they cut him in August of 2019.

All in all, White has 25 career catches for 285 yards and zero touchdowns. Still, he’s coming into his age-28 season, so there’s reason to believe that he can get back on the right track.

SF already added Tavon Austin and J.J. Nelson, but the team is dealing with a host of injuries. Deebo Samuel remains out with his foot fracture, while Richie James is battling a broken hand. First-round pick Brandon Aiyuk is dealing with a hamstring injury, further clouding the 49ers’ potential first-string wideout picture. Jalen Hurd also suffered an ACL tear recently, with that setback following Travis Benjamin‘s opt-out decision. Meanwhile, they’ve released Jaron Brown with an injury designation.

Dolphins Cut Kalen Ballage

August 27th, 2020 at 8:57am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are set to release running back Kalen Ballage, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Ballage had lots of hype as a rookie in 2018, but the former fourth-round pick managed just 135 yards off of 74 carries last year. 

[RELATED: Dolphins’ Vince Biegel Tears Achilles]

Ballage, a taller-than-average RB at 6’3″, averaged 4.4 yards per carry while at Arizona State. As a rookie, he showed promise as a supporting cast member behind Kenyan Drake and veteran Frank Gore. In an admittedly small sample size of 36 carries, Ballage averaged 5.3 yards per attempt. Unfortunately, he regressed in 2019 and failed to make significant strides as a receiver.

Now, the league’s 31 other teams will have an opportunity to claim Ballage off of the waiver wire. If he is not picked up in the next 24 hours, the 24-year-old will be free to sign with any club of his choosing.

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