Dolphins Claim Cody Parkey
The Dolphins have claimed kicker Cody Parkey off waivers from the Browns, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Parkey will provide competition for incumbent Andrew Franks, who missed a 40-yard field goal in the team’s final preseason contest on Thursday.
Parkey made 80% of his field goal attempts (20-of-25) for Cleveland last season, while Franks connected on just 76.2% of his attempts (16-of-21) for Miami in 2016.
Saints Claim WR Austin Carr, QB Taysom Hill
The Saints have claimed wide receiver Austin Carr from the Patriots and quarterback Taysom Hill from the Packers, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
Both Carr (Northwestern) and Hill (BYU) went undrafted earlier this year. Carr, a preseason standout, will become the Saints’ fifth receiver after the club kept only Willie Snead, Ted Ginn Jr., Michael Thomas, and Brandon Coleman on Saturday. Hill, meanwhile, is now New Orleans’ third quarterback behind Drew Brees and Chase Daniel.
Browns Claim WR Kasen Williams
The Browns claimed wide receiver Kasen Williams off of waivers from the Seahawks, Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets.
Williams, 24, has appeared in only three games for Seattle over the last two years. He broke out during the preseason, but, to the dismay of many Seahawks fans, he did not make the final cut. Williams finished as the team’s top receiver with nine catches, 208 yards, one touchdown, and perhaps the best August highlight reel of anyone this year.
The Browns also acquired Sammie Coates from the Steelers over the weekend to give themselves some additional depth behind Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman. Williams will presumably occupy the No. 5 or 6 WR spot on the depth chart for now, but he could play his way into a larger role.
Colts Claim Matt Jones
Matt Jones is finally off the Redskins and with another club. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter), the Colts have claimed the former Washington running back off waivers.
Jones fell out of favor with Washington early last season, his second year in the league, and he found himself on the trading block shortly thereafter. Jones’ former agent lobbied for a release in June, and Jones then switched representation to Drew Rosenhaus. Being a former third-round pick whose yards-per-carry average spiked by more than a yard to 4.6 per tote last season, Jones has plenty of promise, but his fumbling issues are a major concern; he has fumbled eight times over the past two seasons.
Still, Indianapolis makes plenty of sense as a landing spot. While the Colts currently employ the ageless Frank Gore as their starting running back, Father Time figures to catch up with Gore sooner rather than later, and Jones and rookie Marlon Mack could make a youthful and talented one-two punch in the Indianapolis backfield.
Chargers Claim Michael Schofield Off Waivers
Michael Schofield was claimed by the Chargers, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post tweets. The Broncos waived the offensive lineman on Saturday as they cut down to a 53-man roster.
Schofield has appeared in and started in 29 contests for the Broncos over the last two years. This summer, he asked for a trade when it became clear that he would not make the cut. The Broncos tried, but could not find any takers.
Last year, Schofield finished out as the No. 48 ranked guard in the NFL out of 75 qualified players. He’s not a world beater by any means, but the Bolts need all the help they can get on the offensive line. Second round pick Forrest Lamp is out for the year with a torn ACL and interior lineman Max Tuerk is suspended through Week 4 after violating the league’s PED policy.
Panthers Claim QB Brad Kaaya
The Panthers have claimed quarterback Brad Kaaya off waivers from the Lions, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link).
Kaaya, 21, had been in the first-round discussion as recently as 2015, but a poor 2016 campaign at Miami caused him to fall to Round 6. Detroit waived him yesterday, opting to go forward with only Jake Rudock behind starter Matthew Stafford.
Carolina only has two signal-callers — Cam Newton and Derek Anderson — on its current roster. Kaaya could either serve as the club’s third quarterback, or the Panthers could attempt to sneak him through waivers again with the intention of placing him on their practice squad.
Redskins Claim OL T.J. Clemmings
The Redskins have claimed offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings off waivers from the Vikings, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
Clemmings, 25, has started 30 games for Minnesota since being selected in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. However, he’s consistently graded as one of the worst offensive linemen in the NFL, earning poor marks at both guard and tackle.
Washington’s starting offensive line is set, but Clemmings will give the club a reserve option behind tackles Trent Williams and Morgan Moses and guards Brandon Scherff and Shawn Lauvao.
Jets Claim Will Tye
The Jets have claimed former Giants tight end Will Tye, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Tye, 27, had started 17 games for the Giants over the past two seasons. Since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015, Tye has averaged 45 receptions, 430 yards, and two touchdowns per year.
After drafting Evan Engram in the first round of this year’s draft, Big Blue did not have as much need for Tye. Gang Green, on the other hand, could use some tight end depth, especially while Austin Seferian-Jenkins serves a two-game suspension to open the season. ASJ has had a nice offseason, and the Jets do have a promising rookie, Jordan Leggett, waiting in the wings, but adding another reliable option at the tight end position makes plenty of sense.
Chargers To Place Denzel Perryman On IR
The Chargers will place linebacker Denzel Perryman on IR tomorrow, as GM Tom Telesco told the team’s official website (video link). The team hopes to bring Perryman back later in the year.
Telesco said, “He just had surgery last week so it’s slow right now, but the plan with him is that he’d come back at some point during the year.”
Perryman suffered an ankle injury during a preseason contest last month, and he was required to undergo surgery as a result. Perryman has been no stranger to injuries throughout his two-year career, as pectoral, shoulder, hamstring, and knee issues have sidelined him since he entered the league as a second-round draft pick in 2015. He’s been relatively effective when on the field, however, especially against the run. Last year, the 23-year-old Perryman started 11 games and played on 45% of the Chargers’ defensive snaps, racking up 71 tackles, two sacks, and grading as the league’s No. 43 linebacker in the process, per Pro Football Focus.
Perryman will be forced to miss the first eight weeks of the regular season as a result of being placed on IR, though he can begin practicing with the club after Week 6. Los Angeles has the depth to withstand a Perryman absence, especially given that he was only expected to be a two-down player thanks to his lack of coverage abilities.
Korey Toomer is expected to start in Perryman’s stead.
Su’a Cravens Reverses Retirement Decision
Redskins safety Su’a Cravens informed the club on Saturday that he intended to retire, but has reversed his decision (for now) after a meeting with Washington decision-makers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Cravens will be placed on NFI list which will rule him out for at least a month while the team helps him to alleviate some “issues,” per Schefter (Twitter link) and Mike Jones of The Washington Post (Twitter link).
Cravens, 22, has contemplated retirement before, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post, and while details are slim as to the reasons behind Cravens’ decision, injury issues could be one possibility. Cravens is now required to wear glasses full-time following a concussion in 2016, and brain injuries have caused young players to hang up their cleats in the past. A torn biceps ended Cravens’ season last year, meanwhile, and he’s currently recovering from knee surgery. However, it’s “more than a physical thing” that’s led Cravens to mull retirement, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
With veteran DeAngelo Hall starting the season on the physically unable to perform list, Washington has a vacancy at safety opposite D.J. Swearinger. Other defensive backs on the Redskins’ roster include Stefan McClure, Montae Nicholson, and DeShazor Everett.
Cravens, a second-round draft pick in 2016, appeared in 11 games and made three starts during his rookie campaign while playing both defensive back and linebacker. He’d been expected to shift to safety full-time for the 2017 season.