2019 September - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Re-Sign WR Demaryius Thomas

September 2nd, 2019 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

Demaryius Thomas didn’t leave New England long enough for the team to even miss him. On Monday morning, the Patriots and Thomas agreed to a new one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

This was likely the plan all along. The Patriots wanted to place rookie N’Keal Harry on injured reserve while leaving the door open to his return in the second half of the season. That would not have been possible had they placed Harry on IR over the weekend. So, instead, they cut Thomas, placed Harry on IR on Monday, and re-signed Thomas moments later.

Thomas isn’t the player he once was, but he did show glimpses of his old self in preseason. In the Pats’ preseason finale, he caught seven passes for 87 yards and two scores.

Patriots Place N’Keal Harry On IR

September 2nd, 2019 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are placing rookie first-round pick N’Keal Harry on injured reserve, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The wide receiver has been battling an ankle injury all summer and he’ll need at least the rest of the fall to heal up.

The good news is that Harry is still expected to return this season. Per league rules, Harry must sit out a minimum of eight weeks before suiting up.

Harry has been sidelined since suffering an injury in the preseason opener. You wouldn’t know it from talking to him, but Bill Belichick is enthused to see what he can do once he’s on the field. Before taking the Arizona State product, Belichick had never before used a first round pick on a wide receiver.

Without Harry, look for the Patriots to lean even more on Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon. That is, if Edelman’s thumb heals up in time to take on the Steelers on Sunday.

Cardinals Add QB Kyle Sloter

September 2nd, 2019 at 10:38am CST by Zachary Links

Kyle Sloter, a preseason standout of the last few years, wasn’t out of work for long. The quarterback has agreed to join the Cardinals’ practice squad, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Sloter has since confirmed the move on social media.

The Vikings dropped Sloter and elected to go with just two quarterbacks in starter Kirk Cousins and backup Sean Mannion. Meanwhile, they added an additional layer of backup by adding UDFA Jake Browning to the practice squad.

Sloter’s latest preseason heroics came in the Vikings’ 20-9 win over the Cardinals, so the team saw what he’s capable of first hand. In the fourth quarter, alone the QB connected on six of his seven passes and threw for 102 yards and a TD.

The Cardinals weren’t the only team to show interest in Sloter – six teams called, Tomasson hears, including the Lions. Sloter will work to impress Arizona brass as he looks to make his first career regular season appearance.

Giants Trade B.J. Goodson To Packers

September 2nd, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants aren’t cutting B.J. Goodson after all. Moments after announcing his release, the Giants struck a deal to send him to the Packers, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. The Giants’ return is not yet known.

Goodson isn’t a star, but he does offer starting experience. With the Packers, he can provide depth at inside linebacker in wake of Oren Burks‘ pectoral injury.

“I’m not sure what’s really going on with ‘OB,’ but for what it is right now, there’s definitely an opportunity for all of us to step up and fill that role, for whoever it is that the coaches decide,” second-year pro James Crawford said after Burks suffered the injury against the Texans in preseason action.

Now, Goodson will be among those on hand to help out.

Browns Add RB Eli McGuire

September 2nd, 2019 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets didn’t have a place for Elijah McGuire, but the Browns did. On Monday, the Browns filled out their taxi squad by signing the running back as well as tackle Paul Adams.

On Saturday, the Jets bumped McGuire and kept an RB group of Le’Veon Bell, Ty Montgomery, Bilal Powell, and Trenton Cannon. McGuire drew solid reviews in Jets practice over the last two years, but his career 3.3 yards per carry average isn’t much to write home about.

Here’s what the Browns’ filled out ten-man practice squad* looks like, as of this writing:

1. T Paul Adams

2. DT Brandin Bryant

3. TE Stephen Carlson

4. WR Shelton Gibson

5. LB Willie Harvey

6. S J.T. Hassell

7. CB Robert Jackson

8. RB Elijah McGuire

9. WR Derrick Willies

10. C Willie Wright

*DB Tigie Sankoh (International Program Practice Squad)

Dolphins Cut Vincent Taylor

September 2nd, 2019 at 10:16am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have released defensive tackle Vincent Taylor, per a team announcement. To take his place, the club signed fellow DT John Jenkins. Meanwhile, the Dolphins also inked long snapper Taybor Pepper, which seals the end of John Denney‘s storied run with the team.

[RELATED: Dolphins Cut John Denney]

Taylor only played in eight games last year as a reserve before a foot injury knocked him out for the second half of the season. But, when he was on the field, he was one of the Dolphins’ most effective interior defensive linemen. Taylor, who tallied 27 tackles and two sacks, will now look for work elsewhere.

The Dolphins cut Denney on Monday afternoon, but there was some speculation that he could be brought back after some roster juggling. That, apparently, won’t be the case. The 40-year-old is out in Miami and a player 15 years his junior is taking his place.

Cowboys Add RB To Roster

September 2nd, 2019 at 10:09am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys are adding reinforcements as the Ezekiel Elliott saga drags. On Monday, they promoted running back Jordan Chunn to the 53-man roster. His roster spot will be freed up by placing Connor McGovern on injured reserve.

If Elliott doesn’t show for the season opener, Chunn would serve as the Cowboys’ No. 3 running back behind Tony Pollard and Alfred Morris. Dallas will also have fullback Jamize Olawale on hand to clear the way.

McGovern, a third-round pick, suffered a setback in August that will require some extra time to heal. If his torn pectoral muscle cooperates, he could still be eligible to return for the second half of the season, per league rules.

Giants Cut B.J. Goodson

September 2nd, 2019 at 10:00am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have released B.J. Goodson, their one-time starting middle linebacker. To take his place, the club added fellow ‘backer David Mayo.

As recently as June, Goodson profiled as the Giants’ base-set starter. Things changed, however, and the 26-year-old has been displaced from the only NFL team he’s ever known. Since being drafted in the fourth round in 2016, Goodson has appeared in 37 games with 20 starts for the G-Men. Last year, he notched 61 tackles, half a sack, and two interceptions.

Mayo, meanwhile, was dropped by the Niners on Saturday. Before he hooked on with SF, Mayo suited up for 59 games as a member of the Panthers across four seasons.

Falcons To Sign Keith Smith

September 2nd, 2019 at 9:03am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have signed former Raiders fullback Keith Smith to a one-year deal, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Smith was a surprise cut over the weekend but the Falcons were more than happy to scoop him up.

Smith, 27, was non-tendered by the Cowboys in 2018 and the Falcons were among the teams to show early interest. They missed out that March when he joined the Raiders, but they got their man just in time for the start of the 2019 campaign. Before the release, Smith was set to play out the backend of a two-year, $4.2MM deal with Oakland.

The Cowboys only used Smith on 12% of their snaps in 2017, but former Dallas special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia utilized him on more than 15% of the club’s offensive plays. In Atlanta, that number could climb even higher.

Bills To Meet With Josh Jones

September 2nd, 2019 at 8:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills will meet with safety Josh Jones on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Jones skipped the Packers’ OTAs to force a trade and Green Bay more or less obliged by cutting him late last month.

The Packers selected Jones in the second round of the 2017 draft and started him 12 games over his first two years in the league. However, he took a step back last year. Jones finished out with 55 tackles, one sack, and two passes defensed in 13 games (five starts) in 2018. Pro Football Focus ended up ranking Jones 70th among 93 eligible safeties.

Jones washed out in Green Bay, but he profiles as a potential low-risk, high-reward pickup for the Bills.