Raiders To Waive LB Tanner Muse
The Raiders are waiving linebacker Tanner Muse (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The news comes as a surprise, given that Muse was a third-round pick just last year. 
Muse missed his entire rookie season with a toe injury. This summer, he’s seen reps with the first string unit while also working as a special teams player.
The Clemson product was first-team All-ACC in his final year on campus and drew league-wide attention. He registered 73 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, and a team-high four interceptions in 2019, prompting the Raiders to take him No. 100 overall in 2020.
It’s worth nothing that the move has not officially hit the NFL’s transactions wire yet. Given the 6’2″, 230-pounder’s potential, it’s possible that the Raiders could find a trade for Muse before he hits the waiver wire.
In any event, this marks a clear miss for GM Mike Mayock & Co. Muse was one of three Raiders third-round picks in 2020. Now, two of those players are gone — wide receiver Lynn Bowden was shipped to the Dolphins before the start of last season for a fourth-round choice.
Rams, Johnny Hekker Shorten Deal
Last week, punter Johnny Hekker agreed to rework his contract in order to stay with the Rams. As a part of the agreement, Hekker has the option to cancel his 2023 season in order to reach free agency one year earlier, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link). 
Hekker’s revised deal will allow him to earn up to $2.75M in 2021 and 2022. Then, in 2023, he can make as much as $3MM via incentives. The Rams, meanwhile, get approximately $1MM in additional cap space for this year.
The Rams had another option in Corey Bojorquez but they traded him to the Packers before final cuts. That paved the way for Hekker to stay put and keep his mantle as the Rams’ longest-tenured player.
The four-time first-team All-Pro has spent his entire career with the Rams, starting in St. Louis before moving on to Los Angeles. He’ll add another game to his perfect attendance streak on Sunday when the Rams open the season against the Bears.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Chicago Bears
- Waived: LB Josh Woods
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: DE Aaron Patrick
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: K Jose Borregales
Tennessee Titans
- W
- Waived: CB Chris Jones
Seahawks Sign Bless Austin
The Seahawks have signed cornerback Blessuan Austin (Twitter link via Dave Wyman of KCPQ). Austin will serve as a depth option for the ‘Hawks as they prepare to face the Colts on Sunday.
The Jets shopped Austin towards the end of the summer but couldn’t find a taker for him. Last week, they cut him loose in order to pick up linebacker Quincy Williams, the brother of defensive lineman Quinnen Williams.
Austin appeared in eleven games with ten starts last year, registering 63 stops, four passes defensed, one forced fumble, and three tackles for loss. Between his two Jets seasons, Austin registered 88 tackles and two forced fumbles across 18 games.
The 25-year-old Rutgers product now gets to reunite with old pal Jamal Adams while he supports the Seahawks’ CB group. For now, that leaves the Seahawks with six CBs in total — Sidney Jones, D.J. Reed, Tre Flowers, Tre Brown, and Nigel Warrior.
Dolphins Place LT Austin Jackson On COVID List
The Dolphins have placed left tackle Austin Jackson on the reserve/COVID-19 list. To fill his spot, they’ve elevated cornerback Jamal Perry to the main roster. 
[RELATED: Dolphins Place Shaheen On COVID-19 List]
Jackson was set to start in the Dolphins’ season opener against the Pats. In his place, the ‘Fins will likely turn to Greg Little. Barring any setbacks, Jackson should be eligible to play in Week 2 when the Dolphins face the Bills.
Jackson was the second of three Round 1 choices that the Dolphins had in 2020. He was thrown into the fire right away and showed promise at times, despite a mid-season foot injury. However, it hasn’t been a stellar summer for him. Positive test aside, the Dolphins’ recent acquisition of Little signaled shaky confidence in the USC product.
Jackson will be joined on the COVID-19 list by tight end Adam Shaheen.
Dolphins Place Adam Shaheen On COVID-19 List
Dolphins tight end Adam Shaheen has tested positive for COVID-19 (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). He’ll be placed on the COVID list for now, which will rule him out for Sunday’s season opener against the Patriots.
Fortunately, Shaheen is not experiencing any major symptoms. However, since he’s unvaccinated, league rules will mandate a minimum of ten days on the COVID reserve list.
The Dolphins acquired Shaheen — a former second-round pick — from the Bears in 2019 for a conditional seventh-round pick. Then, in October of 2020, they re-upped him on a two-year, $7.85MM deal with $3.2MM guaranteed.
Shaheen didn’t live up to expectations in Chicago, due in large part to injuries. All in all, he had 26 receptions for 249 yards and four touchdowns in 27 Bears games, out of a possible 48. With the Dolphins, he’s managed to stay healthy while serving as a solid blocking tight end. In a full slate last year, he went 12/150/3 on 32.8% of the team’s snaps.
Cowboys Re-Sign Bryan Anger
The Cowboys have re-signed Bryan Anger, per a club announcement. Anger was dropped as a part of the Cowboys’ final cuts but they did not sign another punter to replace him.
Anger spent 2019 and 2020 with the Texans, where he cleared 46 yards per punt in each campaign. In March, Houston cleared his contract from the books to save $2MM against the cap. Anger has also spent time with the Buccaneers and Jaguars, but he’s perhaps best known for being a punter that was drafted in the third round. The Cowboys inked him to a one-year deal in April, putting him in competition with Hunter Niswander for the job.
The Cowboys won’t have to make any additional cuts since right guard Zack Martin and offensive lineman Brandon Knight recently landed on the COVID-19 reserve list.
Saints To Re-Sign Chris Hogan, Trevor Siemian
They weren’t gone for long. On Sunday, the Saints re-signed wide receiver Chris Hogan and quarterback Trevor Siemian (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). 
Hogan delayed a professional lacrosse career to return to the NFL this summer. The two-time Super Bowl champ signed with the Saints back in July and missed the final cut, but that had more to do with the roster shuffle than anything. After his Patriots run, Hogan spent 2019 with the Panthers and 2020 with the Jets, though both years were marred by injuries. In his five games with Gang Green last year, Hogan had 14 catches for 118 yards. He’ll turn 33 in October and will serve as depth while star Michael Thomas works his way back to the field.
Siemian also lost his spot on Aug. 31, but he was expected to return all along. The veteran will operate as Jameis Winston‘s backup on game days while Taysom Hill occupies a variety of other roles and special teams functions. Siemian, a seventh-round pick of the Broncos in 2015, became Denver’s starter after Peyton Manning retired. He started 24 games for the Broncos between 2016-17, and has bounced around with a few different teams as a backup or third-string since losing that gig. His only recent live action came in one start with the Jets in 2019, when he suffered a devastating ankle injury.
49ers Sign Josh Norman
The 49ers have agreed to sign cornerback Josh Norman, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The former Pro Bowler can earn up to $2.5MM on the one-year pact, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 
We haven’t heard much about Norman in recent months, but he’s secured a new deal with just days to go before the start of the season. The veteran signed a one-year, $6MM deal with the Bills last year, making him one of several ex-Panthers to rejoin Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane in that cycle. However, a hamstring injury and a stint on the COVID-19 list cost him much of the year games. Norman finished 2019 with 24 stops and one interception in nine games.
Before that, Norman was once considered one of the best corners in the league. His best work came during his time with the Panthers. He dominated in 2015, playing a key role in their run to Super Bowl 50. He intercepted four passes that year, taking two back for touchdowns. It remains one of the best contract-year performances in modern NFL history. The Panthers rescinded Norman’s franchise tag in April 2016, leading to his five-year, $75MM Redskins pact. He did not match that play in Washington, a tenure that ended with the Redskins benching him.
Now, the 31-year-old will look to bounce back in SF where he’ll support starters Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/5/21
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
New England Patriots
- Signed: DL Daniel Ekuale