Saints Release C Billy Price
After signing with the Saints last month, Billy Price‘s stint with the organization has already come to an end. The team announced today that they’ve released the veteran center with a non-football injury designation. The team also announced that they placed tight end Miller Forristall on the physically unable to perform list.
When the Saints first signed Price a month ago, it was assumed the veteran would provide some experienced depth behind starting center Erik McCoy, who has missed nine games over the past two seasons. While Price’s “non-football injury” likely contributed to his release, there’s also a chance the Saints are optimistic about their backup center options heading into 2023. Assuming the team wants to keep Cesar Ruiz at guard, then UDFA Alex Pihlstrom will likely be in the drivers seat for the backup center gig.
Price has 45 games of starting experience under his belt, so a center-needy team will likely consider adding him to the ranks. The former first-round pick found himself in and out of the Bengals’ starting lineup to begin his career, but he’s recently settled into a starting role elsewhere. He started 15 of his 16 appearances for the Giants in 2021, and after starting the 2022 campaign on the Raiders’ practice squad, he started all 11 of his appearances for the Cardinals last year. Pro Football Focus didn’t love his performance in Arizona, grading him as the 35th center among 36 qualified players.
Forristall was a two-time champion at Alabama before going undrafted in 2021. He got into six games with the Browns between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams. He signed a reserve/futures contract with the Saints back in January. With Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, and Taysom Hill leading the tight ends depth chart, Forristall’s best chance of making the Saints roster will likely come via special teams.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/20/23
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on PUP: RB Caleb Huntley
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on PUP: CB Nik Needham
New York Giants
- Reverted to IR: CB Leonard Johnson
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Alex Erickson
Caleb Huntley‘s 2022 campaign ended in mid-December when the RB suffered a torn Achilles. Naturally, it’s not a surprise that he won’t be ready to go for the start of training camp, and it remains to be seen if the third-year pro will be forced to miss any regular season time. The 2021 UDFA didn’t play as a rookie but took on a larger role in 2022, finishing with 369 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. When he returns to the field, he’ll be joining a deep RBs room that added Bijan Robinson to the likes of Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Needham, a 2019 UDFA out of UTEP, has spent his entire career in Miami, getting into 51 games (27 starts). He started five of his six appearances last season before landing on injured reserve in October with a torn Achilles tendon. Until Needham is back on the field, Kader Kohou and Cam Smith will have a chance to battle it out for the open cornerback spot.
Lions Place QB Hendon Hooker On NFI List
Hendon Hooker will begin his first NFL training camp on the sideline. The team announced that they’ve placed the rookie quarterback on the active/non-football injury list.
The Tennessee product was a favorite for the Heisman Trophy in 2022 after tossing 27 touchdowns vs. only two interceptions in 11 games (he added another five touchdowns on the ground). However, a torn ACL and meniscus ended his college career prematurely, and he ended up sliding to the Lions in the third round of the draft.
While Hooker has continued to tell reporters that he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery from the knee injury, the Lions have also made it clear that they’re going to take it slow with the rookie. Fortunately for the organization, there isn’t any urgency to get the quarterback on the field, and even if he was healthy heading into training camp, Hooker probably wouldn’t be in contention for a significant role in 2023.
The Lions still have Jared Goff atop their depth chart, and if the veteran is able to repeat his production from last year, there’s a good chance the Lions will keep him under center for the 2024 season, as well. The team also has Nate Sudfeld as a serviceable backup, meaning Hooker will likely be eyeing a QB3 role for his rookie campaign. In the meantime, UDFA Adrian Martinez will get some extra run during training camp and the preseason.
The Lions also placed tight end Derrick Deese Jr. and defensive lineman Zach Morton on the NFI list today. Morton is an undrafted free agent out of nearby Akron, and he joined the Lions following a 2022 campaign where he compiled 4.5 sacks. Deese spent most of his 2022 rookie season on Detroit’s practice squad before inking a futures contract.
Jets Sign S Dane Cruikshank
With Chuck Clark officially out for the season, the Jets continue to add to their safeties room. Agent David Canter announced on Twitter that Dane Cruikshank has signed with the organization.
[RELATED: Jets Place Chuck Clark On IR]
Cruikshank was a fifth-round pick by the Titans in 2018 and ended up spending four years in Tennessee, mostly serving as a key special teamer. He had a career year in 2021, finishing with a career-high 43 tackles while appearing in 414 defensive snaps.
He joined the Bears last offseason and proceeded to get into eight games for his new squad, with all but one snap coming on special teams. He landed on injured reserve in late November with a hamstring injury.
The Jets acquired Clark back in March and intended to start their acquisition opposite Jordan Whitehead. However, the veteran tore his ACL back in June, and the team’s decision to place him on IR earlier this week means there’s no hope of a late-season return.
The organization already brought in ex-Packer Adrian Amos to provide some additional depth at the position. The team also has former third-round pick Ashtyn Davis in the safeties room, but Cruikshank could provide the team with an experienced alternative to UDFAs like Trey Dean and Marquis Waters.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco Expects To Be Healthy By Week 1
Isiah Pacheco entered his rookie season with tempered expectations, but by the Super Bowl he was the Chiefs’ lead early-down running back. His health status has thus been one to watch over the course of the offseason. 
Pacheco missed minicamp and OTAs while recovering from shoulder and hand surgeries, after being able to play through those ailments without missing any regular or postseason game action. The seventh-rounder has not yet been cleared to return to full practice, but he is optimistic he will be at 100% in time for the start of the regular season.
“I trust the staff and we were able to work out a plan,” the 24-year-old said about his current recovery situation. “I’m feeling great right now. It’s just a process and that takes time” (h/t ESPN’s Adam Teicher).
Pacheco took part in a limited capacity in a minicamp held by the Chiefs ahead of training camp, doing so while wearing a non-contact uniform. He thus has a long way to go before being cleared in full to return to the lineup, but it will be a welcomed development for Kansas City when that takes place. The Rutgers product is in line for another heavy workload in Year 2.
With former first-rounder Clyde Edwards-Helaire missing seven games during the regular season and being made a healthy scratch for the Super Bowl, both Pacheco and pass-catching veteran Jerick McKinnon saw an uptick in usage. The latter scored 10 total touchdowns (including nine through the air), earning him a third Kansas City contract. The former ran for 830 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season, on an average 4.9 yards per carry. The latter figure rose to 5.1 during the postseason.
The Chiefs elected not to sign or draft another back this offseason, but they declined Edwards-Helaire’s fifth-year option. That will make his 2023 performance one to watch closely as he approaches free agency and the team looks to find the ideal balance of snap shares between their three contributors. Pacheco will no doubt have a signficant role come the fall, though, especially since he is likely to be healed in full by that point.
Latest On Eagles’ RB Situation
The Eagles will have a new running back group in 2023 after seeing Miles Sanders depart in free agency. A by-committee approach will be used, but some roster trimming will likely be necessary between now and Week 1. 
Philadelphia will likely make one or more moves aimed at lowering the number of backs on the roster, as noted by Geoff Mosher of Inside the Birds. The top of the depth chart will feature newcomers D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny. The former was acquired via trade during the draft and is in line to operate as the team’s starter. The latter, signed in free agency, has shown lead-back abilities when on the field but struggled to remain healthy during his time with the Seahawks.
Aside from those two, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott remain in place as returnees in the backfield. Gainwell, a 2021 fifth-round pick, has seen snap shares of just 29% and 28% during his first two seasons in the league, but he totaled 40 touches during the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl, including a larger role than Sanders in the championship game. Scott has also served in a rotational capacity during his tenure in Philadelphia, one which began in 2018. The 28-year-old re-signed on a one-year contract in March.
That quartet represents plenty of experience and potential, but the Eagles also have Trey Sermon in the fold. A 49ers third-rounder in 2021, the Ohio State alum spent only one unproductive season in the Bay Area. San Francisco attempted to pass him through waivers during roster cutdowns last offseason, but the Eagles put in a claim. Sermon handled just two carries last season as a depth member of a crowded Philadelphia backfield.
That unit still has a logjam entering training camp, with 2022 UDFA Kennedy Brooks joining the aforementioned five backs in the summer competition. As Mosher notes, plenty will be determined in the coming weeks as (in all likelihood) Scott, Sermon and Brooks compete for as little as one roster spot behind Swift and Penny – who are pending free agents – and Gainwell, who has two years remaining on his rookie contract.
NFL Finance Committee Recommends Approval Of Commanders Sale
JULY 20: In advance of the finance committee’s in-person meeting, Maske and Jhabvala noted that its informal vote produced a 7-0 result. As a result, confidence remains high that the full owners’ meeting will produce a unanimous approval of the sale later today.
JULY 18: In advance of the special league meeting during which owners will vote on the proposed sale of the Commanders to Josh Harris, the NFL’s finance committee has set the stage for ratification. An informal meeting amongst the group removed the two remaining potential obstacles to approval. 
Mark Maske and Nicki Jhavbala of the Washington Post report that the finance committee gathered remotely and conducted a ‘straw poll’ on the matter of the impending $6.05 billion sale from Dan Snyder to Harris. Not all eight members took part, but the result amongst those who did was a unanimous recommendation of approving the sale. When all league owners meet in person on Thursday in Minneapolis, the expectation remains that the Harris purchase will go through.
A potential roadblock to that development emerged last week, with the issue of indemnification relating to Snyder and the rest of the league regarding the ongoing Jon Gruden lawsuit representing a threat to the sale. On that point, though, the Post reports that an agreement has been reached which will resolve the matter, paving the way for approval of the sale. That process will see the record for North American sports franchise sales broken for the second consecutive summer, and allow Harris to add an NFL team to his name (in addition to the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils).
An official vote by the finance committee is set to take place on Thursday not long before the full league meeting. Owners are expected to follow the committee’s recommendation, and there has been little to no doubt during this process that the minimum 24 ‘yes’ votes will be attained for the sale to go through. Ratification will pave the way for Harris’ group to assume control of the franchise in time for the opening of training camp next week.
Notably, the Post report adds that Snyder recently spoke with investigator Mary Jo White concerning her ongoing investigation into him and the Commanders. The much-anticipated report from White could be released shortly after the sale goes through, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has committed to making the findings public. The league has received renewed pressure to release the report upon completion, and Snyder’s remarks will no doubt be a point of interest once they are revealed.
With the ratification vote still on track, the Snyder era remains set to come to an end later this week. Harris is not expected to make any substantial changes upon taking charge of the franchise, one which will again be the subject of plenty of attention in the coming days.
Lions To Release K Michael Badgley
Set to be in place as the Lions’ kicker for a second consecutive season, Michael Badgley will instead need to find another new home. Detroit is releasing the journeyman kicker, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). 
Badgley entered the 2022 season without a team, joining the Bears for what wound up as a one-game audition. He was released shortly thereafter and signed by the Lions in October in an aim to find a suitable replacement for the injured Austin Seibert. Badgley held down the role for the remainder of the season, converting 20 of 24 field goal tries (good for an 83.% success rate) and all 33 of his extra point attempts. Those totals earned him a new Lions deal in March.
Entering training camp, Badgley was named by team reporter Tim Twentyman as the favorite in a competition which also includes Riley Patterson and former XFLer Parker Romo. Patterson has experience in Detroit, having played seven games for the Lions in 2021 before spending last season in Jacksonville. The Jaguars’ addition of veteran Brandon McManus left him on the open market, and he will now look to reclaim his old job in the Motor City. Romo signed with the Saints as a UDFA last year but has yet to make an appearance in the NFL.
Given his success from last season, it comes as a surprise that Badgley once again finds himself without a team, especially before the onset of training camp. Today’s move will result in $743K in cap savings for the Lions, while generating a dead money charge of $350K. Detroit was already in better shape than most teams with respect to cap space, so a modest financial gain was not needed to free up the flexibility for any other moves the team could be lining up.
Badgley, 27, will look to latch onto a roster in the coming days and insert himself into a new kicking competition. Opportunities may be hard to come by, though, with the likes of Robbie Gould, Mason Crosby, Randy Bullock and Brett Maher all on the open market at this point. The Lions’ evaluation of their remaining kickers, meanwhile, will be more straightforward with one fewer participant.
Latest On Raiders-Josh Jacobs Negotiations
Josh Jacobs is one of three running backs set to play on the $10.1MM franchise tag this season. In the aftermath of the news that no long-term deal was agreed to between he and the Raiders, reports emerged indicating the sides made progress on contract talks. A rebuttal to that notion has emerged. 
The Raiders are thought to have made up signficant ground while up against the deadline for a new deal on Monday, though it was insufficient to result in a multi-year contract. The 2022 rushing champion may still have a future in Las Vegas if talks were indeed amicable in nature, and if he is able to replicate his career-year enjoyed last season. Plenty would apparently need to change for that to be possible, however.
Vic Tafur of The Athletic offers a much different account of negotiations than the ones presented earlier in the week (subscription required). He reports that indications of progress and positive interactions between team and player in this situation are simply “not true,” adding that contract talks “were dead in the water until last weekend.” Deadlines certainly spurn action and urgency, but a signficant gap appeared to exist with respect to finances between the Raiders and Jacobs.
Tafur adds that the all-important $22MM mark was not reached during talks. That figure represents what Jacobs (along with the Giants’ Saquon Barkley and the Cowboys’ Tony Pollard) would make in the event they played the 2023 and ’24 seasons on the franchise tag. Guaranteed money above that mark would thus have been required for a Jacobs deal to have come to fruition, and the lack of a willingness on the team’s part to reach that price point is no doubt a large reason why the threat of a holdout lasting through training camp and into the regular season looms.
Barkley and the Giants came close to an agreement on both annual compensation and guaranteed money, but Tafur’s reporting points to a significantly larger gap existing that previously thought regarding Jacobs and the Raiders. How the All-Pro proceeds in the coming weeks will be a key storyline in Las Vegas, as the sides will now be forced to wait until at least January to re-engage in contract talks.
Reunion Between Packers, K Mason Crosby Unlikely
When the Packers selected Anders Carlson in the sixth round of this year’s draft, veteran Mason Crosby‘s time in Green Bay seemed to be over. The door had remained opened to a potential reunion, but that no longer appears to be the case. 
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in April that a new contract for Crosby, 38, was under consideration. The latter has spent his entire 16-year career in Green Bay, never missing a game along the way. Crosby had a strong season overall in 2022, connecting on 25 of 29 field goal attempts and all but two of his extra point tries. He went just one-for-four on field goals beyond 50 yards, however, and the presence of Carlson as a long-term replacement points to Crosby heading elsewhere to extend his NFL career.
Indeed, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic notes that an underwhelming performance during training camp and the preseason from Carlson will not be enough to warrant a Crosby reunion (subscription required). The veteran no longer lives in Green Bay, making him one of several experienced options at the kicking position on the lookout for a new opportunity as training camps are set to get underway.
Robbie Gould, Randy Bullock and Brett Maher all remain unsigned at this point, as teams search for younger, most cost-effective options in the kicking game. Gould has made clear his desire to continue his career outside of San Francisco after his 49ers tenure unintentionally came to an end this offseason. It will be interesting to monitor how much Crosby is willing or able to do the same after a lengthy run with one team.
Green Bay has Carlson – who only eclipsed 72% on his field goal percentage in one of his five seasons at Auburn – on the roster, along with former UDFA Daniel Whelan. That pair will have plenty of questions to answer during camp, while Crosby weighs his options regarding the post-Packers chapter of his career.