HEADLINES

Year: 2023

Packers Place Darnell Savage, Eric Stokes On IR

October 25th, 2023 at 9:29pm CST by Ely Allen

The Packers announced a flurry of roster moves today to take care of some injury business. Green Bay had to send safety Darnell Savage and cornerback Eric Stokes to injured reserve, requiring the signing of two practice squad defensive backs to come up and fill their place.

Savage, the Packers starting free safety of the past five years, is playing in a contract year after having his fifth-year option picked up. Unfortunately, this last season before hitting the open market will include a stint on IR after the Maryland alum suffered a calf injury, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. With Savage expected to need a month or so to heal, former Houston starter Jonathan Owens will likely take his place in the starting lineup next to Rudy Ford.

Stokes is returning to IR after a heart-breaking four days. The young cornerback out of Georgia missed the back half of last season with an ankle injury then underwent both foot and knee surgeries in the offseason. Not fully healed at the start of this year, Stokes has been on Green Bay’s reserve/PUP list all season, up until four days ago.

Green Bay partially activated Stokes out of necessity in order to ensure he would be able to avoid spending the full season on the PUP list, after being designated to return. After only four special teams snaps in Week 7, though, Stokes will land on IR for a second straight season. The injury sending him back to IR is being designated as a hamstring malady.

The Packers decided to fill the two vacant roster spots by signing practice squad players to the active roster, one of whom came from another team’s practice squad. The team decided to add cornerback Robert Rochell off the Panthers’ practice squad and promote cornerback Corey Ballentine from their own. Cornerback Zyon Gilbert will join the Packers’ practice squad, filling the spot vacated by Ballentine.

With Stokes on IR and Jaire Alexander continuing to battle the injury bug, the focus on cornerbacks is completely understandable. With a three-game upcoming stretch that includes games against the Chargers, Lions, and Chiefs, Green Bay will be working hard to get their secondary right.

Rams Release K Brett Maher; Team Signs K Lucas Havrisik Off Browns’ Practice Squad

October 25th, 2023 at 8:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 25: Havrisik may be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option in Los Angeles, as the Rams have shown they may not view him as a permanent solution. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports that the team hosted a mass tryout for kickers today. In addition to veteran kickers Mason Crosby and Randy Bullock, the team also tried out Austin Seibert, Matthew Wright, and Tucker McCann.

With Crosby’s time in Green Bay coming to an end after 16 years as a Packer, he’s aiming to join the second franchise of his NFL career. Bullock, after starting out in Houston, has had decent stints with the Bengals and Titans over the past several years. Seibert and Wright have both had a single decent season, Seibert with the Browns and Wright with the Jaguars, but both have bounced around a bit since.

Havrisik may have first dibs, already being under contract, but with the Rams continuing to explore other options, his grip on the kicking job may be tenuous at best.

OCTOBER 24: After struggling in Week 7, Brett Maher now finds himself on the lookout for a new opportunity. The veteran kicker was released by the Rams on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

Maher missed a pair of field goals, along with an extra point, in the Rams’ 24-17 loss to the Steelers on Sunday. That drew understandable criticism from head coach Sean McVay, and led to questions about whether or not a change at the position would be deemed necessary. Today’s move confirms Los Angeles’ stance on that front.

The 33-year-old had his second Cowboys stint end in disappointing fashion in last year’s postseason. Maher had delivered a strong performance in the regular season, but he missed four extra point attempts in the wild-card round and another in the divisional round. To no surprise, Dallas looked elsewhere for a replacement, which left Maher in search of a new home.

That initially sent him to Denver in a reunion with head coach Sean Payton. Maher spent the 2021 season with the Saints in Payton’s final year in New Orleans. By the time the season started, though, the Broncos had acquired another Payton-era Saints alum (Wil Lutz) to handle kicking duties. The latter has missed only one field goal and one extra point to date, so Denver likely does not regret that decision.

Maher had been busy during his brief Rams stint. His 23 field goal attempts through seven weeks (along with 17 makes) lead the NFL. However, that 74% success rate is the second-lowest of his career, and a recurrence of his XP issues will likely make it difficult to find another NFL gig in the near future. With respect to his replacement, the Rams appear to have a successor in mind.

Los Angeles plans to sign Lucas Havrisik off the Browns’ practice squad, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The 24-year-old initially joined the league with the Colts last season, but after a long stretch as a free agent, he joined Cleveland’s taxi squad this summer. The Browns ran into kicking trouble in the preseason, which led to Cade York‘s departure. He was replaced by Dustin Hopkins, who has been nearly perfect to start the year. Now. Cleveland will lose its backup plan at the kicking spot while the Rams (who have confirmed the signing) will give Havrisik his first opportunity in regular season NFL action.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/25/23

October 25th, 2023 at 7:33pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves from around the league:

Baltimore Ravens

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Seattle Seahawks

  • Designated to return from IR: RB Kenny McIntosh
  • Designated to return from PUP: NT Austin Faoliu

Tennessee Titans

After being waived yesterday by the team who submitted a waiver claim for him at the start of the season, Wallace finds himself on the third NFL team of his career. While the trade that sent star Titans’ defender Kevin Byard to Philadelphia returned another safety in Terrell Edmunds, Wallace will come in and attempt to compete for some key playing time with Edmunds and Amani Hooker.

Humphrey has been promoted as a standard gameday elevation three times already, the limit for a practice squad contract, so in order to see any further game action, he needed to be on the active roster. If he is released and re-signs to the team’s practice squad, he’ll be able to be elevated three more times under a new practice squad deal.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/25/23

October 25th, 2023 at 7:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: LB Donavan Mutin

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Trade Rumors: Rams, Burns, Panthers, Browns, Saints, Bucs

October 25th, 2023 at 2:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier this month, Sean McVay pushed back on the notion the Rams would be active buyers. This has been the NFL’s preeminent buyer in recent years, with the McVay seasons involving the Rams trading for Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey, Austin Corbett and Dante Fowler. While Los Angeles probably is not preparing any two-first-rounder offers this season (after the Panthers turned down that monster proposal for Brian Burns in 2022), Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson notes the Rams are “definitely” looking around for potential help.

With the Rams trading Ramsey and gutting their defense, they were more likely to be sellers at the deadline. But the team is 3-4, after a controversial loss to the Steelers, and has not looked like a club going through a rebuild. Each of L.A.’s losses has come by 10 points or less. The Rams should not be ruled out from asking about Burns again, per Robinson, with the price likely not at two first-rounders again. It would still surprise if the Rams parted with a first-round pick for Burns, seeing as they finally are set to enter a draft with a Round 1 pick. L.A. has not made a first-round pick since Jared Goff in 2016.

With the deadline at 3pm on Oct. 31, here is the latest from the trade front:

  • The Panthers have received calls on Burns, but the interest does not seem to be where it was a year ago. The fifth-year pass rusher is in line for a high-end extension, which will affect his trade price tag. Carolina may now be showing the same resistance it did at the 2022 deadline, with ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano noting the team is informing others Burns is not available. A recent report suggested the value gap between Burns and the Panthers could lead to the team reopening the door on a trade, and a new defensive staff is in place. Then again, Burns has played for five HCs (counting the two interim bosses) and has continued to produce.
  • Sitting at 4-2 after two close wins, the Browns have gotten here despite Deshaun Watson‘s nagging shoulder injury. They have been linked to being both buyers and sellers, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who notes the team is believed to be interested in adding a wide receiver and an offensive lineman (subscription required). Cleveland was fairly aggressive on the receiver front this offseason, trading for Elijah Moore, drafting Cedric Tillman in Round 3 and signing Marquise Goodwin. Contract-year target Donovan Peoples-Jones has disappointed, however, sitting on 97 receiving yards in six games. Only Amari Cooper resides as a particularly imposing threat. Up front, the Browns lost right tackle Jack Conklin for the season. Joel Bitonio also missed a game for the first time in seven years, though the All-Pro guard returned for Week 7.
  • Also in the mix for a potential receiver add: the Saints. New Orleans is monitoring the wideout market, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler writes. The Saints have seen Michael Thomas stay on the field for an extended stretch for the first time since 2019, and Rashid Shaheed has taken steps in his second season. No. 1 target Chris Olave has not yet built on his rookie-year showing, but he is still on pace for a 1,000-yard season. This trio’s presence makes New Orleans’ prospective receiver push a bit interesting. Hunter Renfrow would come to mind as an obvious fit, given his production with Derek Carr in the past. The Raiders are open to moving the $16MM-per-year slot, who has fallen out of favor in Josh McDaniels‘ offense. While it does not seem like it would take much to land Renfrow, the Raiders are also not eager to eat any of the fifth-year target’s prorated $10.82MM salary.
  • The Buccaneers should be expected to look into adding a running back before the deadline, Graziano adds. While Tampa Bay was linked to an outside RB pursuit this offseason, the team stood down. Its recommitment to Rachaad White has produced a negligible improvement. After a last-place 2022 rushing ranking, Tampa Bay sits 29th entering Week 8.

Dolphins Place OL Isaiah Wynn On IR, Activate CB Nik Needham

October 25th, 2023 at 1:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 25: Although McDaniel stopped short of saying Wynn was done for the season, the second-year Dolphins HC indicated (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe) the veteran O-lineman will face a tough road in an effort to come back this year. If Wynn is unable to return before season’s end, this will mark his fourth NFL campaign to end early because of injury.

OCTOBER 24: After playing shorthanded throughout last season, the Dolphins are moving toward full strength at cornerback. With Jalen Ramsey readying to make his 2023 debut, Miami will soon see Nik Needham back in action.

The Dolphins activated Needham off the reserve/PUP list Tuesday, moving him close to making a comeback from the Achilles tear he suffered in October 2022. To make room for Needham on their 53-man roster, the Dolphins placed guard Isaiah Wynn on IR. With Needham being designated for return on Oct. 4, the Dolphins needed to activate him by Wednesday to ensure he was eligible to play this season.

Wynn went down with a quadriceps during the Dolphins’ loss to the Eagles on Sunday night, and Mike McDaniel said (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe) the team’s left guard would be out for weeks. This will force more changes to the Dolphins’ offensive front. Despite an explosive start to the season, Miami has played games without left tackle Terron Armstead and center Connor Williams. Wynn will not be able to return until Week 13, with the Dolphins’ bye coming in Week 10. Armstead is on IR and must miss at least one more game with a knee injury.

Miami added Wynn in free agency, giving the ex-New England first-rounder a one-year deal worth $2.3MM. This low-end “prove it” deal came after a Patriots contract year that ended early. The Pats placed Wynn on IR due to a foot injury in December of last year. That came after a substandard platform campaign, leading to tepid interest in free agency. Although Wynn enjoyed nice stretches as New England’s left tackle, he settled for a low-end deal in Miami. This will be Wynn’s fifth trip to IR. Being moved to the injured list in 2018, ’19, ’20 and ’22, Wynn has missed 39 games as a pro.

The Dolphins made Wynn their left guard starter, returning him to a guard role on a full-time basis for the first time since his Georgia days. Wynn made seven starts at left guard for the Dolphins, and although Lester Cotton replaced him against the Eagles, it is possible Miami reinstalls Liam Eichenberg at left guard. The former second-round pick, who operated as the Dolphins’ primary left guard last season, lost the job to Wynn during the preseason. But he returned to a starting role in Week 6, filling in for Williams at center. The 2022 free agent signing coming back would point to Eichenberg sliding back to left guard. A 2019 Raiders UDFA, Cotton has two starts on his NFL resume.

Given a second-round RFA tender last year, Needham saw his momentum blunted by the Achilles tear. He re-signed with the Dolphins on a one-year, $1.82MM deal, doing so after the team traded for Ramsey. The Dolphins were busy at corner this offseason, keeping Needham and then drafting Cam Smith in Round 2. The South Carolina product has yet to find his footing in Vic Fangio‘s defense. Needham’s return further bolsters Miami’s secondary. Ramsey is working his way back from meniscus surgery and is expected to return soon, being designated for return from IR last week.

Needham, who will turn 27 next week, has started 27 games for the Dolphins. Fangio will be the third defensive coordinator Needham will have played for as a pro, but he will supply the secondary with extensive experience alongside Ramsey, Xavien Howard and Kader Kohou. With Ramsey’s return imminent, it will be interesting to see how the Dolphins reintegrate Needham.

Bucs Activate Chase Edmonds From IR

October 25th, 2023 at 12:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 25: Edmonds will come off IR ahead of Thursday night’s Bills matchup, the Bucs announced. The passing-down back will make a quick return from an MCL sprain, missing the minimum four games. Edmonds will be Tampa Bay’s first IR activation this season. To make room on their 53-man roster, the Bucs waived cornerback Derrek Pitts.

OCTOBER 23: The Buccaneers have struggled in the run game this year, but reinforcements in the backfield could be coming soon. Chase Edmonds was designated for return from injured reserve, the team announced on Monday.

The move opens Edmonds’ 21-day practice window. He must be activated within that span to avoid reverting to season-ending IR. With Tampa Bay set to play on Thursday night, however, it will be interesting to see if he is brought back in time for Week 8.

Edmonds suffered an MCL sprain in Week 2, and he has been sidelined ever since. His IR stint forced him to miss a minimum of four games, and his absence has left the Buccaneers without an experienced option in the backfield. Edmonds, 27, has played 72 games in his career, one which included time in Arizona, Miami and Denver prior to this season.

The Buccaneers signed the former fourth-rounder to a league minimum deal after he was released by the Broncos, giving him the opportunity to carve out a role in a Tampa backfield which faced plenty question marks entering the season. Improving the ground game was a source for improvement compared to last season, but so far the Bucs rank 29th in the league with an average of just under 78 rushing yards per game. 2022 third-rounder Rachaad White comfortably leads the team in rushing, 234 yards ahead of the next-closest running back (Ke’Shawn Vaughn).

Bringing back Edmonds – who received only two touches in each of his games this season – will use the first of Tampa Bay’s eight allocated IR activations. He will aim to give the team another option in the running game, an area of the offense which, like in 2022, still has plenty of room for improvement.

Bears Designate LT Braxton Jones, DL Khalid Kareem For Return

October 25th, 2023 at 11:56am CST by Sam Robinson

Already using the IR-return system to bring back Teven Jenkins, the Bears are moving closer to their left tackle returning. The team designated Braxton Jones for return Wednesday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.

This will start Jones’ 21-day activation clock. The second-year blocker landed on IR due to a neck injury after Week 2. He has been eligible to come back since last week, and given the nature of this injury, it represents a positive the Bears started the clock today. Jones not being activated in three weeks would lead him to season-ending IR. The Bears also designated defensive lineman Khalid Kareem for return from IR.

Jones quickly acclimated to the pro game, going from a fifth-round pick out of a Division I-FCS school (Southern Utah) to becoming the Bears’ Week 1 left tackle as a rookie. Jones started all 17 games as a rookie but encountered a speedbump this year. While last year’s No. 168 overall pick did not miss a snap in Week 2, the neck injury he played through prompted the Bears to exercise caution and stash him on IR.

Chicago has used swing tackle Larry Borom in place of Jones. A former starter whom Riley Reiff displaced at right tackle during the 2022 season, Borom now has 22 career starts on his resume. A fifth-round pick out of Missouri in 2021, Borom has offered experience opposite rookie right-sider Darnell Wright. Pro Football Focus, however, has rated Borom outside the top 60 at tackle this season. PFF rated Jones as a top-20 tackle in 2022.

Jones’ return will stand to help Justin Fields, though the Bears’ blindside bastion may be back before their starting quarterback. Fields is not expected to play in Week 8, leaving Tyson Bagent on track to start another game. The first Division II-developed QB to make an NFL start since 2010, Bagent could play behind the Bears’ five first-string O-linemen. The Bears have five IR activations remaining this season.

Giants Will Not Trade Trade Saquon Barkley; Team Open To Dealing Other Players?

October 25th, 2023 at 11:45am CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 25: Brian Daboll doubled down on the team’s intention to keep Barkley. The second-year Giants HC said (via the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz) he told the Pro Bowl running an in-season trade is “not happening.” While the Giants may be open to moving other pieces, Barkley’s franchise tag salary will remain on the books.

OCTOBER 22: Saquon Barkley made it clear a few days ago that he is not eyeing a trade which would send him away from the Giants. The extension-eligible back’s sentiment appears to have been matched by the team.

The Giants have no intention of moving Barkley ahead of the October 31 trade deadline, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes (video link). That stance has remained the same throughout the year, he adds, meaning the parties are still on track to resume talks on a deal in the offseason. Negotiations after the franchise tag was used did not produce traction, and the 26-year-old avoided a hold-out with an increased incentive package on his one-year deal.

Barkley and the Giants cannot negotiate a long-term contract until the coming offseason, and Garafolo confirms the Giants’ preference remains to get a deal worked out at that time. New York submitted an offer around the $12MM-per-year mark late in negotiations this summer, but the team did so while inverting the guarantee and AAV figures. Plenty of attention has thus been on the former No. 2 pick’s performance this year as he again aims to secure a multi-year pact ahead of free agency.

“Everyone knows I don’t want to get traded,” Barkley said when asked about his long-term future in New York. “Obviously, I’ve been vocal and public about how I feel about this organization and where I want to be. Knowing the business and seeing that side of it, there’s a lot of things I can’t control. I don’t think anybody in their right mind would want to get traded anywhere… I would love to be here.”

The Penn State product has missed time this year due to an ankle injury, and his presence has been missed by a Giants team which has dealt with a number of other injuries throughout the unit and failed to produce much early in the year. Barkley has a long way to go to match his career-best rushing output (1,312 yards) from last season, but he nevertheless remains the focal point of New York’s offense.

On the other hand, Garafolo adds that the Giants could be open to making deals involving other players. Sitting at 1-5 entering Sunday’s action, it would come as no surprise if the team adopted a seller’s stance in the near future. Much about New York’s 2023 outlook could change with a few wins in short order, but a number of players on expiring contracts could make for notable trade chips. The Giants have a number of major financial decisions to make this offseason, regardless of what happens with Barkley, so clearing up flexibility for 2024 and beyond would also be beneficial. In any event, though, the team’s most high-profile player will remain in place through the remainder of the current campaign.

Jaguars Moved Close To Acquiring Vikings’ Danielle Hunter In Offseason

October 25th, 2023 at 11:44am CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings upset the 49ers on Monday and have only three games remaining against teams with winning records. Even without Justin Jefferson for a stretch, the 3-4 team has reason to view a second straight playoff berth as within reach. That would obviously impact the Vikings’ willingness to sell, introducing another Danielle Hunter complication.

Minnesota has until 3pm CT on Oct. 31 to trade Hunter, who leads the NFL with nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss. The Pro Bowl edge rusher is in a contract year and cannot be franchise- or transition-tagged next year, due to a contract reworking early in training camp. While the Vikings could lose Hunter for nothing in free agency, he obviously represents a vital part of their defense for the 2023 stretch run.

[RELATED: Vikings Not Expected To Trade Kirk Cousins]

Prior to reaching that August resolution with Hunter, the Vikings discussed him in trades. The Jaguars recently came up as a suitor, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano ties the AFC South team more closely to the current trade piece, indicating Jacksonville came close to finalizing an agreement to acquire Hunter during the offseason.

The Jaguars make sense as a buyer, having spent heavily to fortify their defense in 2022 and largely standing pat on that side of the ball this offseason. At outside linebacker in Mike Caldwell‘s 3-4 scheme, the Jags have Josh Allen and Travon Walker in place as starters. In a contract year, Allen is on pace for his most productive NFL slate. The former top-10 pick has seven sacks, 14 QB hits and two forced fumbles through seven games. No other Jaguar, however, has more than 2.5 sacks. Walker’s 2.5 QB drops do not completely define his season, as the 2022 No. 1 overall pick does rank 27th with 12 pressures. Allen’s 23 pressures sit second leaguewide.

Jacksonville also rosters underwhelming 2020 first-rounder K’Lavon Chaisson, whose fifth-year option the team declined in May. Dawuane Smoot recently made his season debut, coming off a torn Achilles sustained in Week 16 of last season. The two backup OLBs have combined for one sack and five QB hits. Having won four straight, the Jags have solidified their status as the AFC South favorite. They certainly make sense as a team that would be interested in a front-seven upgrade, with Trevor Lawrence still on a rookie contract.

Allen is tied to a $10.89MM fifth-year option, and Smoot is back on a low-cost deal (one year, $3.5MM); Walker and Chaisson are on rookie contracts. The Jags hold just more than $6MM in cap space. A team that would acquire Hunter past Week 8 would owe just more than $5MM. Of course, the Vikings would need to be interested in reopening Hunter trade talks. Prior to their Monday-night upset, however, the Vikes were taking calls on their soon-to-be 29-year-old pass rusher. While the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora expects Hunter to be dealt, the Vikings do face a complicated decision.

After talks with the Jags and other teams fell apart, the Vikings agreed to terms with Hunter one a one-year deal worth $17MM guaranteed. While Hunter’s incentives are classified as not likely to be earned, the three-time Pro Bowler’s torrid pace puts him on track to collecting additional cash. Hunter will receive $1MM for reaching 11 sacks, another $1MM for 12.5 and another $1MM for hitting 14. The former third-round pick posted 14.5 sacks in 2018 and ’19, but he is on pace for more this season.

Minnesota resides in the historically rare position of being unable to tag either of its top two 2024 free agents, with Kirk Cousins‘ 2016 and ’17 tags making a third tag untenable (thanks to the 2006 CBA introducing the 144% bump for a third tag; no team has tagged a player three times since the Jaguars and Rams respectively cuffed Donovin Darius and Orlando Pace in 2005). While Cousins expects contract talks to resume in 2024, Hunter having never hit the open market points to a high risk the Vikings lose the veteran pass rusher for nothing (perhaps a 2025 compensatory pick) next year.

With Bradley Chubb going for first- and fourth-rounders last year, the Vikings will likely be able to do better than the third-rounder that could come their way via the compensatory system. Minnesota’s upset of San Francisco makes it less likely the team becomes a deadline seller, Graziano adds. Still, Hunter’s trade value and the team’s playoff prospects will make for a fascinating decision before next week’s deadline.

Load More Posts