Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/21
Here is the run of Week 7 Saturday minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: OL Danny Isidora, DL Josh Mauro, TE Ross Travis, LB Joe Walker; Chandler Jones remains on team’s reserve/COVID-19 list
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: LB Daren Bates, LB James Vaughters, CB Chris Williamson
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: T David Sharpe
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: WR Keith Kirkwood, WR Aaron Parker
Chicago Bears
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Damien Williams
- Promoted: G Dieter Eiselen, DL Margus Hunt
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: LB Joe Bachie
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: S Jalen Elliott, TE Brock Wright
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
- Promoted: OL Cole Toner
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: LB Darius Harris, LB Christian Rozeboom
- Placed on IR: TE Jody Fortson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: TE Matt Bushman, LB Marquel Lee
- Placed on IR: TE Nick Bowers
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: TE Kendall Blanton
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: WR Isaiah Ford, C Cameron Tom
- Waived: QB Reid Sinnett
New York Giants
- Promoted: DT David Moa, WR David Sills
New York Jets
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: RB JaMycal Hasty
- Promoted: LB Tyrell Adams, TE Tanner Hudson, QB Nate Sudfeld
- Released: LB Mychal Kendricks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: WR Cyril Grayson, TE Deon Yelder
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: RB Darrynton Evans, DL Larrell Murchison
- Promoted: DB Chris Jones, WR Mason Kinsey
- Waived: RB Mekhi Sargent
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, C Keith Ismael, DE Bunmi Rotimi
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/22/21
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: LB Kylie Fitts
Carolina Panthers
- Designated to return: S Myles Hartsfield
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jimmy Graham
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Brett Kern
Free agents
Cardinals Restructure Jordan Phillips’ Deal
On their longest season-opening unbeaten run since 1974, the Cardinals added a piece to their skill-position corps by acquiring Zach Ertz from the Eagles. On Thursday, they created some breathing room after adding Ertz’s salary.
The Cardinals restructured Jordan Phillips‘ contract, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates, who notes the team converted $6.5MM of the defensive lineman’s base salary into a signing bonus (Twitter link). Arizona dipped into the void-years well here, adding two to a contract that already ran through 2022. All told, the Cards created $5.21MM in cap space.
Ertz is due more than $4MM in base salary the rest of the way. He joins a Cardinals team that has perennially struggled to generate production from its tight end position and one that recently lost Maxx Williams for the season. Between Ertz, DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green, Arizona’s pass-catching contingent now has 15 combined Pro Bowl nods.
The Cards gave Phillips a three-year, $30MM deal in 2020. As a result of Thursday’s restructure, that contract will become more difficult to shed in 2022.
Phillips, 29, returned to the field Sunday after nearly a year away. After recovering from a back injury that had sidelined him for the season’s first five games, the veteran interior D-lineman played 21 defensive snaps in his first game back and came off the bench in the 6-0 Cardinals’ win in Cleveland.
Titans To Sign Greg Mabin
The Titans are signing cornerback Greg Mabin off of the Cardinals’ practice squad, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He’ll provide some much-needed depth for the Titans, who have lost several CBs to injury.
Caleb Farley is done for the year after suffering a torn ACL against the Bills. Meanwhile, the Titans are awaiting word on Kristian Fulton‘s hamstring and Chris Jackson‘s foot, which forced him to exit early on Monday night.
Mabin doesn’t offer same kind of upside of Farley, but he did spent time with the team in camp, so he’s familiar with defensive coordinator Shane Bowen‘s playbook.
The 27-year-old appeared in a total of 34 games from 2017-2020, spending time with the Bills, 49ers, Bengals, and Jaguars. Last year, he notched 21 tackles and three passes defensed for Jacksonville in five games, including four starts.
The Titans are 4-2 following their 34-31 win over the Bills. They’ll look to pad their divisional lead even more on Sunday when they welcome the Chiefs to Nashville.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DE Josh Mauro
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Joe Thomas
- Released: LB Chris Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Reggie Bonnafon
Chicago Bears
- Signed: RB Chris Thompson
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: CB Isaiah Johnson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Aaron Adeoye
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Connor Strachan
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on IR: S Jordan Lucas, CB Marvell Tell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: LB Shilique Calhoun
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Vince Biegel
- Released: LB Shaquem Griffin
New England Patriots
- Signed: K Riley Patterson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Lakiem Williams
New York Giants
- Signed: G Derrick Kelly, WR Travis Toivonen
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Jaydon Mickens
Washington Football Team
- Signed: K Chris Blewitt, LB De’Jon Harris
- Released: WR Kelvin Harman, CB Cole Luke
Cardinals Place C Rodney Hudson On IR
More tough news for the Cardinals. They were set to be without Rodney Hudson this week, but the team placed its starting center on IR Saturday, sidelining him for at least three games.
Hudson is battling rib and shoulder injuries. The Pro Bowl blocker will miss Cardinals games against the Browns, Texans and Packers. Arizona’s quest to remain unbeaten in Cleveland keeps becoming more difficult. Hudson, Chandler Jones, defensive lineman Zach Allen, HC Kliff Kingsbury and QBs coach Cam Turner are out. The latter four are sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19.
Acquired via trade from the Raiders this offseason, Hudson has been one of the NFL’s top centers for several seasons. He represented Arizona’s top O-line add this year and joined J.J. Watt and A.J. Green as Pro Bowlers brought in this offseason. Veteran backup Max Garcia is set to start in Hudson’s place.
The Cardinals will receive some reinforcements, with defensive lineman Jordan Phillips coming off IR. A higher-end 2020 free agency addition, Phillips returned to practice earlier this week. He will return to game action after nearly a year away. The former Dolphins and Bills interior D-lineman went on IR with a hamstring injury midway through last season and suffered a back injury during this year’s training camp.
In addition to Phillips, the Cards activated tackle Joshua Miles from IR and flexed tight end Ross Travis, linebacker Joe Walker and O-lineman Danny Isidora to their 53-man roster for Week 6.
Eagles Trade Zach Ertz To Cardinals
The Eagles have traded Zach Ertz to the Cardinals in exchange for rookie cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round draft pick. The deal is now official, per an announcement from both clubs. 
Ertz was once a focal point of the Birds’ offense, but he’s been relegated to a secondary role behind Dallas Goedert. With one season left on his five-year, $42.5MM deal, the Eagles have turned their surplus into draft capital.
Ertz, 31 in November, finished last year with just 36 catches for 335 yards and one touchdown in eleven games. But, before that, he made three straight Pro Bowls from 2017-19 and consistently performed as one of the league’s best tight ends. So far this year, the veteran has 18 catches for 189 yards and two scores in six games.
The Cardinals will be responsible for the rest of Ertz’s salary, approximately $5.5MM. Ideally, he’d like an extension, but that’ll probably wait until after the season. The Cardinals will have much more utility for Ertz than the Eagles did since they’ve lost Maxx Williams for the year with a knee injury. Ertz will likely serve as the Cardinals’ TE1 with support from Darrell Daniels and Demetrius Harris. Beyond those three, the Cards also have Ross Travis on the practice squad, though they released recently-acquired veteran Richard Rodgers from the p-squad in the wake of the Ertz deal.
After years of iffy tight end production, Arizona finally has a proven option in Ertz. He delivered 335 yards in a down year with five missed games; the Cardinals haven’t had a TE top 600 yards in a season since moving to Arizona in 1988.
Chandler Jones Has COVID Symptoms
- Arizona will also be without center Rodney Hudson. The acclaimed O-lineman is battling a rib injury, and Kingsbury declared him out Wednesday. Seventh-year pro Max Garcia will step in for the Cards’ Pro Bowl snapper.
- The Cardinals are likely to be without Chandler Jones as they attempt to move their unbeaten run to 6-0. While vaccinated players who test positive for COVID-19 can return after two negative tests 24 hours apart, Kliff Kingsbury said Jones is experiencing symptoms and that it would be “a stretch” for him to play against the Browns, via SI.com’s Howard Balzer (on Twitter). Jones is vaccinated. News of the veteran pass rusher’s positive test circulated Tuesday, creating a narrow window for him to recover in time.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/13/21
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Kevin Peterson, LB Joe Walker
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OLB Ledarius Mack, G Dareuan Parker, LB Rashad Smith
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Michael Dwumfour
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DB Tony Brown, T Dan Skipper
- Released: DB Robert Jackson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Nate Hall
- Released: DL Andrew Brown
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Luke Stocker
- Released: OL Zack Bailey
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Sean Davis
New York Giants
- Signed: T Devery Hamilton
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Linden Stephens
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: QB Danny Etling
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Dylan Cole, DT Kyle Peko
Washington Football Team
- Signed: DB Cole Luke
- Released: K Chris Blewitt
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/21
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: S James Wiggins
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Jaylon Ferguson
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return: G Pat Elflein
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: OLB Sam Kamara, RB Ryan Nall
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated for return: DE Khalid Kareem
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: CB Kelvin Joseph, TE Sean McKeon
Detroit Lions
- Designated for return: T Taylor Decker, DT Kevin Strong
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- Designated for return: TE Dominique Dafney
Houston Texans
- Designated for return: WR Danny Amendola, WR Nico Collins
Indianapolis Colts
- Designated for return: LB Jordan Glasgow
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Jahlani Tavai
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: TE Deon Yelder
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return: S Amani Hooker
Washington Football Team
- Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: CB Corn Elder
- Placed on IR: CB Darryl Roberts