Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/20
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: QB Danny Etling
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: DT Niles Scott
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed off waivers (from Dallas): DE Jalen Jelks
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived/Injured: RB Rodney Anderson
Houston Texans
- Activated off NFI: WR Kenny Stills (Sunday)
- Activated off PUP: LB Dylan Cole (Sunday)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: TE Josh Oliver
- Released from IR: DT Brian Price
Kansas City Chiefs
- Claimed: TE Daniel Helm (from 49ers)
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: OT Nick Kaltmayer (Sunday)
Minnesota Vikings
- Cut (injury designation): LB Quentin Poling
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Ben Braden, TE Paul Butler, TE Alex Ellis
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Connor Davis
- Waived: S Anthony Cioffi
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Daylon Mack
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB/DE Jamal Davis II (Sunday)
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/20
Here are Friday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon.
Atlanta Falcons
- Released via injury settlement: TE Carson Meier
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Dolphins): DE Bryce Sterk
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed off waivers (from Dolphins): DB Steven Parker
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Patrick Carr, WR Seth Dawkins
Falcons Sign Luke Stocker
Free agent tight end Luke Stocker is expected to rejoin the Falcons, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Stocker took a visit with the club earlier this week.
The 32-year-old spent the first 6+ years of his career with the Bucs, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. During that time, he played under Dirk Koetter, the former Tampa head coach who became the Falcons’ offensive coordinator in 2019, which may be what brought Stocker to Atlanta on a two-year deal last offseason.
But the Falcons released Stocker in March, right before the team completed a trade with the Ravens for fellow TE Hayden Hurst. Hurst sits atop the team’s depth chart now that Austin Hooper has moved on to the Browns, but aside from the Hurst deal, Atlanta did not do much to add to the tight end position, so it circled back to a familiar face.
Stocker has always been more of a blocker than a receiver, and he has also spent time at fullback. He caught just eight passes for 53 yards last year, and with Hurst slated to get the targets that went Hooper’s way, it’s unlikely that he will see much of an uptick in the receiving game. But he provides experience and depth that the Falcons are lacking at tight end, so it’s a good fit for both sides.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/20
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: S C.J. Reavis
Houston Texans
- Waived: T David Steinmetz
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Deatrick Nichols
- Waived: S Steven Parker, TE Bryce Sterk
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: LB DeMarquis Gates
New England Patriots
- Placed on reserve/retired list: C Dustin Woodward
- Waived: DE Nick Coe
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Jaguars): WR C.J. Board
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DL Alex Barrett
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE Wyatt Ray
Falcons Determining Dennard's Role
- The Falcons plan to use recently signed cornerback Darqueze Dennard as a slot and boundary cornerback in training camp, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes. Dennard mostly worked as a slot defender in Cincinnati. Atlanta signed Dennard earlier last week. He will join a cornerback crew that features third-year player Isaiah Oliver and first-round rookie A.J. Terrell.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/20
Here are Friday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon.
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: RB Craig Reynolds
Detroit Lions
- Waived via failed-physical designation: DT Daylon Mack
Houston Texans
- Released from reserve/NFI list: DL Ira Lewis
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DT Bruce Hector, CB Prince Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: LB John Houston
2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team
A total of 67 NFL players opted out of the 2020 season, leaving teams with major roster holes and newly-found cap space. Here’s the rundown of every team’s official cap figure, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter):
- Cleveland Browns – $40.5MM
- New England Patriots – $33.4MM
- Washington Football Team – $30.6MM
- Denver Broncos – $29.5MM
- New York Jets – $29.3MM
- Tennessee Titans – $25.2MM
- Miami Dolphins – $24.7MM
- Buffalo Bills – $24.2MM
- Philadelphia Eagles – $23.7MM
- Detroit Lions – $22.9MM
- Indianapolis Colts – $22.3MM
- New York Giants – $21.4MM
- Houston Texans – $21.1MM
- Cincinnati Bengals – $18.6MM
- Chicago Bears – $17.2MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars – $17MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $14.5MM
- Los Angeles Chargers – $13.7MM
- Green Bay Packers – $12.3MM
- Carolina Panthers – $13.2MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $13MM
- San Francisco 49ers – $12.5MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $12.4MM
- Dallas Cowboys – $9.9MM
- New Orleans Saints – $7.8MM
- Atlanta Falcons – $7.4MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $7MM
- Arizona Cardinals – $5.6MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $4.5MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $3.9MM
- Las Vegas Raiders – $3.3MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $1.4MM
Falcons Expected To Re-Sign J.J. Wilcox
The Falcons are expected to re-sign free agent safety J.J. Wilcox, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). It will be a one-year deal, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Wilcox will first need to pass both a physical and a COVID-19 test. 
Wilcox, 29, originally signed with Atlanta last spring, but a torn ACL prematurely ended his season in July. Presumably, he’s know healthy enough to resume play in 2020. A third-round pick in the 2013 draft, Wilcox began his career with the Cowboys (appearing in 58 games over four years), but has since bounced around the league, spending time with the Buccaneers, Steelers, Jets, and Colts.
Atlanta is already three-deep at safety with Ricardo Allen, Keanu Neal, and Damontae Kazee, so Wilcox will likely be viewed as depth. However, he boasts enough experience that he could be called into action due to injuries on the Falcons’ depth chart.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/20
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: LB Ahmad Thomas
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Isaiah Zuber
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Marcus Green
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): DB D.J. Reed
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Jaydon Mickens
Free Agency Notes: Ansah, Nkemdiche, Webb
While the 49ers opted to sign Dion Jordan, the other top-five 2013 draft pick they hosted on a recent visit received good news. Ziggy Ansah passed his 49ers physical, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The former Lions and Seahawks defensive end has battled injuries in recent years, including a shoulder malady during his 2019 season in Seattle. However, Ansah is currently at 280 pounds and healthy. Although the former Pro Bowler is entering his age-31 season and has not contributed much statistically since his 12-sack 2017, his improved health should generate interest from other teams in the near future.
Here is the latest from the free agent market:
- Former Cardinals first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche is aiming to return to the league. He has spoken with multiple teams, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. The one-time No. 1 recruit in the country did not pan out in Arizona or Miami, ballooning to 345 pounds during a thus-far unproductive career. But Garafolo adds Nkemdiche is back down to 315 and has told teams he is healthy. The Dolphins waived Nkemdiche in November.
- Prior to the Falcons‘ agreement with ex-Bengals cornerback Darqueze Dennard, they were interested in one of his former Cincinnati teammates. Atlanta was monitoring B.W. Webb, per ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (on Twitter). Webb started 12 Bengals games last season and was productive as a Giants slot cornerback in 2018. Now 30, Webb has the historically unusual distinction of playing for a different team in each of his six NFL seasons. The former Cowboys fourth-round pick has played with Dallas, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, New Orleans, the Giants and Cincinnati.
- Free agent tight end Geoff Swaim took a physical for the Texans recently, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (on Twitter). Teams are permitted to give physicals to free agents if they are serious about signing them. Swaim, however, remains unsigned days after this physical occurred. Swaim spent the first five seasons of his career with the Cowboys and Jaguars. He ended the past two seasons on IR.
- Defensive tackle Darius Kilgo has been fully cleared from the quadriceps injury he suffered last season, Rapoport tweets. A 2015 Broncos draft choice, Kilgo suffered the injury while with the Lions last year. He has not played in a regular-season game since suiting up for the 2018 Titans.