Minor NFL Transactions: 7/30/24
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: WR Isaiah Wooden
- Placed on reserve/retired list: OT Tyler Vrabel
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Quincy Roche
- Placed on IR: DE Malik Hamm
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: LB Shayne Simon
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Tayvion Robinson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LS Peter Bowden, CB Don Callis, CB LJ Davis
- Waived: CB Zyon Gilbert, FB Henry Pearson, K James Turner
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Levi Bell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DE Raymond Johnson, LB Tanner Muse
- Waived: DE Andre Carter, LB Trey Kiser
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DB Kyler McMichael, TE Matt Sokol
- Released: WR Marquez Callaway, DB Josiah Scott
Marquez Callaway will once again hit free agency after having bounced around the NFL last season. The wideout spent time with the Broncos, Raiders, Saints (second stint) during the 2023 campaign. He caught on with the Steelers via a reserve/futures contract in January but ultimately lasted only a few days into training camp.
The former UDFA had a breakout campaign as a sophomore in New Orleans, finishing the 2021 season with 46 catches for 698 yards and six touchdowns. He saw a reduced role in 2022 before hitting the free agency carousel in 2023.
Jets Sign TE/FB Anthony Firkser
The Jets have replaced one blocking specialist with another. The team announced that they’ve signed tight end Anthony Firkser. In a corresponding move, the Jets released fullback Nick Bawden.
Firkser has served in a variety of roles during his NFL career, most commonly as a tight end or fullback. He was once relatively productive in the receiving game, including a 2020 campaign where he hauled in 39 catches for 387 yards. He was also called upon as a run blocker, especially while he was in Tennessee. During the 2021 season, Firkser got into a career-high 109 run-blocking snaps for the Titans.
Since leaving Tennessee, Firkser hasn’t seen a consistent role at any of his stops. He got into 11 games for the Falcons in 2022, finishing with nine catches while getting into 47 blocking snaps. After spending the 2023 preseason in New England, the veteran spent much of the regular season on Detroit’s practice squad.
This Jets signing will be a bit of a homecoming for Firkser. The Harvard product got his first NFL opportunity with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He’ll be taking the roster spot previously held by Bawden, who was just activated from the PUP yesterday. Bawden spent the past three years in New York, including a 2023 campaign where he got into a career-high 16 games. The former seventh-round pick saw time on more than 90 blocking snaps for the Jets in 2023 while also seeing a significant role on special teams.
Firkser could easily slide right into that role, but the team also has some young options for their now-open fullback gig. 2022 third-round pick Jeremy Ruckert has excelled as a run blocker, while UDFA Lincoln Sefcik has reportedly been working as an H-back during the first few practices.
Browns Still Open To Amari Cooper Extension
While the Browns recently came to a temporary contract resolution with wideout Amari Cooper, the organization isn’t closing the door on a long-term partnership. During an appearance on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, Browns GM Andrew Berry revealed that the team would still consider a Cooper extension.
[RELATED: Browns, WR Amari Cooper Agree To Restructured Deal]
“I think everybody here understands what Amari means to this organization,” Berry said (via 92.3 The Fan on X). “He’s been a big part of our success. We were glad we were able to resolve the situation. Nothing that we’ve done would preclude us from extending him.”
As part of his restructured contract, Cooper received a raise of up to $5MM (via incentives), and he also had his $20MM salary for 2024 guaranteed (with $10MM being paid as a signing bonus). That seemingly placated Cooper’s camp after the wide receiver no-showed mandatory minicamp. Still, the revised contract didn’t do anything to resolve Cooper’s pending free agency, as the wideout is still attached to an expiring contract for the 2024 campaign.
Cooper is heading into the final season of a five-year, $100MM pact he signed with the Cowboys back in 2020. Years later, the going rate for top-end WRs has topped a $30MM average annual value. Cooper’s de facto one-year, $25MM resolution would still only rank eighth at the position in AAV, so we can assume the receiver isn’t looking to break the bank on his next deal.
Cooper would be hard pressed to secure a $25MM AAV on his next contract, but he might not be far off. Heading into his age-30 season, Calvin Ridley managed to garner a four-year, $92MM deal. Cooper’s free agency will come ahead of his age-31 season, but he also has a much longer track record of success than Ridley. Cooper seems destined to find a deal worth at least $20MM per year, and he could come in around Ridley’s $23MM AAV.
The Browns acquired Jerry Jeudy this offseason and gave the WR a three-year, $52.5MM deal, so while the Browns may be open to a Cooper extension, it’s uncertain if it’d be financially realistic. Even if Cleveland isn’t willing to pony up for Cooper’s services, the wide receiver surely won’t be lacking for suitors.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/24
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Jesse Matthews
Houston Texans
- Activated from PUP: FB Andrew Beck
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: K Riley Patterson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Terrell Bynum
- Waived (failed physical): LB Darien Butler
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: K John Parker Romo
New York Jets
- Activated from PUP: FB Nick Bawden
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: DB Josiah Scott
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from NFI: WR Ricky Pearsall
Riley Patterson‘s second stint in Jacksonville has come to an end. After getting a seven-game look with the Lions in 2021, Patterson won the Jaguars full-time kicking gig in 2022. He proceeded to convert 30 of his 35 field goal attempts that season, plus another three-for-three showing in the postseason (including a 41-yard game-winner against the Chargers).
He was replaced in Jacksonville by Brandon McManus last offseason, leading to him spending the majority of the 2023 campaign back in Detroit. In addition to his two-game stint with the Browns to end last season, Patterson ended 2023 having connected on 16 of his 18 FG tries and 41 of his 44 XP tries. The Jaguars brought him back in February via a reserve/future contract, but the team is already committing to rookie sixth-round pick Cam Little as their full-time kicker.
Cowboys Eyeing DE Help
With Sam Williams lost for the season thanks to a torn ACL and MCL, the Cowboys are doing their due diligence on potential replacements. According to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, the team has been “reviewing the tape” on available veteran defensive ends. However, Moore cautions that the team hasn’t lined up any visits/workouts.
[RELATED: Cowboys’ Sam Williams Tears ACL]
While Williams was once buried in the positional pecking order, the Cowboys were going to lean on their depth following the losses of Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler this offseason. Dallas is fortunate that they still have plenty of talent on the edge; Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence will continue to lead the depth chart, and the organization also used a second-round pick on Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland.
Beyond that trio, the options are less than inspiring for new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. 2023 fourth-round pick Viliami Fehoko Jr. is the team’s most significant recent draft investment of the bunch, but any of the back-of-the-depth-chart options (including key special teamer Chauncey Golston, 2023 UDFAs Durrell Johnson and Tyrus Wheat, and 2024 UDFA Byron Vaughns) could step into any leftover snaps. There’s a good chance the Cowboys will be patient and evaluate this grouping before pouncing on any free agent options.
Plus, the free agent market has been pretty much picked through. Yannick Ngakoue likely represents the best option at the position, with the likes of Carl Lawson, Markus Golden, and Shaq Lawson also sitting unsigned. The Cowboys will also have more options at their disposal as rival squads trim down their rosters, so there probably isn’t any urgency to find a Williams replacement right now. Stephen Jones basically acknowledged as much when discussing the position with Moore.
“We’ll just see,” Jones said. “It depends on the guy. Everybody is pouring over the tape and seeing if there is anything. But we’re very pleased with what Kneeland has done so far.
“If the right guy is there, we’ll pull the trigger. If not, we’ll kind of keep playing along, see how our guys do and go from there.”
As for Williams, Moore notes that the defender will undergo surgery in August to repair his torn ACL and partially torn MCL. The earlier we’ll see Williams on the field will likely be a month or two into the 2025 campaign.
Vikings, LT Christian Darrisaw Agree To Extension
JULY 25: Joining Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and Penei Sewell as 2021 first-rounders already extended, Darrisaw’s base value will fall short of Sewell’s $28MM-per-year Lions deal. The Vikings gave their left tackle a four-year, $104MM contract, according to OverTheCap. The contract includes $43.73MM guaranteed at signing, but Darrisaw is all but certain to add $13.29MM (his 2026 base salary) to that total. If Darrisaw is on Minnesota’s roster as of Day 3 of the 2025 league year, his 2026 base locks in.
This rolling guarantee structure, increasingly popular in recent years, also includes $8.38MM of Darrisaw’s 2027 compensation ($16.5MM) becoming guaranteed in March 2026, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The Vikings also guaranteed $2MM of Darrisaw’s 2028 base salary for injury, with the rest of that money becoming guaranteed in 2028. This contract makes Darrisaw the NFL’s highest-paid left tackle.
JULY 23: Christian Darrisaw has landed a big-ticket deal with the Vikings. The left tackle agreed to an extension on Tuesday, as first reported by Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
This will be a four-year pact worth up to $113MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. Darrisaw will collect $77MM in guaranteed money, including $43.7MM locked in at signing. The offensive lineman still had two years remaining on his contract after having his fifth-year option picked up earlier this offseason.
This four-year extension will be added to the end of Darrisaw’s rookie deal, meaning the 25-year-old is locked in through the 2029 campaign. Considering general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wasn’t in place when the Virginia Tech alum was drafted, there was some uncertainty regarding the timeliness of a potential Darrisaw extension. Ultimately, the two sides completed a deal with time to spare.
The 2021 first-round pick has established himself as one of the league’s top OTs while blocking for Kirk Cousins in Minnesota. Pro Football Focus graded Darrisaw as the second-best offensive tackle in 2022, and he followed that up with an eighth-place finish (among 81 qualifiers) in 2023. The lineman has missed 10 regular season games in three years, but he managed to get into a career-high 15 games this past season.
While Darrisaw still has a few years before the extension kicks in, the new deal will vault him up the list of the league’s highest-paid left tackles. The $77MM in guaranteed money is now the highest commitment at his position, and the extension’s $28.25MM average annual value would top Laremy Tunsil‘s $25MM AAV. Darrisaw still has about $20MM coming his way in the final two seasons of his current deal.
As the Vikings transition from the veteran Cousins to a rookie in J.J. McCarthy, the front office is assuring some continuity elsewhere on offense. McCarthy’s rookie contract has also allowed the organization to allocate finances elsewhere. In addition to Darrisaw’s new contract, the Vikings also handed wideout Justin Jefferson a lucrative extension this offseason.
While there’s a bit of uncertainty surrounding the offense moving forward, the Vikings can rest easy knowing their core is locked in. In addition to Darrisaw, Jefferson, and McCarthy, the team has Jordan Addison on his rookie contract and tight end T.J. Hockenson signed long-term.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb Not Reporting To Training Camp
After learning earlier today that the Cowboys had yet to engage in “substantial” extension talks with CeeDee Lamb, the inactive negotiations have led to a holdout. “A person with knowledge” of Lamb’s thinking told Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News that the player will not be reporting to training camp tomorrow. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has since confirmed the news. ESPN’s Todd Archer was first to report that the organization was “bracing” for a Lamb no-show when practices start on Thursday.
[RELATED: Cowboys Yet To Conduct ‘Substantial’ Negotiations With WR CeeDee Lamb]
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport clarifies that the two sides have indeed worked on a new deal, although it’s uncertain if that runs contrary to the aforementioned report of minimal “substantial” talks. The wideout will continue to face daily fines of $50K until he attends camp.
While Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown all earned offseason extensions that will pay at least $30MM per year, Lamb is still attached to his $17.99MM fifth-year option. The Oklahoma alum did initially state an interest in becoming the NFL’s highest-paid wideout. It’s uncertain if he’s now pushing for Jefferson’s record-breaking $35MM AAV, but at the very least, he can point to the Vikings WR’s $110MM in guaranteed money.
Both sides always intended to see how the market played out, and recent reports indicated that the Cowboys were prioritizing a Lamb extension over deals for Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons. Perhaps that report was a signal of things to come and the Cowboys read the tea leafs regarding Lamb’s impending holdout. Of course, this news also doesn’t come as a huge shock. Lamb had been a candidate to engage in a holdout for quite some time, considering he skipped voluntary OTAs as well as mandatory minicamp.
Now, the Cowboys will be engaged in a holdout for the second-straight training camp. Last year, Zack Martin held out as he pursued a new contract. The Cowboys ended up being the side to blink, as the organization turned the final two years of Martin’s contract into a fully guaranteed agreement. Lamb will obviously be seeking both guarantees and term on his next pact, and with Dallas having not guaranteed a receiver more than $40MM at signing (while also holding the line on contracts spanning at least five years), it’s uncertain which side will relent. For what it’s worth, Ezekiel Elliott won his staring contest with the Cowboys back in 2019, with the running back earning a new contract that made him the highest-paid player at his position.
Lamb has been the centerpiece of the Cowboys’ passing attack since the team moved on from Amari Cooper in 2022. The 25-year-old is coming off a first-team All-Pro season (the first by a Dallas wideout since Dez Bryant), setting franchise records in receptions (135) and yards (1,749) along the way.
Broncos WR Courtland Sutton Expected To Attend Training Camp
While there hasn’t been a resolution on Courtland Sutton‘s contract, the wide receiver is expected to participate in training camp. Sean Payton told reporters (including Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post) that he expects the wideout to practice with the team this week. The Broncos are set to hit the practice field for the first time on Wednesday.
Payton also acknowledged that he hasn’t talked with the receiver about his contract dispute, but the coach is confident it won’t be a distraction. Sutton is still attached to a four-year, $60MM extension that runs through 2025. The 28-year-old is believed to be pushing for a raise on his $13MM 2024 base salary, with $16MM being the receiver’s expected asking price. Sutton also only has $2MM more in guaranteed money coming his way, so the player is presumably seeking some more financial certainty, as well.
The receiver previously reported to Denver’s minicamp, but he kept the door open to a potential training camp holdout. That route would have made Sutton subject to fines, and he wouldn’t have been able to recoup any of that lost value since he’s already attached to a veteran contract.
The former second-round pick hasn’t establish himself as a top-tier WR in the NFL, but he still has put together five 700-plus-yard seasons. He’s been remarkably consistent over the past three years, averaging 60 catches and 792 receiving yards over the span. After hauling in four touchdowns between 2021 and 2022, Sutton caught a career-high 10 scores in 2023. The veteran has seemingly been connected to trade rumors for years, but the wideout has continued to stick around through multiple regimes and multiple QBs.
While the Broncos have time on their hands, there is some merit to keeping Sutton happy while assuring the veteran is locked in beyond the 2025 campaign. The organization already moved on from a trade-rumor mainstay in Jerry Jeudy, which only puts more reliance on Sutton as the top receiver. The team also moved off Russell Wilson and replaced him with first-round QB Bo Nix, so Sutton’s experience will surely come in handy in the upcoming years.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived (with injury settlement): OL Carter O’Donnell
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OT Julién Davenport
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from PUP: WR Jalen Coker, Chau Smith-Wade
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on NFI: OT Trent Brown
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: QB Jacob Eason
- Waived: LS Peter Bowden
Houston Texans
- Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
- Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on PUP: LB Darien Butler, OL Jacob Johanning, OL Jackson Powers-Johnson, WR Jalen Guyton, T Kolton Miller
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on PUP: TE Tyler Higbee
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Kyric McGowan
- Placed on PUP: WR Odell Beckham, LB David Long
- Placed on IR: WR Tahj Washington
- Activated off NFI: RB Salvon Ahmed, S Mark Perry
New England Patriots
- Placed on PUP: C Jake Andrews, WR Kendrick Bourne, G Cole Strange, LB Sione Takitaki
- Placed on NFI: RB Antonio Gibson
New York Giants
- Placed on PUP: T Evan Neal▪️, CB Aaron Robinson
- Placed on NFI: DB Jalen Mills, DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
New York Jets
- Signed: CB Nehemiah Shelton
- Activated from PUP: WR Tyler Harrell, DT Leonard Taylor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on NFI: DB Cooper DeJean
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on PUP: LB Dre Greenlaw, S Talanoa Hufanga
- Placed on NFI: WR Ricky Pearsall
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Marcus Simms, OT Jalen Sundell
- Activated from PUP: LB Jerome Baker, CB Lance Boykin, LB Tyrel Dodson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on NFI: QB Zack Annexstad, TE Tanner Taula
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on PUP: WR Colton Dowell, OT Nicholas Petit-Frere
WR Michael Gallup Retires
After joining the Raiders earlier this offseason, Michael Gallup is apparently calling it a career. The team announced that they’ve placed the wide receiver on the reserve/retired list.
The 2018 third-round pick quickly established himself as a foundational piece in Dallas, finishing his sophomore campaign with 66 catches for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns. Despite the team’s addition of first-round WR CeeDee Lamb in 2020, Gallup still managed to top 800 receiving yards on a depth chart that also featured Amari Cooper.
The trouble started in 2021. Gallup missed the first chunk of the season thanks to a calf injury. He was limited to a then-career-low 12.7 yards per reception that season on 35 catches before suffering a torn ACL in the regular season finale. The organization clearly wasn’t deterred by the injuries, as the front office handed Gallup a five-year, $62.5MM extension before trading Cooper days later.
To Gallup’s credit, he returned for 14 games in 2022, but he clearly wasn’t the same player. While Dak Prescott‘s absence partly played into Gallup’s drop in production, the wide receiver was still limited to only 30 yards per game. He managed to get into all 17 games this past season but his counting stats continued to drop, with the 28-year-old compiling only 34 catches for 418 yards and two scores.
The Cowboys gave Gallup permission to seek a trade earlier this offseason, but the team ultimately decided to cut him before a $4MM salary guarantee was due. The wideout quickly caught on with the Raiders, inking a one-year deal that could be worth up to $3MM. There was some hope that the veteran could soak up the snaps left by Hunter Renfrow, who was cut in March. Indeed, Ed Werder reports that news of Gallup’s retirement came as a surprise to the Raiders. The organization will now have an open competition for the WR3 spot behind Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.