Patriots Sign QB Will Grier To Active Roster
The Patriots QB3 saga has taken another turn. New England is signing quarterback Will Grier to the active roster, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
[RELATED: Patriots Not Adding Matt Corral To Practice Squad]
The Patriots reshuffled their QB depth chart following roster deadline day. Bailey Zappe was cut from the active roster and eventually landed on the practice squad, and the team appeared to fill the QB2 spot with 2022 third-round pick Matt Corral, who was claimed off waivers from the Panthers. Zappe eventually rejoined the active roster, and Corral was later placed on the exempt/left squad list after he no-showed practice, walkthrough, and team meetings.
Corral was eventually released by the team, but subsequent reports indicated that he was going to join New England’s practice squad. That move didn’t end up coming to fruition, leaving Corral’s future with the organization in doubt.
Corral’s status with the Patriots is now even more in doubt following today’s sudden move. Grier was also a former Panthers draft pick, with the West Virginia product being selected in the third round of the 2019 draft. He was winless in his two starts as a rookie and was demoted to QB3 during his sophomore season. He was later waived and claimed by the Cowboys, and he proceeded to spend the next two years serving as one of Dak Prescott‘s backups.
Following the Cowboys’ acquisition of Trey Lance, Grier was cut loose, but not before he accounted for four total touchdowns during Dallas’ preseason finale. Grier later joined the Bengals practice squad before getting snatched by New England today.
It’s notable that the Patriots are suddenly comfortable rostering three QBs in Mac Jones, Zappe, and now Grier. There’s a chance the former Cowboys backup ends up following a similar path as Corral and ultimately lands on New England’s practice squad. In a potential noncoincidence, the Patriots are set to face off against the Cowboys in Week 4.
Colts Add RB Trey Sermon To Practice Squad
With Jonathan Taylor‘s future with the Colts looming over the organization, the team has added an intriguing name to the running backs room. The Colts announced that they’ve signed running back Trey Sermon to the practice squad.
[RELATED: Colts Likely To Resume Jonathan Taylor Trade Talks]
It wasn’t all that long ago that Sermon looked like he could be the future RB for the 49ers. However, the 2021 third-round pick quickly fell behind 2021 sixth-round pick Elijah Mitchell in the pecking order, and Sermon was only thrown into the lineup when he was the last man standing. Sermon ended up starting two of his nine appearances during that 2021 campaign, finishing with 193 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.
The 49ers ended up cutting him at the end of the 2022 preseason, and he quickly caught on with the Eagles via waivers. He wasn’t able to make much of a dent in a deep Philly RBs room, with Sermon garnering a pair of carries (for 19 yards) in two appearances. Sermon was waived/injured by the Eagles back in August, and after passing through waivers and reverting to IR, the Eagles let him go for good last week.
Now he’ll be joining a Colts RB corps that’s a bit uncertain with their leading rusher sitting on PUP. It’s unknown if Taylor will even play again for Indy, leaving the team to figure out a contingency plan at the position. Zack Moss returned from injury in Week 2 and got all of the looks at RB for the Colts, stealing snaps from Week 1 starter Deon Jackson. The Colts are also rostering Jake Funk.
In other words, Sermon has a chance to carve out a role on a questionable depth chart. The team hinted that they could be seeking additional depth at the position when they worked out James Robinson earlier this month.
Seahawks Sign CB Artie Burns To Active Roster
Artie Burns is joining Seattle’s active roster. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks have signed the cornerback from their practice squad to the 53-man roster.
Burns struggled to live up to his first-round pedigree during his four seasons with the Steelers, starting only 32 of his 58 appearances. His fifth-year option was naturally declined, and the cornerback caught on with the Bears before the 2020 campaign. Unfortunately, a torn ACL knocked him out for the entire season, and he started six of his 11 games for Chicago during his comeback campaign in 2021.
He spent most of last year in Seattle, getting into three games. He re-signed with the organization this past offseason, and after getting cut during roster deadline day, he caught on with the practice squad. He’s already been promoted for both of Seattle’s two games this season, with the veteran appearing in 33 defensive snaps.
Riq Woolen suffered a chest injury during Sunday’s win over the Lions, potentially leaving the team with a depleted CB corps. Fortunately, Pete Carroll indicated that Burns’ promotion to the full-time roster wasn’t related to Woolen’s injury.
“He’s still sore; he’s sore today,” Carroll said of Woolen (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). “We’re just one day at a time. There’s nothing that we need to do other than treat him, and then we see if he can make it back. We’ll take it one day at a time.”
If Woolen is forced to miss time, Burns would be re-joining a depth chart that also features Tre Brown, Coby Bryant, Michael Jackson, Kyu Blu Kelly, and Devon Witherspoon.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/19/23
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Jacob Slade
- Released: WR Daniel Arias
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Milo Eifler
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Matthias Farley
- Released: DB Eric Rowe
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OT Dan Skipper
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DB Darius Rush
- Released: NT Danny Shelton
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Mykal Walker
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Cory Durden
- Released: P Brandon Wright
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Verone McKinley
- Released: S Joshua Kalu
New England Patriots
- Signed: QB Matt Corral
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Tiawan Mullen
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DB Chris Steele
- Released: WR Matt Landers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: G Logan Stenberg
Tennessee Titans
- Released: DE Michael Dwumfour
According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Matt Corral has landed back with the Patriots after going unclaimed on waivers. It’s been a busy few months for Corral, who has bounced on and off the Panthers and Patriots rosters. He’ll now return to New England as the organization’s third QB behind Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
Eric Rowe didn’t last all that long in Carolina after landing on the team’s practice squad in late August. The veteran defensive back spent the past four seasons in Miami, starting 39 of his 63 appearances. He’ll be replaced by Matthias Farley, who brings 100 games of experience to the Panthers. The safety has bounced around the league recently but didn’t miss a game between 2020 and 2022.
It took Mykal Walker a few weeks to find a new gig after getting cut by the Bears on roster deadline day. The former fourth-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Falcons, including a 2022 campaign where he finished with 107 tackles. He was surprisingly waived by Atlanta in mid-August before getting scooped up by Chicago. Now, he’ll have a chance to revive his career in Las Vegas.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/23
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived from IR: CB Mac McCain
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived from IR: CB Marvell Tell
Cleveland Browns
- Waived from IR: CB Thakarius Keyes, WR Anthony Schwartz
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: OL Kayode Awosika
- Promoted: RB Bam Knight
Houston Texans
- Released: DL Michael Dogbe
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: G Arlington Hambright
- Waived: OL Ryan Hayes
Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: WR Kirk Merritt
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: DL Kyle Peko
- Waived: DL Jayden Peevy
Michael Dogbe, a former seventh-round pick, got into 40 games for the Cardinals through the first four seasons of his career. This included 2021 and 2022 campaigns where he appeared in 29 games, collecting 55 tackles and one sack. He caught on with the Texans last week and proceeded to appear in about 25 percent of the team’s defensive snaps this past weekend.
Kyle Peko will bring 31 games of experience to the Titans defensive line. The veteran has already been promoted by the Titans twice this season and started both of his appearances, collecting four tackles. He’ll be taking the spot of Jayden Peevy, who got into two games across two seasons with the organization.
Ravens Place DB Ar’Darius Washington On IR
The Ravens will be without one of their top defensive backs for the next few weeks. According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, the Ravens have placed Ar’Darius Washington on injured reserve.
Washington will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks while recovering from a chest injury. It’s uncertain when exactly the defensive back suffered his injury during Sunday’s win over the Bengals.
With the Ravens dealing with a long list of injuries on their secondary, Washington has seen a significant role over the first two weeks of the season, including a Week 2 appearance where he appeared in 95 percent of Baltimore’s defensive snaps. Listed as a safety on the official roster, Washington has been called on to serve as the slot cornerback during the early parts of the 2023 campaign.
The former UDFA saw time in six games through his first two seasons in the NFL. Washington was an undrafted free agent out of TCU in 2021.
This is yet another hit to Baltimore’s secondary. Marlon Humphrey continues to recover from his foot surgery, while Marcus Williams is sidelined with a pectoral injury. The Ravens have also been without Damarion Williams (ankle) and Trayvon Mullen (toe), meaning the Ravens have had to dig deep into their depth chart.
Arthur Maulet could be a candidate to take on a larger role in at least Week 3. After signing a two-year extension with the Steelers last offseason, Maulet was cut by Pittsburgh this offseason, leading to him landing in Baltimore. The veteran has seen time in 68 career games in stints with the Saints, Colts, Jets, and Steelers.
Per Hensley, the Ravens used their open roster spot to sign center Sam Mustipher from the practice squad. The offseason pickup was already elevated for both of Baltimore’s first two games, with the lineman earning one start.
Amari Cooper Aggravates Groin Injury
SEPTEMBER 18: Cooper’s practice setback will not lead to a Monday-night absence. The Browns’ top wideout will play against the Steelers, Rapoport tweets.
SEPTEMBER 16: The Browns may be down a receiver on Monday against the Steelers. Amari Cooper “aggravated” his groin during Saturday’s practice, according to coach Kevin Stefanski (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). The wideout is considered questionable for Cleveland’s Week 2 matchup.
After sitting out a practice earlier this week for a maintenance day, the veteran was on the practice field over the past two days. Stefanski said Cooper was injured late during Saturday’s practice before he exited with training staff.
“Aggravated his groin,” Stefanski said (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “We brought him inside. We’ll evaluate him over the next 48 hours.”
Despite inconsistent quarterback play, Cooper was productive during his first season in Cleveland. The receiver finished the 2022 campaign with 78 catches for 1,160 yards and nine touchdowns. He played through a hip injury for much of the second half of the season, and he ultimately underwent core muscle surgery this offseason. The veteran had three catches for 37 yards in the season opener.
If Cooper is forced to sit out Monday Night Football, the Browns could turn to veteran Marquise Goodwin or rookie third-round pick Cedric Tillman to soak up some of the snaps next to Donovan Peoples-Jones and Elijah Moore.
Saints Sign OL Cesar Ruiz To Extension
SEPTEMBER 17: Details on the Ruiz pact are in, courtesy of ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. The 24-year-old will see fully guaranteed base salaries of $1.33MM and $1.35MM over each of the next two seasons, along with an $8MM roster bonus in 2024. Ruiz’s 2025 salary ($9.15MM) will become guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year. Overall, his cap hits will remain flat beginning next season, ranging from $10.65MM to $11MM.
SEPTEMBER 9: Cesar Ruiz is sticking in New Orleans for the foreseeable future. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Saints have signed their offensive lineman to a four-year extension.
[RELATED: Saints OL Cesar Ruiz Still Has Potential Future In New Orleans]
The contract is worth $44MM and has a max value of $46MM. The deal also includes $30MM in guaranteed money. Ruiz was set to hit free agency following the 2023 season after previously having his fifth-year option declined.
Ruiz hasn’t necessarily lived up to his first-round billing through three seasons in the NFL. He became a full-time starter during his sophomore season and has started all 31 of his appearances over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus hasn’t been fond of his performance, never ranking him higher than 56th at his position (among 82 qualifying guards in 2021).
This past season, Ruiz ranked 59th among 77 qualifiers at offensive guard. He was sidelined for the final three games of the 2022 season after suffering a Lisfranc injury. The front office declined his fifth-year option back in May.
Despite his struggles and the Saints’ lack of commitment, general manager Mickey Loomis implied this offseason that Ruiz could still have a future with the team. The executive described the lineman as an “ascending player” and hinted that Ruiz could be a candidate for an extension. Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football notes that the lineman was a standout during training camp and preseason, while Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com believes Ruiz “enjoyed one of the best camps of any player on the roster.”
Jets’ First- And Second-Round Picks In “Escrow”
The Packers are destined to eventually receive a second-round pick from the Jets following Aaron Rodgers‘ season-ending injury. However, thanks to some specific language in the trade agreement, New York’s first-round pick will likely be locked until the end of the 2023 season.
[RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Does Not Close Door On In-Season Return]
As sources explained to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, “conditions of the trade have not yet been met.” Specifically, the Packers sought and were granted terms that would protect them in the unlikely event that Rodgers was released or traded by New York. This condition technically can’t be determined until the end of the 2023 campaign, thus putting both the Jets’ 2024 first- and second-round picks in “escrow.”
The original trade terms required Rodgers to play in at least 65 percent of New York’s offensive snaps in order for the Packers to receive a 2024 first-round pick. The teams could have accounted for a season-ending injury in the trade terms, but the Packers were preparing for the Jets’ worst-case scenario.
As Jones observes, Green Bay’s request likely stems from the organization’s previous QB trade with the Jets. When the Packers traded Brett Favre to New York, the team thought they were also preventing the quarterback from eventually landing in the NFC North. Specifically, Green Bay included a clause that would have forced the Jets to give up three first-round picks if they dealt Favre to an NFC North team.
Favre briefly retired after only one season in New York, and the Jets ended up cutting him during the offseason. He was later scooped up by the Vikings, and since a free agent hypothetical wasn’t included in the trade terms, the Packers didn’t receive any compensation. As Jones notes, the NFL abolished these “poison pill” provisions in the 2011 CBA. The organization’s most-recent tactic fit under the league’s current rules, and while the terms would have done little to ultimately impact the compensation, the provision is still having an impact on New York’s trade ability.
The league doesn’t allow teams to trade future selections that aren’t under their full control. As Jones notes, the Jets could only trade their first-round selection if they add a condition on top of the current Packers’ restrictions. The Jets could also approach the Packers about revising the original terms of the deal.
Of course, considering how deep the Jets’ roster is, the only scenario where the Jets would even consider trading their 2024 first-round pick would be if a franchise-altering QB became available. The team sounds committed to Zach Wilson for the 2023 campaign, and Rodgers has left the door open for a 2024 comeback (or even a 2023 return). Still, it’s an important situation to watch when the trade market soon heats up.
Jets Sign K Austin Seibert To PS, Rule Out K Greg Zuerlein
3:35pm: An updated report informs that the move will reportedly be adding Seibert to the practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. He and linebacker Samuel Eguavoen will be called up from the taxi squad as gameday elevations for tomorrow’s game.
Wilson also reports that practice squad quarterback Tim Boyle will be signed to the active roster to serve as Zach Wilson‘s backup. The vacancy created on the practice squad by Boyle’s promotion will be the one filled by Seibert’s addition. In order to make room on the active roster for Boyle, wide receiver Irvin Charles has been waived.
1:53pm: With reports coming in from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, we can confirm that the Jets have officially downgraded Zuerlein to out for tomorrow’s matchup with the Cowboys. As most teams choose not to carry more than one kicker on their roster, this will require New York to make an addition to the team for tomorrow.
After a successful workout yesterday, Seibert has won the backup kicking job for the Jets, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. As mentioned below, Seibert is the most experienced of the three who tried out after spending his rookie season in 2019 making 86 percent of his kicks as the full time kicker for the Browns. He’s bounced around a bit since then and will now get a new opportunity in New York.
Even if Zuerlein is only out short-term, the job is a good opportunity for Seibert to showcase his in-game kicking abilities to other teams in the NFL who may be in need of a kicker down the line.
9:17am: With Greg Zuerlein questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Cowboys, the Jets were busy figuring out a contingency plan yesterday. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Jets worked out three kickers: Matthew Wright, Austin Seibert, and Caleb Shudak.
Seibert has the most experience of the bunch, with the former sixth-round pick getting into 30 games since 2019. Since appearing in 16 games a rookie, the kicker has bounced around the NFL, spending time with the Browns, Bengals, and Lions. He most recently got into three games for Detroit in 2022, connecting on three of his five field goal attempts and all 12 of his extra point tries.
Wright has seen time in 23 games, including a 2021 campaign where he appeared in 14 games for the Jaguars. He split the 2022 season between the Steelers and Chiefs, converting 12 of his 14 FG tries and all seven of his XPs. Shudak was busy during his lone NFL appearance, contributing 10 points during an appearance with the Titans in 2022.
Zuerlein suffered a groin injury during practice on Thursday, and Robert Saleh has declared the starting kicker 50/50 for tomorrow (per ESPN’s Rich Cimini). The head coach also acknowledged that the injury isn’t serious, so it sounds like the Jets may just need a one-week replacement at the position.
“Joe [Douglas] and the staff, they’re on it, to get all these kickers in for a workout to see which one would be best available come Sunday,” Saleh said (via Andrew Crane of the New York Post). “But gotta roll with the punches.”