Minor NFL Transactions: 11/17/21
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return: DE Darryl Johnson, OL John Miller
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Designated for return: OL Brandon Linder, TE James O’Shaughnessy
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: LB Patrick Onwuasor
- Placed on IR: S Tyree Gillespie
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: DE Breiden Fehoko
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Christian Covington
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: CB Jamal Perry
New England Patriots
- Waived from IR: WR Malcolm Perry
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Christian Ringo
- Designated for return: RB Tony Jones Jr.
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: LB Benardrick McKinney
- Designated for return: OT Andrew Thomas
New York Jets
- Activated off PUP: DE Kyle Phillips
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return: LB Dre Greenlaw, SS Jaquiski Tartt
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Designated for return: LS Zach Triner
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: DL Kyle Peko
- Designated for return: TE Tommy Hudson
Washington Football Team
- Designated for return: CB Darryl Roberts
Buccaneers Place Richard Sherman On IR
WEDNESDAY: Sherman is now on Tampa Bay’s IR list. Given his timetable, this is not a surprising transaction. Although Sherman missed time earlier this year, the Bucs did not place him on IR. This will, then, be Sherman’s 2021 IR stay. The All-Decade cornerback will miss at least three weeks.
TUESDAY: The Buccaneers will be without Richard Sherman for at least a few weeks. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the veteran cornerback suffered a grade 2 calf sprain.
According to Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter), Sherman suffered the injury during pregame warmups prior to Sunday’s game against WFT. The injury should sideline Sherman for at least a few weeks, and an IR stint would presumably be a possibility.
Sherman joined the Buccaneers in late September, and he made his debut for Tampa Bay in Week 4. He started each of his three games for Tampa Bay, collecting 11 tackles and one fumble recovery. The 33-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during Week 6, and he was expected to return to the field for this past Sunday’s game against Washington.
The Buccaneers have dealt with their fair share of cornerbacks injuries this season. Starters Sean Murphy-Bunting and Carlton Davis have been sidelined for weeks, and even Dee Delaney, who filled in for Sherman on Sunday, had to exit the game due to a concussion. Fortunately, it sounds like Murphy-Bunting and Davis should be back with the team in the next few weeks.
Raiders Work Out CB Brian Poole
After getting cut by the Patriots last week, Brian Poole is now looking for his next gig. Per Aaron Wilson (on Twitter), the veteran cornerback auditioned for the Raiders today. The team also worked out defensive linemen Braxton Hoyett, P.J. Johnson, and Daniel McCullers.
The Saints reached an injury settlement with Poole earlier this month, cutting him from their injured reserve. He later joined New England’s practice squad with the expectation that he’d get promoted to the active roster, but he didn’t see the field for the Patriots before receiving his walking papers.
The 29-year-old spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Jets, with Pro Football Focus grading Poole as a top-12 corner during those two campaigns. Prior to his Jets run, Poole spent three seasons with the Falcons. Now, he’s looking to join a Raiders depth chart that’s led by Casey Hayward, Brandon Facyson, Nate Hobbs, and Amik Robertson.
McCullers has 76 games of experience after being selected in the sixth round of the 2014 draft. He got into 73 of those games with the Steelers between 2014 and 2019, but he was limited to only three games with the Bears in 2020. The 29-year-old has remained unsigned throughout the 2021 campaign. Johnson, a 2019 seventh-round pick, and Hoyette, a former undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, have combined for one career appearance.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell Suffered Finger Fracture
Elijah Mitchell went under the knife today, but there’s still hope that he’ll play this weekend. Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the 49ers running back underwent surgery today on a finger fracture, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
The team is hoping Mitchell will be able to return to practice as soon as tomorrow, and the 49ers have similar hopes that he’ll be on the field Sunday against the Jaguars. We’ll presumably get more information on his status for Week 11 in a few days.
The sixth-round rookie has been incredibly productive this season, leading his squad with 560 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 116 carries. Mitchell missed a pair of games earlier this season thanks to a shoulder injury, but he’s otherwise started the last five games for San Francisco.
If Mitchell is forced to miss another game, the team could turn to Jeff Wilson, who recently made his season debut after recovering from an ankle injury. Rookie Trey Sermon could also be an option, but the third-round pick hasn’t seen the field in weeks.
Panthers Waive P Joseph Charlton
The Panthers are sticking with Lachlan Edwards as their punter. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the team waived punter Joseph Charlton.
Charlton got into all 16 games for the Panthers last season, averaging 46.3 yards per punt and earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week late in the campaign. However, he struggled through the first five games of the 2021 campaign, seeing that yards-per-punt number drop to 39.1.
The 24-year-old landed on injured reserve with a back injury in mid-October. He was recently designated to return from IR, but the team decided to stick with their fill-in for the rest of the season.
“Lac” Edwards was the Jets full-time punter between the 2016 and 2019 seasons. He’s since had stints with the Bills, Chargers, and Lions, but he didn’t take the field for those squads. He joined the Panthers in late October and has seen time in their last three games, averaging a career-high 48.5 yards per punt.
Trevor Siemian To Remain Saints Starting QB?
With Jameis Winston done for the season, third-string QB Trevor Siemian has earned the last two starts for the Saints. Even with Taysom Hill fully recovered from his concussion, it sounds like Siemian could retain his starting gig. Per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the journeyman QB “has an opportunity to remain in place” as New Orleans looks to make a playoff push.
In three games this season, Siemian has completed only 57.7 percent of his pass attempts, but the 29-year-old has thrown for 706 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Sean Payton hasn’t definitively stated a plan at the position moving forward, and while Hill will remain a natural part of the offense, Siemian’s ability to (somewhat) replicate Drew Brees‘ offense makes him the favorite to keep the top spot on the depth chart (per La Canfora).
The Saints made a sizable commitment to Hill this offseason when they inked the Swiss Army Knife to what amounted to a one-year, ~$12MM extension. Hill has already seen four starts at QB this season, completing seven of his eight passes attempts for 56 yards and one interception. He also has 20 carries for 104 yards and three touchdowns, and he’s added another four receptions for 52 yards.
Meanwhile, Winston underwent successful surgery on his left knee last week, per Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. The surgery repaired a torn ACL and a “damaged’ MCL, and he’s already been released from the hospital.
Titans Waive OL Bobby Hart, DL Amani Bledsoe
The Titans moved on from two players today. The team announced that they’ve waived offensive lineman Bobby Hart and defensive lineman Amani Bledsoe.
Hart has managed to stick around the NFL for seven seasons despite being selected in the seventh round of the 2015 draft. The lineman started 21 games for the Giants between the 2015 and 2017 seasons, and he later started 45 games (of 46 appearances) for the Bengals between 2018 and 2020. Hart was released by the Bengals back in March, and he’s spent most of the 2021 campaign on the Bills and Dolphins practice squad.
The 27-year-old joined the Titans back in October, and he started a game for the team while filling in for injured offensive tackles Taylor Lewan and Kendall Lamm. Hart ultimately saw time in three total games during his stint in Tennessee.
Bledsoe joined the Titans as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma in 2019, and after starting four of his 14 games with the Bengals in 2020, he returned to the Titans (via the practice squad) back in September. The 23-year-old saw time in five games (two starts) for the Titans this season, collecting a single tackle.
Dolphins Add DT Andrew Billings
Andrew Billings passed through waivers today, but the defensive tackle has already found his next gig. Billings is set to sign with the Dolphins, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
Billings was a fourth-round pick by the Bengals in 2016, and it didn’t take him every long to establish himself as a starter. He started 30 of his 32 games between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, collecting a total of 3.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 11 QB hits.
The defensive tackle joined the Browns during the 2020 offseason, but he chose to opt out of the subsequent season. Billings ended up seeing time in only six games for Cleveland this season, collecting a single tackle. He was ultimately waived by the organization on Saturday.
Now, the 26-year-old will have a chance to kick start his career in Miami. Per Rapoport, the veteran will initially start on the practice squad, but he’s expected to be promoted to the active roster relatively quickly.
Packers’ Whitney Mercilus Done For Season
Whitney Mercilus signed with the Packers less than a month ago, but the pass rusher is now done for the season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the veteran linebacker suffered a season-ending biceps tear.
The veteran was signed to help fill in for Za’Darius Smith, who remains sidelined with a back injury. Mercilus ended up seeing time in three games with his new squad, collecting five tackles and one sack. Before suffering the injury yesterday against the Seahawks, Mercilus had appeared in at least 40 percent of Green Bay’s defensive snaps through his first three games with the organization.
Mercilus was cut by the Texans back in October after seeing his role reduced on defense. The 31-year-old still put up solid numbers despite the part-time role in Houston, compiling 12 tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss, and three QB hits. The defender had spent his entire nine-plus-year career in Houston, starting 102 of his 132 games. He ranks second in franchise history (behind J.J. Watt) in a number of statistics, including sacks (57), forced fumbles (13), tackles for loss (72), and QB hits (115).
Robert Woods Tore ACL, Done For Season
The Rams officially signed Odell Beckham Jr. yesterday, but another one of their wideouts suffered a season-ending injury. Robert Woods tore his ACL at practice on Friday, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Rams, OBJ Agree To Deal]
Woods went down with a knee injury during Friday’s practice, but per Schefter (on Twitter), the wideout popped back up and finished the day. Woods even conducted interviews, and no one in the organization suspected anything was wrong until tests later revealed an “isolated ACL tear” (Twitter link).
The 29-year-old Woods was having another standout season in 2021. Through the first nine games, Woods hauled in 45 receptions for 556 yards and four touchdowns. He also had another eight carries for 46 yards and one touchdown. The wideout has been remarkably durable during his tenure with the Rams; while he missed four games during his first season with the organization, he only missed one regular season game between 2018 and 2020. Now, the veteran captain will be sidelined for at least the rest of the season, and there’s a good chance his recovery could carry over into the 2022 campaign.
The Rams, of course, added to their offense earlier this week when they won the OBJ sweepstakes, signing the veteran wideout to a one-year deal. According to Schefter (on Twitter), OBJ will indeed make his Rams debut on Monday against the 49ers. It was expected that the Matthew Stafford-led passing attack would by led by Cooper Kupp, Woods, and Beckham Jr., with Van Jefferson serving as a rotation piece. The 2020 second-round pick will presumably retain his third spot on the depth chart. Through nine games this season, Jefferson has hauled in 27 receptions for 433 yards and three touchdowns.