Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: EDGE Marquis Haynes, CB Delonte Hood
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from NFI: LB Adisa Isaac
Buffalo Bills
- Released from IR: DL David Ugwoegbu
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE Marcus Haynes, LB Landon Honeycutt
- Waived: WR Jalen Camp, OT Chukwuma Okorafor
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Darius Harris, DT Albert Huggins, LB Nick Vigil
- Waived: LB Byron Vaughns
- Placed on IR: DE Sam Williams
- Placed on reserve/did not report: WR CeeDee Lamb (story)
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Alec Mock
- Waived/injured: LB Ronnie Perkins
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DE Zach Morton
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Dax Milne
- Waived/injured: DT Tomari Fox
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: QB Luis Perez
- Waived: LB Savion Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OL Matt Kaskey, OL Alec Lindstrom
- Waived: TE Neal Johnson, DB Kenny Logan Jr.
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Mike Rose
- Waived/injured: OT Chandler Brewer
New York Giants
- Reverted to IR: RB Jashaun Corbin
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: WR Malik Turner
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Jamie Sheriff
- Waived/injured: LB Josh Onujiogu
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OL J.C. Hassenauer
- Waived: TE Armani Rogers
- Waived/injured: T Alex Akingbulu
CeeDee Lamb isn’t usually mentioned in this type of post, but the transaction involving the wideout was simply procedural. As ESPN’s Todd Archer notes, placing Lamb on the reserve/did not report list opens up a roster spot for the Cowboys, something that was necessary after the team signed three players today. This move doesn’t impact negotiations, and Lamb can be activated once he returns to practice. Lamb continues to holdout while he waits for a new deal, but the front office is working hard to get him back in the building.
Justin Herbert‘s recent foot injury necessitated some extra depth at the position. The team ended up opting for Luis Perez, who led the UFL last season in completions (225), passing yards (2,309), and touchdowns (18). Perez will soak up some temporary snaps alongside Easton Stick, Max Duggan, and UDFA Casey Bauman.
Jaguars Waive DL Adam Gotsis
In addition to adding safety Adrian Amos today, the Jaguars made a handful of additional moves to shake up the bottom of their squad. The team announced the signing of Amos and defensive tackle Jonathan Marshall. To make room on the roster, the Jaguars waived defensive tackle Adam Gotsis and waived/injured CB Gregory Junior.
[RELATED: Jaguars To Sign S Adrian Amos]
Besides Amos, Gotsis is the most notable name on the list. The veteran defensive lineman spent the past four seasons in Jacksonville, appearing in 64 regular season games. He started 14 of his 16 games during his first year with the Jaguars, collecting 37 tackles and one forced fumble while appearing in about 50 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.
He only started 12 games for Jacksonville between 2021 and 2023, but he still saw a pretty consistent role on defense (including a pair of campaigns with 400-plus snaps). Over that stretch, Gotsis collected 5.5 sacks and 23 QB hits. Despite the production, the 31-year-old saw himself get pushed down the depth chart this offseason. The Jaguars added defensive end Arik Armstead and a trio of DL rookies (including second-round defensive tackle Maason Smith).
With Gotsis facing an uphill battle to make a crowded depth chart, the team decided to pivot to a developmental piece at the position. Marshall was a sixth-round pick by the Jets in 2021, but he only got into four games during his one-plus seasons in New York. He most recently spent time on the Steelers practice squad.
Junior was a 2022 sixth-round pick by the Jags. He’ll revert to the team’s injured reserve if he passes through waivers.
Panthers Claim DB Caden Sterns
The Panthers used their top waiver priority today on a former Broncos draft pick. According to ESPN’s David Newton, the Panthers claimed defensive back Caden Sterns from the Broncos. To make room on the roster, the team has waived/injured guard J.D. DiRenzo.
[RELATED: Broncos Waive S Caden Sterns]
Sterns was a fifth-round pick out of Texas in 2021. He quickly carved out a role in Denver, compiling 28 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions in 15 games (two starts) as a rookie. He was set to take on a larger role as a sophomore, and he started the 2022 campaign as the replacement for an injured Justin Simmons. Sterns got into five games before suffering a hip injury that ultimately required season-ending surgery.
The defensive back returned in time for the start of the 2023 campaign. However, he suffered a torn patellar tendon in Week 1, ending his season early. Sterns started this year’s training camp on the active/PUP list but missed only a handful of practices before being activated. The Broncos had a few weeks to evaluate the 24-year-old before ultimately moving on yesterday.
The Panthers have been especially active in seeking depth in their secondary. Sterns will likely be penciled in as a safety, but he did get some looks at nickelback as a rookie. Sterns will be taking the roster spot previously held by DiRenzo, a former UDFA who got into three games as a rookie in 2023.
The Panthers made another move today, releasing wideout Cam Sims from the reserve-PUP list with an injury settlement, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The receiver caught on with Carolina’s practice squad late in the 2023 campaign and stuck around during the offseason via a reserve/futures contract. The former UDFA spent five seasons in Washington to begin his career, hauling in 57 catches for 804 yards and three touchdowns.
Brandon Aiyuk Trade Framework In Place With Browns, Patriots?
9:45pm: Following reports from earlier this evening that trade talks for Brandon Aiyuk were heating up, it sounds like the 49ers have found a pair of worthy offers. Per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, the 49ers have established “the framework” of an Aiyuk trade with both the Browns and Patriots. Maiocco also notes that the Commanders have removed themselves from the sweepstakes.
Now, the ball is in the player’s court to decide if he’ll accept the extension offers from either squad. We heard last month that the player’s agent was granted permission to sniff around on potential long-term deals.
While the Patriots would presumably look to entice the 49ers with draft compensation, the Browns are offering an immediate replacement for Aiyuk. Per May Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns would dangle Amari Cooper in a potential deal with San Francisco.
6:45pm: Nearly three weeks after Brandon Aiyuk requested a trade and nearly two weeks after the wideout started staging a hold-in, there’s been no progress in contract talks between the star receiver and the 49ers. While an extension seems to be the unlikeliest outcome in this saga, it sounds like the organization is making progress on potential trades.
According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, “multiple teams” have contacted the 49ers about an Aiyuk trade. Barrows adds that talks “heated up again recently,” although no deal is imminent. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported today that it’s more likely Aiyuk will be traded vs. signing a new contract with San Francisco.
We heard last month that at least five teams had shown a willingness to pay Aiyuk what he’s seeking, so it’s not a major development that these teams subsequently made a phone call to the 49ers. The organization hasn’t been willing to budge on their $26-$27MM-per-year price range, and Aiyuk has been tied to wanting a deal at or around $30MM and guarantees that come in around A.J. Brown‘s $84MM.
A third scenario will continue to remain in play: the two sides decide to play out the 2024 campaign before dealing with the franchise tag next offseason. This is probably the organization’s preferred route unless they’re able to acquire a useful player in their trade haul. On the flip side, we heard that Aiyuk is still pushing his “pay-me-or-trade-me” stance, so unless this ordeal ends in a trade, one of the two sides is going to have to blink.
Aiyuk attended training camp but has watched from the sideline for the past two weeks. Barrows notes that the player has attended meetings but hasn’t actually taken the field for any practices. In the meantime, it sounds like the two sides are struggling to bridge the gap, and if the 49ers are actively listening to offers for the wideout, it should only be a matter of time before a trade is completed.
49ers Sign RB Matt Breida
Matt Breida is returning to his first NFL squad. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the 49ers are signing the veteran running back. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, Breida was among a long list of players who auditioned for the 49ers today, a grouping that also included fellow running backs Anthony McFarland Jr. and Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
The UDFA out of Georgia Southern got his first NFL contract from the 49ers and proceeded to spend three seasons in San Francisco. Breida got into 43 games (18 starts) with the organization between 2017 and 2019, compiling 2,463 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. His best season came in 2018, when he topped 1,000 offensive yards.
He was dealt to the Dolphins ahead of the 2020 campaign, but he finished his lone season in Miami with a career-low 68 touches. That number fell to 33 touches during his stint with the Bills in 2021, but he found a home with the Giants over the past two years. Serving as Saquon Barkley‘s primary backup, Breida collected 577 yards from scrimmage between 2022 and 2023.
Now, he’ll be joining a 49ers depth chart that’s in need of some depth. As Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes, fourth-round rookie Isaac Guerendo recently went down with a hamstring injury, and the team was already expected to limit Christian McCaffrey‘s snaps during the preseason. That means Breida will now be competing for preseason reps with familiar faces like Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason, newcomer Patrick Taylor Jr., and UDFA Cody Schrader.
The 49ers made a couple of other transactions today. According to Barrows, the team signed offensive lineman Lewis Kidd and placed OL Pat Elflein on IR. Elflein only joined the team the other day, and Barrows notes that the lineman injured his calf only a few plays into his first practice with the team.
This is the second-straight year that Elflein has landed on injured reserve before the season even begins. Last year, it came with the Cardinals, as the lineman was placed on IR with an undisclosed injury right before the season started. The former Vikings starter spent the 2021 and 2022 campaigns in Carolina, where he started all 15 of his appearances.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: LB BJ Ojulari (story)
Buffalo Bills
- Reverted to IR: DL David Ugwoegbu
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Jesper Horsted
- Waived: WR Tayvion Robinson
- Waived-injured: WR Devin Carter
Cleveland Browns
- Released from IR: LB Charlie Thomas
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from PUP: TE Tucker Kraft
- Released: QB Jacob Eason
Houston Texans
- Reverted to IR: OT Jaylon Thomas
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from PUP: CB Chris Lammons
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Reverted to IR: TE Josh Pederson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from PUP: WR Jalen Guyton
New England Patriots
- Signed: LS Tucker Addington
- Placed on IR: OL Jake Andrews
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Mike Rose
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Commanders): CB Christian Holmes
- Waived-injured: RB Jashaun Corbin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: OL Jason Poe
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Blake Lynch
- Waived: C Mike Novitsky
Connor Williams Visits Ravens
The Connor Williams sweepstakes is getting a bit more interesting. Earlier today, agent Drew Rosenhaus said that a contract between the Seahawks and his client should be finalized soon. Now, it sounds like another suitor has joined the fray.
[RELATED: Seahawks Nearing Deal With Connor Williams]
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the free agent offensive lineman visited with the Ravens today. Williams is considering “proposals” from both Seattle and Baltimore and is expected to “make a decision soon.”
We heard back in June that the rehabbing offensive lineman was receiving interest from multiple teams, and Williams later passed a physical with the Seahawks before zeroing in on financials. While both sides were interested in a contract, Williams was reportedly pushing for more than the Seahawks could offer. It was only earlier today that Rosenhaus hinted that a deal was still imminent, so it’s a bit surprising to see the Ravens make a sudden appearance in the bidding.
Thanks to his ability to play both guard and center, the 27-year-old would be a natural fit for most squads. Former first-round pick Tyler Linderbaum is entrenched as the Ravens’ starting center, and while the third-year player is currently dealing with a soft tissue issue (per the team website), Williams wouldn’t have been available to soak up his training camp and preseason snaps, anyway.
The Ravens would surely be eyeing Williams at guard, where the team is holding a competition for both starting spots. 2023 seventh-round pick Andrew Vorhees is the current favorite for one of those jobs (per Brian Wacker of the Baltimore Sun), but it doesn’t sound like the team’s other options have emerged. That grouping includes the likes of Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Ben Cleveland, and Daniel Faalele.
Even if Baltimore is able to swoop in and snag Williams, the team would likely be forced to lean on that depth for the early parts of the season. Williams is only about eight months removed from a torn ACL, and while Rosenhaus said today that the lineman is on track to play in Week 1, that might not be the case a month from now.
Dolphins, Tyreek Hill Agree To Reworked Contract
AUGUST 5: Detailing the structure of the new deal, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talks notes Hill will receive a raise of $11.4MM over 2024 and ’25 compared to the previous arrangement. His up front compensation includes a $7MM signing bonus and guaranteed salaries and roster bonuses for the next two seasons. Hill can receive up $2.8MM in per-game roster bonuses during that span along with annual playing time and team postseason win incentives up to $500K.
2026 calls for $36MM in compensation, though none of it is locked in at signing. $11MM of that total will become guaranteed in 2026, but until then team and player will move forward with a revised short-term pact.
AUGUST 3: After a number of top wideouts earned lucrative extensions this offseason, Tyreek Hill was secured his pay day. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Dolphins have reached an agreement with their star wide receiver on a restructured contract worth $90MM over the next three years. 
The deal includes $65MM in guaranteed money, and the restructuring will only cover the three years that were already remaining on Hill’s contract (so no new years were added). When combined with his 2023 guarantees, Hill’s $106.5MM in guaranteed money is the most by a wideout over a four-year stretch, per Schefter. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that Hill also made NFL history with the “most guaranteed money added to a contract without adding new years,” and that record is likely a reflection of Hill’s unique contract situation.
The Dolphins once established Hill as the league’s highest-paid WR when they signed him to a four-year, $120MM extension. The last few years of that pact signaled that revisions were eventually coming. Hill was already attached to a significant $31MM cap hit in 2024, with that number jumping to $34MM in 2025 and an untenable $56MM in 2026. The front office also had outs in both 2025 and 2026 (via the player’s nonguaranteed $43.9MM salary), so it always seemed likely that the sides would head back to the drawing board.
Since inking his initial Miami extension, Hill has since been passed by the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson on the AAV list. Even Hill’s teammate, Jaylen Waddle found himself with a new deal that encroached on the numbers Hill was making. The Dolphins star won’t make any progress on St. Brown, Brown, and Jefferson with this latest deal in AAV, but he will approach Jefferson in terms of guaranteed money. Jefferson’s record-setting deal set the guaranteed money mark at $88.74MM.
It seemed strange that Hill trailed the above names in salary despite leading the league in receiving yards and touchdowns last year and only trailing Cowboys wideout CeeDee Lamb in receptions. Due to the nature of how quickly position salaries have seemed to escalate in recent years, it was no surprise to see Hill’s once record-setting deal pale in comparison to the younger generation.
The Dolphins’ new deal with Hill at least partially rights that wrong. Though Hill didn’t have any years added to his contract, Miami still has him, Waddle, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa under contract through the 2026 season, with both Waddle and Tagovailoa having one more year than Hill. The team’s offensive corps remains intact and well-paid for the next three years, at least.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Panthers Notes: Workouts, Brooks, Quarterbacks
The Panthers continue to be on the lookout for cornerbacks. After taking a look at Jerry Jacobs last month, the team is now hosting Anthony Brown on a workout, per ESPN’s David Newton.
The former sixth-round pick made a name for himself in Dallas, where he started 69 of his 94 appearances across seven seasons with the Cowboys. A torn Achilles tendon ended his 2022 campaign prematurely, and he bounced around the NFL in 2023. Brown had stints with the Steelers, 49ers, and Jets last season, with the cornerback ultimately making a pair of regular-season appearances (both with San Francisco).
Still, the veteran could represent an experienced option at cornerback for the Panthers. With Donte Jackson and Jeremy Chinn no longer in the picture, the team has been hunting for another CB option opposite former first-round pick Jaycee Horn. Dane Jackson is currently penciled in as Carolina’s CB2, but that hasn’t stopped the team from auditioning Jacobs and flirting with former Panthers star Stephon Gilmore.
More notes out of Carolina…
- Second-round running back Jonathon Brooks won’t play this preseason, according to Dave Canales (via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe). The Longhorns product suffered a torn ACL last November, but his 1,400-yard performance still made him the first RB off the 2024 draft board. Canales said that Week 3 or Week 4 would be a “great” target return date for the rookie, with Joe Person of The Athletic noting that the running back could spend the first part of the season on PUP.
- Canales reiterated to reporters today that the Panthers are still in the hunt for a quarterback (via Person). With Andy Dalton sidelined with a quad injury, the Panthers head coach previously said that the team would be looking for another signal-caller alongside Bryce Young and UDFA Jack Plummer. Canales revealed that the organization will consider both veterans and younger players, with the likes of Ryan Tannehill and Trevor Siemian highlighting the current list of experienced free agent options.
- Dan Morgan made it clear that there aren’t any expectations for this season, with the current focus being on the “long term” (per Person). After the former assistant GM was promoted to the top gig this offseason, the team added a new head coach in Canales. With a new regime in place, it’s not a surprise that the Panthers brass is playing the slow game, although everyone in the organization will surely be aiming for an improvement on the two-win 2023 campaign.
- Person writes that the Panthers will continue to be in the market for OLB help. With both Amare Barno and D.J. Wonnum currently sidelined, the Panthers have leaned on the likes of K’Lavon Chaisson opposite Jadeveon Clowney. Fortunately, Chaisson has shown up during the early parts of training camp, with Person noting the former first-round pick’s “explosion” on the edge.
Dolphins Sign OL Sean Harlow
The Dolphins have added some more experience to their offensive line. The team announced that they’ve signed lineman Sean Harlow. In a corresponding move, the team has waived offensive lineman Ireland Brown.
The journeyman Harlow has seen time in 41 career games (eight starts). Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, the Oregon State product has spent time with the Falcons (two stints), Colts, Cardinals, Giants (two stints), and Cowboys.
The 29-year-old lineman is coming off a 2023 campaign where he bounced around the NFC East. He spent the 2023 preseason with the Giants before joining the Cowboys practice squad. The Giants snagged him from Dallas and added him to their active roster, where he proceeded to play a backup role in seven games.
While Harlow has the ability to play around the OL, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald surmises that the veteran will be competing for a backup center gig. The team is currently rostering the likes of Liam Eichenberg and Andrew Meyer behind starter Aaron Brewer.
Brown was previously part of that competition but will now be looking to resume his NFL career elsewhere. The Rutgers UDFA earned a deal with the Dolphins following a successful minicamp tryout.