Patriots Release DT Mike Purcell
Veteran defensive tackle Mike Purcell‘s stay in New England was a short one. After signing with the Patriots only three weeks ago, Purcell’s tenure with the team came to an end today as New England announced his release. 
Purcell began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming, signing with the 49ers. While not appearing as a rookie and only playing two games in his sophomore campaign, Purcell earned a role in San Francisco, starting eight games over his final two years with the team.
Over the next two years he would shuffle around on different practice squads, eventually landing in the short-lived Alliance of American Football in 2019. Following his performance in the AAF, Purcell signed on with the Broncos. Originally a veteran, depth addition, Purcell ended up starting 37 games while appearing in 65 of a potential 67 contests.
His short reunion with the Patriots, who were one of the several teams who hosted him on their practice squad, was only slightly long than his first stint with the team. He was signed to help make up for the lost production of Christian Barmore as he dealt with his blood clots diagnosis. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Purcell was running behind Davon Godchaux, Jeremiah Pharms, Daniel Ekuale, and Trysten Hill this preseason.
With Purcell off the roster, New England is more likely to test some of the youthful depth pieces on the roster like Armon Watts or Josiah Bronson. Purcell, on the other hand, will be back on the free agent market. At 32 years old, he may be running out of opportunities to remain in the NFL.
49ers Getting Close On Trent Williams Extension?
Another day, another update concerning the contract situations in San Francisco. According to Cam Inman of The Mercury News, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan gave updates on the team’s ongoing negotiations today. While one update lacked an abundance of new information, Shanahan seemed to hint that the other could be on its way to a resolution. 
Star offensive tackle Trent Williams has been committed to his holdout as the 36-year-old pushes for a new deal that improves upon the figures he’s currently stuck with until 2027. Our most recent update showed that Williams’ camp had been contacted by the team as they attempted to appease his dissatisfaction.
In an interview on KNBR, Shanahan told his interviewers, “I’ve had some contact with (Williams). It’s been good to talk to him. I know we’re negotiating hard. Nothing new to add, but hopefully it’s getting close.”
Williams’ presence on the field is far too impactful for the 49ers to risk not starting the season with him in uniform, especially with star running back Christian McCaffrey coming off an injury. With the team’s lack of experienced depth on the offensive line, especially at tackle, it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll allow Williams to sit out for much longer.
Now, to the other situation: the hold-in of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Unfortunately, Shanahan’s update on the Aiyuk-negotiations were far less informative. “Oh, so much has changed,” Shanahan joked to open his most recent explanation of the situation. “No, no new updates. I’m sorry to keep being boring with that, but I wish I was saying something different, but nothing’s changed yet.”
We’ve gotten so many conflicting reports concerning the slow-but-seemingly-sure progress of an extension for the young wide receiver. Whether they’re still far apart or getting close, the situation seems to be improving. The 49ers continue to work to hold on to Aiyuk, while Pittsburgh waits patiently across the table, tapping the offer sheet that the Steelers submitted so long ago.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/24
Today’s mid-week minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Sage Surratt
- Waived: WR Daniel Arias
Carolina Panthers
- Waived (with injury settlement): G Nash Jensen
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: WR Freddie Swain
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Marvin Moody
- Waived (with injury designation): Brandon Bouyer-Randle
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Rachad Wildgoose
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on exempt/international list: K Alex Hale
- Reverted to IR: RB Jarveon Howard
- Waived: DE Kenneth Odumegwu
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: TE Dalton Keene
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Jaaron Hayek
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: WR Jeff Foreman
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: G Matt Cindric
- Claimed off waivers (from Jets): TE Neal Johnson
- Waived (with injury designation): T Jeremy Flax, CB NaJee Thompson
New York Giants
- Reverted to IR: WR Dennis Houston
- Waived (with injury settlement): TE Tyree Jackson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released (with injury settlement): CB Tyler Hall
Washington Commanders
- Reverted to IR: LB Keandre Jones, S Ben Nikkel
Interesting move up in Green Bay, where the Packers are essentially swapping out which player will qualify as the 17th member of their practice squad through the International Player Pathway program. They’ll waive the Nigerian, Odumegwu, who joined through the league’s IPP program last year, and assign the international exemption to the Australian kicker, Hale.
It’s unfortunate news for Keene, who doubled in his offensive duties as fullback at times for the Texans. Keene reportedly tore his ACL in Houston’s second preseason game last weekend, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. His placement on injured reserve today will end his 2024 season.
Raiders LT Kolton Miller Returns To Practice
The Raiders’ quarterbacks group took a collective sigh of relief today as the team announced that starting left tackle Kolton Miller would be activated from the active/PUP list. The six-year starter passed his physical today, allowing the team to remove him from his physically unable to perform status and return him to practice. 
While Miller missed two games in 2020 and one in 2022, last year was the first in which we saw him truly struggle with injuries. Miller only made 11 starts in 2023, adding two games off the bench as an emergency option late in the year. The veteran blindside blocker played through a shoulder injury that would eventually require him to undergo offseason surgery.
As Miller reportedly made good progress through his rehabilitation, Las Vegas made plans to “manage” him throughout the season to keep him healthy. Even with the soft handling of their top lineman, the Raiders still held expectations that they may see Miller ready to start in Week 1. Almost a week ago, rumors started surfacing that Miller would be back on the practice field soon, and it turned out to be this afternoon.
Miller’s return is crucial for an offensive line that’s relatively light on experience. Veterans Andre James and Cody Whitehair provide the team with two likely experienced starters. The team expected 2022 seventh-round pick Thayer Munford to return and start at right tackle, but a hand injury put him in a position battle with third-round rookie DJ Glaze out of Maryland. Third-year starter Dylan Parham should return to the other starting spot.
The team also rosters veteran Andrus Peat, who has been filling in for Miller throughout his absence. Las Vegas was hoping to see second-round Oregon rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson compete for one of the interior line spots, but he spent a concerning amount of time on the active/PUP list himself before returning last week. His chances of nabbing a starting gig, though, have likely been damaged by the extended absence.
Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb Getting Closer To Deal
Contradicting reports from three days ago, Adam Schefter of ESPN seems to be of the opinion that the Cowboys and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb are closer to a new deal than recent reports seem to indicate. In an appearance on the network’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” Schefter voiced his belief that a deal would get done before the start of the new season. 
Lamb has been spending his time away from the team as one of several premier wide receivers seeking a new deal this offseason. The former first-round pick is set to play out the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, and while that entails a fully-guaranteed salary in 2024 of $17.99MM, the Oklahoma-product knows that the real money lies in a multi-year extension.
There have been conflicting reports about just how much Lamb is seeking in a new deal, with some claiming that the 25-year-old is seeking to reset the market for the position, following Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, whose new deal sees him making $35MM per year over the next four seasons. Regardless of his expectations and those of the Cowboys, Schefter sees the two agreeing on a contract.
“I think the two sides aren’t that far apart on a deal,” Schefter told McAfee. “I don’t think it should be that difficult, but again, it’s (Tuesday), August 20, he’s still not there, still hasn’t gone through camp, so this has not gone the way that everyone expected. My understanding is that the two sides aren’t all that far apart, and somehow, someway, I and others believe that they will figure out a way to bridge their differences so that CeeDee Lamb will be there for Week 1.”
When asked about the ongoing holdout of his star wide receiver, Cowboys owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones told the media that the two sides are having “promising talks,” per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Jones’ comments seemed to echo the sentiment spoken by Schefter.
After the team recently made an offer that would see Lamb become the league’s second-highest-paid receiver behind Jefferson, Jones spoke on his optimism, saying, “Well, I think I am, and when I say that, it doesn’t sound too promising. The facts are that I believe we’ll come together. I don’t want to speak for him–that’s what I’m trying not to do–but we wouldn’t have offered him what we’ve offered him if we didn’t want him to be here.”
It’s a lot of talk for a team that has seemingly been ice cold in recent weeks concerning key player contract negotiations, but combined with Schefter’s comments, Jones’ optimism may be worth buying stock in. With his holdout affecting season preparedness, Lamb’s deal will be a huge weight off the team’s shoulders, but Dallas will still have the extensions of quarterback Dak Prescott and outside linebacker Micah Parsons to contend with.
Steelers Release CB Anthony Averett
The Steelers were one of several teams who made adjustments to their roster today with cut day looming on the horizon. The past two days saw the team put center Nate Herbig on injured reserve followed by his roster spot being taken up by linebacker Kyahva Tezino. The latest roster adjustment saw Pittsburgh release veteran cornerback Anthony Averett, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. 
Averett is a former fourth-round pick out of Alabama who was originally drafted by the Steelers’ division-rival in Baltimore. He spent the duration of his rookie contract with the Ravens, gradually increasing his role until he became a full-time starter at cornerback in 2021. Injuries often hampered his availability, limiting him to just 44 of a possible 65 games in Baltimore, but in his contract year, Averett started all 14 games he appeared in, recording career-highs in tackles (54), interceptions (3), and passes defensed (11).
Those efforts earned him a one-year, $4MM deal with the Raiders. In Las Vegas, Averett would make six more starts in seven appearances, but injuries would limit him to only that in 2022. Last year, Averett signed with the 49ers late in the offseason but was released two weeks later. He signed to the Lions’ practice squad in early October but would only remain there for five weeks before being released again. The Steelers signed him back in May, hoping he would add some experienced depth behind Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson.
Quickly filling up Averett’s roster spot, the Steelers signed defensive end Marcus Haynes, who was waived by the Browns a week ago. Additionally, another defensive back hit the free agent market as the team released cornerback Grayland Arnold from IR with an injury settlement, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/24
Here are today’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT T.J. Carter, LB Chris Garrett
- Waived: LS Joe Shimko
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived (with injury settlement): TE Scotty Washington
Buffalo Bills
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Lawrence Keys
Carolina Panthers
- Reverted to IR: CB Lamar Jackson, WR Tayvion Robinson
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: CB Sheldrick Redwine
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: LB Malik Jefferson, WR Tre’Quan Smith
- Waived (with injury settlement): LB DaRon Gilbert, S Morice Norris Jr.
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: FB Henry Pearson
- Waived (with injury designation): RB Jarveon Howard
Houston Texans
- Signed: FB Nick Bawden
Indianapolis Colts
- Reverted to IR: G Josh Sills
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Ethan Fernea
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: QB E.J. Perry
- Waived: WR Brevin Easton
Kansas City Chiefs
- Reverted to IR: G McKade Mettauer
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB DaShaun White
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived (with injury settlement): CB Jerry Jacobs
Miami Dolphins
- Reverted to IR: LB Zeke Vandenburgh
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Kobe Jones, LB Christian McCarroll
- Claimed off waivers (from Browns): WR Matt Landers
- Placed on IR: WR JaQuae Jackson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Joejuan Williams
- Activated from active/PUP: TE Juwan Johnson
- Waived (with injury designation): C Sincere Haynesworth
New York Giants
- Signed: S Clayton Isbell
- Reverted to IR: DT Ryder Anderson
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Dennis Houston
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Frank Darby
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Mikel Jones
- Placed on IR: LB Garret Wallow (story)
Washington Commanders
- Signed: S Kendell Brooks, LB Chapelle Russell
- Waived (with injury designation): S Ben Nikkel
- Released (with injury designation): LB Keandre Jones
Free Agent
- Suspended: DT Kevin Strong
Strong was a surprising release by the Cardinals during the regular season last year. At the time, Strong was coming off of his strongest NFL campaign, but head coach Jonathan Gannon claimed that the release was what was “best for the team.” While we still don’t know the nature of the suspension, or whether or not it’s even related to his January release, we are aware that he will miss three games.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/24
Wednesday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Storey Jackson
- Waived: P Ryan Sanborn
Buffalo Bills
- Reverted to IR: WR Bryan Thompson
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: S Clayton Isbell
- Released (with injury settlement): OLB Kemoko Turay
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/retired list: DE Jeff Gunter
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: C Cohl Cabral
- Waived (with injury designation): DE Shaka Toney
Denver Broncos
- Waived (with injury settlement): OLB Jaylon Allen
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Javelin Guidry
- Reverted to IR: LB DaRon Gilbert
- Waived (with injury designation): S Morice Norris Jr.
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Nate McCrary
- Waived: LS Peter Bowden, S Tyler Coyle
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Derek Rivers, WR Greg Ward
- Waived: S Kendell Brooks, WR Ethan Fernea
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from active/PUP list: G Jackson Powers-Johnson
- Released (with injury settlement): WR Keelan Doss
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Tucker Fisk
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Carlos Watkins
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Robert Cooper
Minnesota Vikings
- Reverted to IR: LB Jabril Cox
New England Patriots
- Waived (with injury settlement): DE John Morgan
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: TE Mason Fairchild
- Waived: DT Kyler Baugh
New York Giants
- Signed: S Raheem Layne, S Jonathan Sutherland
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Zyon Gilbert, WR T.J. Luther
- Reverted to IR: WR Tarik Black
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DT Nick Williams
- Released: LB Zeke Turner
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Easton Gibbs
- Waived (with injury designation): DT Nathan Pickering
Washington Commanders
- Waived (with injury settlement): T Alex Akingbulu
- Waived: G Mason Brooks
Cabral joins the Cowboys after UFL stints in Birmingham and Michigan. He adds more depth to the team’s offensive line after the team lost Chuma Edoga in their first preseason game and saw Earl Bostick helped off the field today. Toney suffered a groin injury, leading to this injury waiver, but could return to the team should he clear waivers.
Powers-Johnson was on some concerning ground with how much time he had missed with a concussion, but the Raiders saw him return to practice today.
The 49ers are adding some significant depth on the defensive line in Williams, who has vast starting experience in the NFL. Cutting Turner could mean that the return of Dre Greenlaw may on a better timeline than expected.
Giants Trade DT Jordan Phillips To Cowboys
The Cowboys are acquiring a division-rival defender, per NFL Insider Josina Anderson. Amidst injury troubles along the defensive line, Dallas has made the move to acquire Giants veteran defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tells us that Phillips’ departure will be accompanied by a pick swap, with New York sending a seventh- along with Phillips in exchange for a sixth-rounder in 2026. 
A former second-round pick out of Oklahoma, Phillips has spent most of his career in the AFC East. Drafted by the Dolphins, Phillips made 26 starts in his first three years with the team before seeing his playing time start to dwindle in Year 4. An outburst of dissatisfaction eventually led to Phillips’ getting waived by Miami.
Buffalo quickly picked up their division-rival’s scraps, claiming Phillips off of waivers. He played mostly as a rotation player with the Bills as he finished out his fourth season. In 2019, Phillips rewarded Buffalo for their faith in him, accompanying his nine starts that year with 9.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 16 quarterback hits — all career-highs by a wide margin.
Phillips leveraged a career year into a three-year contract with the Cardinals. He was a full-time starter during his time in Arizona, but injuries limited him to only 18 games over two years. His limited playing time would lead the Cardinals to release him, allowing the Bills to pick him up once again. Phillips was eased back into a rotation as he continued to play through injuries in Buffalo, starting only one game in 2022. He made nine starts last season but continued to play on a rotational snap count throughout the year.
After briefly considering retirement, Phillips signed with the Giants this offseason. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tells us that New York has really liked what they’ve seen so far from some young defensive linemen like Elijah Chatman and D.J. Davidson, while Phillips had yet to make much of an impact this summer. Pat Leonard of the NY Daily News echoed this sentiment, claiming that it wasn’t very likely that Phillips was going to make their roster, so a pick swap was a nice consolation prize for a veteran free agent signing that didn’t pan out.
In Dallas, most of the injury issues have been coming at end. Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports that regular defensive tackles Chauncey Golston and Viliami Fehoko have been moved to defensive end to cover for the absences, so it makes sense that the Cowboys were on the lookout for someone to help fill out the middle. With players like Mazi Smith, Osa Odighizuwa, and Carl Davis leading the position at the moment, Phillips provides some much-needed veteran, starting experience as a depth piece.
Raiders’ Starting QB To Be Announced Next Week
Last we heard, the Raiders were in no hurry to announce who would enter the 2024 NFL season as their starting quarterback. That was two weeks ago, and now, that tune has changed. Head coach Antonio Pierce has stated that the team’s “goal is to announce a starter following the team’s next exhibition game,” per ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. 
So, what changed to prompt Pierce to decide that it’s time? “We’ve got to get ready to play football, and I think we’ve got enough film,” Pierce told the media following the team’s first preseason contest. “We’ll have two games here (by that point) to evaluate both quarterbacks to see how they’ll play.”
It’s currently a two-man race between veteran Gardner Minshew and second-year passer Aidan O’Connell. O’Connell started 10 games (including the last nine games of the season) for Las Vegas last year as a fourth-round rookie out of Purdue. Taking over for a benched Jimmy Garoppolo, he went 5-5 in those starts, completing 62.1 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
Minshew’s career as a starter has been a rollercoaster. Drafted out of Washington State as a backup for Nick Foles in Jacksonville, Minshew was immediately pushed into action when Foles suffered an injury that would keep him out for most of the season. Minshew became an overnight sensation that season, going 6-6 in 12 starts and throwing 21 touchdowns to only six interceptions. He entered the following season as the starter, but injuries and a 1-7 record pushed him out of the role.
Minshew was traded to the Eagles, where he started four games over the next two years as a backup to Jalen Hurts. His rookie contract expired, Minshew signed with the Colts, hoping to win an open starting job post-Matt Ryan. Indianapolis ended up drafting Anthony Richardson fourth overall in the first round, but Richardson got hurt, eventually missing the final 12 games of the season. Minshew took over as the Colts’ starter, and returned to his usual self, excelling as a surprise starter. In 13 starts, Minshew went 7-6 last year.
O’Connell started the Raiders’ first preseason game, playing one quarter of football. He went seven of nine for 76 yards as he led the team on an 83-yard field goal drive to open the scoring for Las Vegas. Minshew took over in the second quarter, playing four series. He completed six of 12 pass attempts for 117 yards and a touchdown.
The Raiders were viewed as a team that could have drafted a quarterback in the first round back in April, one that could have competed with these two unlikely starting candidates, but they instead opted to select the draft’s top tight end prospect in Georgia’s Brock Bowers. In a recent interview on Scoop City, Raiders general manager Tom Telesco detailed that the team didn’t “pass” on a quarterback, he just believes the draft didn’t shake out in a way that allowed them to take a passer. There were six quarterbacks taken before their selection, and the next passer wasn’t selected until the fifth round. If something fell to them, the Raiders might have had another competitor for this job. As it played out, though, they instead got a new weapon for the competitors they have now.
Those competitors will now have a week to prove their mettle. A week of practices and a preseason game against the Cowboys is all they have now to prove they deserve the starting job. We’ll keep a close eye on any developments in the coming week.