Vikings To Sign LB Tanner Vallejo
The Vikings added some linebacker depth today, adding an elite special teamer to the unit, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Linebacker Tanner Vallejo has started games here and there throughout his career, but the new Vikings defender has made his name on special teams. He’s like to continue doing more of the same in Minnesota. 
Vallejo came into the league as a sixth-round draft pick for the Bills out of Boise State back in 2017. Almost immediately, he became an active contributor on special teams, only playing 13 defensive snaps as a rookie. Buffalo waived him just before his sophomore season, allowing for him to be claimed by the Browns, who would attempt to utilize him in a more natural linebacker role.
After being waived by Cleveland, Vallejo would spend the offseason with the Cardinals before being waived and starting the 2019 season in Washington. Washington didn’t use him at all on defense and hardly utilized him on special teams either. Nine weeks into the season, he was waived once again and returned to Arizona, where he would spend the next three years.
Since then, he’s carved out a reserve linebacker role with the Cardinals, becoming an elite contributor on special teams. The Cardinals re-signed him to a two-year deal to remain with the team back in 2021 worth $4.1MM. If there’s a knock on the young defender and special teamer, it’s a penchant for missing time due to injuries. As someone without a consistent role on offense or defense, the inability to stay on the field could cost him money on this next contract with the Vikings.
In Minnesota, Vallejo becomes a backup to the likes of Brian Asamoah and Jordan Hicks. Aside from Hicks and backup linebacker Troy Reeder, the Vikings’ linebacking corps lacks much starting experience. Vallejo likely won’t add anything to that, but he does come in as a strong option to rotate in. He’ll, of course, continue his production on special teams.
To make room for Vallejo on the roster, Minnesota waived/injured linebacker William Kwenkeu. Kwenkeu, an undrafted rookie last year, appeared in six games for the Vikings in 2022.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/23
Here are today’s minor transactions as we close the first week of the preseason:
Baltimore Ravens
- Claimed off waivers (from Lions): CB Tae Hayes
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: S Nate Meadors
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Colby Richardson
- Released with injury settlement: C Ross Pierschbacher
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Bobby Evans
- Placed on reserve/retired list: TE Sammis Reyes
Las Vegas Raiders
- Reverted to IR: LB Darius Harris, WR DJ Turner
- Released: DT Kyle Peko
New Orleans Saints
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: G Koda Martin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Forrest Rhyne
- Waived/injured: LB Chapelle Russell
Reyes retires from the sport of football after only two years in the league. A former basketball player with dreams of playing in the NBA, Reyes applied for and was admitted into the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program out of Chile. Despite spending time with three teams, Reyes only suited up for regular season action in Washington, where he played 11 games, starting one. As a tight end, Reyes mostly made an impact on special teams during his career. He retires at the age of 27.
Falcons Waive LB Mykal Walker
The Falcons have made a slightly surprising roster move as we start to inch closer to initial 53-man rosters for the 2023 NFL season. In order to make space on the roster for recent linebacker addition Frank Ginda, Atlanta waived former sixth-round pick Mykal Walker, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
Walker was drafted to the Falcons in 2020 out of Fresno State. He played a decently consistent role in Atlanta over his first two NFL seasons, starting eight of 33 games as a rotational defender. In limited action, Walker graded out fairly well, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), ranking as the league’s eighth-best linebacker as a rookie.
When finally given more opportunities as a starter in 2022, he produced given the extra time but saw the quality of his play suffer. In 12 starts last season, Walker passed the century-mark for total tackles and added two interceptions and six passes defensed in the process. The production was there, but he only graded out at 55th in the league at the position, according to PFF. The site didn’t dock him in any one area, simply grading him as average against the run, in coverage, and rushing the passer.
Coming into 2023, the Falcons didn’t seem to be planning to continue starting Walker moving forward. He had routinely been working behind Kaden Elliss, added in free agency this spring, and second-year linebacker Troy Andersen. The team experimented with maybe moving him back outside, a role he saw a bit as a rookie, but even then, he found himself working on the second-team defense. He felt comfortable moving around the three linebacker spots as a rover, but it seems that at every position, the Falcons preferred other options.
With the 2023 USFL Defensive Player of the Year in Ginda now in the locker room, Walker apparently fell too low on the depth chart. His time in Atlanta has come to an end, but it wouldn’t be surprising to find him on a new roster before the regular season gets going.
Latest On Steelers’ Battles At OT
Last weekend, we noted how the Steelers seemed to be prepping first-round rookie offensive tackle Broderick Jones for a starting role in training camp. Now, after the team’s first preseason game of 2023, it seems Jones has some ground to make up on the incumbent starters from last season. 
Pittsburgh opened camp not only with Jones at left tackle in place of Dan Moore, who started at the position all last season, but also with Moore in the place of Chukwuma Okorafor at right tackle. Not only did it seem that Jones was set to start as a rookie, it appeared that he was about to push both of the prior year starters out of their positions.
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic was not having it. Kaboly delivered an extremely honest and realistic take after attending Steelers’ practice last Sunday. What he saw did not have him feeling confident about Jones lining up against Nick Bosa in Week 1, when the 49ers open the season in Pittsburgh. Kaboly gave the rookie some credit; the young man is a physical specimen playing at one of “the most unnatural” positions on offense.
It’s never a given that a rookie can come in and start during their first season, but the Steelers traded up in the first round to select an offensive tackle for the first time in 25 years. It would seem like a disappointment for Jones not to develop into a starter to open his rookie year, but it’s only important that he develops into a starter eventually. The preseason will be an important time to get Jones acclimated to the speed of the game at the NFL level, but rushing Jones into starting action could be detrimental to the team and Jones’s development.
Right now, Kaboly asserts that Moore, the incumbent starter on the blindside, currently looks better than Jones. He certainly should considering he has 34 NFL starts on his resume. Jones is still learning the ins and outs of playing one of the most challenging positions in the NFL. Moore’s got the experience, as does Okorafor, who’s started 52 games over his first five years in the league.
To start the preseason tonight, the Steelers trotted Moore and Okorafor out in their starting positions from last season on the first series of the game. The rest of the contest saw Jones getting his feet wet against NFL competition as the team’s left tackle. That sequence of events seems to support Kaboly’s assertion. It seems the Steelers feel better about Moore and Okorafor’s abilities to start right now, while Jones still needs a bit of seasoning.
Jones delivered a mixed bag in his first NFL action. For much of the appearance, he impressed against a second-team Buccaneers defense, eventually showing inconsistencies as the game wore him down. The results don’t matter too much, though, for now. It was just important for Jones to get out there and start getting comfortable at the position. Despite not starting his rookie year on the first team, his draft stock makes him the de facto tackle of the future in Pittsburgh.
With Jones expected to take over eventually, that makes this season crucial for Moore and Okorafor. Both linemen are under contact through the 2024 season and would be likely extension candidates in the coming offseason. According to another Kaboly take, though, Jones’s presumed place atop future depth charts makes it likely that only one of Moore or Okorafor will be chosen to extend their tenure in Pittsburgh. It will likely be a combination of who performs better this season and who fits best across from Jones that will decide the team’s other tackle of the future.
For now, though, it appears Moore and Okorafor will continue their stints as starters on the Steelers’ offensive line. It’s too early to rule Jones out to open the season as a starter, but it’s seeming more and more likely that he’ll be coming off the bench to start the year and will need to continue working to earn a starting role.
Raiders WR Davante Adams Injured In Practice, Not “Crazy Serious”
The Raiders experienced a bit of a scare today when star wide receiver Davante Adams limped off the practice field with what appeared to be a right leg injury, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Luckily, it appears that disaster was averted as head coach Josh McDaniels claimed the injury was not “crazy serious,” per the staff at NFL.com. 
McDaniels told reporters today that, after a big hit took Adams out of practice, the veteran wide out had avoided a serious injury. Although the lick was bad enough to force Adams off the field, McDaniels asserted that it was a clean “bang-bang-play” devoid of any ill intent.
Adams has been a first-team All-Pro selection in each of the past three years and a Pro Bowler for the last six. The recognition becomes that much more impressive when you take into account that he missed at least one game in five of those six seasons, missing 10 games over his final five years in Green Bay.
He rebounded in a big way during his first season away from the Packers. Last year in Las Vegas, Adams played in every game of the season for the first time since 2016 and started every game of the season for the first time in his career. In doing so, he recorded his fourth 100-catch season, his second straight season with over 1,500 receiving yards, and led the league in touchdown receptions for the second time in three years.
Adams has proven that he can make an impact even while dealing with nagging injuries that hold him out of games here and there. Still, the Raiders would like to see their most-productive receiver enter the season with no restrictions. Although McDaniels’s assessment doesn’t seem to reflect that situation, it appears that the worst-case scenario has been avoided for now.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/23
Here are the minor moves made around the league today:
Chicago Bears
- Claimed off waivers (from Lions): G Logan Stenberg
- Waived: WR Aron Cruickshank
Cleveland Browns
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: WR Daylen Baldwin
Indianapolis Colts
- Reverted to IR: TE La’Michael Pettway, S Michael Tutsie
New York Giants
- Released from IR with injury settlement: WR Jeff Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Nate Brooks
Colts Sign Two Free Agents; RB Kareem Hunt Leaves Without Deal
The Colts made a few transactions today including the signings of running back Jason Huntley and tight end Ricky Seals-Jones, according to the team’s Twitter account. While the added depth is surely appreciated, it is likely a bit disappointing for Colts fans following the free agency activity surrounding running back Kareem Hunt.
Shortly after leaving New Orleans without a new contract, Indianapolis becomes the second straight visit that doesn’t result in a deal for the veteran rusher, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
Hunt reportedly had a “great” visit with the Saints before making his way up to Indiana. The two locations he’s visited recently have situations that could allow for some early playing time. The Saints will be down a running back as Alvin Kamara serves a three-game suspension to start the year due to his role in a violent altercation a year and a half ago. New Orleans does still have a strong rusher at the top of the depth chart after signing Jamaal Williams this offseason, but the depth behind Williams is fairly inexperienced.
The Colts, on the other hand, may be getting a little desperate. Jonathan Taylor took his holdout to another level yesterday, leaving camp to rehabilitate his ankle injury. As backups Zack Moss and Deon Jackson are dealing with their own injuries, the Colts are currently relying only on recent signee Kenyan Drake and a trio of inexperienced options.
Hunt reportedly fielded offers from both teams with guaranteed money proving to be the main difference. While offering around the same amount that the Colts are expected to pay, the Saints’ deal includes more incentives that will make Hunt earn the money without guarantees.
Huntley and Seals-Jones appear to be depth signings to help Indianapolis make it through the preseason healthy. Huntley has only appeared in six games over his first three NFL seasons after getting drafted in the fifth round by the Eagles. He only has 18 rushes for 70 yards in his young career.
Seals-Jones likely has a better chance to push for a roster spot in 2023. Mo Alie-Cox and Jelani Woods are both dealing with injuries heading into the preseason, and Seals-Jones has some solid experience. Appearing in games for four teams over his five years in the league, Seals-Jones has seen spurts of success throughout his career. The converted college wide receiver saw career-highs in 2018 in receptions (34) and receiving yards (343) and caught four touchdowns the following year. Only two seasons ago, he started six games in Washington. He missed all of last season while dealing with a toe injury but could bring some quality starting experience for the Colts if healthy.
In order to make room on the roster for Huntley and Seals-Jones, the Colts waived/injured tight end La’Michael Pettway and safety Michael Tutsie.
NFL Injury Updates: McGlinchey, Browns, Shaheed, Byrd
The Broncos endured a scare yesterday when new offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey was rolled up on in camp. According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, it sounds like they avoided disaster as their starting right tackle only suffered a sprained knee.
Denver brought on McGlinchey, who was one of this offseason’s most prized free agents, at the open of free agency, shortly after also signing former Ravens guard Ben Powers. It showed how serious the team was about bulking up their offensive line to protect a veteran quarterback in Russell Wilson, who struggled last year in a new system.
Luckily, it sounds like McGlinchey avoided serious injury. This shouldn’t end up anything like the torn quadriceps injury that cut his 2021 season short. Klis claims that McGlinchey should only miss two to three weeks. He’ll have to take it easy for the entire preseason, but he should be ready to make his Broncos debut in the team’s season opener against the Raiders.
In the team’s first released depth chart of the season, veteran swing tackle Cameron Fleming is listed as McGlinchey’s primary backup. He should get a good run over the next few weeks in case McGlinchey’s recovery leaks into the regular season.
Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:
- The Browns also experienced a couple of minor scares when two second-year defensive ends went down with “significant knee injuries,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Both Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas suffered injuries this week that had head coach Kevin Stefanski thinking they would each “miss an extended period of time.” Luckily, ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided an update today that, after undergoing arthroscopic surgery, both players are expected to return “early in the season.” Although Wright started five games last year, both players are considered rotational backups. The position’s depth takes a hit, but the stars are still there.
- Cleveland is down another second-year player in running back Jerome Ford, who is reportedly “week-to-week” with a hip injury, according to Browns staff writer Anthony Polsal. Although Ford’s main contribution as a rookie came returning kickoffs, he’s been expected to take the next step at running back this year with the departure of Kareem Hunt. He had been “receiving a considerable amount of reps” in camp before limping off the practice field on Monday. The team will turn to Demetric Felton, John Kelly, and undrafted rookie Hassan Hall in Ford’s absence, but they believe there’s a chance Ford could be back by Week 1.
- Saints second-year wide receiver Rashid Shaheed missed another practice today, according to NOF Network. The surprise rookie contributor from last year has been missing a bit of time through camp with a groin injury. The report claims that, while Shaheed is expected to miss a few weeks, he should be ready to go for the team’s regular season opener.
- The Panthers depth at wide receiver took a hit yesterday as veteran Damiere Byrd suffered “a significant hamstring injury,” according to Joseph Person of The Athletic. New head coach Frank Reich says that Byrd could need surgery. If so, it’s expected that the wideout would “miss at least eight weeks.” The new-look top-end remains the same with free agent additions Adam Thielen and DJ Chark and second-round rookie Jonathan Mingo. Behind them, Carolina still sports a strong backup group including Terrace Marshall, Laviska Shenault, Shi Smith, and others.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/23
Here are the minor transactions from around the league as we wrap up training camp and officially head into the preseason:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Stevie Scott
Carolina Panthers
- Reverted to reserve/PUP: DE Jalen Redmond
- Waived from PUP: DL John Penisini
Chicago Bears
- Activated from NFI: WR Dante Pettis
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Ra’Shaun Henry, WR JJ Koski
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Devine Ozigbo
- Waived: WR Avery Davis
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from NFI: DL Neil Farrell
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived/injured: T Nicolas Melsop
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Joe Giles-Harris
New Orleans Saints
- Waived/injured: G Koda Martin
New York Jets
- Reverted to IR: T Yodny Cajuste
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from IR with injury settlement: CB Terrance Mitchell
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Anthony Montalvo
- Reverted to IR: CB Andrew Whitaker
- Waived/injured: OLB Josh Onujiogu
Vikings Sign WR N’Keal Harry
AUGUST 9: Although Harry visited the Bills and Eagles, he will only receive the veteran minimum from the Vikings. Harry agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.1MM, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets.
AUGUST 6: Former first-round pick N’Keal Harry has landed at his third NFL home in five years, signing as a free agent with the Vikings, according to Vikings senior editor Craig Peters. The former Patriots and Bears wide receiver will attempt to stick in a wide receivers room that currently houses three other former first round picks. 
Harry’s first few years in the league have been anything but smooth. Ankle and hip injuries limited the Arizona State star to only seven games as a rookie. In his sophomore season, Harry was finally able to get on the field, resulting in career-highs in receptions (33), receiving yards (309), and touchdowns (2). After that season, Harry’s career experienced a bit of turbulence as he requested a trade from New England before the start of the 2021 season. Another testing injury, along with a likely marred relationship with the team, led to a year of regression that ultimately resulted in the young wide out being shipped to Chicago in return for a 2024 seventh-round pick.
Unfortunately for Harry, before he could even really get settled in Illinois, injuries were nagging at him yet again. An apparently severe ankle injury that would require surgery forced the Bears to start their new wide receiver out on injured reserve. Harry would log a catch in all but one appearance in a Bears uniform, but unfortunately, he would only suit up for seven games and make seven catches. The Patriots had declined his fifth-year option as a first-round pick, so following his fourth NFL season, the Bears allowed him to walk as a free agent.
Now, Harry will take on his third chance, hoping to catch passes from Kirk Cousins in Minnesota. He’ll have to climb a depth chart that is a bit top-heavy. Two of the team’s top-three receivers last year, Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn, will return in 2024 to lead the group. The absence formed by Adam Thielen‘s departure for Carolina will be mitigated by the addition of rookie first-round pick Jordan Addison out of USC.
Past those three, one would assume jobs are fairly wide open. Another first-round pick who has struggled to find his role in the NFL, Jalen Reagor returns for a second year with the Vikings. He’s joined backing up the starters by former Rams wide receiver Brandon Powell, sixth-round rookie Jalen Nailor, and others.
Harry hasn’t done much with his career thus far, but he still has the physical tools that helped him excel as a Sun Devil. If he can gain a rapport with Cousins and provide some tools that the others on the team can’t, Harry has a chance to compete with Reagor, Powell, and Nailor for snaps behind Jefferson, Osborn, and Addison.