Vikings Trade CB Mekhi Blackmon To Colts
The Vikings are trading cornerback Mekhi Blackmon to the Colts in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Blackmon, a 2023 third-round pick, carved out a role as Minnesota’s third cornerback as a rookie with 435 defensive snaps across 15 games. That seemed like an indicator that he would compete for a starting role during his second training camp, but the 26-year-old suffered a torn ACL in July missed all of the 2024 season.
Blackmon completed his recovery this offseason without issue and started the Vikings’ last two preseason games. However, that may have been an attempt to showcase the third-year corner to other teams, as ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reports that Blackmon “seemed stuck with the third team on a depth chart that isn’t exactly loaded with cornerbacks.” As a result, Minnesota opted to move forward with a veteran trio of Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, and Jeff Okudah and recoup some draft capital for Blackmon.
Enter the Colts, who made yet another addition to their secondary this offseason after signing Charvarius Ward, Camryn Bynum, and most recently, Xavien Howard. All three are listed as starters on the team’s unofficial depth chart along with two incubments: nickel Kenny Moore and safety Nick Cross. Upon arriving in Indianapolis, Blackmon will join fellow 2023 draftees Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents in the cornerback room and provide depth on the boundary.
This is the third trade the Vikings have made in the last week as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah uses the team’s surplus talent to upgrade its draft capital. Along with deals to send Sam Howell to the Eagles and Harrison Phillips to the Jets, he has now collected four new picks – fifth- and sixth-rounders in 2026 and sixth- and seventh-rounders in 2027 – while also giving up 2026 sixth-round and 2027 seventh-round picks. Though that’s only a net gain of two Day 3 draft picks, teams always want to squeeze every bit of value out of departing players, and the extra picks could help Adofo-Mensah wheel and deal in the future.
Commanders Cut Michael Gallup, Five Others
The Commanders made six cuts this afternoon as they trim their roster down to 53 players.
Headlining the group is veteran wide receiver Michael Gallup, who signed with the Commanders in March to attempt an NFL comeback. He started 67 games for the Cowboys from 2018 to 2023, but struggled to stay healthy throughout his career and retired last summer.
Gallup’s return to the league came with some fanfare given his past production in Dallas. He averaged 819 yards per year across his first three seasons – including a thousand-yard campaign in 2019 – and still eclipsed 400 yards in his next three years despite a variety of injuries. He was unable to recapture his previous form in Washington, catching only four of his 10 preseason targets for 40 yards, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). As a vested veteran, he is free to sign with any other team.
In addition to Gallup, the following players were cut, per a team announcement.
- CB Essang Bassey
- C Nick Harris
- T Tyre Phillips
- DT Norell Pollard
- WR Braylon Sanders
Harris, a 2020 fifth-round pick, served as the Browns’ backup center for two years on either side of a season-ending knee injury in 2022. He was unable to beat out seven-year veteran Michael Deiter for the same role in Washington this summer. Phillips has started 28 games across his five-year career for the Ravens and the Giants, primarily at right tackle. Similarly to Harris, the Commanders’ offensive line depth kept him firmly outside of the 53-man roster picture.
However, both have enough experience to attract interest from a team that needs offensive line help – perhaps one that has lost several players to injury, like the Saints.
Bassey, Harris, and Phillips are all vested veterans who will become free agents right away. Pollard and Sanders are former UDFAs who will be subject to waivers.
Cowboys To Place RB Phil Mafah On IR
The Cowboys are planning to place rookie running back Phil Mafah on injured reserve with a return designation, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Mafah, a seventh-round pick, suffered a shoulder injury in the Cowboys’ final preseason game against the Falcons on Friday. He will be sidelined for at least the first four weeks of the regular season.
Dallas has carried three running backs (plus fullback Hunter Luepke) on their initial 53-man roster in each of the last two years. Two of those spots will be filled by Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders and Jaydon Blue. That left Mafah competing with 2023 sixth-rounder Deuce Vaughn and former UDFA Malik Davis to convince the team to roster a fourth running back.
Davis led the backfield statistically in the preseason with 70 rushing yards (50 of which came after contact), 7.8 yards per carry, and four runs of 10 yards or more, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). However, the Cowboys’ distribution of playing time suggests that Vaughn and Mafah were still ahead (in that order). With Mafah sidelined, Vaughn would be in line for a fourth RB roster spot – if it exists.
However, Mafah’s return designation means that he could be back as early as Week 5. The Cowboys’ top three running backs should be able to get the team through the first four games, at which point Mafah could be added back to the active roster as the RB4. That would allow Dallas to open up another roster spot during final cuts this week and figure out a way to make room for Mafah during the regular season.
Cardinals Waive QB Clayton Tune, 11 Others
The Cardinals took a step towards finalizing their 53-man roster on Monday by waiving 12 players including quarterback Clayton Tune, per a team announcement.
Tune, a 2023 fifth-round pick, began his rookie year as Arizona’s backup quarterback behind Joshua Dobbs with Kyler Murray working his way back from an ACL tear. Dobbs was sent to the Vikings at the trade deadline with Murray still not at 100%, so Tune started in Week 9 and got shut out by the Browns’ top-ranked defense.
The 26-year-old held onto the QB2 job in 2024, but only attempted two passes on the year to bring his career total to 23. This offseason, the Cardinals brought in veteran Jacoby Brissett as a more capable and experienced backup to Murray, and they opted not to carry three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. However, Tune is a strong candidate to be signed to the team’s practice squad as the third-string quarterback.
Tune’s release will leave $86K of dead money on the Cardinals’ salary cap in 2025 and 2026, per OverTheCap. Here are Arizona’s other 11 cuts:
- WR Andre Baccellia
- CB Ekow Boye-Doe
- TE Oscar Cardenas
- OL McClendon Curtis
- CB Steven Gilmore
- DL Patrick Jenkins
- LB Vi Jones
- OL Roy Mbaeteka
- WR Nate McCollum
- OL Dohnovan West
- LB Benton Whitley
Mbaeteka is the only other player of note, as the Nigeria native is eligible to be an extra player on the practice squad via an international exemption. Teams can place claims on waived players until Wednesday, when all claims will be processed. Unclaimed players will then be eligible to sign with any team’s practice squad.
Texans’ Joe Mixon Headed To Reserve/NFI List
AUGUST 25: The Texans announced on Monday that Mixon will be moved to the reserve/NFI list. As a result, he will miss at least the first month of the season while continuing to recover from his injury. Houston could be in the market for a backfield addition over the coming days.
AUGUST 16 Texans running back Joe Mixon may not be ready for Week 1 as he rehabs from a “lingering foot-ankle injury,” according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Mixon missed three games in 2024 due to a similar issue and aggravated it while training this offseason. He has been on the non-football injury list since the start of training camp, missing crucial practice time as new offensive coordinator Nick Caley installs his scheme.
The Texans are taking a cautious approach with Mixon given the uncertain state of his injury. He has progressed out of a walking boot and into a brace as he tries to regain mobility, but getting back on the field still seems a ways away.
In the meantime, the Texans will likely take a committee approach to their backfield. Nick Chubb, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale and Woody Marks are the top four running backs on the depth chart (in order); each offers a different skillset to the offense.
Chubb has been an extremely consistent ballcarrier throughout his career, but he’s entering his age-30 season and coming off two straight injury-marred seasons. Though he could certainly bounce back in Houston, it seems unlikely that he could shoulder a heavy load right away.
After a strong rookie year, Pierce took a step back in 2023 before turning in an efficient 2024 on a small sample size. He and Chubb will likely split early-down snaps, while Ogunbowale will be the Texans’ third-down back. Marks, a fourth-round rookie out of USC, could be a change-of-pace back with a small pass-catching role of his own.
The Texans will want Mixon to get back on the field sooner rather than later, but a lingering injury and a new offensive coordinator will likely force him to ramp up gradually as the season starts. Ideally, he reaches full-strength in time to contribute to Houston’s push for another AFC South crown.
Andrew Berry Confirms Browns Will Keep Four QBs
Browns general manager Andrew Berry confirmed that all four of the team’s quarterbacks – veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders – would make the 53-man roster, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.
Berry said earlier this summer that the team would consider keeping four quarterbacks and now seems poised to follow through. On Saturday, he called it “not much of a decision.”
“We have a room that we like all the guys in there,” said Berry. “We don’t really see that as a problem. We more see it as an opportunity.”
Cleveland’s quarterback situation has been the subject of intense scrutiny, perhaps more than any other in the league. The two veterans were long seen as the likeliest starters, with Flacco winning the job as Pickett dealt with a hamstring injury throughout training camp. Pickett is still expected to be ready to backup Flacco in Week 1, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. Gabriel and Sanders will provide depth, likely in that order, though at least one will be inactive on gamedays.
The focus on The Browns’ 2025 quarterback room comes in spite of signals that the team is planning to prioritize the position in next year’s draft. One such indicator was the acquisition of an extra 2026 first-round pick via the Travis Hunter trade with the Jaguars. Neither Flacco nor Pickett are long-term propositions under center, and the two rookies may not get a chance to establish themselves as future starters this year.
Deshaun Watson is unlikely to regain a starting role in Cleveland, but he’ll still cover more than a quarter of the team’s cap in 2026, per OverTheCap. That could keep the Browns from chasing a veteran in free agency and force them to bet on one of their second-year passers or draft one of the top college quarterback prospects next spring.
Patriots Expected To Add 3rd QB
The Patriots culled their quarterback room down to two players – starter Drake Maye and backup Joshua Dobbs – on Friday by waiving undrafted rookie Ben Wooldridge.
Obviously, New England doesn’t want to enter the season with just two QBs. Head coach Mike Vrabel indicated (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss) that the Patriots would add a third in the coming days, whether it be to the 53-man roster or the practice squad.
Releasing Wooldridge a few days before final cuts suggests that he won’t be the team’s third-string quarterback He dazzled in the Patriots’ first preseason game, completing nine of his 12 passes for 132 yards (11.0 yards per attempt) and a 138.2 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). However, Wooldridge struggled across the next two games, completing 17 of 33 for just 133 yards (4.0 yards per attempt) along with one touchdown and one interception for a 58.2 passer rating. The Patriots could bring him back on the practice squad for more development, but he’s unlikely to be ready for a backup role right away if one of the team’s top two get hurt.
Instead, New England will likely scour the quarterback market in the coming days, seeing which veterans get released and which young passers are available on the waiver wire.
One in the latter group is Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito, who is expected to be released with Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Jaxson Dart ahead of him in New York. He had an excellent game against the Patriots on Thursday in what could’ve been an audition for his new team, per Reiss. He will be subject to waivers, so New England may have to commit a 53-man roster spot to secure his services rather than try to sign him to the practice squad.
Eagles Trade OT Darian Kinnard To Packers
The Eagles are trading offensive tackle Darian Kinnard to the Packers for a 2027 sixth-round pick, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The swap is now official, per a team announcement.
The move comes shortly after Philadelphia reunited with offensive tackle Fred Johnson in a trade with the Jaguars. It is also the team’s third trade of the day after they acquired quarterback Sam Howell from the Vikings. Armed with 10 picks in next year’s draft – plus three projected compensatory selections – Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has been wheeling and dealing to fill immediate needs and recoup draft capital for surplus talent. More moves are expected, per 94WIP’s Eliot Shor-Parks.
With Johnson back in the fold as the Eagles’ swing tackle, Roseman managed to get a draft pick for a player that he originally signed to a reserve/futures contract during the 2024 offseason. Kinnard, a 2022 fifth-round pick, spent the two previous seasons with the Chiefs, making him a three-time Super Bowl champion at just 25 years old. He has only appeared in three regular season games in his career, including a Week 18 start last year. His time training under legendary Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland may have helped him attract the Packers’ attention as they sought additional help in the trenches.
The Packers currently have four-year veteran Trey Hill as their backup right guard and rookie Anthony Belton as their backup right tackle. Hill has mostly played center in his career, though he has worked at guard in the preseason. Belton almost exclusively lined up at left tackle at North Carolina State before the Packers selected him in the third round of April’s draft. Kinnard could take over either’s job, though replacing Belton as the second-team right tackle seems more likely.
The Eagles still have plenty of talent at offensive tackle after Kinnard’s departure. Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson are arguably the best starting duo in the NFL with Fred Johnson, 10-year veteran Kendall Lamm and sixth-round pick Cameron Williams, among others, providing depth.
NFLPA Applied ‘Lessons Learned’ From Lloyd Howell Fallout To Hiring Of David White
New NFLPA executive director David White is trying to avoid some of the pitfalls that plagued his predecessor, Lloyd Howell, who resigned earlier this year amid a series of controversies.
After Howell faced allegations of a conflict of interest for his work for a consulting firm with an interest in acquiring an NFL team, White is stepping away from his own firm, 3CG Ventures. A notice on 3CG Venture’s website says that they have “temporarily paused all client activity.” White is also resigning from the boards of other companies, according to Mark Maske of The Washington Post.
The union’s hiring process also “incorporated lessons learned” from previous selection, especially the decision to install Howell as executive director in 2023, according to a union spokesperson. White was a finalist for the position in 2023 and was the preferred choice of the NFLPA executive committee. This time, players led interviews and vetting of candidates with more time to consider their decsiion.
“The process to determine the interim executive director did not mirror past executive director elections,” the spokesperson said (via Maske).
The union also reviewed White’s tenure as former national executive director for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Among the relevant issues was an accusation of misusing expense accounts, but it was later retracted. Howell faced similar accusations prior to his resignation.
One of the NFLPA’s early moves under White was to put associate general counsel Heather McPhee on administrative leave after multiple complaints to human resources, per ESPN’s Don Natta Jr. and Jeff Passan. The ongoing federal probe into the union’s finances began after McPhee raised the issue internally. She has been at the NFLPA since 2009 and was a vocal critic of Howell.
Browns Make 19 Roster Cuts
The first of the Browns’ 53-man roster moves came to light this afternoon with the release of veterans Tyler Huntley and Tony Brown. Cleveland then made the following 19 cuts, per a team announcement:
Released:
Waived:
- CB Chigozie Anusiem
- TE Sal Canella
- G Javion Cohen
- T Sebastian Gutierrez
- DE K.J. Henry
- DT Ralph Holley
- CB Christian Holmes
- CB Keenan Isaac
- T Jason Ivey
- DE Titus Le
- LB Marvin Moody
- CB Darius Rush
- LB Charlie Thomas
- T Lorenzo Thompson
- G Dartanyan Tinsley
- TE Mitchell Van Vooren
- C Bucky Williams
Barton started two games at right tackle for the Cardinals in 2024, but he couldn’t win a backup job in Cleveland this summer. Needham, who appeared in 63 games for the Dolphins over the last six years, similarly had a shot at a nickel role in the Browns defense, but the team opted to keep their younger cornerbacks instead. The two veterans are free to sign with any team, while the other 17 cuts will be subject to waivers.
Among them are Henry and Rush, two 2023 fifth-rounders who made their way to Cleveland this offseason after failing to catch on with their original clubs. Henry started three games for the Commanders as a rookie, but was waived under Washington’s new regime last August. He spent time with the Bengals and the Cowboys before landing with the Eagles in November and finishing the season as a Super Bowl champion. Rush was a fringe third-round pick in 2023 but fell to the Colts on Day 3. He didn’t make the 53-man roster as a rookie and bounced between Kansas City and Pittsburgh across his first two seasons with five regular-season appearances for the Steelers.