Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC South

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BuccaneersFalconsPanthers and Saints moves are noted below.

Atlanta Falcons

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

  • OL Josh Miles

Signed to practice squad: 

Carolina Panthers

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

New Orleans Saints

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These 49ersCardinalsRams and Seahawks moves are noted below.

Arizona Cardinals

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Rams

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

San Francisco 49ers

Placed on IR:

Signed: 

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Seattle Seahawks

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad: 

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC North

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BengalsBrownsRavens and Steelers moves are noted below.

Cincinnati Bengals

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Baltimore Ravens

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Cleveland Browns

Claimed:

Placed on IR:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Released:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Panthers Waive QB Matt Corral

2:40pm: Being impressed with the progress Corral made, Reich said he would like to bring Corral back on a practice squad deal (via ESPN’s David Newton). Corral must clear waivers, which will process Thursday afternoon, in order for Corral to become available on a P-squad pact.

1:10pm: Matt Corral made the Panthers’ 53-man roster, but the team will move him off the roster to make room for an addition elsewhere. Carolina is waiving the former third-round pick, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report.

This move comes after Corral missed all of his rookie season. Many things Panthers have changed since they traded up for Corral last year. Frank Reich is now in place as head coach, and the team is rolling with a Bryce YoungAndy Dalton depth chart.

The Panthers claimed three players Wednesday — tackle Calvin Throckmorton, linebacker Claudin Cherelus, cornerback D’Shawn Jamison — and used Corral’s roster spot to make room. Carolina also waived wide receiver Derek Wright and linebacker Chandler Wooten. The team announced the moves.

After a Lisfranc injury last year, Corral recovered and played during Carolina’s preseason slate. He completed 28 of 47 passes for 249 yards, throwing no touchdown passes and an interception. The Panthers have moved on from many Matt Rhule-era players, partially evidenced by only one Temple alum remaining on the team, and they will jettison Corral.

It is possible Corral could return on a practice squad agreement, but the team dangled the Day 2 draftee in trades in March. Three years remain on Corral’s rookie contract. A team claiming the QB would have him tied to an $870K base salary this season. Corral’s rookie deal does not include a base salary north of $1MM until 2025. The deal only contained $884K guaranteed.

Unless a P-squad spot is offered, this marks an abrupt end to Corral’s Panthers run. The GM who traded up for Corral (under Rhule), Scott Fitterer, remains in place. The 2022 draft will also see two more of its maligned QBs — Desmond Ridder (Round 3) and Sam Howell (Round 5) — join Kenny Pickett as full-time starters to open the season. While Malik Willis‘ rookie-year form showed a sizable gap to bridge before he can be considered a starter-caliber passer, Corral has dropped well below his peers early in his career.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC North

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BearsLionsPackers and Vikings moves are noted below.

Chicago Bears

Placed on IR:

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Detroit Lions

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Green Bay Packers

Claimed:

Released:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Minnesota Vikings

Placed on IR:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC South

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These ColtsJaguarsTexans and Titans moves are noted below.

Houston Texans

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Indianapolis Colts

Placed on IR:

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad: 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Tennessee Titans

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Released:

Released from IR via injury settlement:

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC East

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These CommandersCowboysEagles and Giants moves are noted below.

Dallas Cowboys

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

New York Giants

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Philadelphia Eagles

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Washington Commanders

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

WR Cole Beasley, CB Amani Oruwariye Land On Giants’ Practice Squad

AUGUST 30: Beasley will be staying with the Giants. The expected practice squad addition came to fruition Wednesday, and the team also will retain Oruwariye on a P-squad deal. With Wan’Dale Robinson uncertain to play in Week 1, Beasley profiles as a depth piece familiar with Daboll’s system.

AUGUST 29: Cole Beasley‘s unretirement continued into this year, and the former Bills starter caught on with Brian Daboll‘s team. But the Giants will not keep Beasley on their initial 53-man roster.

Both Beasley and cornerback Amani Oruwariye will be cut Tuesday, per the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard. Both players signed one-year deals this offseason. Beasley, however, remains in the Giants’ plans. He is expected to remain with the team — likely on the practice squad — to start the season, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.

Additionally, the Giants will move Aaron Robinson from the active/PUP list to the reserve/PUP list, Leonard adds. This will shelve the third-year corner for at least four games. One of the Giants’ Week 1 starters last year, Robinson suffered an early-season knee injury in 2022 and has not practiced since. The Giants have made other plans at corner, being prepared to start rookies Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins alongside veteran Adoree’ Jackson.

Oruwariye is not in those plans, it appears. The former Lions starter has gone from potential Detroit extension recipient to a player that needed to accept a low-level deal this offseason. The Giants did not see enough from the former fifth-round pick. Oruwariye intercepted six passes in 2021 but took a big step back last season, leading to the Lions moving on from the Bob Quinn-era draftee.

The Giants have now axed two members of their slot receiver brigade, though it does not appear Jamison Crowder is in the team’s plans going forward. The team brought in Beasley this summer, completing a reunion with Daboll, Buffalo’s offensive coordinator for most of Beasley’s tenure with the AFC East club. Beasley, 34, sticking around as an emergency option/gameday elevation candidate would ensure some system familiarity — for a team that made a few changes to its group.

The Beasley and Crowder moves leave Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell, Isaiah Hodgins, Wan’Dale Robinson and third-round pick Jalin Hyatt on the roster. The Giants are activating Robinson from the active/PUP list. Beasley’s presence also offers insurance, as both Shepard and Robinson are coming off ACL tears.

LB Christian Kirksey To Join Bills’ P-Squad

Joining Desmond King as an experienced defender cut by the Texans this week, Christian Kirksey will also resurface in the AFC. After King agreed to terms with the Steelers, Kirksey will head to Buffalo.

The Bills are adding the veteran linebacker to their practice squad, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Buffalo will be Kirksey’s fourth team. With Tremaine Edmunds departing for a lucrative Bears deal in free agency, Kirksey’s experience could be important for the Bills. But they do have several young linebackers in place alongside Matt Milano.

Buffalo kept eight off-ball linebackers on its active roster, a rather high number. Third-round picks Dorian Williams (2023) and Terrel Bernard (2022) and 2022 seventh-rounder Baylon Specter join fifth-year defender Tyrel Dodson, Travin Howard and veterans A.J. Klein and Tyler Matakevich.

Signing with the Texans during Nick Caserio’s first year running the team, Kirksey started 29 games with the rebuilding squad. His presence was a bit out of place on a rebuilding team, but Caserio has preferred to stock the Texans with midlevel veterans on short-term deals during his early years as GM. But Houston added a few linebackers this offseason, including Denzel Perryman, leading the former Browns third-rounder off the roster.

Kirksey, who will turn 31 on Friday, has 94 starts on his resume. The Browns gave him an eight-figure-per-year extension back in 2017 but cut bait in 2020, leading to a Packers one-off. Kirksey profiles as an insurance option for a Bills team set to rely on inexperienced linebackers alongside Milano.

LB Jaylon Smith Joins Saints’ Practice Squad

AUGUST 30: The veteran linebacker, indeed, will not be leaving New Orleans. His plus preseason cameo will lead to a spot on the Saints’ practice squad, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

AUGUST 29: While Jaylon Smith had impressed since signing with the Saints earlier this month, he will not be part of the team’s 53-man roster today. New Orleans will release the veteran linebacker, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets.

Smith retains practice squad eligibility, with teams having up to six spots to give to vested veterans on those 16-man units. Teams will begin assembling their P-squads soon. It will be interesting to see if Smith winds up back with the Saints ahead of Week 1, but for now, the former Cowboys starter is a free agent again.

Teams also commonly release vested veterans for guarantee purposes, as these players’ salaries become guaranteed days before Week 1, or to protect a younger player from being exposed to waivers. With Alvin Kamara set to be moved off the roster — due to the three-game suspension he recently received — at least one spot will soon be open.

Spending last season with the Giants, Smith worked out for the Raiders earlier this summer. But he landed with the Saints on August 10. A special teams role for Smith appeared on the Saints’ radar, and that may still be the case. Demario Davis and Pete Werner lead New Orleans’ linebacking corps, with 2020 third-rounder Zack Baun still in the mix as well.

Since the Cowboys cut bait on Smith’s six-year extension in 2021, he has bounced around. He spent the ’21 season with three teams — the Cowboys, Packers and Giants — but found some footing in New York. The Giants circled back to Smith, via a September 2022 signing, and used him as an 11-game starter. The Giants did not feature especially good inside linebacker play last season, and they have since added Bobby Okereke and Isaiah Simmons.

The Saints have been busy with veterans today. They informed Bradley Roby of a release and traded longtime kicker Wil Lutz to the Broncos, reuniting him with Sean Payton.