Falcons Sign Eli Ankou
The Falcons have signed defensive lineman Eli Ankou, per a club announcement. He’ll fill the 85th spot on the Falcons’ roster and push to make the final cut before the start of the season. 
Ankou spent some time with the Falcons earlier this year, so he’s already familiar with the playbook. He had a cup of coffee with the Bills in between, but he spent most of that time working out on his own.
A UDFA out of UCLA, Ankou started his career with the Texans. After getting cut by Houston he was claimed by the Jaguars, and played a sizable role in with the Jaguars in 2017. In nine games as a rookie, he had 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a rotational run defender. His NFL journey has also included stops with the Browns, Colts, and Cowboys.
Ankou finished the 2020 season in Dallas where he played around one-third of the defensive snaps in seven games. Still only 27, Ankou offers size and intriguing upside as a run-stuffer for Atlanta.
Contract Details: Bears, Peters, 49ers, Kendricks
The Bears and 49ers both managed to make notable upgrades in the middle of August. Now, we have details on their recent deals, courtesy of ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link): 
- Bears OT Jason Peters: One-year, $1.75MM deal. $1.075M base salary. $250K signing bonus.
- 49ers LB Mychal Kendricks: One-year, $1.215MM deal (minimum salary benefit). $200K guaranteed with a cap charge of $866K.
Peters, a nine-time Pro Bowler, agreed to terms late last week. He’ll help to solidify the line in the wake of Teven Jenkins’ back surgery. While the second-round rookie recovers, he’ll slot in as the left-side starter opposite of Lachavious Simmons. Still imposing at the age of 39, Peters is not far removed from his stellar 2019 campaign — Pro Football Focus graded Peters as its No. 6 overall tackle that season.
Kendricks, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back from legal turmoil and health issues.Now 30, Kendricks played in just one game last season. On the plus side, he is another year removed from his 2019 ACL tear.
Bears’ Teven Jenkins Done For Year?
Teven Jenkins‘ rookie season might have to wait. The second-round left tackle will undergo back surgery later today, according to Bears head coach Matt Nagy.
The “hope is to have Jenkins back this season,” Nagy says, but it doesn’t sound especially promising. Jenkins, the No. 39 overall pick in this year’s draft, was slated to support starters Jason Peters and Lachavious Simmons. Now, he’ll likely have to focus on rehab with an eye on 2022.
The Bears have high hopes for Jenkins. After selecting quarterback Justin Fields in the first round, they packaged No. 52 and a third-round pick to nab the Oklahoma State standout early in the second. And, just a couple of days after drafting Jenkins, the Bears released long-time tackle Charles Leno.
With Jenkins sidelined, the Bears may look to beef up their offensive line in the coming weeks. If they look to the free agent market, the Bears could consider the likes of Mitchell Schwartz, Russell Okung, and Demar Dotson.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/21
Tuesday afternoon marked the deadline for teams to cut down from 90 to 85 players. We’ll keep track of those cuts and the day’s other minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed (from Packers): P Ryan Winslow
- Waived: P Tyler Newsome
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Jeff Badet
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: P Johnny Townsend
Carolina Panthers
- Waived/injured: LB Nate Hall, C Mike Panasiuk
- Placed on IR: CB Troy Pride Jr.; Pride suffered a torn ACL
Chicago Bears
- Released: WR Justin Hardy
- Waived: DB Michael Joseph, LB Ledarius Mack
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: LB Anthony Hines, FB Sewo Olonilua, CB Reggie Robinson
- Waived: CB Kyron Brown, WR Brennan Eagles
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Adrian Killins
- Waived: DB Rojesterman Farris, LB Peter Kalambayi, DT Lorenzo Neal Jr.
- Waived/injured: WR DeVontres Dukes, RB LeVante Bellamy, DL Deyon Sizer
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: LB Shaun Dion Hamilton
- Signed: QB Jordan Ta’amu
- Waived: DT Michael Barnett
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Chad Hansen
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: QB Jake Dolegala
- Placed on IR: TE Isaac Nauta, WR DeAndre Thompkins
- Waived: OL Zack Johnson
Houston Texans
- Reverted to reserve/NFI: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Te’von Coney
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB David Bellamy
- Waived: QB K.J. Costello, TE Matt Seybert
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: CB Amari Henderson
- Reverted to IR: K Riley Patterson, WR Blake Proehl
New England Patriots
- Waived/injured: TE Troy Fumagalli
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: OL Cameron Clark
- Waived: DL Michael Dwumfour, S Bennett Jackson, RB Austin Walter
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: DL Abdullah Anderson, DB Stephen Denmark, WR Isaiah McKoy, K Sam Sloman, OT Brandon Walton
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed (from Ravens): CB Davontae Harris
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OL Jake Benzinger
- Placed on IR: G Sadarius Hutcherson
- Waived/failed physical: WR John Franklin III
- Waived/injured: G Donell Stanley
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: S Jamal Carter
- Placed on IR: DL Trevon Coley, S Tedric Thompson
Washington Football Team
- Waived: TE Nick Guggemos, CB Greg Stroman
Giants Trade Isaac Yiadom To Packers
The Giants have agreed to trade Isaac Yiadom to the Packers in exchange for fellow corner Josh Jackson (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com). 
Yiadom, 25, has now been traded twice inside of one year. The Giants acquired him from the Broncos in 2020 and went on to start him in ten games. He finished out the year with 46 stops, five pass breakups, one forced fumble, and a half of a sack. After the season, he agreed to a pay cut for 2021 — he’s now set to make $1.07MM this year instead of a non-guaranteed $2.15MM.
Jackson, also 25, was widely projected to be a mid-to-late first rounder in 2018. Instead, the Big Ten defensive back of the year slipped to the middle of the second round, where the Packers pounced on him at No. 45. He’s yet to break out as a pro, however. After starting in more than half of his games as a rookie, Jackson was first-string for only five contests between 2019 and 2020. Now, on the cusp of his walk year, he’ll have a chance to prove himself in New York.
Panthers Trade OL Greg Little to Dolphins
The Panthers have traded Greg Little to the Dolphins, per a club announcement. In return, the Dolphins will send a 2022 seventh-round choice to Carolina. 
Little, the No. 37 overall pick in 2019, has appeared in just 14 games over the last two seasons. After starting just three times in that span, he’ll be competing for a reserve spot with the Dolphins. They could probably use the help after their running game stalled in the preseason opener.
Over the next few weeks, Little will vie for time behind starting tackles Austin Jackson and Jesse Davis. Rookie guard Liam Eichenberg, center Michael Dieter, and Robert Hunt are projected to start in the middle.
The Panthers didn’t get much in this deal, but it’s better than nothing. Little was likely on the roster bubble. Now, they’ve got two seventh-round picks — their original one now belongs to the Rams, but they also own the Titans’ seventh-rounder in 2022.
Seahawks, Jamal Adams Agree To Deal
The Seahawks and Jamal Adams have agreed to terms on a four-year, $70MM deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The contract makes Adams the NFL’s highest-paid safety on a per-year basis with $38MM in guarantees. 
The Seahawks traded for Adams last summer, sending two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and fellow safety Bradley McDougald to the Jets. The deal brought them a fourth-round pick in addition to one of the game’s most exciting young talents.
Adams – who won’t turn 26 until October – has been a certified star since his rookie season. Between 2018 and 2019, only Vikings standout Anthony Harris graded out higher than Adams at safety, according to Pro Football Focus. Eddie Jackson (Bears) was No. 3 during that stretch, and Adams has now leapfrogged him by a wide margin in earnings.
In 2019, Adams earned his first ever First-Team All-Pro nod while notching 75 tackles, seven passes defensed, 6.5 sacks, and a defensive touchdown. Last year, he missed four games with a groin injury, but still showed his mettle as a dangerous playmaker. He notched 9.5 sacks in just 12 games, the most any defensive back has ever posted in a single season. And, with 83 overall stops including eleven tackles for loss, Adams earned his third straight Pro Bowl nod.
Previously, Adams was set to enter his “walk year” and make less than $10MM. Of course, the Seahawks would have been able to franchise tag him next spring, which hurt his leverage somewhat. Ultimately, the two sides reached a logical compromise – Adams gets his mega-deal and a chance to cash in all over again during his prime. The Seahawks, meanwhile, managed to get him for slightly less than Bobby Wagner‘s $18MM-AAV deal.
Colts Place Damontre Moore On IR
The Colts have released defensive end Damontre Moore, per a club announcement. Between that and a quartet of other moves, the Colts have reached the 85-man roster maximum in advance of today’s deadline.
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Moore, a 2013 third-round pick, has spent his career as a journeyman. After two-plus seasons with the Giants, the veteran has spent time with the Dolphins, Raiders, Seahawks, Cowboys, Raiders (again), the 49ers, and the Seahawks (again). He also had a brief cameo in the AAF during the 2019 campaign. This Colts stint, meanwhile, may not last much longer.
The 28-year-old (29 in September) saw time in ten Seahawks games last year — that’s the most action he’s seen since 2015. He registered nine tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble while missing six games thanks to a PED suspension. For his career, Moore has eleven sacks, four forced fumbles, 12 tackles for loss, and 36 QB hits to his credit.
In addition to moving Moore to IR, the Colts have waived tight end Graham Adomitis and running back Darius Anderson while waiving wide receiver Quartney Davis and cornerback Nick Nelson with injury designations.
Giants Release RB Alfred Morris
The Giants have released running back Alfred Morris, per a club announcement. In addition, the club released cornerback Chris Milton and placed cornerback Jarren Williams on IR en route to the 85-man roster limit. 
[RELATED: Texans Trade Keion Crossen To Giants]
Morris saw 55 carries for 238 yards and a touchdown with the G-Men in 2020. They re-signed him a few weeks ago to bolster the depth chart, but he wasn’t needed following the return of Saquon Barkley. With Barkley installed as the Giants’ RB1, candidates like Devontae Booker, Elijhaa Penny, Gary Brightwell, and Corey Clement will vie for the remaining spots.
All in all, Morris has 6,000+ yards to his credit over nine seasons with the Giants, Cowboys, Washington Football Team, 49ers, and Cardinals.
Chiefs Cut WR Antonio Callaway
The Chiefs are down to the 85-man limit. On Tuesday, the club dropped five players from the roster, including wide receiver Antonio Callaway (waived/injured). In addition, they’ve waived/injured tight end Evan Baylis, waived defensive back Manny Patterson, placed running back Elijah McGuire on IR, and released wide receiver Chad Williams outright. 
[RELATED: Chiefs’ Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Out 4-6 Weeks]
The Browns selected Callaway in the fourth round of the 2018 draft after a productive career at the University of Florida. He entered the league with plenty of red flags, and he was largely unable to overcome them in the pros, resulting in multiple suspensions. But he also displayed plenty of promise in his first season with Cleveland, playing in 16 games (11 starts) and recording 43 catches for 586 yards and five TDs.
Last year, Callaway dressed for five ‘Fins games, but registered only two grabs for 20 years and one touchdown. Now, the former Brown, Dolphin, and XFL Viper will look to catch on with another team as the 2021 season draws closer.