Dolphins Cut Kalen Ballage
The Dolphins are set to release running back Kalen Ballage, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Ballage had lots of hype as a rookie in 2018, but the former fourth-round pick managed just 135 yards off of 74 carries last year. 
[RELATED: Dolphins’ Vince Biegel Tears Achilles]
Ballage, a taller-than-average RB at 6’3″, averaged 4.4 yards per carry while at Arizona State. As a rookie, he showed promise as a supporting cast member behind Kenyan Drake and veteran Frank Gore. In an admittedly small sample size of 36 carries, Ballage averaged 5.3 yards per attempt. Unfortunately, he regressed in 2019 and failed to make significant strides as a receiver.
Now, the league’s 31 other teams will have an opportunity to claim Ballage off of the waiver wire. If he is not picked up in the next 24 hours, the 24-year-old will be free to sign with any club of his choosing.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/26/20
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Cam Phillips, WR Darrell Stewart
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DB Maurice Smith
- Released: K Tristan Vizcaino
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Bengals): WR Damion Willis
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Dominique Dafney
- Released: RB Bruce Anderson III
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed (from 49ers): RB Salvon Ahmed
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB David Reese
- Waived: S Brian Cole
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: DT Jalen Dalton
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Tino Ellis
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Brandon Williams
Philadephia Eagles
- Waived: LB Dante Olson
- Placed on IR: TE Josh Perkins
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: LB Khaylan Kearse-Thomas, RB Cameron Scarlett
Giants’ Xavier McKinney Suffers Broken Foot
Giants rookie safety Xavier McKinney fractured the fifth metatarsal on his left foot, per a club announcement. The second-round pick out of Alabama will undergo surgery on Wednesday afternoon and he’s likely to miss at least a couple months of action. 
McKinney was expected to be a contributor in the Giants’ secondary, serving as the understudy to Julian Love at free safety. Instead, he’ll likely start the year on injured reserve before, hopefully, rejoining the club down the stretch.
Like Landon Collins in 2016, the Giants used an early second-round pick to draft McKinney out of Alabama. The standout Crimson Tide safety was on the first-round radar, starting for the past two seasons and registering 95 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions in 2019. He represents a key long-term piece alongside contract-year safety Jabrill Peppers.
This represents another major blow to a Giants secondary already without 2019 first-round pick DeAndre Baker, who currently resides on the commissioner’s exempt list. The Giants ranked 31st in pass-defense DVOA last season and did not make a concerted effort to upgrade their edge rush. These setbacks will make it difficult for the team to excel in this department, even considering the team’s pricey James Bradberry addition.
Several experienced veteran safeties are on the market, though the Giants do not profile as the kind of team who would win an Earl Thomas pursuit at this juncture. In addition to the recently released All-Pro, Eric Reid, Tony Jefferson, Reshad Jones and Clayton Geathers are available. The Giants did not re-sign 36-year-old Antoine Bethea, who started 16 games for them last season.
The Giants also lost linebacker David Mayo, who will go under the knife following a meniscus tear in his left knee. Luckily, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says Mayo will just need a meniscus trim rather than a full repair, so he should be able to return in about three weeks (Twitter link). The sixth-year defender started a career-high 13 games for the Giants last season, making 82 tackles.
Titans To Sign Jeremy McNichols
The Titans have agreed to sign running back Jeremy McNichols, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Even though McNichols is a late addition, he figures to get a real chance to make the cut as one of Derrick Henry‘s backups.
[RELATED: Titans Sign Siemian]
McNichols, 24, entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Bucs in 2017. He didn’t stay in Tampa for long and wound up touring a wide chunk of the NFL. In the last few years, McNichols has signed deals with the 49ers, Colts, Broncos, Titans, and Jaguars. The Jaguars wound up giving McNichols his first live action last year, but the Titans were impressed with the speedster’s work in the preseason.
The Titans have been keeping their eyes peeled for pickups throughout the month, including recent workouts with quarterbacks Trevor Siemian and DeShone Kizer. They’ve since inked Siemian to replace seventh-round rookie Cole McDonald on the depth chart behind Ryan Tannehill and Logan Woodside.
Patriots Activate Sony Michel From PUP
The Patriots officially activated running back Sony Michel from the PUP list on Wednesday. It’s a promising sign for Michel, who was previously considered questionable for the start of the season. 
Michel underwent foot surgery earlier this year, prompting the Pats to sign Lamar Miller as additional insurance. Michel has undergone surgery in each of the last three offseasons, including knee operations in 2018 and ’19. This was less-than-ideal for the 25-year-old, especially after a so-so season. Michel surpassed 900 rushing yards for the second straight year and led the team in rushing, but he averaged just 3.7 yards per tote, down from 4.5 per carry as a rookie.
Had Michel remained on the PUP list to start the year, he would have been shelved for the first six weeks of the season. Now, he’s set to lead the pack once again, with support from Miller, James White, Rex Burkhead and Damien Harris. Brandon Bolden, meanwhile, will spend 2020 away from the team after opting out.
Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy Doesn’t Want Earl Thomas?
Jerry Jones is still on board, but Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is less-than-enthusiastic about the prospect of signing Earl Thomas, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears. McCarthy, who places a major emphasis on locker room culture, is concerned about the veteran safety’s fit in Dallas.
Thomas, a seven-time Pro Bowler, left his past two clubs on bad terms. As one league source told Werder, “Contact anyone you know with the Ravens or the Seahawks and ask if the positives outweigh the negatives.” In Seattle, Thomas literally left the team with an extended middle finger as he was carted off of the field. In Baltimore, Thomas failed to grasp the playbook in his first year and wore out his welcome last week when he got into an altercation with a teammate.
Still, the final decision ultimately lies with Jones, who has made no secret of his fondness for the safety. Thomas has reciprocated, on several occasions through multiple channels. Thomas might not be the prototypical team player, but his potential as a game-changer is undeniable. Thomas has spent the bulk of his career as one of the NFL’s very best safeties, resulting in 713 tackles and 30 interceptions over the course of his career.
For now, the Cowboys are set to start the season with new addition Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Xavier Woods, and Darian Thompson as the leaders of the group.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/25/20
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: P Johnny Townsend, WR DeAndrew White
Buffalo Bills
- Released from IR: DT Niles Scott
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Alex Wesley
- Released: WR Trevor Davis
- Waived/injured: TE Darion Clark
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: C Frederick Mauigoa, DT Kahlil McKenzie
- Waived: G Clay Cordasco, WR Damion Willis
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Dolphins): DE Curtis Weaver
- Placed on IR: S Grant Delpit
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DE Sharif Finch
- Waived: DE Ade Aruna
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Daniel Bituli, LB Derrick Moncrief
- Waived: LB Bryan London, QB Josh Love
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: LB Trent Harris
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Kemon Hall
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Pete Guerriero
- Waived: DB Anthony Cioffi
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Tyrone Swoopes
- Waived: WR Robert Davis
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: RB Salvon Ahmed
Latest On Cowboys, Earl Thomas
Will the Cowboys’ longstanding love affair with Earl Thomas result in a deal? That depends on who you ask. The Cowboys are not expected to pursue Thomas, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) and other reports from earlier this week. However, in an interview with 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did not rule out the possibility of signing the safety (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). 
Jones explained that the Cowboys have discussed Thomas internally and considered him against their current group of safeties. Next, Jones says he’ll chat directly with Thomas’ agent.
Thomas, a seven-time Pro Bowler, quickly wore out his welcome with the Ravens. His final years with the Seahawks played out similarly and included several overt S.O.S. signals to the Cowboys. In theory, the Cowboys don’t need Thomas, thanks to the addition of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Still, it’s hard to pass up the chance to add Thomas to the group, which also includes Xavier Woods and Darian Thompson.
Thomas, 31, registered 49 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, and four passes defensed in his first season with the Ravens. For his career, Thomas has notched 713 stops, 30 interceptions, and three First-Team All-Pro nods.
Cardinals, Budda Baker Agree To Record-Breaking Extension
Budda Baker is now the highest-paid safety in NFL history. On Tuesday, the Cardinals agreed to a four-year, $59MM extension with their young standout defender (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). 
[RELATED: Cardinals To Sign Dre Kirkpatrick]
Baker’s deal includes a whopping $33.1MM guaranteed and comes out to an annual average of $14.75MM. Before the re-up, Baker was set to earn just $1.396MM in base pay in the walk year of his rookie deal. With that, Baker tops the previous watermark set by Bears safety Eddie Jackson, who signed a four-year, $58.4MM extension with the Bears earlier this year.
The 24-year-old has impressed across three pro seasons, though he has never intercepted a pass as a pro. He has, however, notched 323 tackles, 3.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 14 passes defensed in total. Last year, he registered 104 solo stops to lead the league. Baker appeared as a slot corner earlier in his career, but he’s clearly found a home as a safety.
With Baker, edge rusher Chandler Jones, cornerback Patrick Peterson, and versatile rookie linebacker Isaiah Simmons, the Cardinals boast one of the league’s most intriguing defenses. They’ll look to put it all together in 2020 and improve on their 5-10-1 mark from last year.
Baker’s deal has surely captured the attention of new Seahawks safety Jamal Adams. Adams has spent years lobbying for a market-setting contract and he’ll surely leapfrog Baker in 2021. For now, Adams has agreed to table the talks.
49ers To Sign TE Erik Swoope
The 49ers have agreed to sign tight end Erik Swoope, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Swoope spent the 2019 season away from football after being dropped by the Raiders last summer.
[RELATED: 49ers To Consider Earl Thomas?]
Swoope, a former basketball standout at the University of Miami, had a noteworthy year with the Colts in 2016. Thanks in part to injury, the 28-year-old has yet to see similar playing time since then or match his average of 19.8 yards per reception (across a limited sample of 15 catches). Injuries have been partly to blame, including a 2017 season that was wiped out by knee surgery.
The 49ers already boast the scariest TE duo in the league in George Kittle and Jordan Reed. Still, Reed has been limited throughout camp and reinforcements wouldn’t be a bad idea given his troubling history with concussions.
In other Niners news, the club has been connected with free agent safety Earl Thomas. There might not be as much competition for the Pro Bowler as expected – the Falcons, Texans, and other possible fits have decided to pass.