Lions Sign RB Jonathan Williams
The Lions have signed running back Jonathan Williams, per a club announcement. To make room, the Lions dropped fellow RB Wes Hills. 
[RELATED: Lions Work Out QB Trevor Siemian]
Williams made some noise as a fifth-round Bills rookie in 2016, running for 92 yards on 27 carries. Since then, he’s lived life on the fringe of the NFL. Two seasons with the Saints yielded just three appearances. Last year, he suited up nine times for the Colts, averaging 4.8 yards per carry in a small sample size. All in all, he had 235 yards off of 49 carries with one score.
The Arkansas product will join the Lions’ ~80-man roster and try to make the final cut for Week 1. As it stands, the Lions have Kerryon Johnson, promising rookie D’Andre Swift, and Bo Scarbrough atop their RB depth chart.
Ravens To Audition Dez Bryant
The Ravens are set to bring in Dez Bryant for a tryout, according to Tom Pelissero and Jane Slater of NFL.com (on Twitter). Bryant is expected to travel to Baltimore sometime this week and make his case for a spot on the roster.
[RELATED: Ravens Won’t Rule Out Antonio Brown]
Bryant has not played since 2017, but his camp says he’s in shape and eager to get back on the field. Of course, this isn’t Bryant’s first rodeo with the Ravens. The longtime Cowboys star famously rejected Baltimore’s three-year, $21MM pitch in 2018 without a viable Plan B. Bryant then sat out for much of the year before landing with the Saints in November. Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles before he could make his New Orleans debut, prompting him to dedicate 2019 to rehab.
Bryant was a three-time Pro Bowler in Dallas with three-straight seasons of at least 1,200 yards. Things started to tail off after he inked a five-year, $70MM contract with the Cowboys. He was= was limited to nine games in 2015 and underwent ankle and foot surgeries in the offseason. In 2016, he bounced back with a career-high 15.9 yards per grab, though the catch and yardage totals were not as gaudy as his best ones. In 2017, he started in all 16 regular season games, but his production did not match the contract. The Cowboys cut him in the following April – crummy timing that resulted in tepid interest at his asking price.
Now on the verge of his age-32 season, Bryant is looking at reduced expectations and earning power. Still, Bryant badly wants to get back on the field, and he could have his chance with the Ravens.
Bengals’ Trae Waynes To Miss Time
Trae Waynes will be out for a while. The Bengals cornerback underwent surgery for a torn pectoral muscle and his recovery will extend into a “sizable portion” of the season, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Waynes has a “chance” to return before the season is through, according to the NFL.com duo, an indication that he’ll be out for months, rather than just a few weeks. That’s the standard for pectoral surgery, though some players have recovered faster than others. J.J. Watt, for example, managed to return for the final stretch of the Texans’ 2019 campaign.
The Bengals signed Waynes to a three-year, $42MM deal earlier this year, one that pays $20MM in Year One. The two sides didn’t necessarily get off on the right foot, however. The Bengals refused to allow Waynes to take an off-site physical, which kept his $15MM signing bonus and training plan in limbo.
After making Waynes one of the NFL’s highest-paid cornerbacks, they’ll have to forge ahead without him for the time being. The Bengals also moved on from former first-rounders Darqueze Dennard and Dre Kirkpatrick, putting more of the onus on players like former fifth-round pick Darius Phillips. For what it’s worth, veteran defensive back Logan Ryan is still available for hire, though he would prefer to play safety.
49ers’ Spencer Long Retires
Last week, the 49ers signed Spencer Long to a one-year deal. This week, they placed the offensive lineman on the reserve/retired list, per a club announcement.
[RELATED: 49ers Sign Tavon Austin]
Long, 29, spent last season as a key reserve for the Bills. He was a surprise cut in early August, leading him to the Niners. His stint in SF lasted just three days, and he’s apparently walking away from the sport altogether.
Long came into the league with Washington as a third-round pick in 2014. After four seasons in D.C., he moved on to the Jets in 2018 before landing with the Bills last year. If this is the end fo the line for Long, he’ll leave the sport with 67 games played, including 44 starts at both center and left guard.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/15/20
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DE Amani Bledsoe
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed: WR Travis Fulgham (from Lions)
- Released: CB Marc-Antoine Dequoy, TE James Looney, WR Darrell Stewart
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: FB Bruce Miller
- Released: FB Connor Slomka
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed: DB Jeremiah Dinson (from Lions)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: RB Tony Brooks-James
- Waived: OT Brady Aiello
New England Patriots
- Waived/Injured: WR Quincy Adeboyejo
Packers, Kenny Clark Agree To Extension
The Packers have agreed to a four-year, $70MM extension with Kenny Clark (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). The nose tackle will receive a $25MM signing bonus and he’ll earn $37MM over the first two years of the deal. 
[RELATED: Finding WRs For The Packers]
Before, Clark was due $7.69MM in the walk year of his rookie contract. The re-up makes Clark the 12th-highest paid defensive player in the NFL. It’s more money than some expected for Clark, but he made a strong case by registering 12 sacks over the past two seasons. At the age of 24 (25 in October), he’s one of the game’s better interior defenders, and he now has a deal to reflect his status.
His performance is even more impressive when considering that he was slowed by an elbow injury in 2018. Despite the early end to his season, Clark graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 ranked interior lineman that year while posting 55 total tackles. This past year, he had a perfect attendance card and set a new career high in stops (62).
Clark’s deal marks yet another major Packers investment in defensive talent. After shelling out big bucks for edge rushers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, giving safety Adrian Amos a $9MM-per-year contract deal, and drafting two Round 1 defenders, they’ve shored up the middle with Clark.
Texans’ Duke Ejiofor Tears ACL
Texans outside linebacker Duke Ejiofor tore his ACL at practice this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). It’s a season-ender – and familiar territory – for the 2018 sixth-round pick. 
[RELATED: Texans Activate CB Gareon Conley]
Last year, Elijofor saw his season erased by an Achilles tear. Before that, he showed promise in 12 games as a rookie, registering nine tackles, a sack, two pass breakups, and a fumble recovery. The Texans were looking forward to seeing what the Wake Forest product could do in a full, healthy season. Instead, they’ll have to wait until 2021 – his final year under contract – to see if he can put it all together.
Without Ejiofor on the roster, the Texans may look for outside reinforcements. Before the injury, he was slated to backstop Whitney Mercilus at strongside linebacker. On the plus side, they found a promising replacement for Eddie Vanderdoes by picking up former Raiders second-round pick P.J. Hall earlier this month. They also met with Brandon Marshall recently, though he would serve as an inside linebacker rather than an edge rusher.
49ers To Sign Tavon Austin
The 49ers have signed wide receivers Tavon Austin and J.J. Nelson, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Both players will look to make the final cut as insurance for Deebo Samuel. Terms of the deals are not yet known, but they’re likely for the veteran minimum with little in the way of guarantees. 
Austin was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2013, but he has yet to justify his draft status. At the age of 30, it seems unlikely to happen now. Still, coaches continue to be tantalized by his speed. Austin, in theory, could contribute as a receiver, rusher, and returner.
Over seven injury-laden years in the NFL, Austin has caught 215 passes while averaging less than yards per catch. He did average more than 15 yards per grab over the last two seasons with the Cowboys, but that was in a super small sample size of 21 receptions. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan could get creative with Austin – as Sean McVay did in L.A. – and try him in a variety of spots.
Nelson posted back-to-back 500-yard seasons with the Cardinals in 2016 and 2017, but his offensive role has dwindled since then. In 2019, he had four grabs in 15 games for the Raiders.
Latest On Colts, T.Y. Hilton
Aug. 12: Hilton has been removed from the active/NFI list and is ready to go, according to a team announcement. To make room, the club activated WR Malik Henry from the reserve/COVID-19 list and waived him.
Aug. 10: Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton says he is almost healed from a hamstring injury and days away from being able to return to the field. Hilton also told reporters that there hasn’t been much momentum in his contract talks as he enters his walk year (Twitter link via Stephen Holder of The Athletic). 
As it stands, Hilton has one year to go on his deal, which carries a $14.5MM cap hit. An extension would give Hilton extra security on what he says will be his last NFL contract, regardless of length. Still, teams have been reluctant to fork over guaranteed dollars, and Hilton’s age complicates matters further. As it stands, his deal ranks 16th among wide receivers in per-year average.
Hilton has performed as one of the league’s most dangerous deep threats when healthy – from 2013 through 2018, he’s averaged 16 yards per grab. Last year, his calf limited him to just ten games, leaving him with a final stat line of 45 catches, 501 yards, and five touchdowns. This year, he’ll look to get back to his old form as he builds a rapport with new quarterback Philip Rivers. He may have a stronger case for a new deal next year if he can reprise his 2018 showing. In that season, Hilton finished out with 76 catches for 1,270 yards and six TDs.
Yannick Ngakoue Checks In With Jaguars
Yannick Ngakoue has yet to report to the Jaguars, but this is at least a step in the right direction. Jags GM Dave Caldwell says that he has spoken to the defensive end in recent days (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). Still, Caldwell isn’t sure whether he’ll actually show up to camp. 
[RELATED: Jaguars’ Ngakoue Fires Agent]
“That’s for [Ngakoue] to discuss,” Caldwell said.
Ngakoue canned his agent on Monday, signaling his dissatisfaction with the way the offseason has played out. Presumably, Ngakoue is mostly frustrated with the Jaguars, but he also expected his reps to help facilitate a trade that would take him elsewhere.
Ngakoue spent months pushing for a lucrative long-term extension. Then, he pivoted to a trade demand. Shortly before the franchise tag extension deadline, Ngakoue let the rest of the NFL know that he would be willing to table contract talks and play on his one-year, $17.88MM tender. Still, nothing came of that concession. The Jaguars still wanted something significant in exchange for the 25-year-old and no one was willing to pay sticker price.
Evaluators are split on Ngakoue’s true value. On one hand, he’s a young talent at a premium position who has notched at least eight sacks in each of his four NFL seasons. On the other hand, his pressures-to-sacks ratio doesn’t add up. Trading for Ngakoue means coughing up draft capital for a rather expensive rental and waiting until next offseason to discuss a new deal. Meanwhile, plenty of proven edge rushers remain on the market, and can likely be had for less. Jadeveon Clowney, for example, would probably take less than ~$18MM at this point.
The Jaguars still have the ability to trade Ngakoue, and he doesn’t have to join the team until he inks his tender. But, at this point, it might make sense for Ngakoue to bury the axe.