Giants Trade B.J. Goodson To Packers
The Giants aren’t cutting B.J. Goodson after all. Moments after announcing his release, the Giants struck a deal to send him to the Packers, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. The Giants’ return is not yet known.
Goodson isn’t a star, but he does offer starting experience. With the Packers, he can provide depth at inside linebacker in wake of Oren Burks‘ pectoral injury.
“I’m not sure what’s really going on with ‘OB,’ but for what it is right now, there’s definitely an opportunity for all of us to step up and fill that role, for whoever it is that the coaches decide,” second-year pro James Crawford said after Burks suffered the injury against the Texans in preseason action.
Now, Goodson will be among those on hand to help out.
Browns Add RB Eli McGuire
The Jets didn’t have a place for Elijah McGuire, but the Browns did. On Monday, the Browns filled out their taxi squad by signing the running back as well as tackle Paul Adams.
On Saturday, the Jets bumped McGuire and kept an RB group of Le’Veon Bell, Ty Montgomery, Bilal Powell, and Trenton Cannon. McGuire drew solid reviews in Jets practice over the last two years, but his career 3.3 yards per carry average isn’t much to write home about.
Here’s what the Browns’ filled out ten-man practice squad* looks like, as of this writing:
1. T Paul Adams
2. DT Brandin Bryant
3. TE Stephen Carlson
4. WR Shelton Gibson
5. LB Willie Harvey
6. S J.T. Hassell
7. CB Robert Jackson
8. RB Elijah McGuire
9. WR Derrick Willies
10. C Willie Wright
*DB Tigie Sankoh (International Program Practice Squad)
Dolphins Cut Vincent Taylor
The Dolphins have released defensive tackle Vincent Taylor, per a team announcement. To take his place, the club signed fellow DT John Jenkins. Meanwhile, the Dolphins also inked long snapper Taybor Pepper, which seals the end of John Denney‘s storied run with the team.
[RELATED: Dolphins Cut John Denney]
Taylor only played in eight games last year as a reserve before a foot injury knocked him out for the second half of the season. But, when he was on the field, he was one of the Dolphins’ most effective interior defensive linemen. Taylor, who tallied 27 tackles and two sacks, will now look for work elsewhere.
The Dolphins cut Denney on Monday afternoon, but there was some speculation that he could be brought back after some roster juggling. That, apparently, won’t be the case. The 40-year-old is out in Miami and a player 15 years his junior is taking his place.
Cowboys Add RB To Roster
The Cowboys are adding reinforcements as the Ezekiel Elliott saga drags. On Monday, they promoted running back Jordan Chunn to the 53-man roster. His roster spot will be freed up by placing Connor McGovern on injured reserve.
If Elliott doesn’t show for the season opener, Chunn would serve as the Cowboys’ No. 3 running back behind Tony Pollard and Alfred Morris. Dallas will also have fullback Jamize Olawale on hand to clear the way.
McGovern, a third-round pick, suffered a setback in August that will require some extra time to heal. If his torn pectoral muscle cooperates, he could still be eligible to return for the second half of the season, per league rules.
Giants Cut B.J. Goodson
The Giants have released B.J. Goodson, their one-time starting middle linebacker. To take his place, the club added fellow ‘backer David Mayo.
As recently as June, Goodson profiled as the Giants’ base-set starter. Things changed, however, and the 26-year-old has been displaced from the only NFL team he’s ever known. Since being drafted in the fourth round in 2016, Goodson has appeared in 37 games with 20 starts for the G-Men. Last year, he notched 61 tackles, half a sack, and two interceptions.
Mayo, meanwhile, was dropped by the Niners on Saturday. Before he hooked on with SF, Mayo suited up for 59 games as a member of the Panthers across four seasons.
Falcons To Sign Keith Smith
The Falcons have signed former Raiders fullback Keith Smith to a one-year deal, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Smith was a surprise cut over the weekend but the Falcons were more than happy to scoop him up.
Smith, 27, was non-tendered by the Cowboys in 2018 and the Falcons were among the teams to show early interest. They missed out that March when he joined the Raiders, but they got their man just in time for the start of the 2019 campaign. Before the release, Smith was set to play out the backend of a two-year, $4.2MM deal with Oakland.
The Cowboys only used Smith on 12% of their snaps in 2017, but former Dallas special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia utilized him on more than 15% of the club’s offensive plays. In Atlanta, that number could climb even higher.
Bills To Meet With Josh Jones
The Bills will meet with safety Josh Jones on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Jones skipped the Packers’ OTAs to force a trade and Green Bay more or less obliged by cutting him late last month.
The Packers selected Jones in the second round of the 2017 draft and started him 12 games over his first two years in the league. However, he took a step back last year. Jones finished out with 55 tackles, one sack, and two passes defensed in 13 games (five starts) in 2018. Pro Football Focus ended up ranking Jones 70th among 93 eligible safeties.
Jones washed out in Green Bay, but he profiles as a potential low-risk, high-reward pickup for the Bills.
Colts To Sign QB Brian Hoyer
The Colts have agreed to sign Brian Hoyer to a three-year, $12MM deal, as Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets. The pact includes $9MM in guarantees, giving the veteran a whole lot of fiscal security.
For the Colts, the deal gives them additional experience under center in the wake of Andrew Luck‘s retirement. Jacoby Brissett – another ex-Patriot – will remain as the team’s QB1. Hoyer will be the top clipboard holder, so it remains to be seen what they’ll do with Chad Kelly when he returns from his two-game ban.
The Patriots wanted Hoyer back, but as Jeff Howe of The Athletic (on Twitter) notes, they were only willing to do a one-year deal. The Colts won out, in part because they were willing to sign the soon-to-be 34-year-old to a three-year contract.
Hoyer, a veteran journeyman, has started games for the Browns, Texans, Bears, and 49ers and has made other stops around the league. All in all, he’s got 37 starts to his credit across ten seasons.
Dolphins Release John Denney
The John Denney era could be over. On Monday morning, the Dolphins released their long snapper and longest-tenured player.
Denney, 40, was re-signed in February, setting the 40-year-old up for a 15th season in Miami. The good news is, that could still happen – the Dolphins are not rostering any other long snappers at the moment, so this could just be a bit of roster juggling from the Dolphins. Before the end of business on Tuesday, we should have a better picture of the Denney’s future.
Denney also boasts a streak of playing in 224 consecutive games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL. He’s tied for the longest streak ever for a long snapper and he’ll own that record outright if he plays somewhere in Week 1.
Four Teams Wanted Wendell Smallwood
Of all the players to hit the waiver wire over the weekend, Wendell Smallwood was the most popular. Before the former Eagles running back was ultimately grabbed by the Redskins, the Colts, Jaguars, and Bengals all placed claims on him, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
The Redskins quietly boast a deep running back group with redshirt rookie Derrius Guice, future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson, pass-catching specialist Chris Thompson, Byron Marshall, and Smallwood. Fun fact: No Eagles RB had more rushing yards over the last three years than Smallwood.
He would have been a logical fit for the Colts, Jags, and Bengals as well. For the Bengals, Smallwood would have provided depth behind Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard in the wake of Rodney Anderson’s season-ending torn ACL. The Colts, meanwhile, only just got Jordan Wilkins back on the practice field and they still await Jonathan Williams‘ return. And the Jaguars, who just had to place Alfred Blue on IR, likely preferred Smallwood to Tyler Ervin and Devine Ozigbo, the two RBs they picked up on Sunday.