Minor NFL Transactions: 4/10/19
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: TE Darrell Daniels (exclusive rights free agent), OL Jeremy Vujnovich (ERFA)
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: DE Eddie Yarbrough (ERFA)
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DT T.J. Barnes, DT Destiny Vaeao
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-signed: CB Tony McRae (ERFA), G Alex Redmond (ERFA)
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: G Parker Ehinger, DT Aziz Shittu
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: TE Robert Tonyan (ERFA)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: S Cody Brown (AAF)
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: QB John Wolford (AAF)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Greer Martini (AAF)
New York Jets
- Signed: QB Brandon Silvers (AAF)
- Re-signed: DL Bronson Kaufusi (ERFA), LB Anthony Wint (ERFA)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Orion Stewart (AAF)
Giants, Sterling Shepard Agree To Extension
The Giants have finalized a four-year, $41MM extension with wide receiver Sterling Shepard, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Prior to the extension, Shepard was set to hit the open market after the 2019 season. 
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Shepard, the team’s longest-tenured receiver, is now the club’s highest-paid player at the position. It’s a larger than expected deal for Shepard, especially since his skill set mirrors that of new acquisition Golden Tate.
By the same token, the Giants will be relying on Shepard even more now that Odell Beckham is out of the picture. He’ll look to build off of a career year in 2018 when he hauled in 66 receptions for 872 yards and four touchdowns. The 26-year-old spent most of the year in the slot, though he also lined up outside towards the end of the year while OBJ was sidelined.
The former 2016 second-round pick and Tate are set to headline the Giants’ WR depth chart with support from the recently re-signed Russell Shepard, Corey Coleman, Bennie Fowler, Cody Latimer, and others.
Bills Sign Eli Harold
The Bills have signed free agent pass rusher Eli Harold, according to a team announcement. Harold, 25, played last season for the Lions after being traded from the 49ers. 
Harold was utilized as an outside linebacker and a situational pass rusher with Detroit last year, but the Bills’ press release refers to him as a defensive end. At 6’3″, 243 pounds, Harold may not have ideal DE size, but he could be an option for the club’s No. 4 DE role.
Harold started for most of his final two seasons with the Niners, but spent the entire year as a reserve in Detroit. Still, Harold managed a career-high four sacks, including takedowns against Tom Brady in the club’s early-season upset over the Patriots.
Between now and September, Harold will push to make the roster as a supporting member behind bookends Jerry Hughes, Trent Murphy, and Shaq Lawson.
Redskins Cooling On Josh Rosen?
Many have speculated that the Redskins are the leading suitor for Josh Rosen, but that might not be the case anymore. The Redskins are “not actively chasing” the Cardinals quarterback, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). He adds that their interest is not serious at this stage and, furthermore, does not believe that Rosen will be moved at all between now and the draft. 
For the time being, the Redskins are focused on QBs in this year’s rookie class, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. This jibes with what we’ve heard before, and furthermore, the Redskins will not offer its No. 15 overall pick for Rosen. Based on the latest news, it doesn’t sound like the Redskins would fork over their second-round pick (No. 46) either.
The Redskins were the first team connected to the UCLA product this offseason, but their recent acquisition of Case Keenum complicates matters. They’re not sold on Chosen Rosen, but they could revisit talks if they don’t get their desired prospect later this month. With just $6.24MM left on Rosen’s contract through 2021, he would be a good cap fit for a club that still has Alex Smith‘s deal on the books through 2022.
The Dolphins, Chargers, and Giants have also checked in on Rosen’s availability, but their level of interest is unclear.
Zach Miller Hasn’t Ruled Out NFL Return
Bears tight end Zach Miller underwent nine surgeries to fix his leg after a scary injury in 2017. At one point, doctors floated the idea of an amputation, but Miller persevered and now indicates that he hasn’t ruled out a return to football (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson). 
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Either way, Miller says a final decision should come soon. And, if he decides to return to the game, he already has a contract in place with the Bears that takes him through the 2019 season.
Miller, who spent the first three seasons of his career as an afterthought in Jacksonville, did his best work with the Bears between the 2015 and 2017 seasons. In 2016, Miller caught a career-high 47 passes and 486 yards with four touchdowns. In ’17, he was on pace for similar stats with 20 grabs for 236 yards and two TDs before his devastating injury in October.
Eagles Sign WR Charles Johnson
Wide receiver Charles Johnson is back in the NFL. The former Viking and AAF standout has signed with the Eagles, according to a team announcement. 
Johnson entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick of the Packers in 2013, but he first made his mark in 2014 when he caught 31 passes for 475 yards and two scores for the Vikings. He wasn’t used a whole lot in his 2015 follow-up, but he managed 20 catches for 232 yards in 2016, his last season in the NFL.
This year, Johnson hooked on with the Orlando Apollos of the AAF and established himself as one of the best offensive talents in the short-lived league. In eight games for the Orlando Apollos, Johnson registered 45 grabs for 685 yards and five scores.
49ers Interested In Stephen Gostkowski
The 49ers are showing interest in kicker Stephen Gostkowski, according to a source who spoke with Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea.com. It’s a curious development since the club recently placed the franchise tag on kicker Robbie Gould. 
Gould is the league’s No. 2 all-time kicker in accuracy, but Gostkowski is not far behind at No. 3. For his career, Gould has sank 87.745% of his tries. Gostkowski, a multiple-time Super Bowl champion, has nailed 87.381% of his attempts.
The Niners tagged Gould with a one-year, $4.971MM tag in March, but he not yet signed the deal. Instead, Gould says he wants to explore unrestricted free agency and potentially reunite with the Bears. For what it’s worth, GM John Lynch recently said that an extension with Gould is still possible.
“That’s not dead, either,” Lynch said. “I think the franchise gives you some flexibility in that the player is a part of you, but we’re still trying to figure it out and (will) probably take another go at trying to figure this out. It takes everyone wanting to do that. We’ll see if that’s a reality or not.”
Falcons To Sign DE Adrian Clayborn
The Falcons are signing Adrian Clayborn, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The defensive end will return to Atlanta on a one-year deal worth up to $4MM. 
This marks a homecoming for Clayborn, who spent 2015-2017 with the Falcons. In his final Atlanta season, Clayborn registered a career-high 9.5 sacks, but his 2018 follow-up with the Patriots (2.5 sacks) was not quite as impressive.
In mid-March, the Pats cut him loose. The Patriots used Clayborn as a pass-rushing specialist and employed him in 14 regular season games. All in all, he played in 30% of the team’s defensive snaps last year, but he was a healthy scratch in the final two contests of the season.
Even if he’s lost a step, Clayborn fills a need for the Falcons on the defensive line.
‘Fins, Bills Interested In Marquette King?
Several teams, including the Dolphins and Bills, have expressed interest in signing veteran free agent punter Marquette King, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). However, there’s a bit of conflicting info when it comes to Buffalo’s interest – Vic Carucci of SiriusXM (on Twitter) hears that the Bills have no interest in King whatsoever. 
King, one of the most well-known punters in NFL history, was released by the Raiders in April 2018, with reports indicating that head coach Jon Gruden wasn’t a fan of King’s outspoken personality. The 30-year-old received interest from the Vikings and Giants, but he landed with the Broncos on a three-year deal.
Unfortunately, his Denver run was short lived. After appearing in four games, King suffered a season-ending abductor injury and was ultimately released.
King’s 20 punts traveled an average of 44.1 yards last season, which ranked 22nd in the NFL. However, he managed to place seven punts inside the 20-yard line, placing him just outside of the top 10. Head coach Vance Joseph was critical of his lackluster performance against the Chiefs in Week 4, but the injury was likely to blame.
Falcons Meet With DT Ra’Shede Hageman
The Falcons are thinking about reuniting with Ra’Shede Hageman. The defensive tackle met with Atlanta brass last week, according to Darren Wolfson of’ KSTP TV (on Twitter). 
Hageman, 29 in August, was a second-round pick of the Falcons in 2014. He appeared in 44 games (16 starts) in his three seasons with the club, but he was cut loose in September 2017 shortly before the NFL handed him a six-game ban stemming from a domestic violence arrest.
Hageman, who has not been on the field since the 2016 season, is looking to work his way back into the NFL. If he signs with the Falcons or any other club, he’ll first have to serve a two-game suspension for driving while impaired.
The Falcons aren’t the only club with interest in Hageman. The Vikings also considered the University of Minnesota product late last month, though it’s not clear if he’s still on their radar.