Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/18
NFL teams are making roster moves in advance of Saturday’s 53-man deadline. We’ll keep track of the minor moves here:
Detroit Lions
- Released: CB Josh Okonye
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Brandon Chubb
- Waived: RB Tion Green
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: C Jacob Judd
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: CB Jarell Carter
New England Patriots
- Signed RB Kenneth Farrow, WR K.J. Maye, RB Khalfani Muhammad
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Ironhead Gallon
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RB Lenard Tillery
Jaguars Will Not Pursue Dez Bryant
The Jaguars will be without Marqise Lee for the season, but they won’t be replacing him with Dez Bryant. The Jaguars feel comfortable with their current group of receivers and do not plan to pursue outside help, former ESPN reporter Ed Werder hears (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Marqise Lee Done For Season]
Many were quick to connect the dots between the Jaguars and the best remaining free agent wide receiver, but the Jaguars seem content to draw from a group that includes by Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole, second-round pick D.J. Clark, and Donte Moncrief. None of those players offer Bryant’s name value, but Tom Coughlin & Co. believe in their talent.
Bryant recently flirted with the Browns, but he rejected their offer of less than $5MM for the upcoming season. Another wide receiver injury elsewhere could open up an opportunity for the former Cowboys standout, but there are no clear suitors for him as the season draws near.
Teams Eyeing Broncos’ Henderson, Holland
Rival teams are keeping a watchful eye on Broncos running back De’Angelo Henderson, Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post hears (on Twitter). The same goes for outside linebacker Jeff Holland, who may be a casualty of Saturday’s numbers crunch. 
The Broncos figure to carry Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker, and talented UDFA Phillip Lindsay on their Week 1 roster. That could leave Henderson – a 2017 sixth-round pick – on the outside looking in. The Broncos are also likely to keep fullback Andy Janovich on the roster, which takes one potential running back spot out of the equation.
If Henderson and Holland are released, it sounds like they’ll be a popular target for other teams. That interest may also lead to a trade in the coming days.
Giants, OBJ Agree To Extension
The Giants and star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr are closing in on a five-year mega-extension, according to Ian Rapoport and Kim Jones of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a five-year extension worth up to $95MM with $65MM guaranteed overall, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The value of Beckham’s new deal is $90MM over the five added years, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. That’s $18MM per year in new money – or $19MM/year, if counting the potential incentives. Either way, it’s the highest average annual value for any receiver in the NFL. Beckham also gets $41MM fully guaranteed at signing, plus another $24MM in injury guarantees for a total of $65MM in guarantees.
The deal is a big win for Beckham across the board, as he leads wide receivers in AAV, total guarantees, and full guarantees at signing. Previously, Antonio Brown‘s $17MM per year represented the annual standard for receivers, and Mike Evans‘ $55MM in total guarantees and $38.25MM in full guarantees were the statistical chart-toppers.
In terms of the average annual value on the “new money,” OBJ is now the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. He’ll also collect about $60MM within the first three years of the deal.
The two sides have wrestled over the extension for some time. Although OBJ is one of the most talented receivers in the game, he missed the majority of the 2017 season with injury and the Giants had concerns about his maturity. This offseason, Beckham flirted with the idea of a training camp holdout, but ultimately showed up for work and impressed team brass.
“I see what I expected to see when we started to communicate back in February,” Shurmur said in February. “This guy loves to play football, he trains extremely hard, he’s totally engaged in the meetings behind the scenes, the things that the world is not aware of, and he’s got a lot of passion for the game. We were just out in a walk-through and I saw three or four times when he was talking to different players about certain techniques within the play. That’s all good stuff.”
The 2014 first-round pick was limited to only four games last season and finished with just 25 receptions for 302 yards and three scores. However, he finished the previous three campaigns with at least 1,300 receiving yards.
At 25 (26 in November), Beckham is four years younger than Brown, and he’s outproduced the other members of his class on a per-year basis. The Giants paid a pretty penny to lock up the three-time Pro Bowler through 2023, but it will be worthwhile if he plays up to his ability.
Cardinals RB D.J. Foster Suffers Torn ACL
Cardinals running back D.J. Foster is done for the year. On Monday morning, doctors diagnosed Foster with a torn ACL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Foster came to the Cardinals last September after he was signed off of the Patriots’ practice squad. He didn’t play a whole lot in Arizona, but he was quietly impressing this offseason with his versatility.
The Cardinals were facing some tough choices at running back, but the injury clarifies their depth chart somewhat ahead of Saturday’s deadline. Fourth-round pick Chase Edmonds, T.J. Logan, and Elijhaa Penny are still fighting for jobs behind David Johnson, but it’s possible that the Cardinals will keep all three on the initial 53-man roster. Although the Cardinals have other running backs on hand, Foster’s special teams skills will be missed.
Foster had 59 receptions for 584 yards as a senior at ASU and the Cardinals were hoping to see some of that pass-catching acumen in 2018. Last year, Foster had 17 catches for 133 yards in seven games.
Raiders Trade WR Ryan Switzer To Steelers
The Raiders have traded wide receiver Ryan Switzer to the Steelers. The Raiders will receive a fifth-round pick in the trade while sending their own sixth-rounder to Pittsburgh.
The deal marks the second time that Switzer has been traded this offseason. In April, the Cowboys shipped Switzer to Oakland after acquiring Tavon Austin from the Rams. Dallas acquired 2016 Raiders second-round pick Jihad Ward in that trade.
Switzer offers experience as both a kick and punt returner, and that’s likely the main draw to this trade from the Steelers’ perspective. Switzer could allow Pittsburgh to keep Antonio Brown away from punt returns and reduce the star’s risk for injury. Cornerback Cameron Sutton was pushing to hold down that job, but the Steelers might be having second thoughts after he fumbled against the Titans in Saturday’s preseason contest. Switzer may also be able to contribute as a slot receiver.
The Raiders seemed likely to keep Switzer, but it appears that he has been leapfrogged by Griff Whalen this offseason. Whalen’s toe injury may keep him from the field in Week 1, but the Raiders opted to get something in return for Switzer instead.
Patriots Sign G Shaq Mason To Extension
The Patriots and guard Shaq Mason have agreed to a massive new deal, according to Mike Garafolo and Herbie Teope of NFL.com (on Twitter). The new five-year contract includes $23.5MM guaranteed and can be worth up to $50MM in total. 
Mason, who will earn close to $30MM over the first three years of new deal, has greatly outperformed his status as a former fourth-round pick. In terms of new money, he’s now in the top ten for guards in the NFL.
At a rate of $10MM per year, Mason matches David DeCastro of the Steelers and Kyle Long of the Bears in terms of average annual value. That’s good for fifth amongst right guards, behind Zack Martin, Kevin Zeitler, Trai Turner, and Gabe Jackson.
Mason is one of the better guards in the game today and also has age on his side. The 2015 fourth-round pick turns 25 on Tuesday and should have plenty of quality football ahead of him.
Last year, Mason graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 ranked guard in the NFL. While the Pats have cast aside other notables such as Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins, Dion Lewis, and Malcolm Butler, they felt that Mason was worth the major expenditure.
Jaguars WR Marqise Lee Out For Season
Jaguars receiver Marqise Lee will miss the entire 2018 season due to a knee injury suffered in Saturday night’s preseason contest against the Falcons. Lee will soon be placed on IR, opening up a spot on the club’s 90-man roster. 
It’s a devastating blow to the Jaguars, particularly after they allowed Allen Robinson to walk in free agency this year. Lee had the most catches of any Jaguars receiver in 2017 (56) and finished second in receiving yards (702). Between 2016 and 2017, Lee racked up 119 receptions for 1,553 yards and six touchdowns.
The Jaguars rewarded Lee with a new four-year deal worth up to $38MM this offseason, a pact that includes $18MM guaranteed. Unfortunately, they’ll have to wait until 2019 to see him back in action.
Without Lee, the Jaguars are left with a group that is headlined by Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole, second-round pick D.J. Clark, and Donte Moncrief. It’s still a talented bunch, which explains why head coach Doug Marrone said he’s “comfortable” with his receivers when asked about the possibility of signing Dez Bryant (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com).
Lions To Sign DE Robert Ayers
The Lions have signed Robert Ayers to a one-year deal, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With less than a week to go before final cuts, the defensive end will work to impress coaches and make his case to aid in Detroit’s pass rush. 
Ayers will turn 33 on Sept. 6, but he’s still an outstanding pass rusher. While he posted only two sacks a season ago, he managed 28 pressures (a better indication of production) and graded as Pro Football Focus‘ No. 10 edge defender. Ayers also offers experience in both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes, so he may be an ideal fit for defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, who likes to switch between both.
The only major strike against Ayers is his injury history. He’s played in only ten games in each of the past two seasons for the Bucs.
Falcons Sign K Giorgio Tavecchio
The Falcons have signed former Raiders kicker Giorgio Tavecchio, according to a team announcement. The move gives the Falcons three kickers on their roster for the time being. 
Tavecchio, 28, was released by the Raiders this year, despite a decent 2017 season in which he made 16 of 21 field goal attempts, including three from 50-plus yards. He also made 33 of his 34 extra point attempts last year.
Tavecchio will compete with Matt Bryant – the Falcons’ all-time leading scorer – and Georgia product David Marvin for the team’s kicking job. The game of musical chairs won’t last long with roster cuts coming on Saturday.
The Falcons inked Bryant to a three-year, $10.5MM extension in March to make him one of the ten highest-paid kickers in the NFL. The deal included a $2MM signing bonus, so that would be a sunk cost for Atlanta if they release him.
Last year, Bryant nailed 87.2% of his field goals, good for 12th in the NFL. He also sank eight-of-nine attempts from 50 yards or more.