Saints Release RB Terrance West
The Saints released running back Terrance West, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). West hoped to stick after a few years in Baltimore, but he finds himself looking for work once again in late August. 
West was signed in June to help to fill the void left by Mark Ingram‘s four-game suspension. He was the Saints’ pick over other running backs that auditioned around the same time, including Tim Hightower and Jamaal Charles.
West is looking to rebound from an injury-shortened campaign in 2017. In 2016, West paced the Ravens’ ball carriers in attempts (193), yards (774) and touchdowns (five). The 26-year-old also added 34 catches for 236 yards and a receiving TD.
Without West, the Saints still have a formidable group at running back. Ingram, when he plays, will serve as the team’s pass-catching specialist while young star Alvin Kamara handles most of the carries. Beyond that, there’s also Jonathan Williams, veteran Shane Vereen, promising rookie Boston Scott, and Trey Edmunds. Of course, at least one of those reserve RBs will also have to be shown the door between now and September 1.
Seahawks Meet With Junior Galette
Free agent pass-rusher Junior Galette will visit the Seahawks on Tuesday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Seahawks have been looking for edge help, and Galette might fit the bill. 
Galette didn’t light up the stat sheet, but he did play in all 16 games after missing the previous two years with injuries. It’s also worth noting that he graded as the league’s No. 30 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus, and finished with 25 pressures.
Despite early interest from the Browns, Raiders, and other clubs, Galette’s market has been slow to develop this offseason. Perhaps after Monday’s meeting with the Rams and the latest powwow with the Seahawks, the veteran will finally be able to find a home for the 2018 season.
Before off-the-field issues and injuries sidetracked his career, Galette was one of the league’s most fearsome pass rushers. He was New Orleans’ best pass rusher in two consecutive years, recording 12 sacks in 2013 and picking up another 10 – along with three forced fumbles – in 2014.
If he has some of that fire left in the tank – and last year indicates that he might – then he could be a low-cost impact addition for the Seahawks.
Titans, Matthews Agree To Extension
The Titans and wide receiver Rishard Matthews have agreed to an unusual extension. Matthews now has a team option tacked onto his deal for 2019 with a base value of $7.75MM, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. 
Matthews fired his agent and negotiated the deal himself, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That would explain this arrangement, which is unusual to say the least. It’s not clear what the wide receiver is getting in exchange for giving up his right to enter the free agent market next year, especially since there is no guaranteed money in the deal.
Prior to the extension, Matthews was set to enter the final year of a three-year free agent deal signed in 2016. He’ll make $5MM in the final year of that original contract.
Matthews led all Titans receivers last season with 795 yards off of 53 receptions and four touchdowns. Unfortunately, he has been unable to practice this summer due to an undisclosed injury. If he can get back in time for the opener, he’ll be a part of an intriguing Titans receiving group.
Seahawks Release K Jason Myers
The Seahawks released kicker Jason Myers, according to a team announcement. The move signals that Sebastian Janikowski has won the club’s kicking competition.
Myers was with the Jaguars from 2015 through the first six games of the 2017 season. He was released after missing three pivotal field goals, though they were all from 52 yards or longer. All in all, he connected on 64-of-79 field goal attempts (81%) and 76-of-88 extra points (86.4%) in 38 games with the Jags.
Myers inked a futures deal with the Seahawks in January and was pushing to take over for Blair Walsh‘s post. Months later, the Seahawks inked Sebastian Janikowski to a one-year deal, putting the 40-year-old in the catbird seat.
In related moves, the Seahawks signed cornerback Elijah Battle and wide receiver Marvin Bracy to the 90-man roster.
Rams Activate Dominique Easley
Defensive tackle Dominique Easley passed his physical and has been removed from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, the Rams announced on Monday. It’s a tremendous development for Easley, who has suffered three torn ACLs since 2011 and has not seen the field since the 2016 season. 
When healthy, Easley has been extremely effective. He earned positive marks from Pro Football Focus in both 2015 and 2016, and was expected to see an uptick in playing time last year. In 2016, his last NFL season, he played in all 16 games and recorded 24 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Easley figures to serve as one of the first defensive linemen off of the bench behind starters Michael Brockers, Ndamukong Suh, and Aaron Donald. Between those three, Easley, and Ethan Westbrooks, the Rams may boast the league’s most fearsome group at defensive line.
Had Easley remained on the PUP list to start the season, he would have been barred from playing in the first six games of the regular season.
Rams, RT Rob Havenstein Agree To Extension
The Rams and right tackle Rob Havenstein have agreed to a contract extension, a source tells Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a four-year deal worth $32.5MM. 
With an average annual value of just over $8MM per year, Havenstein now becomes one of the highest paid right tackles in the league in terms of new money. Currently, Redskins right tackle Morgan Moses ranks third in the NFL with his $8MM/year deal.
Havenstein, a second-round pick in the 2015 draft, has been the Rams’ starter at right tackle for the last three years. Although he is not a world-beater, he has been a consistent force on the offensive line. Last year, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 33 ranked tackle in the NFL.
In Week 1, the Rams project to start Havenstein on the right side, opposite of standout Andrew Whitworth. In between, they’ll start Rodger Saffold, John Sullivan, and Austin Blythe at the interior spots. Third-round pick Joseph Noteboom and Cornelius Lucas figure to serve as the main backups for Whitworth and Havenstein.
With Havenstein’s situation squared away, the Rams may look to address the expiring contracts of Jamon Brown and Saffold. They are also working feverishly to take care of Aaron Donald, whose expiring contract is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/18
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: FB Jalston Fowler, WR Julian Williams
- Waived: FB Luke McNitt, WR Taj Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed WR Cobi Hamilton
- Waived: RB Tion Green
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: FB Kobe McCrary, G Kareem Are
- Placed on IR: DE Ade Aruna
- Waived/Injured: OL Cedrick Lang, FB Johnny Stanton, TE Josiah Price
New York Giants
- Signed: RB Jhurell Pressley
- Waived/Injured: LB Thurston Armbrister
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DT Jerel Worthy
- Waived/Injured: LB Shaheed Salmon
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Joshua Kalu
- Placed on IR: DB Kalan Reed
Redskins To Sign Adrian Peterson
The Redskins have agreed to sign running back Adrian Peterson to a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Peterson auditioned for the Redskins on Monday morning and it did not take long for a deal to come together. 
Peterson will provide the Redskins with another option in the wake of several running back injuries. The Redskins have lost presumptive starter Derrius Guice to a torn ACL and there are questions about the readyness of Samaje Perine and Byron Marshall for Week 1. The addition of Peterson gives the ‘Skins four healthy backs as he joins Rob Kelley, Chris Thompson, and Kapri Bibbs on the practice field.
For all of his star power and past accomplishments, it’s hard to say exactly what the Redskins are getting in Peterson. Last year, Peterson averaged just 3.4 yards per carry on 156 rushes between the Saints and Cardinals. While there were flashes of greatness, including two 130-yard games, the Redskins will look for Peterson to prove himself between now and the season opener.
It should be noted that Peterson, 33, has a track record of proving doubters wrong. After missing the majority of the 2014 season, Peterson came roaring back in 2015 to post a league-leading 1,485 yards with 11 rushing TDs.
The Redskins have now become Peterson’s fourth NFL team across 12 NFL seasons. This may be an opportunity for Peterson to further his place in the history books. With four more rushing yards, he’ll pass Marshall Faulk for eleventh on the all-time list. With 37 more, he’ll leapfrog Jim Brown, putting him in the top ten.
Before signing Peterson, the Redskins also worked out fellow running backs Orleans Darkwa and Jamaal Charles. It’s unlikely that the Redskins will sign either player, though deals have not explicitly been ruled out in either case.
NFC North Notes: Bears, Floyd, Lions, Vikings
Bears outside linebacker Leonard Floyd had surgery to repair a break in his right hand, as Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. However, coach Matt Nagy is hopeful that he’ll be able to play Week 1.
Floyd missed six games last year after tearing the MCL and PCL in his right knee, and the Bears do not want to lose him for any amount of time this year. Before that injury, he was on track to match and possibly top the seven sacks that he collected during his rookie season.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- Defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois looks like a potential starter for the Lions despite signing with them less than a month ago, and that’s a sign that the team is in need of talent up front, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. On Monday, the Lions’ need for D-Line help may have increased further with the release of Cornelius Washington.
- The Vikings are in need of a guard after Nick Easton‘s neck surgery and Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN (on Twitter) wonders if Chargers offensive lineman Michael Schofield could be a fit. The Vikings made a claim for Schofield last September but lost out due to waiver priority. The Chargers expect to have Forrest Lamp back at 100%, so Schofield could be available via trade. The former third-round pick has appeared in 44 games for the Broncos and Chargers, including 35 starts over the last three years.
- The Packers removed pass rusher Nick Perry from the PUP list over the weekend.
Latest On Jets QB Teddy Bridgewater
At least two teams have expressed interest in trading for Jets quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Manish Mehta of the Daily News hears. Still, there have been no concrete offers just yet, so there’s still some work to be done before the mobile QB is potentially moved. 
[RELATED: Jets GM Open To Teddy Bridgewater Trade?]
After a devastating injury wiped out Bridgewater’s 2016 season and nearly ended his career, the QB landed with the Jets this offseason on a one-year, $6MM deal. Bridgewater has impressed and shown no ill effects from that malady, but the Jets are willing to listen to offers since rookie Sam Darnold has also performed well. Multiple teams are eyeing Bridgewater as a top flight insurance policy under center, and the Jets can afford to part with him thanks to the presence of veteran Josh McCown.
We don’t know which teams have called on Bridgewater, but there are several clubs around the league that could use a good fallback option. Two of those clubs – the Patriots and Dolphins – are in the Jets’ division, and it’s unclear whether GM Mike Maccagnan would be willing to make a deal with an AFC East rival. Speculatively, the Broncos,Jaguars, Steelers, and Panthers could also see Bridgewater as a fit.
Through two preseason games, Bridgewater has completed 17-of-23 passes for 212 yards with two touchdowns against one interception.