Giants To Sign CB Leonard Johnson
The Giants are signing cornerback Leonard Johnson, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The move comes hours after the team auditioned fellow corners Alterraun Verner and Zack Sanchez. 
Johnson played for the Panthers during GM Dave Gettleman’s time in Carolina, which might explain the move. Johnson didn’t fill up the stat sheet in that 2016 season, but he did appear in ten games. Last year, he recorded 51 tackles and seven passes defensed with the Bills. He appeared in 15 games in 2017 and started in seven of those contests. Johnson graded out as just the 99th best corner in the NFL out of Pro Football Focus’ 120+ qualified players, but that likely doesn’t faze Gettleman, who isn’t big on analytics.
Johnson doesn’t profile as a starter, but he could sneak in as a reserve behind starters Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins and bench corners William Gay and Teddy Williams.
Titans Work Out S Steven Terrell
The Titans are casting a wide net in their search for safety help. Former Seahawks and Chiefs safety Steven Terrell took part in the team’s tryouts on Friday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
The Titans were dealt a tough blow this week when they lost strong safety Johnathan Cyprien for the year with an ACL tear. Shortly after the diagnosis, the Titans scheduled Friday workouts with the following players, in addition to Terrell:
- Former Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro
- Former Steelers safety Mike Mitchell
- Former Ravens defensive back Lardarius Webb
- Former 49ers safety Eric Reid
Terrell spent the first three seasons of his career with the Seahawks and enjoyed a bit of a breakout season in 2016. After having appeared in 16 games between 2014 and 2015, the safety appeared in 16 games (five starts) in 2016, finishing with a career-high in tackles (27). Last year, he hooked on with the Chiefs and appeared in ten contests.
Giants Work Out Alterraun Verner
The Giants are looking into some cornerback help. On Friday, the Giants auditioned Alterraun Verner and Zack Sanchez, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. 
Verner, 29, was once regarded as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. However, much has changed since he inked a four-year, $25.5MM deal with the Bucs in 2014. Last year, the Dolphins signed Verner to serve as a slot option, but he didn’t do much in that area as Bobby McCain enjoyed a breakout season.
Sanchez, you may recall, was one of three cornerbacks drafted by the Panthers in 2016 as they attempted to replace Josh Norman on the cheap. That experiment did not work out, and Sanchez has not seen live action since.
The Giants recently lost supplemental draft pick Sam Beal, so they could use some reinforcements at cornerback. Veteran Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie continues to float in limbo, but we wouldn’t bank on a reunion.
Jaguars Sign DL Sealver Siliga
The Jaguars have signed defensive tackle Sealver Siliga, according to agent David Canter (Twitter link). Details of the deal are not known, but it’s likely a one-year pact with little or no guaranteed money involved. 
After re-signing with the Bucs on a one-year deal worth up to $1.5MM, Siliga appeared in eight games as a reserve with eight total tackles. He had a workout with Lions last month, but it has been a quiet offseason for him otherwise.
Although he hasn’t done a whole lot in the past two years with Tampa Bay, Siliga has seen significant playing time in the past. Between 2014 and 2015, Siliga started nine games (in 20 appearances) for the Patriots, collecting 60 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
With the Jaguars, Siliga will fight for a roster spot behind starting defensive tackles Marcell Dareus and Malik Jackson. First-round pick Taven Bryan projects to be the first defensive tackle off of the bench and Abry Jones should be in line for playing time, but the competition is fairly open after that.
Patriots Work Out Cobi Hamilton
The Patriots have signed Eric Decker, but they’re not necessarily done signing wide receivers. On Friday, the Patriots auditioned Cobi Hamilton, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Patriots Sign WR Eric Decker]
It’s not immediately clear how serious the Pats are about Hamilton following the addition of Decker. Despite the release of Jordan Matthews, the likely forthcoming release of Malcolm Mitchell, and Julian Edelman‘s four-game ban, the Patriots are fairly deep at receiver.
Hamilton flashed at times during the 2016 season with the Steelers, but hasn’t done much since then. Last year, he spent some time with the Texans and finished out with just one catch in three games. This offseason, he was picked up by the Cardinals but was let go in June. Since entering the league as a sixth-round choice in 2013, Hamilton has spent time with seven different teams.
Vikings Won’t Trade Anthony Barr
Apparently, there were rumors of the Vikings shopping linebacker Anthony Barr. It’s not a rumor that I’ve heard, but it did make its way back to Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. On Friday morning, Zimmer shot down such speculation, saying that Barr is “unequivocally not being traded,” (Twitter link via Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune). 
It’s possible that speculation was fueled by Barr’s absence from practice earlier this week. Zimmer explained that Barr was sidelined because of a “tweak” and added that he should be out on the field on Friday.
Through some savvy cap maneuvering, the Vikings have locked up the overwhelming majority of their core players. After inking wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a monster extension this week, Barr stands as the last key player to go.
In theory, the Vikings could retain Barr for 2019 by using the franchise tag, but on- and off-ball ‘backers are classified together, so a Barr tag would cost the Vikings more than $16MM. That’s an exorbitant amount of money to pay for an LB who had just one sack last year, so the Vikings will either have to work out a new contract with him or allow him to leave via free agency.
“We’re trying to get him signed. Hopefully, we can. But that’s between upstairs and his people,” Zimmer said (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press). “So we’d love to have him here. … I want him to get the best deal he can possibly get but in a selfish way I want him to be here too.’’
Despite all of their spending, the Vikings believe they have enough left in the coffers to lock up Barr. And, as a result, they will not trade him.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Hicks, Giants
This is a make-or-break season for Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks, as Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia writes. Hicks is entering the final year of his rookie contract and he’ll have to prove himself after finishing two of his three NFL seasons on IR.
In 31 career games, Hicks has seven interceptions, making him one of just four linebackers who have at least seven interceptions in the last three seasons. He joins Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, and Ryan Shazier as ‘backers with that distinction, and yet he has played in less games than all of them.
Despite his accomplishments, the Eagles are likely wary about overcommitting to him given his injury history. In college, Hicks suffered a groin injury (2012) and an Achilles tear (2013). Then, in the NFL, he suffered a torn pectoral muscle (2015) and another torn Achilles (2017).
If Hicks continues to perform at a high level and can turn in a full NFL season, he could be in line for a lucrative new deal. The Eagles have shown a willingness to do major extensions during the year – such as the deal they completed with Alshon Jeffery last December – so Hicks could secure his future with the Eagles before the calendar flips to 2019.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- The Eagles signed linebacker Corey Nelson in March with the notion that he would compete for a starting job. However the odds of that happening seem slim as both Kamu Grugier-Hill and Nate Gerry have leapfrogged him on the depth chart, so Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com projects that he will be released before the final cut in September. If the Eagles release Nelson, they’ll save $1MM against the cap.
- Shorr-Parks also writes that offensive guard Chance Warmack could be left off of the final roster, despite signing a one-year extension with the Eagles last fall that has a base value of $2.5MM with a max value of $5MM. Warmack, a former top-10 draft pick, does not offer much versatility and hasn’t been performing well at the guard position this summer.
- Giants wide receiver/kick returner Kalif Raymond is having as good of a training camp as anyone as he pushes to make the team, Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record writes. Drops have hurt Raymond as a returner and receiver with both New York teams, but he purchased his own JUGS machine this year in order to improve his concentration and execution. The hard work is paying off, and Raymond has a shot at making the cut despite the Giants’ depth at wide receiver.
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AFC East Notes: Patriots, Matthews, Jets
After Jordan Matthews was released by the Patriots and Stefon Diggs signed a five-year, $72MM extension with the Vikings, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (on Twitter) notes that timing is everything in the NFL.
Over the last two seasons, Diggs has averaged 13.5 games played, 74 catches, 876 yards, and 5.5 touchdowns. Meanwhile, in Matthews’ final two seasons with the Eagles, he averaged 15 games, 79 receptions, 901 yards, and 5.5 touchdowns. With one year to go on his contract, Diggs inked a deal that will give him $14MM per year in new money. Matthews, meanwhile, is out of a job as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- Jets linebacker Dylan Donahue pleaded guilty this week to driving while intoxicated, as Patrick Villanova of NJ.com writes. Donahue, who was arrested for crashing his car while going the wrong way in the Lincoln Tunnel back in February, will have his license suspended for three months and drive with an ignition interlock device for one year. Donahue still has a DUI charge in Montana to deal with and a suspension seems likely once the dust settles.
- Running back Jeremy Hill still has a better chance of making the Patriots‘ final cut than fellow RB Mike Gillislee, Doug Kyed of NESN.com writes. Elsewhere in the mailbag, Kyed says that the odds of a Brandon LaFell reunion are slim after the team signed Eric Decker in free agency. We’d agree with that assessment, but anything is possible while rosters are at the 90-man maximum.
- Bills defensive tackle Adolphus Washington may be in roster trouble.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Cap Capi
- Waived/injured: DE Bryson Albright
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DE Ja’Von Rolland-Jones
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL Korren Kirven, DE Joby Saint Fleur
- Waived: DE James Hearns, RB Trey Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Nick Callender
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB Channing Stribling, WR Marcus Peterson
- Placed on IR: TE Austin Roberts
New England Patriots
- Waived/injured: G Nate Theaker
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Bucky Hodges, OT Kyle Meadows
- Waived: LB Darnell Leslie, TE Ryan Malleck
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed CB Jeremy Boykins, LB Josh Forrest
- Waived: S Alex Carter, TE Je’Ron Hamm
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Dare Ogunbowale
- Waived: RB Dalton Crossan