Reworked Deal For Saints’ Bradley Roby
On Wednesday, the Texans shipped cornerback Bradley Roby to the Saints. In order to facilitate the trade, the Texans first converted ~$7.6MM of his base salary into a signing bonus (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). 
Now, Roby will have a base salary of $1.86MM, down from his scheduled $9.5MM. In essence, the Texans are absorbing a larger dead money hit so that the Saints can fit his contract under the salary cap. That likely means a better haul of draft picks for the Texans, though the exact return in the trade is not yet known.
Roby won’t be with the Saints for their season opener against the Packers on Sunday, since he’s still serving the final week of his six-game ban. But, after that, he’ll be good to go for September 19, when they travel to Carolina to face the Panthers.
Roby, 29, recorded 37 tackles, one interception, a fumble recovery, and seven passes defended in 2020. In a trying year for the Texans, he stood as Houston’s best cornerback. Now, he’ll join fellow newcomer Desmond Trufant to help New Orleans’ ailing secondary. The veterans will team up with Marshon Lattimore, Ken Crawley, and Paulson Adebo, though Lattimore could face a suspension of his own before the season is through.
Texans GM: “Wouldn’t Expect” Deshaun Watson On Sunday
The Texans will start Tyrod Taylor under center for Sunday’s season opener against the Jaguars. With that in mind, GM Nick Caserio tells Sports Radio 610 that he “wouldn’t expect” embattled star Deshaun Watson to take the field in Week 1 (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). 
There’s no secret that the Texans would like to move on from Watson altogether, For his part, the quarterback also wants out. However, Caserio is unwilling to take pennies on the dollar for the talented quarterback. Before the allegations, the Texans received offers including three first-round picks. Now, there are still offers with picks on the table, but clubs want those picks to be conditional based on Watson’s availability to play. For now, the Texans aren’t willing to accept such contingencies.
Watson would reportedly prefer a trade to the Dolphins but would not veto a deal that sends him to the Panthers. For now, he’s getting neither, and it’s not clear if the Dolphins have much interest in him. Owner Stephen Ross may want Watson in Miami, but other reports say that he is unwilling to impose his will on the front office. Meanwhile, head coach Brian Flores has backed Tua Tagovailoa as his starter.
That all leaves Watson on the bench behind both Taylor and rookie Davis Mills. Unless something changes, the Texans will pay Watson $10.54MM to ride the pine this year.
Giants Rework Sterling Shepard’s Deal
The Giants have converted $5.985MM of Sterling Shepard’s base salary into a signing bonus (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). The adjustment gives the Giants $3.99MM additional room while increasing Sterling’s 2022-2023 cap charges by $1.995MM. 
Shepard has been a focal point of the Giants’ offense for the last five years, totaling 313 catches for 3,518 yards and 20 touchdowns. He matched his career best in receptions last year (66) in just 12 games, though his 656 yards were down from his usual work. Shepard finished 2020 with 9.9 yards per grab, a number that he’ll look to improve upon this year.
Fellow wideout Darius Slayton and tight end Evan Engram were the only Giants to receive more looks from Daniel Jones (and Colt McCoy) in 2020. Still, Shepard caught more passes than anyone on the team.
Shepard and the Giants will open the 2021 season on Sunday when they take on the Broncos at MetLife Stadium.
Cardinals, Chandler Jones To Discuss Deal
Just a couple of months ago, Chandler Jones was looking for a trade to take him out of Arizona. Now, Cardinals GM Steve Keim says he’s looking to keep the standout edge rusher beyond 2021. 
“Well, he’s coming off the injury and obviously there’s no secret there, but I think that’s one of those things that we’ll continue to have one-on-one talks with him and his agent,” Keim said (via Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic). “I don’t do those things publicly, but Chandler is a guy we love, he has the respect of the guys in the locker room, and he’s a guy I personally would like to see finish as a Cardinal. But you know how this business works. It’s not always that easy.”
As it stands, Jones is set for one more year, a base salary of $15.5MM, and a cap figure of $20.2MM. Jones flirted with a holdout during minicamp in June and, in late July, he pushed the front office for a trade.
The Cardinals acquired Jones from the Patriots in 2016 and furnished him with a five-year, $82.5MM deal in 2017. During his first four seasons in Arizona, Jones didn’t miss a game while averaging 15 sacks per season. He appeared in the first five games of 2020, collecting 11 tackles, one sack, and seven QB hits. However, a torn bicep forced him to miss the rest of the season. That didn’t help his leverage, but the Cardinals would like to keep the 31-year-old — at the right price.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/21
We’ll keep track of the latest minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: C Sam Tecklenburg
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released from IR with injury settlement: LB Vince Biegel
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: DT Antwaun Woods
New York Giants
- Re-signed: S Nate Ebner
- Released: WR C.J. Board
- Waived with injury settlement: WR Austin Mack
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed off Broncos practice squad: CB Mac McCain
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: LB Justin March-Lillard
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: WR Penny Hart, TE Tyler Mabry
- Placed on IR: CB Tre Brown, TE Colby Parkinson, S Nigel Warrior
Texans Work Out Michael Badgley, Joey Slye
The Texans auditioned free agent kickers Joey Slye and Michael Badgley, according to Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790. Current kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn is still expected to play against the Jaguars, but Slye or Badgley could get the call if any issues arise.
As evidenced by Matt Rhule trying 65- and 67-yard yard field goals against the Saints and Chiefs last season, Slye has one of the strongest legs in the NFL. This year, however, he lost out on the kicking competition. Over the last two years, he’s made 54-of-68 FGs while going 64-of-71 on XPs.
Badgley, meanwhile, has appeared in 36 games for the Chargers over the last three years. He’s nailed 52-of-65 of his field goal attempts with 82-of-86 extra points made.
In other Texans news, Tyrod Taylor will begin the year as the team’s starting quarterback. He’ll be backstopped by rookie Davis Mills while Deshaun Watson remains in professional limbo.
Jaguars Work Out Reuben Foster
The Jaguars auditioned Reuben Foster on Monday, per the league’s official workout announcement. If he lands a deal, Foster will have a chance to play for the first time since October 2018.
[RELATED: Jaguars Sign Duke Johnson To Practice Squad]
The 49ers dropped Foster roughly three years ago and he was quickly claimed by Washington. However, the talented linebacker but never ended up using him. Foster suffered an ACL tear in 2019, further pushing his career off course. He also spent 2020 on IR. Between the suspensions and injuries, the 27-year-old has played just 16 total games as a pro.
Foster’s best on-the-field work came as a rookie in 2017, when Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-10 linebacker. Now said to be back at 100%, he’s also drawn interest from the Jets and former Niners coach Robert Saleh. If the Jaguars see him as a fit, he could become this week’s second high-profile signing, after running back Duke Johnson agreed to join the 16-man practice squad.
All in all, Foster has registered 101 tackles and two passes defensed in 16 total NFL games.
Cowboys Rework Dak Prescott’s Deal
The Cowboys have converted $6.25M of Dak Prescott‘s base salary into a signing bonus, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). With help from their star quarterback, the Cowboys have carved out an additional $5M in cap space for the current year. 
[RELATED: Cowboys’ Prescott On Track For Week 1]
Injuries limited Prescott to just five games last year, but he posted at least 450 yards between Weeks 2-4. The Cowboys are banking on another hot start from their franchise QB and a season similar to 2019 when he threw for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Prescott agreed to a four-year, $160MM extension in March, keeping him in place for years to come while avoiding the prospect of astronomical franchise tags. The deal made him the NFL’s second $40MM-per-year player, alongside Patrick Mahomes. Since then, Josh Allen has sandwiched himself in between at $43MM/year.
Prescott will make his return on Thursday night when the Cowboys face the Buccaneers.
Titans Restructure Julio Jones’ Contract
The Titans have restructured Julio Jones‘ contract, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The new deal will convert $14MM of his salary into a signing bonus, creating $11.2MM in cap room. To make it all work, Jones’ contract will also have two additional void years. 
In June, the Titans shipped a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick to the Falcons for Jones and a 2023 sixth-round pick. It was a far cry from the Falcons’ initial ask of a first-round pick, but that was the best they could do given Jones’ age (32) and contract. For the Titans, it was a monumental upgrade to bring one of the game’s most accomplished wide receivers to Nashville.
Unlike other suitors — like the Chiefs — the Titans were able to absorb his $15.3MM base salary for 2021. Still, they needed some extra space to make mid-season upgrades and Jones has obliged. For all intents and purposes, everything remains the same on Jones’ end.
Jones, one of the greatest receivers of his generation, holds Falcons franchise records in receptions (848) and receiving yards (12,896). On top of that, his 60 receiving TDs trail only Roddy White‘s 63. Now, he’ll look to add to his lofty totals with the Titans.
Jaguars Sign Duke Johnson To Practice Squad
The Jaguars have added running back Duke Johnson to the practice squad. He’ll take the place of fellow RB Nathan Cottrell, who has been released from the 16-man squad.
Johnson made a name for himself with the Browns, where he averaged 4.3 yards per carry and, more importantly, did some serious damage as a receiver. Playing behind Browns starter Nick Chubb in 2018, Johnson managed only 40 carries, but did post 47 catches and was one of the NFL’s most efficient receiving backs, per Football Outsiders. From 2015 through 2018, Johnson led all running backs with 2,170 receiving yards.
He enjoyed a solid 2019 with the Texans, but wasn’t quite as efficient in the rushing game in 2020. His yards-per-tote average of 3.1 yards per carry didn’t move the needle much and he was hampered by injuries, including an ankle sprain. Meanwhile, new addition David Johnson managed 4.7 yards per run, plus 33 grabs for 314 yards. The Texans dropped him in February and he went unsigned until linking up with Urban Meyer & Co.