Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/20
Here are Sunday’s minor moves. The players who landed on injured reserve are eligible to come off teams’ respective lists after three weeks. For 2020, teams can also activate an unlimited number of IR players — as opposed to the two-man max of 2019.
Atlanta Falcons
- Claimed (from Washington): T Timon Paris
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed (from Dolphins): G Deion Calhoun
- Signed: CB Torry McTyer
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Cowboys): DE Joe Jackson
- Claimed (from Bills): DT Vincent Taylor
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: WR Ventell Bryant
- Signed: CB C.J. Goodwin, LB Justin March-Lillard
- Released: LB Joe Thomas
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: T Brent Qvale, LS Jon Weeks
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed (from Eagles): TE Noah Togiai
Las Vegas Raiders
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed (from Giants): LB Ryan Connelly
New York Giants
- Claimed (from Chiefs): T Jackson Barton, S Adrian Colbert
- Claimed (from Browns): WR Damion Ratley
- Waived: S Sean Chandler, OL Chad Slade
- Placed on IR: LB David Mayo, S Xavier McKinney
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed (from Lions): RB Jason Huntley
- Placed on IR: S Will Parks, WR Quez Watkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: J.J. Nelson
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed (from Titans): LB D’Andre Walker
- Waived: DB Linden Stephens
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: C A.Q. Shipley
Bills, Tre’Davious White Agree To $70MM Deal
The Bills and Tre’Davious White have struck agreement on a four-year contract extension, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The pact is worth $69MM and could potentially reach a round $70MM by way of Pro Bowl incentives. Most importantly, the deal includes $55MM in guaranteed cash for the star cornerback, though it’s not immediately clear if that’s fully guaranteed at signing.
[RELATED: Bills Release Andre Roberts, Trim Roster To 53]
The deal has been in the works for a while. Previously, White was set to earn $1.8MM in base pay this year before playing out his $10.2MM fifth-year option in 2021. As one of the league’s premier defenders, White was understandably anxious to lock in his payday. Last year, White led the NFL with six interceptions, giving him a dozen picks over the last three years in total.
White’s $17.25MM/year average positions him as the highest-paid cornerback in the league, edging out Byron Jones‘ $16.5MM average annual salary. It’s a big investment, but it’s well worth it for a truly elite cornerback who only just turned 25 in January.
Bills fans may never get over losing out on Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 draft, but White is quite the consolation prize. The No. 27 overall pick has allowed only five touchdowns since entering the league and his 60.6 passer rating ranks as the second-highest of any player over the last three seasons, per Pro Football Focus. After briefly considering an opt out, White is ready to lead the charge for the Bills in 2020 – and beyond.
Bills Release Andre Roberts, Trim Roster To 53
Here are the roster decisions the Bills made to move to the mandated 53-man regular-season limit.
Waived:
- OT Trey Adams
- DB Brian Allen
- TE Nate Becker
- DE Bryan Cox Jr.
- TE Jason Croom
- WR Robert Foster
- G Marquel Harrell
- DB Dane Jackson
- DB Cam Lewis
- DE Mike Love
- DB Dean Marlowe
- T Victor Salako
- DT Tanzel Smart
- LB Andre Smith
- DT Vincent Taylor
- DB Josh Thomas
- RB Christian Wade
- T Brandon Walton
- QB Davis Webb
- RB Antonio Williams
- WR Duke Williams (story)
- DT Justin Zimmer
Released:
- OL Evan Boehm
- WR Andre Roberts
Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform:
The Bills signed Roberts to a two-year deal in 2019, doing so after he earned All-Pro recognition for his kick-return work on the 2018 Jets. Roberts has 10 years’ experience and two Pro Bowls on his resume. The second of those two Pro Bowl nods came last season with the Bills. Buffalo enters the season with its best chance to win the AFC East in maybe 20 years, so cutting an accomplished player is certainly surprising.
Foster made a splash as a rookie in 2018, but the Bills have overhauled their receiver group since. John Brown and Cole Beasley led the way last year, and the team traded for Stefon Diggs and drafted two wideouts — fourth-rounder Gabriel Davis and sixth-rounder Isaiah Hodgins — this year. Foster will nonetheless be an interest name on waivers.
Buffalo traded for Andre Smith earlier this week. The third-year linebacker could well be brought back on the team’s 16-player practice squad. Teams can begin assembling their P-squads Sunday.
Bills Cut WR Duke Williams
As the Bills shed down to 53 they’ve made a difficult cut, letting receiver Duke Williams go, according to Dan Fetes of ABC 13 WHAM (Twitter link).
Williams originally entered the league as an UDFA with the Rams back in 2016. After being waived by them he latched on with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL, spending the next couple of seasons in Canada. He signed with Buffalo early in 2019, impressing in camp but getting released at final cuts.
He was brought back on the practice squad and then promoted, playing three games before suffering a shoulder injury. He came back in Week 17 with the team resting starters, catching six passes for 108 yards. A camp and preseason star, many Bills fans grew fond of the Auburn product. He should resurface soon, quite likely on Buffalo’s practice squad if no other team scoops him up first.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/4/20
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DT Miles Brown, WR Hakeem Butler, OL Sam Jones, P Ryan Winslow
- Waived/injured: OL Brett Toth
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: DT Hinwa Allieu, FB Mikey Daniel, T Evin Ksiezarczyk, RB Craig Reynolds
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: FB Patrick DiMarco
- Waived: LB Vosean Joseph, LB Corey Thompson
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Tommylee Lewis
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Brady Aiello
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: OL Cody Wichmann
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Chris Lacy
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: DE Caraun Reid
- Waived: RB Nathan Cottrell, TE Matthew Flanagan, OL Blake Hance, OL K.C. McDermott, OL Garrett McGhin, LS Matthew Orzech, OL Ryan Pope, OL Austen Pleasants, WR Marvelle Ross
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: DB Adonis Alexander, LB Daniel Bituli, TE Kendall Blanton, C Cohl Cabral, G Jamil Demby, WR Earnest Edwards, DB Jake Gervase, DB JuJu Hughes, RB John Kelly, G Jeremiah Kolone, WR J.J. Koski, DB Dayan Lake, DB Tyrique McGhee, LB Derrick Moncrief, WR Easop Winston
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: RB Salvon Ahmed, DB Nate Brooks, CB Breon Borders, DT Brandin Bryant, WR Matt Cole, T Jonathan Hubbard, G Danny Isidora, WR Kirk Merritt, TE Chris Myarick, CB Ken Webster, TE Nate Wieting
New York Jets
- Waived: LB James Burgess
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DB Michael Jacquet, DE Matt Leo, TE Caleb Wilson
- Released: DT T.Y. McGill, CB Trevor Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DE Jonathan Kongbo
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: OL Zack Bailey, RB Ray Calais, ILB Noah Dawkins, S D’Cota Dixon, K Matt Gay (story), WR Cyril Grayson, S Javon Hagan, TE Tanner Hudson, DL Jeremiah Ledbetter, OL Nick Leverett, TE Codey McElroy, CB Herb Miller, WR Bryant Mitchell, RB Dare Ogunbowale, WR Josh Pearson, DL Benning Potoa’e, ILB Chapelle Russell, WR Spencer Schnell, QB Reid Sinnett, CB Mazzi Wilkins
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/3/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Khari Lee
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: RB Antonio Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: WR Tommylee Lewis
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: T O’Shea Dugas, LB Brady Sheldon and DE Bryce Sterk
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: S J.T. Hassell, CB Donnie Lewis, WR J’Mon Moore, DT Ricky Walker
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: WR Artavis Scott
New England Patriots
- Waived: CB Michael Jackson
- Waived/injured: DT Michael Barnett
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: T Andre Dillard
- Waived: DB Grayland Arnold, WR Manasseh Bailey, WR Deontay Burnett, WR Travis Fulgham, G Julian Good-Jones, WR Marcus Green, RB Elijah Holyfield, C Luke Juriga, RB Adrian Killins, DB Elijah Riley, TE Tyrone Swoopes, RB Michael Warren
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: CB Jamar Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Damontre Moore
- Waived: WR Seth Dawkins, DE Pita Taumoepenu
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: DT Kyle Love
Panthers Trade LB Andre Smith To Bills
Rather than the reported cut of Andre Smith, the Panthers found a taker for the young linebacker. They traded him to the Bills on Monday.
Buffalo dipped into its 2023 draft to complete this deal, sending a conditional 2023 seventh-round pick to Carolina for Smith, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
While Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane were not with Carolina when the franchise drafted Smith, he is yet another ex-Panther to join the Bills during the duo’s Buffalo tenure. The Dolphins and Lions have received attention for adding ex-Patriots, but the Bills have submitted a tour de force 2020 in acquiring former Panthers. Prior to the Smith trade, they added Josh Norman, Mario Addison, Vernon Butler, Daryl Williams and A.J. Klein this year.
The Panthers drafted Smith in the 2018 seventh round. He saw action in 16 games last season, working almost exclusively as a special-teamer. The ex-North Carolina Tar Heel played on 65% of the Panthers’ special teams snaps and just 2% of their defensive plays last season. He made five tackles in 2019.
Among their backup linebackers, the Bills have former Steeler Tyler Matakevich and 2019 fifth-round pick Vosean Joseph on their roster. Two years remain on Smith’s rookie deal.
NFL Workout Updates: 8/28/20
Here are the workouts that took place around the NFL on Friday:
Buffalo Bills
- DT Daryle Banfield
- DT Toby Johnson
- DT Akeem Spence
- DT Gabe Wright
Chicago Bears
- LB Devante Bond
- RB Napoleon Maxwell (visit)
- LB Gabe Sewell
Detroit Lions
Kansas City Chiefs
- DB Hasan Sharif
Las Vegas Raiders
- WR Darren Andrews
- QB Kyle Lauletta
- WR Charone Peake
- WR T.J. Rahming
- QB Kyle Shurmur
Pittsburgh Steelers
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves in this post. In addition to the transactions listed below, note that Broncos DT Joel Heath and Giants CB Shakial Taylor, who had previously been listed as cut, actually opted out of the 2020 season. As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, both players were reinstated to their teams’ rosters and placed on the Reserve/Opt-Out List. The full (and final) opt-out tracker can be found here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Ty’Son Williams
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Brian Allen
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Jameson Houston, DE Austin Larkin
- Waived: DE DaVonte Lambert, CB Cole Luke
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Andre Baccellia
- Waived: WR Will Hastings
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Wynton McManis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Saeed Blacknall
- Placed on IR: WR Anthony Johnson
- Waived: LB James Lockhart
Bills Cut Stephen Hauschka
The Bills parted ways with one-time fantasy football hero Stephen Hauschka. With the veteran kicker out of the picture, they’ll turn the job over to Georgia Southern product Tyler Bass.
[RELATED: Bills, Ravens Monitoring Ziggy Ansah]
Hauschka spent the bulk of his career with the Seahawks and had stops with the Ravens and Broncos before landing with the Bills in 2017. In his first Buffalo season, he converted 87.9% of his field goals. Since then, he’s gone 22-of-28 in each of his last two campaigns. Last year, the 35-year-old struggled from deep range, going just 1-for-5 on kicks of 50+ yards. After watching him compete with Bass – a sixth-round pick – the Bills have decided to go in a younger (and cheaper) direction.
By cutting Hauschka, the Bills will save $1.55MM against the 2020 cap while carrying an equal amount as a dead money hit.