Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/25
NFL teams are continuing to adjust their rosters to weather injuries and add depth with preseason games kicking off later this week. Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Dan Feeney
- Waived: DE Kameron Cline, OL Rush Reimer
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Mitch Van Vooren, RB Trayveon Williams
- Waived: OT Julian Pearl
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Luq Barcoo, CB D.J. Miller
- Waived/injured: RB Kye Robichaux
- Placed on IR: S Dan Jackson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Corey Ballentine
- Released: CB Gregory Junior
Houston Texans
- Activated from active/PUP list: RB Dameon Pierce
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Tremayne Anchrum, DL Austin Johnson
- Waived: WR J.J. Jones
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL Nesta Jade Silvera
- Waived/injured: DL Josh Fuga
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Chris Myarick
- Placed on IR: TE Jalin Conyers
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Nick Vannett
- Waived: OT Marcellus Johnson
New England Patriots
- Activated from active/PUP list: OL Vederian Lowe
New York Giants
- Signed: LB K.J. Cloyd, RB Jonathan Ward
- Waived/injured: RB Rushawn Baker
- Placed on IR: LB Ty Summers
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Michael Dowell, LS Zach Triner
- Placed on IR: S AJ Finley
- Waived: LB Seth Coleman
The Lions’ additions were likely a result of a shoulder injury to second-year cornerback Ennis Rakestraw. Head coach Dan Campbell said (via team writer Tim Twentyman) that “it’s going to be a while, at best” until Rakestraw returns to the field.
Ballentine returns to Green Bay, where he spent the last three seasons, after a brief stint in Indianapolis this offseason. He started six games and played 488 snaps for the Packers in 2023, but primarily contributed on special teams in 2022 and 2024.
The Giants are dealing with a number of injuries in their running back room, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Only Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary, and Darius Miller are healthy, and the first two may not play much in the preseason. New York worked out a number of running backs on Monday, including Myles Gaskin and Isaiah Spiller (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson), but Ward impressed enough to join the squad moving forward.
Finley went down with a knee injury at training camp that is believed to be serious, pending additional tests, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson. Triner, meanwhile, will fill in for Seahawks third-year long snapper Chris Stoll, who is dealing with a back issue, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
Bills WR Khalil Shakir To Miss Time
Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir is expected to miss four to five weeks due to a high ankle sprain suffered last Friday, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
Head coach Sean McDermott said on Sunday (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) that Shakir was considered “week to week.”
The fourth-year wideout stepped up after the departure of Stefon Diggs last offseason, leading Buffalo with 76 receptions and 821 receiving yards in 2024 and earning himself a four-year, $53MM extension this offseason.
With little more than five weeks until the Bills’ regular season debut against the Ravens, Shakir’s recovery will have to go smoothly for him to play in Week 1. He was the Bills’ most active pass-catcher in both matchups vs. Baltimore last season. He caught 10 of his 12 targets for 129 across the two contests, the latter of which was a playoff win that sent Buffalo to the AFC Championship Game.
The Bills have a number of options to fill Shakir’s role in the slot during his absence. Veteran Curtis Samuel will likely be the next man up after rotating into the slot in Buffalo last year, and offseason signings Elijah Moore and Josh Palmer bring some experience there as well.
The Bills could also roll out more two tight end formations with Dalton Kincaid or Dawson Knox split into the slot. Still, Shakir’s injury doesn’t seem so significant that it will require major adjustments to Buffalo’s offense this season.
Brandon Beane: Bills Still Discussing Extension With RB James Cook
James Cook took part in mandatory minicamp in June and participated in the opening practices of training camp. The extension-seeking running back elected not to take part in Sunday’s practice, however. 
That shift to a hold-in drew questions about whether or not it would continue. Indeed, ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg notes Cook is present for Monday’s practice but not in uniform. The Bills declined to offer a comment on the situation yesterday, but general manager Brandon Beane has since spoken publicly about Cook.
“I wish we weren’t here,” Beane said during an appearance on WGR550 Monday morning (via Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News) when speaking about Cook’s decision to hold in. “This is my ninth season here, we’ve never had a player miss due to a contract or anything like that, so that’s disappointing for me.”
Beane added he and the team became aware of Cook’s shift in participation shortly before Sunday’s practice. It remains to be seen if electing not to take part will bring about traction on the negotiating front. Team and player have discussed a deal throughout the offseason, one in which a quartet of other key Bills players (Khalil Shakir, Gregory Rousseau, Christian Benford, and Terrel Bernard) have each received second contracts. Beane noted communication is still ongoing between the Bills and Cook’s camp as the team looks to prevent a potential free agent departure next spring and the two-time Pro Bowler aims to become one of the league’s highest-paid running backs.
$15MM publicly emerged as Cook’s asking price earlier this offseason. Only three players at the position – Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry – are attached to a deal with that high of an AAV. That trio has combined to collect four first-team All-Pro nods and their respective track records outpace what Cook has achieved so far. At the age of 26, though, the Georgia product can be expected to remain one of the NFL’s top backfield producers throughout the length of any new deal he signs.
“We’ll see if we can get something done,” Beane said while confirming it remains the Bills’ objective to keep Cook in the fold past the coming campaign. “If not, he knows that we would try again after the season. So, just if we don’t get something done now, doesn’t mean that we can’t get it before he’s a free agent.”
Time still remains for a deal to be struck, but in the absence of an extension Cook’s willingness to suit up without a new pact – along with his performances, of course – would become a major Bills storyline for 2025. As the team prepares for its latest bid to reach the Super Bowl, this situation remains one worth monitoring.
Bills RB James Cook Holding In?
5:00pm: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes (video link) Cook’s camp and the Bills have remained in consistent contact regarding extension talks, adding that the parties are not believed to be far apart. That makes today’s move somewhat surprising, and it remains to be seen whether the nature of negotiations will shift in the near future and whether missed regular season action becomes a real possibility.
12:43pm: Bills running back James Cook is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is seeking a lucrative extension. However, he fully participated in Buffalo’s first training camp practice, and reports at the time indicated he would continue to do so and would not ‘hold in.’ 
That appears to have changed. Cook did not practice on Sunday, and when asked why, he simply replied, “business” (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). When asked if he would practice Monday, he answered, “business.” Per Getzenberg, he kept repeating the word “business” in response to follow-up questions. The team, meanwhile, indicated it has no comment on the matter, per Getzenberg.
Prior reports suggested the Bills and Cook were still discussing a new deal, although we had also heard there was little traction in negotiations since Cook’s asking price of $15MM per year became public. That AAV would place Cook in a third-place tie with Derrick Henry in the league’s running back hierarchy, and while Cook (26 in September) is over five years younger than Henry with considerably less mileage on his odometer, he does not have nearly the same track record as a game-changing talent.
Still, since taking over as the Bills’ RB1 in 2023, Cook has earned two Pro Bowl nods and has averaged an impressive 4.8 yards per carry across 444 totes. He has also demonstrated a nose for the end zone, recording a league-high 16 rushing touchdowns last season as part of a Buffalo offense that finished 10th in yards and second in scoring. He is therefore justified in making a big ask, and it is unclear whether his apparent new stance reflects some sort of regression in contract talks.
The Bills have busy on the extension front this offseason. The likes of Khalil Shakir, Gregory Rousseau, Christian Benford, and Terrel Bernard have each received lucrative second contracts keeping them in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. General manager Brandon Beane has previously suggested Cook would need to replicate his previous production from the 2024 campaign before the team makes a similar commitment to him, however. Today’s development is another sign that could be the case.
In addition to Cook, Buffalo has veteran Ty Johnson and 2024 fourth-rounder Ray Davis set to return in the backfield. The presence of those two as depth options could once again prevent Cook from handling a true three-down role this season, something which would in turn hinder his market value on a second Bills pact or one sending him to a new team.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/25
Here are the first minor NFL moves in August:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived (with injury settlement): CB Jaden Davis
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Grayland Arnold
Buffalo Bills
- Reverted to IR: DE Hayden Harris
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Keenan Isaac
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): T Sebastian Gutierrez
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Garret Wallow
- Waived: CB Mario Goodrich
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Chris Lammons
- Released: CB Corey Ballentine
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: T Ricky Lee
- Waived: WR Louis Rees-Zammit (story)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Ajani Carter, CB Azizi Hearn, WR Key’Shawn Smith
- Waived (with injury designation): CB Darius Rush, CB Eric Scott Jr.
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: QB Brett Gabbert
- Placed on IR: CB Kader Kohou (story)
Minnesota Vikings
- Reverted to IR: DE Alex Williams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived (with injury settlement): OL Marcus Tate
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DT Kyler Baugh
- Waived (with injury designation): DT Jacob Slade
- Waived (with injury settlement): OLB Jeremiah Moon
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from active/PUP list: LB Curtis Robinson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Reverted to IR: S Marcus Banks, RB D.J. Williams
Washington Commanders
- Signed: Braylon Sanders
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/25
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Henry Black
- Waived: WR Makai Polk
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DE Kameron Cline
- Waived/injured: DE Hayden Harris
- Activated from active/PUP: RT Spencer Brown
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Chase Cota
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Garrett Nelson
- Reverted to IR: LB Johnny Walker
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Tre Herndon, CB Duke Shelley
- Released: TE Albert Okwuegbunam
- Placed on IR: CB David Long Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from active/PUP: LB Dennis Gardeck
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OL Matt Nelson
- Waived/injured: DE Alex Williams
New England Patriots
- Activated from active/PUP: WR Mack Hollins
- Placed on IR: OT Yasir Durant
New Orleans Saints
-
- Signed: P Kai Kroeger
- Waived: QB Hunter Dekkers
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from active/NFI: G Isaac Seumalo
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Carter Bradley, WR Marquez Callaway, WR Andy Isabella
- Released: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- Waived: OL Sebastian Gutierrez, WR Malik Knowles, S Jaylen Mahoney
- Activated from active/NFI: OL Ben Bartch
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Keydrain Calligan
- Waived: DT Thor Griffith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Jaden Smith
- Waived/injured: S Marcus Banks, RB D.J. Williams
Washington Commanders
- Activated from active/NFI: OL Tim McKay
The Colts added some experienced cornerback depth today in Tre Herndon and Duke Shelley. Herndon had a long stint in Jacksonville, starting 34 of his 83 appearances with the organization. Shelley has bounced around the league a bit, with his longest stint coming in Chicago between 2019 and 2021. Both players were limited to one appearance each during the 2024 campaign.
The 49ers made a long list of moves today, most notably to their wide receiver depth. Marquez Callaway was limited to two games in Tampa Bay last season, but he compiled 698 receiving yards and six touchdowns as recently as 2021. Andy Isabella has only gotten into 13 total games over the past four years, hauling in five receptions over that span. They’ll be taking the roster spots previously held by former Bears starter Equanimeous St. Brown and former Kansas State standout Malik Knowles.
RB Latavius Murray Retires
After being unable to find an NFL opportunity in 2024, Latavius Murray is hanging up his cleats. The veteran running back announced on Thursday that he is retiring at the age of 35 (video link via NFL insider Jordan Schultz). 
A sixth-round pick of the Raiders in 2013, Murray played on a rotational basis the following year before taking on starting duties. He recorded his first and only 1,000-yard campaign in 2015 and secured a Pro Bowl nod in the process. A career-best 12 rushing touchdowns during his final Raiders season set Murray up for a strong free agent market.
The UCF product landed a three-year, $15MM Vikings pact on the open market. Murray ended up spending a pair of seasons in Minnesota where he operated as part of a backfield tandem with Dalvin Cook. A similar setup was in place with New Orleans when Murray paired with Alvin Kamara for the 2019 and ’20 campaigns, during which he remained a consistent producer on the ground.
Murray caught on with the Ravens in 2021 shortly after being cut. As part of a Baltimore backfield ravaged by preseason injuries, he managed to handle a notable workload before finding himself on the move once again the following season. In 2022, Murray briefly returned to the Saints before signing from the practice squad to the Broncos’ active roster midway through the campaign. That decision set up a starting role to close out the season and helped earn him a Bills pact for 2023.
Logging a 32% snap share with Buffalo, Murray remained healthy but saw his yards per attempt average dip below 4.1 for the first time since 2017. That was a key factor in the Bills’ decision not to retain him, even though Murray was open to an extended stay with the team. After spending last season without a deal, today will mark the end of the line after 10 NFL seasons.
In all, Murray played 158 combined regular and postseason games over the course of his NFL tenure, totaling over 8,000 scrimmage yards and 61 touchdowns. He amassed more than $21MM in career earnings.
AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Pats, Myers, Bills
Zach Sieler is not holding in at Dolphins practice, but the veteran defensive lineman has let it be known he is seeking a new contract. Tied to a three-year, $30.75MM extension, Sieler has delivered a considerable return for the Dolphins by posting back-to-back 10-sack seasons — for a team decimated at the edge rusher positions.
“I do feel like I want to get,” Sieler said, via the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly. “I do feel that respect coming. I think I’ve earned it. I know I’ve earned it.”
The interior defender, though, is signed for two more seasons. Dolphins GM Chris Grier has bent on a few occasions to extension-chasing players with more than a year left on their deals. Grier rewarded Xavien Howard, Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey in doing so. The Howard and Ramsey decisions burned the Dolphins, as substantial dead money emerged following their respective exits. Sieler signed his extension shortly before the first of those 10-sack seasons. Set to turn 30 in September and sitting 31st in AAV among interior D-linemen, the former seventh-rounder is looking to capitalize on his performance and cash in while still in his prime.
Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- The Dolphins brought in Mike Hilton and Jack Jones at cornerback, but they have lost Kader Kohou and Artie Burns for the season. Hilton had spoken with the Dolphins months ago. The former Steelers and Bengals slot corner expected to draw more interest, but he is now 31. He still expected to wind up in Miami, via ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
- Hilton arrived after multiple instances of Dolphins-Rasul Douglas negotiations. The Douglas talks would pertain more to Jones, who is an outside CB. Douglas remains in free agency after rejecting a Dolphins offer, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports. Ranked behind veteran corners D.J. Reed, Byron Murphy, Carlton Davis and Charvarius Ward in PFR’s top 50, Douglas has been tied to the Dolphins and Seahawks and, per Anderson, has received more interest lately. It should be expected the soon-to-be 30-year-old DB signs somewhere soon, but his value will not approach the three-year, $21MM Packers deal he inked in 2022.
- The Dolphins signed James Daniels after an Achilles tear, and they do not have top interior backup Liam Eichenberg available yet. The versatile O-lineman is weeks away from returning from the active/PUP list, Mike McDaniel said (via Jackson). McDaniel confirmed this issue is “not a season-ender.” The Dolphins re-signed Eichenberg (one year, $2.25MM) after seeing Isaiah Wynn miss all of last season due to a 2023 injury. Wynn is no longer on the roster, but second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea is set to replace Eichenberg in Miami’s lineup.
- Good news for the Patriots, who have seen their new DC (Terrell Williams) return to work at camp. A spring health scare sidelined Williams, but the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi notes he is back ahead of his first year as a coordinator.
- Josh Myers did not see his four years of starter experience lead to a noteworthy free agency deal, reminding of Teven Jenkins‘ market. The four-year Packers center starter, who received just $2MM from the Jets, did say (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) the team informed him upon signing he would move into a center competition with incumbent Joe Tippmann. We heard during OTAs the Jets would put Tippmann — a 2023 second-round pick — in a position battle with Myers, and it is ongoing. Both players are ex-second-round picks, though Myers’ 56 starts better Tippmann’s 31. Pro Football Focus ranked Tippmann eighth last season, slotting Myers in 38th among centers. Two years remain on Tippmann’s rookie deal.
- Vince Carter does not intend for his Bills ownership stake to bring a silent partnership role. “I’ve sat with the GM, president, owner, the big boss,” Carter said, via the Daytona News-Journal’s Chris Vinel. “I’ve sat with everybody, and we’ve had conversations, and I just listen and learn. I don’t just want to have a name on it. I want to be involved.” While Carter is unlikely to represent the Bills at any owners meetings, he is one of many to take advantage of the NFL loosening restraints on private equity ownership recently.
Bills CB Maxwell Hairston Avoids ACL Tear
Maxwell Hairston went down with a noncontact knee injury during Tuesday’s Bills practice. Fears of an ACL tear turned out to be overblown.
The first-round cornerback’s ACL is intact, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report the Kentucky product suffered an LCL sprain. Hairston is expected to be out for at least a few weeks, but the Bills avoided the worst-case scenario here.
Buffalo views Hairston as likely to be ready for Week 1, Schultz adds. This is a break for the Bills, who based their offseason cornerback plan on Hairston. The team did not re-sign Rasul Douglas and authorized a Christian Benford extension — one that soon became paired with Hairston’s rookie contract. The team also traded Kaiir Elam, who had not panned out as a 2022 first-round choice.
Douglas remains a free agent, not signing with the Dolphins despite multiple instances of reported negotiations emerging. Miami has since signed Jack Jones and Mike Hilton. Douglas remaining available represents an interesting option for the Bills, but if Hairston is to be back by Week 1 or shortly before that point, they may opt to stick with their current depth chart. The team also brought back Tre’Davious White and Dane Jackson this offseason.
The knee injury comes after the Bills received word of a civil suit alleging Hairston sexually assaulted a woman as a freshman at Kentucky. Hairston, 22 next week, denied the allegation.
“This is something I’ve been dealing with since I was 17,” Hairston said, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “It’s been four years now, and I went through this whole process with the police, they went through a thorough investigation, and I was exonerated from that. The University of Kentucky did a thorough investigation, I was exonerated from that as well. And I volunteered to do multiple polygraphs because I was determined to get my truth out there, because I had nothing to hide. I was an open book.
“The Bills have been by my side from the start because they did their own thorough investigation. The people that know the truth know, and those are the people I’m sticking by and they’re sticking by me.”
Brandon Beane previously suggested the Bills conducted thorough research on this matter, indicating he believed the cornerback was falsely accused of this crime. In the suit, the unnamed woman accuses Hairston of sexually assaulting her in her dorm room on March 25, 2021. The suit alleges Hairston removed the woman’s pajamas, after she had indicated she was tired and uninterested in sexual intercourse, and assaulted her. The woman filed a police report at the time, according to Bardahl and Graham, and went through a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner exam at a hospital.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/25
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Keni-H Lovely
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from non-football injury list: LB Jake Hummel
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Deon Cain
- Waived: CB Daryl Porter Jr.
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from active/NFI list: DT Bobby Brown, P Sam Martin
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Toa Taua
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Nick Whiteside
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from active/NFI list: OL Elgton Jenkins
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Josh Tupou
- Placed on IR: OT Jack Wilson
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: RB Nate Noel
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from active/PUP list: LB Chaz Chambliss
New England Patriots
- Activated from active/NFI list: S Josh Minkins
New Orleans Saints
- Released: OT Josh Ball
New York Jets
- Placed on reserve/retired list: RB Zach Evans
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: WR Quintez Cephus
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Donovan Kaufman
- Placed on IR: RB Kenny McIntosh (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Ramel Keyton
Jenkins, who switched to center this offseason, was dealing with a back injury in training camp and participated in a limited capacity on Monday, per USA Today’s Ryan Wood.
Evans, a sixth-round pick by the Rams in 2023, played in 10 games as a rookie but didn’t make the 53-man roster in 2024. He joined the Jets’ practice squad in December and signed a reserve/futures contract in January, but opted to retire instead.