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Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/23

December 16th, 2023 at 9:09pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday elevations for the Sunday slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Wilkinson returned to practice this week, and will be eligible to return to the lineup on Sunday given today’s activation. The addition of a starter up front will be welcomed by the Cardinals by giving them stability at the left guard spot in particular and by providing an upgrade in protection ahead of a matchup against the stout 49ers defensive front in general. The Cardinals now have four IR activations remaining.

Street was acquired from the Eagles at the trade deadline after he failed to find playing time this season. The 27-year-old has started all five of his appearances in Atlanta, however, racking up 14 tackles (including four for a loss) and one sack. Those numbers will help his free agent market this offseason, but a pectoral injury will sideline him for at least four weeks. If the Falcons fall short of the postseason, therefore, Street will not return in 2023.

McCain was a full-time starter with the Commanders over the past two seasons, but his release led to a one-year Giants agreement. The former fifth-rounder has 87 starts to his name, but he has been unable to carve out a role in New York’s secondary, playing only 19 defensive snaps. McCain has logged a 50% snap share on special teams, however, so his absence in the third phase will be notable if he is claimed off waivers or signed as a free agent by an interested team.

NFL Lifts Ban On Former Raiders, Cowboys LB Rolando McClain

December 13th, 2023 at 8:27pm CST by Ely Allen

For what it’s worth, free agent linebacker Rolando McClain is officially available to sign after spending a total of almost eight years under an indefinite suspension from the NFL. Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the former No. 8 overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft had his suspension lifted by the league today.

The former first-round pick showed a lot of promise coming out of Alabama a year early but saw his career derailed by a series of off-field incidents. These extracurricular activities, combined with an ineffectiveness on the field, led to the Raiders waiving him after the third year of his rookie deal. The Ravens signed him on a low-risk, high-reward one-year contract, but McClain would announce his retirement before the season began at the age of 23.

He was coaxed out of retirement a year later, when the Cowboys opted to obtain his rights from the Ravens in a trade, and McClain seemingly had an opportunity to revamp his career as he became a leader in Dallas. He received a four-game suspension for substance abuse issues in 2015, but overall, McClain had a productive two years on the Cowboys defense. That suspension would serve as a harbinger, though, as the NFL would levy a 10-game suspension for the same issue in the 2016 offseason.

Before McClain’s suspension could end, he failed a midseason drug test, leading the NFL to make his suspension indefinite. Reports were made that McClain’s struggles with addiction made a return to the NFL nearly impossible. Three years after the initial suspension, McClain was conditionally reinstated by the NFL, just to be released by the Cowboys and put back on indefinite suspension three months later.

That final suspension is that one that is ending now, after nearly four additional years. The transaction is largely nominal, as McClain is now 34 years old and hasn’t played football at a professional level in over eight years. His return in 2016 was nearly impossible; a return now, is even further from reality. As far as the NFL is concerned, though, McClain no longer resides on the no-fly list.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

December 13th, 2023 at 2:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two different teams have held the No. 1 overall pick in consecutive years since 2017. Amid a radical rebuild effort, the Browns carried the top pick into the 2017 and ’18 drafts. The Jaguars did the same in 2021 and ’22. It is possible the Bears will follow that up in back-to-back years. The big difference here would be the Bears traded the 2023 top choice and may unload the 2024 top pick for another windfall, depending on their evaluation of Justin Fields.

The Bears and Panthers’ March trade, giving Carolina access to Bryce Young, has become a seminal moment for both teams. As it stands now, Chicago holds two top-five picks. The Panthers are 1-12, giving the Bears a two-game lead on the Patriots and Cardinals for the top slot with four games left. Chicago finishing with the first overall selection, providing access to the quarterback of its choice, would create a big-picture decision for a Bears team that already passed on the 2023 quarterback class to stick with Fields — a QB the Ryan Poles regime did not draft. North Carolina’s Drake Maye has declared for the draft, while USC’s Caleb Williams is widely expected to follow suit.

A new Cardinals regime is also evaluating its QB, though Kyler Murray‘s $46.1MM-per-year contract (which runs through 2028) will be much harder to escape compared to Fields’. This creates an interesting scenario that will have teams who do not land two-two draft slots monitoring how Chicago and Arizona proceed. The Patriots are widely expected to pursue a quarterback in the draft, and they are likely to do so without Bill Belichick.

With gridlock forming in the AFC and NFC wild-card races, considerable movement will take place over the next month. The winner of the NFC South will likely lose several spots in the ’24 draft, as the Buccaneers did this year by winning the ’22 division title at 8-9. Here is how the draft order looks going into Week 15:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. New England Patriots: 3-10
  3. Arizona Cardinals: 3-10
  4. Washington Commanders: 4-9
  5. Chicago Bears: 5-8
  6. Las Vegas Raiders: 5-8
  7. New York Jets: 5-8
  8. New York Giants: 5-8
  9. Tennessee Titans: 5-8
  10. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-8
  11. Atlanta Falcons: 6-7
  12. New Orleans Saints: 6-7
  13. Seattle Seahawks: 6-7
  14. Los Angeles Rams: 6-7
  15. Denver Broncos: 7-6
  16. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  17. Buffalo Bills: 7-6
  18. Cincinnati Bengals: 7-6
  19. Green Bay Packers: 6-7
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-7
  21. Indianapolis Colts: 7-6
  22. Minnesota Vikings: 7-6
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-6
  24. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: 8-5
  26. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-5
  27. Detroit Lions: 9-4
  28. Philadelphia Eagles: 10-3
  29. Miami Dolphins: 9-4
  30. Dallas Cowboys: 10-3
  31. San Francisco 49ers: 10-3
  32. Baltimore Ravens: 10-3

Ravens To Move Devin Duvernay To IR, Sign Malik Cunningham Off Pats’ Practice Squad

December 12th, 2023 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots have regularly passed quarterbacks through waivers to their practice squad this season, but they will bid farewell to one of those arms. Rather than sign Malik Cunningham to their active roster once again, the Pats will let him head elsewhere.

Cunningham will trek to Baltimore; the Ravens are signing the rookie UDFA to their 53-man roster, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. This will mark a reunion for Cunningham and Lamar Jackson. Despite the superstar QB being in his sixth NFL season, he and Cunningham were teammates at Louisville in 2017. Cunningham, who was at the ACC school for six years, redshirted during the ’17 slate.

As the Ravens add a quarterback, they will lose a wide receiver. Devin Duvernay sustained a back injury in Week 14, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the former All-Pro return man will head to IR. Though, Rapoport adds the fourth-year wideout will not require surgery and is expected to be ready to return in the playoffs. Duvernay will be eligible for activation to start Baltimore’s playoff journey, whenever that point comes. But he is done for the regular season.

Emerging as an intriguing gadget-type player during the preseason in New England, Cunningham did not make the Pats’ 53-man roster out of training camp. The team took a chance on exposing Cunningham to waivers on cutdown day, waiving both he and Bailey Zappe. Cunningham indeed passed through waivers and stayed in Foxborough on the Pats’ practice squad.

Cunningham will join a Ravens team that has used a Jackson-Tyler Huntley QB depth chart for the past three seasons. The team now has four QBs on its active roster, with journeyman extraordinaire Josh Johnson still with the team. This could point to a versatile role for Cunningham, for whom the Patriots had designed special packages this season. Even as the Pats moved from Mac Jones to Zappe and designed a package of plays for Cunningham recently, the athletic rookie has played only six regular-season snaps — all against the Raiders in Week 6.

This move will ensure Cunningham stays on Baltimore’s active roster for at least three weeks, though Schefter adds it could be a play for next season as well. Given an original-round RFA tender this offseason, Huntley will be a UFA in 2024. Cunningham, 25, can be kept through the 2026 season before he hits unrestricted free agency. Though, it remains to be seen if the ex-Louisville star will pan out as a QB2 option.

A thinner Ravens wide receiver depth chart last year required regular Duvernay contributions, but Baltimore reloaded at the position this offseason. The team signed Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr. and drafted Zay Flowers in Round 1. With Rashod Bateman recovering from his 2022 foot injury, the Ravens have a solid top four at receiver. Tylan Wallace also became a memorable fill-in for Duvernay at punt returner, notching only the fourth overtime punt-return walk-off in NFL history.

While Duvernay caught 37 passes for a career-high 407 yards last season, he exited Week 14 with just four grabs for 18 yards. The former third-round pick had operated as Baltimore’s primary kick- and punt-return option this season. Duvernay, who is set for free agency in 2024, also finished last season on IR (due to a foot injury).

Additionally, the Ravens will use one of their IR activations on cornerback Damarion Williams, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes. The 2022 fourth-rounder played in 14 games as a backup last season but suffered an ankle injury this summer. The Ravens had expected Williams back around October. Regardless of the delay, the Houston alum will be in position to contribute. Williams will fill Mark Andrews‘ roster spot. The Ravens now have four IR activations remaining.

Ravens S Kyle Hamilton Suffers MCL Sprain

December 12th, 2023 at 8:52am CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens’ secondary was shorthanded by the end of the team’s overtime win in Week 14. Safety Kyle Hamilton exited the contest due to a knee injury, and he could miss further time as well.

An MRI revealed a Grade 1 MCL sprain, as first reported by Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. That outcome means the worst-case scenario has been avoided, a positive sign for the 2022 first-rounder. Hamilton has been enjoying a breakout season in 2023, establishing himself as an integral part of Baltimore’s defense. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that Hamilton is considered week to week at this point.

When speaking on the subject, head coach John Harbaugh – who is known for having an optimistic outlook on recovery timelines – said Hamilton is day to day (video link). While the 22-year-old’s Week 15 availability will be worth watching as the week progresses, it would come as a surprise if he were to miss signficant time. That will be welcomed news for the AFC leaders given Hamilton’s versatility and production this season.

The Notre Dame product has logged triple-digit snaps at both safety positions in 2023, in part due to the time missed early in the campaign by Marcus Williams. With the latter back in the fold, however, Hamilton has increasingly been used as a slot corner. It is there that he has been used most frequently, and his flexibility has produced a noteworthy statline to date. Hamilton has totaled 69 tackles, three sacks, nine pass deflections and a pair of interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown) to date.

Those totals have produced a PFF grade of 81.5, which ranks seventh amongst safeties. Missing Hamilton for any game action down the stretch would thus deal a notable blow to the Ravens’ defense, a unit which has posted top-five totals in a number of categories this season. Both Williams and Geno Stone would be leaned on heavily on the backend in the event Hamilton were to miss Week 15.

NFL Injury Roundup: Jefferson, Herbert, Hamilton

December 10th, 2023 at 6:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Justin Jefferson‘s return from injured reserve may not last long. In Jefferson’s first game back from the IR-stint caused by a nagging hamstring injury, the Vikings wide receiver was knocked out of the game early with a separate injury.

While cutting across the middle of the field on a deep slant, Jefferson leapt up, arms extended, in an attempt to grab a high pass from quarterback Joshua Dobbs. While Jefferson was fully exposed in the process of the catch, Raiders safety Marcus Epps delivered a big shot to Jefferson’s rib cage from the side.

It didn’t take long for the team to rule Jefferson out for the remainder of the game with a chest injury. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Minnesota decided to transport Jefferson to a local hospital in Las Vegas. While perhaps not indicative of the worst-case scenario, the Vikings are likely just acting out of an abundance of caution.

At 6-6, the Vikings are one of a handful of NFC teams on the boundary of playoff contention, even without Jefferson for the last eight weeks. If Jefferson’s chest injury is not too painful to overcome, he would be a great asset in a playoff push to close the season.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:

  • The Chargers are facing an uphill battle in their attempts to remain in playoff contention. Things won’t get any easier as starting quarterback Justin Herbert was ruled out of today’s game with a finger injury, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With Herbert out, backup quarterback Easton Stick has entered the game for his first game action since the 2020 season. Since starting in place of an injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 2 of his rookie season, Herbert has not missed a single start in his career. If Herbert’s finger keeps him out for more than a few days, with Los Angeles facing a short week, Stick could see his first ever NFL start in Vegas this Thursday.
  • Ravens do-it-all safety Kyle Hamilton was forced to leave today’s overtime win over the Rams with a knee injury. He had sat out a couple of plays after initially tweaking his knee before returning to the field of play earlier in the game. A few drives later, he would not return and was ruled out for the rest of the game. According to Schefter, the plan is for Hamilton to undergo an MRI scan tomorrow in order to determine the extent of the injury. Baltimore is set up well with Marcus Williams and Geno Stone at safety, but Hamilton lines up in so many places on the defense that he would be virtually impossible to replace with a single player if he’s forced to miss any time.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/9/23

December 9th, 2023 at 5:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves and callups heading into the Week 14 slate of Sunday games:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There was some thought that Ammendola’s stint with the Texans had come to an end after four appearances. However, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes that regular starting kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn still isn’t ready to return from his strained quadriceps, requiring the practice squad kicker to step in for at least another week. Ammendola has connected on six of his nine field goal attempts and all 10 of his XP tries this season.

With Trevor Lawrence a game-time decision for Sunday’s game, the Jaguars are adding some QB depth to the active roster. Rourke is a former CFL standout, with the quarterback earning the CFL Most Outstanding Canadian award in 2022. Following that breakout, 25-touchdown campaign, Rourke got a look from a number of NFL teams and ultimately signed a three-year deal with the Jaguars this past offseason. He was waived at the end of the preseason and has spent the majority of the season on Jacksonville’s practice squad. Per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, the rookie will be the emergency QB3 for Week 14.

Similarly, the Seahawks will call up Mannion and O’Connell as they deal with injuries to starting quarterback Geno Smith and linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Smith is questionable heading into tomorrow’s game with a groin injury.

Stewart is back on the Colts active roster after having served a six-game ban for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Through six games this season, the veteran has compiled 20 tackles, two stops for a loss, and five QB hits.

Crosby is set to make his 2023 debut and make an appearance for a team other than the Packers for the first time since the 39-year-old was drafted back in 2007.

Schweitzer head right back to injured reserve after being activated last week. The Jets signed a lineman to the active roster from the practice squad and elevated one for tomorrow’s game to add some depth at the position.

LB Josh Bynes Retires

December 8th, 2023 at 9:44am CST by Adam La Rose

Josh Bynes‘ NFL career will not extend to a 13th season. The veteran linebacker revealed on Friday that he has retired as a member of the Ravens, the team with which he spent much of his career.

Bynes entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, finding his first regular opportunity with Baltimore. He established himself as a rotational member of the team’s defense and a key special teams contributor in 2012, something which became evident in the postseason. Bynes made the final tackle in Super Bowl XLVII, a play which earned him his lone championship and helped put him on the radar of other teams.

The Auburn alum spent three seasons with Detroit from 2014-16, starting 19 of his 38 games in the Motor City. He then joined the Cardinals on the most lucrative pact of his career (three years, $5.58MM). Bynes served as a full-time starter in his second and final Arizona season before returning to the Ravens in 2019. His play his second Baltimore stint earned him a deal with the Bengals for the following season, during which he posted a career-high 99 tackles.

That campaign was followed by another return to the Ravens, where Bynes earned 19 combined starts across the 2021 and ’22 seasons. In all, he racked up 582 tackles, 8.5 sacks and five interceptions in 138 career games (82 starts). Now 34, Bynes will hang up his cleats with roughly $9.4MM in career earnings. As he turns his attention to the next chapter of his life, he indicated (via Ryan Mink of the Ravens’ team website) coaching could very well be in his future.

“The thing I’m most proud of is perseverance,” Bynes said when reflecting on his career. “I’ve been released, cut. I’ve been told I wasn’t good enough, not fast enough to play in the league, wouldn’t be in the league long at all even if I had the opportunity to play. I can show my peers that regardless of what anybody says, you can do anything. You just go out there and prove it every single day. I feel like I proved that for my entire 12 years.”

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/7/23

December 7th, 2023 at 7:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

As expected, Tyrion Davis-Price has landed back with the 49ers after getting cut by the big-league club earlier this week. The 2022 third-round pick has seen time in just one game for San Francisco this season, collecting 21 yards from scrimmage on six touches. He appeared in six games as a rookie, collecting 99 rushing yards. He’ll join Jeremy McNichols as the 49ers’ practice-squad options at RB.

Ravens’ Todd Monken, Mike Macdonald Expected To Draw HC Interest

December 7th, 2023 at 12:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens have not seen a coordinator leave for a head coaching job since 2015, when one-year offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak left for the Broncos. Kubiak was not on the radar anywhere else that offseason. Sitting 9-3 after its bye week, Baltimore may see multiple teams reach out to both its current coordinators about HC interviews in 2024.

John Harbaugh just assembled his Todd Monken–Mike Macdonald coordinator combo, though the latter arrived last year. Staffers surveyed around the league, however, expect the Ravens to see both end up on next year’s HC carousel, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes. A few execs went further, suggesting Harbaugh will need to hire two new coordinators next year.

Monken, 57, re-emerged from the college ranks this offseason, coming back to the NFL after helping Georgia win two national championships as OC. Although Lamar Jackson sits 13th in QBR, the Ravens have zoomed to 9-3 and withstood the J.K. Dobbins loss while seeing a few offensive linemen miss time. They will face a challenge moving forward, with Mark Andrews out of the equation — though, Harbaugh is not shutting down the notion the Pro Bowl tight end can come back deep into the playoffs — but the Monken hire has turned out well in Year 1.

Although Monken had been off the NFL radar for a bit, he has previously interviewed for HC positions. The Jets and Packers interviewed Monken for their HC positions in 2019. Before Baltimore, Monken had served as OC with Tampa Bay and Cleveland. The Browns stint went poorly, with Freddie Kitchens becoming a one-and-done after being unready for an HC post, and Monken returned to the college game. After the Georgia success, Monken’s Ravens offense ranks fifth in DVOA and seventh in scoring. With offensive coaches holding the upper hand on their defensive counterparts in terms of HC rises, Monken stands to be a name to watch soon.

As the Ravens have shifted away — to a degree, at least — from Greg Roman run-oriented attack, they have taken steps forward on defense as well. Macdonald rejoined Baltimore’s staff last year, replacing Don Martindale after a one-season stint under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. The Ravens had previously groomed Macdonald, 36, by bringing him up through their coaching ranks. Macdonald was on Baltimore’s staff from 2014-20. He has not been in the mix for any HC posts previously, but that figures to change in 2024.

The Ravens’ defense leads the league in DVOA and scoring. They have gotten by with Marlon Humphrey missing six games. Last year’s Roquan Smith trade has proven tremendously beneficial, and the team has coaxed quality production from late free agency pickups Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy. Clowney did not sign until August 18, and the team did not add Van Noy until Sept. 26. Both have played key roles as edge rushers, combining for 13.5 sacks and 24 QB hits. Justin Madubuike is putting together a career year, leading the Ravens with 10 sacks and raising his free agency stock in the process.

Harbaugh’s 15 previous seasons in Baltimore have produced four coordinator-to-HC jumps, though Martindale and Roman both received interviews. Rex Ryan, who was in place as the Ravens’ DC before Harbaugh’s arrival, left for the Jets in 2009. His successor, Chuck Pagano, left for the Colts’ HC job in 2012. The Lions hired Ravens OC Jim Caldwell in 2014. Teams cannot begin interviewing candidates currently on NFL staffs until after the divisional round this year, marking a change from previous offseasons.

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