Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/21
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Jackson Carman
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: CB Corey Ballentine
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Malik Taylor
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: LB Justin Hilliard
Washington Football Team
- Placed on IR: LB Jared Norris
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/21
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: S James Wiggins
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Jaylon Ferguson
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return: G Pat Elflein
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: OLB Sam Kamara, RB Ryan Nall
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated for return: DE Khalid Kareem
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: CB Kelvin Joseph, TE Sean McKeon
Detroit Lions
- Designated for return: T Taylor Decker, DT Kevin Strong
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- Designated for return: TE Dominique Dafney
Houston Texans
- Designated for return: WR Danny Amendola, WR Nico Collins
Indianapolis Colts
- Designated for return: LB Jordan Glasgow
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Jahlani Tavai
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: TE Deon Yelder
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return: S Amani Hooker
Washington Football Team
- Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: CB Corn Elder
- Placed on IR: CB Darryl Roberts
Panthers, Washington Pursued Jaylon Smith
The Packers ended up winning the quickly developing recruiting battle for Jaylon Smith, but they fended off multiple NFC suitors to do so. Both Carolina and Washington were in the mix for the longtime starter last week, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes.
With the Cowboys still on the hook for Smith’s $7.2MM base salary this season, the Packers landed the sixth-year defender for the league minimum. This amount to a recruiting competition instead of a bidding war, but Schefter adds Smith was interested in joining both the Panthers and Washington.
Smith’s relationship with Packers HC Matt LaFleur mattered here. Despite LaFleur coaching Notre Dame’s quarterbacks for just one season (2014, when Smith was a sophomore), Schefter notes he and Smith have kept in touch throughout Smith’s career and the relationship moved the needle. Smith did not suit up for Green Bay’s Week 5 game in Cincinnati, marking his first absence since Week 17 of his injury-redshirt rookie season, but will obviously be on track to contribute soon.
The Panthers have been busy on the trade front already, acquiring corners Stephon Gilmore and C.J. Henderson. They are looking for offensive linemen as well. Carolina moved Jermaine Carter into a three-down role alongside Shaq Thompson at this season’s outset. Washington used a first-round pick on Jamin Davis this year. He has played a part-time role thus far, with Cole Holcomb serving as a three-down ‘backer for the struggling WFT defense. The Cowboys had used Smith as a three-down player for years, but they reduced his snaps this season after making key offseason additions at the position.
CB Quinton Dunbar Joining Packers PS
With Jaire Alexander sitting on injured reserve, the Packers have brought in some reinforcement at cornerback. Green Bay is signing cornerback Quinton Dunbar, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). Matt Schneidman of The Athletic tweets that Dunbar will be joining the Packers’ practice squad.
[RELATED: Packers Place CB Jaire Alexander On IR]
Dunbar joined the Cardinals practice squad late last month, but the team cut him only a week later. Prior to that, the defensive back had spent the offseason with the Lions and later got a workout with the Bills. Now, he’ll be getting his third contract of the league year from Green Bay.
Two years ago, Dunbar broke out with Washington via a four-interception season that ended with the former UDFA allowing just a 61.2 passer rating while targeted. Washington’s new regime traded Dunbar to Seattle in 2020, and an injury ended a less successful season after six games. The six-year veteran will now look to bounce back in Green Bay.
Alexander suffered a shoulder injury during the second half of the Packers’ Week 4 win, leading to his placement on IR. Green Bay will continue leaning on first-round pick Eric Stokes and the recently re-signed Kevin King at corner, but Dunbar could eventually insert himself into that mix.
Packers Place CB Jaire Alexander On IR
Already down their top pass rusher, the Packers will play without their top cover man for a while. Green Bay placed Jaire Alexander on IR Saturday, shelving the Pro Bowl cornerback for at least the next three games.
Alexander suffered a shoulder injury during the second half of the Packers’ Week 4 win. His absence will deal the Green Bay defense a considerable blow, especially considering Za’Darius Smith is expected to be out until at least late in the regular season.
The Packers’ plan, per HC Matt LaFleur, is for Alexander to avoid surgery at all costs, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears that an official decision will be made in that regard over the next two weeks as doctors evaluate how the shoulder is healing. If surgery is required, that would likely bring an end to Alexander’s 2021 season.
While Green Bay has Preston Smith and Rashan Gary at the edge-rushing spots, the team is a bit less equipped to withstand a prolonged Alexander absence. The Packers will lean on first-round pick Eric Stokes and the recently re-signed Kevin King at corner. They explored a Stephon Gilmore trade but saw their salary cap situation intervene. The Panthers acquired the former Defensive Player of the Year instead.
The team also activated defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster from its reserve/COVID-19 list and elevated wideout Equanimeous St. Brown and guard Ben Braden from its practice squad.
Latest On Packers, Jaylon Smith
How’s this for a bargain? Linebacker Jaylon Smith will collect just $770K from the Packers this year (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
[RELATED: Packers Sign Jaylon Smith]
Of course, Smith will still collect $7.2MMM in salary from the Cowboys. Before his release, the Cowboys asked Smith to waive his injury guarantee for 2022 (Twitter link via Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). He declined, prompting the Cowboys to cut him loose.
It all worked out for Smith, who figures to see a larger role with another NFC contender and some additional coin. And, with a strong year, he’ll see a huge payday in March. Smith, still just 26, was a Pro Bowler just two years ago. That year, he racked up 154 tackles, good for the second-highest total in the league. Meanwhile, the advanced metrics are still high on his work — Pro Football Focus ranks him as a top-15 linebacker at the one-quarter mark.
It’s a strong pickup for Green Bay, especially after they missed out on Stephon Gilmore. The cornerback was set to reach free agency on Wednesday morning, but the Patriots traded him to the Panthers instead. Trading for Gilmore would have meant taking on $5.8MM in base salary this year; Smith comes at a fraction of the price. He also figures to thrive under the tutelage of Matt LaFleur, who coached him at Notre Dame.
“Nothing’s official yet, but I go back a long time with Jaylon,” said LaFleur (via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky). “I’ve always had a lot of respect for him, not only as a football player but as a man. He was one of my favorites when I was at Notre Dame. I just think a veteran guy who’s played at a really high level and just can bring kind of a mentality and leadership to our defense.”
Packers To Place Chauncey Rivers On IR
Packers edge rusher Chauncey Rivers suffered a non-contact knee injury that will force him to the injured reserve list (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The injury may or may not be a season-ender, but he’ll be out for a good while either way. And, by placing him on IR, they’ll make room for newly-signed linebacker Jaylon Smith. 
[RELATED: Packers To Sign Jaylon Smith]
Rivers, 24, spent much of the offseason with the Ravens before getting cut in August. The Packers pounced quickly, picking him up off the waiver wire. Rivers stuck in Green Bay as a reserve, saw time in all four games, and recorded two tackles. To date, the UDFA out of Georgia and Mississippi State has five NFL appearances to his credit.
It’s likely an ACL tear for Rivers, which would automatically rule him out for the season. Even with Smith, the Packers may look to reshuffle their depth chart in order to replace Rivers’ special teams work. In the first quarter of the year, Smith played on 44 special teams snaps, in addition to 54 on D.
Packers To Sign Jaylon Smith
Jaylon Smith wasn’t out of work for long. Days after his release from the Cowboys, the linebacker has agreed to a one-year deal with the Packers (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 
Terms of the contract are not yet known, but it’s likely a low-cost deal since the Cowboys are still on the hook for Smith’s $7.2MM base salary.
Smith, a former second-round pick, was slowly being displaced by rookies Micah Parsons and Jabril Cox, as well as Keanu Neal this year. But, before that, he was a shining star for Dallas. Smith made the Pro Bowl in 2019, and his 154 tackles last season finished behind only the Texans’ Zach Cunningham. And, through four games this year, Pro Football Focus has him slotted as a top-15 linebacker.
The Notre Dame product figures to play a key role in Green Bay’s defense, alongside fellow 2016 draftee De’Vondre Campbell. As of this writing, the Packers’ ranks 25th in yards allowed per game and 16th in points allowed. Smith will try and help the cause starting Sunday when the Packers face the Bengals.
Packers Explored Stephon Gilmore Trade
When it became known the Patriots were moving on from Stephon Gilmore, reports linked the All-Pro cornerback to the Packers. However, the Panthers instead made the move to land him.
The Packers did try to acquire Gilmore, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, who notes the team explored ways to add his contract. Gilmore’s expiring deal has $5.8MM remaining this season; the Packers have just more than $7MM in cap space.
While the team could have afforded Gilmore, it would have been up against the cap. The Packers made contact with the Patriots once their desire to move on became known, per Demovsky, who adds the 10th-year corner wanted a monster extension to go with any trade. Considering how little the Patriots received for Gilmore without the extension requirement, this demand was quickly dropped. Gilmore, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, wanted to play for the Packers (video link via 98.5 The Sports Hub). But he ended up in Carolina, which has now acquired Gilmore and 2020 first-round corner C.J. Henderson.
Green Bay did make a move at corner Wednesday, signing Rasul Douglas off Arizona’s practice squad. The Packers have Jaire Alexander expected to miss at least Week 5, and it sounds like a longer absence is in play. Matt LaFleur said the team will try to avoid its top corner undergoing surgery “at all costs,” via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter), but it remains to be seen when Alexander will be ready to return. Alexander suffered a shoulder injury late in the Packers’ Week 4 win over the Steelers. Shoulder surgery likely would end Alexander’s season and deal a huge blow to Green Bay’s Super Bowl aspirations.
With Alexander down and Gilmore now on the Panthers’ PUP list, Green Bay does have some depth on which to lean. The Pack drafted Eric Stokes in Round 1 and re-signed Kevin King. The team traded Josh Jackson straight up for Isaac Yiadom this summer and drafted Shemar Jean-Charles in the fifth round. Fourth-year defender Chandon Sullivan, however, saw his workload boosted after Alexander’s injury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/6/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Darrell Daniels
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated for return: S Ricardo Allen
Cleveland Browns
- Designated for return: LB Anthony Walker
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: K Austin Seibert
Green Bay Packers
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: CB Rasul Douglas
Houston Texans
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Zach Cunningham
- Designated to return: LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
- Signed off Browns’ practice squad: WR Davion Davis
Miami Dolphins
- Designated for return: DT Raekwon Davis
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: DL Henry Anderson (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: RB Tony Jones Jr.
New York Jets
- Designated for return: LB Blake Cashman