Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/19
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Cut: P Kasey Redfern
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Tremon Smith
- Cut: WR Darrius Shepherd, TE Evan Baylis
New England Patriots
- Cut: TE Eric Tomlinson
New Orleans Saints
- Cut: CB Ken Crawley
New York Jets
- Signed: LB B.J Bello, DB Arthur Maulet
- Placed on IR: LB Albert McClellan
Oakland Raiders
- Waived: LB Justin Phillips
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: G Jordan Roos
Jets Unlikely To Trade Robby Anderson
The Jets have discussed trades for several high-profile players, but it sounds like wide receiver Robby Anderson will be staying put. The Jets didn’t fetch any offers beyond a fourth-round pick, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (Twitter link via SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano). 
The Jets, meanwhile, have been asking for a second-round pick, per Vacchiano, who sensed that the Jets would have settled for a third-round choice. With that said – a fourth-round pick won’t be enough to pry away the troubled, but talented, receiver.
Anderson, 26, has 21 catches for 309 yards and one touchdown to his credit this season. That includes a 92-yard TD against the Cowboys, which stands as one of the Jets’ few shining moments of 2019.
Across four seasons, Anderson has averaged 14.7 yards per catch. His best year, statistically, came in 2017 when he posted a 63/941/7 line.
Anderson would have represented a decent WR2 and a very strong WR3 for other clubs, but, apparently, he wasn’t worth the price of a second or third-round pick for any team. Earlier this week, he was speculatively linked to the Raiders. He was also of interest to the Packers, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky (on Twitter).
Davante Adams Unlikely To Face Chiefs
- Davante Adams looks set to miss a fourth game due to the turf toe issue he’s encountered. The Packers declared their top wide receiver doubtful to face the Chiefs. Green Bay’s bye is not until Week 11. This continues to be a situation to monitor for one of the NFC favorites.
Patrick Mahomes Ruled Out Vs. Packers
Patrick Mahomes will not suit up on Sunday night against the Packers. Coach Andy Reid confirmed that Matt Moore will get the start in place of Mahomes.
There remains no timetable for the MVP to return to the field. While there were fears that he may miss the season, it appears that Mahomes will return to the lineup at some point over the next few weeks.
Moore completed 10-of-19 passes in relief of Mahomes last week for the Chiefs. He accumulated 117 passing yards. Kyle Shurmur is the back-up to Moore.
Trade Notes: Falcons, Bengals, Browns, Broncos, Jets, Redskins, Giants, Eagles, Bills, Packers
Teams continue to ask about Austin Hooper, whose 526 receiving yards sit 11th in the NFL entering Week 8. However, the Falcons have spurned suitors who’ve called about the emerging tight end, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Hooper is in a contract year, but the Falcons believe they have a chance to re-sign him. The Falcons, though, are the team doing the contacting regarding Vic Beasley. Atlanta is shopping its former All-Pro defensive end, who is playing out a $12.8MM fifth-year option. Pass rushers are obviously valuable, but with Beasley’s play having fallen off since that 2016 breakthrough, the return might not be what the Falcons seek.
Here is the latest from the trade market:
- The Redskins continue to respond with hard nos when asked about Trent Williams, but Breer adds Josh Norman‘s name has been floated around. With Norman having not lived up to the $15MM-AAV contract he signed in 2016, it would be hard to imagine the Redskins getting much value for the eighth-year cornerback.
- A cornerback performing better continues to look likelier to stay put. Chris Harris does not expect to be traded, and Troy Renck of Denver7 notes the Broncos are not as motivated to deal their four-time Pro Bowler as they were to ship out Emmanuel Sanders. A second-round pick would likely be necessary here, per Breer. Considering the Broncos’ issues finding corners as of late, dealing Harris would create a massive offseason need in Denver.
- The Bengals are 0-7, and A.J. Green continues to come up in trade rumors. But the old-school organization isn’t budging. Mike Brown has not signed off on a firesale, Breer adds, instead preferring to provide first-year HC Zac Taylor with a foundation. That project is not going well so far, with the veteran-laden team performing poorly. Cincinnati’s potential trade chips also include franchise sack leaders Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap. Neither appears to be a departure candidate. Tyler Eifert is a name Breer mentions could be dealt, but the tight end obviously has a significant injury history that would limit a return.
- As for the expensive New York corners, Janoris Jenkins has generated more interest than Trumaine Johnson. The Giants have shopped Jenkins around some, per Breer, while Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes it would require “a miracle” for a team to take Johnson’s salary off the Jets‘ payroll. Jenkins is signed through 2020, with $5.37MM remaining in 2019 salary.
- In addition to the Saints exploring receiver additions, the Bills, Eagles and Packers are as well, Breer notes. This could heat up the Robby Anderson market, but Breer adds Browns wideout Rashard Higgins has been discussed in advance of Tuesday’s deadline. The backup is in a contract year. However, Higgins has battled knee issues and has only played in one 2019 game.
- With Mark Andrews having outproduced Hayden Hurst, the Ravens have received calls on their 2018 top pick. As of now, however, Hurst is not believed to be available, per Breer.
2019 NFL Cap Space, By Team
With eight days to go before the 2019 trade deadline, here’s a look at the cap space possessed by each team, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter):
1. Colts: $43.5M
2. Browns: $32.9M
3. Dolphins: $28M
4. Bills: $24.7M
5. Cowboys: $24M
6. Titans: $23.7
7. Chiefs: $23.1M
8. Raiders: $22.4M
9. Eagles: $22.2M
10. Texans: $21.6M
11. Lions: $18.9M
12. Bears: $17M
13. 49ers: $14.4M
14. Panthers: $14.2M
15. Bengals: $13.6M
16. Redskins: $13.5M
17. Jaguars: $10.3M
18. Broncos: $10M
19. Packers: $9.5M
20. Seahawks: $7.8M
21. Buccaneers: $6.5M
22. Jets: $6.1M
23. Rams: $4.6M
24. Cardinals: $4.1M
25. Chargers: $4.1M
26. Steelers: $3.4M
27. Patriots: $2.5M
28. Giants: $2.2M
29. Ravens: $2.1M
30. Saints: $1.9M
31. Falcons: $1.7M
32. Vikings: $623K
Injury Updates: Packers, Adams, Cardinals
No surprise here, but Davante Adams will miss another game this week, per the Packers‘ final injury report. This marks the wide receiver’s third-straight missed contest as he rehabs from a toe ailment.
Adams had a strong start to the season with 25 receptions for 378 yards before going down and seemed on his way to matching last year’s 111/1,386 posting. The Packers were able to get past the Lions without him and they’ll aim to do the same against the Raiders.
Here’s the latest on other bumps and bruises from around the NFL:
- Uh oh – Cardinals running back David Johnson is dealing with a new injury. After tweaking his back against Atlanta, Johnson will be a game time decision thanks to a sore ankle, head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters.
- The Cowboys will have offensive tackles Tyron Smith and La’el Collins, wide receivers Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb, and cornerback Byron Jones are set to play on Sunday against the Eagles, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. All five are listed as questionable for the game, but they took the practice field and Friday and should be good to go.
- The Eagles, on the other hand, will try to fly without: linebacker Nigel Bradham (ankle), wide receiver DeSean Jackson (abdomen), defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan (foot), cornerback Avonte Maddox (concussion/neck), tackle Jason Peters (knee), and running back Darren Sproles (quadricep).
- Wide receiver Kenny Stills is set to return on Sunday against the Colts, per the club’s injury report.
NFL Players Returning From IR/PUP
Now that we’re approaching the midway point of the regular season, players on various injury lists are now able to begin to return to practice and, eventually, return to game action. Here’s the list of players coming back to practice this week while on injured reserve or physically unable to perform list, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets:
- Cardinals G Max Garcia (PUP)
- Packers S Ibraheim Campbell (PUP)
- Packers TE Jace Sternberger (IR)
- Dolphins DT Robert Nkemdiche (PUP)
- Dolphins CB Cordrea Tankersley (PUP)
- Eagles CB Jalen Mills (PUP)
- Seahawks DT Demarcus Christmas (PUP)
Players on the PUP list are only required to miss six weeks of the regular season, so every player listed above with the exception of Sternberger could technically be activated this weekend. Sternberger has officially been designated as one of Green Bay’s IR/return players, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Because he was originally placed on IR, Sternberger — a third-round rookie — will be absent for at least two more weeks.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/16/19
Today’s practice squad moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Tom Kennedy
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Damarea Crockett, CB Tremon Smith
- Cut: TE Ethan Wolf
Houston Texans
- Signed: OT Kyle Murphy
- Cut: C Marcus Henry
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Derrick Gore
- Cut: RB Detrez Newsome, OT Tyree St. Louis
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DB Jayson Stanley
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Frankie Luvu
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: C Keegan Render
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Deontay Burnett
- Cut: WR Malik Henry
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: C Anthony Fabiano, WR Ishmael Hyman, RB Aca’Cedric Ware
Washington Redskins
- Signed: RB Josh Ferguson
Packers Sign WR Ryan Grant
The Packers have signed veteran wide receiver Ryan Grant, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. To make room, they waived running back Tra Carson. 
Grant, 29 in December, caught just four passes for just 14 yards with Oakland this season. However, he snagged 35 passes for 334 yards with the Colts in 2018. The Raiders released Grant in late September and he worked out for the Patriots and Vikings before landing in Green Bay.
Carson, 27 next week, was promoted from the taxi squad just recently. He saw a grand total of six carries and rushed for just 14 yards with the Packers.
After edging out the Lions on Monday night, the Packers will face the Raiders – Grant’s former team – on Sunday afternoon.
