Packers Trade Reggie Gilbert To Titans
We’ve got another minor trade for you. This time, it’s the Packers sending outside linebacker Reggie Gilbert to the Titans in exchange for a seventh-round pick, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Gilbert entered the league as an undrafted free agent back in 2016, and he’s been in Green Bay ever since. Gilbert spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad, and then managed to get on the active roster for a bit in 2017. He was finally able to carve out a real role last season, when he appeared in all 16 games.
Playing in a rotational role, Gilbert racked up 38 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two passes defended. All told he ended up playing over 45 percent of the defensive snaps, so he was more than just a bit contributor. The Arizona product will be a free agent after the season. The Titans could use some pass-rushing depth, so their interest makes some sense.
It’s not a coincidence that all these minor trades are starting to take place. It’s a way for teams to circumvent the waiver process and add depth before roster cutdowns by giving up late-round picks. These type of moves will continue to happen more and more as we get closer to cutdown day.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/19
We’ll keep track of today’s roster shuffling here as teams gear up for major cuts at the end of the week:
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: DE Mike Love
- Waived: P Corey Carter
- Waived from IR: OL De’Ondre Wesley
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LS Andrew DePaola
- Placed on IR: DT Destiny Vaeao
Chicago Bears
- Claimed off waivers: OL Tommy Doles
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB James Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Jackson Porter
- Waived (failed physical): LB Nicholas Grigsby
Houston Texans
- Waived: DB Deante Burton, DB Derrick Jones
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from injured reserve: RB Roc Thomas
New England Patriots
- Waived from injured reserve: WR Maurice Harris
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OT Riley Mayfield
- Placed on IR: WR Charles Johnson
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: TE Cole Wick
- Waive/injured: OLB Josh Smith
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Will Holden, DE Logan Tago
- Waived: DT Jay-Tee Tiuli
Packers DT Kenny Clark Hires Doug Hendrickson
As he gears up for what promises to be a highly-lucrative contract extension, Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark has hired veteran NFL agent Doug Hendrickson, as Liz Mullen of SportsBusinessJournal.com reports (via Twitter). Clark will be represented by Hendrickson and his Wasserman colleague, CJ LaBoy.
Green Bay exercised Clark’s fifth-year option a few months ago, so they have him under club control through the 2020 campaign. However, the 2016 first-rounder has established himself as a very good interior defender, and Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, echoing reports we heard earlier this year, suggests that player and team could work out a long-term deal before Clark becomes a free agent (Twitter link).
Last year, the 23-year-old (24 in October) put up a career-high six sacks and matched his 2017 tackles total with 55. Unfortunately, his season was halted by an elbow injury in December, but he was Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 ranked interior lineman in the NFL when he was placed on IR. GM Brian Gutekunst recently called Clark a “dominant player,” and he will be paid accordingly.
Currently, Lions DT Damon Harrison is pacing the 3-4 defensive tackle market with an average annual value of $11.25MM, but Clark’s play thus far suggests that he offers more as a pass rusher than Snacks. Excluding Jets rookie Quinnen Williams, who received a fully-guaranteed pact as a result of his status as the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, the $25MM in guaranteed money that the Bears gave to Eddie Goldman last September is currently the highest guaranteed payout for a 3-4 DT.
Another season like his 2018 campaign would likely allow Clark to top Harrison’s AAV and Goldman’s guarantees. It would not be surprising to see him land a contract paying him $12-13MM per year with $35MM or so in guaranteed money.
LB Oren Burks Shouldn't Miss Extended Time
- Packers starting linebacker Oren Burks isn’t expected to miss an extended amount of time due to a pec injury, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The 24-year-old won’t require surgery and should be back this season, and there’s even optimism that he’ll be able to avoid the injured reserve. The 2018 third-rounder had 23 tackles during his rookie campaign.
[SOURCE LINK]
Packers Waive Mike Tyson
The Packers have waived safety Mike Tyson, according to a team announcement. To take his place, the club signed cornerback Jackson Porter.
The Packers claimed Tyson off waivers earlier this offseason when he was dropped by the Texans. After originally entering the league as a 2017 sixth-round pick of the Seahawks, Tyson appeared in ten contests for Houston in 2018.
Porter, meanwhile, is still looking for his first taste of NFL action. The UMass product amassed 84 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and two interceptions over 42 games with the Minutemen, but was unsuccessful in his bid to make the Ravens as a UDFA last year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/25/19
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: LB Hayes Pullard
- Placed on IR: S Josh Shaw
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: K Elliott Fry
- Waived: LB Nicholas Grigsby
Buffalo Bills
- Released with an injury settlement: OL Garrett McGhin
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers from Ravens: LB Nicholas Grigsby
- Signed: LB James Folston, CB Jocquez Kalili
Houston Texans
- Signed: OT Christian DiLauro
Packers To Cut S Josh Jones
The Packers will be cutting safety Josh Jones today, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Jones skipped the club’s OTAs in the spring with the hope of forcing a trade, and his wish to get out of Green Bay has finally been granted.
The Packers selected Jones in the second round of the 2017 draft, and he has started 12 games over his first two years in the league. He seemed to take a step back during his sophomore season, finishing with 55 tackles, one sack, and two passes defensed in 13 games (five starts) in 2018. Pro Football Focus ended up ranking Jones 70th among 93 eligible safeties.
Green Bay invested heavily in the safety position this offseason, as the team inked former Bears safety Adrian Amos to a four-year, $36MM deal in free agency and later traded up in the first round to select Maryland safety Darnell Savage Jr.. As Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes, Amos and Savage are expected to serve as the Packers’ starting safeties in 2019, and former UDFA Raven Greene has worked ahead of Jones both at safety and at inside linebacker in sub-packages during training camp.
Demovsky also notes that Jones has not practiced in nearly two weeks because of an undisclosed illness, and he got kicked out of practice on July 31 for a hit and a fight during a non-tackling period. Plus, even though the Packers traded Ha Ha Clinton-Dix halfway though last season, Jones was not elevated into the starting lineup until rookie Kentrell Brice suffered an ankle injury in Week 10.
Clearly, Jones’ stock had plummeted in Green Bay, though he should catch on with another club fairly quickly given his youth and draft pedigree.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/19
Today’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Released: RB Darrin Hall
Houston Texans
- Released from IR with injury settlement: CB Jermaine Kelly
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: QB Vincent Testaverde
- Waived/Injured: OLB Kahzin Daniels
Packers LB Rashan Gary Carted Off Field
- Packers linebacker Rashan Gary was carted off the field during Thursday night’s loss to the Raiders. Fortunately, it sounds like the 21-year-old is doing alright. RG Sports Agency tweets that Gary is “fine and doing well.” The rookie had suffered a lower-body injury early in the game, and he was later carted off the field after taking a hit to the head and neck area. The Michigan product was the 12th-overall pick in this past year’s draft.
[SOURCE LINK]
Equanimeous St. Brown To Miss Time
The Packers will be without Equanimeous St. Brown to start the season. The wide receiver has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain that will keep him out of action for 5-6 weeks, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
Initially, it seemed like things would be much worse for the rising NFL sophomore. St. Brown, 23 in September, was hit hard up top after catching a slant pass in the second quarter of the Packers’ preseason game against the Raiders. As he went down, his left ankle contorted in an unnatural direction and he had to be carted off of the field. All things considered, St. Brown is likely relieved by the diagnosis and outcome.
If St. Brown is out for a full six weeks, he’ll be sidelined for regular season games against the Bears, Vikings, Broncos, Eagles, and Cowboys. Of course, he’ll also be held out of the team’s preseason finale against the Chiefs on Thursday.
St. Brown, taken in the sixth round of last year’s draft, finished out his rookie season with 21 catches for 328 yards across 12 games.