Minor NFL Transactions: 4/14/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Stephen Carlson, DT Sheldon Day
New York Giants
- Waived: DB Ryan Lewis
Steelers Re-Sign Joshua Dobbs
The Steelers have re-upped quarterback Josh Dobbs, per an announcement from his agent. The quarterback will return on a one-year deal, giving him a chance to backstop Ben Roethlisberger in 2021.
Dobbs, 26, spent the first two-plus seasons of his career with the Steelers, including a 2018 campaign where he completed six of his 12 pass attempts for 43 yards and one pick in five games. In the fall of 2019, he was shipped to the Jaguars for a 2020 fifth-rounder. At the time, he was a candidate to take over for injured Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles. Instead, Gardner Minshew ran away with the gig and turned in a surprisingly strong rookie season. Dobbs never got into a game with Jacksonville, but he did get to return to the Steelers as a waiver wire pickup last fall.
Despite having two stints with the Steelers over multiple seasons, Dobbs has only attempted a grand total of 17 passes in the NFL. His spot on the Week 1 roster is far from guaranteed, especially given the presence of Dwayne Haskins and Mason Rudolph.
Browns To Sign Jadeveon Clowney
The Browns have agreed to sign Jadeveon Clowney (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The defensive end will receive a one-year contract worth up to $10MM. The Browns have since confirmed the deal.
Clowney will start opposite of Myles Garrett, giving the Browns two former No. 1 overall picks at defensive end. f course, Clowney hasn’t put up the same kind of gaudy sack totals. He’s coming off of an eight-game, zero sack season that was shorted by knee trouble. He did, however, notch 19 tackles, four tackles for a loss, six quarterback hits, four passes defensed, and one forced fumble for the Titans. Also, the advanced metrics were still fond of his work. At the time of his season-ending injury, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 16th-best edge player in the league. PFF also gave him above-average marks in both run defense and pass coverage.
“We’re excited to add Jadeveon to our defensive line,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He’s a disruptive force that will help us against the run and the pass. We’ve been able to make some nice additions to our defense throughout free agency and we are looking forward to getting to work, so we can improve our team.”
Naturally, teams were concerned about Clowney’s injury history, but he has already passed his physical with the Browns. That’s a good sign for the summer to come, as Clowney will have ample time to gear up for September. He’ll join a handful of new faces on the Browns’ defense, including cornerback Troy Hill, linebacker Anthony Walker, and ex-Falcons first-rounder Takkarist McKinley, who should factor into the DE rotation.
“Jadeveon’s had a very productive career since 2014. We love his relentless style of play,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said. “He’s one of the more disruptive players in the game and we think he’s going to add an element of ruggedness along our defensive line and will pair nicely with many of the guys we have on the roster already. The other thing we love about Jadeveon is his versatility, his ability to play all across the front and impact the game regardless of his alignment.”
The three-time Pro Bowler averaged 8.2 sacks and two forced fumbles per season between 2016 and 2018. Unfortunately, he’s turned in only one full 16-game slate as a pro. He’ll have another opportunity to reassert himself in Cleveland, especially with opposing blockers putting the bulk of the attention on Garrett.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/13/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Ryan Becker
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: FB Mikey Daniel, DL Frank Herron, DE P.J. Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: TE Chase Harrell
Washington Football Team
- Claimed (from Texans): OL Beau Benzschawel
- Signed: TE Sammis Reyes
Buccaneers Re-Sign Ross Cockrell
The Bucs have agreed to re-sign Ross Cockrell, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter). The new two-year deal — now confirmed by the club — will keep the cornerback under club control through 2023.
Cockrell started the year on Tampa Bay’s practice squad before getting called up to the varsity squad. Between the regular season and the playoffs, he saw time in 16 total games, including two starts. He wasn’t slated for much playing time initially, but he came through for the team when Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean went down with injuries.
“[GM] Jason [Licht] did such a great job adding pieces as we went along – Rob [Gronkowski], Leonard [Fournette], Antonio [Brown] and other guys,” said Arians. “And Ross Cockrell has been one of the best pickups we’ve had the entire season.”
All in all, he registered eleven tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass defensed in Todd Bowles‘ system. His return provides the Bucs a fourth proven corner, plus crucial special teams help.
Cardinals Sign James Conner
That didn’t take long. One day after visiting the Cardinals, running back James Conner agreed to join Kyler Murray & Co. in Arizona (Twitter link via Jay Glazer of FOX Sports). The Cardinals have since confirmed the deal, making the one-year pact official.
Earlier today, we learned that Conner recently underwent surgery to fix a turf toe-type injury. That could help to explain why he was still on the board in mid-April. Fortunately, the injury wasn’t all that serious and Conner is expected to be fully cleared by June.
Conner made his mark in 2018, after emerging from Le’Veon Bell‘s shadow. That year, he rushed for 973 yards on the ground with 12 touchdowns, plus 55 catches for 497 yards. Then, in 2019, he was limited to just 464 yards on the ground and six games, thanks in part to knee and shoulder trouble.
This past year, he was on pace for a 1,000-yard season up until he tested positive for COVID-19 in November. Ultimately, he finished 2020 with 721 yards on the ground and six scores, plus 35 grabs for 215 yards.
The Steelers didn’t show much interest in a reunion, even though Conner always said that he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh for the long haul. Now, he’ll have an opportunity to play in warmer weather as he joins Chase Edmonds, Eno Benjamin, Jonathan Ward, and Khalfani Muhammad in the Cardinals’ running back group. With Conner towards the top, the Cardinals hope to replace the production of Kenyan Drake, who left in free agency to join the Raiders.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/12/21
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Waived: OL Beau Benzschawel, WR Steven Mitchell
New England Patriots
- Waived: DT Michael Barnett
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DL Abdullah Anderson
Julian Edelman Announces Retirement
Shortly after the Patriots released Julian Edelman, the accomplished wide receiver revealed he will not attempt to play for another team. The 12-year veteran announced his retirement Monday afternoon (video link).
The Pats cut Edelman with a failed-physical designation, doing so after he missed 10 games due to a knee injury last season. As recently as late February, Edelman wanted to play a 13th season. But the 34-year-old pass catcher had not fully recovered from the knee injury he battled last year, and the Patriots signed four new aerial weapons — wideouts Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne and tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry — last month. However, Edelman may not be easy to replace. He operated as the top wideout for six playoff-bound Patriot teams during the 2010s and was a significant part in the franchise winning three more Super Bowls during the decade.
Edelman did not hold an extensive role in New England’s offense until his fifth season, which came after Wes Welker signed with the Broncos in 2013, and never made a Pro Bowl. He missed the 2017 season, incurred a four-game PED ban in 2018 and was considerably limited in 2015 and ’20 as well. Regular-season availability notwithstanding, dominated in playoff opportunities and still ranks second in Patriots history with 620 regular-season receptions — behind only Welker’s 672.
“By any measure of what constitutes an elite NFL career – wins, championships, production – Julian has it all,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “Day in and day out, Julian was always the same: all out. Then, in the biggest games and moments, with championships at stake, he reached even greater heights and delivered some of his best, most thrilling performances.”
During the 2018 postseason — one Edelman concluded by winning Super Bowl LIII MVP acclaim — the former Kent State quarterback surpassed Michael Irvin on the playoff receiving yardage list. Only Jerry Rice compiled more postseason yards than Edelman (1,442). While Edelman did play in 19 postseason games, only 14 of those came after Welker’s departure opened up a role for him on offense. En route to three Super Bowl titles, Edelman posted six 100-yard playoff games. The former seventh-round pick’s top two playoff yardage performances came two years ago, when he amassed 151 in a rout of the Chargers and 141 in New England’s defense-fueled win over the Rams.
A touchdown pass from the former college QB also did plenty to ensure the Patriots could add to their ring total in the 2010s. Edelman’s touchdown toss to Danny Amendola propelled New England past Baltimore in the 2014 divisional round, and Edelman added a receiving TD in the Patriots’ come-from-behind Super Bowl XLIX win over the Seahawks. Edelman did not score or surpass 100 yards in the Pats’ record-setting comeback win over the Falcons, but his tipped reception on a game-tying drive kept the team’s storied rally in play. The slot receiver’s absence in Super Bowl LII proved pivotal as well, with the Patriots falling short as favorites against the Eagles.
Despite the postseason success, Edelman never earned more than $8MM in average annual salary. He signed five Patriots contracts — the most recent a two-year, $15.5MM deal in 2019 — but was never among the NFL’s highest-paid receivers. Prior to the 2017 ACL tear, a foot injury limited Edelman to nine games in 2015. He will be eligible for up to $2MM in injury protection funds, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The lack of a Pro Bowl honor and a short run as an offensive weapon will almost certainly keep Edelman out of the Hall of Fame. The 12-year veteran sits 156th on the league’s all-time receiving yards list (6,822). But he proved essential to the second leg of the Patriots dynasty taking shape and will be remembered as one of the great postseason performers in NFL history.
Patriots Release Julian Edelman
After 12 seasons, the Patriots may well be cutting ties with Julian Edelman. They released their longtime slot receiver on Monday, according to the NFL’s transaction wire.
The Pats released Edelman with a failed-physical designation. Edelman has mulled retirement this offseason, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. Such an announcement may follow. The veteran wideout, who will turn 35 in May, has continued to battle knee trouble this year, Doug Kyed of NESN.com tweets.
Barring a reunion, this will close the book on one of the more interesting careers in the history of the Patriots and the receiver position. The 5-foot-10 wideout has not made a Pro Bowl and did not have much of a role on offense until his fifth season, but he has the second-most playoff receiving yards in NFL history (1,442) — behind only Jerry Rice‘s 2,245 — and was integral to the Pats’ passing game for the past several years.
Injuries, however, have limited Edelman in recent years. He missed 10 games last season and underwent knee surgery late in the year. The 12th-year receiver, who missed the 2017 season with a torn ACL, caught 21 passes for 315 yards and no touchdowns in the franchise’s first post-Tom Brady campaign.
Struggling for much of the Bill Belichick era to identify receiver talent early in drafts, the Patriots took a flier on a quarterback from Kent State in the 2009 seventh round. While All-Pro Wes Welker was still in the heart of his dominant run as New England’s primary slot weapon, Edelman took the reins ahead of his fifth season. Welker’s Denver defection began Edelman’s ascent, and he played a pivotal role in the second leg of New England’s dynasty.
Edelman earned MVP honors in Super Bowl LIII, has six 100-yard receiving games in the playoffs — including two such outings in Super Bowls — and made the defining catch of his career against the Falcons to help the Pats erase a 28-3 deficit to win their fifth championship. The former MAC passer/ball carrier produced three 1,000-yard seasons, with his most recent coming for an embattled Patriots passing attack in Brady’s final New England slate.
This release will tag the Pats with $2.7MM in dead money while also creating just more than $3MM in cap space. The team made changes to its receiver room this offseason, signing Nelson Agholor at a surprisingly high rate and adding Kendrick Bourne. The Patriots also signed tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry and are likely set to deploy plenty of two-tight end sets. Even so, subtracting Edelman from this situation still leaves the team with somewhat of a need at the receiver position.
Bengals Claim TE Thaddeus Moss
Thaddeus Moss did not advance too far down the waiver priority list. The Bengals placed a successful claim on the former UDFA tight end Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Washington waived the second-generation pass catcher last week, doing so after Moss spent his would-be rookie season on IR. Now, the former LSU tight end will reunite with Joe Burrow. Both played their final college seasons in 2019, when the current Bengals quarterback soared to the Heisman Trophy while piloting a passing attack that included Moss, Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Terrace Marshall Jr. and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
The son of Randy Moss, Thaddeus has yet to play a regular-season down in the NFL. Washington waived him with an injury designation ahead of last season, and he passed through waivers to the team’s IR list.
A North Carolina State transfer, Thaddeus Moss contributed to Burrow’s 60-touchdown pass total in 2019. The 6-foot-3 junior caught 47 passes for 570 yards and four touchdowns. Two of those TDs came in LSU’s championship victory over Clemson. Moss declared for the draft after that season but was not selected in 2020.
This move proves interesting due to the Bengals’ tight end situation and the prospect of it preceding a full-on LSU passing-game reunion. The Bengals have been linked to Chase with their No. 5 overall pick. Burrow is believed to be in favor of a Chase reunion. Cincinnati has Drew Sample and C.J. Uzomah on its roster, but a flier on Moss makes sense.