Falcons Sign Return Specialist Jakeem Grant
The Falcons receiving corps suffered a blow when it was announced that Rondale Moore would miss the 2024 NFL season with a knee injury. While not a one-for-one replacement, Atlanta has addressed the position group, signing veteran wide receiver and return specialist Jakeem Grant to a one-year contract, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
Coming to the NFL as a sixth-round pick out of Texas Tech, it became immediately clear that Grant’s value came on special teams. As a rookie with the Dolphins, Grant only received one target and one carry, finishing with one yard from scrimmage. Instead, his impact came as a returner, as he scored his first career touchdown on a 74-yard punt return.
In the following years, Miami noticed the danger his speed presented and attempted to get him more involved on offense. He was able to contribute a bit here and there but never totaled more than 373 yards or two touchdowns in a season over six years with the Dolphins. In that same time, though, Grant continued to excel on special teams, returning three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns.
Grant’s electricity has been evident throughout his career. He has always been a danger to break off a long return at any moment, twice returning kickoffs longer than 100 yards and returning four punts over 70 yards, including one 97-yarder. We last saw him in Chicago, where he played 11 games after being traded from Miami. That short sample of time was when Grant delivered his 97-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Following the expiration of his contract with the Bears, Grant signed a three-year deal taking him to Cleveland. Unfortunately, he never got to play for the Browns, suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the 2022 preseason. A year later, finally ready to make his Browns debut, Grant was carted off the field in the team’s final preseason game with a ruptured patellar tendon, once again getting placed on injured reserve before the season began.
Since departing from Cleveland, Grant has shown a continued interest in remaining on the field. In recent months, he has shopped his talents out to the Eagles, Saints, and Jets.
In Atlanta, the return man job won’t be simply handed to Grant. He will have competition for both return spots in Ray-Ray McCloud and Avery Williams. Williams served as the primary kick- and punt-return since 2021 before missing the 2023 season after undergoing ACL surgery. McCloud has an extensive history as a return man in his history, as well.
While both players have the requisite experience, neither player holds quite the same electricity as neither have scored return touchdowns in their NFL careers. This sets up an intriguing battle to come. All three players hold plenty of promise as return men, with varying levels of value on offense, as well. None of the three are expected to be key contributors for new quarterback Kirk Cousins, but if any prove that they can do more than just return, it could solidify them a roster spot in 2024.
Patriots To Release WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
After an unproductive first season in New England, JuJu Smith-Schuster was believed to be on the Patriots’ roster bubble. The team has already reached the endpoint with the 2023 free agency pickup.
The Pats are releasing Smith-Schuster on Friday, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. This will give the former Steelers and Chiefs pass catcher a chance to land with a team early, though the seven-year vet did not establish any momentum during an injury-marred 2023 slate.
While the rearranged Patriots front office has acknowledged quality work on Bill Belichick‘s part by extending or re-signing many of the players acquired during the legendary HC’s tenure, the Smith-Schuster acquisition will go down as a big miss. The Pats gave the former 1,400-yard receiver a three-year, $25.5MM deal that came with $16MM fully guaranteed. Smith-Schuster’s full 2024 base salary ($7MM) was guaranteed, putting the Pats on the hook for a notable dead money hit.
New England will be tagged with more than $9.6MM in dead money this year, with an additional $2.6MM set to count on the team’s 2025 cap sheet. Offset language would cut into these penalties, but after a dismal showing in 2023, Smith-Schuster is unlikely to fetch too much on the open market.
Mentioned this offseason as a potential release candidate, Smith-Schuster is coming off a season involving knee trouble. The former Steelers second-rounder underwent knee surgery following Super Bowl LVII and said he was around 60% going into last season. It showed, as the USC alum produced 29-catch, 260-yard stat line in 11 games. Smith-Schuster commanded the same full guarantee as four-year Pats contributor Jakobi Meyers, but the Raiders have made out better with their 2023 signing.
Smith-Schuster said this offseason he is fully healthy, putting a bounce-back season on the radar. Though, this early-August release pours some cold water on that prospect. That said, Smith-Schuster is still just 27. A team surely will take a flier on the eighth-year performer, as he has submitted quality work in the not-so-distant past.
The Chiefs missed Smith-Schuster — well, his 2022 version — last season, seeing its receiver group submit an uneven season that ultimately did not derail a second straight Super Bowl title. Smith-Schuster led the 2022 Kansas City championship team’s WR corps in yardage by a wide margin, accumulating 933 during his one-and-done season in Missouri. The Chiefs pursued Smith-Schuster for two offseasons, convincing him to leave Pittsburgh in 2022, but Andy Reid said the team’s 2023 offer was not particularly close to where the Patriots went.
The Steelers coaxed the best version of Smith-Schuster back in 2018, a season that doubled as the AFC North club’s final effort with Antonio Brown. The 215-pound wideout totaled 1,426 yards; two years later, he helped Pittsburgh to a surprising AFC North title with a nine-touchdown showing. Smith-Schuster resisted a Chiefs pursuit in 2021, re-signing with the Steelers on a one-year deal. Given his original team’s receiver situation following the Diontae Johnson trade, it would not surprise to see a reunion emerge as a possibility.
This is a rather interesting conclusion on the Pats’ part, seeing as Belichick would regularly bring back former players whose higher-priced deals did not work out elsewhere. The Eliot Wolf-led regime is now the team cutting the cord on a bad investment, and this transaction will almost definitely lead to Smith-Schuster landing elsewhere on a lower-cost agreement.
As for the Patriots, they have made efforts to acquire Calvin Ridley and Brandon Aiyuk. Ridley joined the Titans, who offered more money, and it is not believed an Aiyuk deal — despite a Pats extension number north of $28MM AAV — will happen. The team is counting on Kendrick Bourne returning from an ACL tear and used a second-round pick on Ja’Lynn Polk. The team also has intriguing second-year target Demario Douglas as a regular. Though, this receiving corps does not inspire too much confidence going into the season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/24
Friday’s minor transactions to close out the week:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: OLB Marquis Haynes
Carolina Panthers
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Daewood Davis
Green Bay Packers
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Rory Starkey
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived (with injury settlement): TE Josh Pederson
New York Giants
- Waived (with injury settlement): RB Jashaun Corbin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from active/NFI list: RB Cordarrelle Patterson
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived (with injury settlement): C Pat Elflein
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived (with injury designation): NT Matthew Gotel
Haynes quick exit after a short stint in Arizona comes after he signed a contract including an injury waiver. He spent time on injured reserve with the Panthers last season, precipitating the presence of the injury waiver in his latest deal. The team utilized the waiver to terminate his contract today.
49ers Release TE Logan Thomas, Place DL Austin Bryant On IR
Logan Thomas arrived in San Francisco as an intriguing George Kittle backup option, but the veteran pass catcher is already out of the picture. The 49ers released the recent free agency addition Friday.
San Francisco, which agreed to terms with punter Pressley Harvin earlier today, also placed defensive lineman Austin Bryant on IR. Bryant was going into his second season with the 49ers. Bryant sustained an injury this week, ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner tweets.
This news comes after Thomas has missed time due to a hamstring injury. The former quarterback went down early during training camp. The 49ers lost former Kittle backups Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner this offseason and saw the Lions match their Brock Wright RFA offer sheet. Thomas may end up finding a gig elsewhere, but he is now going into his age-33 season.
Thomas signed a vet-minimum deal in June but will see a second team drop him this year. The Commanders, who had extended their TE starter in 2021, released the 6-foot-6 weapon early this offseason. Thomas’ past production, inconsistent as it was, could generate another chance once he heals up. The former sixth-round Cardinals QB pick converted to tight end midway through his career and earned a three-year, $24.1MM extension from Washington for his effort.
An ACL tear sidetracked Thomas following his 2020 breakthrough (72 receptions, 672 yards, six touchdowns), and he did not eclipse 350 yards in either of the following two seasons. In Eric Bieniemy‘s offense last year, the Terry McLaurin complementary target bounced back with a 496-yard, four-touchdown showing. Certainly not overly impressive numbers for a team’s top receiving tight end, but Pro Football Focus did rank the QB convert 17th among TEs in run blocking. That would have appealed to the 49ers, but they are giving up early.
Losing Woerner and Dwelley to the Falcons and seeing the Lions retain Wright, the 49ers do still have a variable behind Kittle. Third-round pick Cameron Latu missed his entire rookie season with an ACL tear. While the 49ers viewed the Alabama product as more of a developmental player — hence the Wright and Thomas moves — he has returned to work this offseason. Veteran Eric Saubert and 2023 seventh-rounder Brayden Willis (48 snaps in 2023) are also still on the team’s roster behind Kittle.
Vikings, Cowboys Agree To Swap CBs Andrew Booth, Nahshon Wright
The Cowboys and Vikings are making a trade involving two former Day 2 cornerback draftees. Minnesota is sending Andrew Booth to Dallas in exchange for Nahshon Wright, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo.
Two years remain on Booth’s rookie contract; Wright is going into a walk year. The Vikings drafted Booth in the 2022 second round, while the Cowboys used a 2021 third on Wright. While Booth comes from Minnesota, he was not on the roster during Mike Zimmer‘s HC stay.
Although the Vikings drafted Booth months after firing Zimmer, it is quite possible — as scouting staffs regularly remain in place through the following draft — the veteran defensive coach was high on the Clemson product ahead of the ’22 draft. Booth has been unable to establish himself as a Vikings regular under Ed Donatell or Brian Flores; he will now be given a second opportunity to prove himself.
Chosen 42nd overall, Booth has made just two starts and logged a total of 256 defensive snaps as a pro. He had not factored into Minnesota’s CB plans prominently during camp, per ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. The pick goes down as a miss by GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, whose first two picks — DBs Booth and first-rounder Lewis Cine — have not helped the Vikes much. But Minnesota will attempt to see if Wright can make a difference. Cine is already on Minnesota’s roster bubble.
Wright, 25, has also played sparingly during his early NFL career. Though, the 6-foot-4 cover man evidently did enough to warrant a straight-up swap for a player chosen more than 50 spots before him (albeit in a different draft). The Vikings taking a flier on a player with one less year of control is interesting as well.
Only seeing 50 defensive snaps last season — for a Cowboys team that lost Trevon Diggs to a torn ACL last September — Wright has three career starts on his resume. The Cowboys changing DCs this offseason, losing Dan Quinn to Washington and hiring Zimmer, undoubtedly affected the fourth-year CB’s standing. Wright, however, maxed out at 128 defensive snaps in a season in Dallas (2022).
Booth, 23, exited Clemson as a first-round-level prospect; the Vikings traded up for him. Booth underwent sports hernia surgery before the draft, and while the former ACC standout returned in time for Week 1, he then suited up for just six Vikings games as a rookie. A season-ending knee injury altered his developmental arc, and he will join a Cowboys team with a cemented top three.
Diggs, DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis are in place as Dallas’ primary CBs, though The Athletic’s Jon Machota and Saad Yousef note Wright did mix in with Dallas’ first-team defense on the boundary opposite Bland during a Thursday joint practice with the Rams. Diggs is still working his way back from the knee injury. The team, which also completed a CB-for-CB trade last year (Kelvin Joseph for Noah Igbinoghene), also roster 2023 draftee Eric Scott Jr. and 2024 fifth-rounder Caelen Carson.
Wright heads to a Vikings team less solidified at corner. Minnesota has Byron Murphy going into the second season of a two-year contract, and Josh Metellus remains in the slot. But the team has seen its CB situation change dramatically this summer. Fourth-round rookie Khyree Jackson died tragically in a car accident in July, and second-year contributor Mekhi Blackmon suffered a torn ACL early in training camp. The Vikes signed Shaquill Griffin earlier this year and added Fabian Moreau last week; they also used 2022 fourth-rounder Akayleb Evans over Booth last year.
49ers To Sign P Pressley Harvin III
After spending the past three seasons as the Steelers’ punter, Pressley Harvin III hit the waiver wire this offseason. The fourth-year specialist found another gig Friday morning.
The 49ers are adding Harvin to their 90-man roster, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Sixth-year 49ers punter Mitch Wishnowsky is dealing with an injury, creating an immediate — though, perhaps not pressing due to the regular season being a month away — need at this specialty spot.
Pittsburgh parted ways with Harvin in mid-February and signed recent Texans punter Cameron Johnston a month later. A 2021 seventh-round pick, Harvin punted in 47 games for the Steelers from 2021-23. He beat out Braden Mann to keep the Pittsburgh punting gig last summer but averaged just 43.8 yards per punt in 2023. This was a step down from 2022, when the netted 44.5 yards per boot. Among regulars, Harvin’s 2023 average ranked as the NFL’s second-worst mark last season.
San Francisco’s punter of the past five seasons, Wishnowsky is dealing with a knee injury that has forced him out of practice in recent days. Kyle Shanahan said recently the team would need to address this situation before the preseason opener. A 2019 fourth-round pick, Wishnowsky is signed through the 2026 season.
While Wishnowsky’s job does not appear at risk, the 49ers will need to execute punts (presumably) in their August debut. With no other punter on the roster coming into today, Harvin now appears set to handle that workload against the Titans on Saturday.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/24
Thursday’s minor moves around the league:
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Stephen Sullivan
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DT Carlos Davis
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LS Rex Sunahara
- Waived: CB Faion Hicks
Dallas Cowboys
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Corey Crooms
Green Bay Packers
- Reverted to IR: CB Don Callis, WR Rory Starkey
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DE Breeland Speaks
- Waived (injury designation): DE De’Shaan Dixon
New Orleans Saints
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Tommy Hudson
New York Jets
- Reverted to IR: WR Hamze El-Zayat
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: S Jalen Elliott
- Waived (injury designation): S Nate Meadors
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Mario Kendricks, CB Willie Roberts
- Waived: DT Rodney Matthews
- Waived (injury designation): DT Matt Gotel
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: G Ryan Johnson
- Placed on IR: G Silas Dzansi
Dixon exited Jacksonville’s Tuesday practice early, and head coach Doug Pederson confirmed on Thursday he has suffered a torn ACL. The former UDFA started his career with the Jaguars, making three appearances as a rookie in 2022. He resided on the team’s practice squad last season, and he could remain in the organization by reverting to IR in the event he goes unclaimed.
Speaks will take Dixon’s place as he aims to translate an effective UFL campaign into a return to NFL action. The 28-year-old earned Defensive Player of the Year honors while playing for the Michigan Panthers. He collected 9.5 sacks in the spring, and that production has landed him the chance to carve out a roster spot with Jacksonville. Speaks last played with the Chiefs in 2018.
49ers Sign DE Jonathan Garvin
In the wake of Drake Jackson being shut down for the 2024 campaign, the 49ers have made an addition along the edge. Jonathan Garvin has been added on a one-year deal, per his agency. 
Garvin is among the players who have parlayed a strong showing in the UFL into a new opportunity at the NFL level. The 25-year-old played a key role on the league champion Birmingham Stallions, collecting 3.5 sacks this season. He worked out for the Cowboys in June, but that did not produce a deal. Now, Garvin will head to the Bay Area to finish training camp and the preseason.
The former seventh-rounder began his NFL career with the Packers, spending three seasons with the team. His best year came in 2021, when he logged a 39% defensive snap share and totaled 1.5 sacks. He will compete for a similar rotational role upon arrival in San Francisco, a team with the top of the edge depth chart relatively sorted out even with Jackson no longer in the picture.
Nick Bosa is set to remain the focal point of San Francisco’s defense and occupy one starting spot at the defensive end position. The team added Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos in free agency, and they will continue competing for playing time opposite Bosa in the coming weeks. Garvin will provide another option in a backup capacity if he manages to survive roster cutdowns at the end of the month.
The 49ers entered Thursday with over $52MM in cap space, leaving the team with plenty of flexibility to make additions. That total will drop slightly with Robbie Chosen now in the fold, along with Garvin. Both players will no doubt be attached to league-minimum pacts as they attempt to return to a regular NFL role.
Saints, LB Pete Werner Agree On Extension
5:55pm: Further details on the pact are in, courtesy of Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Werner will receive a $5.5MM signing bonus, and his base salaries for this season ($1.44MM) and next ($4.25MM) are locked in at signing. This contract is worth $22.5MM in base value, per OverTheCap.
The 2026 season calls for $6.25MM in salary, and it will shift from an injury to a full guarantee one year early. No guarantees are in place for the final year of the pact. Werner can earn up to $400K annually from 2025-27 with a snap share of 95% or higher, a mark he has yet to reach. Cashing in on those escalators would allow him to reach the extension’s maximum value of $24.6MM.
10:21am: A Saints defense packed with experienced performers has seen a rookie-contract cog become a regular in recent years. As a result, Pete Werner is no longer attached to that rookie deal.
The fourth-year linebacker agreed to terms on an extension Thursday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who indicates this is a three-year commitment. Werner signed a deal worth more than $25MM, per Schefter, with $17.5MM coming guaranteed. The former second-round pick will be tied to the Saints through the 2027 season.
Although we do not yet know the precise value, this extension appears to fall in line with the the off-ball linebacker market’s upper middle class. While market reassessments at running back and safety have been discussed more often, ILB paydays have dipped a bit in recent years. The past two free agency periods have produced a glut of second-level defenders whose contracts have come in between $6MM and $10MM per year. If the Werner deal’s base value is indeed beyond $25MM, the AAV would fall in line with the contracts Logan Wilson, Jordyn Brooks and Dre Greenlaw signed in the recent past.
Only five ILBs are currently tied to deals worth more than $12MM per annum, and Patrick Queen‘s Steelers pact contains no guarantees beyond Year 1. C.J. Mosley and Foyesade Oluokun also agreed to pay cuts (revisions that provided increased guarantees) this year. While this is not the best era to be an off-ball ‘backer, teams rely on their anchors at these positions. The Saints have one of the best, in Demario Davis, but Werner — at 25 — is 10 years younger.
Werner emerged as a full-time player last season, logging an 88% snap rate for a workload (920 defensive plays) that came in well above his previous two seasons. The Davis sidekick opted for security rather than head into a contract year. The Saints have now agreed to deals with Davis, Werner and Willie Gay this offseason. The Gay deal, however, checked in as a one-year, $3MM accord.
Pro Football Focus was much lower on Werner as a full-timer compared to his part-time work. After rating the former No. 60 overall pick as its No. 5 off-ball ‘backer in 2021, PFF slotted him 40th in 2022 and 67th in ’23. As far as traditional stats go, Werner racked up 93 tackles (four for loss) and intercepted a pass last year — his first with more than 11 starts. The Ohio State product started 16 games.
The Saints continue to rely on Davis’ top-shelf versatility carrying into his mid-30s; PFF rated the ageless dynamo third at the position in 2023. While betting against Davis has been a risky proposition, Werner’s contract may well place him on track to be the team’s long-term LB option once the team’s 35-year-old pillar is out of the picture.
New Orleans now has veteran contracts for Davis, Werner, Cameron Jordan, Chase Young, Marshon Lattimore and Tyrann Mathieu on defense. The team also brought in Justin Simmons for a visit Wednesday. Going into his fourth season, Werner profiles as an important young talent on a defense that features some aging cogs. The Saints will count on him for the foreseeable future.
49ers DE Drake Jackson Out For Season
Drake Jackson will be sidelined for the 2024 campaign as he continues to recover from a knee injury. The third-year defensive end has been placed on the reserve/PUP list, per a team announcement. 
Players moved to the active/PUP list at the start of training camp are permitted to be activated and return to practice at any time. The reserve/PUP designation, however, guarantees players are out for the entire campaign, just like injured reserve at this point in the offseason. Jackson’s absence will be felt along the edge for San Francisco.
The former second-rounder was limited to eight games last season due to the injury, and an update from earlier this week noted he would be absent for at least the remainder of training camp. Today’s news is a notable step beyond that, and it means Jackson’s attention will need to turn to the 2025 campaign. That year doubles as the end of his rookie contract.
San Francisco has depended on Nick Bosa as an anchor on the edge, but Jackson was drafted to turn into a full-time starter to complement him. The latter posted three sacks as a rookie, matching that total in the first half of the 2023 campaign. He will face questions about his health and ability to produce on a consistent basis once he returns to full health.
The 49ers signed Leonard Floyd in free agency, and the veteran is positioned to operate as a first-teamer in 2024. San Francisco also added Yetur Gross-Matos on a two-year deal this offseason as part of a general strategy aimed at providing relative stability along the edge. Jackson would have been counted on to at least hold down a rotational role this season, so it will be interesting to see if a late-summer addition is made in the wake of his injury.
The team has over $52MM in cap space, flexibility which could allow for a move to be made in the near future. Anyone brought in at this point will face a short ramp-up period given how close Week 1 is, though. Jackson, 23, will need to make considerable progress in the coming months as he aims to return to the field next year. His designation created the roster spot needed for the 49ers’ signing of safety Tracy Walker to become official.