Transactions News & Rumors

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC South

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BuccaneersFalconsPanthers and Saints moves are noted below.

Atlanta Falcons

Signed to practice squad:

Carolina Panthers

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

New Orleans Saints

Claimed:

  • WR Trey Palmer (from Buccaneers), G Xavier Truss (from Broncos)

Signed to practice squad:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed to practice squad:

49ers Re-Sign P Thomas Morstead, Place WR Jacob Cowing On IR

After their moves to get down to 53 on their roster, the 49ers were temporarily without a punter. Thomas Morstead is back in the fold today, however.

Morstead was re-signed on Wednesday, per a team announcement. The move means he will be able to handle punting duties at the start of the campaign. In a corresponding move, San Francisco’s receiver depth has been dealt another blow. Jacob Cowing is now on injured reserve.

Morstead is entering his 17th NFL season but his first in the Bay Area. The former Saint, Dolphin, Falcon and Jet was released shortly after the draft this spring. He quickly managed to line up a new deal, signing with the 49ers. Morstead took a one-year pact to head to San Francisco, and that will no doubt be the case again on his post-release contract with the team.

Cowing is set to miss at least the first month of the season. The 2024 fourth-rounder was not a factor on offense despite playing 15 games as a rookie, but he entered the summer as a candidate for an increased workload. Instead, Cowing’s second NFL campaign will be delayed at the start. This news adds further to the lack of availability at the receiver position the 49ers are currently dealing with.

Brandon Aiyuk will be sidelined through at least September, while Demarcus Robinson will start the campaign by serving his three-game DUI suspension. San Francisco has been busy adding wideouts with those looming absences in mind, and any more moves will now come with the knowledge Cowing will be unavailable early on.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC North

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BearsLionsPackers and Vikings moves are noted below.

Chicago Bears

Claimed:

Released:

Signed to practice squad:

Detroit Lions

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Green Bay Packers

Signed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Minnesota Vikings

Signed to practice squad:

Browns To Sign WR Malachi Corley, G Cole Strange

Waived by the Jets after one season, Malachi Corley went unclaimed today. But the 2024 third-round pick will land elsewhere, joining the Browns (per veteran reporter Jordan Schultz).

This practice squad agreement comes about after Corley had multiple suitors to choose from, per Schultz. He will head to Cleveland in the hopes of rebuilding his value following a poor rookie campaign. The Jets’ new regime elected to move on despite depth questions at the WR position.

Corley managed just three scoreless receptions last year. The Western Kentucky product was seen as a project given his skillset, but his efforts to develop into an NFL regular will take place in a new home. It will be interesting to see if Corley finds himself amongst the Browns’ early taxi squad elevations or makes his way onto the active roster in September.

Cleveland’s receiver room will once again be led by Jerry Jeudy in 2025. The former Broncos first-rounder set a new career high in catches (90) and yards (1,229) during his first Browns campaign, and he will be relied on to duplicate that production as the team sorts out its quarterback situation over the course of the year. The likes of Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash and undrafted rookie Isaiah Bond are also in place on the depth chart.

Corley will be joined on the Browns’ taxi squad by guard Cole StrangeThe latter was waived by the Patriots yesterday, marking an unceremonious end to his time in New England. Strange is heading to Cleveland with the expectation of also being elevated to the active roster at some point, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. A backup gig along the interior could be in store by the fall.

Strange’s entry to the NFL was marked by his surprising status as a first-round pick. The Chattanooga product was hampered by injuries, and he was limited to 13 appearances across the past two seasons. When on the field, Strange was part of a Pats O-line which struggled mightily in 2024. With plenty of changes taking place up front under head coach Mike Vrabel, he found himself amongst the team’s roster cuts yesterday.

Now, Strange will join Corley in seeking to take advantage of a change of scenery. At the ages of 27 and 23, respectively, both players could wind up offering upside to the Browns’ offense in time.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Chiefs To Re-Sign RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire

The Chiefs already reunited with Derrick Nnadi via trade recently; they will now add another familiar face on offense. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is returning to Kansas City, veteran reporter Jordan Schultz tweets. The deal bringing Edwards-Helaire back will be a practice squad arrangement.

Edwards-Helaire spent the offseason with the Saints, who had picked him up after the Chiefs waived him late last year. The former first-round pick, however, will follow Kareem Hunt in booking a second stint with the Chiefs.

Selected 32nd overall in 2020, Edwards-Helaire posted 1,100 scrimmage yards as a rookie while operating as a starter. He missed three games along the way, however, and injuries remained an issue across his first Kansas City stint. By 2023, the LSU product had seen a major drop in usage, and it will be interesting to see where his role in the 2025 backfield pecking order shakes out.

Edwards-Helaire managed 13 scoreless carries in two regular season Saints appearances last year. New Orleans elected to move on yesterday in a move which came as little surprise based on that sparse workload. Changing teams just before Week 1, Edwards-Helaire will now reacclimate to a familiar offense while looking to chip on offensively. The Chiefs still have Hunt along with Isiah Pacheco in place; they also added Elijah Mitchell in free agency.

Mitchell and Hunt are both pending 2026 free agents. Pacheco is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so he too could depart on the open market next spring. With plenty of future uncertainty in the backfield, Edwards-Helaire could play his way into a larger role for next season. For now, he will aim to regain his previous form during a second Kansas City stint.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Dolphins Claim CB JuJu Brents, To Re-Sign RB Jeff Wilson

The Colts cut ties with JuJu Brents on Tuesday, but the young cornerback will remain tied to his second-round contract. The Dolphins claimed Brents, veteran reporter Jordan Schultz tweets.

In addition to claiming Brents, the Dolphins are reuniting with Jeff Wilson on a practice squad deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The veteran Mike McDaniel charge did not make the 49ers’ 53-man roster, but the Dolphins have dangled an opportunity. Wilson played in Miami from 2022-24 but saw his role diminish as the tenure wore on. With Miami banged up at running back presently, Wilson will return.

Eyed as a starter in Indianapolis’ Gus Bradley scheme, Brents had been unable to stay healthy. The Indianapolis native missed eight games as a rookie and 15 last season. Brents, 25, suffered a knee injury in Week 1 last year and became the rare player to only play in his team’s first and last games in a season. In Colts camp this year, however, Brents missed extensive time with a hamstring injury. Despite Indianapolis losing third-round rookie Justin Walley, the team did not hold onto Brents as it transitions to Lou Anarumo‘s system.

The Colts cut the former No. 44 overall pick days after signing Xavien Howard, one of the longest-tenured DBs in Dolphins history. Miami had a veteran group in place post-Howard in 2024, but circumstances changed radically this year. The Dolphins released Kendall Fuller and traded Jalen Ramsey. They later saw Artie Burns and Kader Kohou suffer ACL tears.

The Dolphins also placed former second-round pick Cam Smith on the reserve/NFI list, sidelining the disappointing draftee for at least four games. They released Mike Hilton on Tuesday, leading to a Colts visit (as these teams’ CB paths remain intertwined), and signed Rasul Douglas. The team also retained Jack Jones, a late-summer addition. In addition to the Smith move, Miami waived DB Isaiah Johnson.

Acquired via trade at the 2022 deadline, Wilson has played for McDaniel for most of his career. The former 49ers assistant traded for Wilson in his first year as Dolphins HC, and Miami re-signed the Raheem Mostert sidekick in 2023. The Dolphins drafting De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright, however, changed Wilson’s standing. Wilson totaled just 57 rushing yards on 16 carries last season — after accumulating just 188 in 2023. The 29-year-old RB does have scheme knowledge here and stands to help while Achane and Wright are battling injuries; the latter is not expected to play in Week 1.

Patriots Claim QB Tommy DeVito

Tommy DeVito‘s stay in New York is over. The Giants waived their fourth-string QB on Tuesday, and no practice squad agreement will come to pass. The Patriots claimed DeVito today, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.

The Pats will add DeVito to a quarterback room also including Drake Maye and Joshua Dobbs. This will keep DeVito tied to a $1MM ERFA tender. The Giants had DeVito as their only contracted QB entering free agency, but the additions of Jameis Winston, Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart moved the popular backup off the roster.

DeVito can be retained as an RFA in 2026, giving the Pats the option of developing a long-term backup. The Giants rostered DeVito for three offseasons, adding the former Syracuse and Illinois passer as a UDFA and then turning to him as a rookie.

A Monday-night upset win over the Packers boosted DeVito’s popularity, as he also led the Giants to wins over the Patriots and Commanders that season. The Giants kept DeVito in their lineup over then-backup Tyrod Taylor, to the veteran’s dismay, but benched him before season’s end. Taylor leading the Giants to a Week 18 win over the Eagles hurt their eventual Maye pursuit.

Last season, DeVito received an unexpected promotion in going from QB3 to QB1 after the Giants cut Daniel Jones. They vaulted DeVito over Drew Lock initially, but an injury led the more experienced player into the lineup. DeVito went 0-2 as a starter last season, and the Giants overhauled their QB room.

With the team not showing interest in moving Winston — who is positioned as the current Giants third-stringer behind Wilson and Dart — DeVito had no realistic path back to Big Blue’s active roster this week. He will land on his feet with a fresh start in Foxborough.

49ers To Sign WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Marquez Valdes-Scantling did not make the Seahawks’ 53-man roster. Rather than a potential practice squad deal, the veteran wide receiver will accept an active-roster offer elsewhere in the NFC West.

The well-traveled wideout is signing with the 49ers, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. San Francisco is shorthanded at receiver, and the team now has three ex-Chiefs in the fold. While Demarcus Robinson serves a three-game suspension, however, MVS and Skyy Moore are now in place. This is a practice squad deal, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

Valdes-Scantling signed a one-year, $4MM Seahawks deal in March, staying with Klint Kubiak after their short time together in New Orleans. The Seahawks took on $3MM in dead money by cutting MVS, though the experienced wideout will be in a familiar system. Kyle Shanahan oversaw both Kubiak and Matt LaFleur during his career; that will make Valdes-Scantling a fit as a tertiary target.

The 49ers placed Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/PUP list Tuesday and shifted Robinson to the reserve/suspended list. The team also has not seen Jauan Jennings practice in weeks due to a calf injury; a contract issue is also a factor for Jennings, though time is running out on that front. Second-year player Jacob Cowing made the 49ers’ 53-man roster but is also battling an injury. MVS might not be the only WR the 49ers add; they are believed to be interested in reuniting with Kendrick Bourne after his Patriots release.

Despite being released by the Bills months into his tenure, Valdes-Scantling made some contributions to the Saints to generate interest ahead of the $4MM Seahawks deal. The 30-year-old receiver — who had been one of the NFL’s more notable deep threats for a period in Green Bay and Kansas City — caught 17 passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns in New Orleans.

A penchant for drops notwithstanding, MVS made some pivotal playoff receptions for the Chiefs — including a touchdown grab in Super Bowl LVIII — as they closed out a championship season in 2023. A year prior, the ex-Packers fifth-rounder eclipsed 100 receiving yards in an AFC championship game in which the Chiefs were battered at wide receiver. The 49ers will call on the seven-year vet for some short-term aid.

Dolphins, Matt Judon Agree To Deal

AUGUST 27: The details of Judon’s contract have come to light via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. He has a $1.5MM base salary with a $500K roster bonus and $1MM in per game roster bonuses. That base value of $3MM is doubled by the following incentives, worth $500K each:

  • 59% playtime
  • 65% playtime
  • seven sacks
  • 10 sacks
  • Pro Bowl
  • 65% playtime and the Dolphins make the playoffs and rank as a top-20 defense

Judon didn’t accomplish any of those feats in 2024 – though the Dolphins ranked fourth in yards and 10th in yards – making all of the incentives not likely to be earned. Any that Judon achieves will be added to Miami’s 2026 salary cap.

AUGUST 18: Matt Judon‘s Monday visit with the Dolphins brought about the expectation of a deal. To no surprise, an agreement has indeed been reached.

Judon is heading to Miami on a one-year deal, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Colleague Tom Pelissero adds this pact has a maximum value of $6MM. With a short period remaining until the start of the regular season, Judon will now look to acclimate to his fourth career team.

This agreement will allow for a return to the AFC East in Judon’s case. The four-time Pro Bowler spent three seasons with the Patriots, collecting 32 sacks in that time. In the absence of an extension agreement, a trade was worked out last summer sending him to Atlanta. Judon managed to play 17 games (after logging only four the previous year) with the Falcons, but he posted 5.5 sacks as part of a team which again struggled in the pass-rush department.

Judon will join a Dolphins edge rusher room that is led by three former first-round picks in Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and Chop Robinson. Phillips has been sidelined for a week, but Mike McDaniel said that the injury is not serious, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Robinson had an injury scare in a joint practice with the Lions and had to be carted off the field, but returned to practice the next day, and McDaniel has since said that none of the team’s outside linebackers are dealing with significant injuries. Judon, who just turned 33 years old a few days ago, may benefit from a more rotational role after averaging 46.3 snaps per game over the last four years.

Miami now has a fourth proven edge rusher to help compensate for their lack of proven talent along the interior of their defensive line. Zach Sieler is coming off back-to-back 10.0-sack seasons (and recently received an extension for his efforts), but four-year veteran Benito Jones doesn’t have a strong pass-rushing pedigree, nor do rookies Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips.

Judon will now work to get up to speed in his new defense with a little less than three weeks before the Dolphins’ regular-season opener against the Colts.

Dolphins To Sign K Riley Patterson

The Tuesday Riley Patterson rumors will produce a Dolphins deal. Miami is bringing in the well-traveled kicker after a successful workout, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe reports.

Patterson joined Greg Zuerlein, Eddy Pineiro and Zane Gonzalez in attending the Dolphins audition. Patterson will be the Dolphins’ Jason Sanders fill-in, with Wolfe indicating this is a practice squad deal that will lead to a promotion ahead of the season. Sanders is on short-term IR to open the year.

The Dolphins are Patterson’s sixth team since July 2024. The Jaguars, Commanders, Jets, Falcons and Browns rostered Patterson between July and December last year. Despite his five-team tour, Patterson only kicked in five games last season. He was 16 of 16 on extra points and 4 of 7 on field goals. In his most recent extended work (with the 2023 Lions), Patterson — a 2023 trade acquisition from Jacksonville — was 15-for-17 on FG tries.

Still just 25, Patterson has kicked in the NFL since 2021. He operated as the full-time Jaguars kicker in 2022, being traded to the Lions after the Jags signed Brandon McManus. An in-season kicking competition led the Lions to go with Michael Badgley for the stretch run, halting Patterson’s 2023 Detroit season at 13 games. Patterson’s most memorable NFL moment came when made a game-winning field goal to complete a 27-point Jaguars wild-card comeback over the Chargers.

This agreement appears set to involve gameday roster elevations, according to Wolfe. The Dolphins are expected to elevate Patterson to their 55-man gameday roster for the first three weeks. Following that, they would need to make a roster move. Sanders must miss at least four games due to being placed on IR Tuesday. The regular Miami kicker is expected to return soon after.