Minor NFL Transactions: 9/20/23
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Released: QB Nathan Peterman
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: RB Bam Knight
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: RB Tony Jones Jr.
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed to active roster: WR Britain Covey
- Placed on IR: CB Avonte Maddox (story)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed off Falcons’ practice squad: RB Godwin Igwebuike
- Signed to active roster: DT Breiden Fehoko
San Francisco
- Signed to active roster: CB Tre Swilling
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on IR: RB Chase Edmonds (story)
- Signed to active roster: OL Pat O’Connor
The Steelers placing Anthony McFarland on IR left them with two active-roster running backs. Igwebuike will step in as Pittsburgh’s third-stringer behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Because the Steelers signed Igwebuike off another team’s practice squad, they must keep him on their active roster for at least three weeks.
Coming back to the Saints after spending the offseason and training camp with the Broncos, Jones scored two touchdowns in New Orleans’ Monday-night win over Carolina. But the Saints had used a gameday elevation transaction to bump the veteran backup to the active roster. Wednesday’s move makes Jones an official part of the Saints’ 53-man unit.
Knight caught on with the Lions’ practice squad shortly after the Jets waived him. With David Montgomery likely to miss time, Knight will join Jahmyr Gibbs and Craig Reynolds as the backs on Detroit’s 53-man roster. A 2022 UDFA, Knight saw time following Breece Hall‘s ACL tear last season but could not stick on the Jets’ roster after the AFC East team’s Dalvin Cook addition.
Seahawks DL Mike Morris Out For Season; CB Riq Woolen Likely To Miss Time
The Seahawks will be without one of their rookies the rest of the way. They placed Mike Morris on IR today, and while that is no longer an automatic season-ending transaction, it will be in the rookie defensive lineman’s case.
Morris will need season-ending shoulder surgery, Pete Carroll said (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). A fifth-round pick out of Michigan, Morris played 26 defensive snaps in Seattle’s Week 1 game. He was inactive in Week 2. Brought in as part of a D-line overhaul, Morris made three tackles against the Rams. Last season at Michigan, the 6-foot-6 pass rusher totaled 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
Of the six defensive linemen who began the day on the Seahawks’ active roster, only one — backup Myles Adams — was with the team last season. Seattle brought in Dre’Mont Jones and Mario Edwards and reunited with Jarran Reed this offseason. A round before selecting Morris, the Seahawks chose Mississippi State’s Cameron Young. Bryan Mone remains with the Seahawks, but the veteran D-lineman is on the team’s reserve/PUP list.
Seattle won last week despite playing without both its starting tackles, but the team also squeaked past Detroit with top cornerback Riq Woolen leaving the game due to a chest injury. The issue will likely sideline Woolen for Week 3, Carroll added, though the 14th-year coach indicated the second-year starter’s issue is likely not serious enough for an IR move to enter the equation. The Seahawks, who also began the season without No. 5 overall pick Devon Witherspoon, promoted veteran cornerback Artie Burns from their practice squad Tuesday.
Additionally, the Seahawks waived linebacker Tyreke Smith on Wednesday. A 2022 fifth-rounder out of Ohio State, Smith has played in one regular-season game. He missed last season due to injury. The team also plans to sign tight end Brady Russell off the Eagles’ practice squad, The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar tweets. Russell is a rookie UDFA out of Colorado. Will Dissly is battling a shoulder injury, leading to the expected P-squad poaching. Because the Seahawks plan to sign Russell from the Eagles’ practice squad, he must remain on their active roster for three weeks.
Bears Move LT Braxton Jones To IR
The Bears now have two starting offensive linemen on IR. Braxton Jones joined Teven Jenkins on the injured list Wednesday. The second-year left tackle sustained a neck injury.
Jones has started all 19 NFL games he has played, going from Division I-FCS-produced fifth-round pick to the Bears’ Week 1 blindside starter last year. He now must miss at least four contests. Larry Borom, a previous Chicago starter, and Ja’Tyre Carter reside as replacement options, per Matt Eberflus.
Not only has Jones never missed a game, he has been on the field for every Bears offensive snap since debuting last year. But the Southern Utah alum’s career will pause for the time being. While Jenkins was once viewed as a left tackle, Jones has since taken over the role. The guard move has proven effective for Jenkins, with the 2021 second-rounder showing far more promise inside. Jenkins is out until at least Week 5; Wednesday’s transaction will sideline Jones until at least Week 7.
The Bears, who also played without free agent signing Nate Davis in Week 2, have Jones and Jenkins installed as staples on a reconstructed O-line. Jenkins is set to move to left guard upon return, joining Cody Whitehair in changing positions. Though, Whitehair — tabbed to move back to center — is still at guard due to Jenkins’ injury. The Bears have used 2022 free agency pickup Lucas Patrick at center to start the season. Jones, however, was the only Bears starting blocker asked to stay in the same position he played last season.
A 2021 fifth-round pick out of Missouri, Borom has 17 starts on his NFL resume. The Bears have primarily used Borom at right tackle, though he did not hang onto the gig to close last season. Riley Reiff replaced Borom during the 2022 slate, and even after Reiff departed in free agency this year, Wright coming off the board at No. 10 overall gave him a clear path to the first-string gig. Carter, a 2022 seventh-rounder, filled in for Davis last week but has only played in four career games.
To replace Jones on their 53-man roster, the Bears signed tackle Aviante Collins off their practice squad. Despite entering the NFL as a 2017 UDFA, Collins has played in just seven career games. He most recently saw time as a Cowboys backup last season.
Panthers Promote LB Deion Jones
With Shaq Thompson out of the mix after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured fibula, the Panthers will bring up one of the league’s most experienced linebackers. After joining Carolina’s practice squad, Deion Jones is now on the team’s 53-man roster.
A six-year Falcons starter, Jones wound up with the Browns via trade last year. He caught on with the Panthers this summer, and while he did not make the squad out of the preseason, the Thompson injury has changed the equation for Frank Reich‘s team. To fill Jones’ spot on the practice squad, the Panthers added quarterback Jake Luton. The former Jaguars QB went to camp with the Panthers as well.
The Panthers plugged Kamu Grugier-Hill into their lineup after Thompson was carted to the locker room Monday night. It will be interesting to see if Jones can carve out a steady role, given his experience. The former Atlanta standout and pick-six maven has made 88 starts; five of those came with the Browns last season.
Jones’ stock has undeniably dipped since he signed a big-ticket Falcons extension back in 2019, with The Athletic’s Joe Person noting the Panthers were not especially high on him during training camp (subscription required). The team then released Jones, 28, before circling back via a practice squad invite. Grugier-Hill, 29, has made 37 career starts; the Panthers are his sixth team. But the well-traveled vet fared well replacing Thompson on Monday night, recording a sack, a tackle for loss and six total stops in Carolina’s loss to New Orleans.
The team has made a number of changes at linebacker in recent years, though losing Thompson for a season will require the franchise’s biggest adjustment at the position since Luke Kuechly‘s early retirement. The Panthers still have hybrid player Frankie Luvu at the position. Their other two active-roster LBs — Chandler Wooten, Claudin Cherelus — do not bring much experience. The Panthers added Wooten (11 career games) off the Cardinals’ practice squad last year and claimed Cherelus (one career game) off waivers from the Jets last month.
Jones racked up 44 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception during 11 games in Cleveland, doing so after agreeing to remove the 2023 season from his Falcons-constructed contract. The move made Jones a free agent, and while interest came his way, no notable offers emerged. He signed a one-year, $1.17MM contract with the Panthers on July 31. The former Super Bowl starter has five 100-tackle seasons, racking up 46 tackles for loss and 11 sacks over the course of his career. Jones has also run back five of his 12 career INTs for scores; the five pick-sixes rank fourth all time among linebackers.
Ravens Work Out Ronald Jones, James Robinson; Team Signs Kenyan Drake
11:38am: Following this workout, the Ravens decided to reunite with Drake. The veteran running back will return to Baltimore on a practice squad deal, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will continue a partnership that began last season and give the Ravens considerable RB experience on their taxi squad, with Drake and Gordon part of the unit.
9:50am: Down J.K. Dobbins yet again, the Ravens used a Gus Edwards–Justice Hill backfield combination in Week 2. But the team is looking into an outside addition at the position. A running back workout will commence in Baltimore today.
The Ravens are bringing in Kenyan Drake, Ronald Jones and James Robinson for a Wednesday audition, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec tweets. Each of these players was a recent cut. The Cowboys released Jones this week, rather than activate him after a two-game suspension, while the Patriots and Giants have waived Robinson this year. Drake, who spent last season in Baltimore, did not stick as Jonathan Taylor insurance in Indianapolis.
As of Wednesday, Edwards and Hill are the only running backs on the Ravens’ 53-man roster. Hill is also battling a toe injury that could keep him out in Week 3. The team does have Melvin Gordon on its practice squad, with rookie UDFA Owen Wright joining the ninth-year veteran. While Gordon joined the Ravens this summer, he has not played in either of their two games. Despite Dobbins going down with an Achilles tear, Gordon was not in uniform in Week 2. Edwards and Hill split the carries against the Bengals. While the team was initially not believed to be interested in an outside RB addition, Hill’s issue has changed that thinking.
Drake, 29, helped an injury-depleted Ravens backfield last season. With Dobbins going back on IR and Edwards remaining on the reserve/PUP list well into the season, Drake led the way in filling in. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry and finished with two 90-yard performances, including a 119-yard game against the Giants. The Ravens used Drake, whom the Raiders released late last summer, as their Week 1 starter.
The Colts added Drake after an August workout, and although they were grappling with Taylor’s trade request at that point, the seven-year veteran did not land on their 53-man roster. Drake has spent time with the Dolphins, Cardinals and Raiders. His 1,083 career touches outpace Robinson and Jones.
Injury trouble stalled Robinson’s ascent. Near the end of a second straight productive season in Jacksonville, Robinson suffered an Achilles tear. The Division I-FCS product, who set a rookie UDFA record with 1,414 yards (in only 14 games) with the 2020 Jaguars, was then traded midway through last season. Robinson, 25, did not play a notable role with the Jets, and both the Patriots and Giants waived him this offseason.
Although Jones has two Super Bowl rings now, he has seen other backs do the heavy lifting for those teams. The former second-round pick led the 2020 Buccaneers in rushing (978 yards), but Leonard Fournette moved into position as their primary back during the playoffs. Fournette then took over as Tampa Bay’s starter in 2021. Robinson, 26, has not come close to matching that 2020 showing since. The Chiefs did not use him much during their most recent Super Bowl-winning campaign; Jones took just 17 handoffs last season. He incurred a two-game PED ban in July, and the Cowboys prioritized their less experienced backs over creating a roster spot once the suspension ended.
Nick Chubb Suffers Multiple Ligament Tears, Out For Season
SEPTEMBER 20: The Browns made the expected move of shifting Chubb to IR. The team also confirmed Wednesday that the four-time Pro Bowler will miss the rest of the season. Hunt is now officially back on Cleveland’s roster as a replacement.
SEPTEMBER 18: Nick Chubb‘s injury is expected to sideline him for the rest of the season. The standout Browns running back is believed to have suffered multiple ligament tears, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
It is not known which ligaments are torn, but the cart coming out to transport Chubb off the field in Pittsburgh — and ABC opting to not show a close-up replay of the injury — pointed to this outcome. More tests are on tap for Chubb, but he is unlikely to play again until 2024. Kevin Stefanski soon confirmed Chubb is expected to be out for the season.
Chubb’s contract runs through the 2024 season, but this will obviously deal a blow to his career and the Browns’ 2023 season. This is the same knee Chubb hurt while at Georgia. In October 2015, Chubb tore the MCL, PCL and LCL in his left knee. He came back to re-establish his standing with the Bulldogs and has since become one of the NFL’s best running backs. But the perennial Pro Bowler will be facing a road back much later in his career. Chubb will turn 28 in December.
The 2018 second-round pick had entered Week 2 as one of the league’s most durable backs. Chubb suffered a sprained MCL in 2020, costing him four games. He missed two contests the following year due to a calf strain. Otherwise, the top-tier back had avoided setbacks and continued to produce each year for the Browns.
Chubb did well to secure a three-year, $36.6MM extension in July 2021. That deal did not top the market, with Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara and Ezekiel Elliott tied to higher-end contracts at that point. But Chubb collected $20MM guaranteed, signing a Browns re-up months after he became extension-eligible. While Chubb had long been taken care of — as the most recent RB to sign an eight-figure-per-year extension — he still participated in the Zoom meeting in which running backs discussed the declining state of their position. (That has since become the subject of an NFL grievance.) The injuries to Chubb and Saquon Barkley, who suffered a sprained ankle Sunday, will only intensify the attention given to the position.
While the likes of Michael Vick, Randall Cunningham and Russell Wilson sit above Chubb for career yards per carry, the modern Browns dynamo is in historically elite company among running backs in this department. Chubb came into Monday night with a 5.3-yard average, never finishing a season south of five yards per tote. For post-merger backs, only Jamaal Charles (5.4) and Bo Jackson reside above Chubb. He has ripped off four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, hitting a career-high 1,525 last year.
The Browns made some changes behind Chubb this offseason, letting Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson walk in free agency. Hunt had been Chubb’s backup since his personal conduct suspension ended midway through the 2019 season, while Johnson played behind both the standout backs in Cleveland. Johnson is now a Jaguar, while Hunt remains unsigned. Hunt has spoken to the Colts, Saints and Vikings but has not signed anywhere. Considering his experience in Stefanski’s system, a signing would not exactly be off the radar.
But Cleveland used Jerome Ford as Chubb’s primary backup in Pittsburgh. Ford totaled 106 yards on 16 carries. The Browns also obtained Pierre Strong via trade from the Patriots in August. An Alabama signee who transferred to Cincinnati, Ford posted a 1,300-yard season to help the Bearcats become the first Group of Five team to advance to the College Football Playoff in 2021. Last season, the Browns gave the fifth-round rookie only 15 carries. Upon letting Hunt’s contract expire, the Browns eyed a bigger role for Ford this season.
Ford, who clocked a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 Combine, should be expected to lead the way for a Browns team that has also lost veteran right tackle starter Jack Conklin. The former top-10 pick suffered ACL and MCL tears in Week 1. Attached to a $10.85MM base salary this season, Chubb is due an $11.78MM payout in 2024. This season, however, features the last of the guarantees in Chubb’s contract.
Browns, Kareem Hunt Agree To Terms
9:52am: A deal is in place, Cabot reports. The Browns are bringing Hunt back on a one-year contract worth up to $4MM, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Hunt, who spent the past four seasons with his hometown team, will be asked to help fill the void Chubb’s injury has created.
9:12am: Kareem Hunt‘s six-month stay in free agency may be winding down. Nick Chubb‘s gruesome injury led to the Browns surveying options, and after they brought their former 1-B back in for a visit, a deal appears close.
The Browns and Hunt are moving toward an agreement, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. A deal is expected to come together today. This would take one of the highest-profile free agents off the market and give the Browns an accomplished back who has extensive experience in Kevin Stefanski‘s system. The parties have not crossed the goal line on this deal yet, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates it should be done by the Browns’ Wednesday practice.
Cleveland has looked into Cam Akers, who looks to again be on the outs in Los Angeles, and Trey Sermon. But the latter signed with Indianapolis’ practice squad Tuesday. Hunt, 28, has always represented the simplest solution. The Browns gave the former Chiefs draftee a second chance via a 2019 agreement, after Hunt was caught on video assaulting a woman at a Cleveland hotel in 2018, and used him frequently as an overqualified Chubb backup. Hunt signed a two-year, $12MM extension in 2020 and played a key role in the Browns ended a near-two-decade playoff drought that season.
Of course, Hunt’s past two seasons have not gone as planned. Multiple injuries slowed him in 2021, an eight-game season for the former rushing champion, and he did not re-establish quality form last year. Hunt averaged 3.8 yards per carry — by far a career-low mark — and ranked miles behind Chubb in Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric, with the starter at an NFL-best 284 and backup at minus-10. The Browns still prioritized Hunt at multiple junctures last year, refusing to accommodate a summer trade request and then hanging onto him at the deadline. But the team was prepared to move on this offseason, building its backfield around Chubb and 2022 fifth-round pick Jerome Ford.
With Cleveland previously intending to let Hunt walk, the six-year veteran lingered in free agency and was not closely tied to any team until training camp. But Hunt has been busy over the past several weeks. He has visited the Vikings, Saints and Colts. Late last week, the Colts were still in discussions with the former Chiefs third-rounder. But it appears the Browns are willing to offer a better deal in this emergency circumstance. The team did not make Hunt an offer this offseason, per Cabot, who adds Hunt is down around 10 pounds from his 2022 playing weight. The Browns are hoping Hunt’s weight loss helps him excel in the passing-down role he held for years.
Chubb came into 2023 having never missed more than four games in an NFL season, but the perennial Pro Bowler is believed to have suffered multiple ligament tears early in the Browns’ Week 2 loss in Pittsburgh. Multiple surgeries may be necessary, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets, potentially clouding Chubb’s comeback attempt. Internal discussions have pointed to a surgery occurring before month’s end and another to take place weeks later, per Anderson, who adds Chubb is also believed to have sustained meniscus damage. This marks the second time Chubb sustained a major left knee injury. The 27-year-old star battled back after suffering multiple ligament tears while at Georgia in 2015.
The Browns, who have Chubb signed through 2024, turned to Ford as his primary replacement. Buoyed by a 69-yard run in the second half of the narrow defeat, Ford totaled 16 carries for 106 yards Monday night. While the Browns had a bigger role in mind for the ex-Cincinnati and Alabama performer this season, he played behind Chubb and Hunt as a rookie and finished Week 1 with 36 yards on 15 carries.
A Ford-Hunt backfield setup will provide some insurance for the Browns, and with Stefanski’s seat warming, it is unsurprising the team did not want to rely solely on a “next man up” process. Hunt expressed dissatisfaction with his contract last year, but his 2022 showing and the events of this offseason at the position did not give him much leverage. It appears the Willoughby, Ohio, native will end up back in Cleveland on a lower-cost deal soon.
Colts Add RB Trey Sermon To Practice Squad
With Jonathan Taylor‘s future with the Colts looming over the organization, the team has added an intriguing name to the running backs room. The Colts announced that they’ve signed running back Trey Sermon to the practice squad.
[RELATED: Colts Likely To Resume Jonathan Taylor Trade Talks]
It wasn’t all that long ago that Sermon looked like he could be the future RB for the 49ers. However, the 2021 third-round pick quickly fell behind 2021 sixth-round pick Elijah Mitchell in the pecking order, and Sermon was only thrown into the lineup when he was the last man standing. Sermon ended up starting two of his nine appearances during that 2021 campaign, finishing with 193 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.
The 49ers ended up cutting him at the end of the 2022 preseason, and he quickly caught on with the Eagles via waivers. He wasn’t able to make much of a dent in a deep Philly RBs room, with Sermon garnering a pair of carries (for 19 yards) in two appearances. Sermon was waived/injured by the Eagles back in August, and after passing through waivers and reverting to IR, the Eagles let him go for good last week.
Now he’ll be joining a Colts RB corps that’s a bit uncertain with their leading rusher sitting on PUP. It’s unknown if Taylor will even play again for Indy, leaving the team to figure out a contingency plan at the position. Zack Moss returned from injury in Week 2 and got all of the looks at RB for the Colts, stealing snaps from Week 1 starter Deon Jackson. The Colts are also rostering Jake Funk.
In other words, Sermon has a chance to carve out a role on a questionable depth chart. The team hinted that they could be seeking additional depth at the position when they worked out James Robinson earlier this month.
Seahawks Sign CB Artie Burns To Active Roster
Artie Burns is joining Seattle’s active roster. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks have signed the cornerback from their practice squad to the 53-man roster.
Burns struggled to live up to his first-round pedigree during his four seasons with the Steelers, starting only 32 of his 58 appearances. His fifth-year option was naturally declined, and the cornerback caught on with the Bears before the 2020 campaign. Unfortunately, a torn ACL knocked him out for the entire season, and he started six of his 11 games for Chicago during his comeback campaign in 2021.
He spent most of last year in Seattle, getting into three games. He re-signed with the organization this past offseason, and after getting cut during roster deadline day, he caught on with the practice squad. He’s already been promoted for both of Seattle’s two games this season, with the veteran appearing in 33 defensive snaps.
Riq Woolen suffered a chest injury during Sunday’s win over the Lions, potentially leaving the team with a depleted CB corps. Fortunately, Pete Carroll indicated that Burns’ promotion to the full-time roster wasn’t related to Woolen’s injury.
“He’s still sore; he’s sore today,” Carroll said of Woolen (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). “We’re just one day at a time. There’s nothing that we need to do other than treat him, and then we see if he can make it back. We’ll take it one day at a time.”
If Woolen is forced to miss time, Burns would be re-joining a depth chart that also features Tre Brown, Coby Bryant, Michael Jackson, Kyu Blu Kelly, and Devon Witherspoon.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/19/23
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Jacob Slade
- Released: WR Daniel Arias
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Milo Eifler
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Matthias Farley
- Released: DB Eric Rowe
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OT Dan Skipper
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DB Darius Rush
- Released: NT Danny Shelton
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Mykal Walker
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Cory Durden
- Released: P Brandon Wright
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Verone McKinley
- Released: S Joshua Kalu
New England Patriots
- Signed: QB Matt Corral
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Tiawan Mullen
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DB Chris Steele
- Released: WR Matt Landers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: G Logan Stenberg
Tennessee Titans
- Released: DE Michael Dwumfour
According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Matt Corral has landed back with the Patriots after going unclaimed on waivers. It’s been a busy few months for Corral, who has bounced on and off the Panthers and Patriots rosters. He’ll now return to New England as the organization’s third QB behind Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
Eric Rowe didn’t last all that long in Carolina after landing on the team’s practice squad in late August. The veteran defensive back spent the past four seasons in Miami, starting 39 of his 63 appearances. He’ll be replaced by Matthias Farley, who brings 100 games of experience to the Panthers. The safety has bounced around the league recently but didn’t miss a game between 2020 and 2022.
It took Mykal Walker a few weeks to find a new gig after getting cut by the Bears on roster deadline day. The former fourth-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Falcons, including a 2022 campaign where he finished with 107 tackles. He was surprisingly waived by Atlanta in mid-August before getting scooped up by Chicago. Now, he’ll have a chance to revive his career in Las Vegas.