Bears Place WR Dante Pettis On IR
Dante Pettis will not play a second Bears campaign. The team announced on Friday that the receiver and returner has been placed on IR. 
As a result of that move, Pettis will not be eligible to play in 2023. He signed with Chicago last offseason and contributed both on offense and special teams. He registered 19 catches for 245 yards and three touchdowns, while serving as the Bears’ punt returner. He ran back 18 punts on an average of 9.1 per return.
The former second-rounder opened training camp on the non-football injury list, and he was only activated earlier this month. That gave him limited opportunies to earn a place in Chicago’s new-look receiver room or the primary punt return gig. Both a depth role on offense and a more prominent one on special teams was something Pettis was in competition for with 2022 third-rounder Velus Jones. After finding himself on the roster bubble, the latter is now in better position to secure a spot during next week’s cutdowns.
Pettis re-signed for the veteran minimum in April after his debut Bears season. Today’s news will keep him sidelined for the campaign and hurt his value on the open market next offseason. After flashing potential as a rookie with 467 yards and five touchdowns, the Washington alum has failed to replicate that success during his subsequent campaigns, which were also spent with the 49ers and Giants. Another low-cost deal no doubt awaits him upon his return to full health.
In addition to moving on from Pettis, the Bears waived fellow wideout and returner Joe Reed with an injury designation. The latter, a 2020 Chargers fifth-round pick, made 11 appearances as a rookie but has yet to see any regular season action since then. He will revert to IR if he goes unclaimed.
Jets Release S Dane Cruikshank
Dane Cruikshank‘s time with the Jets will not last into the start of the regular season. The team announced on Friday that they have released the depth safety.
New York originally planned to use Chuck Clark as a starter on the backend, having acquired him via trade from the Ravens. That plan will not come to fruition this season, however, with the former sixth-rounder having suffered a torn ACL. Clark will spend the year on injured reserve, something which opened the door to Cruikshank joining the team in the wake of the former’s unfortunate injury development.
Cruikshank signed in July in a bid to find a depth role in on the backend. The former firth-rounder has primarily been used on special teams during his career, which began in Tennessee. He spent his first four years with the Titans, and in 2021 he saw extended usage on defense. Cruikshank made four starts and 14 appearances that year, and totaled 43 tackles.
That production earned him a deal with the Bears last March, but not a continuation of his defensive playtime. Cruikshank logged a 60% snap share on special teams in Chicago, and was on the field for only one defensive play during the campaign. He suffered a hamstring injury in November and landed on IR as a result. The ailment hurt his value on the open market, and his performances with the Jets in training camp and the preseason have not been sufficient to ensure a roster spot.
In Cruikshank’s absence, New York’s safety room now consists of starter Jordan Whitehead, along with free agent signing Adrian Amos and 2020 third-rounder Ashtyn Davis. The group also has former UDFA Tony Adams, whom ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes has impressed this summer (Twitter link). The Jets still have a slew of roster decisions to make before next week’s deadline for teams to confirm their 53-man squads, but one with implications for their special teams has already been made.
Bengals Waive DE Tarell Basham
The Bengals brought in Tarell Basham to compete for a depth role, but they have moved on days before roster cutdowns. The veteran defensive end was waived on Friday, per a team announcement. 
Basham signed with Cincinnati during the second wave of free agency, a move which saw him add further to his journeyman status. The 29-year-old has seen time with the Colts, Jets, Cowboys and Titans, splitting time between the latter two clubs in 2022. Basham joined the Bengals in the hopes of securing a rotational role behind Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard on the edge.
That goal was interrupted by an injury on the opening day of training camp, as noted by The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. (Twitter link). As a result, Basham fell behind other pass-rush contenders such as Joseph Ossai, Cam Sample and first-round rookie Myles Murphy for a roster spot. Presuming he goes unclaimed, Basham will now seek out another new home in the midst of impending roster cuts.
The former third-rounder played 42 of his 82 career games (and made 12 of his 18 starts) during his time in New York. He registered 3.5 sacks with the Jets in 2020, and matched that total the following year with the Cowboys. Dallas’ depth on the edge led to the team’s decision to move on from him midseason, however, which opened the door to a five-game stint in Tennessee to finish the campaign. Basham logged a notable 41% snap share with the Titans, but that did not translate to statistical success.
A smaller workload likely awaits the Ohio alum upon arrival with his next team. Basham will look for another new gig as squads sort out final roster decisions in the coming days, while the Bengals will move forward with their remaining edge rush contingent, a group which will look to improve on the team’s poor showing in the sack department (30) last season.
Browns To Trade QB Josh Dobbs To Cardinals
The Cardinals are still not done on the trade front. Arizona is on the acquiring end of a deal this time, however. The Browns are trading quarterback Josh Dobbs and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Cardinals for a 2024 fifth-rounder (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones was the first to report (via Twitter) that Dobbs was on his way to the desert.
Jones adds that that Kellen Mond has not, in fact, been placed on waivers. Such a move was announced by the team earlier today, but with Dobbs no longer in the fold, the Browns will retain Mond to keep three quarterbacks on the roster. Most significantly, this news confirms that rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson has done enough to win the backup job behind Deshaun Watson.
This move ends a second Dobbs tenure early. The Browns had rostered Dobbs as their Jacoby Brissett backup last year, but Watson’s return from suspension led to the team cutting him. Dobbs ended up in Detroit and then Tennessee, where he was immediately called upon to start (over Malik Willis) in the Titans’ final two games. Now, the veteran reserve, months after rejoining the Browns on a one-year deal worth $2MM, will join a Cardinals team that came into the day with five QBs rostered. The move points to Kyler Murray remaining on Arizona’s PUP list to start the season.
The trade also comes not long after Kevin Stefanski (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) had named Dobbs as their backup. That was believed to be the plan all along, with the seventh-year vet operating as QB2 as Thompson-Robinson developed. This move will still allow for Thompson-Robinson to grow behind Watson, though an injury to the starter would throw the fifth-round rookie into the fire.
Although Colt McCoy, David Blough, Jeff Driskel and fifth-round rookie Clayton Tune are on Arizona’s roster, the Cardinals brought in Dobbs, who has a history with new OC Drew Petzing. The Browns’ QBs coach last year will bring in Dobbs as McCoy insurance, per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss (on Twitter). McCoy’s season ended early because of a concussion last year, and he went on IR with another issue prior to that. An elbow problem sidelined McCoy to start this offseason program as well. The 14th-year veteran is going into his age-37 season. Under contract for one more year, McCoy considered retirement this offseason.
To start the year, the Cards’ depth chart will likely be McCoy-Dobbs-Tune at QB, Weinfuss adds. With Petzing on board as the play-caller, TheLandonDemand.com’s Tony Grossi notes the Cardinals tried to sign Dobbs as a free agent. Thompson-Robinson’s emergence changed the Browns’ thinking regarding their QB depth chart, per Grossi.
Despite Dobbs coming into the league as a 2017 fourth-round pick, he had only attempted 17 passes coming into December of last year. The Titans summoned the rocket scientist, and he completed 69% of his passes in a do-or-die game against a much healthier Jaguars squad. The injury-plagued Titans pushed the Jags in that Week 18 game, with Dobbs throwing for 232 yards and a touchdown. Mired in some QB uncertainty until Murray returns, the Cardinals now have the former Steelers draftee in a familiar system.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/23
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: WR Denzel Mims
Green Bay Packers
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: OL Jake Hanson
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Keaton Sutherland
- Placed on IR: OL Kilian Zierer
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: T Brandon Parker
New York Giants
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: OL Devery Hamilton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Re-signed: T Fred Johnson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: DT Anthony Montalvo
The Lions made a minor trade for Mims earlier this month, ending the former second-round pick’s unremarkable Jets tenure. But Mims struggled to catch on in Detroit as well. The Baylor alum is now headed toward free agency, should no one claim him. The Lions waived Mims with an injury designation, due to the fourth-year wideout encountering multiple ailments.
Parker landed on IR earlier this month. The Raiders will cut their former third-round pick loose. Depending on the terms of the settlement, Parker could return to the Raiders later this year. The sixth-year veteran could also land elsewhere, as this transaction will move him off Las Vegas’ IR. But the 32-game Raiders starter missed all of last season due to injury and moved out of the right tackle competition via injury once again this year.
The Eagles have circled back to Johnson quickly. After cutting the fifth-year veteran Wednesday, the defending NFC champions have him back in the fold on a two-year contract. The 26-year-old lineman had recently been promoted to second-team left tackle. Johnson started eight games for the Bengals from 2019-21.
Dolphins Sign LB Alexander Johnson
Coaching ex-Bronco defenders Bradley Chubb and Malik Reed once again, Vic Fangio will reunite with another of his former Denver cogs. Alexander Johnson signed with the Dolphins on Thursday.
Like Chubb and Reed, Johnson, 31, was a regular throughout Fangio’s Denver stay. Fangio’s arrival soon led to a regular role for Johnson, who played alongside Josey Jewell for three seasons in Denver. A 2021 pectoral injury, however, stalled the off-ball linebacker’s momentum.
[RELATED: Dolphins Meet With CB Bryce Callahan]
Coming into the NFL at 26 due to an off-field issue, Johnson played in just one game as a rookie in 2018. Early in the 2019 season, Fangio inserted the Tennessee alum into the starting lineup to spark the Broncos’ run defense. Pro Football Focus graded Johnson as that season’s third-best off-ball ‘backer. In 2020, Johnson totaled a career-high 124 tackles. Between those two years, Johnson forced four fumbles.
Prior to his October 2021 pectoral tear, Johnson received a second-round RFA tender to stay in Denver. However, this injury and having turned 30 just before his first free agency bid effectively scuttled Johnson’s market. The Seahawks signed the former UDFA late last year but only used him in one game. The Dolphins will provide a late-summer opportunity. Teams must finalize their 53-man rosters by 3pm CT on Tuesday; they can begin assembling their practice squads the following day. Clubs can keep up to six vested veterans on their 16-man taxi squad.
The Dolphins signed David Long to play alongside Jerome Baker at linebacker. Duke Riley and Andrew Van Ginkel are likely locked into backup jobs, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Channing Tindall, a third-rounder last year, has not enjoyed a quality training camp, per Jackson, though it is unlikely the Dolphins give up on him after two offseasons. Though, Tindall only played nine defensive snaps last year.
In addition to the Johnson signing, the team waived linebacker Mike Rose and waived safety Myles Dorn with an injury designation Thursday.
Seahawks Activate S Jamal Adams From Active/PUP List
Jamal Adams missed all but one game last season, but he remains on track to suit up for the start of the 2023 campaign. The Seahawks activated the All-Pro safety from the PUP list on Thursday. 
A torn quad tendon suffered in the season opener last year shut Adams down for the remainder of the campaign, and he has been rehabbing the injury every since. The ailment represented a major blow for a player who missed four games in 2020 and five the following season, leaving him sidelined for much of his tenure in Seattle.
Adams will not immediately return to full team drills, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson (Twitter link). That comes as no surprise, given the cautious approach the Seahawks have taken with respect to his rehab process. Taking part in training camp was in question during the spring, but a late-August activation will give the three-time Pro Bowler at least some time to prepare for Week 1 participation.
Retuning to the field, but more importantly, his previous form, would be a sizeable development for the Seahawks’ defense. Seattle struggled against the run last year, and the former Jets first-rounder will help in that regard upon his return. Adams would also provide depth and versatility at the safety spot with incumbent Quandre Diggs and free agent signing Julian Love in the fold as starters. What is already a strong secondary (in large part based on the play of 2022 fifth-round corner Tariq Woolen and the potential of first-round rookie Devon Witherspoon) will be boosted further when Adams is available.
The 27-year-old is on the books through 2025, and his cap burden makes his presence and performance a key storyline to watch moving forward. Adams is set to see his cap hit eclipse the $23MM mark starting next year, although with no guaranteed money due after 2023, his play this season could have major implications on his financial future. In the meantime, he is now clear to begin the next phase of his recovery as he heads toward a highly-anticipated return.
Cardinals Trade OL Josh Jones To Texans
A busy day on the trade front for the Cardinals continues. Arizona is sending offensive lineman Josh Jones to the Texans, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Cardinals (who have now confirmed the deal) will send Jones and a seventh-round pick to Houston for a fifth-rounder (Twitter links). 
As is the case with hybrid defender Isaiah Simmons, Jones is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Like Simmons, the Cardinals and new general manager Monti Ossenfort will move on from a Steve Keim-era draftee instead of seeing Jones potentially depart next offseason in free agency.
Jones saw only 55 offensive snaps as a rookie, but he took on a much more significant role in the two years since. The 26-year-old played all 17 games (including 12 starts), and saw time at both right tackle and right guard in 2021. His versatility was showcased to a further degree this past season when he logged 622 snaps, all but 12 of which came at left tackle while filling in for an injured D.J. Humphries.
The former third-rounder earned a career-high PFF grade of 75.8 in 2022, showcasing potential if given a full-time starting opportunity. The Cardinals have Humphries on the books for the next three seasons, however, and first-round rookie Paris Johnson Jr. is set to start right away at right tackle. Kelvin Beachum was retained, and he will now be assured of the swing tackle role. Moving on from Jones will result in $2.74MM in cap savings for the Cardinals.
The move also represents another in what has been a busy offseason along the O-line for the Texans. Both tackle starters (Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard) have signed lucrative extensions, and guard Shaq Mason was acquired via trade with the Buccaneers and later signed to a new deal. Jones – a native of Richmond, Texas who played collegiately at Houston – will be in place as a backup to all three of those entrenched starters.
As KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes (via Twitter), the Texans are in need of capable depth at the right tackle spot in particular as the regular season approaches. Howard is recovering from hand surgery, and his Week 1 availability remains up in the air. Charlie Heck, meanwhile, will begin the season on the PUP list while dealing with foot and back injuries, per Wilson. That will sideline the former fourth-rounder for at least the first four games of the campaign.
The Cardinals and Texans worked out a trade on Day 1 of the draft which allowed the latter to move up to No. 3 on the board and select Will Anderson. It was the first of two swaps Ossenfort authorized which ultimately resulted in Johnson – the Cardinals’ top target to bolster their O-line – being selected sixth overall. The teams have now partnered once again, with one adding valuable depth and the other adding further to its draft cupboard as part of a full-scale rebuild.
Cardinals Trade Isaiah Simmons To Giants
1:08pm: Providing further details on the financial implications of the deal, Howard Balzer of gophnx.com tweets that Simmons already had a roster bonus of $4.2MM paid out earlier in training camp. That figure, along with the outstanding signing bonus from his rookie contract, will leave Arizona with $5.56MM in cap commitments to their now-former starter. The Cardinals’ only financial savings will be Simmons’ $1.01MM base salary; the Giants will now be on the hook for that amount.
9:38am: Isaiah Simmons‘ time in Arizona is coming to an end. The Cardinals are trading the former first-rounder to the Giants in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round pick, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The deal is now official.
Expectations were high for Simmons upon arrival in Arizona, after he established himself as a highly athletic and versatile prospect. Finding a permanent spot for the hybrid defender has proven to be difficult in the NFL, however, and the Cardinals are moving on with one year remaining on his rookie contract. His 2023 cap hit sits at just over $6.57MM, and Arizona will see minimal savings with this trade.
The 25-year-old played at linebacker during his first three seasons with the Cardinals. The team declined to pick up his fifth-year option at a rate of $12.7MM after being classified at that position. Simmons later revealed that his move to safety was of his own choosing. Player and team appeared to be headed for at least one more year together, especially to see how effective the position change would prove to be. Instead, new Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort will cut bait with a Steve Keim draftee.
The Giants’ defense played a large role in the team’s surprise run to the divisional round of the playoffs last season, and the unit will again be counted on to be effective under second-year coordinator Don Martindale. New York lost a starting safety in Julian Love during free agency, but there is also plenty of uncertainty for the team at the inside linebacker spot. Former Colt Bobby Okereke is locked into one starting spot at the second level, but the other first-team role has been in the air during the summer.
Simmons could fill in at either spot, and it will be interesting to see if he is used in a similar fashion to how he wished to be deployed in Arizona. On that point, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweets the Giants plan to use him at the LB spot. The Clemson alum has filled the statsheet during his career with 258 tackles, 7.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles and four interceptions. Those figure have not translated to strong PFF grades, however, and issues in run defense helped contribute to the Cardinals’ decision to decline his fifth-year option and, now, move on altogether before his contract year began.
The rebuilding Cardinals are eyeing future assets as they look to contend further down the road. Given his age and draft pedigree, it appeared Simmons could have had at least a short-term future with the team, one whose defense already lost corner Byron Murphy and defensive lineman Zach Allen in free agency. That unit will be without another starter now, while the Giants will take a flier and see if Simmons can live up to his draft stock in Year 4. If that takes place, he could prove to be a highly worthwhile acquisition.
Vikings Release WR N’Keal Harry
N’Keal Harry‘s time in Minnesota has proven to be very short-lived. The former first-round receiver was released on Thursday, per a team announcement. 
Harry signed earlier this month in his latest attempt to find a long-term NFL home. He began his career with the Patriots in 2019, but he was unable to live up to expectations. The No. 32 pick in that year’s class made just 57 catches across three seasons in New England.
That underwhelming production resulted in a trade to Chicago with the Bears taking a flier on the Arizona State product. Harry was limited to seven games with the Bears, however, and he made the same number of catches. He thus had very little in the way of interest when his rookie deal expired, needing to wait until August to land a veteran minimum contract in search of a depth role in Minnesota.
A lower-body injury suffered in warmups before the Vikings’ last preseason game resulted in Harry’s contract being terminated, reports ESPN’s Kevin Seifert (Twitter link). Recovery from the ailment will be needed for the 25-year-old to find a spot on an active roster or a practice squad, likely after the dust has settled following next week’s roster cutdowns.
With the spot opened up by Harry’s release, the Vikings signed safety Jake Gervase. The latter spent the first four years of his career with the Rams, seeing very limited game time until last season. The former UDFA suited up for 14 contests in 2022, continuing his heavy usage on special teams. He will look to earn a third-phase role in Minnesota in the coming days and in doing so secure a 53-man roster spot.