Minor NFL Transactions: 6/6/23
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: QB Nolan Henderson
Buffalo Bills
- Released: RB Isaiah Bowser
Nolan Henderson joined the Ravens as an undrafted free agent out of Delaware. He finished his 2022 season with a UD single-season record 32 touchdowns, and there’s some hope he can stick around the NFL. However, he had limited opportunities for practice reps in Baltimore with Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Anthony Brown, and Josh Johnson ahead of him.
Isaiah Bowser, a Central Florida product, joined the Bills as an undrafted free agent last month. The running back had more than 1,500 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons.
49ers Sign DL Darryl Johnson
The 49ers have added a veteran defensive lineman. Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Darryl Johnson has signed a one-year deal with the 49ers. To make room on the roster, the team waived wideout Shae Wyatt.
Johnson, a former seventh-round pick out of North Carolina A&T, got into 31 games with the Bills through his first two seasons in the NFL. He was traded to the Panthers prior to the 2021 campaign, but a hamstring injury limited him to only three games.
He was snagged off waivers by the Seahawks at the end of the 2022 preseason. He collected four tackles in four games (one start) for Seattle before a foot injury ended his season early.
The 49ers have been busy adding to the defensive line this offseason. They selected USC defensive end Drake Jackson in the second round, and they gave veteran Javon Hargrave a four-year, $84MM contract. Despite adding top-end depth to a defensive line that already includes Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, the 49ers could still keep Johnson around as a back-of-the-depth-chart option and special teamer.
Wyatt went undrafted before signing with the 49ers back in May. The receiver had a standout season at Tulane in 2022, finishing with 35 receptions for 692 yards and seven touchdowns.
Vikings Sign RB DeWayne McBride, Complete Draft Pick Signings
The Vikings have officially signed their entire draft class. The team announced that they’ve inked seventh-round running back DeWayne McBride to his four-year rookie pact.
McBride spent three years at UAB, including a 2022 campaign where he earned C-USA Offensive Player of the Year honors after collecting 1,723 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns. This performance followed a breakout 2021 season where he rushed for more than 1,300 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.
His fumbling issues and lack of pass-catching ability led to him slipping to the seventh round of the draft. Fortunately for the rookie, he could have a chance to contribute with Dalvin Cook potentially out the door. Alexander Mattison would likely get the starting role if/when Cook is gone, but McBride could compete with 2022 fifth-round pick Ty Chandler for backup reps.
The Vikings finished the draft having selected six rookies, and each of those first-year players have now been signed to contracts. That grouping includes:
- Round 1, No. 23: Jordan Addison, WR (USC) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 102 (from 49ers): Mekhi Blackmon, CB (USC) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 134 (from Chiefs): Jay Ward, S (LSU) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 141 (from Raiders through Colts): Jaquelin Roy, DT (LSU) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 164 (from 49ers): Jaren Hall, QB (BYU) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 222 (from Broncos through 49ers): DeWayne McBride, RB (UAB)
Seahawks Sign Round 2 LB Derick Hall
The Seahawks now have two of their top three draft picks under contract. Edge rusher Derick Hall joined Jaxon Smith-Njigba in signing his four-year rookie deal. While the Smith-Njigba deal will not end up affecting others drafted in the same neighborhood, Hall’s will likely play a bigger role in rookies’ negotiations this year.
Hall’s through-2026 pact comes with three years fully guaranteed and $100K guaranteed in the fourth year, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The deal will also pay 85% of Hall’s signing bonus before training camp, which Pelissero notes is a first for a second-rounder. This agreement leaves only No. 5 overall pick Devon Witherspoon and second-round running back Zach Charbonnet as Seattle’s only unsigned draftees.
Chosen 37th overall, Hall is the highest second-round pick to sign this year. This marks the second straight year in which the No. 37 overall pick stands to influence other teams’ structures for second-round contracts. The Texans gave last year’s No. 37 pick, safety Jalen Pitre, three years fully guaranteed, marking an improvement after the 2021 draft saw the No. 34 overall pick represent the cutoff line for such terms. While rookie contracts are less complicated compared to the days before the landscape-reshaping 2011 CBA, second-rounders’ negotiations present some wiggle room.
Hall’s deal figures to influence the structures of the players taken before him in Round 2 — Joey Porter Jr., Will Levis, Sam LaPorta, Michael Mayer, Steve Avila — and agents representing the players chosen shortly after the Seahawks edge rusher will undoubtedly take notice as well. The cutoff line for three fully guaranteed years should be expected to move closer toward the middle of this year’s second round.
Hall wrapped the five-pick haul the Seahawks obtained from the Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade. The four first- or second-round picks from that deal wound up consisting of Charles Cross, Boye Mafe, Witherspoon and Hall. The Seahawks have made a concerted effort to bolster their pass rush over the past two years, selecting Maye and Hall after signing Uchenna Nwosu. They also signed ex-Broncos interior D-lineman Dre’Mont Jones to add punch to their interior rush.
An Auburn alum, Hall totaled nine sacks as a junior and 6.5 as a senior. In that time, he compiled 24 tackles for loss. Scouts Inc. viewed Hall as a considerable reach for Seattle, ranking the 254-pound edge-rushing prospect 66th overall. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah also did not have Hall as a top-50 prospect. The Seahawks have consistently made early-round picks not in line with pre-draft boards, as the Rashaad Penny, L.J. Collier and Jordyn Brooks picks illustrate. They did so again with Hall, who should at least provide rotational rush support as a rookie.
Cardinals Re-Sign LS Aaron Brewer
Despite an offseason regime change, the Cardinals look to have firm plans of Aaron Brewer coming back for an eighth season as their long snapper.
The veteran specialist re-signed with Arizona on Tuesday. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals waived long snapper Joe Fortunato. Brewer, an 11-year veteran who has been with the Cards since 2016, will still be expected to compete with rookie UDFA Matt Hembrough. But he is on track to continue his run with the NFC West franchise.
A pectoral injury ended Brewer’s 2022 season early, leading to an IR placement ahead of Arizona’s Week 17 game. Brewer has recovered from that ailment, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com notes. He will join Matt Prater among Cardinals specialists coming back under the Monti Ossenfort–Jonathan Gannon regime. Prater re-signed with the team in March.
This is Brewer’s fourth contract with the Cardinals. After being the long snapper for a Super Bowl-winning Broncos team in 2015, he signed a two-year Cardinals deal. Arizona later gave him a four-year pact. In 2022, Brewer signed a one-year deal. It should not be expected Brewer will see much more money on this agreement, as long snappers’ earnings are capped near the league minimum, but the Cardinals are offering the veteran snapper a chance to continue his career.
Only 2015 first-rounder D.J. Humphries has been with the Cardinals longer than Brewer, who joined the team in September 2016. The former Denver UDFA has snapped in 98 games with Arizona. Fortunato, who has one regular-season game (with the 2021 Packers) on his resume, signed a reserve/futures contract with the Cardinals in January. The team added Hembrough in May.
Bills, DT Ed Oliver Reach Agreement On Extension
JUNE 6: Further details on the extension are in, courtesy of ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link). Oliver will receive a $14.75MM signing bonus via his extension, which has cap implications for 2023. His charge for this season has dropped to $5.775MM (compared to the $10.75MM it would have been on the fifth-year option). Buffalo has already used some of those savings on their deal for edge rusher Leonard Floyd.
JUNE 3: After four strong years on the Bills defensive line, defensive tackle Ed Oliver will avoid playing out his fifth-year option to free agency after agreeing to an extension, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Oliver’s new contract is reportedly a four-year deal worth $68MM, $45MM of which will be guaranteed. 
Oliver isn’t the flashiest of defenders, as many in his position aren’t, but since getting drafted at No. 9 overall back in 2019, Oliver has done his job and done it well. While not elite in any area of the game, Oliver has been a good all-around defender in Buffalo, delivering strong performances as both a run defender and a pass rusher. He didn’t have his best season in 2022, but according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Oliver was the 13th best interior defender in 2020 and the 23rd in 2021.
As a rookie in 2019, Oliver became an immediate contributor rotating in the defensive front alongside Jordan Phillips and Star Lotulelei. He finished his rookie year with five sacks and five tackles for loss. He held down a similar role in his sophomore season, anchoring a rotation that now included Quinton Jefferson and Vernon Butler but now starting every game. In 2021, Oliver became a mainstay on the defensive line, playing more snaps than any other Bills defensive lineman. His playing time that year about doubled any other tackle on the team besides Harrison Phillips, and he rewarded Buffalo with a disruptive four sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Last year, DaQuan Jones replaced Phillips as Oliver’s right-hand man as the two dominated the defensive tackles’ snap share.
So far in his career, Oliver has proven to be an above average pass rusher with 14.5 career sacks from the interior as well as 42 quarterback hits, a disruptive run stopper with 30 career tackles for loss, and an all-around nuisance with 11 swatted passes and four forced fumbles. He’s been a steady, reliable contributor, appearing in all but four games over the course of his career, as well.
Oliver’s new deal is reflective of his status in the NFL. Not considered an elite athlete at his position but still respected as a strong contributor, the $17MM annual average value of Oliver’s extension ranks 11th among NFL defensive tackles. The league’s better tackles make north of $20MM per year while an all-time great like Aaron Donald makes just over $30MM per year. The $45MM guaranteed, though, ranks sixth-most among active defensive tackle contracts.
Five other defensive tackles were taken in the first round of 2019: Quinnen Williams, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons, and Jerry Tillery. Tillery was waived by the Chargers midseason last year. Lawrence agreed to an impressive four-year, $87.5MM deal almost a month ago, and Simmons topped both Oliver and Lawrence with a four-year, $94MM extension, a deal that would top the position if not for Donald. Williams is currently in discussions with the Jets for an extension and should expect a strong one after a first-team All-Pro 2022 season. Wilkins is also in discussions with Miami, but he likely shouldn’t expect to reach the heights of Simmons, Lawrence, or Williams. After two strong seasons, Wilkins may see a deal similar to Oliver’s, but an inconsistent start to his career may limit what he receives.
Back in Buffalo, though, the Bills have locked down the future of their defensive line, especially considering every other experienced defensive tackle on the roster (Jones, Phillips, Tim Settle, and Poona Ford) is set for free agency at the conclusion of the upcoming season. Oliver joins tight end Dawson Knox, who received an extension of his own last September, as the only remaining members of Buffalo’s 2019 draft class.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/5/23
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Dylan Mabin, CB Bobby Price
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Breon Borders
- Waived: CB Jamal Peters
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Nick Williams
- Waived: RB Damarea Crockett
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Ed Lee
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Darius Hagans, OL Jarrid Williams
- Waived: WR Cody Chrest
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Jacob Sykes
- Waived: WR C.J. Johnson, DT Forrest Merrill
Borders worked out for the Falcons on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. This will be team No. 11 for Borders, who is moving toward Josh Johnson journeyman territory — at least for volume. A former Raiders UDFA, Borders played in one game last season — with the Bears — after a 12-game 2021 (in Chicago and Arizona). Borders’ most notable NFL stint came when he started five games for the eventual AFC South champion Titans in 2020. Borders has also caught on with Buffalo, Houston, Jacksonville, Washington, Pittsburgh and Miami.
A 2019 UDFA, Crockett had been with the Broncos since 2020. He served as backfield depth in Denver, but all of his playing time came in 2021 — mostly on special teams. Crockett’s career encountered a speedbump during training camp last year; the Missouri alum suffered a torn ACL.
Cowboys Sign WR Tyron Johnson, Cut WR Antonio Callaway
Tyron Johnson has now found a home with a ninth NFL team. The fifth-year wide receiver received a Cowboys workout opportunity Monday, and the team announced an agreement is in place.
In a corresponding move, the Cowboys cut wideout Antonio Callaway. The former Browns draftee has joined Johnson in bouncing around the league, but his latest opportunity may be coming to an end because of an off-field matter. Callaway was arrested Saturday in Miami for driving with a suspended license, Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640 tweets.
The Cowboys had signed Callaway to a reserve/futures contract in January, doing so despite the Florida alum having not played in a regular-season NFL game since 2020. Callaway, who also spent time in the XFL during the league’s initial relaunch in 2020, emerged with a promising rookie season in Cleveland (43 catches, 586 yards, five touchdowns) but has been unable to come particularly close to replicating that.
Dallas is the fourth team to sign Callaway, who spent time in Miami and Kansas City since the Browns waived him midway through the 2019 season. Callaway received a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy — a harsher standard prior to the 2020 CBA being ratified — and has only played in five games since.
Originally a 2019 Texans UDFA, Johnson has since bounced to the Bills, Panthers, Chargers, Jaguars, Raiders, Bengals and 49ers. The Texans reacquired Johnson, who finished his college career at Oklahoma State, on multiple occasions. The 49ers waived him last month. Johnson, 27, played in four games — with the Chargers and Texans — last season. His most notable NFL work has come as a kick returner. The Cowboys have that role covered, with ex-USFLer-turned-All-Pro KaVontae Turpin going into his second season.
Bills, OLB Leonard Floyd Agree To Deal
6:25pm: Floyd agreed to join the Bills on a deal that pays $7MM in base value, Rapoport tweets. Incentives can take the contract to $9MM. While this is well off Floyd’s previous NFL contract — a four-year, $64MM pact the Rams shed in March — the former first-round pick still did reasonably well after spending nearly three months in free agency. Floyd received other offers, per Rapoport, who adds he turned down a more lucrative one to land with a contender in Buffalo.
8:58am: The next domino has fallen with respect to veteran edge rusher landing new contracts deep into free agency. Leonard Floyd has agreed to a one-year-deal with the Bills, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 
The move will give Buffalo another experienced presence on the edge, and Floyd will be reunited with Von Miller after the pair spent time together with the Rams during their Super Bowl run. The latter is aiming to return to the lineup for Week 1 after his ACL tear, but Floyd will provide insurance for the team if that does not take place. When the Bills’ edge group is at full strength, it will have an intriguing mix of experience and upside.
Floyd enjoyed a successful run in Los Angeles after a generally underwhelming start to his career in Chicago. The 30-year-old posted 10.5, then 9.5 and 9.0 sacks in his three years with the Rams, and was a crucial part of their defense during his time there. No other edge rusher recorded more than one sack for the team in 2022, though they still committed to parting ways with the veteran this offseason.
After failing to find a trade partner willing to take on the remainder of the contract Floyd signed in 2021, the Rams released him. That fell in line with their moves at other spots on the roster, as they look to reset financially and move past what was a highly disappointing 2022 campaign. It left Floyd on the open market amongst many other accomplished pass rushers, though, and the position’s market has remained cool through June.
Floyd has landed in a new home where there could be signficant competition for playing time, especially once Miller is healthy. The Bills have 2021 first-round pick Gregory Rousseau, along with former second-rounders A.J. Epenesa and Carlos Basham Jr. in the fold; they also re-signed veteran Shaq Lawson this offseason. Floyd logged a snap share of at least 80% in all three of his Rams seasons, so he is capable of handling a heavy workload if need be.
Given the team’s depth, however, the former first-rounder is likely in line for a smaller role in Buffalo, a team which ranked mid-pack with 40 sacks last season. A strong campaign from Floyd would help boost his free agent stock ahead of next offseason, while also providing a boost up front to a team which is once again eyeing a deep postseason run.
Ravens To Sign WR Laquon Treadwell
The Ravens’ re-tooling of the receiver room continues. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Laquon Treadwell has agreed to terms on a deal with Baltimore (Twitter link). 
Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport tweets that the deal will be signed tomorrow. The move represents another (albeit more minor) addition at the WR spot for the Ravens, a team which was active both in free agency and the draft this offseason. Their approach was highlighted by signing Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year, $15MM deal and selecting Zay Flowers with their first-round pick.
Expectations will be far higher for those two than for Treadwell, despite the fact the latter is also a former Day 1 pick. His career began in Minnesota, but he put up underwhelming numbers on his rookie contract and has bounced around the league since then. Treadwell’s best season came with the Jaguars in 2021, when he recorded a 33/434/1 statline.
The 27-year-old was among Jacksonville’s final roster cuts at the start of the campaign, however, leaving him on the move once again. Treadwell spent time on the Patriots’, Cardinals’ and Seahawks’ practice squads during much of the 2022 season, and he made six total appearances in Seattle. His 34% snap share in the Emerald City was the fourth-highest mark of his career, though he only managed six catches.
In Baltimore, the Ole Miss product will join a crowded receiver room compared to recent seasons. In addition to Beckham and Flowers, the Ravens have 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman, along with veteran signing Nelson Agholor and 2020 draftees Devin Duvernay and James Proche in the fold. Treadwell will look to earn a spot amongst those pass-catchers during the summer, and in doing so perhaps aim to generate some career stability along the way.