Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/23
Saturday’s lone minor move in the NFL:
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: WR Easop Winston Jr.
Winston, 26, saw his only regular season game action come with the Saints in 2021. In a three-game stint in New Orleans, he racked up 119 scoreless yards on 10 catches. The former UDFA was claimed off waivers by the Browns this past August, but wasn’t able to land a spot on their 53-man roster. He joined Seattle’s practice squad in October and signed a reserve deal with them at the end of the season. Now, he will look for a new NFL home.
NFL Coaching Updates: Chargers, Bucs, Colts
The Chargers announced that they had officially finalized their coaching staff for the 2023 season this week. Los Angeles had a semi-busy offseason after changing both coordinators but, ultimately, kept most of the same support staff around the new coaches. We’ve noted a number of their offseason changes already on this site, but a few in this week’s announcement were new.
The Chargers used the announcement to officially announce the hiring of new offensive assistant Phil Serchia. For the last three years, Serchia has served as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.
Serchia is likely taking the spot of former offensive assistant Mike Hiestand. Hiestand will be changing sides of the ball to serve on defense as the team’s front seven specialist. Also taking a role change is former defensive assistant John Timu. Timu has been promoted to the position of assistant defensive line coach for the 2023 season.
Here are a few other coaching updates from around the league:
- The Buccaneers have added an experienced veteran to their coaching staff in a minor role, according to team senior writer/editor Scott Smith. David Raih has been brought on to serve in the role of offensive analyst. Raih has had stints as a wide receivers coach for the Packers and Cardinals but most recently served as offensive coordinator at Vanderbilt in 2021.
- The Colts made their one and only change to their defensive staff last week, hiring Payton McCollum to the role of defensive assistant, according to Josh Alper of NBC Sports. McCollum only has offensive experience on his resume, serving as an offensive analyst at Eastern Michigan and quarterbacks coach at the University of Washington in recent years. His only NFL experience dates back to 2017 when McCollum spent two seasons as an offensive assistant with the Lions.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/14/23
Today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: QB Jeff Driskel
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: OLB Quinton Bell, DL Amani Bledsoe
- Waived: Jovante Moffatt
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Kevin Jarvis
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: S Vernon Scott
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Tanner Muse
Muse’s career was in doubt early when the former third-round pick was waived by the Raiders just before his second year without him ever having played a snap for the team that drafted him. After joining the Seahawks practice squad in 2021, Muse worked to get back on track after an injury-riddled rookie season.
After working his way onto the active roster late into his first season in Seattle, Muse played in every game for the Seahawks in 2022. Serving primarily as a core special teamer, Muse even began to earn some playing time on defense late in the year.
Chiefs Re-Sign WR Justin Watson
After a one-year tryout contract, Kansas City has decided to extend wide receiver Justin Watson‘s tenure with the Chiefs, according to the Twitter account of Watson’s agency, JL Sports. The Chiefs signed him to a new two-year contract worth $3.5MM, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The deal includes a guaranteed amount of $1.4MM and a potential $2.5MM in escalators and incentives that could bring the overall value of the contract up to $6MM. 
In an offense that lost star wide receiver Tyreek Hill and saw both Mecole Hardman and Kadarius Toney miss much of the season with injuries, Watson provided some reliable depth. The Chiefs saw three new free agent additions lead their wide receiving corps last season as JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Watson were first, second, and third at the position in receiving yards.
Although Watson ranked only fifth on the team in receiving, 2022 was a career year for him. He matched career-highs in catches (15) and touchdowns (2) but expanded his route tree a bit down the field as he nearly doubled his previous high in receiving yards with 315, despite having the same number of receptions as his previous high. Last year was also extremely productive for Watson in terms of proving that he could stay on the field after only appearing in one game for the Buccaneers in 2021. In his first season with the Chiefs, Watson played in every game (except the AFC Championship game), starting five contests.
Kansas City lost Smith-Schuster and Hardman to free agency this offseason but return Valdes-Scantling, Toney, and second-year wideout Skyy Moore. The Chiefs also brought in former 49ers and Giants wide receiver Richie James and return a number of receivers who were on the roster but didn’t record any offensive statistics last season.
The losses of Smith-Schuster and Hardman open a door for Watson to increase his role on the Chiefs offense, but he’ll have to beat out James and several other backups for those targets. Regardless, Watson provides the Chiefs with consistent depth at the wide receiver position as well as a player who can contribute on offense and special teams.
Steelers Claim P Braden Mann
Braden Mann‘s rookie contract remains active. The Steelers will add the former Jets punter via a Friday waiver claim, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
One season remains on Mann’s contract. After the Jets dangled Mann in trades, they decided to waive him. They are going with veteran Thomas Morstead this year. The Steelers will step in to provide Mann an opportunity.
A sixth-round pick in 2020, Mann will join a Steelers roster featuring Pressley Harvin as the incumbent punter. The Steelers selected Harvin in the 2021 seventh round and have used the Georgia Tech product as their punter in 32 of their 34 games over the past two seasons.
Harvin ranked 28th in yards per punt last season; Mann checked in at 17th. While Morstead outperformed Mann in terms of punts inside the 20-yard line in 2022, Harvin did not. The former ACC specialist placed just 29% of his punts inside the 20; Mann finished with a 32.5% mark in that area. While field position and gunner success factor into this as well, Harvin’s mark ranked 29th in this category last season. The Steelers will understandably bring in some competition.
Mann won the Ray Guy award, given to the top Division I-FBS punter, as a junior in 2018 and earned All-American acclaim in 2019 as well. Mann missed seven games due to injury in 2021, but last season’s 46.9-yard average marked his best as a pro. The Steelers are picking up Mann’s $1MM base salary, but nothing is guaranteed. If Mann were to lose out to Harvin for the job, the Steelers can move on virtually free of charge.
Bengals Re-Sign TE Drew Sample
Losing their starting tight end in free agency for a second straight offseason, the Bengals may be looking to add at the position in the draft. But they brought back one of their previous high picks at the position Friday as well.
Drew Sample is returning to Cincinnati on a one-year deal, according to the team. The Bengals used a second-round pick on Sample back in 2019, and the former C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst backup/blocking specialist will outlast both in Ohio. Hurst signed with the Panthers — on this year’s most lucrative free agency tight end deal — early in free agency.
An early-season knee injury, which required surgery, limited Sample to two games last year. Prior to this Bengals reunion, Sample visited the Cardinals. Rather than join a retooling team with Zach Ertz and Trey McBride in the fold, he will stay in Cincy’s Joe Burrow-piloted offense. Sample will now join Irv Smith Jr. in the Bengals’ tight end room; the former Vikings second-round pick signed with the Bengals this offseason.
Sample, who will turn 27 on Sunday, has not factored into the Bengals’ passing attack prominently since arriving as the No. 52 overall pick four years ago. The 6-foot-4 tight end has only topped 100 receiving yards in one season. But he did play 868 offensive snaps during the 2020 slate, topping out with 40 catches for 349 yards and his only career touchdown. Since, Sample has just 13 receptions.
But the Bengals have predominantly used the former Washington performer in the run game. Sample worked extensively as a blocker during his rookie contract. Although it is not certain Joe Mixon will be back for a seventh season, the Bengals plan on having Sample helping Mixon or his replacement find running room in 2023.
Panthers Bring Back WR Damiere Byrd
After bouncing around the league over the past four years, Damiere Byrd will head back to where his NFL career began. The Panthers signed the veteran wide receiver Friday.
Byrd, 30, has been with five different teams over the past five years. But his most extended stretch with one NFL franchise came from 2015-18, when the former UDFA played for Carolina. While the Panthers have new decision-makers in place now, the Ron Rivera-era addition will return to compete for a spot on Frank Reich‘s team.
Byrd spent last season with the Falcons, with whom he averaged a career-high 20.6 yards per reception (13 catches, 268 yards). Prior to that, the 5-foot-9 pass catcher suited up for the Bears (2021), Patriots (2020) and Cardinals (2019). Byrd will follow Adam Thielen and DJ Chark as Panthers receiver additions this offseason.
Carolina moved on from Byrd by non-tendering him as a restricted free agent back in 2019. Byrd had not made much of an impact to that point in his career, catching just 12 passes over his first four years in the league. Byrd’s time away from the Panthers improved his receiving chops. He contributed as a tertiary target for each of his past four teams, with the most notable work coming in New England. Working with Cam Newton again, Byrd amassed a career-high 604 receiving yards for the 2020 Patriots. That production — and the 4.28-second 40-yard dash time Byrd clocked as a prospect — has undoubtedly contributed to other teams taking fliers on the South Carolina alum.
Although Byrd has undoubtedly picked up some contacts around the league during his journeyman phase, he has not worked with Reich, GM Scott Fitterer or any of Reich’s top offensive staffers. Byrd also has not played much special teams since leaving Carolina; the 175-pound pass catcher has not topped 10 ST snaps in any of the past four seasons. He did make cameos in kick- and punt-return roles in Carolina but not much in the years since.
The Panthers still figure to be on the radar for receiving help in the draft, but Byrd stands to compete for a roster spot over the next several months. Terrace Marshall, Laviska Shenault and Shi Smith also stand to factor into competition for supporting-cast gigs behind the two free agent acquisitions.
49ers To Re-Sign DE Kerry Hyder
Three of Nick Bosa‘s sidekicks left early in free agency. Samson Ebukam (Colts), Charles Omenihu (Chiefs) and Jordan Willis (Raiders) departing left some needs up front for the 49ers. But the defending NFC West champions will keep another of their supporting-cast pass rushers.
Kerry Hyder reached an agreement Friday to stay in San Francisco, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The team will make another bet on the soon-to-be 32-year-old edge defender, who has now signed three 49ers contracts in four years.
The former Lions UDFA put together one of the best seasons of his career in 2020, producing during a season when Bosa went down in Week 2. Hyder racked up 8.5 sacks that year and parlayed that into a three-year, $16.5MM Seahawks deal. Seattle ended up cutting bait after Hyder’s one-sack 2021, leading him back to the Bay Area. Although Hyder registered just one sack last season, the 49ers will bring him back.
While Hyder production has been scarce since 2020, he has been fairly durable. The 275-pound auxiliary rusher has not missed more than two games in a season since 2018. With Ebukam, Omenihu and Willis moving on, there might be more snaps available for Hyder on the Bosa- and Arik Armstead-led defensive line. After totaling 721 defensive snaps in 2020, Hyder’s San Francisco return involved just 356 in 16 games. Hyder, however, played inside more often; his return to the 49ers’ 53-man roster would provide some more flexibility for new DC Steve Wilks and well-regarded D-line coach Kris Kocurek.
San Francisco probably still could use help on the edge. Hyder and a flier on ex-Raiders top-five pick Clelin Ferrell represent the most notable D-end investments in the wake of the Ebukam and Omenihu departures. Of course, the 49ers devoted extensive funds to their defensive interior by giving Javon Hargrave a four-year, $84MM deal to work with Bosa and Armstead. The team also has 2022 second-round pick Drake Jackson in place as a potential fourth starter. Hyder, who also compiled eight sacks with the Lions in 2016, will likely vie for a backup gig.
Falcons To Sign OLB Bud Dupree
A Bud Dupree Steelers reunion will not take place this year. The veteran pass rusher is instead set to join the Falcons on a one-year deal (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that the contract has a maximum value of $5MM. 
The 30-year-old joined the Titans in 2021 with massive expectations given his production in Pittsburgh. He failed to live up to them, however, and spent only two underwhelming campaigns in Nashville. Dupree was one of several veterans the Titans have moved on from this offseason, and he has spent the past few weeks weighing his options as he looks to rebuild his value.
That process included a visit with the Steelers, something which led to the belief that a deal sending him back to Pittsburgh could be forthcoming. It was with the Steelers that Dupree spent the first six years of his career, a stretch which included his 11.5-sack campaign in 2019. Injuries were among the reasons he was unable to replicate that success in Tennessee, though, and it comes as little surprise that he is inking a prove-it deal worth far less than the five-year, $82MM accord he landed the last time he was a free agent.
Pittsburgh remained a serious contender for Dupree, Schefter’s colleague Jeremy Fowler tweets. It was the latter’s insistence on a one (rather than two-year) pact which steered him away, however. As a result, he represents the latest significant addition made on defense by the Falcons, a team which has been busy on both the free agent and trade fronts in targeting upgrades on that side of the ball.
That has included the big-ticket signing of safety Jessie Bates and, more recently, the trade which allowed them to acquire cornerback Jeff Okudah from the Lions. Those deals will make an impact on the Falcons’ secondary, but Dupree will look to help the team’s pass rush, something which has been a significant weak spot in recent years. Atlanta recorded 21 sacks last season, the second-lowest figure in the league. Dupree’s form in Tennessee suggests he won’t make a massive impact on that total, but he will provide a noteworthy presence on the edge for the new-look defense.
Atlanta entered Friday with slightly more than $10.3MM in cap space, a figure which will drop considerably with this deal now in place. Even if it is the last notable one on the free agent front, the team is in line to take a considerable step forward on defense in particular in 2023. Dupree, meanwhile, will look to put together a healthy campaign for the first time since 2019 and earn himself a new deal next offseason in the process.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/13/23
Minor transactions from around the league today:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OT Jackson Barton
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: WR Willie Johnson