Jaguars Place Tavon Austin On IR
The Jaguars have placed wide receiver Tavon Austin on injured reserve, per a club announcement. The team did not disclose Austin’s injury, but the issue will keep him sidelined for an extended period.
It’s a frustrating setback for Austin, who lost time to injury last year with the Niners. He healed up later in the season to join the Packers, but didn’t see a ton of snaps in Green Bay. All in all, he finished with five catches for 20 yards across four games as a Packer.
Austin, the eighth overall pick of the 2013 draft, has been used more as a gadget player and returner than a true receiver in recent years. He was expected to return punts for the Jaguars and see some time in the new-look offense, but those plans have been scuttled for now.
“He played really well Sunday,” head coach Urban Meyer told reporters on Tuesday . “We think with Joe and with Tosh, he’s a guy that it’s time to play. He’s been around and I can see the urgency in his look, in his practice and in the way he played.”
With Austin out of the picture, the Jaguars are left with five receivers in DJ Chark, Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault, Jamal Agnew, and Tyron Johnson.
Vikings To Sign P Jordan Berry
The previously noted Britton Colquitt procedural return does not look like it will end up coming to pass. Instead, the Vikings intend to sign former Steelers punter Jordan Berry, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Minnesota released Colquitt on Wednesday, but the veteran was back at the team’s facility Thursday. The second-generation NFL punter appears to need other plans now, with the Vikings pivoting to Berry.
Berry received his walking papers from the Steelers on Monday, with the team going with drafted punter Pressley Harvin III. Berry was with the Steelers from 2015-20. Interestingly, his 11-game 2020 Pittsburgh slate came after the Steelers opted to cut Dustin Colquitt, Britton’s older brother, in October.
Britton Colquitt operated as the Vikings’ punter for the past two seasons, playing in all 32 Minnesota regular-season games in that span. The 11-year veteran is going into his age-36 season. Berry turned 30 earlier this year.
Raiders To Sign LB K.J. Wright
K.J. Wright‘s lengthy offseason in free agency looks like it is coming to an end. The veteran linebacker is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Raiders, NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweets. The Raiders met with Wright nearly a month ago, and the parties are belatedly moving forward on an agreement.
The Raiders have battled some linebacker injury trouble and acquired Denzel Perryman from the Panthers last week. While Perryman played for new Las Vegas DC Gus Bradley, so did Wright. Bradley was Seattle’s DC during Wright’s first two NFL seasons nearly a decade ago.
After the Seahawks drafted Jordyn Brooks in the 2020 first round, it appeared Wright would not receive a fourth contract from the team. This Las Vegas agreement will lead to Wright’s first relocation since entering the NFL.
The Seahawks took Wright in the 2011 fourth round and used him as a starter for 10 seasons. The veteran defender was open to a Seattle return but did not want to do so on a discount. However, it is unlikely Wright’s Raiders agreement will approach the two-year, $14MM Seahawks pact he signed in 2019.
Vegas’ linebacking corps brings together a mix of holdovers and former Bradley charges, but this now looks like a deep group that could be considerably better than last year’s corps. The Raiders kept seven linebackers on roster cutdown day, including third-round pick Divine Deablo, who is transitioning from safety. The Silver and Black also have returning starters Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski and Nicholas Morrow on the roster. Morrow has battled an ankle injury, leading to the Perryman acquisition. Wright is unlikely to be joining the Raiders to be a backup, so Vegas’ starting lineup stands to undergo more changes ahead of the season.
Wright, 32, has made 140 starts over the course of his career, working as an outside linebacker in the Seahawks’ 4-3 scheme. Despite his unattached status since March, Wright graded as a top-10 off-ball ‘backer (per Pro Football Focus) last season. He has five 100-plus-tackle seasons, and he notched 11 tackles for loss and 10 passes defensed last year. No only player accomplished that particular double-double in 2020.
Seahawks Shift Cedric Ogbuehi To IR
Cedric Ogbuehi‘s second Seahawks season will not start on time. The team placed the veteran tackle on IR Thursday. This will sideline Ogbuehi until at least Week 4.
The former first-round pick is dealing with a biceps injury presently, so the Seahawks will need to adjust their second-string offensive line plans. Ogbuehi re-signed with Seattle this offseason. Going into his seventh year, Ogbuehi is expected to be Brandon Shell‘s primary backup at right tackle.
Ogbuehi played just eight games in 2020, starting four, but did enough to return to the Seahawks — his third NFL team. The Bengals drafted Ogbuehi in 2015, but after he did not meet expectations, the Texas A&M product had to settle for a low-cost Jaguars deal in 2019 before coming to Seattle.
The Seahawks added a tackle on the waiver wire Wednesday, bringing in ex-49ers blocker Dakoda Shepley. He joins Jamarco Jones and rookie Stone Forsythe as backup Hawks tackles. Though Shell and Duane Brown comprise Seattle’s optimal tackle duo, Brown remains out of the mix due to a hold-in effort. The Pro Bowler has not practiced since last season, putting the Seahawks in a tight spot as the season nears.
Ravens Re-Sign OLB Pernell McPhee
In moving their roster to 53 players, the Ravens released a few vested veterans Tuesday. One of them will rejoin the team. The Ravens re-signed Pernell McPhee on Thursday.
The Ravens moving McPhee off their roster allowed them to avoid losing a non-vested veteran on the waiver wire, and after some Wednesday roster moves, the team will have the veteran pass rusher back. The Ravens placed both Miles Boykin and Rashod Bateman on IR, sidelining them until at least Week 4 but clearing two roster spots.
Baltimore re-signed McPhee this offseason, extending this lengthy partnership. A 2011 Ravens draftee, McPhee played four seasons in Baltimore and circled back to Maryland in 2019. He has played the past two seasons there. McPhee has recorded three sacks in each of the past two seasons in Don Martindale‘s 3-4 scheme. The 32-year-old defender started 13 games in 2020 but re-signed for barely the league minimum this year.
After letting more high-profile edge rushers walk in free agency, with Matt Judon signing with the Patriots and Yannick Ngakoue joining the Raiders, the Ravens prioritized keeping McPhee on the low-cost deal. He and Tyus Bowser re-signed this year, and they will team with new arrivals Justin Houston and first-round pick Odafe Oweh among Baltimore’s edge-rushing contingent this season.
Cowboys Place DT Neville Gallimore, CB Kelvin Joseph On IR
Two young Cowboys contributors will miss at least the team’s September portion of the season. Both defensive tackle Neville Gallimore and rookie cornerback Kelvin Joseph will begin their seasons on IR.
Gallimore is recovering from a dislocated elbow, while Joseph suffered a groin injury during Dallas’ preseason finale last week. While each is expected to return this season, neither can do so before Week 4. Gallimore’s timeline lines up with that return date.
The Cowboys made Joseph one of their top additions this offseason, one in which numerous resources went to a defensive repair effort. Dallas selected Joseph 44th overall. The 20-year-old defender who played at LSU and Kentucky was unlikely to begin the season in the Cowboys’ starting lineup, but this represents a setback to start his pro career.
Dallas also placed tackle Josh Ball, wide receiver Malik Turner and tight end Sean McKeon on IR. This batch of moves will free up roster spots for a few players coming off the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. CeeDee Lamb, safety Damontae Kazee and defensive tackle Carlos Watkins are coming off the coronavirus list Thursday.
Vikings Re-Sign Britton Colquitt
Britton Colquitt wasn’t gone for long. The Vikings re-signed their punter on Thursday morning (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press).
[RELATED: Vikings Add Mannion To Practice Squad]
Colquitt was cut on Wednesday — a real eyebrow-raiser since he was the sole punter on Minnesota’s roster. But, as we’ve seen before in the NFL, this was a short-lived hiatus.
Colquitt re-upped with the Vikes on a three-year, $9MM deal last year with $5MM guaranteed. It’s likely that his new contract is cheaper, and possibly shorter. The 36-year-old has suited up for every Vikings game over the last two years, averaging 45.1 yards per attempt. He’ll look to keep up the good work this year as he enters his 12th NFL season.
Vikings Add Sean Mannion To Practice Squad
Sean Mannion is returning to Minnesota. Kirk Cousins‘ former backup will rejoin the Vikings but do so as a member of their practice squad. This comes a day after the Seahawks cut the veteran reserve.
Minnesota was linked to re-upping Mannion earlier this year but opted against doing so, leading the former third-round quarterback pick to Seattle this summer. The Seahawks, however, released Mannion to clear a roster spot for Jake Luton on Wednesday.
The Vikings selected Kellen Mond in this year’s third round, but the Texas A&M product can be viewed as a project. The team has only Cousins and Mond on its active roster. Mannion represents veteran insurance in the event of a Cousins injury or other unavailability this season. Teams can have up to six vested veterans on their 16-man practice squads this year.
A former Rams draftee, Mannion signed two one-year deals with the Vikings over the past two years. Cousins did not miss any time due to injury, keeping Mannion in a similar role to the one he held behind Jared Goff in Los Angeles, but the six-year vet’s presence certainly provided some stability for the Vikings. After both Mond and Cousins missed time due to placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list in August, veteran QB insurance certainly makes sense for the Vikes.
Lions Re-Sign TE Darren Fells, Place QB Tim Boyle On IR
As expected, the Lions will begin their season without backup quarterback Tim Boyle. A thumb injury will sideline him into October, with the team placing the former Packers reserve on IR Thursday.
The team also stashed defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand on IR. Players placed on IR after roster cutdown day are eligible to return after three games. This is Hand’s fourth IR stay in four seasons.
Detroit also brought back one of its offseason additions, re-signing tight end Darren Fells a day after releasing him. Fells made it through to the Lions’ 53-man roster after cut day but was dropped on Wednesday. The former college hoops standout-turned-red zone target signed with the Lions in May.
Fells joins T.J. Hockenson as the only tight ends on Detroit’s active roster. This will be Fells’ age-35 season and second with Detroit. He was on the 2017 Lions before relocating to Cleveland and then Houston. With the Texans, Fells caught 11 touchdown passes over the past two years.
Boyle’s injury leaves David Blough as the only QB behind Jared Goff on the Lions’ active roster. This marks Blough’s third year with the team.
Additionally, the Lions also re-signed safety Dean Marlowe on Thursday. A Bills contributor from 2018-20, Marlowe joined Fells in being dropped from the roster for procedural purposes Wednesday.
Rams, Johnny Hekker Rework Deal
Johnny Hekker is staying put. This week, the punter agreed to rework his contract in order to remain with the Rams in 2021 (via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times). 
[RELATED: Rams Trade Bojorquez To Packers]
The Rams had another option in Corey Bojorquez, who spent the previous three seasons with the Bills. However, on Tuesday, they shipped him to the Packers, paving the way for Hekker to stick for a tenth season. The Rams also sent the Packers a 2023 seventh-round draft pick in the deal and received a 2023 sixth-rounder in return.
This isn’t the first time that the four-time first-team All-Pro had to rework his contract. Ultimately, he was willing to sacrifice a little bit in order to stay with the only team he’s ever known.
“What Johnny’s done here…long before I got here, is something that doesn’t go lost on me, doesn’t go lost on us,” head coach Sean McVay said recently. “And I am confident that he’s going to be the productive player he’s been throughout the course of his career.”
Hekker, 31, still stands as the Rams’ longest-tenured player.