Lions Claim K Austin Seibert
The Lions have claimed kicker Austin Seibert from the Bengals, per the league’s official transactions wire. Meanwhile, they’ve also claimed wide receiver Khadarel Hodge from the Browns.
The Lions dropped Randy Bullock and Zane Gonzalez on Tuesday, leaving them with zero kickers at the end of the business day. Now, they’ve got Seibert, a 24 year-old (25 in November) leg with 21 career games to his credit.
Seibert enjoyed a solid 2019 with the Browns, banking 86.2% of his field goals including 9-of-12 from 40-49 yards out. The Browns dropped him after a bad showing in September, leading him to the Bengals. Seibert went 6-of-8 on FG tries in Cincinnati, but lost out on the kicking competition this year.
Panthers Claim G Michael Jordan
The Panthers did not let Michael Jordan get past them on the waiver wire. They submitted a claim and landed the former Bengals guard Wednesday.
Jordan started 19 games with the Bengals over the past two years, doing so after Cincinnati selected him in the 2019 fourth round. The Panthers will give the interior blocker another shot. Two years remain on MJ’s contract.
Pro Football Focus has not been especially impressed with Jordan through two seasons, though he did not fare as poorly in 2020 as the advanced metrics site viewed him as a rookie. Jordan graded just inside the top 60 among the 80-plus full-time guards PFF assessed last season.
An Ohio State product, Jordan will join a Panthers team that houses Pat Elflein, John Miller and recent sixth-round picks Dennis Daley and Deonte Brown at guard.
Texans Sign Jeff Driskel To Practice Squad
The Texans will sign quarterback Jeff Driskel to the practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 (Twitter link). Driskel missed the cut on Tuesday, but he’ll stick around to provide Houston with some much-needed insurance.
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Deshaun Watson‘s status remains murky – to say the least — with days to go before the start of the season. The Texans are reportedly willing to keep Watson on the team this year, effectively paying him to do nothing. Another team could alter those plans by meeting the Texans’ asking price, but that doesn’t seem likely at the moment.
The teams that remain interested in Watson are only willing to give up draft picks if they are conditional, based on Watson’s availability for the year. New GM Nick Caserio is not willing to take that gamble, since Watson could be sidelined by the league office at any time. Meanwhile, the Dolphins — a long-rumored suitor — are downplaying their interest.
In any event, the Texans aren’t banking on Watson and they need the safety net that Driskel provides. He’ll be on call to start the year while Tyrod Taylor and Davis Mills serve as the top QBs.
Jaguars Claim WR Tyron Johnson
The Jaguars are using their No. 1 waiver priority on a young wide receiver. Tyron Johnson will join the Jags’ 53-man roster via waiver claim, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Johnson flashed as a Chargers rookie last season, but the Bolts included him on their list of Tuesday cuts. Johnson did not advance at all on the waiver wire and will head to the rebuilding Jaguars. This likely will not be the Jags’ lone waiver claim Wednesday.
Jacksonville cut ties with a host of wideouts Tuesday, including Phillip Dorsett, Laquon Treadwell and Devin Smith. In Johnson, Urban Meyer‘s team will have a younger talent joining the likes of D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault.
During a season in which both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams dealt with injuries, Johnson contributed to Justin Herbert‘s rise. The Oklahoma State product averaged an impressive 19.9 yards per catch, hauling in 20 passes for 398 yards and three touchdowns.
Vikings’ Irv Smith Jr. Done For Year?
Bad news for the Vikings. Irv Smith‘s knee injury will likely shelve him for the entire season, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
Smith is looking at a 4-5 month timetable for recovery. Even in a best case scenario, that would effectively rule the tight end out for the regular season. A postseason return remains possible, in theory, but that’s a long way away. For now, Smith will have to focus on rehab while the Vikings plan to be without him for 2021.
Smith, 23, flashed serious potential last year while posting 30 catches for 365 yards and five touchdowns. The football world (and fantasy world) was awaiting a breakout year for Smith, who would have benefitted from all the attention paid to Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and the rest of Kirk Cousins‘ weapons.
Instead, the Vikings will lean more on Tyler Conklin, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Brandon Dillon stands as the only other tight end on the roster after rookie Zach Davidson and Shane Zylstra were waived on Tuesday. It stands to reason that one of those two players will be re-signed to the 53-man roster once Smith is placed on injured reserve. Alternatively, the Vikings could scour the waiver wire for an out-of-house alternative.
Dolphins, Jakeem Grant Shorten Contract
Jakeem Grant survived the Dolphins’ final round of cuts after agreeing to a reworked deal. The receiver’s new contract isn’t just cheaper — it’s also shorter (via Adam H. Beasley of Pro Football Network). 
Grant was set to be under club control for two more seasons. Now, he’s got just one more year to go, so he’ll be a free agent in the spring of 2022. The revised pact leaves him with a one-year deal that could be worth up to $3MM via incentives.
Grant registered 36 receptions for 373 yards and one touchdown through 14 games last year. Then, a high-ankle sprain in December cut his season short. Before he was placed on IR, Grant stood as the league leader in punt return yards (330) and per-return average (11.4). He also added to his highlight reel with a punt return for a TD against the the Rams in November —a difference-maker in their 28-17 win.
Without the revision, it’s likely that Grant would have missed the cut. Instead, roster hopefuls Kai Locksley, Kirk Merritt, and Malcolm Perry got their pink slips. Grant will slot in as the ‘Fins WR 4/5, alongside Will Fuller, DeVante Parker, rookie first-rounder Jaylen Waddle, and veteran Albert Wilson.
Jets Cut 26 Players, Get To Roster Limit
The Jets let go of 27 players today, reducing their roster to the 53-man limit. The team made the following moves:
Released
- DL Ronald Blair
- TE Dan Brown
- TE Ryan Griffin
- QB Josh Johnson
- S Sharrod Neasman
Waived
- RB Josh Adams
- LB Aaron Adeoye
- WR Lawrence Cager
- S Elijah Campbell
- LB Noah Dawkins
- LB Milo Eifler
- S J.T. Hassell
- OL Grant Hermanns
- DB Lamar Jackson
- C Corey Levin
- WR D.J. Montgomery
- OL David Moore
- QB James Morgan
- OL Jimmy Murray
- LB Del’Shawn Phillips
- DL Hamilcar Rashed
- DL Tanzel Smart
- WR Vyncint Smith
- DL Jeremiah Valoaga
- OL Isaiah Williams
- TE Kenny Yeboah
Placed on Reserve/PUP list
The Jets added Johnson earlier this month. While the 35-year-old hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2018, there was some optimism that he could compete for a spot as Zach Wilson‘s backup. That ultimately wasn’t the case, and with James Morgan also getting waived, the team will roll with Mike White as the second QB.
Rams Finalize Roster
The Rams have been busy in recent days trimming their roster, so the team only had a handful of moves to make this afternoon
Waived
- WR Landen Akers
- DL Eric Banks
- DB Tyler Hall
- LB Christian Rozeboom
Packers Cut 26 Players
The Packers cut their roster down to 52 players today, providing the organization with some extra flexibility over the next few days. The team announced the following transactions:
Waived
- DL Abdullah Anderson
- QB Kurt Benkert
- G/T Jacob Capra
- G/T Coy Cronk
- CB Stephen Denmark
- CB Kabion Ento
- CB Rojesterman Farris
- S Innis Gaines
- LB Tipa Galeai
- LB De’Jon Harris
- WR Damon Hazelton
- DL Carlo Kemp
- K JJ Molson
- DL Willington Previlon
- LB Delontae Scott
- P JK Scott
- WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- RB Patrick Taylor
- S Christian Uphoff
- T/G Cole Van Lanen
- LB Ray Wilborn
- RB Dexter Williams
- WR Juwann Winfree
Released
Placed on Reserve/PUP
Placed on Reserve/Suspended
Bears Finalize Roster
The Bears reduced their roster to 53 players today, making the following moves:
Released
- CB Artie Burns
- DB Marqui Christian
- C Adam Redmond
- CB Desmond Trufant
Released from IR
- DT Mike Pennel
Waived
- DL Daniel Archibong
- WR Isaiah Coulter
- OL Dieter Eiselen
- CB Thomas Graham Jr.
- OL Arlington Hambright
- TE Scooter Harrington
- K Brian Johnson
- WR Jon’Vea Johnson
- LB Sam Kamara
- WR Chris Lacy
- RB Ryan Nall
- WR Dazz Newsome
- RB Artavis Pierce
- WR Riley Ridley
- CB Dionte Ruffin
- LB Charles Snowden
- CB Teez Tabor
- LB James Vaughters
- OT Tyrone Wheatley
Waived/Injured
- DL Lacale London
- DB Tre Roberson