Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/23
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: LB Eku Leota, WR Mike Strachan
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: LB Micah Baskerville, TE Stephen Carlson
NFC North Notes: Lions, Bears, Poles, Gary
Graham Glasgow became a cap casualty this offseason, seeing the now-Sean Payton-run Broncos dump his four-year, $44MM contract. The veteran interior lineman had taken a pay cut in 2022, after losing his job (to Quinn Meinerz) following an injury absence. Glasgow returned to the Lions, who had drafted him in 2016, on a one-year deal worth $2.75MM deal. Given backup money, Glasgow indeed began the season as a utility man. But the Lions have needed to use the eighth-year veteran at three positions this season, with injuries sidelining Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow and Halapoulivaati Vaitai. Glasgow has done enough to remain a starter when the unit is at full strength, Dan Campbell said (via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett).
Glasgow, 30, has started the past six games and done so at left guard, right guard and center. Moving forward, Glasgow will be Detroit’s RG starter. Vaitai won that job out of training camp but needed time off after an early-season injury. While Vaitai is back after knee and back maladies, the 2020 free agency pickup has not showed top form upon returning. Pro Football Focus grades Glasgow as the No. 5 overall guard. The former third-round pick now has the opportunity to use this season to fetch a nice contract in free agency once again, though the Lions could also have interest in retaining him. The team removed a year from Vaitai’s contract, amid a pay cut that followed his missed 2022, and has Jackson in a contract year. The Lions have some questions at guard moving forward.
Here is the latest from the NFC North:
- Although the Bears have since extended Montez Sweat, executives took issue with GM Ryan Poles‘ pre-deadline strategy. One anonymous GM said (via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora) the move of indicating Jaylon Johnson was available barely 12 hours before the deadline did not give teams enough time to gauge his trade value, assess the player’s future or negotiate a contract. A report indicating the Bears would let Johnson’s camp seek a trade — after Bears extension talks were not progressing — came out just after midnight CT on Oct. 31. The Bears ended up keeping Johnson, and Poles has said the team wants to keep the contract-year cornerback. No team has franchise-tagged a corner since the Rams cuffed Trumaine Johnson in 2017, but Chicago does have the tag available with Sweat signed days after that trade.
- The Bears obtained Sweat from the Commanders for a second-round pick. The above-referenced GM said the Falcons were on track to land Sweat for a third-round pick before Poles put the Bears’ second-rounder on the table. Atlanta is believed to have increased its offer twice in response. Another anonymous GM told La Canfora the Bears should have been selling at the deadline. While execs did not agree with the Bears giving up a pick likely to land in the 30s for Sweat, the team proceeded this way for Chase Claypool last year and now has an upper-echelon edge defender signed long term.
- Weeks after seeing DC Alan Williams step away, the Bears fired running backs coach David Walker, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns. Workplace behavior led to Walker’s dismissal, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin adds. The Bears’ HR department had previously disciplined Walker, according to Cronin, with the second infraction leading to the firing. Matt Eberflus hired Walker, 53, last year. HR was also involved in Williams’ exit; the two matters are unrelated. Omar Young is now coaching Chicago’s RBs.
- Rashan Gary‘s four-year, $96MM Packers extension calls for a $34.6MM signing bonus, which represents the fifth-year outside linebacker’s guarantee. Additionally, Gary will collect a $6.2MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2024 league year, according to OverTheCap. On Day 3 of the 2025 league year, Gary will earn an $8.7MM roster bonus.
- The Lions bumped linebacker Trevor Nowaske up to their active roster due to another team’s effort to poach him off the practice squad, Campbell said. A rookie UDFA out of Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), Nowaske joined Detroit’s active roster last week.
Bears Activate WR Equanimeous St. Brown, CB Josh Blackwell From IR
NOVEMBER 9: Chicago will be the first team this season to push up against the injury activation limit. The Bears are activating St. Brown and Blackwell from IR, though Herbert will not be returned to the 53-man roster just yet. Nevertheless, the team will use its sixth and seventh activations Wednesday, leaving one remaining. That is a bit unusual in Week 10, though we are fairly early into this injury format.
Herbert seemingly is the favorite for that final IR-return activation. Once that happens, any Bear who lands on IR will see his season end. Blackwell and St. Brown join Teven Jenkins, Braxton Jones, Doug Kramer, Khalid Kareem and Kyler Gordon as Chicago’s IR activations thus far.
NOVEMBER 6: The Bears’ backfield could be healthier in the near future. The team announced on Monday that running back Khalil Herbert has been designated for return from injured reserve. 
The news means Herbert’s 21-day practice window has been opened. He must be activated within that span to avoid reverting to season-ending IR. The same is true for cornerback Josh Blackwell and wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who were also designated for return on Monday.
Herbert suffered a high ankle sprain in October, one which was expected to keep him sidelined for an extended period. As a result, his IR stint came as little surprise. His activation will end his absence while giving the Bears another option at the RB spot. The 25-year-old has logged a career-high 10.2 carries per game in 2023, confirming expectations he would see an uptick in usage with David Montgomery no longer in the picture. Herbert has parlayed that into 272 yards, while adding one touchdown and 83 yards in the passing game.
Chicago has dealt with a number of injuries in the backfield recently, but D’Onta Foreman has emerged as the team’s lead back. The free agent addition has logged at least 15 carries in three of the past four games, including a season-high 20 on Sunday. Foreman has averaged 4.4 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns during the start of his tenure in the Windy City, and it will be interesting to see how his workload is affected once Herbert returns.
Blackwell has made 18 appearances with the Bears, and has played primarily on special teams. St. Brown, by contrast, has seen a notable workload on offense (57% snap share last season, 49% in 2023) since arriving in Chicago after three years in Green Bay. His return will be welcomed on a passing attack which has struggled to find consistent success with either Justin Fields or Tyson Bagent under center.
However, the Bears entered today with only three of their eight IR activations remaining. In other words, bringing back Herbert, Blackmon and St. Brown will leave the team without the ability to put any other player on IR which they believe will be able to return later in the campaign. Still, Chicago will have reinforcements on both sides of the ball once the trio is back on the field.
Falcons Offered Commanders Second-Round Pick For DE Montez Sweat
Montez Sweat‘s status has changed a few times since the Halloween trade deadline. The 2019 first-round pick has gone from contract-year Commanders pass rusher to a Bears rental to a player now locked in long term with his new team. Sweat signed a four-year, $98MM extension prior to suiting up for the Bears.
Coming into deadline day, the Commanders held at least two offers for Sweat. The other known proposal came from the Falcons, who had sweetened their proposal by that point. Atlanta initially offered a third-rounder for Sweat, and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones indicates that deal included conditions that would have bumped the compensation to a second. However, Jones adds the Falcons then dropped the conditional component and offered the Commanders a straight second for Sweat.
A Georgia native with family in the Atlanta area, Sweat is believed to have initially preferred to be dealt to the Falcons. It appears, however, the Bears’ struggles under Matt Eberflus have once again benefited them in a trade. The Packers were also believed to have offered the Steelers a second-round pick for Chase Claypool last year, but Pittsburgh preferred the Chicago offer due to what turned out to be a correct expectation the pick would end up higher in the 2023 draft. Chicago’s second-round draft slot checked in at No. 32, Green Bay’s at 45. The Bears came into this year’s deadline at 2-6, with the Falcons residing at 4-4.
GM Ryan Poles‘ unusual penchant for making buyer’s trades in a seller’s position has now netted the team two pieces over the past two years. While the Claypool move backfired to the point the Bears needed to give him away in a pick swap involving 2025 late-round choices — via an October deal with the Dolphins — the team is far more bullish on Sweat, who is now the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid edge defender.
As was the case with what turned out to be an unappealing 2023 receiver market, Jones adds the Bears were not high on the 2024 edge rusher pool. The Packers drained it further to start last week, extending Rashan Gary. While Green Bay would have enjoyed the opportunity to tag Gary next year, the Bears’ NFC North rivals provided a bit of clarity on the ’24 edge market just before the deadline. That deal helped shape Sweat’s, with the Bears giving their trade acquisition a higher AAV ($24.5MM) compared to Gary ($24MM).
Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith are on track for free agency in 2024, but the 2022 Vikings starters are not exactly long-term building blocks at this stage. Chase Young would qualify as such, though the 49ers now hold exclusive negotiating rights with the former Defensive Rookie of the Year until the 2024 tampering period. Josh Uche (Patriots) and Jonathan Greenard (Texans) qualify as edges who will command interesting markets, and while the Bears will have a need opposite Sweat, they opted to take their big swing early.
The Falcons do not have a foundation in place on the edge just yet. Bud Dupree is tied to a one-year, $3MM contract, with rotational rusher Lorenzo Carter re-signing on a two-year, $9MM pact this offseason. Second-year player Arnold Ebiketie leads the team, along with D-lineman David Onyemata, with 3.5 sacks. The Falcons’ 19 as a team ranks outside the top 20. Though, the Bears have been in worse shape. Chicago’s 10 sacks are five worse than the 31st-place team this season. They will bank on Sweat changing their pass-rushing course.
Latest On Bears QB Justin Fields
Tyson Bagent will be under center for the Bears once again in Week 10. Coach Matt Eberflus told reporters that the rookie QB will earn a fourth-straight start while the team continues to await Justin Fields‘ return, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
Fields continue to recover from a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand. While he was listed as doubtful on the latest injury report, Eberflus told reporters that the QB won’t play against the Panthers tomorrow night. Fields still hasn’t been cleared by Chicago’s medical staff, so his return is partly dependent on him passing all the necessary tests. The former first-round pick returned to practice on a limited basis last week.
“He’s getting better, though,” Eberflus said. “Accuracy’s improving. He’s throwing it better. And he’s starting to do more and more and more. So, we’ll see where it goes. Right now, we’re listing him as doubtful. And we’ll see where it goes from there.”
As Cronin notes, the Bears will have 10 days between Thursday’s game and their Week 11 matchup against the Lions. Fields hasn’t seen the field since Chicago’s Week 6 loss to the Vikings.
Bagent, an undrafted rookie out of Shepherd, won his first start, completing 72.4 percent of his passes for 162 yards and one touchdown. He’s lost each of his past two games, however, tossing five interceptions over that span. While the Bears don’t have a shot at the playoffs, the offense should get a spark when Fields returns to the lineup.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/8/23
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: OT David Sharpe
Chicago Bears
- Waived: DB Duron Harmon, DB Greg Stroman Jr.
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated for return from IR: WR Charlie Jones
Houston Texans
- Signed off Saints practice squad: LB Cory Littleton
Minnesota Vikings
Seattle Seahawks
- Designate for return from IR: WR Dareke Young
Cory Littleton is back in Houston. The linebacker already got into six games with the Texans this season, mostly playing on special teams. After getting cut in late October, he caught on with the Saints practice squad and quickly earned a promotion on Sunday. This time around, Littleton should be sticking in Houston, at least temporarily. The Texans are required to keep the LB on their active roster for at least three weeks.
The veteran had a productive stint with the Rams to begin his career. He spent four years in Los Angeles, including a two-year stint between 2018 and 2019 where he averaged 129 tackles per season.
Poll: Who Fared Best At Trade Deadline
A week removed from this year’s trade deadline, every team will soon have its acquired talent in uniform. The 49ers, Lions and Jaguars made trades while in bye weeks; Chase Young, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Ezra Cleveland will suit up for their new teams soon.
On this note, it is time to gauge the position every notable buyer and seller landed in following the deals. This year’s deadline featured two second-round picks being moved, though the teams that made those moves (Chicago, Seattle) have different timelines in place.
We have to start with the Commanders, who scrapped their yearslong Young-Montez Sweat partnership by making the surprise decision to move both defensive ends hours before the deadline. Although the team was listening to offers on both, it was widely assumed they would only part with one, thus saving a contract offer or a 2024 franchise tag for the other alongside well-paid D-tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. New owner Josh Harris looks to have made his bigger-picture plan clear, however, pressing upon the Commanders’ football-ops department to explore moving both.
Washington collected a second-rounder that likely will land in the 30s in exchange for Sweat, who was in a contract year at the time. It only obtained a compensatory third for Young, who drew interest from other teams (including the Ravens). For the first time in the common draft era, Washington holds five picks in the first three rounds. It cannot be assumed Ron Rivera and GM Martin Mayhew will be making those picks, but Harris has effectively forced his hot-seat staffers to make do this season without Young and Sweat, who have combined for 11.5 sacks this year.
The initial team to pounce on the Commanders’ sale made a buyer’s move despite being in a seller’s position for the second straight year. After trading what became the No. 32 overall pick for Chase Claypool, GM Ryan Poles signed off on the Sweat pickup. The Bears have struggled to rush the passer under Matt Eberflus, having traded Khalil Mack in March 2022 and Robert Quinn last October. While acquiring a veteran in a contract year injects risk into the equation, Poles had the franchise tag at his disposal. But the Bears made good use of their newfound negotiating rights with Sweat, extending him on a four-year, $98MM pact. Despite no Pro Bowls or double-digit sack seasons, Sweat is now the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid edge rusher. Though, the Bears’ long-term edge outlook appears rosier compared to its pre-Halloween view.
Mayhew, Robert Saleh and Mike McDaniel have provided third-round compensatory picks for the 49ers, who have been the NFL’s chief beneficiary of the Rooney Rule tweak that awards third-round picks to teams who see minority coaches or execs become HCs or GMs. The team has more picks coming after the Ran Carthon and DeMeco Ryans hires. Using one to acquire Young seems like a low-risk move, given the former Defensive Rookie of the Year’s talent. Young has made strides toward recapturing the form he showed before his severe 2021 knee injury, and he is on pace for a career high in sacks.
The 49ers, who won last year’s trade deadline by landing Christian McCaffrey, will deploy Young alongside ex-college teammate Nick Bosa and the rest of their high-priced D-line contingent. The team will have a decision to make on Young soon; the free agent-to-be is not eyeing in-season extension talks, either. San Francisco could at least be in position to nab a midround compensatory pick, should Young leave in 2024.
The Young move came a day after the Seahawks obtained Leonard Williams from the Giants. That move cost Seattle second- and fifth-round picks. Williams is also in a contract year, but with the Giants picking up most of the tab, Seattle has the veteran D-tackle on its cap sheet at $647K. The former Jets top-10 pick has shown consistent ability to provide inside pressure, and the USC alum’s best work came in his previous contract year (2020). Gunning for another big payday, Williams joins Dre’Mont Jones in what is probably the best interior D-line duo of the Seahawks’ Pete Carroll era.
Seattle still surrendered a second-round pick for a player who could be a rental. Williams cannot realistically be franchise-tagged in 2024, with the Giants tagging him in 2020 and ’21, and he is not yet on Seattle’s extension radar. The Giants have already paid Dexter Lawrence and were planning on letting Williams walk. They passed on a comp pick for the trade haul, effectively buying a second-round pick in the way the Broncos did in the 2021 Von Miller trade. The Giants, who suddenly could be in the market for a 2024 QB addition, now have an additional second-rounder at their disposal.
While they made their move a week before the deadline, the Eagles landed the most accomplished player of this year’s in-season trade crop. Kevin Byard is a two-time first-team All-Pro safety, and although he is in his age-30 season, the former third-round pick is signed through 2024. The Eagles sent the Titans fifth- and sixth-round picks (and Terrell Edmunds) for Byard, a Philadelphia native, marking the team’s second splash trade for a safety in two years. Philly’s C.J. Gardner-Johnson swap turned out well, and Byard not being a pure rental could make this a better move.
Rather than turning to a fifth-round rookie, the Vikings acquired Josh Dobbs in a pick swap involving sixth- and/or seventh-rounders and saw the move translate to a surprising Week 9 win. Dobbs following in Baker Mayfield‘s footsteps as a trade acquisition-turned-immediate starter also made him the rare QB to see extensive action for two teams in two weeks; Mayfield was inactive in his final game as a Panther. The well-traveled Dobbs could give the Vikings a better chance to stay afloat in the NFC playoff race.
The Lions (Peoples-Jones), Jaguars (Cleveland) and Bills (Rasul Douglas) also made buyer’s moves at the deadline. The Bills gave the Packers a third-round pick, collecting a fifth in the pick-swap deal, for Douglas. They will hope the Green Bay starter can help stabilize their cornerback corps after Tre’Davious White‘s second major injury.
Who ended up faring the best at this year’s deadline? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this year’s moves in the comments section.
Who fared the best at this year's trade deadline?
-
San Francisco 49ers 34% (572)
-
Washington Commanders 15% (255)
-
Chicago Bears 13% (223)
-
Minnesota Vikings 11% (182)
-
Philadelphia Eagles 8% (140)
-
Seattle Seahawks 5% (80)
-
Detroit Lions 5% (79)
-
Green Bay Packers 4% (68)
-
Buffalo Bills 4% (64)
-
Jacksonville Jaguars 1% (25)
Total votes: 1,688
WR Darnell Mooney Eyeing Bears Extension
The Bears took care of one major financial priority recently by working out an extension with trade acquisition Montez Sweat. The team also has a new deal to negotiate with cornerback Jaylon Johnson, but decisions of that nature need to be made on the offensive side of the ball as well. 
Receiver Darnell Mooney is playing out the final year of his rookie contract, and he entered the 2023 campaign needing to deliver a healthy and productive season to return to his 2021 form. His 81-catch, 1,055-yard season that year showed his potential as a long-term contributor to the Bears’ passing attack, but he has been unable to replicate that success since. An ankle injury cost Mooney the final five games of the 2022 season, though he was healthy in time for the start of 2023.
The 26-year-old changed agents ahead of this campaign, one in which D.J. Moore has unsurprisingly served as the focal point of Chicago’s passing attack. The former Panther leads the Bears with 735 receiving yards, and Mooney sits third on the team (second amongst wideouts) with 307. The latter eclipsed 50 receiving yards in a game for the third time in Week 9, but an uptick in production in the second half will likely be needed to boost his free agent stock. With contract talks looming, the former fifth-rounder recently spoke about his situation.
“Everything’s up in the air,” Mooney said, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “Whatever happens it happens… eventually somebody is going to pay. Whether it’s here or wherever you go, somebody is going to take care of you… Extensions [are] a good thing. Obviously I would love to be here. I love Chicago. I love the fans. I love just being here. I mean, we’ve got everything in here. Facility-wise we have one of the nicest facilities ever so I would definitely love to be here but like I said you just can’t worry about it. Somebody is going to pay eventually.”
Aside from Moore and tight end Cole Kmet – who signed a four-year, $50MM extension this summer – the Bears do not have much certainty in their pass-catching corps beyond this season. Retaining Mooney would help in that regard, particularly if the Tulane product’s desire to remain in the Windy City holds true. Chicago is projected to have considerable cap space once again this offseason, though, along with a pair of projected top-five draft picks. The team could thus move in a different direction if an agreement with Mooney cannot be reached in the coming months.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/23
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed off waivers (from Bears): OL Doug Kramer
- Waived: WR Andre Baccellia
New York Jets
- Promoted: OL Xavier Newman-Johnson, WR Malik Taylor
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated off IR: RB Anthony McFarland
- Placed on IR: LB Cole Holcomb (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated to return from IR: DL Robert Beal Jr., CB Samuel Womack
- Designated to return from PUP: CB Darrell Luter
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from PUP: DT Austin Faoliu
- Placed on IR: LB Drake Thomas
Bears QB Justin Fields Returns To Practice
NOVEMBER 5: Bagent will indeed get another start when the Bears visit the Saints today, but Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (video link) says Chicago is hopeful that Fields will be able to suit up for its Week 10 matchup against the Panthers. However, since that game is a Thursday night contest and will take place just four days from now, Fields — who still has “issues” with his hand — will need to make a fair amount of progress in a short amount of time.
NOVEMBER 3: The Bears have had to perform the past two weeks without the presence of third-year quarterback Justin Fields. While Fields has been dealing with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand, Chicago has gone 1-1 riding the arm of undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent. Though Bagent may still be the team’s starter this week in New Orleans, the team has moved one step closer to Fields’ return after seeing him come back to practice today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. 
Fields originally sustained the injury in a Week 6 loss to the Vikings. The injury affected his grip on the ball, effectively removing his ability to pass the football. There were early concerns that surgery may be necessary, which had the potential to completely change the aspect of the team’s season.
Fortunately, Fields was able to avoid surgery and a stint on injured reserve, with head coach Matt Eberflus describing his quarterback’s status as “week to week” as swelling reduced and grip strength and mobility in the hand improved. Still, the injury was hampering the 24-year-old enough to hold him out of a second straight start last week, when the team lost to the Chargers with Bagent under center.
The injury came at a terribly inconvenient time for Fields. After spending the first two years of his career as a bit of a developmental project, much of the Bears’ aspirations this year hinged on Fields taking the next step towards becoming an effective starter. Through the first three weeks of this season, fans were beginning to worry that they may be subject to a third year of what they had seen in the prior two seasons from Field: inconsistent and turnover prone play while showing flashes of what made him a first-round pick in 2021.
Then, in back-to-back starts, Fields delivered two of the best performances of his young NFL career, completing 67 percent of his passes for 617 yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception over the two-game stretch. There had been performances in 2022 that displayed his impressive rushing abilities, but this was the first demonstration of Fields taking his passing game to the next level. That demonstration was put on hold due to the dislocated thumb, but Chicago hopes that its starter will be able to return soon and continue that successful progress.
In the meantime, if one practice isn’t enough for Fields to comfortably return to the field, the Bears are likely to start Bagent once again down in New Orleans. A graduate of Division II program Shepherd University, Bagent had won the Harlon Hill Trophy, often considered Division II’s version of the Heisman Trophy, back in 2021. He beat out incumbent backup Nathan Peterman for the backup quarterback job with strong performances in training camp and the preseason.
In his first career start, Bagent impressed with his composed game management in the team’s comfortable win over the Raiders, not needing to do much behind strong performances from the Bears’ defense and running backs. In Los Angeles last week, more was asked of Bagent as his defense and running game didn’t hold up nearly as well. The increased pressure amounted to less effectiveness and more turnovers against one of the NFL’s more porous defenses.
If it is Bagent that faces the Saints, he’ll be facing a group that has effectively shut down lesser opponents’ offenses so far this season, ranking 12th in points allowed and 8th in passing defense. Fields is likely returning to practice too close to the road contest to make a start this week, so expect Bagent to try to earn his second win as an NFL starter this week in the Big Easy.