Bengals Claim DE Takk McKinley
The Bengals used their high waiver priority to bring in a former first-round defensive lineman. Recently cut Falcons edge rusher Takk McKinley will head to Cincinnati after the Bengals claimed him Wednesday.
McKinley will join a Bengals team that has been without defensive ends Sam Hubbard and Carlos Dunlap; the former is on IR and the latter is now a Seahawk. With the Falcons not exercising the 2017 first-rounder’s fifth-year option, McKinley’s rookie contract expires after the 2020 season.
The Falcons dropped McKinley after not finding a taker for him in a trade. The team fined the defensive end for comments he made regarding his trade status. McKinley has 17.5 career sacks; just one of those has come during the 2020 season. The UCLA product registered 13 sacks over his first two seasons but has just 4.5 since the 2019 campaign.
Atlanta sought a fourth-round pick for McKinley but held onto him at the deadline, despite McKinley tweeting the team received offers involving fifth- and/or sixth-round picks. The Falcons tried to unload Vic Beasley in similar fashion ahead of last year’s trade deadline but retained him, and Beasley produced down the stretch. The team has now dismantled its longtime pass-rushing duo, and McKinley will have a shot to rebound ahead of a possible free agency run in 2021.
Just one Bengal — fourth-year defensive end Carl Lawson — has registered more than one sack this season. Like McKinley, Lawson is in a contract year. Hubbard has also returned to practice this week and could be activated ahead of Cincinnati’s Week 10 game. The Bengals minimized Dunlap’s role and saw him become quite vocal about the demotion, leading to a trade. They will now take a flier on another player who went public about his standing with an organization.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: OT O’Shea Dugas
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Brian Allen, CB Winston Rose
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Dalyn Dawkins
- Released: DT Kevin Strong
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Natrez Patrick
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Cassh Maluia
New York Jets
- Signed: QB Mike White
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Tegray Scales
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Bo Scarbrough
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/10/20
We’ve got a long list of all the minor transactions from the last day or so:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: CB De’Vante Bausby
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: LB Edmond Robinson
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DT Anthony Rush
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: Deon Bush, Lachavious Simmons
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Margus Hunt
Denver Broncos
- Claimed off waivers from Cardinals: CB De’Vante Bausby
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: CB Tony McRae
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jarrad Davis
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Jordan Love, LB Kamal Martin, RB Jamaal Williams
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Dylan Cole, LB Whitney Mercilus, G Max Scharping
- Placed on IR: LB Kyle Emanuel, LB Brennan Scarlett
- Claimed off waivers from Washington: DE Nate Orchard
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: DL Ron’Dell Carter
- Promoted: WR DeMichael Harris
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/PUP list: T Martinas Rankin
- Waived: DE Demone Harris
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Natrez Patrick
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Todd Davis
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LS Austin Cutting
- Waived/failed-physical: LB Ben Gedeon
- Placed on IR: DB Holton Hill
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers from Cardinals: TE Jordan Thomas
- Waived: LB Cassh Maluia
- Placed on IR: TE Dalton Keene
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Will Hernandez
- Waived: CB Corey Ballentine
New York Jets
- Activated off NFI list: CB Bryce Hall
- Waived: QB Mike White
- Placed on IR: TE Trevon Wesco
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Kendrick Bourne
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Jeff Badet
- Waived: WR Tony Brown
2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team
The trade deadline is in the rear view mirror, but teams are still keeping a watchful eye on their salary cap figures. For contenders, the available dollars can be used for late-season signings. For all clubs, a portion of the unspent dollars can be rolled over into future seasons, giving them a larger budget to work with in the first wave of free agency.
Here are the most recent figures for each team, via Over The Cap:
- Cleveland Browns – $31MM
- New York Jets – $30.4MM
- Dallas Cowboys — $28MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars– $26.3MM
- Philadelphia Eagles– $23.9MM
- Washington Football Team – $23.3MM
- New England Patriots – $21.8MM
- Denver Broncos – $19.8MM
- Miami Dolphins – $15.6MM
- Detroit Lions – $14.2MM
- Cincinnati Bengals– $12.3MM
- Indianapolis Colts – $10.7MM
- Los Angeles Chargers — $8.4MM
- New York Giants – $8MM
- Chicago Bears – $7.6MM
- Houston Texans – $7.5MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $6.9MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $6.9MM
- Green Bay Packers – $6.7MM
- Arizona Cardinals– $6.2MM
- New Orleans Saints – $6MM
- Las Vegas Raiders – $6MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $5.7MM
- Carolina Panthers – $5.5MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $5.3MM
- Tennessee Titans – $4.6MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $3.8K
- San Francisco 49ers – $3.7MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $3.3MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $3.3MM
- Buffalo Bills – $3MM
- Atlanta Falcons – $1.8MM
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/20
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Germain Ifedi
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: C Cody Whitehair (story)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Fred Johnson, CB Trae Waynes; Waynes remains on IR
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Chris Jones
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Lynn Bowden
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: LB Hercules Mata’afa
- Placed on IR: CB Mark Fields
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: WR Justin Hardee, DT Sheldon Rankins (story)
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: DB Ryan Lewis
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Brandon Aiyuk, WR Kendrick Bourne, WR Deebo Samuel, T Trent Williams (story)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/3/20
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: DE Daniel Wise
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed CB Brian Allen
- Released: LB Kendall Donnerson
Green Bay Packers
- Released: TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DE Gerri Green
- Released: DE Breeland Speaks
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Jake Gervase
- Released: LB Daniel Bituli
Miami Dolphins
- Released: DB Cordrea Tankersley
New York Jets
- Signed: DB Elijah Campbell, LB Sharif Finch, S Saquan Hampton
- Placed on IR: WR D.J. Montgomery
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: WR Marcus Green
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: LB Michael Divinity, LB Mychal Kendricks
Trade Rumors: Thomas, Njoku, Watt, Jets
Saints head coach Sean Payton has said his team has no interest in trading star receiver Michael Thomas, though Thomas’ camp was recently said to be looking for potential deals. There has been no movement towards a Thomas trade, and whether that’s because New Orleans has no interest in dealing him or because the club has not received an offer it likes, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says Thomas will stay put.
With the trade deadline two days away, let’s round up a few more rumors on players who could be on the move:
- The Browns don’t want to trade tight end David Njoku, but Njoku has renewed his request to be dealt, and Rapoport says Cleveland has been fielding calls on the former first-rounder. It may take at least a fourth-round pick to get a deal done, but with Austin Hooper set to return and with the emergence of rookie Harrison Bryant, the Browns may elect to move Njoku.
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the Texans are at the center of the trade market, with one executive saying Houston could move as many as five players if it wants to. Rapoport expects the Packers‘ interest in Will Fuller — which dates back to the summer — to ramp up, but it will likely take a high pick to convince the Texans to move Fuller. Fellow WR Kenny Stills has also drawn some interest, though rival clubs see the contracts for Stills and Randall Cobb as prohibitive. DE J.J. Watt may be receptive to a trade, but considering his contract and age, other teams probably don’t value him like the Texans do.
- The Jets have received calls on LB Avery Williamson, OTs George Fant and Chuma Edoga, and CB Quincy Wilson, per Albert Breer of SI.com. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says the Steelers — who recently lost Devin Bush for the season — could be in the market for Williamson, and Edoga also seems like a good bet to be dealt since he does not look like a fit with the current regime.
- La Canfora says teams have also called the Jets about WR Breshad Perriman and TE Chris Herndon, though Breer notes that safety Marcus Maye has not drawn much interest.
- Rapoport names Dolphins RB Jordan Howard and Seahawks TE Jacob Hollister as two other players who could be moved. And though the Bengals are shopping disgruntled wideout John Ross, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com says there hasn’t been interest in Ross (Twitter link).
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/31/20
Here is the league’s avalanche of Halloween minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB De’Vante Bausby
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: DT John Cominsky
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Terrell Bonds, LB Kristian Welch
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from IR: CB Levi Wallace
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Lee Smith
- Promoted: CB Dane Jackson
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: WR Dwayne Harris
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: G Shaq Calhoun
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed off waivers (from Lions): LB Elijah Lee
- Activated from IR: WR KhaDarel Hodge
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: LB Austin Calitro
- Promoted: WR Fred Brown, FB Jeremy Cox, OL Patrick Morris
- Placed on IR: TE Andrew Beck
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: TE Isaac Nauta
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: S Henry Black
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Chris Thompson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Damon Arnette, T Trent Brown
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Trey Pipkins
- Promoted: WR Jason Moore, RB Troymaine Pope, OL Cole Toner
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: LB Derrick Moncrief
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: CB Tae Hayes, DT Benito Jones
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Cameron Dantzler
- Activated from IR: LB Troy Dye
- Promoted: C Brett Jones, CB Chris Jones, DB Luther Kirk, DE Hercules Mata’afa
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Todd Davis
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Sony Michel (Michel remains on IR)
- Activated from IR: S Cody Davis, LB Josh Uche
- Promoted: DE Tashawn Bower, DT Nick Thurman, WR Isaiah Zuber
- Placed on IR: T Justin Herron
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Austin Carr, OL Will Clapp, WR Tommylee Lewis, WR Juwan Johnson
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: CB Arthur Maulet
- Promoted: K/P Sergio Castillo, LB Bryce Hager, WR Jaleel Scott
- Placed on IR: S Bradley McDougald
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: CB Michael Jacquet, DT Raequan Williams
- Waived: TE Hakeem Butler
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: S Antoine Brooks, FB Trey Edmunds, LB Jayrone Elliott
- Placed on IR: DT Chris Wormley
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: WR River Cracraft, S Johnathan Cyprien
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from NFI list: TE Colby Parkinson, CB D.J. Reed
- Promoted: CB Jayson Stanley, DE/TE Stephen Sullivan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: TE Antony Auclair, G John Molchon
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DB Breon Borders, RB D’Onta Foreman, CB Kareem Orr
- Placed on IR: CB Kristian Fulton
Bengals Promote G Quinton Spain
The Bengals signed free agent guard Quinton Spain to the practice squad on Friday and are promoting him to their active roster. 
[RELATED: Bengals Not Planning To Trade Atkins]
The signing was anticipated, and Spain is in line to make his Bengals debut. He will beat fellow offensive line newcomer B.J. Finney to that punch, with the latter still in the COVID-19 protocol after changing cities.
Spain started every game for the Bills last season, helping their run game transform from one of the NFL’s worst in 2018 to a top-10 attack. The Bills re-signed him to a three-year, $15MM deal in the offseason, only to cut him in October after he was leapfrogged by other guards. All in all, Spain has started 66 career games, working as a first-stringer for the Titans and Bills since 2015.
The Bengals could be making some more moves between now and Tuesday’s deadline, but they reportedly aren’t planning on trading Geno Atkins. Of course, that possibility can’t be ruled out after they traded all-time sack leader Carlos Dunlap.
To make room on the reserve unit, the Bengals cut defensive end Kendall Futrell. However, with Spain being elevated, the young defensive end may have a path back to Cincinnati’s taxi squad.
Bengals Shopping WR John Ross
John Ross reiterated his request to be traded Friday, and the Bengals may be attempting to accommodate the disgruntled deep threat.
The Bengals, who have made Ross a healthy scratch at times this season, have made calls on the fourth-year wide receiver, Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets.
He of a Combine-record 4.22-second 40-yard dash, Ross is listed as questionable with an illness for Sunday’s Bengals-Titans game. Ross disputed this designation, indicating (via Twitter) he is healthy and dissatisfied with his role. Ross has just two catches for 17 yards this season.
Cincinnati has already unloaded Carlos Dunlap after his weeks-long dissatisfaction spree, and the team is covered at wide receiver. The Bengals have used A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd and second-round pick Tee Higgins as their top three wideouts. Auden Tate, who came up in trade rumors after being a healthy scratch earlier this season, also still resides on the Bengals’ roster. Tate is controlled beyond 2020; Ross is not.
Despite the Dunlap deal, however, the Bengals are not known for aggressiveness in trades. The rebuilding team is not willing to deal 11th-year defensive tackle Geno Atkins, and Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan threw cold water on the prospect of a trade. The Bengals would rather let Ross walk in March than deal him now, per Caplan (on Twitter). Teams are interested in Ross, per Caplan, which would make an anti-trade stance rather confusing.
Ross’ injury troubles led the Bengals to pass on his fifth-year option. The ex-Washington Husky, however, has shown intermittent promise. He caught seven touchdown passes in 2018 and surpassed 500 receiving yards in eight games last season. This and his elite speed would make Ross an interesting trade chip ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
