Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC North
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC North teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, and Steelers are noted below.
Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s AFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Baltimore Ravens
Practice squad:
- T Randin Cornelius
- RB Gus Edwards
- DE Myles Humphrey
- G Nico Siragusa
- RB De’Lance Turner
- WR Tim White
- RB Christopher Ezeala*
- TE Darren Waller**
Cincinnati Bengals
Signed:
Practice squad:
- TE Moritz Bohringer*
- DT Andrew Brown
- RB Quinton Flowers
- TE Jordan Franks
- CB C.J. Goodwin
- QB Christian Hackenberg
- C Brad Lundblade
- T Kent Perkins
- CB KeiVarae Russell
- WR Kermit Whitfield
- LB Chris Worley
Cleveland Browns
Claimed:
- DL Carl Davis
- OL Aaron Neary
- DL Ifeadi Odenigbo
- DB Tavierre Thomas
- LB Tanner Vallejo
Cut:
- DL Jamie Meder
- DL Carl Nassib
- LB Jermaine Grace
- DB Jeremiah McKinnon
- C Austin Reiter
Pittsburgh Steelers
Practice squad:
- LB Keion Adams
- CB Brian Allen
- RB Jarvion Franklin
- WR Trey Griffey
- TE Bucky Hodges
- DE Lavon Hooks
- LB Farrington Huuenin
- WR Tevin Jones
- C Patrick Morris
- OL R.J. Prince
- TE Christian Scotland-Williamson*
* = international player
** = practice squad exception
North Notes: Bears, Ravens, Packers, Browns
Among the offers the Raiders received for edge rusher Khalil Mack, the Bears‘ was “by far” the strongest, tweets Michael Lombardi of The Athletic. Chicago eventually acquired Mack, so it’s unsurprising their offer was the most substantial, but Lombardi’s report may indicate the Bears outbid rivals by several magnitudes. In the end, Chicago sent Oakland a 2019 first-round pic, a 2010 first-round pick, a 2020 third-round pick, and a 2019 sixth-round pick in exchange for Mack, a 2020 second-round round pick, and a conditional 2020 fifth-round pick. The Bears have since extended Mack, making him the NFL’s highest-paid defender.
- Ravens rookie kicker Kaare Vedvik was found with upper body injuries and is believed to have assaulted last night, according to Justin Fenton and Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun. It’s a scary situation, and Vedvik’s health is the most serious issue at hand. Roster-wise, rival clubs were reportedly watching what Baltimore would do with Vedvik, as he was a possible waiver claim candidate. Instead, the Ravens placed him on the non-football injury list. PFR extends it best wishes to Vedvik in his recovery.
- Having already lost Jake Ryan for the season, the Packers are likely to be without fellow linebacker Oren Burks for at least Week, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Burks, a third-round rookie, had been projected to replace Ryan — who suffered a torn ACL last month — next to Blake Martinez. Instead, he’ll be sidelined for the season opener, and could miss a few additional weeks after that, according to Rapoport. Antonio Morrison, whom Green Bay recently acquired from the Colts, figures to take over in the middle of the Packers’ defense.
- Mychal Kendricks could conceivably file a grievance against the Browns after Cleveland released him following insider trading charges, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Meanwhile, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports explains just how brazen Kendricks was in his misdeeds, as he accrued 1,500% return on an $80K investment.
Browns Make Minor Trade With Saints
The Browns have reached the 53-man roster maximum by making a whole lot of cuts and acquiring one player just before the bell.
On Saturday, the Browns announced that they acquired defensive lineman Devaroe Lawrence from the Saints in exchange for a 2019 seventh-round pick. Lawrence, 26 in October, overcame legal trouble as a youngster to achieve his dream of making it to the NFL. Injuries have held him back in the pros, but the Saints stuck by him even after ACL surgery in December of 2016.
“We felt he was athletic, explosive and we felt like he could recover,” said Saints coach Sean Payton (via Luke Johnson of The Times-Picayune). “In other words, he was battling an injury and we saw traits that are hard to find sometimes for defensive tackles, and it’s hard to find that position, especially after the draft.”
So, with Lawrence in the fold, the Browns waived the following 19 players to get down to the limit:
- LB B.J. Bello
- DL Caleb Brantley
- TE Devon Cajuste
- RB Matthew Dayes
- OL Christian DiLauro
- OL Spencer Drango
- DL Daniel Ekuale
- DL Zaycoven Henderson
- RB Dontrell Hilliard
- WR Blake Jackson
- DB Mike Jordan
- DB Montrel Meander
- DL Nate Orchard
- DB Tigie Sankoh
- WR Da’Mari Scott
- LB Brady Sheldon
- DB Simeon Thomas
- P Justin Vogel
- FB Danny Vitale (waived/injured)
Teams Thought Jamie Collins Was Available
- The Browns released linebacker Mychal Kendricks on Wednesday after he was shockingly charged with insider trading, but the 27-year-old had been performing so well in Cleveland that other clubs believed fellow ‘backer Jamie Collins was available via trade, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Crucially, Breer does not indicate the Browns were shopping Collins or had any intention of moving him, but the mere fact that rival teams believed Collins could be had is notable. Cleveland sent a third-round pick to New England in exchange for Collins in 2016, and subsequently re-signed him to a four-year, $50MM contract the following year. Collins, who played in only six games last season before going on injured reserve with a torn MCL, will join Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert as Cleveland’s starting linebackers.
49ers Acquire T Shon Coleman From Browns
The 49ers have acquired offensive tackle Shon Coleman from the 49ers, both clubs announced. San Francisco will send a 2019 seventh-round pick to Cleveland.
While the Browns still aren’t sure how they’ll formulate a post-Joe Thomas offensive line, Coleman won’t be part of their front five. Coleman, a 2016 third-round pick under Cleveland’s previous regime, started all 16 games at right tackle last season as a middling option, ranking 56th among 79 qualified tackles, per Pro Football Focus.
Coleman wasn’t in the Browns’ long-term future, but he could give the 49ers valuable depth. Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey are locked in at left tackle and right tackle, respectively, for San Francisco, but Coleman is a viable swing option. His presence on the 49ers’ roster could potentially force the release of Garry Gilliam, who’s been dealing with a concussion for multiple weeks.
San Francisco will now control Coleman at minimum salaries for the next two seasons. Cleveland, meanwhile, will take on roughly $200K in dead money in each of the next two years.
Browns Interested In Raiders DE Khalil Mack
The Browns are expected to reach out to the Raiders regarding the availability of edge rusher Khalil Mack, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Mack is currently engaged in a contract dispute with Oakland, one that’s expected to last into the regular season. One of the NFL’s best pass-rushers, Mack is scheduled to earn $13.846MM in 2018 before hitting free agency next spring.
The Raiders’ asking price for Mack is believed to start with two first-round picks, but it’s unclear if any club is willing to meet that price. While teams have inquired on Mack, and offers have been coming in, Oakland has yet to make a trade. The Jets, for one, are known to be interested in acquiring Mack.
Cleveland already boasts one excellent pass-rusher in Myles Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft. But adding a talent like Mack would give the club a truly elite presence on both sides of its defensive line. And Cleveland, which has $61MM in available cap space, has more than enough funds to work out an extension with Mack.
Mack, 27, has been a wrecking ball since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, Mack has totaled 40.5 sacks over his first four NFL seasons. In 2017, Pro Football Focus graded Mack as the NFL’s seventh-best edge defender.
AFC Notes: Browns, Landry, Peterman
On the eve of roster cutdown day, here’s the latest out of the AFC:
- The Browns have turned to multiple players this offseason in search of Joe Thomas‘ replacement, but after moving well-regarded left guard Joel Bitonio to left tackle, it doesn’t appear the team is ready to slot him there in Week 1. Hue Jackson said Bitonio might be moving back to guard and has declined to say who will be his left tackle starter against the Steelers, per Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland (on Twitter). Austin Corbett‘s left guard job is also not certain, per Jackson (via Jeff Schudel of the Lorain Morning Journal, on Twitter). Rookie UDFA Desmond Harrison may be the latest name to get a crack at left tackle, which would be an interesting move for a team with Shon Coleman and Greg Robinson still on the roster.
- It appears the Titans may be without two of their top edge rushers when they suit up for Week 1. With Derrick Morgan already expected to be out because of meniscus surgery, Harold Landry suffered a sprained ankle — a second opinion revealing that this could be a high ankle sprain, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter) — is uncertain for Tennessee’s opener. No joint damage occurred, but the Titans may opt to play it safe with their second-rounder.
- Working as both a camp kicker and punter with the Ravens, rookie UDFA Kaare Vedvik has drawn attention around the league this month. Teams are monitoring this situation, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link), since Vedvik will not be beating out Justin Tucker or Sam Koch.
- Nathan Peterman has a real shot to be the Bills‘ Week 1 starter, despite having made one of the worst starts in modern NFL history last season. Signs are pointing to Peterman to begin the year as the Bills’ starter, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic writes. The 2017 fifth-round pick completed 80 percent of his preseason passes and watched the Bills deploy A.J. McCarron instead of him in Thursday night’s preseason finale, a game usually reserved for backups or players set to be cut. McCarron signed for two years and $8MM this offseason. Josh Allen is obviously the long-term option, but while he learns, Peterman may be the Bills’ guy.
Browns Release Jeff Janis
The Browns did not deem former Packers wide receiver Jeff Janis as worthy of their 53-man roster. They released the fifth-year veteran on Friday, along with a host of other moves.
Janis was in the mix for one of Cleveland’s backup jobs but couldn’t impress enough to beat out some younger competitors. Known best for his heroics in a Packers-Cardinals divisional-round game, Janis will avoid outright waivers due to his vested-veteran status. The other players the Browns are parting with Friday will head to waivers.
Here’s the full list:
- TE Stephen Baggett
- DB Christian Boutte
- DB Elijah Campbell
- OL Anthony Fabiano
- DL Jeremy Faulk
- OL Avery Gennesy
- OL Fred Lauina
- QB Brogan Roback
- DB Derron Smith
- DL Blaine Woodson
The Browns also waived three players with injury designations.
- WR C.J. Board
- LB Justin Currie
- DL Lenny Jones
Browns Release Mychal Kendricks
The Browns announced they’ve released Mychal Kendricks. The 27-year-old linebacker was charged with insider trading earlier on Wednesday and if convicted could face up to 25 years in prison.
“Prior to signing Mychal, we were informed that there was a financial situation that he had been involved with in 2014. We were told Mychal had fully cooperated with investigators as a victim,” GM John Dorsey said in a statement. “From what was communicated at that time and based on the numerous questions we asked and further due diligence on our part, including checking with the league office, there was no information discovered that conveyed otherwise.
“Recently, we were provided an update on the matter and the circumstances have changed. We are now dealing with a different set of facts and the additional information we’ve gathered has led us to the decision to release Mychal from our team.”
The Browns knew Kendricks was involved in a federal investigation upon signing him earlier this year, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. However, both Cabot and the Associated Press’ Claudia Lauer report the team did not know the extent of the investigation. Kendricks’ camp led the Browns to believe the 27-year-old defender was not the target of the probe and wouldn’t be facing a situation like the one he’s in now, Cabot reports.
Kendricks admitted wrongdoing in a scheme that went into effect four years ago. In addition to the possible lengthy prison term, he faces a $5.25MM fine, per Lauer. Both Kendricks and Damilare Sonoiki, whom U.S. attorney William M. McSwain said orchestrated the trades, are expected to plead guilty soon, according to Philly.com. Sonoiki helped Kendricks turn $80K in a brokerage account into $1.2MM in less than five months, detailed in the charges (via Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson, on Twitter). Kendricks said he did not use any of these profits will pay back all funds obtained illegally.
“Since the beginning of the investigation, I have fully cooperated with the authorities and will continue to do so,” part of Kendricks’ statement read. “I accept full responsibility for my actions. Although I did not take any of the profits for myself, I am committed to repaying all of the funds gained illegally and accept the consequences of my actions.”
The Eagles released Kendricks earlier this year after he hovered on the trade block for multiple offseasons. He’d recently helped Philadelphia secure its first Super Bowl title by working as a three-down linebacker for most of last season. With the Browns, he joined a deeper linebacker corps but was expected to play plenty. He signed a one-year deal worth $2.25MM.
Browns’ Kendricks Admits To Insider Trading
Browns linebacker Mychal Kendricks was charged with insider trading, according to an announcement from U.S. attorney William McSwain. Shortly after the announcement, Kendricks publicly fessed up to the crime.
“I apologize. Four years ago, I participated in insider trading, and I deeply regret it,” Kendricks said in a statement. “I invested money with a former friend of mine who I thought I could trust and who I greatly admired. His background as a Harvard graduate and an employee of Goldman Sachs gave me a false sense of confidence. To that point, I had worked my tail off since I was 5 years old to become the football player that I am today. I was drawn in by the allure of being more than just a football player. While I didn’t fully understand all of the details of the illegal trades, I knew it was wrong, and I wholeheartedly regret my actions.”
In a statement of their own, the Browns said that Kendricks will not join the team in Detroit for Thursday’s preseason finale against the Lions. Kendricks will enter a guilty plea when the time comes, but it’s not clear what kind of punishment the government will be seeking. Even if Kendricks escapes serious legal consequences, he could be subject to a suspension from the NFL.
Kendricks appeared in 15 games last season for the Eagles and racked up 75 tackles. He also logged 16 tackles in the postseason amid the Eagles’ run to their first-ever Super Bowl title. After years of trade speculation, the Eagles cut Kendricks in May, freeing him up to join the Browns.