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Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/24

September 25th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

New England Patriots

New York Giants

After suffering a pectoral injury in Week 2, Ja’Whaun Bentley officially landed on injured reserve today. With the linebacker expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season, the player willingly gave up his captaincy to safety Kyle Dugger, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.

Ty Summers was promoted from the practice squad for each of the Giants’ first three games, so the team had no choice but to sign the linebacker to the active roster. The former seventh-round pick has exclusively played on special teams for the Giants this season, and he hasn’t seen the field for a defensive snap since he was with the Packers in 2021.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/25/24

September 25th, 2024 at 6:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

  • Signed: WR John Jiles

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: DT Shakel Brown

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Trenton Gill has caught on with the Buccaneers practice squad after getting cut by the Broncos back in August. Gill spent the previous two seasons as the Bears full-time punter, with the 25-year-old averaging 46 yards per punt while landing 28.6 percent of his punts inside the 20. As Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times notes, this addition is a sign that Bucs punter Jake Camarda may be on the hot seat. The former fourth-round pick is averaging a career-low 39.8 net yards per punt.

Browns To Place G Wyatt Teller On IR

September 25th, 2024 at 10:17am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 25: The team has moved Teller to IR, per Cabot. Considering the veteran guard’s timetable, this move is unsurprising. Though, it comes as the Browns continue to see their tackles unable to play together. Wills and Conklin have not completed a game together since the 2022 season. Teller is now out until at least Week 8.

SEPTEMBER 23: Wyatt Teller suffered a knee injury on Sunday, and he is now facing a notable absence. The Pro Bowl Browns guard is dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

As a result, Garafolo adds an absence of roughly four weeks is expected. Head coach Kevin Stafanski said on Monday the team is considering injured reserve, a move which would require at least four games on the sidelines. An IR stint would come as no surprise given Teller’s reported recovery timeline, although Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes a second opinion is being sought out before any final decisions are made.

Losing Teller for any extended period would of course represent a major blow to Browns’ O-line. The 29-year-old has formed one of the league’s top guard tandems alongside Joel Bitonio since 2019. The last time Teller missed signficant time was in 2020, when he was sidelined for five games. A similar span on the sidelines appears to be in store.

Teller earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2020 and again the following year. He has been a Pro Bowler for each of the past three seasons, leading to expectations for another standout campaign in 2024. As the Browns move forward with question marks at the quarterback spot, though, they will be increasingly shorthanded up front. Left tackle Jedrick Wills made his season debut yesterday, but fellow lineman James Hudson suffered a shoulder injury which Cabot notes will require an MRI. Right tackle Jack Conklin has yet to play this season.

Third-round rookie Zak Zinter logged a career-high 51 offensive snaps in Week 3, and he could be in line to handle starting duties while Teller is sidelined. Cleveland dedicated two return slots to Michael Dunn and Nyheim Hines before roster cutdowns, leaving the team with six IR activations. Teller will use up one of them once healthy in the event he is indeed moved to injured reserve.

Browns DE Myles Garrett To Consider Offseason Foot Surgery

September 22nd, 2024 at 8:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

8:10pm: When speaking after the Browns’ Week 3 loss, Garrett said his foot issue is having a detrimental effect on his legs (h/t The Athletic’s Zac Jackson). Without time to heal, that problem could continue over at least the short term.

3:11pm: A foot issue led to some missed time for Myles Garrett in Week 2, but he did not carry a designation heading into today’s matchup. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is not expected to miss game action as a result of the ailment, but surgery could be an option down the road.

Specifically, Garrett is dealing with pain in both of his feet. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes the three-time All-Pro underwent a procedure as a nine-year-old to address flat feet, which may be related to the current problem (video link). In any case, pain management will be required on Garrett’s part for an extended period. After the current campaign, a procedure will be considered.

“We talk about [surgery after the season] but that’s something that we’ll talk about further down the line,” the 28-year-old said (via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi). “The issue itself is something that I’ll probably have to deal with for however long I end up playing. So it’s about managing that and playing through it.”

The former No. 1 pick has played double-digit games every year of his career, and he will be able to do so again in 2024 if he can tolerate the pain level he is currently dealing with. Garrett added he is hopeful the issue will get better over time as the season progresses. If that does not turn out to be the case, though, it would not come as a surprise if surgery were to become a distinct possibility.

Garrett earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2018 and then each year from 2020-23. His 90.5 sacks since being drafted rank second in the NFL, underlying his importance to the Browns. Cleveland also has Za’Darius Smith and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo along the edge, but they of course play complementary roles to Garrett, the focal point of one of the league’s top defenses from 2023. Remaining strong on that side of the ball will be key to the Browns’ efforts to return to the postseason.

Garrett recorded a strip sack in each of his first two games, and he will again be counted on as one of the league’s top defensive players if he can stay on the field for the rest of the season. Whether or not he can do so with reasonable pain levels will be worth watching closely over the next few weeks in particular.

Browns LT Jedrick Wills To Debut In Week 3

September 22nd, 2024 at 11:26am CST by Sam Robinson

Jedrick Wills did not suffer an ACL tear, but a knee injury has kept the four-year Browns left tackle out of action since Week 9 of last season. The string of missed games will stop today for the contract-year blocker.

The Browns have listed Wills as active, and TheLandOnDemand.com’s Tony Grossi indicates the former first-round pick will be the team’s left tackle starter opposite from Dawand Jones. While Wills is back, Jack Conklin — after making his return from an ACL tear last week — is out.

Although an MCL sprain was primary issue impacting Wills’ lengthy absence, he missed all this time due to also sustaining PCL damage and bone bruises in his injured right knee. Wills missed all of Cleveland’s offseason program and training camp but avoided the reserve/PUP list. That will allow a Week 3 debut, whereas a PUP placement would have required a four-game absence. Conklin missed all of Browns camp as well, but he had suffered an ACL tear for the second time as a pro. Conklin is also secure with a third lucrative contract, while Wills is playing for his second.

Seeing his fifth-year option ($19.7MM) picked up in May 2023, Wills must answer questions in a pivotal year. He can begin that effort in earnest against the Giants today, and the Browns now have four of their five O-line starters healthy. The Browns have guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller signed beyond 2024, and center Ethan Pocic‘s three-year deal runs through 2025.

Conklin’s most recent extension covers him through 2026, but no guarantees are still in place post-2024 on that contract. Conklin, 30, will need to show he can stay healthy this season. That effort is not going especially well so far, with the ninth-year tackle logging two full practices before being limited Friday and out today. Conklin should be expected to return next week, per Grossi, but this is obviously a situation to monitor given the former first-rounder’s injury past.

Wills, 25, has started every game he has played (53) since the Browns made him the 10th overall pick in 2020. This included a 15-game 2020 season and a 17-game 2022 effort. Pro Football Focus graded Wills as a mid-pack tackle from 2020-22, before assigning him a worse grade last season.

Next year could present a host of interesting options for tackle-needy teams. As of now, Wills joins Ronnie Stanley, Garett Bolles and Cam Robinson as veteran LTs unsigned. The Rams’ Alaric Jackson is also out of contract after this season. Extensions may well thin this crop, but Wills is younger than this lot and could have nearly 70 starts on his NFL resume after this season.

Of course, the Alabama alum will need to show he has recovered from his troublesome knee malady to set himself up for a big payday — either from the Browns or a tackle-seeking team in free agency — come 2025.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/24

September 21st, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Players like Hollman, Vigil, Webb, and Quarterman will now be getting called up for the third time this season. The NFL rules limit a practice squad player to three standard gameday elevations per contract. If their teams want to get them into more games in the future, the normal route is for them to be signed to the active roster after this weekend then released/waived and signed to new practice squad deals, starting their three-game count over.

Shy Tuttle‘s foot injury will keep him off the field for Week 3, as the Panthers announced that the defensive tackle has been downgraded from doubtful to out. The Panthers called up Williams to temporarily take the open roster spot. The defensive end started 10 of his 16 appearances for the Panthers last season, and he landed back on Carolina’s practice squad last month after spending the preseason with the Bills.

The Browns announced a handful of moves ahead of their game with the Giants tomorrow. Notably, the team didn’t promote any offensive tackles, which provided some optimism surrounding the availability of their injured tackles. While Jedrick Wills Jr. is expected to play (per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal), Jack Conklin will not (per Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland). Conklin hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2023 season while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. He practiced this week and was initially listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, but it sounds like a new hamstring injury is the culprit for his Week 3 absence.

With both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce set to miss Sunday’s trip to Minnesota, the Texans are bringing up Taylor off the practice squad. Taylor will back up Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale against the Vikings this weekend.

Deshaun Watson Accuser To Meet With NFL; Browns Preparing For Suspension?

September 20th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

Deshaun Watson‘s on-field performance has not matched expectations in 2024, but the more pressing storyline surrounding the Browns passer is the latest lawsuit filed against him for sexual assault. Watson’s most recent accuser is set to speak with the NFL, and a league investigation into the matter could result in another suspension.

Attorney Tony Buzbee – who is representing the woman accusing Watson of sexual assault in October 2020 and was a key figure for the plaintiffs in Watson’s original batch of lawsuits – said in a recent statement his client will cooperate with the league’s investigation noting the presence of “pertinent” video evidence. Non-league employees cannot be compelled to do so, making that development a notable one as it pertains potential discipline. Watson has (through attorney Rusty Hardin) denied the allegations and he will not be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list.

While the 29-year-old is therefore free to remain in place with the Browns for the time being, the potential of a second suspension has led to renewed questions about his contract. Cleveland guaranteed all of Watson’s five-year, $230MM deal in 2022 with the expectation he would face a ban at some point. Watson was indeed sidelined for the first 11 games of the season stemming from sexual assault lawsuits (all but one of which have since been settled).

Written correspondence between the former Texan Pro Bowler’s camp and the Browns referred to the possibility of a suspension and how it would not affect the guarantees in the deal. However, as ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes, protection against a suspension only covered the 2022 and ’23 seasons. This new allegation is separate from the ones which have already been dealt with, and as a result a new suspension could allow the team to void the remaining guaranteed money ($92MM between 2025 and ’26) contained in the pact.

The Browns have restructured Watson’s contract in each of the past two years in cap-related moves, converting base salaries into signing bonuses. The most recent of those moves may have removed suspension protection entirely, Graziano adds.

Players’ salaries are affected by suspensions, so a ban being handed down in 2024 would produce minimal consequences in that regard. Given Watson’s showings when healthy during his Browns tenure, though, the possibility of getting out of the remainder of his pact would likely be enticing. A decision on that front will not be possible unless and until any league suspension is handed down, the timeline of which remains uncertain. Cleveland could be preparing for a new ban, however.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports the presence of “chatter in league circles” that a personal conduct suspension could be coming, although nothing firm is in place with respect to when it could happen. Florio adds that some around the league believe the Browns are evaluating outside quarterback options, something which would become necessary in the event Watson were to miss time this year. Cleveland allowed backup Joe Flacco – who stepped in as the team’s starter after Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury – to depart in free agency. At the moment, veteran pickup Jameis Winston and 2023 fifth-rounder Dorian Thompson-Robinson round out the QB depth chart.

Plenty is still to be determined in this situation, and more clarity will likely emerge once the anonymous accuser speaks with league officials. A suspension – either covering the end of the current season or a portion of future years – would be signficant for Watson and the Browns in its own respect, but if possible the team’s ability to void his remaining locked in money would of course create a major storyline.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/24

September 19th, 2024 at 7:36pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

New England Patriots

New York Jets

The Patriots sustained a blow to their offensive line depth when Okorafor left the team after being benched after just 12 snaps in Week 1. New England received a five-day roster exemption for Okorafor’s initial absence but was forced to move the offensive tackle to the reserve/left team list when the exemption expired. He is now ineligible to return this season.

Watson was drafted by the Browns in the sixth round of the 2024 draft and made Cleveland’s initial 53-man roster. He appeared in the team’s first two regular-season games, playing 33 snaps on special teams.

Browns DT Mike Hall Pleads No Contest To Disorderly Conduct

September 19th, 2024 at 10:35am CST by Adam La Rose

Mike Hall‘s legal situation reached a conclusion on Thursday, paving the way for NFL discipline under the personal conduct policy. The Browns rookie entered a plea of no contest to disorderly conduct in the Avon Lake Municipal Court, per court records.

That fourth-degree misdemeanor represents a lower charge than the ones Hall was originally facing. The 21-year-old was arrested in August on domestic violence charges. An incident involving Hall and his fiancée led to the arrest, although the victim has since filed a motion for a protective order against Hall to be removed. That motion was granted.

Hall’s legal resolution includes a suspended 30-day sentence, a $250 fine and a placement on two-year monitor time, as detailed by Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. His original court date was scheduled for September 10, but it was moved back to Thursday. That day was meant to be the start of a pre-trial hearing, but today’s news brings a close to the case.

As is common in instances of domestic violence, Hall was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. That move prevented him from taking part in the Browns’ regular season opener and had him set to remain away from the team until his legal process played out. Now that it has, the NFL can proceed with an investigation in advance of a fine and/or suspension being issued for a personal conduct violation. A league statement confirms Hall remains on the exempt list for the time being (h/t Easterling).

During his final two years at Ohio State, Hall collected six sacks and 10 tackles for loss. That production made him one of the top defensive linemen in the 2024 draft class, and upon being selected with the No. 54 pick he was the Browns’ top choice in April. Expectations are high based on his potential, but it remains to be seen when he will be cleared to make his NFL debut.

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