Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC East
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC East 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 Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, and Redskins are noted below.
Additionally, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads today. 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 NFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.
New York Giants
- Claimed:
- WR Cody Core
- OL Eric Smith
- Waived:
- WR Alonzo Russell
- OL Brian Mihalik
- Signed to practice squad:
- DL Freedom Akinmoladun
- OL Evan Brown
- LB Jake Carlock
- TE C.J. Conrad
- RB Jon Hilliman
- DT Chris Slayton
- LB Josiah Tauaefa
- WR Reggie White Jr.
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed to practice squad:
- TE Alex Ellis
- WR Marcus Green
- DT Bruce Hector
- QB Kyle Lauletta
- G Sua Opeta
- TE Josh Perkins
- RB Boston Scott
- LB Alex Singleton
- WR Greg Ward
Washington Redskins
- Claimed:
- Waived:
- Placed on IR:
- LB Jordan Brailford
- RB Shaun Wilson
- Signed to practice squad:
- CB Adonis Alexander
- DE Ryan Bee
- WR Jehu Chesson
- TE J.P. Holtz
- T Timon Parris
- S Jeremy Reaves
- RB Craig Reynolds
- WR Cam Sims
- LB Darrell Williams
Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott Moving Towards Deal
The Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott are moving toward a deal, Clarence Hill of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) also hears that serious progress has been made over the last 24 hours, though obstacles still remain.
We heard this morning that the two sides still have significant ground to cover, so it’s unclear if this is a case of actual progress in negotiations, or a case of conflicting stories.This morning’s update suggested that the two sides are simply getting back to the table after weeks of silence. Hill’s tweet, meanwhile, suggests that things are moving in a positive direction. Either way, we can say this with confidence – there’s an increased sense of urgency and optimism coming from both sides of the table.
Elliott’s guarantees appear to be the holdup at this stage. Zeke likely wants guarantees in the range of Todd Gurley‘s $45MM amount, a number that would give Dallas pause given the risk involved with RBs.
Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott Still Have Significant Ground To Cover
The Ezekiel Elliott pendulum continues to swing back and forth. We heard yesterday that contract talks between Elliott and the Cowboys were intensifying, and the fact that Dallas elected to keep only two RBs on its 53-man roster suggests that the club is indeed expecting to have Zeke back for Week 1.
Today, however, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports that the two sides still have significant ground to cover. Moore says talks are certainly intensifying, but given that there had been no meaningful dialogue over the last few weeks, the mere fact that the parties returned to the negotiating table this weekend represents marked progress. The word “intensifying” should not necessarily be construed to mean that a deal is close.
As Moore reiterates, the primary issue in negotiations is the guaranteed money. The AAV gap between the league’s current highest-paid RBs — Todd Gurley‘s $14.3MM and Le’Veon Bell‘s $13.1MM — isn’t making player or team lie awake at night. The gulf between Gurley’s $45MM guarantee and David Johnson‘s $31.8MM guarantee is the real holdup, as the Cowboys don’t want to set the RB market in terms of guarantees given that there is already a huge gap between Gurley and the next player at his position.
It feels like an agreement may not be too far away, but there is still significant legwork to be done.
Cowboys Get Down To 53
The Cowboys have made their cuts to get down to 53 players. Nothing too surprising on this list, although there is at least one interesting takeaway. The Cowboys cut three running backs, leaving Alfred Morris and Tony Pollard as the only two currently with the team. That’s a strong indicator that the team is expecting Ezekiel Elliott back before Week 1.
Receiver Devin Smith also made the roster as their final receiver, which is a nice feel-good story. Drafted by the Jets 37th overall back in 2015, multiple ACL tears derailed his promising career. Smith has had brutal injury luck and hasn’t appeared in a game since 2016, so this is nice to see.
Waived:
OL Jake Campos
RB Jordan Chunn
WR Reggie Davis
WR Jalen Guyton
LB Nate Hall
OL Mitch Hyatt
TE Marcus Lucas
CB Donovan Olumba
LB Kyle Quiero
LS Drew Scott
DT Shakir Soto
DE Ricky Walker
RB Mike Weber
QB Mike White
DE Daniel Wise
Waived/InjuredL
Reserve/PUP:
WR Noah Brown
Reserve/Injured
DE Jalen Jelks
WR Jon’Vea Johnson
DT Daniel Ross
CB Chris Westry
Talks Between Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott “Intensifying”
It sounds like Ezekiel Elliott could be on the field for Week 1. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that talks between the Cowboys and the star running back are “intensifying.” Both sides are determined to finalize a new deal this weekend.
While there have been plenty of recent reports regarding negotiations between both sides, it sounded like the two sides hadn’t made any progress in recent weeks. We heard earlier this week that both camps were standing strong on their initial offers; the Cowboys had offered a contract that was assumed to be around $14MM, while Elliott was seeking a deal that would pay him $15MM per season (thus setting the benchmark at the position).
While the organization had reportedly made an Elliott extension a priority, owner Jerry Jones said yesterday that he was operating as if their star running back wouldn’t be on the field. Regardless, today’s report is the most clarity we’ve received in some time, and it’s good news for Dallas that both sides are focused on completing a deal.
While team’s are understandably wary of handing out big money to running backs, Elliott has proved that he deserves to be one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL. The former fourth-overall pick showed off his pass-catching prowess in 2018, hauling in a career-high 77 receptions for 567 yards and three scores. He was also prolific in the running game, compiling 1,434 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Perhaps most importantly, Elliott managed to play in 15 games after being limit to only 10 in 2017.
Had Zeke ended up sitting out part of the regular season, the Cowboys were ready to roll with rookie running back Tony Pollard and veteran Alfred Morris. Assuming an extension gets done, the organization now has a formidable trio of backs to rely on from the start of the season.
Latest On Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott
The regular season is barely a week away, and Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott remains away from the team. Despite making an Elliott extension the top priority, there has been little progress between the two sides.
Owner Jerry Jones has been digging in his heels, and his latest comments are sure to cause panic among the fanbase. “I’m operating as though right now he’s going to miss regular season games. My entire expectation for what we’re putting together as a team right now would anticipate with him holding out … that he’s going to miss games. I just accept that,” Jones said, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic (Twitter link).
While Jones saying publicly that he’s expecting Elliott to miss regular season games is obviously concerning, Jones might be taking a different stance in private. Jones is still actively trying to get a deal done “behind the scenes” before Week 1, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport writes that Jones has still been negotiating with Elliott’s agent, but that as of right now they still haven’t offered more than what Todd Gurley got from the Rams.
Leapfrogging Gurley and becoming the highest-paid running back in the league seems to be the priority for Elliott’s team, and neither side has been willing to budge. At a recent banquet Jones seemed to indicate Elliott would be back for Week 1, and it’s unclear what caused his recent change in tone. The clock is ticking, but things can come together quickly and there’s still plenty of time left.
Cowboys To Release S George Iloka
Connected to safeties for well over a year now, the Cowboys are set to again go with their Xavier Woods–Jeff Heath tandem. The team will release George Iloka, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic (on Twitter).
The Cowboys signed Iloka earlier this offseason to compete with Heath, but the incumbent won the position battle. This will mark another late-summer exit for the former Bengals starter. Cincinnati cut Iloka in late August of last year, and the longtime first-stringer landed with Mike Zimmer in Minnesota.
Both the Vikings and Cowboys added Iloka on league-minimum deals. The Cowboys guaranteed the 29-year-old defender $210K. Iloka has started 79 games since being a 2012 Bengals fifth-rounder. Only three came last season with the Vikings. Iloka played 117 defensive snaps in 2018.
Dallas resisted the urge to trade for Earl Thomas in 2018 and to sign the Texas native this year, going with Iloka for depth purposes. This will be Heath’s third season as a full-time starter and Woods’ seconds. The Cowboys still have sixth-round safeties Kavon Frazier and Donovan Wilson, a rookie, on its roster going into Saturday’s cutdown day.
Rolando McClain Gets Conditional Reinstatement
Linebacker Rolando McClain, conceivably, could make a return to the NFL. After three full seasons away from the sport, the league has granted him a conditional reinstatement (Twitter link via Mike Florio of PFT).
McClain, a talented former first-round pick of the Raiders, has battled off-the-field demons for years. The Cowboys gambled on him after the Raiders gave up on him and, for a period, that gamble paid off.
In 2014, the Cowboys acquired McClain via trade and used him in 13 games. He finished that season with 81 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. After that, he was hit with his first – but not last – NFL suspension. In 2015, he was limited to just eleven games, though he still tallied 80 tackles and a pair of sacks.
After signing another one-year deal with the Cowboys during the 2016 offseason, McClain was handed a ten-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He then failed another drug test midway through the season, and the NFL slapped him with an indefinite suspension. After his third ban in two years, McClain was cuffed on a 2017 arrest for firearm and drug charges.
We haven’t seen McClain on the field since the 2015 season, but the door is at least open for him to sign with a club for the upcoming year. It remains to be seen whether the 30-year-old is in game shape, however.
Colts, Texans, Browns Lead NFL In Cap Space
On Tuesday morning, the NFL released a report of every team’s cap space. The total number accounts for the top-51 cap numbers on every team’s roster. Therefore, these numbers will naturally change before next week as teams set their 53-man rosters (although the 52nd- and 53rd-ranked cap numbers (and beyond) for each team will hardly change anything).
It’s also worth noting that there have been a handful of extensions, trades, signings, and cuts since this report was released. However, there weren’t any significant moves that would drastically alter these rankings.
Why are these numbers important at this time of year? Well, rosters will be trimmed on Saturday, meaning an influx of players will hit the open market. While we can’t imagine any roster casualties earning a lucrative contract from a new team, these numbers can help illustrate the monetary advantage one organization has over another. These numbers are also useful in regards to any potential trades or extensions.
With help from TheMMQB.com’s Albert Breer on Twitter, we’ve listed the league’s cap space totals (as of Tuesday morning) below:
- Indianapolis Colts: $56.6MM
- Houston Texans: $37.0MM
- Cleveland Browns: $34.6MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $26.1MM
- Tennessee Titans: $26.0MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $25.5MM
- Buffalo Bills: $23.3MM
- Miami Dolphins: $22.1MM
- Chicago Bears: $22.1MM
- Washington Redskins: $21.7MM
- Detroit Lions: $21.5MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $21MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $19.7MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $19.5MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $18.6MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $18.2MM
- Oakland Raiders: $17.3MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $16.4MM
- Green Bay Packers: $15.2MM
- New York Jets: $14.9MM
- New England Patriots: $14.1MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $13.4MM
- New Orleans Saints $7.5MM
- Carolina Panthers $5.9MM
- Los Angeles Rams $5.6MM
- New York Giants $5.5MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers $4.9MM
- Minnesota Vikings $4.7MM
- Arizona Cardinals $4.7MM
- Denver Broncos $4.4MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers $4.3MM
- Atlanta Falcons $3.4MM
Latest On Ezekiel Elliott
While it sounds like talks between the Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott‘s camp have stalled, there’s still optimism that a deal will get done before the regular season opener. Appearing at a recent banquet, owner Jerry Jones told the crowd that their star running back will be on the field for Week 1.
“We’re missing one, but we’ll have him on the field,” Jones said (via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News on Twitter). “I’m not joking.”
Meanwhile, executive vice president Stephen Jones told ESPN’s Todd Archer that he’s hopeful a deal will get done over the next week (Twitter link). However, Jones did acknowledge that things have been quiet recently, which is something we also heard late last week.
The Cowboys have apparently made an Elliott deal a priority. Both quarterback Dak Prescott and wideout Amari Cooper are also in line for new deals, but both players seem receptive to playing into a contract year.
Let’s check out some more notes out of Dallas…
- Jay Glazer of The Athletic passes along more optimism from the organization. The reporter notes that the Cowboys have “contended all along that they believe he will be there for Week One against the Giants.” Glazer expects the two sides to agree to a deal that will make Elliott the highest-paid running back in the league.
- Both sides seem to be holding strong to their initial offers, tweets Clarence Hill Jr. of the Dallas Star-Telegram. Elliott’s side made an initial offer to the organization that was deemed too high, and the organization countered with a lower proposal. Hill implies that neither side has come back to the table with a revised contract offer.
- Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets that the Cowboys have previously skirted around negotiations with agents by dealing directly with players. The reporter cites an agent who thinks the organization may have unsuccessfully tried this strategy with their extension-worthy trio. “He said in this case the difference is [Elliott] and even Dak and Amari Cooper, they’re not buying it,” Garafolo said. “They’re actually listening to their representation. So he feels like maybe Jerry Jones is starting to get a little frustrated, because some of his old tricks aren’t working in this case.” Circumventing an agent to deal with a represented player would be a violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
- CBS Sports’ Joel Corry suggests a contract structure that would seemingly satisfy both sides. Elliott would sign a six-year contract worth around $100MM, which would set the benchmark at the position for average annual salary. However, the Cowboys wouldn’t be setting the market when it comes to money that’s “fully guaranteed at signing, three year cash flow, first three new years compensation and signing bonus.” Ultimately, Corry pegs a contract that’d be worth between $99MM and $103MM over eight total years (two years remaining plus a six-year extension).