Darius Jennings

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/23/21

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here. Teams have until 4pm ET/3pm CT Tuesday to reach the 80-man roster limit.

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts 

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: OT Jonathan Hubbard
  • Released from IR via injury settlement: Sam Renner

Tennessee Titans

Lions Sign WR/KR Darius Jennings

The Lions have signed wide receiver Darius Jennings, per a club announcement. In a related move, center Drake Jackson has been waived. 

Jennings entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Browns back in 2015. After starting out on the practice squad, the Virginia product earned his promotion. he caught 14 passes for 117 yards in four games, showcasing speed and potential for GMs around the league.

The next couple of years were spent on various practice squads before he resurfaced with the Titans in 2018. Operating as Tennessee’s kick returner that season, he took kick 94 yards and all the way to the house. His 31.7 yards per return average led the league in ’18, but the Titans jockeyed him on and off the roster in ’19.

Jennings, 29, was set to play with the Chargers last year but that deal didn’t last. If he sees the field in Detroit, it’ll mark his first live action since 2019.

Patriots Notes: Gilmore, Newton, Edelman

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is usually tight-lipped when it comes to, well, just about everything, but he was quite candid in discussing his team’s struggles this season. The 2-4 Pats are in the midst of their first three-game losing streak since 2002, and Belichick suggested that one of his club’s goals in 2020 was to get right with the salary cap after years of heavy investments.

“This is kind of the year that we’ve taken to, I would say, adjust our cap from the spending that we’ve had in accumulation of prior years,” Belichick said (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com). “We just haven’t been able to have the kind of depth on our roster that we’ve had in some other years.”

In addition to their league-leading eight COVID-19 opt-outs, the Pats are carrying about $26MM of dead cap charges this season, and as Reiss indicated back in March, the club’s financial picture in 2021 is much brighter. New England may be taking its lumps in 2020, but it is still lurking in the AFC East and is eyeing a major rebound next year.

Now for more out of Foxborough:

  • Stephon Gilmore‘s name has come up in trade rumors, but Reiss says the Pats are not actively shopping their star corner, which is consistent with what we heard several days ago. However, the ESPN scribe suggests that Belichick could be willing to listen if a rival club were to offer a first- or second-round draft choice. Assuming that does not happen, then Gilmore is likely to finish out the season with New England. The two sides would need to address his contract situation at that point, as Gilmore is under club control through 2021 and will be seeking a healthy extension.
  • As of this writing, the Patriots have not done much to suggest that they will be sellers at this week’s trade deadline, but if they fall to the division-rival Bills today, that could change, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com confirms.
  • QB Cam Newton was benched in a blowout loss to the 49ers last week, and though the time he missed due to COVID-19 certainly could explain his recent struggles, the Pats are still alarmed by the number of mistakes he’s making, per Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (video link). While Newton’s job is not in imminent danger, he could lose the starting gig if he does not turn it around soon.
  • New England’s WR depth chart, which is already quite thin, took another hit when Julian Edelman was placed on IR with a knee injury. Belichick said he expects the veteran pass catcher to be back this season, but several people close to Edelman have their doubts, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Edelman’s knee has been bothering him for awhile, and although his recent surgery helped alleviate some discomfort, the knee is still bone-on-bone. The Pats could save $4MM against the cap by moving on from the 34-year-old at season’s end, and one wonders if he might have played his last game for New England.
  • In an effort to bolster their WR group, the Pats plan to have veteran wideout Donte Moncrief come in for a workout, per Reiss (via Twitter). The former third-rounder has generally struggled to live up to expectations in his career, and he was recently released off the Jets’ practice squad. Given Gang Green’s own receiver issues, that’s not a good sign, but Moncrief is only 27 and still possesses plenty of physical tools.
  • In addition to Moncrief, the Pats are also bringing in fellow WR Darius Jennings and DT Ryan Glasgow, according to Reiss. Albert Breer of SI.com says the team recently hosted FB Roosevelt Nix (Twitter link).

Chargers Sign WR/KR Darius Jennings

The Chargers are adding a depth piece to their receiving corp. Los Angeles is signing receiver/returner Darius Jennings, his agent announced on Twitter.

Jennings entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Browns back in 2015. He caught 14 passes for 117 yards in only four games as a rookie after getting promoted from the practice squad late in the year. He bounced around on various practice squads the next couple of years, resurfacing with the Titans in 2018. He operated as Tennessee’s kick returner that season, taking a kick back 94-yards for a touchdown and leading the league with a 31.7 yards per return average.

He was cut by the Titans midway through last season, but was re-signed in time for the playoffs and operated as their kick returner in two postseason games. The Chargers have Keenan Allen and Mike Williams at receiver but not a whole lot after them, so it’s certainly conceivable that Jennings will crack the roster.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/19

Today’s minor transactions:

Cincinnati Bengals

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

 

NFL Workout Updates: 11/11/19

Here’s the latest from around the league’s workout circuit:

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

New York Giants

Oakland Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Future/Reserve Contracts: 1/15/18

Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:

Cleveland Browns

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/29/17

Today’s practice squad updates:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: RB Darius Victor

Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Read more

Titans Activate WR Harry Douglas, Waive WR Darius Jennings

Harry Douglas is set to make his season debut this weekend. Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com reports that the Titans have activated the wideout from the injured reserve. To make room on the roster, the team has waived wide receive Darius Jennings.

Harry Douglas (Vertical)After suffering a knee injury, the 33-year-old was placed on the injured reserve prior to the start of the season. The veteran should be a welcome addition to a Titans passing offense that has only hauled in nine touchdowns this season. In 25 games with Tennessee between 2015 and 2016, Douglas compiled 51 receptions for 621 yards and two touchdowns. His best season came in 2013 with the Falcons, when he caught 85 passes for 1,067 yards and two scores.

“He has done well, and obviously he has been in the book,” said coach Mike Mularkey. “He is a trusted vet, and knows how to do things the right way. He came out here and didn’t miss a beat. It doesn’t look like he’s been off for 11 weeks.”

Despite the Titans lack of production, it might be tough for Douglas to see a whole lot of playing time. Even with Jennings out of the picture, the team is still rostering Rishard Matthews, Corey Davis, Eric Decker, Taywan Taylor, and Eric Weems.

Jennings, a 2015 undrafted free agent out of Virginia, has also spent time with the Browns, Bears, and Jets. He didn’t see the field for the Titans this season, although he previously caught 14 passes with Cleveland in 2015.