Injury Updates: Joseph, Hubbard, Enagbare
Third-year safety Kerby Joseph has become a menace over his first two seasons in the league, recording exactly 82 total tackles and four interceptions in each campaign for the Lions. The start of his third season in the NFL will be a bit delayed this offseason, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, as Joseph underwent hip surgery to fix an injury that he sustained in Week 2 last year.
Joseph initially missed two games due to the issue but eventually returned in Week 5 and played through the injury for the remainder of the season, including three playoff contests. Joseph told the media this week that he expects to be healthy by the start of training camp. This means that he’ll likely be a non-participant in any offseason activities leading up to camp.
Here are a couple of other injury updates from around the NFL:
- Veteran Bengals pass rusher Sam Hubbard also underwent some offseason surgery, per ESPN’s Ben Baby. After a right ankle injury forced him to miss two games in 2023, Hubbard required “significant offseason surgery.” He told the media that he underwent “a complete deltoid reconstruction in his ankle and a TightRope procedure.” He initially believed the injury to be a simple sprain, but a fluoroscopy at the end of the season revealed a much more severe situation. He played through the issue to help a Joe Burrow-less Bengals team have a better chance to win but saw his quality of play decline as a result. Hubbard is now feeling fortunate to have made it through the procedure with no permanent damage.
- Lastly, Packers defensive end Kingsley Enagbare is hoping to be ready for the team’s 2024 season opener after initial beliefs that he had torn his ACL in January. According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, those initial concerns were quelled when Enagbare’s ACL injury “turned out to be less serious” than previously thought. He never needed to undergo offseason surgery and now stands a chance at being back in form in time for the start of the regular season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/12/24
Sunday’s minor transactions to wrap up the weekend:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: CB Leon Jones, TE Tommy Sweeney
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: QB Jacob Sirmon
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Kaden Davis
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Elijah Chatman
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Andrew Hayes, RB Ramon Jefferson
- Waived: CB Quandre Mosely, G Logan Stenberg
With the conclusion of rookie minicamps, a number of teams have made a few additions from minicamp auditions of undrafted rookie free agents. Sweeney is a rare example of a non-rookie getting a second chance from a minicamp audition. After collapsing on the practice field with the Giants last year due to a “medical event,” Sweeney will attempt a comeback to the NFL in Chicago.
Jones (undrafted out of Arkansas State), Sirmon (undrafted out of Northern Colorado), Chatman (undrafted out of SMU), Hayes (undrafted out of Central Arkansas), and Jefferson (undrafted out of Kentucky) all earned roster spots for the offseason after successful minicamp tryouts. Mosely and Stenberg were waived to make room for Hayes and Jefferson.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/10/24
Yesterday’s rush of rookie signings continued today. Here are Friday’s draft pick signings:
Arizona Cardinals
- TE Tip Reiman (third round, Illinois)
Atlanta Falcons
- LB JD Bertrand (fifth round, Notre Dame)
- RB Jase McClellan (sixth round, Alabama)
- WR Casey Washington (sixth round, Illinois)
- DT Zion Logue (sixth round, Georgia)
Cincinnati Bengals
- DT McKinnley Jackson (third round, Texas A&M)
- CB Josh Newton (fifth round, TCU)
- TE Tanner McLachlan (sixth round, Arizona)
- S Daijahn Anthony (seventh round, Mississippi)
- C Matt Lee (seventh round, Miami (FL))
Cleveland Browns
- G Zak Zinter (third round, Michigan)
- WR Jamari Thrash (fifth round, Louisville)
- LB Nathaniel Watson (sixth round, Mississippi State)
- CB Myles Harden (seventh round, South Dakota)
- DT Jowon Briggs (seventh round, Cincinnati)
Detroit Lions
- T Giovanni Manu (fourth round, British Columbia)
- RB Sione Vaki (fourth round, Utah)
- DT Mekhi Wingo (sixth round, LSU)
- G Christian Mahogany (sixth round, Boston College)
Las Vegas Raiders
- T DJ Glaze (third round, Maryland)
Los Angeles Chargers
- LB Junior Colson (third round, Michigan)
- CB Tarheeb Still (fifth round, Maryland)
- CB Cam Hart (fifth round, Notre Dame)
- RB Kimani Vidal (sixth round, Troy)
- WR Brenden Rice (seventh round, USC)
- WR Cornelius Johnson (seventh round, Michigan)
Minnesota Vikings
- K Will Reichard (sixth round, Alabama)
- C Michael Jurgens (seventh round, Wake Forest)
- DT Levi Drake Rodriguez (seventh round, Texas A&M-Commerce)
New England Patriots
- CB Marcellas Dial (sixth round, South Carolina)
- QB Joe Milton III (sixth round, Tennessee)
- TE Jaheim Bell (seventh round, Florida State)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- G Mason McCormick (fourth round, South Dakota State)
- DT Logan Lee (sixth round, Iowa)
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Dominick Puni (third round, Kansas)
- S Malik Mustapha (fourth round, Wake Forest)
- LB Tatum Bethune (seventh round, Florida State)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- RB Bucky Irving (fourth round, Oregon)
- G Elijah Klein (sixth round, UTEP)
Washington Commanders
- WR Luke McCaffrey (third round, Rice)
- LB Jordan Magee (fifth round, Temple)
- S Dominique Hampton (fifth round, Washington)
- DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste (seventh round, Notre Dame)
Lions Sign 15 UDFAs
The Lions came away with five rookies over the course of the draft. The 2024 event’s hosts have added to that group with 15 undrafted players. Here are Detroit’s rookie free agent signings:
- Jalon Calhoun, WR (Duke)
- Steele Chambers, LB (Ohio State)
- Duke Clemens, OL (UCLA)
- Kingsley Eguakun, OL (Florida)
- Chelen Garnes, S (Wake Forest)
- DaRon Gilbert, LB (Northern Illinois)
- Hogan Hatten, LS (Idaho)
- Bryan Hudson, OL (Louisville)
- Nate Lynn, DL (William & Mary)
- Morice Norris Jr., CB (Fresno State)
- Isaac Rex, TE (BYU)
- Loren Strickland, S (Ball State)
- James Turner, K (Michigan)
- Isaac Ukwu, DL (Ole Miss)
- Isaiah Williams, WR (Illinois)
Williams secured one of the largest guarantees in the league amongst undrafted rookies. The 5-9 speedster received $225K of locked in base salary in addition to a $15K signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Williams began his college career as a quarterback, but over the past three seasons he served as a key member of the Fighting Illini’s passing attack. The 180-pounder recorded 82 catches in 2022 and ’23, totaling a career-high 1,055 yards and five touchdowns last year.
The Lions finished the 2023 campaign with Michael Badgley as their kicker, and he was re-signed earlier this offseason. The 28-year-old entered Friday as the only kicker on Detroit’s roster, but Turner will provide offseason competition. The latter spent his first four seasons at Louisville, converting 79.7% of his field goal attempts. That figure rose to 85.7% with the Wolverines in 2023, and Turner connected on all but one of his extra point kicks
Like Williams, Chambers switched positions midway through his college tenure. He started his time with the Buckeyes as a running back, though he only received 28 carries across the 2018 and ’19 seasons. The move to linebacker prompted a spike in playing time, and Chambers increased his tackle total with each passing season over the last three years. In all, the 6-1, 220-pounder racked up 208 stops, three sacks and four interceptions; he will aim to translate that production into at least a special teams opportunity in Detroit.
Lions GM Brad Holmes Addresses Jared Goff Extension Negotiations
Jared Goff remains a key financial priority for the Lions, but no new deal is in place for the team’s franchise passer. When speaking about the status of contract talks Thursday, general manager Brad Holmes expressed confidence an agreement will be reached, however. 
“First and foremost, he’s earned an extension,” Holmes said during an appearance on WXYT-FM (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “It’s important, it’s a high priority for us and both sides are working really, really hard and these things just take time.”
As Goff confirmed last month, talks on an extension are ongoing. Detroit worked out mega-deals with a pair of offensive cornerstones by inking wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown and right tackle Penei Sewell to extensions. A Goff agreement has not followed, though, and a recent report on the latter front indicated team and player are not close on contract talks. Holmes admitted it would have been ideal to have a Goff deal in place by now, but he added the financial implications of one have been budgeted for.
“The whole process of budgeting and preparation and all that, that kind of goes into it, we’ve been preparing for a while,” Holmes said. “And look, in a perfect world, we’d have had all three of them done, bang, bang, bang, but these things just kind of take a while, especially with the quarterback market. But I do have faith that it’s going to get done.”
Four quarterbacks reached the $50MM-per-year mark last offseason (Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts). Any or all of Dak Prescott, Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa could join that group in the near future. At 29, though, Goff’s age represents a complicating factor; his next deal will not be an extension coming off his rookie contract (as is the case for most ascending passers).
As things stand, Goff is due $27.3MM in 2024 and his cap hit stands at $32.3MM. The former figure will be much higher on a new pact, while the latter could be lowered depending on the structure of the agreement. In any case, the former Rams No. 1 pick clearly remains his second team’s projected starter for years to come despite the presence of Hendon Hooker as a potential successor. With the draft in the books and the St. Brown and Sewell extensions finalized, Detroit’s attention for the remainder of the offseason can turn squarely to the Goff front.
Lions Viewed Packers As Threat To Draft CB Terrion Arnold?
The Lions joined the Eagles in going cornerback-cornerback to start the draft. Beyond slot corner Brian Branch, this will effectively complete a Detroit overhaul at the position.
Terrion Arnold began the Lions’ CB-CB first two rounds, with Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw Jr. going to Detroit a day after the team traded up for the Alabama-developed cover man. In reuniting Branch and Arnold, the Lions needed to move up the board. The team’s intel probably involved a lurking division rival.
Arnold’s camp viewed the Packers as a team squarely on the radar to draft the corner at No. 25, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. The Packers are believed to have rated Arnold highly going into Round 1. The Lions climbed up five spots (via the Cowboys) to draft Arnold at No. 24, completing an interesting CB revamp at the position.
Coverage issues created some turnover going into the offseason, and the Lions had trade acquisition Carlton Davis on track to team with Cameron Sutton. But Sutton’s domestic violence arrest — and delay turning himself in — led to the Lions cutting bait on the 2023 free agency pickup. The team was still eyeing corners in the wake of that arrest, as it did not tender Jerry Jacobs as an RFA. The team now looks deep at the position, with Davis, Branch, Arnold and Rakestraw joining the likes of Kindle Vildor, Amik Robertson and Emmanuel Moseley. Given Moseley’s two ACL tears since October 2022, the ex-49ers mainstay is more flier than surefire contributor at this point. It cost the Lions far less to sign him this year than last.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst came into this draft 7-for-8 in going defense with first-round picks, with the 2020 Jordan Love trade-up the exception. Prior to Gutekunst’s 2018 move into the GM chair, the Pack had not chosen an offensive player in the first round since 2011. Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes were part of Gutekunst’s draft run, with the latter — who did not see his fifth-year option picked up — running into injury trouble early in his career. The Packers also traded Rasul Douglas to the Bills at last year’s deadline.
Green Bay, which did not join Detroit in hosting Arnold on a “30” visit, did not draft a corner until Round 7 (Kalen King). The team chose tackle Jordan Morgan at No. 25. Discussing a trade with the Seahawks for No. 16, the Packers did not make an offer for that pick. It cost the Lions No. 73 overall and a 2025 seventh-rounder to move from No. 29 to No. 24. They will bet on Arnold being worth the package sent to Dallas.
The Lions did not view it as likely Arnold would still be there by No. 24, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, but the team is believed to have put together trade parameters involving another player. That helped accelerate Detroit’s move up the board. Presumably viewing it as unlikely Arnold would make it past the Eagles at No. 22, the Lions observed Philly draft Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell. Both teams benefited from the draft not producing a defensive pick until No. 15. As for the player the Lions were previously targeting with a trade-up maneuver, Breer indicates Brad Holmes and Co. were eyeing Mizzou’s Darius Robinson.
It is not clear if the Lions and Cowboys had a trade worked out prior to Arnold remaining on the board, but the Lions were apparently ready to trade up for multiple defenders in this class. A versatile defensive lineman, Robinson ended up going to the Cardinals at No. 27.
Lions Sign DT Kyle Peko
Kyle Peko has made his way around this site’s transaction posts over the years, bouncing to a few teams and on and off practice squads. But the veteran defensive tackle has continued to generate interest despite working mostly as a backup.
A stint with the Titans last year brought new territory — regular starter run — for the eight-year veteran, and it looks like that stretch will lead to another gig. The Lions signed Peko on Tuesday, bringing him in and greenlighting a reunion with C.J. Moore.
Detroit will be Peko’s sixth stop since coming into the NFL as a UDFA in 2016. The ex-Broncos signee had made a combined three starts from 2016-22. Last season, the Titans used him as a 10-game starter. Peko, whose other three career starts came for the 2021 Titans, rejoined the Tennessee D-line last year. He made 22 tackles (two for loss) and batted down a pass.
Pro Football Focus did not view Peko, 30, as a productive defender; the advanced metrics site graded the journeyman as a bottom-10 performer among D-tackle regulars. But the Lions hired former Mike Vrabel assistant Terrell Williams as their D-line coach/defensive run-game coordinator. That familiarity will certainly help produce another opportunity for Peko, who played for Williams — previously the Titans’ D-line coach — during both his Tennessee stints.
A cousin of longtime NFL DT Domata Peko, Kyle has played for the Broncos, Bills, Colts, Raiders and Titans. Last season also marked the Oregon State alum’s career-high mark for games played (13). He joins a Lions interior D-line corps featuring Alim McNeill, John Cominsky, free agent signing D.J. Reader, 14-year veteran Tyson Alualu, former Day 2 picks Levi Onwuzurike and Brodric Martin, along with sixth-round rookie Mekhi Wingo.
Lions Bring Back S C.J. Moore
The Lions encountered more gambling suspensions than any other team last year. This led to several cuts, Jameson Williams not debuting until October and some staff dismissals.
C.J. Moore was among the players jettisoned following a gambling suspension; the Lions cut the veteran special-teamer last April despite having re-signed him a month earlier. The team will give Moore a second chance, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting the sides reached an agreement on a deal Tuesday.
This comes shortly after the NFL reinstated Moore, along with four others who received bans in 2023. Moore, 28, was found to have bet on NFL games while on team grounds. While the Lions have moved on from fellow the rest of their non-Williams sect of gambling policy violators — wide receivers Quintez Cephus and Stanley Berryhill, and defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor — Moore had served as a key special-teamer under Matt Patricia and then Dan Campbell. The team will sign off on a second chance.
The Lions agreed to terms to re-sign Moore on a two-year, $4.5MM deal in March 2023. The former UDFA out of Ole Miss saw action on between 68-78% of Detroit’s special teams plays from 2019-22. This topped out with 321 snaps in 2019, though Moore also cleared 300 ST snaps in 2021. He played more than 100 defensive snaps in both the 2021 and ’22 seasons, intercepting a pass in 2021.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson left to rejoin the Eagles in free agency, and the Lions did not draft a safety. The team used its top draft resources on corners, bringing in two (Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw Jr.) in the first two rounds. The Lions still roster safety starters Kerby Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu; after a memorable career hiccup, Moore stands to reprise his role as a backup in 2024.
NFC Contract Details: Saints, Sewell, Elliott
The Saints made a couple of roster moves in recent weeks that we’re finally getting to some details on. These include the deals to sign guard Shane Lemieux, offensive lineman Justin Herron, and defensive back Will Harris and the retirement of offensive lineman James Hurst.
Lemieux and Herron were both signed shortly after the NFL Draft. According to Katherine Terrell of ESPN, Lemieux signed a one-year deal at the veteran minimum of $1.06MM, all of which will count against the salary cap. Herron’s deal is also for one year at the league minimum of $1.13MM. Due to the veteran salary benefit, his contract will only count $985K against the cap.
Harris signed at the turn of the month earlier this week. After five years with the Lions, Terrell tells us that Harris is joining the Saints on a one-year deal worth $1.29MM with a base salary of $1.13MM and a signing bonus of $167.5K. The guaranteed amount of his deal will include the signing bonus and $324K of his base salary. Harris’ contract will count for $1.15MM against the salary cap.
Lastly, Terrell tells us that Hurst, who announced his retirement back in April, will still count against the salary cap. He will count as $2.28MM in dead money, including a $1.5MM roster bonus.
Here are details on a couple other deals reached around the NFC in recent weeks:
- We already knew some details on Penei Sewell‘s extension with the Lions, but thanks to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, we now have a bit more detail. The deal includes a fully guaranteed amount of $42.99MM consisting of a $15MM signing bonus, a $25MM option bonus in 2025, full base salaries from 2024 to 2026 of $1.45MM, $1.54MM, and $19.9MM, and $12.11MM of the 2027 base salary (worth $23.9MM total). He’ll receive $100K workout bonuses in each offseason after 2025 and a potential $2.5MM roster bonus in 2029.
- We had some details on Ezekiel Elliott‘s reunion with the Cowboys, but ESPN’s Todd Archer provided some additional detail. We now know that the deal includes a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.25MM and signing bonus of $375K. Elliott can earn an active roster bonus of $375K and will count for $2MM against the cap. He can earn an additional $1MM in incentives, all of which require a playoff berth ($250K for 1,100 scrimmage yards, $250K for 10 touchdowns, and $500K for over 50 percent of the team’s offensive snaps).
Vikings Pick Up LT Christian Darrisaw’s Fifth-Year Option
To no surprise, Christian Darrisaw will remain in place with the Vikings for at least the next two years. The standout left tackle had his 2025 fifth-year option picked up on Monday, per a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Darrisaw has started all but two of his games with Minnesota to date, serving as the team’s blindside protector. The 23rd overall pick in the 2021 draft does not have a Pro Bowl invite to his name, but his snap shares easily qualify him for the second-highest tier in terms of option values. As a result, he will earn $16.04MM in 2025.
A multi-year extension is no doubt one of the Vikings’ top priorities in Darrisaw’s case, though, and a long-term commitment will be much more expensive. The top of the left tackle market reached $25MM per season when Laremy Tunsil worked out his latest Texans agreement. Penei Sewell recently signed the league’s most lucrative deal at any O-line spot with his Lions extension ($28MM per year). Darrisaw could command a deal near the top of the pecking order on a second contract.
The latter received a PFF grade of 71.9 as a rookie, but his second season in the league produced a notable step forward in performance. Darrisaw saw his overall grade jump to 90.4 in 2022, the second-highest mark in the league amongst tackles. This past season, he graded out in seventh at the position. Darrisaw was charged with six sacks allowed and seven penalties by PFF, but continued development through the coming years would make a long-term investment a sound one on the part of the Vikings.
Minnesota already has right tackle Brian O’Neill on the books through 2026 on his own lucrative extension. The team also retained center Garrett Bradbury last offseason on a three-year pact worth $15.75MM. Keeping Darrisaw in the fold for years to come will add further to the cash and cap investments made up front, but it would come as little surprise if a long-term pact were to be worked out. At a minimum, today’s decision will serve as a placeholder buying extra time for negotiations.