Minor NFL Transactions: 12/7/22
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Reverted to season-ending IR: OL Jalen Mayfield
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Buccaneers): WR Jaelon Darden
- Signed off Raiders’ practice squad: LB Reggie Ragland
- Placed on IR: WR Anthony Schwartz
Denver Broncos
- Signed off Rams’ practice squad: DL Elijah Garcia
Detroit Lions
- Designated for return: WR Quintez Cephus
Houston Texans
- Claimed (from Chiefs): DT Taylor Stallworth
- Designated for return: S Grayland Arnold, LB Jonathan Greenard
- Waived: DT Michael Dwumfour
Los Angeles Rams
- Reverted to season-ending IR: G David Edwards
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: TE Ben Ellefson, CB Akayleb Evans
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Designated for return: LB K.J. Britt
Ellefson came off IR just last week and did not play in the Vikings’ matchup against the Jets. A nagging groin injury will send the third-year tight end back to IR. Although the new IR rules allow for players to be activated twice from IR, Minnesota’s injury-return math may come into play by the time Ellefson’s second activation window opens (Week 18).
In Darden, Browns snagged the NFL’s punt-return yards leader. The 2021 Bucs fourth-rounder has not seen much action on offense, with Tampa Bay oozing experience at the receiver position. But he has been Tampa Bay’s primary punt returner. Darden has totaled 330 punt-return yards this season. A 2021 third-round pick, Schwartz sustained a concussion that has sent him to IR. Ragland has spent the past month on the Raiders’ taxi squad. The Browns are the former second-round pick’s fifth team in four seasons; the ex-Jets draftee was with the Chiefs, Lions and Giants from 2019-21. After losing Anthony Walker and Jacob Phillips earlier this year, the Browns moved Sione Takitaki to IR with an ACL tear this week.
A rotational cog for the Saints, Colts and Chiefs during his five-year career, Stallworth played only 14% of Kansas City’s defensive snaps this season. He committed a third-down roughing-the-passer penalty during a Bengals touchdown drive in Week 13. The Texans had already used one of their injury activations on Dwumfour; the 1-10-1 team has three remaining. Greenard, who led the 2021 Texans with eight sacks, has been on the shelf since going down with a calf injury in an October practice.
Texans To Reinstall Davis Mills As Starter
After two more one-sided losses, the Texans are going back to their original quarterback plan. Davis Mills is set to retake the reins from Kyle Allen against the Cowboys in Week 14, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports.
Houston shut down Mills following a Week 11 loss to Washington — a game that featured five first-half Texans yards — but the team will return to the 2021 third-round pick. The Texans’ evaluation of Mills for long-term starter purposes may be complete, but the team has dropped two more games under Allen.
[RELATED: Texans Losing Confidence In GM Nick Caserio?]
Signed to a low-cost deal this offseason, Allen accounted for five turnovers in the Texans’ losses to the Dolphins and Browns. This included a failed quarterback sneak that resulted in a Denzel Ward stroll-in touchdown. Cleveland managed a two-score win in Houston despite not scoring an offensive TD. With Lovie Smith aiming to avoid being another Texans one-and-done HC, Mills — who left his post initially ranking 30th in QBR — will have another try. The Texans are 17-point underdogs against the Cowboys this week.
The Texans passed on a higher-profile passer with the worst QBR rating Tuesday, joining 30 other teams in not submitting a claim for Baker Mayfield. Three spots behind the Texans in waiver priority, the Rams claimed the Texas native. Mills, 24, has thrown 11 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in his second season. The Stanford product’s completion percentage has dropped by nearly five points, to 61.9, from last season; his yards per attempt down to 6.5 this year.
Moving toward securing the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, the Texans (1-10-1) will be connected to quarterbacks with that selection. The team last held the top pick in 2014 but went with a veteran option (Ryan Fitzpatrick) over selecting an arm in that class. Jadeveon Clowney became the pick. While the Texans will enter the 2023 draft with two first-round picks and needs at several positions, quarterback is an obvious weakness for the rebuilding team.
Texans Losing Confidence In Nick Caserio?
The Texans spent multiple offseasons trying to lure Nick Caserio from the Patriots, and he is leading a lengthy rebuild process. At 1-10-1, Houston is the only team with fewer than three wins this season. Ownership may be losing faith in this attempted climb.
Despite the extensive interest that led Caserio to Houston, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes the former Patriots exec is not on nearly as stable ground as he was previously. The prospect of Caserio making another HC (Lovie Smith) a one-and-done may be an issue for the longtime Bill Belichick right-hand man.
Caserio surprisingly fired David Culley after one season, and although Smith was not believed to be a finalist, the GM promoted him this offseason. While the Texans showed late progress under Culley, they have flatlined under Smith in recent weeks. The team has lost by at least two scores in each of its past three games. Should the Texans fire Smith, La Canfora adds several GMs around the league would not expect Caserio to have the opportunity to hire a third coach in three years.
[RELATED: Texans Considering Turning Back To Davis Mills?]
The Texans fired the executive who helped bring Caserio from Foxborough to Houston (Jack Easterby). Caserio and Smith had frozen out the unpopular executive during his final stretch with the franchise. But the Texans are slogging through their third straight dreadful season.
Considering the shape the Texans were in when they fired coach/GM Bill O’Brien during the 2020 season, it was always assumed a rebuild would take time. While this is looking like one of the longer rebuild efforts in recent memory, Caserio is months removed from collecting a historic compensation package for a quarterback (Deshaun Watson) amid what turned out to be a near-two-year layoff. The Texans became only the second team to nab three first-round picks for a veteran quarterback, following the Patriots’ 1976 haul for Jim Plunkett, and the team made four first- or second-round picks in this year’s draft. Watson had lobbied for a trade shortly after Caserio’s hire, and while the avalanche of sexual misconduct headlines dented the Pro Bowl QB’s trade value last year, the Texans stood pat by deactivating the former franchise centerpiece last season and relaunching the awkward sweepstakes in 2022.
The Texans did not have first- or second-round picks in Caserio’s initial draft, but they have two firsts in 2023 and ’24. Derek Stingley and Kenyon Green became the team’s first-rounders this year, and fourth-rounder Dameon Pierce has been one of the league’s top rookies this season. The second of Houston’s Round 2 picks — wideout John Metchie — is out for the season due to a leukemia battle. The Texans are in pole position for the No. 1 overall pick next year, where they will assuredly be linked to a quarterback. Their Mills-Kyle Allen setup does not seem likely to last beyond this season.
It would be interesting to see the Texans pull the plug and try another reboot. Both Caserio coaching searches did involve Josh McCown as a finalist, but the longtime quarterback’s lack of experience became a factor late in each. This year’s interview process also included Brian Flores as a finalist, despite his lawsuit against the NFL and multiple teams (the Texans were subsequently added to that list), along with Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon. Caserio instead went with Smith, a third-chance coach who never seemed particularly likely to be with the team when it was ready to contend. The team’s struggles under Smith certainly appear to be affecting Caserio’s status.
Rams Considering Baker Mayfield Claim
While the 49ers appear hesitant to thrust Baker Mayfield into their Super Bowl push, the defending champions may not allow them that opportunity. The Rams are considering a Mayfield claim, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.
Internal dialogue is “definitely” taking place among the Rams, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). Los Angeles holds the No. 4 waiver priority, and Fowler adds expectations point to the Texans, Bears and Broncos — the three teams ahead of the Rams — passing on a claim. Mayfield-Rams buzz is circulating around the league, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. A report earlier Tuesday indicated Houston, which used its top waiver status to claim Eno Benjamin and Amari Rodgers, is not believed to be interested.
This does represent an anticlimactic scenario, at least compared to how such a move would look in every other Sean McVay-led Rams campaign. Through 12 games, the 3-9 team has the worst record a Super Bowl champion has compiled to this point. No Super Bowl champ has finished with fewer than six wins in a non-strike-shortened season. The Rams adding Mayfield to potentially raise their floor would be a somewhat sobering development, considering where both sides were this offseason.
Then again, a McVay-Mayfield partnership — a setup the latter would be “ready to roll” with, per Fowler — does intrigue. Matthew Stafford is on IR, and the Rams have used both John Wolford and Bryce Perkins as relief options. Losses have stacked up regardless of the quarterback, and the team has a few nationally televised windows remaining. Stafford, who is signed through 2026 via the $40MM-per-year extension he inked this offseason, is almost certainly done for the year.
Mayfield, 27, is ticketed for free agency in March. Then again, he would make it there if no one claims him today. Gauging his fit in McVay’s system would also be interesting through a longer-term lens, as the former Heisman winner’s value has cratered since his 2021 shoulder injury. Mayfield has gone from a player potentially in line for a big-ticket Browns extension to one traded in the Deshaun Watson aftermath — after an injury-plagued 2021 slate — and a passer barreling toward the worst single-season QBR figure since Jimmy Clausen 12 years ago. A Rams pairing and the chance to work with McVay would at least allow Mayfield the opportunity to rebound ahead of free agency.
Texans Not Eyeing Baker Mayfield, Considering Starting Davis Mills?
When it was announced that Baker Mayfield had been let go by the Panthers yesterday, the most logical destination for him seemed to be the 49ers. The NFC West leaders have pushed back against the notion that they are interested in adding him, however, which could lead to a team higher in the waiver priority putting in a claim.
[RELATED: 49ers Not Expecting To Add Mayfield?]
The Texans, by virtue of having the league’s worst record, sit atop that list. They have already taken advantage of that by claiming running back Eno Benjamin and wide receiver Amari Rodgers earlier in the year. In the case of Mayfield, though, a repeat of those moves does not seem to be forthcoming.
It is considered “extremely unlikely” that Houston will add the former No. 1 overall pick, reports Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The Texans have had issues at the quarterback position throughout the season, but head coach Lovie Smith indicated that the team’s focus will be on deciding the starter moving forward from amongst their in-house options.
“Everybody that’s available we look at,” he said when asked about the potential of claiming Mayfield. “We see if they fit. We’re constantly trying to improve our roster, so if there’s anybody that’s out there, that’s what we do. Don’t know enough about Baker or anything like that. We’re trying to get better play from the guys we have on our current roster.”
2021 third-rounder Davis Mills started each of the team’s first 10 contests this season, but he has taken a significant step back statistically compared to the promise he showed as a rookie. That has led to the widespread expectation that they will select a quarterback in the first round of the upcoming draft, but his struggles also prompted a short-term move when Kyle Allen was named the starter two weeks ago.
The former UDFA has thrown four interceptions in his two starts, however, leaving the Texans with a murky situation regarding their signal-callers for the remainder of the season. Smith declined to state publicly who will be under center for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, but Wilson reports that the team is “seriously contemplating” going back to Mills.
With Houston set to play out the string in 2022, they seem unlikely to give Mayfield, a pending free agent, the opportunity to compete for playing time in the waning weeks of the season. Such an opportunity could still come elsewhere later today in the event he is claimed.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/22
Here are the league’s minor transactions leading into the Sunday-slate of Week 13 games:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Quinton Bell, C Jonotthan Harrison
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: WR Binjimen Victor
- Promoted from practice squad: WR DeSean Jackson, S Ar’Darius Washington
- Placed on IR: WR Tylan Wallace
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: P Drue Chrisman
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: S Mike Brown
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: T Aviante Collins
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Micah Abernathy, RB Patrick Taylor
Houston Texans
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Jacobi Francis
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Forrest Rhyne
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: S Zayne Anderson, WR Cornell Powell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Kyle Peko
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted from practice squad: T Zack Bailey
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to active roster: OLB Keir Thomas, WR Austin Trammell
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Malcolm Brown, DE T.J. Carter
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted from practice squad: OL James Empey, T Kendall Lamm
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted from practice squad: LB William Kwenkeu
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: RB Elijah Mitchell (story)
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Vi Jones, WR Laquon Treadwell
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: OLB Olasunkanmi Adeniyi
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Julius Chestnut, CB Davontae Harris
- Waived: K Caleb Shudak
Washington Commanders
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Alex Erickson
AFC Rumors: Texans, Jeudy, Njoku
The Texans will be without two key players as they go up against their former quarterback and the Browns this weekend, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Leading wide receiver Brandin Cooks and rookie cornerback Derek Stingley have been ruled out going into the weekend.
Houston has struggled mightily so far this year en route to a 1-9-1 record. Despite the promise heading into the year of the connection between second-year starting quarterback Davis Mills and Cooks, neither has quite lived up to their potential. Mills has officially lost the starting job he earned as a rookie, getting benched for Kyle Allen. Cooks, after cracking the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his first two seasons with the Texans, will be hard-pressed to reach that achievement this year as he currently boasts 520 receiving yards with only seven games remaining. Cooks will miss his second game of the season with a calf injury, and the Texans will be forced to lean on Nico Collins, Chris Moore, Phillip Dorsett, and Amari Rodgers to hopefully make up for the loss of Cooks.
Stingley is set to miss his third game in a row with a hamstring issue. Stingley has endured a rough transition to the NFL. So far in his rookie season, Stingley has only graded out as the NFL’s 107th-best cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Still, he is third on the Texans with five passes defensed and tied for second with one interception, showing that he makes an impact on a defense that has struggled for much of the year. In Stingley’s absence, Desmond King will continue to start opposite Steven Nelson with Tavierre Thomas getting some solid action, as well.
Here are a few other injury rumors from around the AFC, starting with some potentially good news at Mile High:
- Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy could be set to make a return to the field against the Ravens this weekend, according to Kyle Newman of the Denver Post. After a two-week absence, the third-year wide out is a game-time decision to play. KJ Hamler will miss a fourth straight game, after suffering a recent setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury. Jeudy’s return would be a big boost for a Denver team that has been forced to rely on Kendall Hinton, Montrell Washington, and Brandon Johnson as its Courtland Sutton supporting cast over the past two games.
- After returning for two straight games, Browns tight end David Njoku has been ruled out once again, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Despite a slow start to the season, Njoku had begun a streak of strong performances to justify his new contract. Unfortunately, his momentum came to a crashing halt when he missed two games with an ankle injury. Coming off a five-catch performance last week that included a game-tying touchdown catch with 32 seconds remaining, seeing Njoku sidelined once again, this time with a knee injury, is the last thing Browns fans were hoping to see.
Texans To Extend LB Blake Cashman
After acquiring Blake Cashman via trade in March, the Texans reached an agreement to keep him around beyond 2022. They are extending the fourth-year linebacker, Aaron Wilson of KPRC tweets.
The new Houston role player, who was playing out his rookie contract, agreed to a one-year deal. This marks the Texans’ first extension this season.
The Texans obtained Cashman for a sixth-round pick just as the 2022 league year began. After starting five games as a rookie with the Jets, the former fifth-round pick out of Minnesota did not see much game action over the next two seasons. Injuries plagued Cashman throughout his Jets tenure, however. A shoulder issue shut him down in October 2019, and IR stays also commenced in 2020 and 2021, leading to four- and three-game seasons, respectively, to close out his Jets tenure.
Since the trade, Cashman, 26, has mostly stayed healthy. He has played in a career-high 10 games and become one of the Texans’ top special teams contributors. While the one-time Jets starter has only logged 94 defensive snaps, he has seen action on 73% of the Texans’ special teams plays. As a defender this season, Cashman has notched a sack, a pass deflection and two quarterback hits.
Texans GM Nick Caserio has handed out many two-year contracts during his two-year Houston stay, and Cashman now joins veteran linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Christian Kirksey in being signed through 2023.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/26/22
The league’s minor moves and standard gameday elevations for Week 12:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: WR Marquise Brown (story)
- Signed to active roster: WR Andre Baccellia
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Pharoh Cooper, TE Maxx Williams
- Placed on IR: TE Zach Ertz (story), T D.J. Humphries (story)
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: C Jonotthan Harrison
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: CB Daryl Worley
- Promoted from practice squad: WR DeSean Jackson, LB Julian Stanford
- Placed on IR: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB T.J. Carrie, DE Kobe Jones
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: RB Darrynton Evans
- Promoted from practice squad: LB DeMarquis Gates
- Waived: CB Lamar Jackson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: P Drue Chrisman, WR Kwamie Lassiter II
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Jermaine Carter
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: RB Devine Ozigbo
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Brandon Johnson, CB Faion Hicks
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Innis Gaines, RB Patrick Taylor
Houston Texans
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Jacobi Francis, CB Will Redmond
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Zayne Anderson, WR Cornell Powell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Tyler Hall, DT Kyle Peko
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: RB Joshua Kelley
- Signed to active roster: T Foster Sarell
- Promoted from practice squad: S Raheem Layne
- Waived: OLB Jeremiah Attaochu, RB Larry Rountree III
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to active roster: T AJ Arcuri, RB Ronnie Rivers
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Roger Carter, G Jeremiah Kolone
- Placed on IR: DT A’Shawn Robinson (story)
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: T Max Mitchell
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Chazz Surratt, DL Tanzel Smart
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: DL T.Y. McGill
- Waived: DL Kemoko Turay
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Laquon Treadwell, LB Vi Jones
- Placed on IR: WR D’Wayne Eskridge (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from PUP: K Caleb Shudak
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Greg Mabin, LB Andre Smith
Washington Commanders
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Alex Erickson
Texans To Start QB Kyle Allen In Week 12
NOVEMBER 25: Despite this news emerging Wednesday, Allen said he was officially informed of his new role Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. Allen and Mills split first-team reps this week.
NOVEMBER 23: Another member of the 2021 quarterback class will not keep his starting job into Week 12. The Texans are set to bench Davis Mills, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
Lovie Smith declined to name a starter for Houston’s next matchup, but Garafolo notes Kyle Allen will receive the call. This will be Allen’s first start since a severe ankle injury ended his 2020 season. Allen, 26, has not taken a snap since signing with the Texans this offseason. This scenario was rumored to be on the table earlier this week. Mills will dress and work as Allen’s backup, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).
This news comes barely an hour after Robert Saleh announced Zach Wilson‘s benching. The Texans are not in a similar situation, with their 1-8-1 record keeping them firmly on the rebuilding track. That would seemingly allow for more Mills growing pains. But the team may be finished with its evaluation of the former third-round pick. Wilson and Mills being yanked leaves only Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Mac Jones still starting from a 2021 QB class that had placed six players in QB1 roles to begin this season.
Smith reaffirmed Mills’ status as Houston’s starter last week, but the Stanford product struggled in a one-sided loss to the Commanders. The Texans totaled just five first-half yards in the 23-10 defeat, and Mills exited the game leading the NFL with 11 interceptions. He ranks 30th in QBR. Despite being a third-round pick, Mills has already made 21 starts for the Texans. This has given the franchise a reasonable evaluation window.
Mills, 24, made some surprisingly decent starts to close last season — considering the personnel he was working with at the time — and outflanked both Wilson and Fields in QBR as a rookie. Although Mills went 2-9 as a starter for a woeful Texans team in 2021, he quarterbacked wins over the Jaguars and Chargers in December and threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns in a close loss to the Titans in Week 18. Mills has not built on that momentum this year. While Saleh called the Wilson benching a reset, the Texans may be ready to move on after their subsequent decision.
Allen’s start count nearly matches Mills’; the former UDFA lined up as a first-stringer in 17 games for Carolina and Washington. He has completed just more than 63% of his passes (6.9 yards per attempt). A Texas A&M recruit, Allen also finished his college career at the University of Houston. He signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal this offseason to back up Mills. While Washington retained Allen via ERFA tender in 2021, the team signed Ryan Fitzpatrick and then went to Taylor Heinicke the rest of the way following Fitz’s injury. The Commanders nontendered Allen as an RFA this year.
Houston is steamrolling toward the No. 1 overall pick, which would be the franchise’s first since it took Jadeveon Clowney first overall in 2014, and will be connected to quarterbacks over the next several months. The Texans also stand to have a high first-round pick by way of the Browns, who sent over a historic trade package for Deshaun Watson in March. This will give a team on a rather lengthy rebuilding track extensive options to fill this need come April.