Minor NFL Transactions: 10/27/21
All of today’s minor transactions in one place:
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return: S Juston Burris
Chicago Bears
- Designated for return: OT Larry Borom
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: OL Tommy Kraemer
Houston Texans
- Designated for return: QB Tyrod Taylor (story)
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Calvin Munson (off Dolphins practice squad)
- Signed to active roster: OL James Ferentz
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Ken Crawley, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
New York Jets
- Designated for return: LB Jarrad Davis, P Braden Mann, DE Kyle Phillips
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from IR: RB Anthony McFarland
- Placed on IR: DT Carlos Davis
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return: DT Kevin Givens
Latest On Texans WR Brandin Cooks
With a 1-6 record, the Texans have started to deal off some veterans…and it sounds like one of their locker room leaders is unhappy about the direction of the squad. Following tonight’s trade that sent Mark Ingram to New Orleans, Texans wideout Brandin Cooks took to Twitter to show his displeasure.
[RELATED: Texans Trading RB Mark Ingram To Saints]
“This is bulls***,” Cooks said. “Such a joke.”
This obviously isn’t a great look for an organization that considers Cooks to be both a leader and a foundational piece (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter). From Cooks’ perspective, the frustration makes some sense; per Aaron Wilson (on Twitter), Cooks and Ingram are “very close friends.”
The Texans have moved on from their starting RB, they’re expected to trade franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson, and they recently put defensive leader Zach Cunningham on the trading block. While the front office apparently has future plans for Cooks, there’s no denying that he’s one of the organization’s best trade chips (especially considering he’s only owed $1.5MM for the rest of the season, per ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter). Earlier today, the 28-year-old had a much more measured response when asked about potentially being traded (via Wilson on Twitter).
“At the end of the day, guys know it’s a business,” said Cooks. “We go to do the best we can. All that type of stuff takes care of itself. It’s a decision that’s out of your control.”
Despite the uncertainty at the quarterback position, Cooks has still put up solid numbers in 2021. Through the first seven games, the veteran wideout has hauled in 45 receptions for 502 yards (albeit with only one touchdown).
Texans Trading RB Mark Ingram To Saints
Mark Ingram is heading back to where his NFL career started. The Texans are trading the veteran running back to the Saints, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). Terms of the deal are still being finalized, but Pelissero tweets that it’s expected to “involve late-round future picks.”
Ingram was a first-round pick by the Saints back in 2011, and he proceeded to spend the first eight seasons of his career in New Orleans. He saw time in 106 regular season games (63 starts) during his first stint with the organization, collecting 55 total touchdowns. During his final two years in New Orleans, Ingram formed one of the league’s best running back tandems with Alvin Kamara, something the duo will be looking to recreate for a second time.
Ingram inked a three-year deal with the Ravens in 2019 but only made it through two seasons with the organization. He caught on with the Texans this past offseason and proceeded to start each of their first seven games, collecting 318 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.
The Saints have been looking for a running back that could help to lessen their starter’s workload. Kamara is currently averaging 19 rushing attempts per game, which is a significant jump from the 11.2 attempts per game he averaged through his first four seasons in the NFL. Ingram should slide right into that second spot on the RB depth chart, and he’ll push the likes of Dwayne Washington, Devine Ozigbo, Tony Jones Jr. (who’s on injured reserve), and practice squad backs Lamar Miller and Ryquell Armstead further down the pecking order.
The 1-6 Texans are beginning their fire sale, so it’s not a surprise that they’ve decided to move on from their 31-year-old starting running back. Of course, the team’s depth chart at the position still consists of veterans, including David Johnson and Rex Burkhead.
Texans LB Zach Cunningham On Trade Block
While the Deshaun Watson rumors have placed the Texans at the NFL’s trade forefront throughout this year, the rebuilding club has other pieces that could move ahead of the Nov. 2 deadline. Last season’s tackles leader is one of them.
The Texans have made Zach Cunningham available, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes (ESPN+ link). Considering Cunningham’s recent role reduction, this certainly is not a surprise. Should Cunningham be dealt, he would follow longtime inside linebacker mate Benardrick McKinney out the door.
Houston traded McKinney to Miami in March, though McKinney was later cut and has made his way to the Giants. McKinney missed much of last season, but Cunningham was on the field throughout. The plus run defender led the NFL with 164 tackles (106 solo — also an NFL-high tally), this production coming shortly after he signed a four-year, $58MM extension. The previous Texans regime authorized that deal, but Cunningham has seen his playing time dramatically reduced this year.
After playing 100% of Houston’s defensive snaps in Weeks 1 and 3, Cunningham checked in with a sub-30% workload over the past two games. David Culley referred to him as a two-down player recently. Having such a player attached to a $14.5MM-per-year contract is not ideal. The Texans would need to eat more than $15MM in dead money to trade Cunningham, though they made a potential deal easier with a restructure earlier this year. Cunningham is playing on a $990K base salary this season.
Cunningham’s stock drop under the Culley-Nick Caserio regime aside, the Texans are not planning to trade their two high-priced players on offense — Laremy Tunsil and Brandin Cooks — barring big offers, Fowler adds. Houston’s bevy of veterans on short-term deals could generate interest this week, but it appears the new regime still views Tunsil and Cooks as useful for the long-term mission.
Texans, Dolphins Agree On Deshaun Watson Compensation?
Deshaun Watson has informed the Texans he would accept a trade to the Dolphins, and John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports the teams have agreed on compensation. Talks between GMs Chris Grier and Nick Caserio heated up last week and are expected to continue through the Nov. 2 trade deadline, but this journey still has ground to cover.
Should this deal go through, McClain notes the Texans are likely to see their asking price of three first-round picks met. But the back end of the deal — Houston’s aim for multiple second-rounders — might not quite meet the Texans’ goals. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross may serve as the key party here, and his current stance is somewhat murky.
[RELATED: Panthers Not Expected To Pursue Watson In 2021]
Reported as being behind a Watson trade before the season, Ross has spoken “excitedly” regarding the prospect of the three-time Pro Bowler coming to Miami, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. However, NBC Sports’ Peter King adds Ross is not believed to be pressuring Grier to complete this deal. That said, McClain reports the longtime Dolphins owner has signed off on his team acquiring the embattled quarterback — with conditions. Those conditions make this deal difficult to finalize by the Nov. 2 trade deadline.
Ross wants more clarity on Watson’s legal situation and how the NFL will proceed regarding a suspension, McClain adds. Twenty-two women have accused Watson of sexual assault or sexual misconduct, with SI.com reporting (via Jackson) three of the 10 women who have spoken to the Houston Police Department have alleged Watson sexually assaulted them. That is a second-degree felony in Texas. Watson has long denied any wrongdoing and does not want to settle cases.
The NFL has not interviewed Watson, and his deposition in the civil suit is not slated to occur until after Super Bowl LVI. This has created a gray area, one that sets up the unusual and optically problematic prospect of Watson playing for another team this season before facing a lengthy suspension in 2022. Watson is not expected to be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, and Roger Goodell confirmed Tuesday night the NFL does not have enough information on these cases to place Watson on the list, via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Dolphins (1-6) have quickly stumbled out of playoff contention, so a Watson move would be for the future.
This is not completely viewed as a Miami-or-bust scenario for Watson, with USA Today’s Josina Anderson noting the fifth-year QB is essentially fine with being traded to most of the teams connected to him (Twitter link). This might not include the Eagles, however. Watson invoked his no-trade clause to block a potential Philadelphia trade, McClain adds.
The Dolphins possess three first-round picks over the next two drafts, having acquired the 49ers’ 2023 choice in the deal that allowed San Francisco to move up for Trey Lance. Miami dealt the other first-rounder obtained in the Lance deal to move up for Jaylen Waddle. Still, a three-first-rounder package would be a historic haul and present tremendous risk for the Dolphins, given Watson’s present status. It will also be interesting if the Texans can land three first-rounders from the Dolphins if the Panthers are truly out of mix.
A Watson trade would, of course, bring a quick end to Tua Tagovailoa‘s run as Miami’s quarterback of the future. Though an August report indicated the Texans are not overly interested in Tagovailoa, Watson coming to Miami would lead to Tua becoming a trade chip at some point.
Brian Flores has repeatedly endorsed Tagovailoa as his starter, doing so again Wednesday morning, but Flores is now on the hot seat. The 81-year-old Ross’ win-now mindset may prevail over any PR blowback the Dolphins would face by acquiring Watson. It now looks like the Dolphins represent by far the best chance of Watson being traded this year. If the Texans do not unload the exiled passer now, McClain adds a trade may not happen until near the 2022 draft.
Panthers Not Expected To Pursue Deshaun Watson Ahead Of Trade Deadline
The Panthers expressed significant interest in Deshaun Watson this offseason but backed off after the slew of off-field issues surfaced. They were thought to be re-entering the sweepstakes ahead of the Nov. 2 trade deadline, but it no longer looks like they are moving forward here.
Carolina is no longer expected to pursue a Watson deal before the deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Panthers did re-engage the Texans on Watson last week, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets, after not having previously discussed the Pro Bowl quarterback since before the season started. As of Wednesday morning, however, Watson has only waived his no-trade clause for the Dolphins, Rapoport adds.
This does not mean the Panthers are done with a Watson pursuit, with The Athletic’s Joe Person adding the no-trade clause is not an issue regarding a deal to Carolina (Twitter link). This would mean the Clemson alum would not be expected to veto a trade to the Panthers. While that would be a critical matter for a possible 2022 offseason trade, the Panthers standing down for now opens the door for the Dolphins.
The Panthers made the Texans an offer for Watson, and if the quarterback is on board with a relocation to Charlotte, it is interesting now that Carolina is bowing out. For 2021 at least, this breaks up a lengthy Panthers-Watson connection.
This past offseason, Carolina was set to outbid everyone for Watson, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes (video link). Given the reports depicting David Tepper‘s interest in acquiring Watson — before the off-field issues surfaced — this is certainly not surprising. But 22 women have since accused Watson of sexual assault or sexual misconduct. In addition to potential criminal charges, the 26-year-old quarterback faces a lengthy suspension. That ban is unlikely to come down until 2022, but teams are certainly leery of surrendering prime assets for Watson without knowing what his future holds. The Texans have asked for three first-round picks and at least two seconds for the three-time Pro Bowler.
A report last week pegged the Panthers and Eagles as non-serious Watson suitors, but after Matt Rhule benched Sam Darnold in Carolina’s fourth straight loss Sunday, the Watson-Carolina connection resurfaced. For the season’s remainder, it appears Darnold and P.J. Walker will be Carolina’s QB options. Should the Dolphins not trade for Watson by next week, it should be expected the Panthers will be back in the mix in 2022.
Tyrod Taylor To Start For Texans
Tyrod Taylor will return to practice on Wednesday, head coach David Culley announced. Culley added that Taylor “was our starting quarterback, [so] when he’s healthy, he’ll be our starting quarterback,” (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).
[RELATED: Latest On Watson Trade Talks]
Taylor has been on IR ever since his Week 2 hamstring injury. Davis Mills has been serving as the starter ever since, but the results haven’t been great. His best performance came against the Patriots as he completed 21 of 29 passes for 312 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. The Pats went on to win 25-22 and the Texans went on to drop their next two games to the Colts and Cardinals.
Following Sunday’s loss to Arizona, the Texans are 1-6 and in serious need of a spark. Taylor could help to some extent, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to go against the Rams this week.
In other Texans QB news, a Deshaun Watson trade could be just around the corner. The Dolphins and Panthers are said to be the clubhouse favorites for him, ahead of the Eagles, Broncos, and other suitors.
Panthers, Dolphins Favorites To Land Deshaun Watson?
The Deshaun Watson sweepstakes could be down to two teams. In addition to the Dolphins, the Panthers have also presented the Texans with a strong offer, according to PFT. 
The Texans would likely accept the Panthers’ latest proposal, according to PFT’s source, but Watson’s the one who really holds the cards. Thanks to his no-trade clause, he can veto any destination he doesn’t like. Fortunately for the Panthers, they’re on his short list of preferred teams, unlike the Eagles. Denver has also been said to be in the mix, but it’s shaping up to be a two-horse race and the Broncos aren’t in it at the moment.
We’ve had conflicting word on the Panthers’ level of interest all month long. Just last week, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports heard the Dolphins have effectively been bidding against themselves. Still, Watson won’t be parked on the commissioner’s exempt list if he’s traded, so it stands to reason that other teams could try and outbid the Dolphins.
And, just hours ago, head coach Matt Rhule benched Sam Darnold in the fourth quarter. After the game — a 25-3 loss to the Giants —Rhule told reporters that Darnold will “be our quarterback next week.” It remains to be seen whether he’ll be their QB come November 3rd.
Deshaun Watson Would Not Be Placed On Exempt List If Traded
Multiple teams are still interested in trading for Texans QB Deshaun Watson, as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports (video link). Critically, Rapoport says Watson would not be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list if he were to be dealt.
Of course, Watson has no interest in playing for the Texans, and the Texans have no interest in trying to force their best trade asset to suit up. So he has effectively been on paid leave all season, but we have heard all along that if another club were to trade for the three-time Pro Bowler, the league could step in and park him on the exempt list until his legal situation is resolved, thereby making a trade difficult to consummate.
Rapoport, citing the provision of the NFL’s personal conduct policy that states that a player can be placed on the exempt list if he has been charged with a felony or violent crime, says Watson — who has not been criminally charged at this point — should be eligible to play for any team that acquires him. And, RapSheet hears that a deal is expected to be completed prior to the November 2 deadline.
A recent report indicated that the Panthers and Eagles were no longer involved in the Watson sweepstakes and that the Dolphins were the only team left standing. However, Rapoport says the Dolphins are not alone in their pursuit, and that in addition to Carolina, Philadelphia, and the Broncos, there are other clubs sniffing around.
That report could have been leaked by the Texans in an effort to get Miami to increase its offer. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that no team has been as motivated as the Dolphins to get a deal done, and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that the Texans have told another club that they have to beat Miami’s offer (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald on Twitter). Plus, it’s unclear if Watson will waive his no-trade clause for any team other than the Dolphins.
In addition to Watson, there are other Texans players that could be on the move in the next week or so. La Canfora hears that LT Laremy Tunsil could have been a trade candidate if he had not suffered a serious thumb injury earlier this month, and other players that GM Nick Caserio might seek to trade include QB Tyrod Taylor, RB Phillip Lindsay, LB Christian Kirksey, and CB Desmond King.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/21
Here is the run of Week 7 Saturday minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: OL Danny Isidora, DL Josh Mauro, TE Ross Travis, LB Joe Walker; Chandler Jones remains on team’s reserve/COVID-19 list
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: LB Daren Bates, LB James Vaughters, CB Chris Williamson
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: T David Sharpe
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: WR Keith Kirkwood, WR Aaron Parker
Chicago Bears
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Damien Williams
- Promoted: G Dieter Eiselen, DL Margus Hunt
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: LB Joe Bachie
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: S Jalen Elliott, TE Brock Wright
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
- Promoted: OL Cole Toner
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: LB Darius Harris, LB Christian Rozeboom
- Placed on IR: TE Jody Fortson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: TE Matt Bushman, LB Marquel Lee
- Placed on IR: TE Nick Bowers
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: TE Kendall Blanton
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: WR Isaiah Ford, C Cameron Tom
- Waived: QB Reid Sinnett
New York Giants
- Promoted: DT David Moa, WR David Sills
New York Jets
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: RB JaMycal Hasty
- Promoted: LB Tyrell Adams, TE Tanner Hudson, QB Nate Sudfeld
- Released: LB Mychal Kendricks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: WR Cyril Grayson, TE Deon Yelder
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: RB Darrynton Evans, DL Larrell Murchison
- Promoted: DB Chris Jones, WR Mason Kinsey
- Waived: RB Mekhi Sargent
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, C Keith Ismael, DE Bunmi Rotimi