Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/20
Here are Sunday’s minor moves. The players who landed on injured reserve are eligible to come off teams’ respective lists after three weeks. For 2020, teams can also activate an unlimited number of IR players — as opposed to the two-man max of 2019.
Atlanta Falcons
- Claimed (from Washington): T Timon Paris
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed (from Dolphins): G Deion Calhoun
- Signed: CB Torry McTyer
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Cowboys): DE Joe Jackson
- Claimed (from Bills): DT Vincent Taylor
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: WR Ventell Bryant
- Signed: CB C.J. Goodwin, LB Justin March-Lillard
- Released: LB Joe Thomas
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: T Brent Qvale, LS Jon Weeks
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed (from Eagles): TE Noah Togiai
Las Vegas Raiders
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed (from Giants): LB Ryan Connelly
New York Giants
- Claimed (from Chiefs): T Jackson Barton, S Adrian Colbert
- Claimed (from Browns): WR Damion Ratley
- Waived: S Sean Chandler, OL Chad Slade
- Placed on IR: LB David Mayo, S Xavier McKinney
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed (from Lions): RB Jason Huntley
- Placed on IR: S Will Parks, WR Quez Watkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: J.J. Nelson
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed (from Titans): LB D’Andre Walker
- Waived: DB Linden Stephens
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: C A.Q. Shipley
Washington Signs CB Aaron Colvin To Practice Squad
Aaron Colvin opted against lingering in free agency ahead of the 2020 season. The veteran slot cornerback — a Washington cut Saturday — agreed to stay in the nation’s capital, joining Washington’s practice squad.
A four-year Jaguars cog, Colvin signed a lucrative deal to join the Texans in 2018. He spent a season as Houston’s slot cornerback, but after the Texans’ final-seconds loss to the Saints in Week 1 of 2019, the team made Colvin a scapegoat and accepted a dead-money hit to cut him.
Washington claimed Colvin on waivers and used him in six games. This season’s Washington squad, however, did not include the 28-year-old cornerback. He will work as an emergency player and as one of the team’s veteran P-squad staffers.
Former 49ers first-round guard Joshua Garnett, a late-offseason Washington addition, also opted to avoid another long-term free agency stay. He signed with the Washington practice squad. Given the injury trouble Washington has experienced on its offensive line in recent years, Garnett may end up seeing game action for the first time since 2018.
Here is Washington’s practice squad, as of Sunday afternoon:
- DT David Bada
- DE Jordan Brailford
- WR Tony Brown
- CB Aaron Colvin
- G Joshua Garnett
- TE Hale Hentges
- QB Steven Montez
- LB Jared Norris
- DE Nate Orchard
- LB Donald Payne
- C Ross Pierschbacher
- S Jeremy Reaves
- WR Cam Sims
Cardinals Sign DE Angelo Blackson
The Cardinals are bolstering their defensive line. Arizona has added recently cut former Texans defensive end Angelo Blackson to its 53-man roster, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
Blackson signed a three-year $12MM extension with Houston in March of 2019, but couldn’t make it through that pact. Blackson started 15 games last year and played around 40 percent of the defensive snaps, but he wasn’t too productive as he finished with only 20 tackles and no sacks.
A fourth-round pick back in 2015, Blackson was originally drafted by the Titans and spent his first two years in Tennessee. He was then cut and spent time on the Patriots’ practice squad before finding a home in Houston. He took a pay cut a few weeks ago which dropped his salary from $4MM to $2.5MM, but even that wasn’t enough to save his roster spot.
Texans Sign QB Deshaun Watson To Four-Year Extension
The Texans have locked up quarterback Deshaun Watson through 2025. Mark Berman of FOX 26 News reports (via Twitter) that the Pro Bowler has signed a four-year extension that’s worth $39MM annually. The deal also includes a $27MM signing bonus. The deal will be tacked on to the two remaining years of Watson’s current contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the deal is worth a total of $177.54MM with nearly $111MM in guaranteed money.
Watson’s contract comes almost exactly two months after Patrick Mahomes signed his monster extension with the Chiefs. Mahomes still paces the position with an AAV of $45MM, but Watson’s $39MM AAV now ranks second above the likes of Russell Wilson ($35MM), Ben Roethlisberger ($34MM), Aaron Rodgers ($33.5MM), and Jared Goff ($33.5MM).
Of course, it’s not particularly surprising that Watson was able to garner such a deal. Since being selected with the 12th-overall pick in the 2017 draft, the Clemson product has emerged as one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL. Despite tearing his ACL during his rookie campaign, Watson has managed to appear in 31 of the Texans’ 32 regular season games. Over that span, the 24-year-old has completed 67.8-percent of his passes for an average of 4008.5 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 10.5 interceptions per season. He’s also continued to be dynamic running the ball, as he’s averaged 482 rushing yards and six scores per season between 2018 and 2019.
Perhaps most importantly, Watson has led the Texans to a 21-10 regular-season record over the past two seasons. Following a disappointing playoff loss to the Colts in 2018, the quarterback earned his first career postseason victory by beating the Bills in the 2019 Wild Card Round. He lost to the eventual champs in the second round, but he still tossed two touchdowns and scored another on the ground.
We learned earlier this week that the Texans were pushing to extend Watson prior to the start of the season, although negotiations were described as “not close.” Watson had made it clear that he wasn’t seeking a deal that was similar in length to Mahomes’ contract. One report indicated that the quarterback wanted a three-year deal, and there were rumblings that he was seeking around $40MM per year.
With Watson signing his new deal, we can now turn our extension-focused eyes to a pair of other signal callers. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson should both be in line for lucrative deals, especially following the recent quarterback extensions.
Washington Cuts CB Aaron Colvin, Moves Down To 53
Here is how Washington trimmed its camp roster down to the 53-man regular-season limit. Some notable veterans did not make the squad.
Waived:
- T Paul Adams
- DT David Bada
- DE Jordan Bradford
- WR Tony Brown
- G Joshua Garnett
- TE Hale Hentges
- WR Johnathon Johnson
- CB Ryan Lewis
- QB Steven Montez
- LB Jared Norris
- T Timon Parris
- LB Donald Payne
- C Ross Pierschbacher
- WR Trey Quinn
- S Jeremy Reaves
- WR Cam Sims
- T David Steinmetz
- WR Jester Weah
Released:
- CB Aaron Colvin
- S Sean Davis (story)
- DE Nate Orchard
- TE Richard Rodgers
Placed on IR:
- DL Ryan Bee
- LB Reuben Foster (story)
- G Mike Liedtke
- CB Simeon Thomas
- WR Jordan Veasy
Washington added Colvin last year, doing so after the Texans cut him early in the season. The veteran has played six seasons, seeing action with the Jaguars, Texans and Washington. He will head back to free agency. As with Rodgers, who was the most notable tight end on Washington’s roster entering camp. Following the exits of Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis — and Thaddeus Moss‘ IR trip — Washington does not feature much of note at the position.
Mr. Irrelevant in 2018, Quinn latched on with Washington for two seasons. He operated as Washington’s slot receiver for a time, but with a new regime running the show now, Quinn will head to the waiver wire. However, he would certainly profile as a player who could be added to Washington’s 16-man practice squad. Garnett would as well.
The team added Garnett during training camp, but the former first-round pick has never managed to carve out a consistent role as a pro.
Texans Release OL Greg Mancz
The Texans are saying farewell to a former full-time starter on their offensive line. In a bit of a surprise Houston has released center Greg Mancz, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Mancz signed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent, and carved out a very nice run. He ended up starting all 16 games for them in 2016, and seven the following year. He signed a two-year extension worth $6MM right before the start of the 2018 campaign, but ended up making it through only one year of that deal.
The Texans gradually sought to improve their offensive line to give Deshaun Watson better protection, and Mancz was ultimately squeezed out. He started four games in 2018 which was reduced to just one last year. Houston decided the Toledo product was a bit expensive as a pure backup, although it’s possible he’s brought back at some point down the line.
Latest On Texans, Deshaun Watson
The Texans may well be striving to have their Pro Bowl quarterback signed by the time they open the NFL season against the Chiefs a week from Thursday. The team and Deshaun Watson are working hard on an extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Watson’s side, however, is not looking to emulate Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs managed to sign their superstar passer through the 2031 season. Watson is barely looking to have his next deal run into the mid-2020s, with Mike Florio of Pro Football talk tweeting the Houston standout wants a three-year deal. With Watson’s rookie contract going through 2021, this would put him under Texans control only through 2024.
It is not certain how close the sides are to making this happen. The parties are not believed to be too close on terms, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (video link). Regarding per-year salary, Watson has been connected to a $40MM-plus-AAV price point. While Mahomes received $45MM per year, it took him committing into the 2030s to do so. Russell Wilson‘s $35MM deal, for normal contract structures, still resides atop the market.
Houston gave Laremy Tunsil a three-year deal, one that tops the market by a monstrous margin. With Watson residing as the Texans’ unquestioned franchise centerpiece, it would seem he could push for the same type of contract. Watson, 24, is on track to make $1.2MM this season on his rookie deal.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/1/20
Today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Claimed (from Texans): DT Albert Huggins
- Released: WR Geremy Davis
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Charles Jones
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: FB Roosevelt Nix
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Ian Bunting, OL Andrew Donnal
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived/failed-physical: CB Nick Nelson
Miami Dolphins
- Released: WR Ricardo Louis, WR Chester Rogers
- Waived: S Jeremiah Dinson, DE Avery Moss, CB Deatrick Nichols
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived/left-squad: DL James Lockhart
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: K Elliott Fry
Texans, Zach Cunningham Agree To $58MM Deal
The Texans and linebacker Zach Cunningham have agreed to a four-year, $58MM extension, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The new portion of the deal gives Cunningham an average annual salary of $14.5MM per year and keeps him under club control through 2024.
[RELATED: Texans Work Out C.J. Prosise]
When the Texans moved up from No. 25 to land Deshaun Watson in the 2017 draft, they figured that Cunningham would land elsewhere. The Giants were particularly interested in the Vanderbilt product but, luckily for Houston, they chose Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram instead at No. 23 and passed on Cunningham again at No. 55, allowing them to grab the ‘backer at No. 57 overall.
Since then, Cunningham has been a fixture in the Texans’ front seven. He took another giant leap forward last year, logging 142 stops, two sacks, and two passes defensed in 16 games (all starts). Cunningham led the league in run stops, posted a career-best run-defense grade of 84.8 (per Pro Football Focus), and routinely flustered quarterbacks with his 82-inch wingspan.
Cunningham has been knocked for his inconsistent coverage, but he’s one of the league’s better inside linebackers on the whole. Meanwhile, he’s still shy of his 26th birthday in December. The contract positions Cunningham as the league’s tenth highest-paid ILB, sandwiched between Shaquil Barrett of the Buccaneers and Deion Jones of the Falcons.
South Notes: Ngakoue, Benson, Campbell
A little over a week ago, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic reported that the Jaguars were on the verge of a deal that would ship disgruntled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue out of Jacksonville. Jags GM Dave Caldwell refuted the report, saying no trade involving Ngakoue is imminent.
But Lombardi has doubled down and insists a trade will happen soon (subscription required). He says Ngakoue is not motivated by money right now, he is motivated by a change of scenery, so he is not worried about missing game checks. According to Lombardi, if Ngakoue is not traded, he will not report until the 10th game of the season, the deadline for him to be able to count the 2020 season as an accredited year towards free agency. And at that point, the trade deadline will be in the rear-view mirror and the Jaguars will be left with nothing but a comp pick when Ngakoue signs elsewhere.
On the other hand, Lombardi’s second report linked above was published on August 21, and nothing has materialized on the Ngakoue front since then. It is, as ever, a situation to keep an eye on.
Now for more from the league’s south divisions:
- Saints owner Gayle Benson tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced. Luckily, the 73-year-old was not hospitalized and is recovering at her New Orleans home. Benson is the second NFL owner to test positive, joining the Cardinals’ Michael Bidwill. Bidwill was hospitalized for his symptoms but appears to have made a full recovery, and it sounds as if Benson will do the same.
- Mike Chappell of Fox 59 reports that Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell is in the concussion protocol following a minor car accident earlier this week. Indianapolis nabbed the Ohio State speedster in the second round of last year’s draft, and after his rookie campaign was derailed due to injury, he was in the midst of a solid training camp this year. He is a roster lock, of course, but it’s unfortunate that his positive momentum has been slowed a bit.
- The Texans activated Gareon Conley from the PUP list earlier this month, and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports that the 2017 first-rounder is progressing well from his offseason arthroscopic ankle surgery. Houston declined Conley’s fifth-year option for 2021, so he will be eligible for free agency next year and could cash in with a strong platform campaign. However, Wilson says second-year pro Lonnie Johnson and Conley are neck-and-neck for a starting job, as Conley has been inconsistent since his return to the field.
- We learned earlier today that the Buccaneers are interested in extending longtime LB Lavonte David.