Minor NFL Transactions: 11/13/19
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Miles Brown
- Placed on injured reserve: DE Zach Allen
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE Bryan Cox Jr.
- Waived: LB Malik Jefferson
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers (Texans): T Dan Skipper
- Placed on injured reserve: DT Kevin Strong
Houston Texans
- Waived: DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: T Chandler Brewer, DB Donte Deayon
New York Jets
- Placed on injured reserve: TE Chris Herndon, G Brian Winters (story)
- Signed: LB B.J. Bello, CB Kyron Brown
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Damontre Moore
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Mazzi Wilkins
Tennessee Titans
- Signed off Vikings’ practice squad: FB Khari Blasingame
Texans Claim Vernon Hargreaves
The Texans claimed former Bucs’ cornerback Vernon Hargreaves on waivers, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Hargreaves was released on Tuesday, which made him subject to the waiver wire, per the league’s rules for players who are cut after the trade deadline. 
The former first round pick did not meet expectations in Tampa, but he profiles as a low-risk, high-reward type for Houston. Hargreaves was the No. 11 overall pick in 2016 for a reason and there could be some good football still left in the tank for the Florida product.
Before the release, Hargreaves was set to play out his rookie deal and 2020 fifth-year option. But, because that $9.9MM option was guaranteed for injury only, the Bucs were easily able to move on. New head coach Bruce Arians sat Hargreaves on the first day of OTAs because he was “not mentally ready to practice.” Apparently, the two were not able to get on the same page between the summer and the fall.
The Bucs sure could have used a healthy and productive Hargreaves on the roster, given that they have the worst pass defense in the NFL. With that in mind, the decision is rather telling of the team’s view of him.
The Texans, meanwhile, also have ample need at the position, but with more confidence in Hargreaves than Arians & Co. did. Even after acquiring cornerback Gareon Conley from the Raiders, there’s still plenty of work to be had for the 24-year-old in Houston.
Hargreaves will be eligible to make his Texans debut on Sunday against the Ravens.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/12/19
Here’s the latest from around the league’s workout circuit:
Carolina Panthers
- OT Garrett McGhin, OT Aaron Monteiro
Cleveland Browns
- DE Tashawn Bower, DB Jontrell Rocquemore
Houston Texans
- RB Elijah McGuire, DL Caraun Reid
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Matt Flanagan, CBs Jayson Stanley, WR Cody Thompson
New York Giants
- RB George Aston, WR Alex Bachman, WR Jonathan Duhart, LS Dan Godsil, LB Dewayne Hendrix, LS Colin Holba, OT Pace Murphy, P Ryan Santoso, LS Drew Scott, CB Arrion Springs, K Tristan Vizcaino, WR Papi White, LB Jamell Garcia-Williams
South Notes: Gipson, Quinn, Thomas, Ryan
Texans safety Tashaun Gipson is expected to return to the lineup this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Gipson has missed the team’s previous two games after sustaining a back injury in Week 7. Houston has won both games without their starting safety, but set to go up against the Ravens and their dynamic offense, the team hopes to be as close to full strength as possible.
Here’s some more notes from the NFC and AFC South:
- Falcons head coach Dan Quinn has relinquished defensive play-calling duties, according to Darin Gantt of NBC Sports. It appears that assistant head coach Raheem Morris and linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich are now responsible for sharing the duties. Given Atlanta’s atrocious start to the season defensively, it makes sense that the staff decided to make a change. While the team remains just 2-7 on the season, they are coming off their strongest performance of the season in a dominating 26-9 victory against the Saints.
- Two AFC South rivals could be welcoming back some depth in the coming weeks. Texans tight end Jordan Thomas and Jaguars linebacker Jake Ryan have both returned to practice for their respective teams, according to Howard Balzer. Both players were placed on the injured reserve with a designation to return earlier this season. They will now be allowed to practice for up to 21 days before they must be added to the 53-man roster or must return to the injured reserve for the remainder of the year.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/11/19
Here’s the latest from around the league’s workout circuit:
Cleveland Browns
- S Tre Sullivan, DT Destiny Vaeao
Green Bay Packers
- DT Carl Davis, DT Justin Ellis, DT David Parry
Houston Texans
- DE Joel Heath, DL Caruan Reid
Indianapolis Colts
- WR Jeff Badet, WR Amara Darboh, WR T.J. Jones, WR Andy Jones, WR Darius Jennings, QB Taylor Heinicke, CB Trevor Williams
New York Giants
- G Larry Allen Jr, WR Keon Hatcher, QB Tanner Lee, WR J.J. Nelson, K Elliott Fry, K Kaare Vedvik
Oakland Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/19
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: T/TE Bradley Sowell
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Joel Heath
- Waived: OL Dan Skipper
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on IR: T Martinas Rankin
- Signed off Colts’ practice squad: T Jackson Barton
New York Giants
- Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: CB Corn Elder
- Waived: OL Evan Brown
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Claimed off waivers from Titans: OL Aaron Stinnie
- Waived: C Nate Trewyn
South Notes: Fuller, Quinn, Leftwich
The Texans are hopeful that wide receiver Will Fuller will be able to retake the field next week in Baltimore against the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Fuller has missed the team’s previous two games after suffering a hamstring injury against the Colts.
Fuller is one of the best deep threats in football, especially when he takes the field opposite of all-pro DeAndre Hopkins. Prior to his injury, Fuller was on pace to eclipse 70 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. Those marks may be unattainable now, but at 6-3, the Texans are in the thick of the AFC playoff picture coming out of their bye. Fuller would surely aid them in their pursuit of a Super Bowl title.
Here’s more from the NFC and AFC South:
- Falcons head coach Dan Quinn has been firmly on the hot-seat for many weeks. However, after a dominating victory over the Saints on Sunday, Quinn has bought himself at least a temporary reprieve, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Just a few seasons away from a Super Bowl appearance, this year has fallen far short of expectations, especially on defense. However, New Orleans potent offense looked overwhelmed for much of the game.
- After a 30-27 victory in a shootout against the Cardinals, the Buccaneers offense continues to produce in spit of Jameis Winston‘s propensity for turnovers. Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich deserves a large amount of credit as the playcaller, however, he almost never got the responsibilities in the first place. In the offseason, head coach Bruce Arians had to convince ownership that someone other than him should call plays, according to Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times.
Former NFL DT Earl Mitchell Retires
Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell has announced his retirement from the NFL after nine seasons, as he announced on his Instagram.
“I thought that I would be sad when I decided to let go of something I’ve loved for so long. I feel grateful to walk away with no regrets knowing I gave it my all. After 9 great years, I’m officially retiring from the National Football League. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Since 2002 I’ve dedicated my life to this game. When I first stepped into the locker room at North Shore, I decided to put my all into learning something that I knew nothing about. If it wasn’t for this game I would have never been able to achieve my original dream of going to and graduating college. I’m extremely proud of my career and I appreciate all of those who have supported me along the way.”
A third-round pick out of Arizona in 2010, Mitchell spent the first four years of his career with the Texans before inking a four-year, $16MM deal with the Dolphins in 2014. After three seasons in Miami, another four-year deal followed, this time with the 49ers. Mitchell played in San Francisco for two years before getting released.
Mitchell briefly latched on with the Seahawks this summer, and may have still been able to draw free agent interest, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports the 32-year-old still had some suitors (Twitter link). Instead, Mitchell will hang up his cleats having appeared in 130 career games (66 starts) and collected more than $23MM in career earnings.
Latest On Will Fuller, Keke Coutee
- Bill O’Brien said wide receiver Will Fuller is progressing from his hamstring injury (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter). The wideout hasn’t played since suffering the injury during the Texans‘ Week 7 loss to the Colts. Meanwhile, Keke Coutee‘s absence shouldn’t be attributed to injury; O’Brien said the wideout hasn’t played due to his lack of “attention to detail” (via Wilson). The head coach made it clear that it wasn’t an effort issue, noting that the former fourth-rounder is a “great guy.”
[SOURCE LINK]
Le’Veon Bell: Four Teams Had Trade Interest
The Jets reportedly considered moving Le’Veon Bell ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, and the veteran running back says the Steelers, Packers, Chiefs, and Texans all expressed interest in acquiring him. Appearing on his SiriusXM show “17 Weeks,” Bell said he heard through his agent that those four clubs were trying to trade for him, as Joshua Axelrod of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes.
Pittsburgh, clearly, is the most surprising possible destination mentioned by Bell, as he just left the Steelers organization after a tumultuous 2018 in which he sat out the season rather than play on the franchise tag. Given all that went down between Bell and the Steelers, it’s difficult to imagine Pittsburgh’s management re-acquiring the running back, even if he is now placated with a long-term contract.
The Packers, too, seemingly don’t make much sense as a landing spot given the continued breakout of Aaron Jones and the steady presence of backup Jamaal Williams. Houston, meanwhile, has already traded for two running backs — Duke Johnson and Carlos Hyde — and John McClain of the Houston Chronicle says the Texans were not interested in picking up Bell (Twitter link). Kansas City has deployed LeSean McCoy and Damien Williams with middling results.
“The Jets were really asking for a high price and a lot for me,” Bell said. “On top of that, my actual contract was kind of tough for teams to deal with, which is understandable. Not too many teams want to pay that high of a price for a running back.
“To be honest, I was not trying to take a pay cut, simply for the fact that I sat out a full year of football to get what I earned and deserved. That would’ve kind of defeated the whole purpose, so I didn’t want to do that.”
Bell’s remaining salary in 2019 would have been manageable for just about any team in the NFL, but he’s owed more than $13MM in 2020 between his base salary and roster bonus. Most of that money is fully guaranteed, so a club like the Steelers (who have less than $4MM in available 2020 funds) would have been hard-pressed to take on that contract.