Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Darius Victor
Buffalo Bills
- Released: S L.J. McCray
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Darius Hillary
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL Kyle Bosch, OL Matthew Diaz
- Waived: WR Ricky Jeune, OL Dustin Stanton
Houston Texans
- Released: WR Chris Thompson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR: S Don Carey
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed off waivers (Texans): DT Marcus Hardison
- Waived/injured: OL Zachary Crabtree
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB Larry Rose
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Anthony Denham
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Ja’Quan Gardner
- Waived: S Chanceller James
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: LB Deontae Skinner
POLL: Should The Jaguars Sign Dez Bryant?
Marqise Lee is officially lost for the season. The Jaguars’ number one receiver was placed on injured reserve due to a serious knee injury suffered during Jacksonville’s most recent preseason game. 
The group of receivers on the depth chart behind Lee are all mostly young and inexperienced, and Lee’s injury sparked immediate rumors that the team might be interested in Dez Bryant. Although former ESPN reporter Ed Werder heard that the Jaguars were comfortable with their group of young receivers, nothing can be ruled out.
A team that is looking to make it back to the AFC Championship game could certainly use a veteran presence in the receivers room, and Bryant is by far the biggest name left on the market. He recently left his visit with the Browns without signing a deal, and could be more interested in playing for a contender.
The Jaguars’ locker room is already full of big personalities, so Bryant might feel right at home. Should Jacksonville take the plunge and finally be the ones to bring in Bryant? Weigh in by voting in our poll and in the comments section and let us know.
Should The Jaguars Sign Dez Bryant?
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Yes 53% (957)
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No 47% (856)
Total votes: 1,813
Jaguars Will Not Pursue Dez Bryant
The Jaguars will be without Marqise Lee for the season, but they won’t be replacing him with Dez Bryant. The Jaguars feel comfortable with their current group of receivers and do not plan to pursue outside help, former ESPN reporter Ed Werder hears (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Marqise Lee Done For Season]
Many were quick to connect the dots between the Jaguars and the best remaining free agent wide receiver, but the Jaguars seem content to draw from a group that includes by Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole, second-round pick D.J. Clark, and Donte Moncrief. None of those players offer Bryant’s name value, but Tom Coughlin & Co. believe in their talent.
Bryant recently flirted with the Browns, but he rejected their offer of less than $5MM for the upcoming season. Another wide receiver injury elsewhere could open up an opportunity for the former Cowboys standout, but there are no clear suitors for him as the season draws near.
Jaguars WR Marqise Lee Out For Season
Jaguars receiver Marqise Lee will miss the entire 2018 season due to a knee injury suffered in Saturday night’s preseason contest against the Falcons. Lee will soon be placed on IR, opening up a spot on the club’s 90-man roster. 
It’s a devastating blow to the Jaguars, particularly after they allowed Allen Robinson to walk in free agency this year. Lee had the most catches of any Jaguars receiver in 2017 (56) and finished second in receiving yards (702). Between 2016 and 2017, Lee racked up 119 receptions for 1,553 yards and six touchdowns.
The Jaguars rewarded Lee with a new four-year deal worth up to $38MM this offseason, a pact that includes $18MM guaranteed. Unfortunately, they’ll have to wait until 2019 to see him back in action.
Without Lee, the Jaguars are left with a group that is headlined by Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole, second-round pick D.J. Clark, and Donte Moncrief. It’s still a talented bunch, which explains why head coach Doug Marrone said he’s “comfortable” with his receivers when asked about the possibility of signing Dez Bryant (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com).
Jaguars Sign DB Charlie Miller
The Jaguars added a familiar face to their team yesterday. The organization announced that they’ve signed defensive back Charlie Miller to their 90-man roster.
After being signed as an undrafted free agent, the six-foot-one, 190-pound Miller spent the majority of last season on Jacksonville’s practice squad. The team inked fifth-year cornerback Kenneth Acker and undrafted rookie cornerback Bryce Canady to contracts earlier this offseason, and they ended up waiving Miller soon after.
Now, the 24-year-old has another chance at making the Jaguars’ 53-man roster. He showed plenty of promise during his collegiate career, compiling 70 tackles and three interceptions in 24 games at Dartmouth College. He also earned a second-team All-Ivy League spot following his senior campaign.
Of course, similar to last year, Miller will be hard pressed to make the Jaguars’ opening day roster, although he could slide back into a practice squad role. With eight cornerbacks currently on the roster, Miller would probably having a better shot at making the team as a safety, especially after Don Carey landed on the injured reserve. Miller could end up competing with Ronnie Harrison, Cody Davis, and Jarrod Wilson for reps behind projected starters Tashaun Gipson and Barry Church.
Free Agent TE Julius Thomas To Retire
Julius Thomas will step away from the NFL after seven seasons. The free agent tight end announced, via The Players’ Tribune, he intends to pursue a career in psychology and will be returning to school to pursue a doctorate degree.
The Dolphins released Thomas earlier this year, and the 30-year-old pass-catcher will move on from the sport. He spent four seasons with the Broncos, two with the Jaguars and played his final year in Miami.
“While making the decision to no longer play the game is difficult, I’m also incredibly excited about what’s next: Studying therapy and becoming well trained in it so that I can help people heal from their emotional and mental pain,” Thomas wrote.
One of the best basketball-to-football conversion stories, the former fourth-round pick out of Portland State was one of the most sought-after free agents in the game in 2015. He signed a five-year deal worth more than $46MM with Jacksonville, doing so after two dominant seasons in Denver.
Stationed as one of Peyton Manning‘s top targets, the former Division I-FCS talent caught 24 touchdown passes between the 2013 and ’14 seasons. He made the Pro Bowl both years and started in Super Bowl XLVIII. Thomas eclipsed Shannon Sharpe‘s franchise record for most touchdown grabs in a season by a tight end, hauling in 12 in back-to-back slates. While Thomas couldn’t replicate that production away from the future Hall of Fame passer, he totaled two more 40-reception seasons and played three years on that lucrative 2015 contract.
However, injuries played a significant role in Thomas’ career. He missed 28 games during his four Broncos seasons and 11 during his two Jags campaigns. While Thomas surmounted his early-career maladies at the right time, just as Manning set NFL records on explosive offenses, the 6-foot-5 tight end was hobbled for much of his career.
He intends to study the effects of CTE.
“Football has serious cognitive risks, but there’s still a lot to learn about the extent of them and ways they can be mitigated,” Thomas wrote. “The ability to assist with the latest research being done on brain trauma and the pursuit to better understand CTE. To study it not just from the perspective of a psychologist or a clinician, but also as a person who has played for several years at the highest level, is something that excites me. It fills me with a sense of purpose.”
Cowboys Sign S Jeron Johnson
The Cowboys have reached a contract agreement with free agent safety Jeron Johnson, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dallas has waived quarterback Dalton Sturm in a corresponding roster move.
As Archer notes, Johnson is the second defensive back Dallas has signed in the past day, joining undrafted free agent Dominick Sanders. The Cowboys can use all the help they can get at safety, as Xavier Woods is expected to miss three-to-four weeks with a hamstring injury, while Jameill Showers was recently placed on injured reserve after tearing his ACL.
Johnson, 30, has spent the majority of his seven-year career with the Seahawks, so he has experience playing under new Cowboys defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Kris Richard. Primarily a special-teamer, Johnson has topped 20% playtime just once (in 2015, with the Redskins). In 2017, Johnson signed with the Jaguars in August but was placed on injured reserve the following month, and never saw action on the field.
Dallas, of course, has and could continue to pursue safeties with larger name value than Johnson. The Seahawks’ Earl Thomas has been on the Cowboys’ radar for some time, while the club is also reportedly interested in George Iloka, whom the Bengals released on Sunday.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: G Kyle Bosch
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: T Leon Johnson
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Bryce Jones
- Waived/injured: CB Josh Thornton
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Nick DeLuca
- Placed on injured reserve: S Don Carey
- Waived/left squad: LB Brooks Ellis
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: C Jacob Judd
- Claimed off waivers: RB Luke McNitt
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: WR Josh Huff
- Waived/injured: S Rickey Jefferson
New York Jets
- Waived: WR Jonah Trinnaman
Oakland Raiders
- Claimed off waivers: CB Antwuan Davis (Lions)
- Waived/injured: CB Tevin Mitchel
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived from injured reserve: S Terrell Williams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Matt Weiser
- Waived/injured: TE Colin Jeter
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Jeff Knox, LB Nyles Morgan, LB Deontae Skinner
- Waived: LB Brandon Chubb, LB Davond Dade, OL Matthew Diaz
Jets Inquire On Jaguars’ Dante Fowler
The Jets reached out to the Jaguars to gauge their interest level in trading defensive end Dante Fowler., sources tell Manish Mehta of the Daily News. It’s not immediately clear whether the Jaguars are interested in such a deal. 
Fowler, the former No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft, has immense talent, but also comes with baggage. The pass rusher has a history of off-the-field missteps and will be sidelined for the first game of the season after racking up three misdemeanor charges in a 2017 arrest. Fowler was also hit with an unusual preseason suspension this year for “fighting and violation of team rules.”
Jaguars boss Tom Coughlin isn’t one to tolerate such behavior, and that likely factored into the team’s decision to decline Fowler’s fifth-year option for 2019. Still, even as they declined the option, it was reported that the Jaguars had not ruled out a long-term deal with Fowler down the road. And the Jaguars could get a compensatory pick for Fowler if he leaves in free agency, so they won’t be giving him away to the Jets or any other team.
Fowler managed eight sacks last year, but the Jaguars were wary of committing to him after he missed all of his would-be rookie season and was a bit inconsistent in 2016.
The Jets could certainly use a talented pass rusher, and they haven’t shied away from problematic personalities over the last few years, so Fowler could be a logical fit.
Jaguars' Ramsey Keeps Guarantees
The Jaguars suspended cornerback Jalen Ramsey for a week of preseason action, but the ban won’t void his guarantees, according to Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter). That’s because the Jags suspended Ramsey for “violating team rules and conduct unbecoming of a Jaguars football player,” rather than “conduct detrimental.” The small difference in language made a huge difference in the outcome for Ramsey, and probably kept the team on good terms with one of its defensive stars.