Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/25
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived from IR: CB Christian Matthew
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed (off Rams’ practice squad): RB Cody Schrader
New England Patriots
- Waived: CB D.J. James
New Orleans Saints
- Signed from practice squad: TE Jack Stoll
New York Giants
- Waived from IR: CB Tre Hawkins
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DL Gabe Hall
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived from IR: CB Cameron McCutcheon
Tre Hawkins was waived/injured at the end of the preseason and reverted to IR, meaning he wouldn’t be able to play during the 2025 campaign. After agreeing to an injury settlement today, he’ll now have an opportunity to take the field elsewhere. The former sixth-round pick started three of his 17 appearances as a rookie, but he was limited to only three games in 2024 thanks in part to a season-ending fractured lumbar spine injury.
2025 Offseason In Review Series
Here are PFR’s breakdowns of each NFL team’s 2025 offseason.
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
Extension Candidate: Quentin Lake
While it didn’t get done in the rush before the start of the regular season, an extension for Rams defensive back Quentin Lake should absolutely be on the table. Playing in the versatile ‘star’ position for Los Angeles in 2024, Lake has made himself an indispensable part of the team’s secondary. 
Playing mostly on special teams as a sixth-round rookie in 2022, Lake found a bigger role on defense as his sophomore campaign progressed. A safety during his time at UCLA, Lake began seeing more reps on the Rams defense as a slot corner, splitting time in the role with cornerback Cobie Durant. His role got bigger as the season went on, with Lake getting some starts and increased playing time in the back half of the year.
In 2024, he was named a full-time starter for the Rams. He began the year starting at safety and coming down into the slot for sub packages with an extra defensive back while John Johnson covered his safety spot. When Johnson went on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, third-round rookie Kamren Kinchens became the first safety off the bench. Kinchens struggled early on, and Lake was depended on to hold down the safety position. The Rams slowly gained confidence in Kinchens and began to give him more run at safety, allowing Lake to exercise a more versatile role once again.
Lake appeared all over the field in 2024. Out of 1,207 snaps played on defense, Lake played 511 (42%) in the slot, 398 (33%) at safety, and 244 (20%) in the box. Part of his effectiveness in roaming around the field is due, in part, to his superior run defense, which graded second only to Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse on the Rams defense last year, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). For all his work around the field, Lake finished his 2024 campaign second on the team with 111 total tackles.
The types of players Lake most resembles are the versatile safeties like Budda Baker and Derwin James. He’s not quite on the level of those All-Pros, so he probably won’t garner anything near the $18MM-$19.13MM those two are averaging on their current deals. If Los Angeles wants to lock Lake down long-term, knowing how important a role he played in 2024, Lake could even encroach a double-digit average.
There’s currently a gap between Jaguars safety Darnell Savage (three-year, $21.75MM) and Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (three-year, $27MM), and anywhere in that gap would make a lot of sense to me. With the season underway, any deal might have to wait for the offseason, but if the Rams want to give Lake peace of mind as he plays out the season on a contract year, finding time to extend him well before free agency might be a good idea.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/25
With our first slate of Sunday games tomorrow, we’ll see our first slew of standard gameday practice squad elevations. Here are today’s minor transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: WR David Sills, RB Carlos Washington Jr.
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: G Kendrick Green, K Matt Prater
Carolina Panthers
- Signed from practice squad: DT Jaden Crumedy
- Placed on IR: CB Damarri Mathis (story)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: DT Mike Pennel
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: FB Adam Prentice, LB Levelle Bailey
Detroit Lions
- Signed from practice squad: RB Jacob Saylors
- Elevated: LB Anthony Pittman
- Placed on IR: T Jamarco Jones
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: CB Micah Robinson
Houston Texans
- Elevated: FB Jakob Johnson
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: LB Austin Ajiake, RB Ulysses Bentley IV
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: T Ricky Lee
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Alex Bachman, S Terrell Edmunds
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: RB Cody Schrader
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: K Riley Patterson, RB Jeff Wilson
New England Patriots
- Signed from practice squad: DT Cory Durden
- Elevated: CB Corey Ballentine, LB Mark Robinson
- Released: DT Jeremiah Pharms
New Orleans Saints
- Signed from practice squad: DE Fadil Diggs
- Elevated: TE Jack Stoll, DE Jonah Williams
- Waived: QB Jake Haener
New York Giants
- Elevated: DT Elijah Garcia
New York Jets
- Elevated: WR Tyler Johnson
- Placed on IR: G Alijah Vera-Tucker (story)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: CB James Pierre
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: WR Russell Gage, LB Curtis Robinson
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: CB Shaquill Griffin, DT Quinton Bohanna
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: DT Adam Gotsis, G Michael Jordan
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: C Corey Levin, DT Carlos Watkins
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: C Michael Deiter, WR Chris Moore
Each NFL team is granted up to two standard gameday practice squad elevations each game, allowing them to call up two members of their practice squad who are able to play in that weekend’s game. After the game is played, the elevated players revert back to the practice squad with no transaction required. This differs from the situation with somebody like Crumedy in Carolina. With Mathis’ placement on injured reserve opening a spot on the 53-man roster, Crumedy has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster, where he will remain until he is cut or his contract expires.
Practice squad players can be called up a maximum of three times under a single practice squad contract. If a team wants to call up a player who’s been called up three times already, the team will usually sign the player to their active roster for a game, cut them after, and then sign them to a new practice squad contract. Under the new contract, the player would be eligible to be elevated for three more games.
As the Dolphins await Jason Sanders‘ return from IR, Patterson was named the winner of a kicking audition with three other veteran kickers. Miami will be able to elevate him three times but will have to promote him to the active roster for any games between that and Sanders’ activation. Similarly, Prater will likely be on the same plan in Buffalo.
Haener’s stint on the Saints’ active roster was short-lived as the team decides to move forward with only two quarterbacks. Spencer Rattler will handle starting duties to begin the campaign with second-round rookie Tyler Shough serving as his backup.
Rams’ Alaric Jackson Expected To Play In Week 1
SEPTEMBER 1: Jackson’s return to team work has not produced a setback, and McVay said (via the Orange County Register’s Adam Grosbard) the plan is for the team’s starting left tackle to be protecting Stafford in Week 1.
This would be a well-timed ramp-up period for the Rams, who had a backup LT protecting Jimmy Garoppolo for most of training camp. Although McVay confirmed the blood-clot issue will need to still be monitored to open the season, the Rams are poised to be at full strength on offense against a top-tier Texans defense.
AUGUST 28: Sidelined by the second blood-clot issue of his career, Alaric Jackson moved out of the picture for an extended period this summer. D.J. Humphries resides as the Rams’ emergency left tackle starter, with Jackson not taking part in team drills throughout training camp.
While the Rams spent much of camp trotting out backups at LT and quarterback, the prospect of Jackson being ready to protect Matthew Stafford — who has returned to practice after an extended bout with back trouble — is on the table. Jackson returned to 11-on-11 drills this week, Sean McVay said (via the Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein).
[RELATED: Assessing Rams’ 2025 Offseason]
McVay voiced an expectation Jackson will be ready for the Rams’ opener, which would represent a significant development considering how long he has been sidelined. The blood-clot diagnosis emerged in mid-June, and while the recently re-signed blocker remained on the Rams’ roster throughout, he had not been cleared for team drills. This led to a Humphries-Warren McClendon competition for the emergency role.
Added on a one-year, $2.5MM deal that came nearly fully guaranteed, Humphries joined the Rams around the time Jackson’s blood-clot issue surfaced. The former Cardinals mainstay did not make much of an impact with the Chiefs last season, suffering an injury in his first assignment and not earning his starting job back. After an apparent 49ers commitment, no deal commenced. That kept Humphries an option to fill in for Jackson. While the eight-year Arizona starter brings considerable experience to the table, his most recent work revealed a substantial quality gap between he and Jackson.
Given a three-year, $57.75MM deal to pass on free agency and stay in Los Angeles, Jackson secured $30MM guaranteed on this contract. He has worked as L.A.’s starting left tackle for the past two seasons, helping the Rams recover from a Joe Noteboom misevaluation as the Andrew Whitworth successor. While Jackson missed eight games due to blood clots in 2022, he returned to win an LT competition over Noteboom.
Jackson began last season serving a two-game suspension but did not miss any more time (beyond a Week 18 rest). If the former UDFA find is not ready for Week 1, his return to practice points to an early-season return.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/29/25
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers (from Rams): S Thomas Harper
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Eli Pancol
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed from practice squad: TE Robert Tonyan
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers (from Bengals): DT Eric Gregory
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Gunner Olszewski
- Placed on IR: CB Rico Payton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: G Willie Lampkin
- Waived (with injury settlement): CB Tariq Castro-Fields
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Brandon Johnson
Tennessee Titans
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Matt Landers
Free Agent
- Suspended: DT Tyler Manoa
Manoa will be suspended for the first two weeks of the season, if he lands with an NFL squad. While details of the suspension have not been disclosed, it may be linked to an incident that led to him being kicked out of Allegiant Stadium in the spring after some alleged property damage.
Free Agent S John Johnson Suspended
Rashee Rice isn’t the only one receiving suspension news today. Though he’s not currently signed to an NFL roster, former Rams safety John Johnson was levied a three-week suspension to start the 2025 NFL season, according to Tom Pelissero.
A former third-round pick out of Boston College, Johnson began his career with the Rams in 2017. Over the course of his rookie contract, Johnson started 48 of 54 game appearances, intercepting eight passes, including four as a full-time starter in his sophomore campaign. He earned a three-year, $33.75MM contract in Cleveland as a free agent but was released from the team after two years for cap reasons.
He landed back with the team that drafted him in 2023, coming off the bench for most of the year before starting the final seven games of the season. On a second one-year contract with Los Angeles last year, Johnson appeared in only two games before suffering a hairline fracture to his scapula and missing the remainder of the year.
The report from Pelissero is a succinct one and doesn’t give any context for the suspension. Considering the fact that he’s not currently on a team, there aren’t many sources who could know the reason for the punishment. Regardless, if Johnson lands with a team before the start of the season, he won’t be able to play for the first three contests to open the year.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These 49ers, Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks moves are noted below.
Arizona Cardinals
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Andre Baccellia, LB Elliott Brown, OL Jeremiah Byers, RB Michael Carter, OL Jake Curhan, TE Josiah Deguara, WR Simi Fehoko, DL Anthony Goodlow, CB Darren Hall, OL Sincere Haynesworth, OL Nick Leverett, T Roy Mbaeteka WR Tejhaun Palmer, DL Elijah Simmons
Los Angeles Rams
Signed to practice squad:
- OL A.J. Arcuri, OL Wyatt Bowles, WR Tru Edwards, CB A.J. Green, DT Jack Heflin, S Tanner Ingle, CB Cam Lampkin, OL Dylan McMahon, OLB Jamil Muhammad, ILB Elias Neal, DT Bill Norton, WR Brennan Presley, TE Mark Redman, RB Ronnie Rivers, RB Cody Schrader, S Nate Valcarcel
San Francisco 49ers
Signed:
- WR Russell Gage
Claimed:
- DT Jordan Jefferson (from Jaguars)
Released from IR (via settlement):
- RB Corey Kiner
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Eli Apple, WR Junior Bergen, DL William Bradley-King, DB Derrick Canteen, WR Robbie Chosen, DL Trevis Gipson, LB Jalen Graham, OL Drake Nugent, LB Curtis Robinson, WR Malik Turner, DL Sebastian Valdez, TE Brayden Willis, OL Nick Zakelj
Seattle Seahawks
Signed:
Claimed:
- CB Derion Kendrick (from Rams)
Released:
Signed to practice squad:
- DT Quinton Bohanna, WR Tyrone Broden, DT Anthony Campbell, DE Jalan Gaines, WR Courtney Jackson, CB Shemar Jean-Charles, T Amari Kight, G Sataoa Laumea, C Federico Maranges, QB Adrian Martinez, RB Damien Martinez, LB Patrick O’Connell, NT Brandon Pili, S Jerrick Reed, LB Jamie Sheriff, DT J.R. Singleton, RB Anthony Tyus III, WR Ricky White, RB Jacardia Wright
Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC East
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots moves are noted below.
Buffalo Bills
Signed to practice squad:
- QB Shane Buechele, LB Jimmy Ciarlo, OL Travis Clayton, G Dan Feeney, S Sam Franklin, RB Frank Gore Jr., WR Stephen Gosnell, OL Kendrick Green, CB Daequan Hardy, CB Dane Jackson, LB Keonta Jenkins, TE Keleki Latu, DL Zion Logue, DT Jordan Phillips, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Released from IR via injury settlement:
- RB Darrynton Evans, WR Grant Dubose
Miami Dolphins
Waived:
- S Jordan Colbert
Signed to practice squad:
- CB BJ Adams, CB Cornell Armstrong, LB Quinton Bell, OL Braeden Daniels, TE Greg Dulcich, WR AJ Henning, DT Alex Huntley, LB Derrick McLendon, OL Josh Priebe, TE Hayden Rucci, S John Saunders, WR Theo Wease
New England Patriots
Claimed:
- DB Charles Woods (from Rams)
Waived:
- WR Javon Baker
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Miles Battle, G Mehki Butler, G Jack Conley, CB Brandon Crossley, TE C.J. Dippre, RB Terrell Jennings, WR John Jiles, DE Truman Jones, C Alec Lindstrom, DB Kobee Minor, DT David Olajiga, LB Cam Riley, DT Jahvaree Ritzie, TE Gee Scott, LB Bradyn Swinson, WR Jeremiah Webb
New York Jets
Claimed:
- LB Cam Jones (from Chiefs), T Esa Pole (from Chiefs), TE Jelani Woods (from Colts)
Released:
Signed to practice squad:
- S Dean Clark, DB Jordan Clark, QB Brady Cook, WR Tyler Johnson, OL Kohl Levao, K Harrison Mevis, DT Payton Page, WR Jamaal Pritchett, LB Jackson Sirmon, WR Quentin Skinner, LB Boog Smith, WR Brandon Smith, DL Eric Watts, OL Leander Wiegand
2025 NFL Waiver Order
Many of the players cut Tuesday were subject to waivers, giving teams a chance to pick them up (along with the rest of their contract). Teams can claim as many players as they want before the next team gets their remaining targets.
It’s also worth noting that relatively few players are claimed off waivers during final roster cuts each year. Waiver claims will be processed at 11am CT in the following order (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). In reverse order of the 2024 NFL standings, here is how the waiver priority sits:
- Titans
- Browns
- Giants
- Patriots
- Jaguars
- Raiders
- Jets
- Panthers
- Saints
- Bears
- 49ers
- Cowboys
- Dolphins
- Colts
- Falcons
- Cardinals
- Bengals
- Seahawks
- Buccaneers
- Broncos
- Steelers
- Chargers
- Packers
- Vikings
- Texans
- Rams
- Ravens
- Lions
- Commanders
- Bills
- Chiefs
- Eagles