Minor NFL Transactions: 8/15/22
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: RB Corey Clement
- Waived: CB Robert Jackson
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: LB Kamal Martin
- Waived (injury settlement): CB Devin Jones
Chicago Bears
- Waived: DE Carson Taylor
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: C Ben Brown
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: WR Derrick Dillon
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: DT Austin Faoliu
- Waived (injury designation): TE Ian Bunting, FB Ryan Nall, WR Ty Fryfogle, CB Kyron Brown
Denver Broncos
- Waived (injury designation): OL Ben Braden
Detroit Lions
- Released: TE Garrett Griffin
- Waived: TE Nolan Givan, C Ryan McCollum
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from Panthers): TE Nate Becker
- Waived: LB Randy Ramsey, C Cole Schneider, CB Donte Vaughn
Houston Texans
- Waived: LS Harrison Elliott, RB B.J. Emmons
- Released: WR Chad Beebe
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from PUP list: WR Mike Strachan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived (injury designation): K Elliott Fry
- Waived: RB Matt Colburn, QB Jake Luton, WR Ryan McDaniel, DE Wyatt Ray
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived (injury designation): DT Forrest Merrill, OC Isaac Weaver
- Waived: WR Maurice Ffrench, QB Brandon Peters, S Skyler Thomas
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: NT Niles Scott
- Placed on IR: CB Trill Williams (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Niko Lalos, DT Jaleel Johnson
- Placed on IR: OT Ethan Greenidge
- Waived (injury settlement): DB Bryce Thompson
- Waived (injury designation): DB Jordan Brown, S Isaiah Pryor
- Waived: DE T.J. Carter, S Jack Koerner, DE Scott Patchan, K John Parker Romo, WR Easop Winston
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Bills): CB Olaijah Griffin
New York Jets
- Waived: WR Keshunn Abram
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB James Vaughters
- Waived (injury designation): LB Tuzar Skipper
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DT Tomasi Laulile, WR KeeSean Johnson, RB Josh Hokit
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from active/PUP list: OT Liam Ryan
- Placed on IR: WR Cody Thompson
- Waived: CB Josh Valentine-Turner, DT Antonio Valentino, OL Eric Wilson, WR Deontez Alexander
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Patrick Laird
- Placed on IR: RB Kenjon Barner
- Waived: TE Ben Beise
Washington Commanders
- Activated from active/PUP list: OT Cornelius Lucas
Dolphins To Sign CB Mackensie Alexander
In need of depth at the position, the Dolphins worked out a pair of free agent corners earlier today. In the case of Mackensie Alexander, that has resulted in a contract (as confirmed, on Twitter, by his agent). 
The 28-year-old was a second-round pick of the Vikings in 2016. He played sparingly during his first two seasons, though he recorded his first career interception in 2017. The following year, he registered his first six NFL starts, and totaled 10 pass deflections and four sacks. The Floridian signed in Cincinnati as a free agent in 2020, where he played the highest snap percentage (75%) of his career.
Alexander returned to Minnesota last season, but had the worst season of his career in terms of pass coverage, surrendering five touchdowns and a passer rating above 119. At the onset of free agency, it became clear that the Vikings would not be re-signing him. After nearly the entire offseason, he has now found a roster spot.
Miami has Xavien Howard, Byron Jones and Nik Needham at the top of their CB depth chart, though Jones remains a question mark from a health perspective to be available by the start of the regular season. The team was very much in need of reinforcements behind that trio, especially after training camp standout Trill Williams suffered a torn ACL during their first preseason game.
Alexander will provide Miami with experienced depth at a minimum, something which was lacking at the No. 4 corner spot before today. He is also capable of stepping into a starting role, however, which could turn this signing into an effective one. Alexander’s arrival could also, notably, put 2020 first-rounder Noah Igbinoghene on the roster bubble, as noted by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
In addition to Alexander, the Dolphins worked out UDFA Raleigh Texada, who had a five-year career at Baylor (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network). He likely won’t be needed now, with Alexander on the books.
Dolphins CB Trill Williams Suffers Torn ACL
In last night’s preseason game, the Dolphins suffered a significant injury in their secondary. Cornerback Trill Williams was carted off the field, and it has been confirmed today that he suffered a torn ACL (Twitter link via PFF’s Doug Kyed). 
The 22-year-old played in one game with the Dolphins last season as a rookie. Given his performance in training camp this year, the former UDFA was expected to be in contention for the fourth CB spot on Miami’s depth chart. Instead, he will now undergo surgery and miss the 2022 campaign in its entirety.
Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson tweets that the affected knee is one which has already suffered an ACL tear. As a result, the Syracuse alum’s recovery will be even more heavily scrutinized as he looks to land on an NFL roster again next season. The six-foot-one, 205-pounder had a productive college career with 92 tackles, four interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown) and another major on his only punt return.
In Williams’ absence, the Dolphins still have their starting trio at the CB position in Xavien Howard, Nik Needham and Byron Jones (whose regular season availability remains something of a question mark at this point). Depth, however, will now become even more of a sore spot on the roster, and the team is “evaluating outside options,” per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
A number of notable veterans remain on the market at the position, including the likes of Trae Waynes, Joe Haden, Chris Harris and Xavier Rhodes. With nearly $20MM in cap space to work with, the Dolphins could easily afford an addition or two for experienced depth. Their top internal options for the No. 4 spot, meanwhile, are Keion Crossen and Noah Igbinoghene.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Gesicki, Lawson
Jake Bailey signed an extension with the Patriots earlier this month, and we’re now getting details on the punter’s new deal. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (on Twitter), Bailey earned a four-year pact worth $13.125MM, with $6.275MM of that deal fully guaranteed.
Bailey got a raise on his 2022 salary, jumping from $3.986MM to $4.5MM. The move lowered his cap number, however, reducing it from $4.058MM to $2.025MM. Next year, Bailey’s cap number will increase to $3.415MM before going to $3.79MM in both 2024 and 2025.
“I’m just so happy and blessed I get a few more years here,” Bailey said last week (via the team’s website). “I was just kind of on the phone with my agent and I was like, ‘Alright, that’s it. We’re good with that,’ and it wasn’t like a crazy big moment. But it was fine and a huge milestone in my life and just thankful God put me in this position.”
The 2019 fifth-round pick out of Stanford has spent his entire career in New England, including a 2020 campaign where he earned first-team All-Pro honors.
More notes out of the AFC East…
- While you should never put too much stock into preseason depth charts, Volin points out on Twitter that the Patriots‘ initial depth chart shows that the team is committing to Trent Brown at left tackle and Isaiah Wynn at right tackle. The two offensive lineman are swapping positions following a 2021 campaign that mostly saw Wynn at LT and Brown at RT.
- Mike Gesicki leads the Dolphins in receptions since the beginning of the 2019 campaign, but the tight end may find himself as a secondary target for Tua Tagovailoa in 2022. As Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com points out, Gesicki will likely be fourth in line for targets behind wide receiver Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Cedrick Wilson. As new head coach Mike McDaniel noted, the offense won’t try to force the ball to the tight end, but there will surely be situations where the team is counting on Gesicki to contribute. “It’s something that we’ve talked to the tight ends about at length — it comes in waves,” McDaniel told Beasley. “There have been practices where he’s got seven or eight … he had more targets maybe Practice 7 — it was 7 or 8 — than Tyreek had. It’s just one of those things that you try in the game of football, especially when you are a pass receiver at any position, to really focus on what you can control. You can’t control the defenses. You can’t control the progression. You can’t control the pass rush.”
- Veteran defensive end Shaq Lawson is back in Buffalo after re-joining the organization this offseason. Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic expects Lawson to ultimately make the Bills 53-man roster, but he’s fallen behind the likes of A.J. Epenesa and Boogie Basham on the depth chart and will likely serve as the team’s fifth defensive end. The 28-year-old started seven games for the Jets in 2021, collecting 23 tackles and one sack.
- If Tre’Davious White isn’t ready for the start of the regular season, then there’s a good chance the Bills will be starting a rookie cornerback opposite Dane Jackson. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes, first-round rookie Kaiir Elam would be a natural choice, but he’s struggled during training camp. As a result, sixth-round rookie Christian Benford could find himself in the starting lineup come Week 1.
Dolphins Trade TE Adam Shaheen To Texans
AUGUST 11: Shaheen has been given a failed physical designation by the Texans due to a pre-existing knee condition, and as a result, the trade has been voided (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe). The issue wasn’t serious enough to cost Shaheen any time during training camp, but he will now return to the Dolphins.
AUGUST 9: The Dolphins acquired tight end Adam Shaheen via trade and have now moved on from him in the same manner. Per a team announcement, they have sent Shaheen and a 2023 seventh-round pick to the Texans for a 2023 sixth-rounder. 
The 27-year-old was a second-round pick of the Bears in 2017. Over the course of three seasons in Chicago, he racked up 25 starts out of 55 games played, but never registered more than 12 catches in any one campaign. By sending him to Miami in 2020, the Bears managed to get a seventh-round pick in return instead of cutting him outright, but that deal nevertheless represented a disappointing end to his tenure there.
In his first season with the Dolphins, the Ashland alum set a new career-high in snaps played with 367. He also registered a PFF grade of 66, another personal watermark. That earned him a two-year extension, but he once again played a depth role on offense in 2021. Finding himself on the roster bubble again, Shaheen has now been traded in an almost identical situation to 2020.
The Dolphins have Mike Gesicki at the top of their TE depth chart. He will play on the franchise tag this year, but should be an extension priority next offseason given his production. Behind him, they still roster Durham Smythe, Cethan Carter and 2021 third-rounder Hunter Long.
In Houston, Shaheen will join a rebuilding Texans’ offense short on established pass-catchers. Veteran Pharaoh Brown was recently reported to be the team’s starting TE to begin the season; he, along with recent fifth-rounders Brevin Jordan and Teagan Quitoriano form the competition for snaps and targets Shaheen will now face in a contract year.
Dolphins Shopping WRs Preston Williams, Lynn Bowden Jr.
The Dolphins have made a number of additions at the receiver position this offseason, leaving them with the possibility of a roster crunch at the end of the summer. In advance of potentially having to move on from some depth options, the team is looking to get any compensation it can before cutdowns. 
[RELATED: Dolphins Trade TE Shaheen To Texans]
Miami has “talked to other teams about potentially moving” Preston Williams and Lynn Bowden Jr., reports Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. The pair were in line for rotational roles before the offseason began, but face an even steeper path to significant playing time after the Dolphins’ additions of Tyreek Hill via trade, Cedrick Wilson and Mohamed Sanu in free agency and Erik Ezukanma in the fourth round of the draft.
Williams took to Twitter last week to show his frustration with the lack of opportunity he is likely to receive if he remains in Miami. The 25-year-old flashed potential as a rookie with 428 yards and three touchdowns, but has seen his playing time decrease since. The former UDFA has intriguing size (six-foot-five, 220 pounds) and has one season remaining on his contract at a cap hit of less than $1.3MM.
Bowden came to the Dolphins in a much different fashion to Williams, but is now in a similar situation. After a unique college career at Kentucky which saw him produce as a returner, receiver and passer, he was traded from the Raiders before his rookie season began. During that campaign, he totaled 243 scoreless scrimmage yards; a hamstring injury kept sidelined for 2021. His skillset would likely be made redundant in what is expected to be a run-after-catch based offense, given the presence of not only Hill, but 2021 first-rounder Jaylen Waddle as well.
Given their lack of NFL success, the return Miami would receive for either player would be minimal. Still, they will be names to watch as the offseason continues.
NFL Workout Updates: 8/7/22
Here’s a look at some of the notable workouts from around the league this weekend:
- The Colts auditioned four linebackers this weekend, bringing in Aaron Hansford, Justin Hilliard, Dorian O’Daniel, and Kadofi Wright, according to Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star. This is likely a search for camp bodies and shouldn’t say much as to Darius Leonard‘s availability for the regular season.
- The Ravens worked out defensive backs Ken Crawley, Darryl Roberts, and Daryl Worley this weekend, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Worley actually spent the end of last season on Baltimore’s practice squad, so he has some familiarity with the system. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Ravens bring in some bodies to play more snaps in the preseason after watching multiple players go down with season-ending injuries before the season even began last year.
- The Dolphins spent their weekend trying out centers Cohl Cabral, Jake Lacina, and Cole Toner, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Miami has been adamant about bringing in center competition for last year’s starter, Michael Deiter, but has ended up shifting former Cowboys tackle Connor Williams to the position. Even with Williams taking the starting role, Deiter is still dealing with a foot injury. The Dolphins may be looking to add some depth to shoulder the load for the rest of the preseason.
- The Chiefs, who recently signed former USFL wide receiver Devin Gray, also worked out receivers Matt Cole and Damion Willis., according to Wilson. Willis was an undrafted free agent in 2019 who started for the Bengals in Week 1 of his rookie season in place of an injured A.J. Green. He finished that season with 9 catches for 82 yards and has been bouncing around practice squads ever since.
Latest On Dolphins’ Byron Jones
As their training camp opened up last month, the Dolphins placed cornerback Byron Jones on the PUP list. Recent remarks made on his status by head coach Mike McDaniel furthered the level of uncertainty surrounding the 29-year-old. 
McDaniel acknowledged, via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, that “there is concern” with where Jones is at during his recovery. The former Pro Bowler had ankle surgery in March, a procedure which was, at the time, said to require only a two-month recovery period. Unease over the fact that the calendar has flipped to August and he has still not been able to return to the field is therefore justifiable.
McDaniel added, on the other hand, that he still expects Jones to be available for the beginning of the regular season. Assuming that happens, Miami will boast one of the best 1-2 CB tandems in the league between Jones and Xavien Howard. A contract restructure finalized by the former allowed, in part, for the substantial raise given to the latter as part of a busy offseason in South Beach.
“We’re confident [in] how he’s rehabbing; if he has a setback, then there would be concern,” McDaniel added. Jones’ progress will remain a situation worth watching in the coming weeks, given his importance to the team in the short-term. Given his scheduled cap hits of more than $18MM in 2023 and 2024, a return to full health would also be a welcomed sight for the team from a financial perspective.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/22
Here’s today’s minor transactions from around the league:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DL Trevon Coley
- Waived: DT Auzoyah Alufohai, S Jon Alexander
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Lavert Hill
- Waived: CB Reggie Robinson (with injury designation)
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on active/PUP list: LB Anthony Barr
Detroit Lions
- Activated from active/PUP list: S C.J. Moore
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: DL Cortez Broughton (with injury settlement)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: P Sterling Hofrichter
- Waived: P Tommy Heatherly
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: S Smoke Monday
New York Giants
- Signed: OT Will Holden
- Waived: DE Niko Lalos, CB Jarren Williams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: TE Jaeden Graham
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: WR Taysir Mack
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Joel Dublanko
- Released: TE Jake Hausmann
Washington Commanders
- Placed on reserve/retired list: LB Tre Walker
Dolphins Fallout: Brady, Payton, Beal
There have been persistent rumors that the Dolphins’ pursuit of Tom Brady included a scenario where the quarterback would have become a minority owner of the franchise. As ESPN’s Jeff Darlington tweets, this hypothetical was never very realistic. If Brady wanted to both own and play for a team, the vote would have needed to go through a vote of all owners. It’s very unlikely that vote would have passed.
“Current policy stipulates that a current player or coach could have a financial interest in his or her club but only under an agreement affirmed by a vote of the 32 teams,” Darlington cites. “Among the considerations could be salary cap implications.”
Darlington details the chaos that could have followed Brady’s brief retirement if the QB decided to become an owner/player in Miami. Not only would Brady have had to get out of his Buccaneers contract, but he would also need rival organizations (including Robert Kraft in New England, Joel Glazer in Tampa, and many AFC foes) to agree to the arrangement. These organizations wouldn’t have necessarily been denying Brady’s chance to be an owner; rather, they would have been denying his chance to join a key opponent.
Some additional details regarding the Dolphins’ punishment:
- Brady and former Saints coach Sean Payton will not face any discipline for their role in the Dolphins’ tampering. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), there were “no findings or discipline” besides those levied to the Dolphins organization.
- Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes that Dolphins vice chairman Bruce Beal, who was suspended and fined for his role in the tampering scandal, may have been the reason the whole story “blew up.” Per Florio, Beal had been telling friends about Miami’s pursuit of Brady for more than a year. The executive wasn’t discreet, and Florio implies that his behavior may have come back to bite the organization.
- Tom E. Curran of NBC Boston explored (on Twitter) what may have led to Brady’s “dalliance” with the Dolphins back in 2019. In August of that year, Brady inked a “phantom” two-year, $70MM extension with the Patriots that was actually a year-to-year, incentive-laden deal. So, with Brady “resigned to leaving,” he started considering his exit plan, and that included some flirting with Miami. As Curran notes, the Patriots’ unwillingness to truly extend Brady doesn’t excuse the QB, but it does illustrate “how betrayed Brady felt by August 2019.“