Minor NFL Transactions: 12/7/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Jalen Davis
- Waived: DL Caraun Reid
Miami Dolphins
- Signed off Seattle’s practice squad: CB Linden Stephens
- Waived: CB Chris Lammons
Washington Redskins
- Placed on IR: S Deshazor Everett
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Darvin Kidsy
Bengals Place KR Brandon Wilson On IR
Little has gone right for the 1-11 Bengals, but they do employ the NFL’s leading kick returner. They will finish the season without Brandon Wilson, however.
The Bengals placed their impact return man on IR, clearing a roster spot for tackle Isaiah Prince. The Bengals used their top spot in the waiver priority to claim the former Dolphins blocker.
Wilson’s 31.3-yard kick-return average tops all of this season’s return men. A 91-yard touchdown return against the Ravens boosted this figure, but the Bengals will have to make new arrangements at kick returner going forward. The defensive back/returner is dealing with a hand injury and went through the interesting succession of limited practice-full practice-DNP this week. A 2017 sixth-round pick, Wilson can be controlled next year via RFA tender.
Prince started two Dolphins games in October and played in four overall. The Dolphins drafted him in the sixth round this year and will no longer oversee his development. The Bengals now hold Prince’s through-2022 contract.
Poll: Who Will Get The No. 1 Overall Pick In 2020?
With only four weeks left in the 2019 regular season, a number of non-contending NFL teams have already started to look ahead to the impending offseason, and specifically, the 2020 draft. Four teams — the Bengals, Giants, Dolphins, and Redskins — still have a realistic chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft, according to Football Outsiders’ odds.
Let’s take a look at each of those teams and assess the likelihood that they’ll be picking first overall next April:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Record: 1-11
- 59.6% chance of securing No. 1 overall pick per FO
- Remaining schedule: Browns, Patriots, Dolphins, Browns
The Bengals didn’t exactly head into the 2019 campaign with the intention of tanking, but that’s what’s happened, as Cincinnati didn’t secure its first victory until last week. With Andy Dalton now back under center, the Bengals certainly stand a better chance of winning another game or two than they would have under rookie three-game starter Ryan Finley. But there’s still a very real — and perhaps even likely scenario — in which Cincinnati finished 1-15 en route to selecting LSU quarterback Joe Burrow first overall.
New York Giants
- Record: 2-10
- 22.7% chance of securing No. 1 overall pick
- Remaining schedule: Eagles, Dolphins, Redskins, Eagles
Like the Bengals, the Giants are also turning back to their old starter, albeit involuntarily. With Daniel Jones nursing an ankle sprain, Eli Manning could potentially start Big Blue’s four remaining games. They’ll get to face the reeling Eagles twice over the next four weeks, and will also go up against two other clubs — Miami and Washington — which are also vying for the No. 1 pick. With Jones already in tow, New York isn’t going to draft another quarterback, so it could either trade down (not a favorite tactic of general manager Dave Gettleman) or select a generational defender like Ohio State’s Chase Young with the first overall pick.
Miami Dolphins
- Record: 3-9
- 8.5% chance of securing No. 1 overall pick
- Remaining schedule: Jets, Giants, Bengals, Patriots
The Dolphins’ tanking efforts haven’t exactly gone according to plan, but that’s okay, as Miami’s players have continued to go hard for first-year head coach Brian Flores, with the club winning three of its last five games. While it doesn’t appear the Dolphins are going to secure the top pick in next year’s draft, they do still have an outside shot at doing so, especially given that they’ll play both the Giants and Bengals over the next month.
Washington Redskins
- Record: 3-9
- 7.9% chance of securing No. 1 overall pick
- Remaining schedule: Packers, Eagles, Giants, Cowboys
The only team on this list that will definitively have a new head coach in 2020, the Redskins probably lost any chance they had at the No. 1 pick by surprisingly defeating the Panthers in Week 13 (and may have gotten Carolina head coach Ron Rivera fired in the process). Of all the teams vying for the first overall pick, Washington faces arguably the most difficult schedule, as they’ll square off with three teams that are still contending for the postseason.
So what do you think? Which of these teams will be first at the podium when the 2020 draft rolls? Vote below (link for app users):
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/19
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed off waivers (Dolphins): OL Chris Reed
- Waived: OL Brad Lundblade
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Joe Giles-Harris
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed off waivers (Ravens): DT Zach Sieler
- Waived: T Isaiah Prince
Lions Tried To Claim Mack Hollins
The Dolphins have added Mack Hollins to the mix, but they weren’t the only team to make a claim on him. The Lions also tried to snag the wide receiver, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Lions’ Kerryon Johnson Designated To Return]
The Lions, of course, lost out on Hollins, due to having a stronger record. The Dolphins have the fourth-highest waiver priority in the NFL thanks to their 3-9 record. The 3-8-1 Lions, meanwhile, are sixth.
The Lions viewed Hollins as developmental depth, which is roughly why the Dolphins went for him. With an $804K cap figure for this season and a small bump to $894K for 2020, Hollins is a cheap pickup that could pay dividends for Miami going forward.
The Eagles gave Hollins extensive work this year while other receivers were sidelined with injuries. Hollins played in at least 50% of Philadelphia’s offensive snaps in six games this season, but produced just 10 receptions for 125 yards.
Dolphins Claim WR Mack Hollins
Another veteran wide receiver will head to Miami via waiver claim. The Dolphins submitted a successful claim for former Eagles wideout Mack Hollins on Wednesday.
Hollins follows Trevor Davis, whom the Raiders recently cut, to south Florida. The Dolphins have lost multiple receivers to season-ending injuries in recent weeks.
The Dolphins also signed offensive lineman Evan Brown off the Giants’ practice squad. They waived offensive lineman Chris Reed and cornerback Ken Crawley, the latter with an injury designation, to make room on their 53-man roster.
With their receiver situation battling injuries for most of the season, the Eagles gave Hollins extensive work. He played in at least 50% of Philadelphia’s offensive snaps in six games this season but produced just 10 receptions for 125 yards. The 2017 fourth-round pick’s rookie contract runs through 2020, so the Dolphins will have a chance to evaluate him in the offseason as well.
The Dolphins signed Reed to a low-end two-year deal this offseason; he played in five games with one start. Brown is a rookie UDFA out of SMU who’s played three snaps this season. A former Saints corner, Crawley played in four Dolphins games this season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor NFL moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: LB Pete Robertson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DT Justin Zimmer
- Released: DE Chris Smith
Denver Broncos
- Claimed: C Patrick Morris (from Steelers)
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: LB Jason Cabinda
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: CB Parry Nickerson
- Released: CB Breon Borders
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: WR Gehrig Dieter
Los Angeles Rams
- Promote TE Kendall Blanton
- Placed on IR: WR JoJo Natson
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed: WR Trevor Davis (from Raiders), RB Zach Zenner (from Cardinals)
- Placed on IR: RB Kalen Ballage
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: G Sua Opeta
- Released: WR Mack Hollins
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: K Chase McLaughlin
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/3/19
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Trevon Young
- Cut: DB A.J. Howard
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Nate Hall
- Released: TE Jerell Adams
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Malik Henry
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: RB Paul Perkins
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Tyron Johnson
- Cut: LB Jeff Holland
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DB Xavier Crawford
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Reshard Cliett
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DE Kevin Wilkins
- Cut: DB Chris Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Chris Thompson
- Released: OT Will Holden
Current 2020 NFL Draft Order
With 13 full weeks of the NFL season in the books, the 2020 draft order is beginning to take shape. Here’s the rundown of where things would stand if the 2019 season ended today:
1. Bengals: 1-11
2. Giants: 2-10
3. Redskins: 3-9
4. Dolphins: 3-9
5. Falcons: 3-9
6. Lions: 3-8-1
7. Cardinals: 3-8-1
8. Jaguars: 4-8
9. Jets: 4-8
10. Chargers: 4-8
11. Broncos 4-8
12. Eagles 5-7
13. Buccaneers 5-7
T-14. Panthers 5-7
T-14. Browns
16. Raiders 6-6
17. Colts 6-6
18. Raiders (via Bears) 6-6
19. Titans 7-5
20. Jaguars (via Rams) 7-5
21. Cowboys 6-6
22. Dolphins (via Steelers) 7-5
23. Vikings 8-4
24. Chiefs 8-4
25. Dolphins (via Texans) 8-4
26. Bills 9-3
27. Packers 9-3
28. Saints 10-2
29. Patriots 10-2
30. 49ers 10-2
31. Ravens 10-2
32. Seahawks 10-2
Dolphins, Eric Rowe Agree To Extension
The Dolphins’ extension talks with Eric Rowe look to have transpired quickly. The parties agreed on a three-year, $18MM deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Miami’s latest in-season re-up will commit $7MM in guaranteed money to the veteran defensive back. Rowe initially signed with the Dolphins this offseason, and the ex-Patriot will stick around into the 2020s.
An 11-game starter at cornerback and safety this season, Rowe joins Allen Hurns as first-year Dolphins given extensions since the season’s outset. A former second-round Eagles pick, Rowe played for Dolphins HC Brian Flores with the Patriots and followed him to Miami on a one-year, $3.75MM deal. He will bypass a 2020 free agency stay to be part of the Dolphins’ unique rebuild.
Rowe’s 720 snaps already through three quarters of the regular season already represent a single-season high. The Dolphins removed every other recognizable talent from their secondary, trading Minkah Fitzpatrick and placing Xavien Howard, Reshad Jones and Bobby McCain on IR.
Though Pro Football Focus has not graded Rowe well as a safety, the 27-year-old defender has made a career-high 59 tackles. Having moved to safety midseason, Rowe looks like a future starter for the Dolphins at this spot. With Jones not expected back, Rowe and McCain may form the Fins’ 2020 back-line tandem.