Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC East
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, and Jets are noted below.
Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s AFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed:
- LB Deon Lacy
- TE Khari Lee
- T Conor McDermott
- Cut:
- WR Corey Brown (story)
- LB Gerald Hodges (story)
- RB Jonathan Williams (story)
- Cut from IR:
- LB Sam Barrington (story)
- Signed to practice squad:
- WR Daikiel Shorts
- WR Brandon Reilly
- OL Jordan Mudge
- DE Ian Seau
- DL Marquavius Lewis
- CB Marcus Sayles
- S B.T .Sanders
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed:
- LB Justin March-Lillard
- K Cody Parkey (story)
- Cut:
- Signed to practice squad:
- QB Brandon Doughty
- TE Thomas Duarte
- T Sean Hickey
- WR Malcolm Lewis
- CB Jordan Lucas
- DE Cameron Malveaux
- WR Drew Morgan
- RB De’Veon Smith
New England Patriots
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Trevor Bates
- OL James Ferentz
- RB D.J. Foster
- DL Geneo Grissom
- WR Cody Hollister
- DB David Jones
- OL Ted Karras
- DL Darius Kilgo
- DB Damarius Travis
New York Jets
- Claimed:
- WR Kalif Raymond
- LB Edmond Robinson
- WR Damore’ea Stringfellow
- TE Will Tye (story)
- Cut:
- LB Freddie Bishop
- LB Bruce Carter
- RB Marcus Murphy,
- TE Jason Vander Laan
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Frank Beltre
- OL Ben Braden
- CB Xavier Coleman
- DL Deon Simon
Dolphins Claim Cody Parkey
The Dolphins have claimed kicker Cody Parkey off waivers from the Browns, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Parkey will provide competition for incumbent Andrew Franks, who missed a 40-yard field goal in the team’s final preseason contest on Thursday.
Parkey made 80% of his field goal attempts (20-of-25) for Cleveland last season, while Franks connected on just 76.2% of his attempts (16-of-21) for Miami in 2016.
Alex Boone Would Be Interested In Dolphins
Alex Boone, who was surprisingly released by the Vikings yesterday, would be interested in playing for the Dolphins, according to Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. A 14-game starter for Minnesota in 2016, Boone ranked as the NFL’s No. 37 guard among 75 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus, which assigned him high marks for his pass blocking but poor scores in the run game.
But Boone would represent a significant upgrade for Miami, which is looking to stay afloat in the AFC East and get back to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Dolphins’ projected starting left guard, Ted Larsen, will miss at least the first eight weeks of the season with a biceps injury, and if they do not sign Boone, a player like Jesse Davis or Anthony Steen would fill in at left guard.
Boone, 30, might not be the same player he was during his peak years as a 49er, but he is still a quality starting option. Just last spring, he was one of Minnesota’s most prized free agent additions, signing a four-year, $26.8MM deal ($10MM guaranteed) with the Vikings.
As Schad writes, Miami’s offensive line coach, Chris Foerster, was the 49ers’ offensive line coach in 2009, Boone’s first year in San Francisco, and 2015, Boone’s final year in the Bay Area. Perhaps that connection will help the two sides reach a deal, assuming the Dolphins are interested in acquiring Boone.
Extra Points: Broncos, Ward, Dorsett
The Broncos did not discuss a pay cut with safety T.J. Ward before releasing him on Saturday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post tweets. “It was a football decision,” a team source tells her, adding that the motivation was to give more playing time to Justin Simmons and Will Parks. Meanwhile, Broncos players are upset about losing Ward and his locker room presence, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets.
While Ward searches for a new home, here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Colts had offers for Phillip Dorsett from other teams, but those proposed swaps involved draft choices instead of netting a young player at a positional need, Mike Lombardi of The Ringer tweets. Lombardi doesn’t name teams, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says the 49ers, Jets and Cardinals were among the teams that showed preliminary interest in him.
- The Jets are expected to be interested in running back Travaris Cadet now that he has been released by New Orleans, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The Jets showed interest in Cadet during free agency but ultimately lost out.
- T.J. McDonald‘s new deal with the Dolphins has built in protections for the team that will override his guarantees if he has another suspension issue, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets. The pact includes $10MM in “guarantees,” but McDonald can’t slip up if he wants to collect on all of it.
- Wide receiver Victor Cruz says that he got a “clean bill of health” on his MRI this week, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. He’s now a free agent after being released by Chicago.
- Chiefs GM Brett Veach says veteran running back C.J. Spiller could still end up on the Chiefs’ roster (Twitter link via BJ Kissel of Chiefs.com). Spiller was among the Chiefs’ mass cuts on Saturday as they trimmed down to 53.
Dolphins Reach 53-Man Max
The Dolphins reached the 53-man roster maximum. Here’s how:
Waived:
- LS Winston Chapman
- P Matt Darr
- QB Brandon Doughty
- TE Thomas Duarte
- G Isame Faciane
- QB David Fales
- WR Trey Griffey
- S A.J. Hendy
- T Sean Hickey
- CB Larry Hope
- RB Storm Johnson
- LB Deon Lacey
- WR Rashad Lawrence
- WR Malcolm Lewis
- CB Jordan Lucas
- DE Cameron Malveaux
- DE Praise Martin-Oguike
- WR Mitch Mathews
- WR Drew Morgan
- DT Lawrence Okoye
- TE Chris Pantale
- CB Lafayette Pitts
- DE Joby Saint Fleur
- RB De’Veon Smith
- WR Damore’ea Stringfellow
- LB Junior Sylvestre
- DE Julius Warmsley
- T Avery Young
Waived/injured:
- LB Neville Hewitt
- LB Brandon Watts
Released:
- DE Nick Williams
- T Sam Young
Placed on IR:
- CB Tony Lippett
- LB Raekwon McMillan
PUP List:
Williams played in ten games between the Chiefs and Dolphins last season, finishing with eight tackles. He restructured his deal in March, but it wasn’t enough to keep his spot in Miami.
Young was slated to make $1.2MM in 2017 per the terms of the extension he signed in the winter.
Dolphins, T.J. McDonald Agree To Extension
The Dolphins and safety T.J. McDonald have agreed to a four-year, $24MM extension, as James Walker of ESPN.com tweets. The deal includes $10MM in guaranteed money. 
The Dolphins won’t get to see McDonald in live action for a while thanks to his eight-game suspension, but they have been floored by his performance thus far in the summer. He originally came to Miami on a low-risk, one-year deal, but the Fins have seen enough to warrant giving him a multi-year deal at a starter’s salary.
McDonald was a longtime starter for the Rams, but L.A. showed little interest in retaining him. His suspension didn’t come down until the end of March, but it seems that the Rams had some sense of the punishment that was coming his way for the DUI arrest and drug charges.
In 2016, McDonald had 62 total tackles, two interceptions, one sack, and six passes defensed. He graded out as as Pro Football Focus’ 58th best safety in the NFL last season. The Fins clearly disagree with the advanced metrics and see him as a much stronger player.
When McDonald is in uniform, the Dolphins will have a strong safety combo between him and Reshad Jones. In the interim, Jones will be paired with Nate Allen.
Dolphins OL Ted Larsen To Return From IR
Dolphins offensive lineman Ted Larsen is expected to return from injured reserve later this season, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).
NFL clubs are now allowed to bring two players off injured reserve, and aren’t forced to designate those players as return options when the original transaction occurs. However, any player who might be an option to come off IR at some point must be carried through to his team’s initial 53-man roster. Miami, then, will have to place Larsen on its roster before shifting him to IR on Sunday.
Larsen, who signed a three-year deal with the Dolphins this spring, is dealing with a torn biceps. The 30-year-old veteran, who boasts 65 career starts, will be in contention for Miami’s starting left guard job when he returns. The Dolphins already lost interior offensive line depth last week when they released Kraig Urbik, who was also sidelined by injury.
Dolphins, T.J. McDonald Discussing Extension
The Dolphins signed T.J. McDonald to a one-year deal this past offseason to bolster their secondary. They’re so happy with their decision to add the safety that they’re already discussing an extension with his representatives, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald writes.
McDonald, 26, has thrived over the last few months. He won’t be in action until the ninth game of the season thanks to his substance abuse suspension, but he has impressed the Dolphins by flashing the skills that made him a four-year starter with the Rams.
Last year, McDonald had 62 total tackles, two interceptions, one sack, and six passes defensed for Los Angeles, but the Rams did not show any interest in re-signing him. He graded out as as Pro Football Focus’ No. 58 safety.
McDonald projects to start opposite strong safety Reshad Jones when he is in the lineup. In the interim, Nate Allen will hold down the fort at free safety.
NFL Has Video Of Landry Incident
- The NFL has video of the alleged domestic incident that took place between Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry and his girlfriend earlier this year, Andy Slater of WINZ writes. Afterwards, Landry’s girlfriend refused to cooperate with authorities and later called it a false story. Still, the matter is under scrutiny from the Broward County State Attorney’s office as well as the league office.
Dolphins In On CB Joe Haden
The Dolphins are the latest club to express interest in free agent cornerback Joe Haden, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Miami has been researching Haden in recent days, but had no interest in trading for the former Browns defensive back, per Salguero. With fewer than $9MM in available cap space, the Dolphins are searching for a discount cornerback. Haden could fit that bill given that his contract with Cleveland has offset language, meaning Miami or another team could sign Haden for the minimum salary and force the Browns to foot the rest of the cost.
While that’s a viable option in theory, Haden has already drawn quite a bit of interest since being released this morning. The Cowboys, Chiefs, Saints, and Steelers have all been mentioned as possible landing spots for Haden, so the 28-year-old could potentially start a bidding war that drives up his price. Haden’s agent Drew Rosenhaus predicted his client will have a new contract by Thursday.
The Dolphins have already lost cornerback Tony Lippett for the season due to an Achilles injury, so the club is looking for depth in the secondary. Miami currently projects to start Byron Maxwell and Xavien Howard on the outside, although Maxwell is reportedly fighting off competition for free agent acquisition Alterraun Verner. Other corners on the Dolphins’ roster include third-round rookie Cordrea Tankersley, Bobby McCain, and Walt Aikens.
Haden isn’t the most reliable defender, as he’s missed 14 games over the past two seasons. But if healthy, there’s a chance he could rebound to his previous levels of production: from 2010-14, Haden was a solid starter, starting 63 games during that time. While Pro Football Focus has ranked Haden poorly over the past two years, the Dolphins don’t put much stock in PFF’s grades, per Salguero.