Patriots Waive QB/WR Danny Etling
The Patriots have waived quarterback/wide receiver Danny Etling, as ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. Etling worked at wide receiver this offseason to try to increase his roster chances, but the experiment is now over. 
After the trade to acquire tight end Eric Saubert from the Falcons, someone in New England had to go. Etling, who had some trick play potential, was the victim of the roster shuffle.
The Patriots drafted Etling in the seventh-round of the 2018 draft and there was some buzz about him occupying a creative Tayson Hill role for the Pats. Still, he was never viewed as a sure thing to make the team.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/19
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed off waivers from Broncos: LB Jeff Holland
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: FB Tommy Bohanon
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Manasseh Garner
- Waived: RB Josh Caldwell
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DE Thomas Costigan
- Waived/injured: TE Andrew Vollert
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Cole Croston
- Waived/injured: CB D’Angelo Ross
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: FB Shane Smith
Falcons Trade TE Eric Saubert To Patriots
The Patriots have yet another tight end. On Monday, the Falcons shipped Eric Saubert to the Pats in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. 
Saubert, a fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft, has just five catches to his credit over the last two seasons. However, he’s known for his blocking ability and has been a special teams regular for the Falcons. Last year, Saubert appeared in 66% of the club’s special teams plays, and he could fill a similar role with New England.
It’s also possible that bigger things could be in store for Saubert as he joins the Rob Gronkowski-less Patriots. The Pats will be without Ben Watson, their would-be Gronk replacement, for the first four weeks of the season, so there’s a clear opportunity for Saubert to make the cut and see the field.
For the Pats, it’s an extremely low-cost opportunity to bolster a weakened position. Sitting dead last in waiver priority, they might not have landed the third-year pro out of Drake if they waited for him to be released.
Latest On Jamie Collins' Pats Contract
Jamie Collins held the distinction of being the highest-paid off-ball linebacker for nearly two years. His new deal with the Patriots is less glamorous. Escalators exist in Collins’ one-year, $2MM contract, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com broke them down Sunday. If the eighth-year linebacker plays 50% of the Pats’ 2019 snaps, he will obtain an additional $250K. A 60% snap clearance will mean another $250K. This goes up in 10% increments until the 80% mark, when the incentives increase but also venture into not-likely-to-be-earned territory. Should Collins wind up in the Pro Bowl, he would earn an additional $500K. Collins was making $12.5MM per year on his Browns deal.
AFC Notes: Stidham, Jags, Browns, Bolts
Although Tom Brady continuing to play at a high level into his early 40s has allowed the Patriots to table their need to identify a long-term successor for many years, their recent extension/2019 pay raise brings this issue back to the forefront. The Pats, however, are pleased with their latest quarterback draft pick. Fourth-round rookie Jarrett Stidham has “blown away expectations” this offseason, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes (subscription required), adding that he is ahead of where Jimmy Garoppolo was at this point during his first NFL summer. Stidham has taken first-team reps in camp and moved the Patriots to move Danny Etling to wide receiver. He finished 14-for-24 for 179 yards and a touchdown in New England’s preseason opener Thursday. While the Auburn alum does not profile as a classic Brady successor type, the Patriots certainly appear encouraged by their developmental prospect.
As we wind down preseason Week 1, here is the latest from the AFC:
- A.J. Cann has served as the Jaguars‘ starting right guard since his rookie season in 2015. He is not a lock to reprise his role in 2019. Cann is battling converted tackle Will Richardson for the spot, with Doug Marrone indicating (via Hays Carlyon of 1010 XL, on Twitter) Brandon Thomas is also in the mix here. A 2018 fourth-rounder, Richardson looks like the favorite to win this job thus far, Carlyon adds (via Twitter). Richardson has yet to play an NFL down; he hit IR in October of his rookie year. Thomas has hung around for six NFL summers, with the 2014 third-round 49ers pick having never played in a regular-season game. He’s bounced on and off the Jaguars’ roster and practice squad since 2017. Cann has three years remaining on a contract he signed in 2018.
- With Cam Robinson potentially set to have a delayed start to the season, Marrone said the Jaguars are considering free agent additions Cedric Ogbuehi and Leonard Wester at left tackle. Longtime Jags backup Josh Wells is vying for that temp job as well. Second-round rookie Jawaan Taylor is set to start at right tackle.
- Had Antonio Callaway not received a four-game suspension, the second-year Browns wideout might not have been able to go in Week 1 anyway. Callaway suffered a high ankle sprain in Cleveland’s preseason opener, per Freddie Kitchens (via ohio.com’s Nate Ulrich, on Twitter). The Browns will now be without two of their 2018 pass catchers, with Duke Johnson having been traded and Callaway out until at least October. Fortunately, they acquired Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason.
- Chargers tight end Andrew Vollert suffered ACL damage in the team’s preseason opener, and Anthony Lynn said (via ESPN.com’s Eric Williams, on Twitter) the second-year UDFA will miss the season. The Bolts signed Vollert in May.
Belichick Likes To Scout Opposing Players At Joint Practices
Patriots coach Bill Belichick is known for finding diamonds in the rough. He’s turned MAC quarterback Julian Edelman into a star receiver, and made numerous other brilliant discoveries. The draft apparently isn’t the only place he looks for these unheralded gems, as Zach Cox of NESN.com pointed out in a recent interesting piece. The Patriots are holding joint practices with the Lions right now, and Cox points out that Belichick always uses these joint practices to scout the opposing team’s players for guys he might want to pick up when they’re later cut.
“From 2012 to 2017, New England participated in 11 rounds of joint practices with seven different opponents. In all 11 cases, at least one member of the opposing team went on to sign with the Patriots,” Cox writes. That’s a pretty incredible streak, and it shows that the Patriots are paying extremely close attention during these joint sessions. It’ll be interesting to see which current member of the Lions ends up signing with New England later this year.
Patriots Notes: Watson, Meyers, McCourty
Ben Watson is now in his second stint with the Patriots, and the veteran tight end acknowledged that he has a greater respect for coach Bill Belichick than he did during his first go-around.
- The Patriots have had an undrafted rookie make their 53-man roster for 15 straight years, and Reiss writes that NC State wideout Jakobi Meyers is the leading candidate to earn a spot this year. The six-foot-two wideout was seen practicing with the first team all week, and the Patriots’ depth chart is currently struggling with Julian Edelman sitting out. Meyers hauled in 92 receptions for NC State last season, breaking Torry Holt‘s school record.
- Safety Devin McCourty is about to start his 10th NFL season, but the Patriots veteran hasn’t thought about when he’s going to hang up his cleats. “I’ve been having a lot of fun this year,” McCourty told Jeff Howe of The Athletic. “I haven’t thought about next year or anything else. I’m just trying to see how much better I can get in year 10 and see how good I can be still at, in a couple weeks, (when I turn) 32 years old and still playing football and trying to embrace that.”
Teams Eyeing Trades For Patriots/Saints CBs?
A number of teams are potentially interested in trading for a cornerback, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com, and some clubs view the Patriots and Saints as teams that might be willing to deal away a defensive back.
Breer’s report is sparse on details, as we don’t know what teams might potentially inquire on New England or New Orleans’ corners, or what they might might be willing to give up in return. But it’s still worth examining each club’s defensive back depth chart to see what players might be considered spare parts.
In New England, first-team All-Pro Stephon Gilmore, recently re-signed veteran Jason McCourty, and 2018 undrafted free agent J.C. Jackson almost certainly aren’t going anywhere. The same goes for 2018 second-round pick Duke Dawson, who missed his entire rookie campaign, and 2019 second-rounder Joejuan Williams.
One name does stand out on the Patriots’ stacked depth chart as potential trade bait, however, is fourth-year pro Jonathan Jones. An undrafted free agent in 2016, Jones has played between 40-50% of New England’s defensive snaps in each of the past two seasons. As a restricted free agent, he’s signed through 2019 on a non-guaranteed salary of $3.095MM. Given the Patriots’ depth at corner and Jones’ expiring contract, he’d make sense as a potential trade target.
The Saints also have several corners who almost assuredly won’t be going anywhere, including starters Marshon Lattimore, Eli Apple, and Patrick Robinson. But P.J. Williams and Ken Crawley are both entering contract years and have significant experience under their belts (67% playtime for Williams in 2018, 40% for Crawley). Even veteran Kayvon Webster, who signed a one-year deal with the Saints in June, could potentially be on the table if rival teams are desperate for corners.
Details On Cameron Meredith’s Patriots Deal
On Tuesday, the Patriots agreed to sign wide receiver Cameron Meredith to a low-cost deal. Today, we learned the details of the pact, via Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Meredith’s deal is worth just $2.02MM over two years and includes no guaranteed money. The deal also includes injury waivers for both years. It’s a big step down from the two-year, $9.6MM deal he inked with the Saints as a restricted free agent just a couple of years ago.
On the plus side, the deal gives Meredith a chance to prove that he is healthy and can still play at a high level. Meanwhile, it’s a very low-risk deal for the Patriots that could pay major dividends.
Patriots Initially Offered Brady Incentives
More information continues to trickle out about Tom Brady‘s contract. The Patriots initially offered Brady another batch of incentives to start this process, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston reports (video link). Given that Brady did not capitalize on any of his 2018 incentives, it was understandable his camp balked at such a proposal. The 20th-year quarterback did not mind a year-to-year setup, and Curran adds the clause preventing the Pats from franchising him next year came about because Brady wanted autonomy for the first time. He has never played into a contract year; he will now.
More information continues to trickle out about Tom Brady‘s contract. The Patriots initially offered Brady another batch of incentives to start this process, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston reports (video link). Given that Brady did not capitalize on any of his 2018 incentives, it was understandable his camp balked at such a proposal. The 20th-year quarterback did not mind a year-to-year setup, and Curran adds the clause preventing the Pats from franchising him next year came about because Brady wanted autonomy for the first time. He has never played into a contract year; he will now.
Through the void years tactic, the Patriots will be tagged with just north of $13MM in dead money if Brady were to leave after 2019, Curran adds (on Twitter). In structuring the deal this way, the Patriots gained $5.5MM in cap space and the opportunity to evaluate Brady’s age-42 season without making a true commitment beyond 2019.