Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: OL Marcus Henry
- Signed: DT Zach Kerr
- Promoted: G Danny Isidora, LB Joe Walker
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: P Cam Nizialek, LB Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
- Signed to active roster: CB Chris Williamson
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Jake Kumerow
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: QB Josh Love
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Panthers): LB Clay Johnston
- Placed on IR: LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, S Brandon Wilson
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Nick Chubb, RB Demetric Felton
- Signed to active roster: WR Ja’Marcus Bradley, DT Sheldon Day
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: K Greg Zuerlein
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: G Austin Schlottmann
- Placed on IR: G Graham Glasgow
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Netane Muti
- Waived: WR David Moore, TE Caleb Wilson
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Ojemudia, LB Justin Strnad
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: S Jalen Elliott
- Designated for return: QB Tim Boyle
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers (from Panthers): RB Royce Freeman
- Placed on IR: RB Scottie Phillips
Indianapolis Colts
- Designated for return: CB T.J. Carrie
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
- Designated for return: OL Kyle Long
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: WR Jacob Harris
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: DE Kenny Willekes
New England Patriots
- Activated off PUP: QB Jarrett Stidham
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Chase Hansen
New York Giants
- Waived: CB Sam Beal
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: TE Tyler Kroft, S Marcus Maye (story)
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Denzel Mims
- Signed (off Eagles practice squad): S Elijah Riley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DB Mac McCain
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: CB Breon Borders, CB Nate Brooks
Washington Football Team
- Signed: K Joey Slye
- Waived: K Chris Blewitt
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Saahdiq Charles
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/8/21
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return: G Ben Cleveland
- Placed on IR: S DeShon Elliott
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: S Brandon Wilson
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Herb Miller
Denver Broncos
- Activated from PUP: CB Duke Dawson
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: TE Brock Wright
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: DB Myles Dorn
New England Patriots
- Waived: OL James Ferentz
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from IR: LB Chase Hansen
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return: WR Dee Eskridge, CB Nigel Warrior
Saints Won’t Claim Odell Beckham Jr.
The Saints won’t put a claim in for Odell Beckham Jr. today, according to head coach Sean Payton (Twitter link via Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Advocate). The Saints could still pursue the wide receiver if he goes unclaimed, but Payton says there’s no possible way for the team to free up the necessary cap space for his current contract. 
“The claiming deadline is today. No, it’s impossible for us to put a claim in on the player,” Payton said. “You just have to look at the salary cap space. And if we were going to put in a claim, it wouldn’t be something we discuss. I know it makes hit-worthy news.”
Beckham is hoping to join up with the Saints, Seahawks, or 49ers — the latter two teams are at least in the top half of the priority order. Still, they might prefer to wait things out and sign Beckham for less. The 49ers are projected to have just ~$4MM in space, so they’d have to clear space in a hurry, just like the Saints. In theory, the Seahawks do have enough room to take on OBJ’s remaining ~$7MM in salary — they’re currently $13MM below the max.
OBJ has also been connected to the Raiders, but they’ve since signed DeSean Jackson. High-priority teams like the Jaguars and WFT could also consider Beckham, but the WR wouldn’t be too jazzed about it.
Saints Called On Broncos’ Teddy Bridgewater
The Broncos received inquiries on Teddy Bridgewater before last week’s trade deadline (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Pelissero also hears that the Saints — Bridgewater’s one-time employer — were among those with interest.
[RELATED: Saints Stick With Trevor Siemian]
Bridgewater, of course, remains with the Broncos as their QB1. His squad is now 5-4, following today’s win over the Cowboys.
Bridgewater, who came to Denver via an April trade with Carolina, would have been a logical fit for the Saints after Jameis Winston‘s season-ending injury. But, for one reason or another, the two sides couldn’t agree to terms. The Saints have since installed Trevor Siemian as their starter and he’s likely to keep the job heading into Week 10, despite the final outcome of today’s game against the Falcons.
Bridgewater beat out former second-rounder Drew Lock in this summer’s quarterback competition, and he led Denver to a 3-0 start to the 2021 campaign. Things sagged in the middle, but they’re now back above .500 and riding a two-game winning streak.
It’s worth noting that Bridgewater, 29 this week, will be out of contract in March. With Jameis Winston also on course for free agency, the Saints could aim for a reunion with Bridgewater in the offseason.
This Date In Transactions History: Saints Sign Dez Bryant
On this date in 2018, Dez Bryant agreed to join the Saints. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for the one-time Cowboys star.
Bryant’s one-year, $1.25MM pact was modest, considering the three Pro Bowls on his resume. However, at that juncture of his career, it made sense. The former first-rounder was coming off of three straight down years, culminating in his Cowboys release.
Bryant reportedly favored the one-year deal over longer commitments — the veteran figured he could restore his value before re-entering free agency in the offseason. He famously rejected a three-year, $21MM offer from the Ravens, only to languish in free agency for the first half of 2018.
In New Orleans, Bryant was expected to provide Drew Brees with another talented weapon behind Michael Thomas, Cameron Meredith, and Tre’Quan Smith. The organization had also worked out wideouts Brandon Marshall and Kamar Aiken, but they seemingly preferred Bryant’s upside. We’ll never really know if New Orleans’ inkling was correct; only two days after signing his contract, Bryant tore his Achilles tendon at practice, ending his season before it could even begin.
Bryant hit free agency in 2019, but never signed. He finally got a second chance in 2020, joining the Ravens’ practice squad at the age of 32. Bryant eventually made it to the active roster, but registered just six receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns.
In early 2021, Bryant said that he wanted to continue playing. But, with the season more than halfway over, we haven’t heard his name mentioned. After celebrating his 33rd birthday last week, it’s possible that we’ve seen Bryant play his final NFL snap.
Latest On Browns’ OBJ Agreement
After a turbulent week, the Browns and Odell Beckham Jr. agreed to separate. The disgruntled wide receiver is not set to be waived until Monday, but he did not practice this week and is effectively done as a member of the Browns. It took some negotiating to complete this transaction.
A Friday agreement paved the way to the sides’ impending divorce, and some interesting details surfaced regarding Beckham’s status Saturday. While the Browns tweaked Beckham’s deal to make him a 2022 free agent (instead of a 2024 UFA, which the wideout’s Giants-constructed contract previously called for), his salary if he is claimed on waivers would go unchanged. A team that is awarded Beckham on waivers would be hit with the receiver’s $7.25MM in remaining salary. Beyond that, Cleveland made more changes.
If no one claims Beckham, the Browns will only be on the hook for $4.25MM of that salary, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Browns converted some of Beckham’s salary into a roster bonus, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. The NFLPA signed off on Cleveland’s restructure, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets.
The bonus would be another team’s responsibility if it claims OBJ, increasing the likelihood he will go unclaimed Tuesday. Claims are due by 3pm CT Tuesday. Beckham will lose out on that $3MM bonus if no team claims him, further illustrating his desire to hit free agency. The Browns trimming years off the contract and using a roster bonus stands to help OBJ while saving the team some cash.
The Browns could have converted much of Beckham’s salary to a signing bonus, reducing the base to the point it would increase the likelihood a team claims him. This ran the risk of Beckham being claimed by a team near the top of the waiver priority list, a scenario the scuffling wideout almost certainly wants to avoid. The nature of this restructure also increases the chances Beckham will end up with a contender of his choosing.
AFC teams like the Chiefs, Patriots or Raiders could show interest, but NFC squads are also preparing to pursue him. The 49ers, Saints and Seahawks are expected to show interest in Beckham, in the likely event he hits free agency Tuesday afternoon. The Raiders also appear to prefer DeSean Jackson to Beckham. The Saints made a series of calls on receivers — Beckham and Darius Slayton among them — at the deadline, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. New Orleans’ lack of a proven quarterback figures to hurt its chances, however. Beckham was also intrigued by the 49ers a while back, Fowler adds. The 49ers were linked to Beckham via trade before the Browns acquired him in 2019.
OBJ has pocketed a considerable amount of cash over the course of his career, but he turned 29 this week and has seen his value crater in Cleveland. The former Giants Pro Bowler has been unable to consistently show that form with the Browns, with injuries and a limited rapport with Baker Mayfield impacting this decline. None of OBJ’s issues in Cleveland stemmed from off-field matters, according to ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter, who adds Beckham and Mayfield were not at odds off the field. But on it, the two failed to click for most of the three-time Pro Bowler’s three-year Cleveland stay.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/21
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: WR Greg Dortch, DL Josh Mauro, CB Kevin Peterson, LB Joe Walker, TE David Wells
- Placed on IR: DL Rashard Lawrence
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: RB Qadree Ollison, DL Anthony Rush
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: P Lachlan Edwards, S Myles Hartsfield, WR Willie Snead
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: CB Mike Ford
- Promoted: DL Jonathan Harris, G Austin Schlottmann, LB Barrington Wade
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Promoted: QB Blake Bortles
Houston Texans
- Promoted: S Jonathan Owens
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: WR Laquon Treadwell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: WR Marcell Ateman
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: WR Maurice Ffrench, CB Kiondre Thomas
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: LB Vince Biegel, WR Kirk Merritt
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: DE Kenny Willekes
New England Patriots
- Promoted: WR Kristian Wilkerson
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: QB Jameis Winston (story)
- Promoted: DT Josiah Bronson, WR Kevin White
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR Pharoh Cooper, OLB Trent Harris
- Activated from IR: OLB Elerson Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: WR John Hightower, RB Jordan Howard
- Activated from IR: TE Tyree Jackson
Tennessee Titans
- Released: OLB John Simon
- Activated from IR: OL Aaron Brewer, LB Jayon Brown
- Promoted: RB D’Onta Foreman, DB Chris Jones
- Placed on IR: FB Khari Blasingame
Saints To Start Trevor Siemian In Week 9
Trevor Siemian‘s surprise cameo in Week 8 is expected to lead to a start Sunday. The will use their previous third-string quarterback as their starter against the Falcons, Sean Payton confirmed Friday.
While Siemian has more experience than Taysom Hill as a starter, this is still a surprise move. Hill and Jameis Winston competed for New Orleans’ starting job throughout the offseason. Hill did take reps at quarterback this week, per NFL.com’s James Palmer, and should be ticketed for occasional QB work Sunday (Twitter link). Payton confirmed Hill will be in uniform against the Falcons.
[RELATED: Torn ACL Sidelines Winston For Year]
Hill has missed the past three games due to a concussion, but he was a full participant in practice this week. The Saints turned to Hill ahead of Winston when Drew Brees suffered broken ribs last year, and Hill fared well in four games as a starter. The former UDFA-turned-gadget player completed 73% of his passes and averaged 7.7 yards per attempt last season, throwing four touchdown passes and rushing for eight TDs.
The versatile player is in the second season of his 2020 extension, which came after the Saints used a first-round tender to cuff him as a restricted free agent. Siemian, who has started one game since the start of the 2018 season, is attached to a veteran-minimum salary. This is an interesting turn of events for the 5-2 team. Brees confirmed he would not come out of retirement to reclaim the job, though Philip Rivers said he would listen if the Saints called him about the post.
Siemian’s run as the Broncos’ starter ended when they traded him to the Vikings in 2018, following a Case Keenum signing. Since, Siemian has started one game, which came in Week 2 of the 2019 season. The former seventh-round pick suffered a season-ending injury during his one game as a Jet. He spent the 2020 season with the Titans and Saints but did not play. For his career, the Northwestern product has completed 59% of his passes.
Saints, 49ers, Seahawks Among Potential OBJ Suitors
If Odell Beckham Jr. ends up getting cut by the Browns, it sounds like he’ll have a list of potential suitors. Sources tell Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that the Saints, 49ers, and Seahawks would be among the teams interested in adding OBJ.
The Saints were mentioned as a landing spot for Beckham prior to the trade deadline, but the two sides were unable to hammer out a deal. New Orleans’ need for a wideout was exacerbated following news that Michael Thomas won’t play this season. Running back Alvin Kamara currently leads the team in receptions, and the team will continue to look toward the waiver wire and free agency for reinforcement, regardless of how the OBJ saga unfolds in Cleveland.
The 49ers have plenty of talented wideouts in Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Mohamed Sanu, and they’ll get another big target back once tight end George Kittle returns to the lineup. However, considering the offense’s inconsistency, you can’t blame the 49ers for wanting to add another player at the position. The Seahawks are another team that are hoping to make a late run towards the playoffs in the tough NFC West. Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf won’t be bumped from atop the depth chart, but OBJ would provide Russell Wilson with another reliable option (once the QB returns from injury).
Florio mentions that the Packers could make sense as a suitor, but the team has “yet to emerge as a viable destination.” Further, Florio notes that the Buccaneers would make sense considering Tom Brady‘s ability to recruit receivers to Tampa Bay, but it doesn’t sound like they’ve been mentioned as a suitor.
Saints Tried To Acquire Giants WR Darius Slayton
Odell Beckham Jr. wasn’t the only wideout who the Saints considered trading for. According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, New Orleans tried to pull off a trade for Giants receiver Darius Slayton. However, the two side were unable to agree to a deal before the deadline.
[RELATED: Saints, Browns Discussed Odell Beckham Jr. Trade]
The Saints quest to add a receiver made a lot more sense once we learned that Michael Thomas will end up sitting out the entire 2021 campaign. Of course, even if Thomas was in the lineup, the team still could have used some reinforcement at the position, especially with quarterback Jameis Winston now done for the season. The Saints leader in receptions this season is running back Alvin Kamara, and the team’s receivers depth chart is currently led by Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith, Kenny Stills, and Deonte Harris.
Slayton wouldn’t have necessarily been an upgrade, but he would have provided the Saints with another dependable target. The 24-year-old has struggled a bit in 2021, collecting only 190 receiving yards in five games. However, in both 2019 and 2020, Slayton exceeded 700 receiving yards.
We heard yesterday that Slayton was generating some interest ahead of the trade deadline. The wideout’s low-cost contract still has another full year to go, a factor that held appeal to potential suitors.