Minor NFL Transactions: 6/17/22
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: QB Kurt Benkert
Houston Texans
- Waived: RB Scottie Phillips
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Chris Lammons, WR Aaron Parker
- Waived: CB Luq Barcoo
- Waived (injury-designation): WR Matthew Sexton
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Darryl Williams
New York Giants
- Received two-game suspension: LB Justin Hilliard
Benkert spent the 2021 season with the Packers, after three years with the Falcons. He was signed just over one year ago to provide insurance with the future of Aaron Rodgers in doubt, and Jordan Love as the only other signal-caller on the roster. He made one regular season appearance, but with Rodgers now signed to an extension and Love still under contract for at least two more years, the team is less in need of the 26-year-old this year.
Hilliard’s ban comes as a result of PED usage (Twitter link via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post). The former UDFA tweeted an explanation, stating that he mistakenly took the wrong prescription medication, and that he will not appeal the suspension. The Ohio State alum played in two games with the Giants last season, logging 15 special teams snaps. This news will weaken what was already, as Schwartz notes, his tenuous grip on a 53-man roster spot.
Kadarius Toney Dealing With New Injury
- Injuries wrecked the Giants‘ offense last season, sidelining starters at just about every position. Some new issues cropped up this offseason. Neither Kenny Golladay nor Kadarius Toney participated fully at any point during Big Blue’s offseason program, per NJ.com’s Zack Rosenblatt, who adds Toney is dealing with a new knee injury (Golladay’s issue is unknown). Toney injuries have become a recurring problem for the Giants. Ankle, oblique and quadriceps issues limited Toney to 10 games last season, one that began after he missed most of training camp due to a hamstring problem. This year’s camp becomes more important for the 2021 first-rounder as a result of last year’s run of setbacks.
- Injuries wrecked the Giants‘ offense last season, sidelining starters at just about every position. Some new issues cropped up this offseason. Neither Kenny Golladay nor Kadarius Toney participated fully at any point during Big Blue’s offseason program, per NJ.com’s Zack Rosenblatt, who adds Toney is dealing with a new knee injury (Golladay’s issue is unknown). Toney injuries have become a recurring problem for the Giants. Ankle, oblique and quadriceps issues limited Toney to 10 games last season, one that began after he missed most of training camp due to a hamstring problem. This year’s camp becomes more important for the 2021 first-rounder as a result of last year’s run of setbacks.
- Toney still projects as part of Brian Daboll‘s first 53-man roster; Darius Slayton might not. The Dave Gettleman-era investment has been mentioned in trade rumors, and The Athletic’s Dan Duggan views the former fifth-round pick as unlikely to be part of this year’s Giants edition (subscription required). The Giants are likely to continue shopping Slayton up until cut day, Duggan adds, as he would be their No. 5 receiver if everyone is healthy. Almost no one in the team’s top four (Golladay, Toney, Sterling Shepard, Wan’Dale Robinson) being healthy could point to Slayton staying. Shepard is still recovering from the Achilles tear he suffered last season. A two-time 700-yard receiver, Slayton is due a $2.54MM salary in 2022.
- Both Shane Lemieux and Nick Gates were lost for the season early in the Giants’ miserable 2021 slate. While Lemieux is favored to start at left guard this season, Rosenblatt notes Gates might not return to action at all this season. This is not an out-of-the-blue development. Then-HC Joe Judge said Gates’ leg fracture sustained in Week 2 of last season could be career-threatening. That said, a report earlier this year gave Gates better odds at returning. The Giants gave Gates — a 16-game center starter in 2020 — a two-year, $6.82MM extension two years ago. But offseason addition Jon Feliciano is ticketed to take over at center.
Bills Considered Davis Webb As QBs Coach
After promoting their previous quarterbacks coach (Ken Dorsey) to offensive coordinator, the Bills hired former Panthers OC Joe Brady to be Josh Allen‘s position coach. Brady’s hire did not commence until February, and it came after the team was prepared to give a still-active QB a long look for the gig.
Davis Webb signed with the Giants in February, opting to continue his playing career by following Brian Daboll to the rebuilding NFC team. But the Bills were interested in him for their quarterbacks coach post. Had Webb wanted to enter coaching now, Buffalo would have hired him for the QBs role this year, Tim Graham of The Athletic notes (subscription required).
A 2017 third-round Giants pick, Webb has hung around the league on roster fringes. But this potential path to a higher-level assistant gig, at age 27, signals the Cal product could have a future in coaching soon. Webb confirmed during an appearance on the Breaking Big Blue podcast with ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan he had a chance to interview for the Buffalo QBs coach job but chose to keep playing.
“You’re either staying in Buffalo or going probably with Dabs and them or you’re thinking about coaching,” Webb said (audio link). “When I talked to Brandon [Beane] and Sean [McDermott] about it, we kind of left that conversation probably leaning toward coaching in Buffalo. It would have been the quarterback coaching job and I would have had to interview and go through the whole process, but that’s kind of where we were leaning toward was us probably transitioning into that.
“They offered that I could still play. You could be in Buffalo in one of these two roles. We want you here. … Why start coaching when you have two contract [offers] to keep going? For me to give up on that just didn’t seem right.”
Webb is attached to a one-year, $945K Giants deal, following Daboll and ex-Bills assistant QBs coach Shea Tierney to the Giants. Tierney is now Big Blue’s QBs coach. Although Tyrod Taylor is positioned to be Daniel Jones‘ backup, it should be considered likely Webb will have some input in the fourth-year starter’s development. Webb has appeared in one game, which came last season, but has yet to throw a regular-season pass.
Injury Notes: Beathard, Glasgow, Jones, Texans, Bengals
The Jaguars number-two QB went down with an injury yesterday. C.J. Beathard was carted off the field during OTAs, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). According to the reporter, Beathard suffered a groin injury, and an impending MRI will reveal the extent of the injury.
The former third-round pick spent the first four years of his career with the 49ers. Beathard went 2-10 as a starter, completing 58.6 percent of his passes for 3,469 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He signed a two-year, $5MM deal with the Jaguars last offseason, and he got into two games as Trevor Lawrence‘s backup, completing his pair of pass attempts.
If Beathard is forced to miss an extended amount of time, the Jaguars will likely turn to Jake Luton or rookie EJ Perry as Lawrence’s primary backup.
More injury news from around the NFL…
- Broncos lineman Graham Glasgow broke his ankle last November, but the veteran is back at practice and is competing to regain his starting spot. “I’m no stranger to competition,’’ Glasgow said (via Mike Klis of 9News in Denver). “I’ve competed in the past and I’ve competed for starting jobs in the past. This whole offseason, I’ve been competing with myself to get better in my rehab stuff. If I’m healthy, I’m just going to go out there and do what I can and do what I do. We’ll see what comes out of that.” The 29-year-old guard/center has started 78 of his 82 career games, but Klis notes that Quinn Meinerz and/0r Netane Muti could push him for a starting gig.
- Daniel Jones is apparently over his neck injury. Giants head coach Brian Daboll told reporters that if the season started today, then the Giants starting QB would be fully cleared to play (per Dan Duggan of The Athletic on Twitter). After going 4-7 in his 11 starts, Jones missed the final six games of the 2021 campaign with a neck injury. Despite his struggles, the former sixth-overall pick is expected to keep his starting gig in 2022, although the organization did bring in veteran Tyrod Taylor as competition.
- Texans wideout DaeSean Hamilton is set to have knee surgery tomorrow, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). The receiver suffered the injury during a non-contact drill, but he didn’t tear his ACL and is expected to make a full recovery at some point during the regular season. Hamilton was a fourth-round pick by the Broncos in 2018, and he only missed a pair of games through his first three seasons. He missed the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL, and he caught on with the Texans back in March. The 27-year-old has 81 receptions in 46 games.
- Bengals defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin suffered a wrist injury that will shut him down for the rest of the offseason program, per the team’s website. Coach Zac Taylor told reporters that the former fourth-round pick avoided a serious injury, but the player still needed to go under the knife to repair the ailment. Shelvin got into three games as a rookie, collecting four tackles.
Giants Sign WRs Isaiah Ford, Keelan Doss
Already rostering one of the NFL’s more interesting receiver stables, the Giants added some depth to that group Tuesday. They signed wideouts Isaiah Ford and Keelan Doss, according to NorthJersey.com’s Art Stapleton (on Twitter).
Both have been mostly backups or practice squad performers since coming into the league, though Ford has seen some run as a Dolphins auxiliary target. A former Dolphins seventh-round pick, Ford was traded to the Patriots just before the 2020 deadline. But the Pats never deployed him in a game and waived him not long after the deal, leading Ford back to the Dolphins via free agency barely a month later. He closed his second Miami stint last season.
A Virginia Tech product, Ford has 63 receptions for 681 yards and two touchdowns (both of which coming last season) over the past three years. Doss, a former UDFA out of California-Davis, enjoyed some Hard Knocks fame during the Raiders’ 2019 training camp but did not make an impact with his then-hometown team. Doss caught 11 passes for 133 yards as a rookie. He spent last season on the Falcons and Jets’ practice squads.
The Giants agreed to a reworked contract with Sterling Shepard, keeping the veteran slot receiver ahead of his seventh season. Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton and Kadarius Toney are also back. The latter two have each been mentioned in trade rumors, though Slayton — a three-year contributor going into a contract year — profiles as the more logical trade candidate. New York’s new regime selected slot player Wan’Dale Robinson in Round 2 this year, crowding the team’s receiver room for the time being.
Robinson Favorite To Be Giants CB Starter
The Giants‘ long-rumored James Bradberry separation leaves them thin at the cornerback position. Although Big Blue should not be ruled out of a veteran addition here, the team is turning to one of its holdovers to fill Bradberry’s spot. Aaron Robinson, a 2021 third-round pick, is the early favorite to start on the outside opposite Adoree’ Jackson, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes. A 2021 third-round pick out of Central Florida (by way of Alabama), Robinson played in just nine games last season and made two starts. Despite beginning the season on the PUP list due to an offseason core surgery, Robinson played 243 defensive snaps as a rookie. The Giants also have 2021 slot corner Darnay Holmes as a possible outside option in Don Martindale‘s defense, per Vacchiano, with third-round rookie Cor’Dale Flott competing with Holmes for the slot gig.
The Giants‘ long-rumored James Bradberry separation leaves them thin at the cornerback position. Although Big Blue should not be ruled out of a veteran addition here, the team is turning to one of its holdovers to fill Bradberry’s spot. Aaron Robinson, a 2021 third-round pick, is the early favorite to start on the outside opposite Adoree’ Jackson, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes. A 2021 third-round pick out of Central Florida (by way of Alabama), Robinson played in just nine games last season and made two starts. Despite beginning the season on the PUP list due to an offseason core surgery, Robinson played 243 defensive snaps as a rookie. The Giants also have 2021 slot corner Darnay Holmes as a possible outside option in Don Martindale‘s defense, per Vacchiano, with third-round rookie Cor’Dale Flott competing with Holmes for the slot gig.
If the Giants are to pursue vets, many are available. Kevin King, Xavier Rhodes, Joe Haden and Trae Waynes remain free agents, as does ex-Martindale Ravens charge Jimmy Smith, though he has battled injuries and is going into what would be his age-34 season. Here is the latest from around the NFC East:
TE Stephen Carlson Works Out For Giants
After tearing his ACL in a preseason game last year, former Browns tight end Stephen Carlson has officially been cleared to return to football activities, and, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Carlson worked out today for the Giants in his bid to return to the field. 
Carlson was an undrafted free agent who signed with the Browns in 2019. Injuries to tight ends David Njoku and Pharaoh Brown elevated Carlson to third-string behind Demetrius Harris and Ricky Seals-Jones during his rookie season. Carlson saw most of his action in run-blocking or special teams, but he does have six career receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown, as well as a two-point conversion.
His role in the offense was reduced drastically in 2020 by the additions of free agent Austin Hooper, rookie Harrison Bryant, and the return of a healthy Njoku. After being given an exclusive-rights free agent tender by the Browns, Carlson signed a one-year deal to stay another year in Cleveland, before his ill-timed injury ended his season before it could begin.
Carlson’s attempt to join the Giants could result in a reunion with Seals-Jones. With Seals-Jones and Jordan Akins likely cemented as the top two tight ends on the roster in New York, Carlson would be competing for a TE3 or TE4 job with 2022 fourth-round pick Daniel Bellinger and fellow undrafted free agents Chris Myarick and Austin Allen.
Texans’ Romeo Crennel Retires
Romeo Crennel has been in coaching since 1970 and has been an NFL staffer since 1981. The former Browns and Chiefs head coach announced his retirement from coaching Monday.
The Texans have employed the longtime defensive staffer for the past eight years and change, and while Crennel had left his defensive coordinator post by 2021, he was still with the organization. The decorated staffer is stepping down from a day-to-day role, however.
“Football has been my entire life and it’s been a dream come true to coach for 50 years,” Crennel said. “I’ll miss everything about coaching and teaching, but the thing I’ll miss the most is being around the guys every day. … I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to spend more time with my grandchildren while staying around the game of football.”
Crennel, who will turn 75 this month, has five Super Bowl rings on his resume as an assistant, collecting them with the Giants and Patriots. He began his NFL career as a special teams coordinator on Ray Perkins‘ Giants staff in 1981, staying on in New York throughout Bill Parcells‘ tenure and through Ray Handley‘s two-year stint — before rejoining Parcells with the Patriots in 1993. Crennel later followed Parcells to the Jets, working as a position coach under Parcells and Bill Belichick.
Although Crennel spent five-plus seasons as a head coach, he is probably best known for leading the Patriots’ defenses in the early 2000s. Crennel rejoined Belichick, his longtime Giants coworker, in 2001 and served as his right-hand man on defense. Tom Brady later became the Patriots’ centerpiece, but Belichick and Crennel’s defenses led the way in the early 2000s, lifting the Pats to three Super Bowl titles in four seasons. New England finished first and second in scoring defense during its 2003 and ’04 championship seasons, respectively, when the team went 34-4.
The Browns had employed Crennel as their defensive coordinator in 2000 and brought him back as their HC on the heels of Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. While this did not reverse the struggling team’s fortunes, Crennel led Cleveland to the playoff doorstep in 2007 — a 10-6 season. He resurfaced as a head coach with the Chiefs, taking over as Todd Haley‘s late-season replacement in 2011. The Chiefs handed the Packers their only regular-season loss that year, leading to Crennel’s promotion. But their 2012 slate was a low point for the franchise, with a 2-14 season leading to Crennel being a one-and-done as Kansas City’s full-time HC.
Bill O’Brien brought in Crennel as his DC in 2014, and after ex-Crennel charge Mike Vrabel served in that role in 2017, Houston again turned to the veteran following Vrabel’s Tennessee exit. Two of J.J. Watt‘s three Defensive Player of the Year campaigns came under Crennel, who helped the team secure playoff access with the likes of Brian Hoyer and Brock Osweiler under center. Upon being moved to interim head coach in 2020, at age 73, Crennel became the oldest person to be a head coach in an NFL game, breaking George Halas‘ record in doing so.
Latest On Giants OLB Oshane Ximines
Typically, a regime change is not good news for a struggling former draft choice, as a team’s new power brokers do not necessarily have the same attachment to that player as their predecessors. But as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes, Giants OLB Oshane Ximines is an exception to that rule.
Under former head coach Joe Judge and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Ximines was used in a rotational role for the first seven games of the 2021 season, averaging roughly 23 snaps per game. In a Week 8 matchup against the Chiefs, Ximines’ offsides penalty negated a fourth quarter interception that may have cost the Giants the game, and in the final nine games of the season, Ximines was a healthy scratch six times and played just one defensive snap.
In Dunleavy’s opinion, Ximines — the first Old Dominion player to ever be selected in the NFL draft — would have been cut if New York had elected to retain Judge. Of course, the team fired Judge, Graham left to take the defensive coordinator post with the Raiders, and the new Big Blue HC/DC tandem of Brian Daboll and Don “Wink” Martindale is prepared to give Ximines a clean slate.
“You want to try to do it your way, be true to yourself, give the guys opportunities to be themselves, let them either get with the program or not get with the program,” Daboll said. “Sometimes it’s hard as a coach not to have any preconceived notions about players, staff, whoever it may be, because it’s such a small group. But I think everybody should be afforded that opportunity.”
This will actually be the second staff overhaul that Ximines has weathered. He was drafted in the third round in 2019, when Pat Shurmur was head coach and James Bettcher was operating as defensive coordinator, and in his rookie campaign, he showed a fair amount of promise. In 16 games (two starts) in 2019, he posted 4.5 sacks and 25 pressures. He started three of the first four games of the 2020 season — the first year of the Judge era — but a shoulder injury ended that year prematurely. In 2021, he could not return to the form he showed as a rookie before being benched.
The Giants have invested considerable draft capital into their pass rushing contingent since Ximines turned pro, adding Azeez Ojulari and Elerson Smith in the second and fourth round, respectively, in 2021, and selecting Kayvon Thibodeaux with the No. 5 overall pick of this year’s draft. The team also signed Jihad Ward in March and is still rostering 2021 sixth-rounder Quincy Roche, who was claimed off waivers from the Steelers before the 2021 regular season got underway. Roche would go on to appear in 14 games (three starts) for New York last season, generating 2.5 sacks.
So, clean slate or not, Ximines will have his work cut out for him as he seeks to carve out a meaningful role in his platform year. Still, Martindale’s aggressive, blitz-happy approach could allow him to find some success and reestablish his value.
“There is going to be a lot of opportunity to share the cake, so I’m excited to see how it goes,” Ximines said. “There is a looser leash on you. You can just go create pressure, and that’s always fun.”
Shane Lemieux Favorite To Regain LG Job
After fielding another below-average offensive line last season, one that saw key injuries reconfigure it early on in the campaign, the Giants loaded up on blockers this offseason. Newcomers Evan Neal, Mark Glowinski and Jon Feliciano are projected to start at right tackle, right guard and center, respectively. Andrew Thomas is the team’s unquestioned left tackle. That leaves left guard as the top competition area. Holdover Shane Lemieux appears to be the favorite for that job, via NJ.com’s Zack Rosenblatt, who notes the third-year player has been a full participant despite coming off a patellar tendon tear that cost him 16 games last season. Lemieux, who started down the stretch for the 2020 Giants and has received the first reps with the starters thus far, attempted to play through the severe knee injury in Week 1 but ended up missing the season’s remainder.
The Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll regime, however, brought in third-round pick Joshua Ezeudu (North Carolina). Although Max Garcia arrived this offseason as well, Rosenblatt adds the Giants view the eighth-year veteran as more of a backup. This sets up a Lemieux-Ezeudu left guard battle, one that will determine if the Giants have three or four new starters up front.