Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here. Teams had until 3pm today to cut their rosters down to 80 players.
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: RB Javian Hawkins, LB Shareef Miller, DL Olive Sagapolu, WR Austin Trammell, OL Willie Wright
- Placed on IR: QB A.J. McCarron (story)
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: QB Kenji Bahar
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed: WR Rico Gafford (from Cardinals), DT Joey Ivie (from Colts)
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cole Beasley, DT Vernon Butler, WR Gabriel Davis, DT Star Lotulelei
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: K Dominik Eberle
- Waived: S LaDarius Wiley
Cleveland Browns
- Suspended two games: WR Davion Davis; Davis was arrested for DUI in 2019
- Released from IR via injury settlement: K Cody Parkey
Denver Broncos
- Waived: WR Branden Mack, LB Josh Watson
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: S Will Redmond
- Waived: DL Josh Avery
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived/injured: TE Noah Togiai
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: OL Derwin Gray, CB Jameson Houston, DT Kenny Randall
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on IR: LB Darron Lee
- Waived: WR Marcell Ateman
- Waived/injured: DL Darius Stills
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: LS Ryan Langan, WR Austin Proehl, TE Matt Seybert, OT Kyle Spalding
- Waived/injured: LB Damon Lloyd, DL Chris Okoye
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: TE Kyle Markway
New England Patriots
- Waived: DB Malik Gant, LS Brian Khoury, LB Cassh Maluia, OL R.J. Prince, WR Devin Ross
- Placed on IR: OL Marcus Martin
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: TE Rysen John, CB Quincy Wilson
- Waived: LS Carson Tinker
- Waived/injured: DB Montre Hartage, TE Cole Hikutini
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR via injury settlement: OT Casey Tucker
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: DE Alex Tchangam
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: K Ryan Succop
- Waived/injured: OT Chidi Okeke
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: CB Kevin Peterson
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Nick Dzubnar, RB Jeremy McNichols
Washington Football Team
- Waived: CB Jordan Brown, OT Rick Leonard, LB Justin Phillips, DT Justus Reed, C Jon Toth
Giants K Ryan Santoso Generating Trade Interest
The Giants might be able to finagle a draft pick out of a kicker who has not attempted a field goal or extra point in a regular season NFL game. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, teams have called the Giants to discuss a trade for Ryan Santoso, who is blocked by Graham Gano in New York but whom other clubs believe is an NFL-caliber kicker (Twitter link).
Santoso signed with the Lions as a UDFA in 2018, and he has also spent time with the Titans and the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. He appeared in three games for Tennessee in 2019 and was deployed as a kickoff specialist during that stretch. He handled 17 kickoffs, nine of which went for touchbacks, before being waived.
Last year, he bounced on and off the Giants’ practice squad and active roster, and he signed a reserve/futures deal in January. During his first two years as a collegian at Minnesota, he served as the Golden Gophers’ primary placekicker. He switched to punter for the final two years of his college career, and while his versatility could be an asset, it appears that his primary focus at this time is on his placekicking abilities. Though he had just one XP attempt (which was successful) in New York’s preseason opener last week, he has reportedly performed well in training camp.
The Patriots’ Nick Folk is dealing with an injury, and UDFA rookie Quinn Nordin struggled mightily in the team’s second preseason game on Thursday. As such, New England might be one of the clubs inquiring on Santoso, and the Joe Judge-Pats connection could obviously help facilitate a deal. The Giants’ Meadowlands rivals, the Jets, are currently rostering just one PK, Matt Ammendola, who went undrafted in 2020 and who signed with the Panthers in May of this year before being waived and hooking on with Gang Green. The Jets, therefore, profile as another possible landing spot.
Carolina could also have interest. Joey Slye, who has operated as the team’s placekicker over the past two years, missed his third kick of the preseason in last night’s loss to Baltimore, and head coach Matt Rhule did not mince words after the game.
“You have to produce and so far, Joey has not produced at the level we need him to,” Rhule said (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk). “I think he would be the first guy to say that. We have to find a way to get over that hump with him.”
This Date In Transactions History: Victor Cruz Retires From NFL
Three years ago today, former Giants superstar Victor Cruz retired from football. Cruz was still shy of his 32nd birthday, but a string of injuries ultimately slowed down the charismatic salsa dancer. 
From 2011 through 2013, Cruz averaged 80 receptions, 1,209 yards, and eight end zone salsas per season. The first year in that set basically came out of the blue. Cruz joined the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of UMass in 2010. In 2011, he managed 82 grabs, 1,536 yards, and nine TDs. His 2012 encore wasn’t quite as efficient (he posted an 86/1092/10 stat line), but he was still recognized as a vital part of the Giants’ passing attack and earned his first career Pro Bowl nod.
Not wanting to risk losing Cruz to free agency – particularly after watching him carve up the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game – the G-Men locked Cruz down with a five-year extension worth up to $43MM. Cruz could have gambled by staying on track for free agency after the 2013 season, but the added security of the deal, including nearly $16MM in guarantees, made it a worthwhile tradeoff.
In hindsight, it was the smart play for Cruz. Initially slowed by a heel bruise, he came two yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark in 2013, despite missing two games. Unfortunately, in 2014, the course of his career changed dramatically. A torn patellar tendon ended his campaign after just six games and a calf injury in the following season put him under the knife before he could take the field.
By the time Cruz returned to action in 2016, the Giants’ offense was fully focused on Odell Beckham Jr. Meanwhile, Cruz’s trademark speed was gone, and so was his longtime mentor Tom Coughlin. Cruz took a pay cut to stay in the fold, but he registered just 39 catches for 586 yards. After that, he moved on to the Bears, only to suffer a season-ending injury at the end of the preseason. When his personal campaign to return to the Giants failed, Cruz called it quits.
Latest On Giants GM Dave Gettleman’s Job Status
The Giants have gone 15-33 since Dave Gettleman took over as general manager, but president and co-owner John Mara wouldn’t go as far as to say the executive was on the hot seat.
“We’re all on the hot seat with our fans in particular, we’ve given them too many losing seasons…it’s time to start winning,” Mara told reporters today when he was asked about Gettleman’s spot on the hot seat (via SNY on Twitter). “But, no I wouldn’t say that’s an accurate statement.”
The owner didn’t reveal any specific mandate to make the playoffs, and he hinted that incremental improvements could be enough for everyone (including the head coach and quarterback) to keep their gigs in 2022. However, Mara also acknowledged that the organization can’t take a step back in 2021.
“I gave the same answer last year, I think, but when I walk off the field after the last game, whenever that is, I want to feel like ‘Does this group give us a chance to win the Super Bowl? Are we moving in that direction?’” Mara said (via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv). “If the answer to that is yes, then we’re not going to consider making big changes. If I feel like we’re going backwards, that’s another discussion.”
“I’ll look at that at the end of the season and see whether I think we’re continuing to make progress and moving in the right direction, but I’m not issuing a playoff mandate,” Mara added. “I don’t think those ever do any good. I don’t think I need to say or do anything to motivate the people in this building any more than they’re already motivated. They all want to win.”
The Giants’ six wins in 2020 was their best showing in three years. While seven wins probably wouldn’t be tolerable among Giants fans, it just might be enough for Gettleman and co. to keep their jobs.
Giants Open To Saquon Barkley Extension During Season
Dave Gettleman has come around on the prospect of a Saquon Barkley extension in 2021. The fourth-year Giants GM is now open to the prospect of hammering out a deal with the fourth-year running back during the season.
Barkley became eligible for a new deal in January, but his knee rehab has obviously clouded such prospects. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year, however, continues to progress back to full strength. Should the 24-year-old back show his previous form, he would obviously make sense as an extension candidate.
“I think that it depends upon the guy. I think it depends on where the team is at. I used to feel like it was a bad idea, but not so much [now],” Gettleman said of in-season extensions, via the New York Post’s Zach Braziller. “Have I changed my idea on that? Yes. I’m a lot more flexible on that.”
[RELATED: Barkley Not Focused On Next Contract]
John Mara said in March the Giants were not in any hurry to extend Barkley, though the owner added he wanted the talented back to be a Giant for life. Barkley produced one of the best rookie seasons by a ball carrier in NFL history three years ago but suffered a high ankle sprain in 2019 and saw his September 2020 knee injury (ACL and MCL tears, with meniscus damage) stall his career. But Barkley came off the active/PUP list last week and went through his first seven-on-seven session Tuesday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes. While Barkley is not slated to participate in team drills during the Giants’ joint practices with the Browns, the team’s cautious plan with its lead back is thus far working.
“You need to see him back on the field producing, which we expect that to be the case. Our medical people feel very good about where he’s at right now,” Mara said. “I like what I’ve seen from him out on the field. Hopefully [an extension] will be an easy decision for us as well.”
Given his health history and the nature of the running back position, Barkley may want to lock in high-end money as soon as possible. Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon and now Nick Chubb received extensions before their fourth seasons. Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones each signed after their fourth years. This group formed a new running back market, with average salaries ranging from $12-$16MM. And it appears the Giants are OK with Barkley joining this club in-season, provided he shows enough early in the campaign. Of course, Barkley completing a bounce-back year would set him up to potentially sign a market-topping extension in 2022. McCaffrey’s $16MM-per-year deal still leads the pack.
The Giants picking the Penn State product second overall would naturally make them eager to lock in a long-term partnership, and the cap being set to spike toward $210MM next year bodes well for extension candidates. Barkley is set to make just $850K in base salary this season, and his fifth-year option came in at only $7.22MM.
Giants Trade Isaac Yiadom To Packers
The Giants have agreed to trade Isaac Yiadom to the Packers in exchange for fellow corner Josh Jackson (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com). 
Yiadom, 25, has now been traded twice inside of one year. The Giants acquired him from the Broncos in 2020 and went on to start him in ten games. He finished out the year with 46 stops, five pass breakups, one forced fumble, and a half of a sack. After the season, he agreed to a pay cut for 2021 — he’s now set to make $1.07MM this year instead of a non-guaranteed $2.15MM.
Jackson, also 25, was widely projected to be a mid-to-late first rounder in 2018. Instead, the Big Ten defensive back of the year slipped to the middle of the second round, where the Packers pounced on him at No. 45. He’s yet to break out as a pro, however. After starting in more than half of his games as a rookie, Jackson was first-string for only five contests between 2019 and 2020. Now, on the cusp of his walk year, he’ll have a chance to prove himself in New York.
Giants Release RB Alfred Morris
The Giants have released running back Alfred Morris, per a club announcement. In addition, the club released cornerback Chris Milton and placed cornerback Jarren Williams on IR en route to the 85-man roster limit. 
[RELATED: Texans Trade Keion Crossen To Giants]
Morris saw 55 carries for 238 yards and a touchdown with the G-Men in 2020. They re-signed him a few weeks ago to bolster the depth chart, but he wasn’t needed following the return of Saquon Barkley. With Barkley installed as the Giants’ RB1, candidates like Devontae Booker, Elijhaa Penny, Gary Brightwell, and Corey Clement will vie for the remaining spots.
All in all, Morris has 6,000+ yards to his credit over nine seasons with the Giants, Cowboys, Washington Football Team, 49ers, and Cardinals.
Texans To Trade Keion Crossen To Giants
A trade! On a day where a bunch of bottom of the roster guys are getting let go as NFL teams trim their rosters to 85 players, the Texans and Giants made time to work out a deal.
Houston is sending cornerback Keion Crossen to New York, a source told Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus (Twitter link). In exchange the Giants will send back a 2023 sixth-round pick, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets. Crossen originally entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Patriots in 2018. He won Super Bowl LIII with the team, but was traded to the Texans the following August.
Although he’s a cornerback and actually started four games on defense for Houston this past year, he’s mostly known as a special teams standout. As many were quick to point out, Giants head coach Joe Judge was Crossen’s special teams coordinator his rookie season in New England.
His first two years as a pro he was almost exclusively a special teams guy, but last season he was pressed into some action for an undermanned Houston defense and finished with 46 tackles and five passes defended.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/16/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Bryson Young
- Cut: LB Reggie Walker
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: OL Bryce Hargrove, LB George Obinna
- Reverted to IR: WR J’Mon Moore
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: QB Kenji Bahar
- Placed on IR: CB Khalil Dorsey, CB Iman Marshall
Chicago Bears
- Waived: OL Gage Cervenka, DB Dionte Ruffin, WR Jester Weah
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: WR Reece Horn, WR Riley Lees
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: TE Stephen Carlson, WR Ryan Switzer
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: OL Jon Dietzen, P Ryan Winslow
Houston Texans
- Waived: WR Isaiah Coulter
- Waived/injured: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LS Matt Overton
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: K Austin MacGinnis, LB Derrick Moncrief, T Ryan Pope, OLB Max Roberts, DL George Silvanic
- Released from IR: DB Dayan Lake
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Khalil McClain
- Waived: TE Carson Meier
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived/injured: K Riley Patterson, WR Blake Proehl
New York Giants
- Signed: QB Brian Lewerke
- Waived/injured: QB Clayton Thorson
- Placed on IR: LB TJ Brunson, OL Kyle Murphy, S Joshua Kalu
New York Jets
- Waived: K Chris Naggar
- Activated off PUP list: DL Quinnen Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: LB Donald Payne, DL Eddie Vanderdoes
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: LB Nate Evans, OT Lukayus McNeil, CB Jordan Miller, DT Walter Palmore, WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams, RB Cameron Scarlett
Giants’ LB T.J. Brunson, DB Joshua Kalu Suffer Major Injuries
Two Giants sustained major injuries during last night’s preseason game against the Jets. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post was among those to report, linebacker T.J. Brunson suffered a torn ACL, which will bring an end to his season (Twitter link). Safety Joshua Kalu suffered a torn pectoral muscle, and his season could be over as well.
Brunson, a 2020 seventh-rounder, played in five games for Big Blue last season, though all but two of his 55 snaps came on special teams. If he had stayed healthy and made the team, he probably would have spent the majority of his time on the Giants’ third unit again, but Jordan Raanan says he was doing some good things in his pursuit of a roster spot (Twitter link). Given New York’s general lack of LB depth, Brunson might have had a shot to get some burn on the defensive side of the ball.
Raanan suggested that Kalu, a 2018 UDFA who got into 28 games with the Titans over the course of the past three years, also had a good chance of earning a job. Like Brunson, Kalu has spent most of his time as a pro as a special teamer, but he did appear in a career-best 91 defensive snaps for Tennessee in 2020. He has 26 total tackles, one forced fumble, and one pass defensed in his career.
In other Giants news, head coach Joe Judge said his club is likely to add an offensive lineman or two this week (via Dan Duggan of The Athletic on Twitter). The team lost 2021 signees Joe Looney and Zach Fulton to retirement, and even though Ted Larsen was signed on Friday, New York is still a little thin up front.