Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/21
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: LB Daelin Hayes
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: CB Rashaan Melvin (story)
Denver Broncos
- Signed (off Raiders practice squad): WR David Moore
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: RB Trey Ragas
New York Giants
- Signed (off WFT practice squad): G Wes Martin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated off Reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kevin Minter
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/21
The weekly Saturday bunch of minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: WR Juwan Green
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: LB Josh Bynes, DL Reginald McKenzie, CB Kevon Seymour, T Andre Smith
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: DL Margus Hunt
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: S Sean Davis
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: TE Jordan Franks
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: K Ryan Santoso
- Placed on IR: DE Kevin Strong
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: WR DeMichael Harris, QB Brett Hundley
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: WR Phillip Dorsett
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: RB Trey Ragas
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: OLB Emeke Egbule, DL Joe Gaziano
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: DB Tyler Hall, RB Buddy Howell
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: RB Ameer Abdullah, G Dakota Dozier, CB Parry Nickerson
- Waived: T Blake Brandel
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Jahlani Tavai
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR C.J. Board, C Jonotthan Harrison
- Placed on IR: LB Cam Brown
New York Jets
- Promoted: OL Isaiah Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: DL Kevin Givens
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: DT Robert Nkemdiche, WR Cody Thompson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Rashard Robinson, TE Deon Yelder
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: FB Tory Carter, DL Woodrow Hamilton
Latest On Giants OL Nick Gates
Nick Gates‘ injury last Thursday will end up having a significant impact on the lineman’s career. Giants head coach Joe Judge “couldn’t completely rule out” that Gates’ injury will end up ending his career (per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan on Twitter). However, the coach “seemed hopeful” that the lineman will be able to see the field again.
“I’d be lying, if from my perspective, if I said no,” Judge replied when asked if the injury was a career-ender (via Raanan). “I know that there are some comparisons to other players. These things are all different. I know he’s going to have the best medical care possible, here or elsewhere whatever we can do. So we are confident he’s going to be able to come back.”
Gates remains in a hospital in Virginia and is set to undergo further testing. The team captain posted an Instagram video that showed him walking, and Raanan writes that he “remains in good spirits despite the severity of the injury.”
The injury occurred in the first quarter of last Thursday’s loss to Washington. The lineman got tangled up with WFT defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, and it looked like teammate Daron Payne accidentally rolled over his ankle. Gates’ leg was placed in an air cast before he was carted off the field. The broadcast refused to show a replay considering the gruesome nature of the injury.
Gates was an undrafted free agent in 2018, but he’s transformed into one of the Giants’ most reliable offensive lineman. The 25-year-old started all 16 games for New York in 2020, and he was named a team captain prior to the 2021 campaign. He appeared in all 61 of the Giants’ offensive snaps during their Week 1 loss.
Giants G Shane Lemieux Out For Season
Days after losing Nick Gates for the year, the Giants have received word one of their other starting interior O-linemen is done for 2021 as well. Shane Lemieux underwent knee surgery Wednesday, and the procedure is expected to knock him out for the season.
The Giants announced the second-year blocker had left patellar tendon surgery. Patellar tendon issues represent one of the toughest injury obstacles to overcome, so this puts a stop sign on Lemieux’s early ascent as a pro.
A fifth-round pick last year, Lemieux moved into the Giants’ starting lineup midway through his rookie season. While Pro Football Focus did not view his rookie-year work positively, Lemieux was ticketed to join Will Hernandez as a starting guard this year and did suit up for Big Blue’s Week 1 game. But the knee injury Lemieux suffered early in training camp did not allow him to finish the team’s opener. The Giants then placed Lemieux on IR last week.
With Lemieux and Gates out, the Giants used recent trade acquisitions Billy Price and Ben Bredeson alongside Hernandez on the interior. The unit delivered mixed results in a Week 2 loss in Washington. The Giants are now trying third-round pick Matt Peart, who lost this year’s right tackle competition to Nate Solder, at guard, Darryl Slater of NJ.com notes. Bredeson is still set to start at left guard Sunday, however.
Given New York’s years-long troubles on its front, even when it was at full strength, the Gates and Lemieux setbacks represent a crisis point for the franchise. The Giants are 0-2 for a fifth straight season, and multiple O-linemen who were elsewhere a month ago — Price in Cincinnati, Bredeson in Baltimore — will be given emergency responsibilities.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/22/21
Keeping tabs on today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DB Mazzi Wilkins
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB Holton Hill
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Pita Taumoepenu
New England Patriots
- Signed: C Jake Eldrenkamp
New York Giants
- Signed: C Jonotthan Harrison, OL Foster Sarell
- Released: RB Dexter Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Eddie Yarbrough
- Released: TE Jordan Matthews
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Andrew Brown
Jets LB B.J. Goodson To Retire
B.J. Goodson‘s Jets stay will end up being brief. The team announced Wednesday the veteran linebacker intends to retire. Goodson signed with the Jets last week.
The former Giants, Packers and Browns starter made his debut for the Jets in Week 2, seeing action on seven special teams plays in the team’s loss to the Patriots. But Goodson no longer intends to continue his sixth NFL season. The Jets placed the 28-year-old off-ball linebacker on their reserve/retired list.
A fourth-round pick out of Clemson in 2016, Goodson became a starter for the Giants in his second season. He made 20 starts with the team but was traded to the Packers before the 2019 season. Green Bay used Goodson as a first-stringer frequently during his lone season with the team, deploying him as a nine-game starter during a 13-3 campaign.
The Browns signed Goodson last year and plugged him into their starting lineup immediately. He made a career-high 91 tackles and intercepted two passes, helping Cleveland snap its lengthy playoff drought. Goodson did miss two games after contracting COVID-19 late last season, however. He returned to start in both Browns playoff games, making 16 tackles.
Pro Football Focus graded Goodson as an upper-echelon coverage linebacker in 2020, and the Jets signed him to a deal worth up to $2.1MM. Goodson made 251 tackles and intercepted four passes in his five-plus-year career.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: K Matt McCrane
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: T Jaryd Jones-Smith, T David Sharpe, CB Linden Stephens
- Released: LB Blake Gallagher, T Foster Sarell, P Johnny Townsend
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: C Lamont Gaillard
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Davion Davis
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Damion Ratley
- Released: K Lirim Hajrullahu
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Shawn Davis, DL R.J. McIntosh
- Released: DL Abdullah Anderson, OL Jacob Capra
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Hardy Nickerson
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: LB Micah Kiser
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: RB Ameer Abdullah
New England Patriots
- Signed: C Drake Jackson
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Steven Parker
- Released: TE Ryan Izzo
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Richard Rodgers
- Released: C Harry Crider
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Taco Charlton (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: CB Dee Virgin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR John Hurst, CB Rashard Robinson
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Antoine Wesley
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: DE Ifeadi Odenigbo (story)
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: WR Nico Collins (story)
- Signed: TE Antony Auclair
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: T Jackson Barton (off Giants’ practice squad)
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: QB Sean Mannion
- Released: RB Ameer Abdullah; Abdullah is now on Minnesota’s practice squad
New England Patriots
- Promoted: K Nick Folk
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: OL Nick Gates (story)
New York Jets
- Promoted: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
- Released: S Sheldrick Redwine
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: DE Brandon Graham (story)
- Signed: G Jack Anderson (from Bills’ practice squad)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Jacques Patrick (from Bengals’ practice squad)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Travis Jonsen, LB Kevin Minter
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: DL Anthony Rush
NFL Workouts: Giants, WFT, Foreman
Here’s a look at some of today’s more notable auditions, courtesy of NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link):
- The Giants worked out punters J.K. Scott, Kaare Vedvik, and Brandon Wright. For now, that job is held by Riley Dixon, though the Giants could just be keeping their emergency list up to date. Dixon, a former draft pick of Denver, is under contract through 2022 thanks to his three-year, $8.7MM deal.
- The Washington Football Team auditioned running backs D’Onta Foreman and Ryquell Armstead. Foreman, recently released from Atlanta’s practice squad, also showed his stuff for the Raiders earlier this month. Foreman is best known for his rookie year with the Texans but hasn’t been the same since tearing his Achilles midway through that season.
- The Packers are meeting with defensive ends Taco Charlton and R.J. McIntosh. Charlton, once a highly-touted first-round pick of the Cowboys, flamed out quickly in Dallas. His best work to date came with the Dolphins when he notched five sacks in ten games. Still, he had a decent 2020 with the Chiefs, up until his November leg fracture. In that shortened KC run, Charlton recorded two sacks, four quarterback hits, and a forced fumble.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/20/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: QB Kyle Sloter
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB Javian Hawkins
- Released: RB Otis Anderson
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Brandon Dillon
New York Giants
- Signed: G Cole Banwart
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Rashard Robinson
- Released: CB Herb Miller