Minor NFL Transactions: 5/24/23

May 24th, 2023 at 4:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

Waived (injury settlement): T Hunter Thedford

Detroit Lions

Waived: LB Isaac Darkangelo

Indianapolis Colts

Waived: G Harris LaChance

New York Jets

Signed: WR Jerome Kapp

Kapp will catch on with the Jets following a run at the team’s rookie minicamp. He will attempt to make the jump from the Division II level (Kutztown University). The D-II team relied on Kapp through the air last season; he was the squad’s only player to record more than 250 receiving yards. Kapp finished with 916 (19.5 per catch) and nine touchdowns as a senior.

Colts Sign TE Kaden Smith

May 24th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2021 Giants ran into severe injury trouble in their blocking ranks, with tight end Kaden Smith joining Nick Gates and Shane Lemieux in sustaining career-altering setbacks. Smith missed all of last season but will soon have a chance to resume his career.

Smith agreed to terms with the Colts on Wednesday, adding to what has become one of the league’s most crowded tight end rooms. The former Giant has not played in a game since November 2021.

A knee injury paused Smith’s NFL run, with The Athletic’s Dan Duggan indicating concern existed about the blocking tight end being able to play again (Twitter link). This setback followed Gates’ September 2021 broken leg and Lemieux’s September knee malady. Neither O-lineman was ready in time for the start of the 2022 season, with Gates debuting in Week 8 and Lemieux playing only in Week 10 of last season. While the Giants kept both O-linemen on their roster, they waived Smith with a failed physical designation before last year’s free agency period.

Prior to the injury, Smith resided as a regular alongside Evan Engram. A former 49ers sixth-round pick, Smith started 22 games for the Giants from 2019-21. Complementing New York’s receiving tight end, Smith played more than 400 offensive snaps during both the 2019 and ’20 seasons. He caught three touchdown passes in 2019 but mostly functioned as a blocker in the Big Apple.

Making the Colts’ 53-man roster will not be automatic for the 26-year-old rebound candidate. Indianapolis carries Mo Alie-Cox, 2022 third-rounder Jelani Woods, 2021 fourth-rounder Kylen Granson, 2022 sixth-rounder Andrew Ogletree, rookie fifth-rounder Will Mallory and free agent pickup Pharaoh Brown. Ogletree suffered a torn ACL during training camp last year. Of this group, only Brown and Mallory arrived under the current coaching staff. Smith will join that contingent and vie for a job in Indy in the coming weeks.

Rams G Logan Bruss Participating In OTAs

May 24th, 2023 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Rams-related discussions have generally veered toward what the team has lost this offseason, its offensive line figures to be better positioned compared to a disastrous 2022 campaign. The player whose injury began a steady deterioration for the unit is nearing a full return to work.

Logan Bruss, saw ACL and MCL tears wipe out his rookie season, has received the green light for full participation at Rams OTAs, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Bruss, the Rams’ top 2022 draftee, participated fully during the team’s first OTA session before being limited during the ensuing workout. While we are still more than two months away from padded practices, this certainly represents a positive step for Bruss and Los Angeles’ O-line.

Chosen late in the third round last year, Bruss was set to compete for an L.A. starting guard gig. Coleman Shelton ended up winning the job, with Bruss sustaining the knee injuries during the Rams’ second preseason game. The injury occurred nine months ago, and the Rams not holding Bruss out of OTAs represents a reasonable indication he will avoid the active/PUP list when training camp starts.

Bruss’ injuries preceded a brutal year for the Rams’ O-line, and those dominoes falling played a lead role in the team completing the worst Super Bowl title defense in NFL history. After Bruss went down, the Rams lost Shelton, Brian Allen, Joe Noteboom, David Edwards, Alaric Jackson and Tremayne Anchrum to injuries. All missed at least four games, with Noteboom, Edwards and Jackson suffering season-ending maladies. In-season free agency additions became starters during a season in which Matthew Stafford eventually went down.

The Rams let Edwards walk in free agency, a year after the team passed on re-signing fellow Super Bowl LVI guard starter Austin Corbett, and the Bills will give the three-year starter a bounce-back opportunity. L.A. again used its top draft choice on a guard, selecting TCU’s Steve Avila in Round 2. Avila figures to be ticketed to start in Week 1, but Bruss may soon be the favorite to be L.A.’s other guard starter. He had been attempting to transition from college right tackle to NFL guard. His early participation points to no further delays in that effort.

Broncos Work Out Brett Maher, Elliott Fry, Parker White

May 24th, 2023 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 24: In addition to Maher, the Broncos brought in two other kickers — Parker White and Elliott Fry — to audition Wednesday, per 9News’ Mike Klis and the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson (Twitter links). The Packers waived White, a UDFA out of South Carolina, on Monday. A regular on the kicker workout circuit, Fry kicked in three career games (with the Falcons, Chiefs and Bengals) from 2020-21. While a few veteran options — like Robbie Gould, Ryan Succop and Mason Crosby — are available, the Broncos brought in a few less experienced specialists today.

MAY 23: Despite coming off one of the worst kicker performances in playoff history, Brett Maher will receive an audition. The Broncos intend to bring in the two-time Cowboys kicker for a Wednesday workout, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets.

Maher holds the NFL record for most 60-plus-yard field goals, with four, but he is also coming off a woeful 2022 postseason. Maher went 1-for-6 on extra points during the playoffs, missing four to partially stain the Cowboys’ runaway wild-card win over the Buccaneers. While the Cowboys have not shut the door on re-signing him, the veteran specialist remains a free agent.

The Broncos just released their kicker of the past nine seasons, Brandon McManus, designating their longest-tenured player as a post-June 1 cut. Maher, 33, will likely not be the only kicker the team auditions, but he is the first known replacement option to surface. Maher also has experience with Sean Payton, having been one of the Saints’ Wil Lutz replacement options during the 2021 season.

The Saints rolled out four kickers during Lutz’s full-season injury absence two years ago, and Maher enjoyed the longest run of that group. He went 16 of 18 on field goals as a Saint. During the 2022 regular season in Dallas, Maher went 29-for-32, connecting on an impressive 9 of 11 tries from beyond 50 yards. Long-range accuracy has been perhaps Maher’s calling card as a pro, though his January struggles certainly bring concern. Maher missed as many PATs during Dallas’ two postseason games than he had over the past two regular seasons (five).

Denver had enjoyed relative stability at kicker for 30 years, going from Jason Elam (15 seasons) to Matt Prater (six) to McManus (nine) without much of a hiccup. Prater’s 2014 substance-abuse suspension brought about the last change. Now, Payton will go about filling this need in the near future.

Colts’ Jonathan Taylor Changes Agents

May 24th, 2023 at 12:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Now extension-eligible, Jonathan Taylor is putting pieces in place ahead of a contract year. The Colts running back changed representation Wednesday and will now work with the First Round Management agency, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Taylor, who will be repped by Malki Kawa and Ethan Lock, became eligible for a new deal in January. The former second-round pick joined an agency that includes teammate Shaquille Leonard and Browns tight end David Njoku. Both players signed lucrative extensions in the early 2020s, with Leonard’s deal still second among off-ball linebackers.

The Colts have done well to take care of their own under GM Chris Ballard. They have authorized extensions for Leonard, Kenny Moore, Ryan Kelly, Braden Smith, Quenton Nelson. Both Leonard and Nelson broke their respective positions’ AAV records when they agreed to terms. Taylor’s April comments regarding an extension did not reveal a potentially aggressive push was ahead, but running backs have narrower windows to cash in compared to players at most other positions.

Coming off a down year — due to an ankle injury that required offseason surgery — Taylor still has an All-Pro nod on his resume and won the rushing title by a wide margin two seasons ago. The Wisconsin product’s 1,811 rushing yards in 2021 led the league by more than 500, putting him squarely on the radar for a big-ticket extension. The Colts carried veteran-QB salaries in 2021 and ’22, and although they have some Matt Ryan dead money following that short-term partnership, the franchise has shifted away from pricier passers. Anthony Richardson will soon be under contract through 2026, with a fifth-year option in place.

Of course, running back payments have become more complicated in recent years. While the wave of late-2010s backfield deals largely burned teams, clubs have received better returns from early-2020s payments. Despite the eight-figure deals given to many 2017 draftees, this year’s free agency-eligible backs either received the $10.1MM franchise tag or settled for lower-end contracts. Among the latter contingent, only Miles Sanders scored a deal north of $6MM per year. Taylor displayed special abilities in 2021, but his 2022 slate (861 rushing yards, six missed games) shows the durability issues that cause hesitation from teams regarding extensions.

Indianapolis has both Taylor and top wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. entering contract years. The 2024 franchise tag will be an option for one of the two, and the running back tag will be much cheaper. Teams utilized that tool this year, with Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard tied to tags. Less than a year away from that potential reality, Taylor has new representation to navigate this rocky terrain.

Texans Not Shopping QB Davis Mills

May 24th, 2023 at 11:39am CST by Sam Robinson

Deshaun Watson‘s off-field turmoil led to the Texans effectively hitting pause. They did not make a major investment at quarterback in 2021, when Watson spent the year as a healthy scratch, or 2022. This left Davis Mills as the team’s primary starter. The team changed plans this year, leaving Mills in limbo.

Houston signed Case Keenum shortly after this year’s legal tampering period began and then, despite persistent rumors of preferring this class’ top defensive ends compared to the non-Bryce Young QB lot, chose C.J. Stroud second overall. Stroud and Keenum would seem to represent the 1-2 QB depth chart during DeMeco Ryans‘ first HC season, but Mills remains in the picture. For now, at least, the Texans intend to keep it that way.

Mills is believed to have generated trade interest, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who adds the Texans are not eager to deal the former third-round pick. Mills took the first reps at Texans OTAs on Tuesday.

The Texans signed Tyrod Taylor to guide the 2021 team, which was hamstrung by its $39MM-per-year starting QB’s absence, but Mills took over and showed promise to close that season. He did not make much progress last season, with the Texans producing fewer wins. Mills has made 26 career starts; 15 of those came last season. The Stanford product led the league with 15 INTs, despite sitting behind Kyle Allen for two games. Mills’ 78.8 passer rating came in ahead of only Kenny Pickett and Zach Wilson among qualified QBs last year.

Mills, 24, would not seem to hold too much trade value at present. An injury elsewhere could change that, but Mills would profile as a backup option as he enters his third NFL season. Mills struggled despite the return of All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil in 2022, but the Texans still sported a suboptimal supporting cast around their quarterback. Mills piloted the 2021 team to two wins in his final five starts, including an upset of the Chargers that ended up keeping them out of the playoffs, and completed nearly 67% of his passes (6.4 yards per attempt) as a rookie. It is conceivable another team would see him as a capable QB2.

Keenum, 35, signed a two-year, $6.25MM deal ($4MM guaranteed) to return to Houston. Stroud’s four-year rookie deal will be fully guaranteed. Mills is due $1.1MM and $1.4MM base salaries in 2023 and ’24, respectively. It would seem Mills, who engineered the game-winning Week 18 drive that kept the Texans from securing the No. 1 overall pick, no longer fits in Houston. The Texans do not have a fourth QB on their offseason roster, leaving Mills as a regular part of OTAs ahead of what could soon be a move into the background.

Commanders’ Armani Rogers Tears Achilles

May 24th, 2023 at 10:20am CST by Sam Robinson

Second-year Commanders tight end Armani Rogers suffered a non-contact injury during the team’s OTA session Tuesday, and an MRI revealed a serious setback.

Rogers sustained an Achilles tear, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The UDFA pass catcher is expected to undergo surgery next week. Although players have recovered from offseason Achilles tears in time for late-season returns — Cam Akers, Michael Crabtree, Terrell Suggs, to name three — this development obviously threatens to sideline Rogers until the 2024 campaign and deals a major blow to a young player’s chances of carving out a role.

Washington used Rogers on 158 offensive snaps last season; he made three starts. The son of ex-NFL linebacker Sam Rogers, Armani joined the Commanders after five college seasons (at UNLV and Ohio). He stood to vie for a spot as one of Logan Thomas‘ backups. Rogers caught five passes for 64 yards last season.

The Commanders have Thomas signed through 2024 and carry third-year tight end John Bates and 2022 fifth-round pick Cole Turner. Bates logged 510 offensive snaps last year, while Turner played 245 as a rookie.

Ravens Sign DT Angelo Blackson

May 24th, 2023 at 9:40am CST by Sam Robinson

After two seasons with the Bears, Angelo Blackson is heading to Baltimore. The Ravens announced an agreement with the veteran defensive lineman Wednesday.

Blackson, who has played for four teams during his eight-year career, has spent extensive time as both a starter and a backup. The former Titans draftee has made 42 starts since coming into the league as a fourth-round pick back in 2015.

He will join a Ravens team that cut Calais Campbell earlier this year. Baltimore did not draft a defensive lineman last month. With Campbell out of the mix (and now with the Falcons), the Ravens stand to field a D-line group consisting of rookie-deal players — Justin Madubuike, Broderick Washington and Travis Jones — and veterans Michael Pierce and Brent Urban. Blackson, 30, will join the latter contingent.

Blackson played out a two-year, $5.5MM Bears deal last season. The Auburn alum started 12 games over the past two years. He was more productive in 2021, totaling 43 stops, 2.5 sacks, nine QB hits and his only career interception. Blackson played a career-high 583 defensive snaps in 2021 and totaled 392 under Matt Eberflus last season.

Pro Football Focus also viewed Blackson as a better performer in 2021; last season, the advanced metrics website slotted him as a bottom-10 interior defensive lineman. The Bears moved to a 4-3 base alignment under Eberflus. Blackson had previously spent his career — in Tennessee, Houston and Arizona — on teams using 3-4 schemes. The Ravens have used a 3-4 look for ages. Blackson also spent time with the Patriots in 2017 but did not see any game action, being poached off the Pats’ practice squad by the Texans, who later extended him.

The 315-pound D-lineman has been durable as well, playing at least 15 games in each of the past five seasons. Blackson’s most notable contract came with the Texans, who signed him to a three-year, $12MM deal in 2019. Although Blackson started a career-high 15 games that season, he ended up taking a pay cut in 2020. But Blackson played out that contract, despite Houston going through significant changes in the front office and on the sideline, and has now managed to fetch two more.

Austin Ekeler Agrees To Reworked Chargers Deal

May 24th, 2023 at 9:14am CST by Adam La Rose

MAY 24: Ekeler’s incentive package includes escalators for total yardage, touchdowns and a Pro Bowl berth. The seventh-year back can earn up to $1MM depending on his total yardage, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets, with the incentive package beginning at 1,125 yards and topping out at 1,639. Ekeler finished with a career-high 1,637 scrimmage yards last season. As for TDs, Ekeler’s incentive package ranges from 10-16. He can earn up to $600K in this area. Ekeler scored 20 touchdowns in 2021 and 18 last year.

MAY 23: After requesting a trade earlier this offseason, Austin Ekeler will remain with the Chargers for the 2023 season. The veteran running back has agreed to a new deal which includes almost $2MM in incentives being added to his scheduled compensation, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).

Ekeler is entering the final season of his contract, and was due a base salary of $6.25MM this year. Where that figure ranks him amongst the league’s other top running backs drove his trade request at the start of free agency, something which the Chargers allowed him to explore. As expected, little interest emerged with respect to teams looking to acquire the 28-year-old.

Ekeler has expressed a willingness to remain in Los Angeles for one more campaign, knowing another strong season would help his free agent value. Likewise, the Chargers have made it clear that they had no intention of actively seeking a trade which would have seen the league’s two-time reigning touchdown leader depart. Now, Ekeler will once again occupy a central role in the team’s offense, one which faces signficant expectations this season.

The former UDFA has topped 1,500 scrimmage yards in three of the past four campaigns, and a continuation of his substantial two-way production could give him multiple suitors on the open market next offseason. However, the 2023 free agency period saw a number of short-term, low-cost deals handed out at the RB position, which could lessen the chances of the Chargers being outbid for Ekeler’s services on a new contract. In any event, the Western Colorado product’s relationship with his current team should no longer be a concern.

Head coach Brandon Staley said yesterday that he fully expected Ekeler – who, as per usual, is currently absent from OTAs – to attend mandatory minicamp in June. Given today’s development, that can now be considered a lock as Ekeler’s immediate financial future has been taken care of.

Jets To Work Out P Matt Araiza

May 24th, 2023 at 8:36am CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets made a change at punter this offseason, signing veteran Thomas Morstead and waiving Braden Mann. Despite this addition, the team will also be the first known connection to Matt Araiza since the Bills cut him last summer.

Araiza is set to work out for the Jets on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The Bills waived Araiza, a 2022 sixth-round pick, following an allegation he was involved in a gang rape of a minor. Since that allegation became public in August 2022, Araiza has been cleared of criminal charges. A San Diego State investigation also did not produce any findings Araiza was involved in the alleged rape, according to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com.

A civil lawsuit against Araiza is ongoing, with a civil trial set for October. The Jets will still look into a player who broke an NCAA record in 2021 after averaging 51.19 yards per punt. The Bills chose Araiza 180th overall last year, and he punted for the team during the preseason. Once the accusation surfaced, however, Buffalo sidelined Araiza for its final preseason game and soon waived him. Araiza, 23, spent last season out of football.

The civil suit alleges Araiza had sex with the accuser at an off-campus party and brought her into a bedroom where “a group” of men raped her. The woman, who was 17 at the time of the October 2021 party, said she told friends immediately after she had been raped; she reported it to the San Diego Police Department the next day. During a 10-month criminal investigation into Araiza and two other members of the San Diego State football team, however, a witness said Araiza was no longer at the party at the time the alleged rape took place. The accuser’s attorney disputes that witness’ reliability, according to Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports.

Araiza has said any sexual contact between he and the accuser was consensual. The punter’s agent later sent 20 teams a recording of a December 2022 meeting between a San Diego County prosecutor, the accuser and her attorney, Brent Schrotenboer and Josh Peter of USA Today report. The recording includes a series of video clips showing the teen’s sexual encounters at the party; none show Araiza, who declined an offer to settle the case for $50K.

Although the woman was 17 at the time of the alleged rape, Araiza has said he believed she was 18. The audio interview includes the prosecutor telling the accuser, “I have to be able to prove that [the suspects] knew your age.” The accuser maintains she was intoxicated “to the point of not being able to consent to sex” and indicated the above-referenced video clips do not paint a full picture of that 2021 night’s events, Peter and Schrotenboer report.

Even as the criminal investigation produced no charges for Araiza, the fallout still threatens to keep him out of the NFL. But the Jets will still take a look during OTAs. The Jets gave Morstead, 37, a one-year deal worth $1.3MM in March. They guaranteed the veteran specialist $1.1MM.

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