Minor NFL Transactions: 9/13/22
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: TE Anthony Firkser
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: CB Kyle Fuller (story), T Ja’Wuan James (story)
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Isaiah Graham-Mobley
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Thomas Graham Jr.
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: CB Tony Brown
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: LB Jack Cochrane, LB Elijah Lee
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: CB Tevaughn Campbell
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: RB Kyren Williams (story)
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: RB Ty Montgomery
- Promoted: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: DE Derek Barnett (story)
- Signed off Vikings’ practice squad: DE Janarius Robinson
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: S Tashaun Gipson
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: DL Da’Shawn Hand, DB A.J. Moore Jr.
Hand suffered a torn quad in the Titans’ opener, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). He is undergoing surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the season. A former fourth-round Lions draftee back in 2018, Hand has been with the Titans since last year. He played two defensive snaps Sunday.
Montgomery had battled a knee injury during the run-up to the regular season, but the veteran passing-down back played in the Patriots’ Week 1 contest. Montgomery caught three passes for 15 yards in New England’s loss. The Pats signed Humphrey, a former Saints wideout, midway through the offseason.
Eagles DE Derek Barnett Suffers Torn ACL
The Eagles held on for a victory over the Lions yesterday, but lost a key defender for the season in the process. Defensive end Derek Barnett tore his ACL, and will miss the remainder of the campaign (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
The 26-year-old has been with the Eagles for his entire career since joining them as a first-round pick in 2017. He became a starter in his second year, and set a career high in 2019 with 6.5 sacks. That figure had fallen to just two by 2021, though, leading to the belief that his time in Philadelphia would be coming to an end.
Instead, Barnett re-signed on a two-year deal in March. That kept him in the fold after the Eagles made a sizable investment in free agent Haason Reddick, and re-upped Josh Sweat the previous offseason. While Barnett therefore faced plenty of competition for snaps from those two (along with fellow veteran Brandon Graham), he was likely to at least occupy a rotational role amongst the team’s edge rushers.
Barnett is due to carry a cap hit of just over $4MM next season. The presence of $1.5MM in guaranteed money in his deal, along with several void years, would make a release untenable from a financial standpoint, however. The Eagles will need to hope he can recover back to full health and try to regain his form of 2019 and ’20 to provide an effective return on their investment.
In Barnett’s absence, the Eagles may lean on sixth-rounders Tarron Jackson and Kyron Johnson, who were added in the 2021 and 2022 drafts, respectively, as rotational rushers. With nearly $11MM in cap space, Philadelphia could also be active on the remaining free agent market to add a more experienced option.
2022 Offseason In Review Series
This season will feature 12 new Week 1 starting quarterbacks, though the Jets’ decision is the result of an injury rather than a roster move. High-profile wide receivers also changed teams, igniting one of the biggest market shifts a single position has seen. The Offseason In Review series is now complete. Here are the PFR staff’s looks at how the 32 NFL teams assembled their 2022 rosters.
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/10/22
Today’s minor moves around the league, as teams prepare for the first Sunday slate of regular season games:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to 53-man roster: WR Andre Baccellia
- Signed to 53-man roster (from Giants’ practice squad): OL Max Garcia
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Devon Kennard, CB Jace Whittaker
- Placed on IR: OL Cody Ford
- Released: CB Javelin Guidry
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Anthony Firkser
- Released: DL Abdullah Anderson
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: OLB Steven Means
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Arron Mosby
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: DL Mike Pennel, OL Dieter Eiselen
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Jordan Kunaszyk, DE Isaac Rochell
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Cooper Rush, K Brett Maher
Detroit Lions
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Justin Jackson, LB Anthony Pittman
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Micah Abernathy, WR Juwann Winfree
Houston Texans
- Signed to 53-man roster: DL Demone Harris, LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Chris Conley, QB Jeff Driskel
- Placed on IR: DE Mario Addison
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Tony Brown
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Daurice Fountain, LB Elijah Lee
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: S Matthias Farley
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Kemon Hall, TE Richard Rodgers
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted from practice squad: WR River Cracraft, S Verone McKinley III
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted from practice squad: S Myles Dorn
New England Patriots
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, LB Harvey Langi
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Christian Ringo
- Released: C Nick Martin
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: S Tony Jefferson, OLB Quincy Roche
New York Jets
- Promoted from practice squad: T Grant Hermanns
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Britain Covey, TE Noah Togiai
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Tashaun Gipson, WR Malik Turner
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Genard Avery
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Joe Jones, RB Trenton Cannon
The Cardinals’ moves come as a reaction to yesterday’s injury news. Baccellia’s roster spot was opened up in the short-term by the injury to Rondale Moore, but he won’t simply be a stop-gap. Arizona signed the 25-year-old to a two-year deal to remain on the main roster, per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network (Twitter link). A UDFA out of Washington, Baccellia has yet to make a regular season NFL appearance.
Likewise, the fact that Ford will miss at least the first four weeks of the season makes the re-acquisition of Garcia a logical one. The former fourth-rounder has plenty of guard experience, including his three seasons spent in Arizona. It was only in 2021 that he logged any starts, but he could provide veteran depth behind Justin Pugh at least until Ford is able to return.
Addison, 35, was one of several veteran signings the Texans made this offseason to add depth to their front seven. He had a productive season with the Bills last season, notching seven sacks despite not starting any games. In his absence, Harris and Pierre-Louis will provide depth in the edge rush department on Sunday, and likely the short-term future as well.
Quick reminder that standard game day practice squad promotions are a recent development from the new CBA and COVID-19 seasons. Essentially, each team is able to promote two players from the practice squad to the active roster for game days. The players will automatically revert back to the practice squad after the game, not needing to clear waivers before rejoining the developmental roster. A player can only be promoted three times per season. If a team would like to promote a player for a fourth game, they’ll need to go through the normal method of creating space on the 53-man roster to promote them and have them clear waivers before placing them back on the practice squad. That is the difference between “Signed to 53-man roster” from the practice squad and “Promoted from practice squad.”
Eagles RB Miles Sanders Expects To Play Week 1
The new-look Eagles offense will be on display tomorrow. While the team’s passing attack will be the main focus of attention, their top running back will likely be on the field as well. 
When asked whether he would be available for Philadelphia’s season opener against the Lions, Miles Sanders responded, “Absolutely. Ready to go” (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
Sanders has been dealing with a hamstring injury recently. That led, in part, to speculation during roster cutdowns that the Eagles could be eyeing an addition in the backfield. They did indeed make a notable move, claiming 2021 third-rounder Trey Sermon off waivers from the 49ers, bringing another competitor into a crowded position room.
Sermon will look to occupy a complimentary role with his new team, but Sanders should once again operate as the lead back. He was the full-time starter in 2021, a year in which he was limited to 12 contests due to an ankle injury. He put up career-lows in rushing (754) and receiving (158) yards, but averaged a career-high 5.5 yards per carry. The former second-rounder played a key role in the Eagles’ midseason shift to a run-heavy offense which led to a league-leading ground attack.
Entering a contract year, a healthy campaign would not only help the Eagles maintain their effectiveness in the run game, but boost Sanders’ free agent stock as well. Being available for Week 1 will certainly help his cause on that front, and make him a key piece of the Eagles’ offense during a season with heightened expectations.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/22
Today’s minor moves leading up to Week 1:
Chicago Bears
- Released with injury settlement: WR Tajae Sharpe
- Released: DT Mike Pennel
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Herb Miller
Green Bay Packers
- Waived with injury settlement: DT Akial Byers, S Innis Gaines
Houston Texans
- Released: RB Royce Freeman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released with injury settlement: WR Greg Ward
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived with injury settlement: DT Elijah Ponder
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: DB Elijah Molden, LB Chance Campbell
The Texans had recently re-signed Freeman after he failed to make the initial 53-man roster. Houston will move forward with rookie Dameon Pierce, Rex Burkhead, and Dare Ogunbowale at running back.
Ward has been with the Eagles on-and-off since signing with the team after going undrafted in 2017. His first two seasons consisted mostly of time on the practice squad. The former University of Houston quarterback then took a hiatus from the NFL to sign with the Alliance of American Football. When the AAF suspended operations, Ward re-joined the Eagles. He had a bit of a breakout year in 2020, catching 53 passes for 419 yards and six touchdowns, but took a bit of a backseat in Philadelphia’s offense last season.
Miller was called up as a response to Browns cornerback Greedy Williams being placed on injured reserve today. Miller will slot in behind Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, Martin Emerson, and A.J. Green as the secondary faces off against their former teammate Baker Mayfield in Week 1.
Contract Details: Watt, Rams, Texans
With teams preparing their cap sheets for the start of the NFL season, we’ve seen a number of front offices rework some contracts. We’ve compiled some of the recent contract maneuverings (as well as some details on recent signings and extension) below:
- T.J. Watt, LB (Steelers): restructured contract yesterday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move opened $6.75MM in space for Pittsburgh. Watt inked a four-year deal worth up to $112MM (including $80MM guaranteed) last September.
- Rob Havenstein, OT (Rams): three-year extension. The deal is worth $34.5MM, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). The extension includes $24.1MM guaranteed and offers $6MM in incentives.
- Tyler Higbee, TE (Rams): restructured contract earlier this week, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The team converted $4.75MM of Higbee’s base salary into a signing bonus, creating $3.8MM in space.
- Jalen Thompson, S (Cardinals): three-year extension. The $40MM deal includes $24.5MM in guaranteed money and a $10MM signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).
- Lane Johnson, OT and Jake Elliott, K (Eagles): restructured contracts today, according to Yates (on Twitter). The Eagles converted $5.88MM of Johnson’s base salary and $2.715MM of Elliot’s base salary into signing bonuses, creating about $6.9MM in cap space.
- O.J. Howard, TE (Texans): one-year deal. The contract is worth $1.035MM, according to Wilson (on Twitter). The tight end will receive $910K in offset from the $1.945MM guaranteed base salary he got from his previous deal with the Bills. When coupled with the $1.25MM signing bonus he got from Buffalo, Howard will earn a total of $3.25MM this year.
- Eric Murray, S (Texans): restructured contract yesterday, per Yates (on Twitter). Specifically, the team converted $1.465MM of his contract into a signing bonus, opening $732.5K in cap space.
- Ka’imi Fairbairn, K and Cameron Johnston, P (Texans): restructured contracts earlier this week, per Wilson (on Twitter). The two moves saved the Texans $2.1MM in cap savings.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/22
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR: LB Dorian Etheridge
Green Bay Packers
- Released from IR: S Shawn Davis
New Orleans Saints
- Signed (off Giants practice squad): G Wyatt Davis
- Released from IR: S Isaiah Pryor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR: DT Kobe Smith
Seattle Seahawks
- Released from IR: RB Josh Johnson
Eagles Add WR Auden Tate, TE Dalton Keene To Practice Squad
The Eagles made a few changes to their practice squad today. The team announced that they’ve signed tight end Dalton Keene and wide receiver Auden Tate. To make room on the taxi squad, the Eagles released running back La’Mical Perine and quarterback Reid Sinnett.
After barely playing as a rookie seventh-round pick, Tate had a bit of a breakout season in 2019, finishing the campaign with 40 receptions for 575 yards. However, he found himself buried on the depth chart in both 2020 and 2021, finishing with only 17 catches between the two seasons. He caught on with the Eagles earlier this offseason but was cut before the end of the preseason. The Eagles are currently rostering only four wide receivers, so there’s a chance he could eventually get elevated to the active roster.
Keene, a 2020 third-round pick by the Patriots, only had three catches during his two seasons in New England. The 23-year-old could see some time on the active roster if any of Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, and/or rookie sixth-round pick Grant Calcaterra go down with an injury.
After collecting 295 yards from scrimmage as a rookie in 2020, Perine was limited to only 31 yards with the Jets in 2021. After getting cut by New York at the end of the preseason, he caught on with Philly. With Kennedy Brooks already on the practice squad, the team decided to move on from the 24-year-old.
Sinnett spent much of the 2021 season in the Eagles organization, but he had little chance of cracking the active roster in 2022 with three QBs blocking his way.
Eagles Place T Andre Dillard On IR
Andre Dillard‘s latest injury — a broken forearm — will cost him at least four weeks. The Eagles placed the veteran tackle on IR Tuesday. It might take more than the minimum timetable for the team’s swing tackle to return.
The fourth-year blocker was scheduled to undergo surgery today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. A four- to six-week recovery period is expected. Dillard lost his left tackle spot to Jordan Mailata long ago, but the former first-round pick still provides depth for the Eagles.
This is familiar territory for Dillard, whom the Eagles traded up for in the 2019 draft. The Washington State product, who was once Jason Peters‘ blindside heir apparent, missed the entire 2020 season due to a biceps tear and suffered a knee sprain during Philadelphia’s 2021 training camp. The Eagles passed on his fifth-year option in May.
When healthy, Dillard has shown enough for the Eagles to keep him around. The team resisted trade overtures ahead of the 2021 deadline, after having seen Dillard hold his own at left tackle during Mailata’s time sidelined with an MCL sprain. Dillard made five starts last season and rated as a midlevel tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
Mailata and Lane Johnson are entrenched as Philly’s tackle starters, but Dillard — once he returns from his latest setback — stands to provide nice insurance. Johnson has missed 17 games over the past three seasons, making said insurance essential for the Eagles. For a stretch without Johnson last season, the Eagles slid Mailata to the right side and kept Dillard at his natural spot. Dillard seeing more time in relief this year could create an interesting free agent market come 2023. Of course, the former No. 22 overall pick will likely have to stay healthy upon returning from the arm injury for such a market to form.