Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/18
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed off Colts’ practice squad: OL Zack Golditch
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed off waivers from Broncos: WR Isaiah McKenzie
- Waived: WR Cam Phillips
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Andy Jones
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers from Jets: S Ibraheim Campbell
- Waived: P Drew Kaser
Oakland Raiders
- Waived: DE James Cowser
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers from Lions: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
- Waived: CB Dexter McDougle
NFL Workout Updates: 11/5/18
Here’s the latest from the workout circuit. All links go to Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan Twitter account, unless otherwise noted.
Cleveland Browns
- T Isaiah Battle, K Jon Brown, RB Josh Ferguson, K Sam Ficken, CB Dontae Johnson, K Marshall Koehn, K Younghoe Koo, K Tyler Rausa, LS Zach Triner, P Ryan Winslow (Twitter links via Caplan and NFL reporter Howard Balzer
Cincinnati Bengals
- QB Connor Cook, WR Chad Hansen, WR Korey Robertson, TE Andrew Vollert (Twitter link via Balzer)
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
- WR Aaron Burbridge, WR Brice Butler (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- LB Marquis Flowers (link)
Oakland Raiders
- RB Travaris Cadet, DE Kony Ealy, DE Terrence Fede, RB Jeremy Langford, DE Ryan Russell, RB Fitzgerald Toussaint (link)
Philadelphia Eagles
- DT T.Y. McGill (link)
Eagles’ Timmy Jernigan Cleared To Practice
Eagles defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan has been cleared to return to practice, the team announced on Monday. Jernigan has been on the non-football injury list since undergoing back surgery in May, but he could be on the cusp of rejoining the team soon. 
The operation cost Jernigan the first half of the season and could also prove to be costly from a financial perspective. After the surgery, the Eagles pushed Jernigan to alter the remaining three years on his four-year, $48MM extension. Those seasons are now team option years with no guaranteed money, so Jernigan will have ample motivation when/if he returns to the field this year.
The Eagles boast one of the deepest defensive line units in the league and have held up well even without Jernigan on the field. They rank second in Football Outsiders‘ adjusted line yards and 14th in adjusted sack rate.
Despite the D-Line’s success, the Eagles have some critical games on the horizon, including a Nov. 18 date against Drew Brees and the Saints. They’re hoping to get Jernigan back on the field as soon as possible as they chase the Redskins for the NFC East crown.
Eagles Tried To Trade For Jets' Robby Anderson
- Several teams, including the Eagles, called the Jets in an effort to acquire deep threat Robby Anderson, per ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (Twitter link). However, Gang Green opted to hold on to Anderson because the development of Sam Darnold remains the team’s top priority, and it did not want to remove one of Darnold’s biggest weapons.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/2/18
Today’s practice squad moves will be posted here:
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Bruce Hector
- Released: DT Winston Craig
Golden Tate Seeking Jarvis Landry Deal?
Golden Tate is now an Eagle following a deadline deal that sent him from Detroit to Philadelphia, but it’s possible that the veteran receiver only spends eight games with the Birds. Tate, of course, is a free agent at season’s end, and he and his agent intend to use Jarvis Landry‘s five-year, $75.5MM deal with the Browns as a basis for his next contract, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
There are certainly valid reasons to make the comparison between Tate and Landry, and the two have extremely similar statistics since the latter entered the league in 2014. Over the past four-plus seasons, Tate holds the edge in overall yardage while Landry takes the cake in receptions and touchdowns. However, Tate is more than four years older than Landry, so it could be difficult to persuade clubs to hand the new Eagles pass-catcher a $15MM annual commitment.
One factor working in Tate’s favor is the 2019 free agent receiver class. It’s not difficult to argue that Tate will be the best wideout available next spring, as other options that should be available include John Brown, Devin Funchess, Randall Cobb, Jamison Crowder, and Cole Beasley. Tate should be more attractive than any of those pass-catchers, so it’s not inconceivable that he comes away with an unexpectedly large contract.
Philadelphia has shown a willingness to extend recently-acquired players (see: Alshon Jeffery in 2017), but if the Eagles aren’t able to retain Tate, they’ll surely hope the 30-year-old lands a generous deal on the open market. A hefty pact would give Philadelphia at reaping a 2020 compensatory pick in exchange for losing Tate, which would help offset the 2019 third-rounder the Eagles shipped to the Lions.
Eagles Made Competitive Offer For Demaryius Thomas
- Before the Broncos traded wideout Demaryius Thomas to the Texans, both the Patriots and Eagles made competitive offers for the veteran, reports Mike Klis 9News in Denver (via Twitter). The Titans also made a late bid for the receiver. Denver ultimately sent Thomas and a seventh-round pick to Houston for a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick. New England had previously been connected to the 30-year-old. Philly ended up making a trade with the Lions for wideout Golden Tate, another wideout the Patriots were eyeing.
[SOURCE LINK]
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/18
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OG Colby Gossett (off Vikings practice squad), TE John Phillips
- Released: OL Blaine Clausell, TE Gabe Holmes
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: DL Michael Bennett
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: DE Albert McClellan
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: CB Dontae Johnson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: MLB Hayes Pullard
- Waived: K Mike Badgley
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: OG Jamon Brown
New York Giants
- Waived: CB Mike Jordan
Oakland Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: DE/OLB James Cowser
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DT Bruce Hector
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: WR Victor Bolden, CB Greg Mabin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Javien Elliott
- Released: LB Kevin Minter
Washington Redskins
- Waived: LB Cassanova McKinzy
Lions Trade WR Golden Tate To Eagles
Golden Tate is Philly-bound. The Lions wide receiver broke the news of his own trade via Twitter. 
“It’s been real DETROIT! I’ll love ya forever. Philly Philly let’s get it!!,” Tate tweeted.
The Eagles will send a third-round pick to the Lions in exchange for the 30-year-old. Tate is in the final year of his contract and profiles as a rental for the free-spending defending champs, but GM Howie Roseman has no qualms about making aggressive moves near the trade deadline.
In seven games this year, Tate has 44 catches for 517 yards and three touchdowns. He’s on pace for numbers that are similar to his 2016 and 2017 stat lines, but the Lions couldn’t resist the offer of a high draft pick for the veteran. By moving Tate, they’ll open up more opportunities for the younger Kenny Golladay while also getting Marvin Jones more involved in the passing game.
With a 4-4 record, the Eagles felt compelled to upgrade the roster. It could be argued that wide receiver should not have been the Eagles’ top priority this week, but no one can argue with the club’s talent at the position after the trade. Alshon Jeffery is back in action, Jordan Matthews is contributing, Mike Wallace could be nearing a late-season return, and Tate is now in the fold to put them over the top.
Nicknamed “Showtime,” Tate is known for his tenacity and ability to eek out tough yards after drawing initial contact. He also offers the ability to play on the outside or the inside. This year, 25 of his 44 catches came from the slot.
If the trade works out as well as last year’s Jay Ajayi swap, then Roseman will be happy. Ajayi, acquired from the Dolphins for a fourth-round pick, led the Eagles in rushing yards in the playoffs on the way to the Super Bowl.
Lane Johnson Tears MCL
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson suffered an MCL tear in his left knee during the team’s win over Jacksonville in London today, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The Eagles are on a bye next week, but Johnson nonetheless could miss an extended period of time. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that Johnson, who was already dealing with an ankle injury (to the same leg), will be sidelined for about a month. McLane adds that the 2017 First Team All-Pro will have further testing when the team returns to Philadelphia.
Johnson, whom the team selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2013 draft, is having another excellent season. He is currently ranked as the 10th-best tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus, and the Eagles — whose running game is already sputtering — will miss him dearly during his absence.
Johnson’s fellow bookend, left tackle Jason Peters, also left today’s game with a head injury. Though Peters did return to action, he has not been playing to his usual standards this year, and he is dealing with other health issues of his own (plus, he is 36 and is clearly on the tail end of his career).
There have been no trade rumors surrounding tackles in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline, and the Eagles will likely ask Halapoulivaati Vaitai to fill in at right tackle while Johnson is out.
Johnson signed a lucrative five-year extension in January 2016, which was restructured (to his benefit) last March. He is under club control through 2021.