NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/4/18
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves.
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Josh Hawkins
- Placed on injured list: DE Kiante Anderson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Brad Seaton
- Cut: OL Christian DiLauro
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DB Treston Decoud, DT Aziz Shittu, G Cody Wichmann
- Cut: DE Charles Tapper
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE MyCole Pruitt
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Lenzy Pipkins
- Cut: CB D.J. White
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Justin Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OL Evan Boehm
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Josh Banks
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Joe Walker
- Cut: LB Asantay Brown
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Branden Jackson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Damore’ea Stringfellow
- Cut: WR Austin Proehl
Eagles Re-Sign Markus Wheaton, Place Richard Rodgers on IR
Markus Wheaton, who was released on Saturday, is back in Philadelphia according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Wheaton, who was among the casualties of Saturday’s roster cut-down, now rejoins a receiving corp that’s expected to be with out number one threat Alshon Jeffery for at least the first couple of games. It looks like the Eagles were planning on bringing Wheaton back the entire time, and were just waiting to clear up a spot.
To make room on the roster, the team placed tight end Richard Rodgers on injured reserve. Rodgers, who suffered a knee injury in the Eagles’ second preseason game, will be eligible to return after eight games. At the time of his injury, Rodgers was labeled week-to-week, but clearly the Eagles felt he wasn’t valuable enough to hold a roster spot for.
Wheaton has always been a player who’s production has never equaled his potential. After a breakout 2015 season where he caught 44 passes for 749 yards and five touchdowns with the Steelers, he’s played in just 14 games over the past two seasons, catching just seven passes total for 102 yards. Last offseason he signed a two-year $11MM contract with $5MM guaranteed with the Bears, and was an epic bust, catching just four balls during his time in Chicago. He signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Eagles this past May, and will be facing an uphill battle to revive his career in a crowded skill players group.
Eagles Rework S Malcolm Jenkins’ Contract
Just three days before the Eagles kickoff the 2018 NFL season on Thursday against the Falcons, the team has freed up some cap space. Safety Malcolm Jenkins is restructuring his contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). 
While Yates reports that “Jenkins earns the same amount of money”, the Eagles will create $6.148MM in cap space. In other words, it isn’t a pay cut for Jenkins, but rather a procedural move that will give the Eagles additional flexibility. It likely involves converting some of Jenkins’ base salaries into a signing bonus that will spread the cap hit over multiple seasons.
Jenkins is heading into the second year of a four-year, $35MM contract extension. One of the league’s best safeties, Jenkins has started all 64 games that he’s been with the team since signing with Philadelphia as a free agent after the 2013 season. A two-time Super Bowl champion, Jenkins had eight passes defended and two interceptions last year.
It’s unclear what the Eagles plan on doing with the additional salary cap space, but it’s possible they’re planning a move for one of the bigger name free agents out there, and will need the space to sign them. Whatever their intentions, we should have more clarity on their plans soon.
Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC East
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, and Redskins are noted below.
Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s NFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Dallas Cowboys
Claimed:
Cut:
Practice squad:
- WR Dres Anderson
- OT Jake Campos
- RB Jordan Chunn
- RB Darius Jackson
- WR Lance Lenoir
- CB Donovan Olumba
- LB Kyle Queiro
- DE Charles Tapper
New York Giants
Claimed:
- WR Kaelin Clay
- DL Mario Edwards
- DB Antonio Hamilton
- DB Michael Jordan
- DB Kamrin Moore
- C Spencer Pulley
Cut:
- TE Jerell Adams
- DT Josh Banks
- CB William Gay
- G John Jerry
- WR Hunter Sharp
- QB Davis Webb
Practice squad:
- LB Avery Moss
- LB Calvin Munson
- WR Alonzo Russell
- WR Jawill Davis
- TE Garrett Dickerson
- DB Grant Haley
- RB Jhurell Pressley
- T Victor Salako
Philadelphia Eagles
Claimed:
Cut:
- LB Joe Walker
Practice squad:
- RB Josh Adams
- CB Chandon Sullivan
- CB De’Vante Bausby
- DT Winston Craig
- LB Asantay Brown
- DE Joe Ostman
- C Jon Toth
- WR Greg Ward Jr.
- WR Rashard Davis
- TE Billy Brown
Washington Redskins
Practice squad:
- RB Kapri Bibbs
- WR Simmie Cobbs
- TE Matt Flanagan
- WR Darvin Kidsy
- DB Kenny Ladler
- LB Cassanova McKinzy
- T Timon Parris
- DL JoJo Wicker
Eagles To Acquire DB Deiondre’ Hall From Bears
The Eagles will acquire defensive back Deiondre’ Hall from the Bears, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Chicago will receive a conditional seventh-round pick in 2019.
Hall, a fourth-round pick in 2016, has appeared in 10 games over two seasons with Chicago. Last year, Hall spent the majority of the campaign on injured reserve after suffering a torn hamstring, but was activated in December. While he could conceivably contribute on defense, Hall will likely focus on special teams in Philadelphia, where the team’s depth on defense could limit his overall opportunities.
Hall is suspended for the first game of the regular season, so he won’t immediately count on the Eagles’ roster. He’s signed through the 2019 season, and will collect minimum salaries in each of the next two years.
Eagles Cut Down To 53
The Eagles’ receiving corps became a bit younger on Saturday. Two veterans brought in as possible depth pieces — Markus Wheaton and Kamar Aiken — were informed they will be released.
So was potential secondary cog De’Vante Bausby and rookie UDFA running back Josh Adams, given one of this year’s largest guarantees among the undrafted contingent. Philadelphia also placed safety Chris Maragos on its Reserve/PUP list, shelving him for at least six weeks.
Here are the players the Eagles will not be including on their initial 2018 53-man roster:
Released:
- WR Kamar Aiken
- DE Steven Means
- WR Markus Wheaton
Waived:
- RB Josh Adams
- CB De’Vante Bausby
- LB Asantay Brown
- TE Billy Brown
- QB Joe Callahan
- DT Winston Craig
- WR Rashard Davis
- TE Anthony Denham
- G Aaron Evans
- DE Danny Ezechukwu
- S Ironhead Gallon
- G Darrell Greene
- QB Christian Hackenberg
- T Taylor Hart
- RB Matt Jones
- DE Joe Ostman
- WR Darius Prince
- RB Donnel Pumphrey
- DT Elijah Qualls
- S Jeremy Reaves
- DT Aziz Shittu
- CB Chandon Sullivan
- C Jon Toth
- WR Bryce Treggs
- WR Greg Ward
- LB Jaboree Williams
- LB Kyle Wilson
- WR Tim Wilson
Waived with an injury designation:
Placed on Reserve/NFI list:
Placed on Reserve/PUP list
Eagles To Start Nick Foles In Week 1
While Carson Wentz is close to returning, the Eagles will play it safe for the time being. Nick Foles will start for the defending Super Bowl champions in Week 1 against the Falcons, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Wentz is on the verge of completing a “fantastic” rehab, in the Eagles’ eyes, after tearing an ACL and LCL late last year. The Eagles, however, are prioritizing Wentz’s long-term health over having him start before he’s 100 percent ready, Rapoport adds.
The starter’s been cleared for 11-on-11 sessions but interestingly has not been given the green light for contact work yet. So, Foles will start the season after delivering Philadelphia its first Super Bowl title. The Eagles redid Foles’ contract this offseason and turned down trade offers for their high-level backup.
While Foles did not perform well in the Eagles’ dress-rehearsal game in Cleveland, he still delivered a dominant postseason and will face the Falcons for the second time this year.
Seahawks Place CB Byron Maxwell On IR
Byron Maxwell is going to be out for a while. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Seahawks have placed the cornerback on the injured reserve.
After signing a lucrative six-year, $63 million contract with the Eagles back in 2015, Maxwell has bounced around the NFL. He had a brief stint with the Dolphins before returning to the Seahawks, who originally drafted him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft.
During his first ‘season’ back in Seattle (Maxwell was traded after appearing in two games for Miami in 2017), the cornerback compiled 38 tackles, seven passes defended, and one interception in seven games (six starts).
Despite serving as a starter down the stretch of the 2017 season, Maxwell was expected to play more of a reserve role in 2018. His placement on the IR likely means Tre Flowers or Neiko Thorpe will have a better chance of earning a roster spot behind Justin Coleman, Shaquill Griffin, and Dontae Johnson.
Eagles S Chris Maragos Reworks Deal
Eagles defensive back Chris Maragos has agreed to a reworked deal that will eliminate the 2019 season of his contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
It’s unclear if Maragos gave up anything financially in order to hit free agency a year earlier than was previously scheduled. Maragos was due a base salary of $1.75MM in 2018, and Yates reports Maragos will now earn “up to” $1.75MM this season, so it’s possible the veteran defender agreed to a lower salary with incentives that can bring him back to even.
Maragos had been set to earn a $2MM base salary in 2019, but that figure will now be removed from the Eagles’ books next season. As part of a three-year, $6MM extension he inked in 2016, Maragos received a $1MM signing bonus, which prorated onto his salary cap charges. As such, Philadelphia is still responsible for Maragos’ $250K in 2019 bonus money.
Maragos, 31, ended last season on injured reserve with a PCL issue, and his lengthy recovery has forced him on to the physically unable to perform list. He hasn’t participated in any of the Eagles’ training camp sessions or preseason games, and it appears that he’ll remain on PUP to begin the regular season. That designation would force Maragos to miss at least six games to begin the 2018 campaign.
Colts’ Austin Howard, Eagles’ Chance Warmack Among OL On Trade Block?
Colts tackle Austin Howard, Eagles guard Chance Warmack, Bears center Hroniss Grasu, and Raiders tackle Jylan Ware are among the offensive linemen who could be made available via trade this weekend, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com.
Trade candidates are often simply players who will be released if no offer is made, and Howard is a clear case of that principle. The Colts already invested $1.3MM guaranteed in Howard, but he’s not a lock to open as Indianapolis’ starting right tackle or even make the club’s 53-man roster. A veteran of 92 NFL games, Howard wasn’t medically cleared until late July and has struggled in camp and during the preseason.
Warmack, too, looks like a candidate for release, as he hasn’t been included on numerous Eagles roster projections. Philadelphia extended Warmack last September, adding an extra year (2018) to his contract while guaranteeing $500K of his $1MM base salary. A trade would be especially beneficial to the Eagles, then, as an acquiring team would take on that base salary guarantee. Philadelphia could use the cap space, as it ranks a bottom-five team in financial reserves.
Both Grasu and Ware are also on the roster bubble with their respective teams. Neither offers much experience: Grasu, a third-round pick in 2015, has been beset by injuries and appeared in just 14 games, while Ware, a 2017 seventh-rounder, has just one contest under his belt.