Ravens Let Go Of WRs Malik Cunningham, Anthony Miller On Way To 53
The Ravens have gotten down to the required 53-man roster. Here’s how they did it:
Released:
- CB Ka’dar Hollman
- RB John Kelly
- WR Keith Kirkwood
- WR Anthony Miller
- S Daryl Worley
Waived:
- T Corey Bullock
- RB Chris Collier
- CB Bump Cooper Jr.
- WR Malik Cunningham
- G Darrian Dalcourt
- OLB Joe Evans
- TE Qadir Ismail
- QB Emory Jones
- QB Devin Leary
- G Tashawn Manning
- T Julian Pearl
- DE C.J. Ravenell
- LB Yvandy Rigby
- LB Josh Ross
- WR Dayton Wade
- CB Damarion Williams
Waived/injured:
- NT Deadrin Senat
- DT Josh Tupou
Placed on IR:
- LB Deion Jennings
- CB Christian Matthew
- CB Trayvon Mullen
- WR Isaiah Washington
- RB Owen Wright
Placed on IR (designated for return):
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
Baltimore will be without the veteran Maulet or electric Mitchell for at least four games to start the season. The other injured reserve placements, which includes two undrafted free agent signings, will miss the entire 2024 season.
For the second year in a row, the Ravens showed questionable draft decision-making as a draft pick from the current year failed to make the 53-man roster. Last year saw fifth-round cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly get waived, while this year sees sixth-round Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary get the early axe. Such occurrences were not common under former general manager Ozzie Newsome, and Ravens fans will hope that Eric DeCosta doesn’t make a habit out of wasting draft picks.
On the other hand, DeCosta continued a usual trend of analytical excellence as the Ravens continued what has become a tradition of seeing at least one undrafted rookie make the initial 53-man roster. This year, the honor goes to Maryland safety Beau Brade. Baltimore chose to enlist the young prospective talent of Brade over retaining the veteran experience of Worley, who has seen some decent time on the Ravens defense in recent years.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/24
Today’s minor transactions to wrap up the weekend:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Spencer Brown, QB John Paddock
- Placed on IR: CB Harrison Hand, OLB Bralen Trice
- Waived: QB Nathan Rourke
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: P Jack Browning, WR Anthony Miller (story)
- Waived: G Tykeem Doss, LS Randen Plattner
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: G Jack Anderson, DT Walter Palmore, WR Tayvion Robinson, T Tyler Smith
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Deven Thompkins
- Waived: CB Willie Drew, K Harrison Mevis, RB Jaden Shirden
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DT Jaylon Hutchings
- Waived: RB Demetric Felton
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Abraham Beauplan, T Jamarco Jones
- Placed on IR: DL Nate Lynn
- Waived (with injury designation): T Connor Galvin
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: LB Ty Summers
New York Giants
- Waived: RB Jacob Saylors
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Neal Johnson
- Waived (with injury designation): LB Jimmy Ciarlo
Trice will unfortunately see his rookie season come to an end before it began. The third-round pick out of Washington exited Atlanta’s first preseason game with a knee injury that was later confirmed to be a torn ACL. Trice had been working his way into to outside linebacker rotation with the Falcons.
With Mevis getting cut, it seems the Panthers’ kicking battle has been decided. The rookie kicker, known as the “Thicker Kicker” at Missouri, was brought in to provide incumbent kicker Eddy Pineiro with competition for the job. Mevis’ departure leaves Pineiro as the only remaining kicker on the roster, putting an end to any competition.
Ravens Expected To Sign WR Anthony Miller
The Ravens are set to make another veteran addition at the receiver spot. Baltimore is expected to sign Anthony Miller, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. 
[RELATED: Ravens Sign Russell Gage]
Miller’s last regular season action came in 2021. He split his time between the Texans and Steelers that year, making just six receptions. That production fell well short of that from his tenure with the Bears, which lasted from 2018-20. That spell included a seven-touchdown rookie campaign and a career-high 656 yards and 52 receptions the following season.
The former second-rounder caught on with the 49ers late in the 2023 offseason, but he did not survive the team’s roster cutdown. That led Miller to a brief tenure on the Colts’ practice squad and, later in the campaign, a futures deal with the Chiefs. Kansas City prioritized additions via free agency and the draft at the receiver position, though, and in May Miller was let go.
The 29-year-old had not been connected to any visits or interest from teams until today. Baltimore’s offseason did not consist of much in the way of roster moves amongst receivers, but the team will once again add depth presuming this Miller deal goes through. He will compete for a spot in a WR room consisting of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, fourth-round rookie Devontez Walker and returner Deonte Harty in addition to recent signing Russell Gage.
The Ravens have not had a pass-happy offense during the Lamar Jackson era, and the addition of Derrick Henry in the backfield has led to the expectation of a ground-based attack continuing in 2024. Miller’s sparse production will no doubt limit his value to the league minimum on a Baltimore pact, and he will have work to do to carve out a roster spot. The team’s remaining training camp practices and preseason schedule will provide him with the opportunity to do just that, though.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/3/24
Friday’s minor NFL transactions:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: WR Anthony Miller
- Waived: LB Jordan Smith, WR Shi Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: T Le’Raven Clark
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/20/23
Today’s practice squad updates:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: FB Ben Mason
Carolina Panthers
- Released: QB Jake Luton
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Craig James
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Izaiah Gathings, WR Anthony Miller
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: CB Troy Pride Jr.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from practice squad/injured reserve: T Silas Dzansi
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/17/23
Today’s practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: S Andrew Adams
Chicago Bears
- Signed: QB Trace McSorley
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Mohamed Ibrahim
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Anthony Johnson
- Released: CB Kiondre Thomas
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Tyrod Cleveland, RB Zavier Scott
- Released: WR Racey McMath, WR Anthony Miller, G Dakoda Shepley
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: LB Isaiah Moore
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OT Jalen McKenzie
- Released: WR Malik Flowers
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Quinton Bell
New England Patriots
- Signed: OT Conor McDermott
Colts Add QB Kellen Mond, WR Anthony Miller To Practice Squad
With Anthony Richardson sidelined with a shoulder injury, the Colts are adding some quarterback depth. Jordan Schultz reports that the Colts have signed QB Kellen Mond to the practice squad. The signing is pending a physical, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
[RELATED: Colts QB Anthony Richardson Suffers Shoulder Injury]
Mond was one of several QBs to work out for the Colts today, with NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reporting that the team also took a look at Holton Ahlers, Trace McSorley, and Anthony Brown. Ultimately, the Colts decided to go with the former Vikings third-round pick.
Mond was selected with the 66th-overall pick in the 2021 draft, and there was hope that he could eventually replace Kirk Cousins as Minnesota’s starting QB. Instead, the Texas A&M product lasted a year with the organization before getting waived prior to the 2022 campaign. He spent all of last season with the Browns and stuck around Cleveland for the 2023 preseason.
The 24-year-old will be a temporary QB3 in Indianapolis. Gardner Minshew will be the starter with Richardson sidelined, and former sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger will serve as the QB2.
Since being diagnosed with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain, Richardson has been seeking multiple opinions before deciding his next step. That additional testing will determine whether the rookie requires a trip to injured reserve, a move that would put Minshew in position to start for at least the next four games.
The Colts weren’t done making moves today. Schultz reports that the organization has also added wide receiver Anthony Miller to the practice squad. The former second-round pick was productive through his first three seasons in the NFL, averaging 50 catches for 570 yards per season. He’s bounced around the league a bit since getting traded during the 2021 offseason, spending time with the Texans, Steelers, and 49ers.
49ers Place Nick Bosa On Reserve/Did Not Report List, Pare Roster To 53
The 49ers joined the Chiefs in placing their best defensive player on the reserve/did not report list due to a holdout and joined the other 30 teams in finalizing their 53-man roster. Some changes are expected, with veterans pledged to stay. But here is how the 49ers reached 53:
Released:
- DL Austin Bryant
- WR Chris Conley
- TE Troy Fumagalli
- RB Brian Hill
- DL Kerry Hyder
- DL T.Y. McGill
- RB Jeremy McNichols
- WR Anthony Miller
- WR Willie Snead
Waived:
- DL Alex Barrett
- FB Jack Colletto
- DL Marlon Davidson
- OL Joey Fisher
- OL Alfredo Gutierrez
- S Myles Hartsfield
- OL Keith Ismael
- CB D’Shawn Jamison
- S Qwuantrezz Knight
- OL Corey Luciano
- OL Ilm Manning
- WR Tay Martin
- LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
- OL Jason Poe
- LB Curtis Robinson
- CB Tre Swilling
- OL Leroy Watson
- WR Isaiah Winstead
Placed on reserve/did not report list:
- DE Nick Bosa
Placed on IR:
- K Zane Gonzalez
- S Tayler Hawkins
- TE Cameron Latu (story)
- CB A.J. Parker
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
The 49ers are planning to re-sign Hyder and Bryant once they make other roster moves, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Both are vested veterans who are not subject to waivers. With Samson Ebukam and Charles Omenihu gone, Hyder figures to be a key piece as a rotational defensive end. He is with the 49ers for the third time in four seasons. After an 8.5-sack slate in 2020, Hyder signed with the Seahawks. But Seattle released him in 2021, leading the veteran back to the Bay Area.
San Francisco’s 53-man roster will include Bosa soon, and this holdout does not appear as contentious as the Chris Jones-Chiefs standoff. John Lynch has indicated the 49ers will waive Bosa’s fines for missing training camp — an option the 49ers have due to Bosa being tied to a rookie contract. While the 49ers changed defensive coordinators, bringing in Steve Wilks to replace DeMeco Ryans, D-line coach Kris Kocurek remains in place. Bosa should be able to hit the ground running once he returns, though the 49ers are running short on time here.
Gonzalez suffered a calf injury Kyle Shanahan said would keep him out a few weeks. With the veteran landing on IR, an injury settlement is likely. The 49ers used a third-round pick on Michigan kicker Jake Moody, but Barrows notes the strained quadriceps injury he suffered may keep him out of Week 1. On that note, the 49ers worked out Tristan Vizcaino and Taylor Russolino, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area notes. Robbie Gould, the 49ers’ kicker for the past six seasons, remains unsigned.
49ers, WR Anthony Miller Agree To Deal
The 49ers are shorthanded at the moment with respect to their depth receivers, and an addition is being made as a result. Anthony Miller has agreed to a deal in San Francisco, reports Jordan Schultz of the Score (Twitter link).
Miller flashed potential during his three seasons with the Bears, particularly in 2019. That year, he posted 52 catches for 656 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but he found himself being dealt to Houston ahead of the 2021 campaign. The former second-rounder soon found himself in Pittsburgh, where he made a single appearance.
A shoulder injury left Miller sidelined for the entire 2022 season, and the Steelers released him this past June. To no surprise, the former second-rounder has found himself on the open market since then as teams have looked elsewhere for complimentary pass-catching options. San Francisco’s WR depth chart is headlined by Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, but a depth spot could be available for Miller at least to start the regular season.
2022 third-rounder Danny Gray is dealing with a right SC joint sprain in his shoulder, head coach Kyle Shanahan said on the weekend (Twitter link via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). A firm timetable for Gray’s return is not in place, but he is likely to miss time at the start of the year. He made only a single catch as a rookie despite playing 10 games, and the presence of Samuel, Ayiuk, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud and Ronnie Bell could leave Gray with a difficult path to signficant playing time upon his return.
It could also make it difficult for Miller, 28, to carve out a role presuming he survives final roster cuts next week. This deal will nevertheless allow him another chance to find a permanent home in the NFL, and prove that he has recovered in full from last year’s injury.
Steelers Sign LB Nick Kwiatkoski
Nick Kwiatkoski‘s minicamp audition with the Steelers will lead to an agreement. The Pittsburgh-area native agreed to terms with his hometown team Tuesday, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).
The veteran linebacker will head back to Pennsylvania after spending the 2022 season in Atlanta. Kwiatkoski joins Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts as veteran linebackers added to the Steelers’ equation this offseason. It is a one-year deal, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).
This marks the third Kwiatkoski contract agreement in four years, though the West Virginia alum also agreed to multiple Raiders restructures. The Raiders signed the former Bears part-time starter to a three-year, $21MM deal in 2020, but after the team cut bait in 2022, worse terms awaited from the Falcons. But Atlanta still afforded an opportunity — on a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum. Considering this is a June addition after a minicamp tryout, Kwiatkoski’s Steelers terms are likely similar to what he received from the Falcons.
Drafted in the 2016 fourth round by the Bears a month after their Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman signings, Kwiatkoski ended up moving into Chicago’s starting lineup frequently over his first two seasons. He started 13 games from 2016-17, and even after the Bears made Roquan Smith a top-10 pick in 2018, they still needed Kwiatkoski for eight starts during his 2019 contract year. He parlayed that into the Raiders accord, with the Silver and Black signing he and Cory Littleton in March 2020. Neither deal worked out, and both off-ball ‘backers were gone as the Dave Ziegler–Josh McDaniels regime took over last year.
Kwiatkoski, 30, played 12 Falcons games last season, working mostly as a special-teamer. He logged 228 special teams snaps, marking his third season with at least 200 ST plays. While Kwiatkoski has started 34 career games, he profiles as a depth piece in Pittsburgh. The Bethel Park High alum joins offseason addition Tanner Muse and 2022 seventh-round pick Mark Robinson as the Steelers’ top non-Holcomb and Roberts options. Depth could be key here, with Holcomb coming off a December foot surgery.
Additionally, the Steelers released wide receiver Anthony Miller. A former Kwiatkoski Bears teammate whom the team chose in the 2018 second round, Miller has been unable to find his NFL footing since a promising 2019 season (656 receiving yards). The Bears traded Miller to the Texans in July 2021, but Houston waived him soon after. The Jaguars and Steelers took subsequent fliers later that year, and Miller ended up sticking with Pittsburgh for a bit. But he only played in one game with the Steelers. The ex-Chicago slot suffered a shoulder injury while competing for a Steelers job in training camp last year and spent the season on IR.