Commanders Release 12, Place OL Braeden Daniels On IR
With roster cuts in full swing, the Commanders are among the teams to unveil their latest list of players who will not be on their initial 53-man roster. The team announced the release of the following 12 players:
- WR Zion Bowens
- LB Milo Eifler
- CB DaMarcus Fields
- LB Ferrod Gardner
- S Joshua Kalu
- WR Marcus Kemp
- DT Isaiah Mack
- DT Anthony Montalvo
- T/G Aaron Montiero
- RB Jaret Patterson
- DE Joshua Pryor
- CB DJ Stirgus
Kalu and Kemp have the most NFL experience amongst the group. The former has made 44 appearances since 2020, all with the Titans. After primarily playing on special teams, the 28-year-old saw a signficant jump in playing time last season with a 44% defensive snap share. Kalu signed with the Commanders earlier this month, but he will now have the chance to find another opportunity as a depth option in the secondary.
Kemp, meanwhile, is a veteran of the Chiefs over most of the past five years. He has been used sparingly on offense, but the defending champions relied on him early and often with respect to special teams contributions. The Commanders have a well-established pecking order amongst their pass-catchers on offense, but Kemp would have provided a known commodity in the third phase if retained. He still could do so, of course, if he winds up being retained via the practice squad.
Patterson has played in 20 games in Washington since joining the team as a UDFA. He saw more opportunities as a rookie in 2021 than he did last year, but the Buffalo alum still showcased an ability to contribute on offense and special teams. The 23-year-old operated briefly as a kicker returner in 2022, and with the top of the RB depth chart accounted for in Washington, that may represent a path to playing time moving forward if Patterson is to remain in the nation’s capital.
In addition to the above cuts, the Commanders placed fourth-round rookie Braeden Daniels on IR, meaning he will be sidelined for the entire campaign. Daniels suffered a torn rotator cuff in the team’s preseason finale, reports ESPN’s John Keim.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/23
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: WR Denzel Mims
Green Bay Packers
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: OL Jake Hanson
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Keaton Sutherland
- Placed on IR: OL Kilian Zierer
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: T Brandon Parker
New York Giants
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: OL Devery Hamilton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Re-signed: T Fred Johnson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: DT Anthony Montalvo
The Lions made a minor trade for Mims earlier this month, ending the former second-round pick’s unremarkable Jets tenure. But Mims struggled to catch on in Detroit as well. The Baylor alum is now headed toward free agency, should no one claim him. The Lions waived Mims with an injury designation, due to the fourth-year wideout encountering multiple ailments.
Parker landed on IR earlier this month. The Raiders will cut their former third-round pick loose. Depending on the terms of the settlement, Parker could return to the Raiders later this year. The sixth-year veteran could also land elsewhere, as this transaction will move him off Las Vegas’ IR. But the 32-game Raiders starter missed all of last season due to injury and moved out of the right tackle competition via injury once again this year.
The Eagles have circled back to Johnson quickly. After cutting the fifth-year veteran Wednesday, the defending NFC champions have him back in the fold on a two-year contract. The 26-year-old lineman had recently been promoted to second-team left tackle. Johnson started eight games for the Bengals from 2019-21.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/23
Minor transactions around the league heading into Week 2 of the preseason:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: G Braylon Jones
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived/injured: CB Jordan Swann
- Waived with injury settlement: S Jaquan Amos
Chicago Bears
- Reverted to IR: LB Buddy Johnson
Houston Texans
- Signed: RB Larry Rountree
- Waived: G Keaton Sutherland
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR D.J. Montgomery
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: T Nicolas Melsop
Miami Dolphins
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: CB Mark Gilbert
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: QB Jordan Ta’amu
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OLB LaDarius Hamilton, DT Tomasi Laulile
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Anthony Montalvo
Ta’amu and Laulile become the 55th and 56th players from the 2023 XFL season to sign an NFL contract. Ta’amu has spent time with five different NFL squads since going undrafted out of Ole Miss in 2019. In 2022, Ta’amu lead the USFL in both passing yards and touchdowns. In this past XFL season, Ta’amu was awarded Offensive Player of the Year honors for his efforts in DC. After gaining starting experience in the USFL and XFL over the past two years, Ta’amu will hope to make his first NFL appearance with his sixth NFL team.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/23
Here are the minor transactions from around the league as we wrap up training camp and officially head into the preseason:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Stevie Scott
Carolina Panthers
- Reverted to reserve/PUP: DE Jalen Redmond
- Waived from PUP: DL John Penisini
Chicago Bears
- Activated from NFI: WR Dante Pettis
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Ra’Shaun Henry, WR JJ Koski
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Devine Ozigbo
- Waived: WR Avery Davis
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from NFI: DL Neil Farrell
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived/injured: T Nicolas Melsop
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Joe Giles-Harris
New Orleans Saints
- Waived/injured: G Koda Martin
New York Jets
- Reverted to IR: T Yodny Cajuste
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from IR with injury settlement: CB Terrance Mitchell
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Anthony Montalvo
- Reverted to IR: CB Andrew Whitaker
- Waived/injured: OLB Josh Onujiogu
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/23
Here are today’s minor moves as the weekend comes to a close:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from PUP: DT Jordan Phillips
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: TE Chase Allen
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: G Yasir Durant
Green Bay Packers
- Released: Danny Etling
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Khalil Davis
- Claimed off waivers (from Commanders): G Keaton Sutherland
- Placed on IR: T DJ Scaife
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from PUP: DT Byron Young
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Da’Shawn Hand, CB Parry Nickerson
- Waived: DT Anthony Montalvo
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: DL James Lynch (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: RB Eno Benjamin (story)
New York Jets
- Waived/injured: LB Maalik Hall, LB Hamsah Nasirildeen
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Josh Andrews
- Waived/injured: WR Charleston Rambo
- Released: LB Davion Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Roderick Perry
- Activated from PUP: CB Tariq Woolen
- Waived: DE MJ Anderson
Washington Commanders
- Waived: G Keaton Sutherland
Andrews joins Philadelphia as a potentially strong depth piece on the offensive line. The seven-year veteran has played 48 games over the years with five different teams, so rejoining the Eagles, even with a new staff from when he left, shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Last year, he started five of the six games he played with the Saints.
Woolen underwent arthroscopic knee surgery back in May and was given a four-to-six-week recovery timeline. He was forced to start camp on the physically unable to perform list, but it’s time for him to make his way back to the field. Last year’s other starter at cornerback, Michael Jackson, has had a great camp and rookie Devon Witherspoon is pushing for a starting role, so Woolen will be glad to get back and reestablish his role in the secondary.
Dolphins Sign 21 UDFAs
The Dolphins had to add a large number of undrafted free agents after finishing the 2023 draft with only four selections. Here are the rookies that will join the four-man draft class:
- LB Mitchell Agude (Miami)
- QB James Blackman (Arkansas State)
- CB Ethan Bonner (Stanford)
- RB Chris Brooks (BYU)
- DE Randy Charlton (Mississippi State)
- WR Chris Coleman (Cal Poly)
- WR Daewood Davis (Western Kentucky)
- TE Julian Hill (Campbell)
- OT Jarrett Horst (Michigan State)
- OL Alex Jensen (South Dakota)
- LB Aubrey Miller (Jackson State)
- DT Anthony Montalvo (UCF)
- LB Garrett Nelson (Nebraska)
- DT Brandon Pili (USC)
- OL DJ Scaife (Miami)
- S Keidron Smith (Kentucky)
- OT James Tunstall (Cincinnati)
- P Michael Turk (Oklahoma)
- OL Alama Uluave (San Diego State)
- LB Zeke Vandenburgh (Illinois State)
- S Bennett Williams (Oregon)
The Dolphins added a number of prospects who played in the South Florida area, either in college or high school. Scaife did both, starting 52 games for the Hurricanes at guard and tackle after a high school career at Miami Southridge. His teammate, Agude, only spent one season as a Hurricane after transferring over from UCLA. Charlton was a high school teammate of Scaife’s and spent time at UCF before transferring to Mississippi State.
Additionally, Blackman went to high school just south of Lake Okeechobee in South Bay before making starts at Florida State and Arkansas State. The lanky quarterback comes in as QB4 behind Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, and Skylar Thompson. Davis went to Deerfield Beach in South Florida before transferring from Oregon to Western Kentucky. Davis brings some interesting versatility, playing cornerback for the Ducks before catching 15 touchdowns over two years as a Hilltopper receiver. Finally, Smith grew up in West Palm Beach before transferring from Ole Miss to Kentucky.
After Thomas Morstead‘s short stint as the team’s punter, Miami signed former Patriot Jake Bailey. Bailey missed some time in New England with both injury and suspension, so perhaps Turk’s signing here is a backup plan to stash on the practice squad in case Bailey misses more time next season.