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Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/24

September 21st, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Players like Hollman, Vigil, Webb, and Quarterman will now be getting called up for the third time this season. The NFL rules limit a practice squad player to three standard gameday elevations per contract. If their teams want to get them into more games in the future, the normal route is for them to be signed to the active roster after this weekend then released/waived and signed to new practice squad deals, starting their three-game count over.

Shy Tuttle‘s foot injury will keep him off the field for Week 3, as the Panthers announced that the defensive tackle has been downgraded from doubtful to out. The Panthers called up Williams to temporarily take the open roster spot. The defensive end started 10 of his 16 appearances for the Panthers last season, and he landed back on Carolina’s practice squad last month after spending the preseason with the Bills.

The Browns announced a handful of moves ahead of their game with the Giants tomorrow. Notably, the team didn’t promote any offensive tackles, which provided some optimism surrounding the availability of their injured tackles. While Jedrick Wills Jr. is expected to play (per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal), Jack Conklin will not (per Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland). Conklin hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2023 season while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. He practiced this week and was initially listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, but it sounds like a new hamstring injury is the culprit for his Week 3 absence.

With both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce set to miss Sunday’s trip to Minnesota, the Texans are bringing up Taylor off the practice squad. Taylor will back up Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale against the Vikings this weekend.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC East

August 28th, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles and Giants moves are noted below.

Dallas Cowboys

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

New York Giants

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Philadelphia Eagles

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Washington Commanders

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Cowboys Reduce Roster To 53 Players

August 27th, 2024 at 11:03pm CST by Ely Allen

After some late trades and signings, the Cowboys joined in the NFL’s mass exodus of players to get their roster down to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

  • T Nathan Thomas

Placed on IR (designated for return):

A number of veterans who were hoping to make the team in Dallas this year saw that hope come to an end. Freeman couldn’t compete with the young backups behind Ezekiel Elliott. Lawson couldn’t contribute to a depleted defensive line, either.

Rogers, the team’s seventh-round pick out of Auburn, is the only drafted rookie to be waived, though Thomas, the team’s other seventh-round pick out of Louisiana, will miss the entire season on injured reserve.

Brevyn Spann-Ford didn’t end up getting drafted, but the 24-year-old, 6-foot-7 tight end out of Minnesota will be the fourth tight end on the roster to start the year.

Cowboys Sign DE Carl Lawson

August 19th, 2024 at 3:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

AUGUST 19: Lawson’s pact has a base value of $1.13MM, but incentives can increase that total, as detailed by ESPN’s Todd Archer. Reaching each of the five- or seven-sack thresholds would yield $125K in additional compensation; the same amount is available for logging a 55% or 65% defensive snap share. Hitting all of those marks in addition to the Cowboys reaching the playoffs would result in another $500K for Lawson.

AUGUST 15: Carl Lawson has been busy recently with respect to free agent visits, and one of his workouts has led to a deal. The veteran edge rusher is signing with the Cowboys, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

[RELATED: Cowboys Acquire Jordan Phillips From Giants]

Lawson has long remained one of the top edge rush options on the market following the end of his Jets tenure. The 29-year-old was one of four pass rushers the Cowboys hosted earlier this month, although no deal was immediately worked out. Both Al-Quadin Muhammad and Shaka Toney landed Dallas deals in the aftermath of their visits, but the latter was waived/injured yesterday.

In the wake of that development, the Cowboys have circled back to Lawson. The former Bengals fourth-rounder racked up 20 sacks in four seasons with Cincinnati, and he joined the Jets in 2021 with major expectations. An Achilles tear kept him sidelined for the entire season, but he returned to action the following year. Lawson recorded seven sacks in his debut Jets campaign. In 2023, however, things took a notably different turn.

The Auburn alum only suited up for six games last season, and he was held without a sack or QB hit. It thus came as little surprise Lawson endured a lengthy spell on the open market after his April visit with the Dolphins. More recently, he worked out with the Panthers and Cardinals in addition to auditioning for the Cowboys. Looking for depth on the edge, Dallas will add Lawson for the rest of training camp on a deal which will be worth far less than the three-year, $15MM one he previously landed with the Jets.

Dallas is set atop the depth chart with Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. Muhammad and second-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland are set to handle rotational roles in the wake of Sam Williams‘ ACL tear. Lawson will now spend the coming weeks looking to carve out a role as part of that group ahead of roster cutdowns. A return to regular usage could set up an earlier free agent deal being worked out next offseason.

Cardinals Host Carl Lawson

August 8th, 2024 at 9:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

Carl Lawson continues to draw interest around the league. The veteran edge rusher recently visited the Cardinals, per ESPN’s Field Yates.

[RELATED: Cardinals Extend Zaven Collins]

Lawson lined up a visit with the Dolphins in April, but that did not produce a deal. Remaining on the market deep into the offseason, the 29-year-old has also met with the Panthers and Cowboys. He now has the chance to join the Cardinals, a team looking for depth options along the edge as the regular season nears.

Arizona signed Marquis Haynes on Tuesday, and he will provide the team with a veteran presence over at least the coming weeks. That move came in the wake of BJ Ojulari being lost for the season. The 2023 second-rounder suffered an ACL tear, sidelining him until the start of next year at the earliest. Lawson could help further fill the void created by Ojulari’s injury.

The Auburn alum established himself as a full-time starter during his time with the Bengals (2017-20). Lawson’s production earned him a three-year, $45MM deal with the Jets in free agency, but an Achilles tear delayed his debut campaign with the team by one year. The former fourth-rounder served in a first-team role in 2022, totaling seven sacks and 26 QB pressures. Last year, though, he fell out of favor and played only six games.

The Cardinals currently have more than $33MM in cap space, so another signing at the edge spot would not be a problem. Lawson’s poor showing in 2023 would also keep his price down, although three unsuccessful visits (and counting) demonstrate the hesitancy shown on the part of several teams to commit to a deal. It will be interesting to see if Arizona bucks that trend or moves on to other options options at the position.

Cowboys Line Up DE Workouts

August 1st, 2024 at 9:53am CST by Adam La Rose

In need of depth along the edge, the Cowboys have scheduled four workouts for veterans who remain on the market. Carl Lawson, Shaka Toney, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Justin Hollins are set to visit Dallas today, per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Sam Williams suffered an ACL tear which will keep him sidelined for the 2024 campaign. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence remain on track to handle a heavy workload, but Williams’ absence leaves the team short on valuable depth. In the wake of his injury, the Cowboys started evaluating the available options still in free agency.

Lawson faced high expectations upon signing with the Jets in 2021, but an Achilles tear delayed his debut New York campaign by one year. He managed seven sacks upon returning to health, but last year he logged only 101 defensive snaps and did not make a statistical impact. The 29-year-old has taken visits with the Dolphins and Panthers this offseason, and he will aim to turn his Dallas visit into an agreement.

Toney entered the league as a Commanders seventh-rounder, and he played primarily on special teams during his two seasons in Washington. A gambling suspension kept the 26-year-old out of the NFL last season, but he was reinstated in April. That was quickly followed by his Commanders release, leaving him free to sign with an interested team. This is Toney’s second known visit and his first since May.

Muhammad is a veteran of 84 games and 34 starts, but he did not see any regular season game action last season. He received a six-game PED suspension late in the 2023 campaign; since the Colts did not make the playoffs, that ban will include the first week of the coming season. Muhammad did not make a strong impact during his one-year Bears stint in 2022, but he served as a full-time Indianapolis starter the previous year and collected six sacks.

Hollins, 28, has spent time with five different teams in his career. His most productive campaign came in 2022 (3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss) while playing for the Packers and Rams. Hollins made at least one appearance with three teams in 2023, playing primarily on special teams. A third phase role would likely await him in Dallas.

The Cowboys entered Thursday with just over $12MM in cap space, enough flexibility to make a low-cost addition along the edge. Each of those four players will no doubt be available on team-friendly deals, and their performances today will impact Dallas’ decision at the position.

Panthers To Audition Yannick Ngakoue, Carl Lawson, Marquis Haynes, Kemoko Turay

July 25th, 2024 at 3:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

JULY 25: Kemoko Turay is joining Haynes at today’s workout, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets. Failing to make the Falcons’ 53-man roster last year, Turay spent most of the season out of football. The former Colts second-rounder has not panned out, but he did total 5.5 sacks as a rotational cog in 2021. The Panthers now have Ngakoue and Lawson set to audition Friday.

JULY 24, 5:09pm: Marquis Haynes, a pass rusher who has been a Panther throughout his six-year career, will be part of Thursday’s workout group as well, Kaye adds. Added under Ron Rivera, Haynes has played for six HCs. Though, the Panthers have some continuity on defense, at least, with Ejiro Evero coming back for a second season as DC. After a five-sack 2022, Haynes missed much of last season due to a back injury.

10:09am: The Brian Burns trade led to a Panthers reboot on the edge. For now, the team is taking a veteran-heavy approach at the position. Jadeveon Clowney, D.J. Wonnum and K’Lavon Chaisson are in place as Carolina’s most notable outside linebackers. The team is still looking for similar help here.

After not drafting an edge player, the Panthers placed Wonnum on their active/PUP list to start training camp. With Chaisson underwhelming in Jacksonville, plenty could be on Clowney’s shoulders. The former No. 1 overall pick might have some help soon, as the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye reports Yannick Ngakoue‘s workout tour will stop through Charlotte. The Panthers are also preparing to audition Carl Lawson this week. Ngakoue’s workout will take place Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.

Previously eyeing a deal before training camp, Ngakoue worked out for the Dolphins this week. Emmanuel Ogbah‘s familiarity won out, and the nomadic edge rusher remains in search of a deal. With Wonnum rehabbing a torn quad suffered in Week 16 — an injury that was expected to cost him camp time — and Chaisson producing a grand total of five sacks in four Jaguars seasons, the Panthers appear to remain in need of help. Clowney has reached notable peaks throughout his career, but the injury-prone pass rusher has been unable to sustain success since leaving Houston in 2019.

This would open the door for Ngakoue, who is still just 29 despite going into his ninth NFL season. The former third-round pick’s run of sack production stalled in Chicago last year, as his seven-year streak of eight-plus-sack seasons — a string no active NFLer matched from 2016-22 — halted after a four-sack slate last season. Ngakoue suffered a broken ankle last December, though he did start 13 Bears games prior to that injury. Ngakoue’s 10 sacks alongside Maxx Crosby in 2021 helped the Raiders to the playoffs, and he led the 2022 Colts with 9.5. Viewed as a liability against the run, Ngakoue has cycled through six teams over the course of his career — including five during the 2020s.

Lawson, 29, has not landed in offseason rumors the way Ngakoue has. The recent Jets contributor did visit the Dolphins in April, however, and has been productive in the not-so-distant past. He totaled seven sacks and 24 QB hits with the Jets in 2022, helping Robert Saleh‘s defense rebound after a woeful 2021. Lawson’s training camp injury contributed to New York’s last-place rankings that season, but he found himself out of the Jets’ D-line rotation last year after accepting an offseason pay cut. Lawson, whom the Jets tried to trade, did not record a sack in 2023.

It would make sense for the Panthers to add some help here. Their $6MM in cap space sits 29th in the league, and Ngakoue likely will not be available for the veteran minimum. Despite having agreed to a three-year, $45MM Jets deal in 2021, Lawson would stand to come cheaper.

OLB Carl Lawson Visits Dolphins

April 10th, 2024 at 8:09pm CST by Ely Allen

Once considered a big-ticket free agent addition who earned a three-year, $45MM contract to play for the Jets, edge rusher Carl Lawson spent much of his 2023 season being offered up as trade bait. Not finding any takers for the 28-year-old, the team instead allowed him to hit free agency at the end of the year. Now in search of a new home, Lawson reportedly visited the division-rival Dolphins today, according to Howard Balzer of CardsWire.

Despite delivering seven sacks for New York in his bounce back season following a torn Achilles tendon, Lawson saw himself in the doghouse in 2023, often serving as a healthy scratch with five other edge rushers earning snaps over him. Head coach Robert Saleh was adamant in his support for Lawson a year ago, claiming that “as long as (Lawson) can walk and play,” he’d be Jet, though Saleh made sure to clarify that he did not speak for general manager Joe Douglas.

Douglas clearly had other plans, though. After Lawson missed training camp and the first week of the regular season, rumors began that New York was open to trade offers on Lawson and other players like Mecole Hardman and Dalvin Cook. Despite coming back from injury, Lawson was hardly being used in the defense after the Jets made the call to utilize former first-round pick Jermaine Johnson more across from John Franklin-Myers.

At one point, Lawson expressed his displeasure with his role, saying, “I definitely want to play and contribute. I know I can; I’ve proven that…but right now I’m with the Jets, but I definitely want to play more. I definitely want to do what I did last year… I’m a football player, not a cheerleader.”

After not getting traded, Lawson is now a free agent. While injuries have certainly played a role in his NFL career, Lawson isn’t wrong; he has proven that he can contribute. In four of his six NFL seasons, Lawson has delivered five or more sacks, and while he has failed to match the 8.5-sack performance of his rookie season, he had seven in 2022 after a major injury.

In Miami, Lawson would add depth to a room that already holds players with their own extensive injury histories. Bradley Chubb has missed the majority of two seasons in the past, and Jaelan Phillips is working to return from a torn Achilles tendon of his own. Behind them, Shaquil Barrett missed nine games in 2022, and Melvin Ingram is seeing less and less of the field as he progresses into his mid-30s. With all that history on their current roster, it makes sense that the Dolphins are kicking the tires on a younger pass rusher, albeit one with their own injury history.

Russini’s Latest: Broncos, Jets, Eagles

October 29th, 2023 at 10:22am CST by Rory Parks

Dianna Russini of The Athletic has been especially prolific with respect to trade deadline reporting. As we approach the October 31 cutoff, here are a few of Russini’s latest updates from around the league (subscription required):

  • Broncos wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy have once again featured prominently in this year’s trade rumors. However, a deal has never felt imminent, and none of the current offers that Denver has received have come close to the club’s asking price. One general manager who has spoken with the Broncos told Russini that the team is not “selling cheaply.” Russini confirms previous reports indicating that cornerback Patrick Surtain is not available, despite understandable outside interest in his services.
  • We heard yesterday that the Bills could be looking to move 2022 first-rounder Kaiir Elam, and Russini reports that Buffalo is looking into cornerback additions. She does not say so specifically, but it could be that the Bills are looking for a replacement for Elam, who has not yet lived up to his draft status.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPN.com confirms that Jets GM Joe Douglas is willing to move running back Dalvin Cook and edge defender Carl Lawson, especially after both players recently expressed frustration with their current roles. Unsurprisingly, though, Russini reports that Douglas is not getting many calls on either player. Lawson is a healthy scratch for today’s game against the Giants.
  • Echoing her report from earlier this month, Russini writes that the Cardinals are still not looking to trade wideout Marquise Brown, even though they have received trade interest in the contract-year speedster.
  • They might be low on cap space, and they might have already made one significant trade acquisition in safety Kevin Byard, but Russini says the Eagles are still looking to buy and are interested in a linebacker. The 49ers are also working the phones and have interest in an edge rusher and a cornerback.
  • Unlike the Eagles and Niners, the Chiefs, Falcons, and Texans are among the clubs that are expected to stand down at the deadline.

Jets’ Dalvin Cook Seeking Trade; Carl Lawson Eyeing Larger Role

October 27th, 2023 at 10:19am CST by Sam Robinson

While veteran additions highlighted the Jets’ offseason plan, their Aaron Rodgers-centered blueprint quickly changed. Although the future Hall of Fame quarterback has not given up hope of returning late this season and is under contract through 2024, some of the vets the Jets eyed as complementary pieces this year do not presently possess notable roles.

The Jets already traded Mecole Hardman because of the speed merchant’s reduced playing time, and Dalvin Cook is seeking to follow him out the door. Going from a free agent linked to a few teams to an afterthought, Cook said (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) he is planning to approach GM Joe Douglas about a trade. Cook’s name has already come up in trade rumors, with a recent report indicating the Jets would be fine with moving him.

“It’s something I can’t control, that my name is being floated around in trade rumors,” Cook said, via Cimini. “It might be a good thing. Maybe [it’s] a bad thing.”

The Vikings attempted to trade Cook for weeks before releasing him in May. The Dolphins had discussed a trade with the Vikings, but Cook ended up spending several weeks in free agency. Connected to Miami and New England, Cook instead ended up in New York, with Rodgers playing a key part in bringing the former Pro Bowler to town. Cook, who is tied to a one-year deal worth $7MM, entered the season as the only back who had surpassed 1,100 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons. Through six Jets games, he has 109 yards on 39 carries. Breece Hall‘s return from an October 2022 ACL tear has marginalized Cook, whose 2.8-yard average ranks last out of qualified backs this season.

Cook said he expected more responsibilities with the Jets, per Cimini. After an 11-touch Week 4, Cook has combined for 16 over the past three games. Of course, Cook’s performance will not make him an appealing trade piece. Austin Ekeler pushed for a Chargers exit this year and was not believed to have generated much interest. Derrick Henry‘s name has resurfaced in pre-deadline rumors, but teams appear to be angling for the Titans to eat a chunk of his salary. Even with Cook not being attached to the lucrative Vikes contract, his production would not stand to generate much trade interest.

The Jets are still giving Cook reps; Carl Lawson was a healthy scratch in Week 5. The Jets have gone from giving the ex-Bengal a three-year, $45MM contract ahead of Robert Saleh‘s first season to burying the former big-ticket free agent on their defensive line depth chart. Connected to trade rumors along with Hardman last week, Lawson confirmed he would be interested in being dealt to a team that would use him more frequently.

“I definitely want to play and contribute. I know I can; I’ve proven that,” Lawson said. “Yeah, I always want to contribute, but right now I’m with the Jets, but I definitely want to play more. I definitely want to do what I did last year. … I’m a football player, not a cheerleader.”

Lawson, 28, accepted a pay cut this offseason but is still attached to a $6MM salary. The Jets turning him from starter to bench stash has also obviously dented his trade appeal. Lawson’s seven sacks and 24 QB hits played a major role in helping the Jets go from 32nd to fourth in scoring defense last season. Now two years removed from the Achilles tear that wiped out his 2021 season, the former third-round pick has not factored in prominently thus far this year. This surprising contract-year demotion also stands to impact his 2024 free agency value.

Looming as a franchise tag candidate in Cincinnati two years ago, Lawson has seen his career hit a crossroads. He will have a much better chance of earning another noteworthy contract next year than Cook will, but the Jets will likely continue to see if any trade materializes for either first.

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