Minor NFL Transactions: 1/9/23
A few transactions on the first day of the postseason:
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: T Dakoda Shepley
Indianapolis Colts
- Re-signed: RB Deon Jackson, DT Chris Williams
New England Patriots
- Reverted to IR from reserve/suspended by club: P Jake Bailey, CB Jack Jones
Bailey and Jones’s suspension was lifted today by the Patriots. In addition, free agent tight end Chris Herndon and Packers offensive lineman Sean Rhyan‘s suspensions were lifted by the league.
TE Chris Herndon Suspended Eight Weeks
Chris Herndon has been hit with a significant ban. The free agent tight end has been suspended for eight weeks, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). That means Herndon will be banned from taking the field for the rest of the 2022 campaign.
We’ve yet to hear a reason for Herndon’s latest suspension. The tight end was previously banned for four games during the 2019 season for violating the league’s policy on substances of abuse.
Herndon was a fourth-round pick by the Jets back in 2018. He had his most productive professional season as a rookie, finishing the year with 39 receptions for 502 yards and four touchdowns. That aforementioned suspension (plus a hamstring injury) knocked him out for the beginning of the 2019 campaign, and he only got into one game that season before landing on injured reserve with a broken rib.
He managed to return for the 2020 season and got into all 16 games (13 starts) for the Jets, finishing with 31 receptions for 287 yards and three scores. Prior to the 2021 season, Herndon was packaged with a sixth-round pick and sent to the Vikings for a fourth-round selection. The tight end started five of his 16 games for Minnesota in 2021, hauling in only four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown.
Herndon joined the Saints this past August but was cut before the end of the preseason. The 26-year-old hasn’t had any reported workouts during the 2022 season.
Saints Release TE Chris Herndon, Place WR Kevin White On IR
Chris Herndon‘s latest bounce-back bid left him on the outside looking in as the Saints made their second round of cuts. They released the fifth-year tight end Tuesday, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com tweets.
The Saints’ move down to 80 players also included the placement of wide receiver Kevin White on IR. White, who played six games for a receiver-depleted New Orleans squad last season, signed a reserve/futures deal to stay with the team in January.
New Orleans added Herndon just after the start of training camp, but the former Jets starter has not shown too much since his rookie-year breakout. A 2019 suspension and an injury soon after stalled Herndon’s momentum after his 502-yard rookie year in New York. He has not topped 300 yards in a season since and only caught four passes while with the Vikings last year.
Injuries have defined White’s NFL career. While the former No. 7 overall pick has done well to hang around this long, he has been an afterthought since multiple major injuries wrecked his Bears run. White, 30, missed all of his 2015 rookie season and only played five Bears games from 2017-18. He has since caught on with the 49ers and Saints, suiting up as a backup.
Saints To Sign TE Chris Herndon
Chris Herndon will make his way to a third NFL team. The former Jets starter and Vikings contributor will join the Saints, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
This will be another new start for Herndon, whose market was quiet after his lone Minnesota season. The Jets shipped Herndon to the Vikings, who had recently lost Irv Smith Jr. for the season, prior to Week 1 last year. Herndon, 26, caught just four passes for 40 yards in 2021, seeing Tyler Conklin — whom the Jets signed this year — take over as the team’s top tight end.
A former fourth-round pick, Herndon is best known for his productive rookie season with the Jets. The Miami alum caught 39 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns, helping fellow rookie Sam Darnold in 2018. But Herndon has not been able to follow that up.
The 6-foot-4 pass catcher began the 2019 season suspended for a personal conduct policy violation and suffered a hamstring injury while preparing for that truncated slate. In Herndon’s one 2019 game, he suffered a fractured rib. In 2020, Herndon struggled to find the form of his rookie year, totaling just 287 receiving yards.
The Saints have ex-third-rounder Adam Trautman (263 receiving yards in 2021, most among Saints tight ends) going into his third season and have moved Taysom Hill out of the quarterback conversation. The ex-starter is still expected to factor in on gadget plays as a QB, but his primary position will be tight end. Juwan Johnson, who led Saints tight ends in TDs last year with four, is also on the roster.
New Orleans also considered another former Viking, MyCole Pruitt, with Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com noting the veteran tight end worked out for the team (Twitter link). Pruitt’s Minnesota days came back in the mid-2010s, however. He spent the past four seasons with the Titans, working more as a blocking tight end.
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/4/22-1/5/22
Here are Tuesday and Wednesday’s activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Breon Borders, LB Markus Golden, OL D.J. Humphries, LB Devon Kennard
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Zach Kerr, LB Tanner Vallejo, TE Maxx Williams (from IR)
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Marlon Davidson, S Jaylinn Hawkins, TE Hayden Hurst, WR Tajae Sharpe, LB James Vaughters
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Willie Beavers
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Josh Oliver
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Kevin Toliver
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Darryl Johnson, LB Haason Reddick, TE Tommy Tremble, QB P.J. Walker
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Yetur Gross-Matos
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jesper Horsted (remains on IR), OLB Charles Snowden
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Trenton Irwin, DB Trae Waynes
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Scotty Washington
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Vonn Bell, LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, DE Trey Hendrickson, C Trey Hopkins, G Quinton Spain, DT B.J. Hill, RB Joe Mixon
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Elijah Lee, LB Tony Fields
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB Nick Mullens, S Tedric Thompson
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB D’Ernest Johnson, RB Dexter Williams
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: S Jovante Moffatt
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Quinton Bohanna, LB Micah Parsons (story), LB Keanu Neal
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: S Tyler Coyle, T Isaac Alarcon, CB Kyron Brown
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Josh Ball
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: DT Josiah Bronson
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE McTelvin Agim, LB Baron Browning, DB Bryce Callahan, LB Bradley Chubb, LB Jonathon Cooper, DB Mike Ford, WR Jerry Jeudy, T Bobby Massie, WR Tim Patrick, NT Mike Purcell, DB Caden Sterns, LB Stephen Weatherly
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Tyrie Cleveland
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Kalif Raymond
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Joel Heath, TE Hunter Bryant (from NFI)
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Elgton Jenkins, T Dennis Kelly, S Darnell Savage, WR Amari Rodgers, DE Kingsley Keke
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: K J.J. Molson, LB Ray Wilborn
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: G Billy Turner
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Danny Amendola, TE Antony Auclair, LB Ron’Dell Carter, T Tytus Howard, RB David Johnson, DB Lonnie Johnson, WR Chris Moore
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: K Dominik Eberle, TE Paul Quessenberry
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: Luke Rhodes
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dan Arnold (remains on IR), TE Jacob Hollister, WR Jaydon Mickens, DT Jay Tufele
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Josh Hammond
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: P J.K. Scott
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: DB Josh Jackson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Carl Nassib, G Jordan Simmons, TE Darren Waller
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Kamaal Seymour (from NFI)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jared Cook, LB Damon Lloyd (remains on IR)
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Nick Vigil, QB Kirk Cousins, T Brian O’Neill
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Chris Herndon, DE Tashawn Bower
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Parry Nickerson
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Ryan Ramczyk, DB Dylan Mabin
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Kevin White, TE Ethan Wolf
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Albert Huggins
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Jordan Miller
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Korey Cunningham, DE Dexter Lawrence, T Matt Peart (remains on IR), NT Danny Shelton, WR Darius Slayton
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Omari Cobb, CB Ka’dar Hollman
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: NT Woodrow Hamilton
New York Jets
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Tevin Coleman, TE Tyler Kroft, DE Quinnen Williams
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Isaiah Williams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR KeeSean Johnson
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR John Hightower, RB Craig James, TE Noah Togiai
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dallas Goedert
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Zach Banner, LB Devin Bush, DB Arthur Maulet, RB Anthony McFarland, LB Joe Schobert, DE Chris Wormley
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Anthony Miller, WR Steven Sims, WR Tyler Vaughns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Joe Haden
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Dontae Johnson, DB Jimmie Ward, DB Ambry Thomas, CB Deommodore Lenoir
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Blessuan Austin
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Gavin Heslop, DE Alton Robinson, DT Myles Adams, DT Al Woods
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Jaelon Darden, P Bradley Pinion
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Monty Rice
Washington Football Team
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Tress Way, G Ereck Flowers, RB Antonio Gibson
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Deshazor Everett, DB William Jackson
Vikings To Trade For Jets TE Chris Herndon
In the wake of Irv Smith Jr’s knee injury, the Vikings are making a significant move at tight end. Minnesota is making a trade for the Jets involving draft pick compensation for tight end Chris Herndon. The Jets are sending Herndon and a 2022 sixth-round pick to the Vikings for a 2022 fourth-round pick (via Tom Pelissero on Twitter).
Smith was supposed to take over as the team’s starter after the offseason departure of longtime starter Kyle Rudolph, but we heard just a couple of days ago that Smith was having surgery for a meniscus injury that will sideline him for the early part of the season.
The depth chart got pretty thin after that, so some sort of move was always likely. Herndon was a fourth-round pick of the Jets in 2018, and he flashed major potential as a rookie. In his first year as a pro he put up 502 yards and four touchdowns, very impressive numbers for a rookie tight end.
Unfortunately he was suspended for the first four games of 2019 for a substance abuse policy violation, and then played in only one game that year after hurting himself. He returned to play all 16 games last year, but had only 287 yards as the Jets’ whole passing game struggled.
He’s still only 25 and has always been talked about as a potential breakout guy, so the addition makes a lot of sense for the Vikings. It’s also a big opportunity for Herndon as he’s set to hit free agency for the first time next offseason. The Jets will now move forward with Tyler Kroft as the unquestioned starter at tight end.
Jets To Start Morgan Moses At RT, Tyler Kroft Could Start At TE?
On a quiet Tuesday afternoon, we’ve got news on a couple of Jets position battles to pass along. New York just signed tackle Morgan Moses on Friday, and the initial assumption was that he might compete with George Fant to be the Jets’ right tackle opposite Mekhi Becton.
Apparently, it won’t be much of a competition. “Even if the Jets tout this as a competition, Moses is the starting right tackle,” Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. He says the team “might try to sell this as a competition in training camp to soothe Fant’s ego and also avoid the embarrassing questions about paying a backup tackle an $8.5 million salary,” but that Moses will be the starter when it’s all said and done.
Moses got a $3.6MM base with incentives up to $5.3MM on his one-year deal. He was cut by Washington last month after not missing a start in six straight seasons for them. Meanwhile, Costello writes in a separate piece that Tyler Kroft may end up as the team’s starting tight end.
He says Kroft “has been one of the bigger surprises of the spring,” has received plenty of reps with the first-team in practices, and “could beat out Chris Herndon for the job if Herndon does not shake out of the funk he was in last year.”
The Jets didn’t get much from the position last year, (Herndon had 31/287/3 in 16 games), so it’s not shocking they’re considering other options. Kroft didn’t do too much with Buffalo the last couple years, but he had 42/404/7 when he was last a starter with the Bengals in 2017. He signed a one-year deal with the Jets back in March.
Trade Rumors: Thomas, Njoku, Watt, Jets
Saints head coach Sean Payton has said his team has no interest in trading star receiver Michael Thomas, though Thomas’ camp was recently said to be looking for potential deals. There has been no movement towards a Thomas trade, and whether that’s because New Orleans has no interest in dealing him or because the club has not received an offer it likes, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says Thomas will stay put.
With the trade deadline two days away, let’s round up a few more rumors on players who could be on the move:
- The Browns don’t want to trade tight end David Njoku, but Njoku has renewed his request to be dealt, and Rapoport says Cleveland has been fielding calls on the former first-rounder. It may take at least a fourth-round pick to get a deal done, but with Austin Hooper set to return and with the emergence of rookie Harrison Bryant, the Browns may elect to move Njoku.
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the Texans are at the center of the trade market, with one executive saying Houston could move as many as five players if it wants to. Rapoport expects the Packers‘ interest in Will Fuller — which dates back to the summer — to ramp up, but it will likely take a high pick to convince the Texans to move Fuller. Fellow WR Kenny Stills has also drawn some interest, though rival clubs see the contracts for Stills and Randall Cobb as prohibitive. DE J.J. Watt may be receptive to a trade, but considering his contract and age, other teams probably don’t value him like the Texans do.
- The Jets have received calls on LB Avery Williamson, OTs George Fant and Chuma Edoga, and CB Quincy Wilson, per Albert Breer of SI.com. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says the Steelers — who recently lost Devin Bush for the season — could be in the market for Williamson, and Edoga also seems like a good bet to be dealt since he does not look like a fit with the current regime.
- La Canfora says teams have also called the Jets about WR Breshad Perriman and TE Chris Herndon, though Breer notes that safety Marcus Maye has not drawn much interest.
- Rapoport names Dolphins RB Jordan Howard and Seahawks TE Jacob Hollister as two other players who could be moved. And though the Bengals are shopping disgruntled wideout John Ross, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com says there hasn’t been interest in Ross (Twitter link).
AFC East Notes: Brady, Jenkins, Lotulelei
Patriots QB Tom Brady will play against the Cowboys this afternoon, but as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) notes, the team will need to closely monitor Brady’s elbow moving forward. Brady was unable to finish practice on Friday due to elbow pain, and while he was able to take all necessary reps on Saturday, he will continue to get work on the elbow as the season goes on.
Now for more from the AFC East:
- It’s not unusual for teams to distance themselves from certain prospects in the pre-draft process in order to hide their interest in those prospects, and that’s exactly what the Patriots did with punter Jake Bailey, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. New England neither interviewed nor held a workout with Bailey, but it traded up in the fifth round of this year’s draft to select him. That move paid off, as the rookie specialist has two AFC Special Teams Player of the Week nods and is currently a favorite for the Pro Bowl.
- Rich Cimini of ESPN.com expects the Jets to make a concerted effort to re-sign linebacker Jordan Jenkins this offseason. Jenkins, who will be eligible for unrestricted free agency for the first time, has steadily improved during his first four years in the league, and despite missing two games this season with a calf injury, he has posted five sacks, just two shy of his career-high of seven (which he set last year). Jenkins will likely command a contract paying him over $10MM per year.
- The Jets will have a lot of positions to address this offseason, but tight end isn’t one of them. As Cimini tweets, the club appears set at TE with Ryan Griffin — who agreed to a three-year extension on Saturday — Chris Herndon, and improving rookie Trevon Wesco.
- Bills fans have been less than impressed with the performances of front-seven defenders Star Lotulelei and Trent Murphy, but Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic says (via Twitter) that Lotulelei will definitely be back with the team next year (the Bills could save $10.1MM against the 2020 cap by cutting Lotulelei after the season, but they would also take on a $7.8MM dead cap charge). Murphy’s status is a bit tougher to predict, but if the Bills move on from Shaq Lawson, Murphy is likely to be back for the final year of his contract.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/13/19
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Miles Brown
- Placed on injured reserve: DE Zach Allen
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE Bryan Cox Jr.
- Waived: LB Malik Jefferson
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers (Texans): T Dan Skipper
- Placed on injured reserve: DT Kevin Strong
Houston Texans
- Waived: DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: T Chandler Brewer, DB Donte Deayon
New York Jets
- Placed on injured reserve: TE Chris Herndon, G Brian Winters (story)
- Signed: LB B.J. Bello, CB Kyron Brown
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Damontre Moore
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Mazzi Wilkins
Tennessee Titans
- Signed off Vikings’ practice squad: FB Khari Blasingame