Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions, including a handful of notable names landing on the physically unable to perform list and the non-football injury list as teams open up camp:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on NFI: WR Marquise Brown
Chicago Bears
- Waived: DB Allie Green, OL Willie Wright
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on PUP: OT Jack Conklin, CB Denzel Ward
- Placed on NFI: DT Sheldon Day, LB Anthony Walker Jr.
- Placed on non-football illness: WR Javon Wims
Denver Broncos
- Placed on PUP: LB Randy Gregory, WR KJ Hamler, OL Billy Turner
- Placed on NFI : LB Christopher Allen
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: OL Ty Clary, WR Osirus Mitchell
- Placed on NFI: WR Sammy Watkins
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Isaiah Ford, WR John Hurst
- Waived: WR Kekoa Crawford, DT Caeveon Patton
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on PUP: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from NFI: DT Vernon Butler
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on PUP: LB Kenneth Murray
Miami Dolphins
- Released with NFI designation: WR Cody Core
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on NFI: CB Nate Hairston
New England Patriots
- Released: C Darryl Williams
- Activated from PUP: LB Raekwon McMillan
- Placed on NFI: CB Myles Bryant
New Orleans Saints
- Released: OL Derek Schweiger
- Placed on NFI: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, TE Nick Vannett
New York Giants
- Signed: S Andrew Adams, WR Marcus Kemp, OT Kamaal Seymour
- Released: DB Maurice Canady
- Waived: DB Henry Black, DT Jabari Ellis, WR Travis Toivonen
- Placed on PUP: C Nick Gates, OT Matt Peart, WR Sterling Shepard
- Placed on NFI: LB Azeez Ojulari
New York Jets
- Signed: WR/PR Rashard Davis, QB Chris Streveler, OL Isaiah Williams
- Released: CB Craig James, WR D.J. Montgomery, OL Dru Samia
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Jaedan Graham, DT Kobe Smith
- Waived: WR Josh Hammond
- Waived with NFI desgination: DT Noah Elliss
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on NFI: S Minkah Fitzpatrick
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DT Robert Nkemidiche
- Placed on PUP: CB Jason Verrett, TE Charlie Woerner
- Placed on NFI: DT Kalia Davis
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Jake Hausmann
- Waived with failed physical designation: LB Ben Burr-Kirven
- Placed on PUP: CB Tre Brown, LB Jon Rhattigan, OT Liam Ryan, OLB Tyreke Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: TE Codey McElroy
Washington Commanders
- Placed on PUP: C Tyler Larsen, C Chase Roullier, TE Logan Thomas, DE Chase Young
- Placed on NFI: OT Cornelius Lucas
Chiefs’ Clyde Edwards-Helaire Out For WC Game
When they begin their playoff journey to try and repeat as AFC champions, the Chiefs will still be without their top running back. According to a tweet from ESPN’s Field Yates, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is out for Sunday’s Wild Card game against the Steelers. 
Edwards-Helaire is still dealing with the shoulder injury that he sustained in Week 16 against those very same Steelers. As a result, he missed the Chiefs’ loss to the Bengals the following week – an outcome which essentially ended the team’s chances of finishing atop the AFC and receiving a bye in the first round of the playoffs as a result.
He was absent in practice throughout the following week, meaning he was also sidelined for the team’s regular season finale, the win over Denver which solidified their position as the conference’s No. 2 seed. It also concluded his second career NFL regular season, which saw him appear in 10 games. Operating in a time-share with backup Darrel Williams for much of the year, the 2021 first rounder totalled 517 rushing yards on 119 carries (an average of 4.3 per rush) and four touchdowns. He also added 129 yards and another two majors in the passing game.
This news means Williams will again serve as the starter on Sunday. With by far the heaviest workload in his four-year career, the 26-year old has played in all 17 games in 2021, producing 1,010 scrimmage yards and eight total touchdowns. In the Week 16 win over Pittsburgh, Williams rushed 11 times for 55 yards, and made three catches for 30 yards. The Chiefs’ other options at the position will be veterans Derrick Gore and Jerick Mckinnon.
Chiefs’ Clyde Edwards-Helaire Out For Week 18
When they try to get back the No. 1 seed in the AFC on Saturday, the Chiefs will be without their lead running back. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is out for Week 18 against the Broncos, per ESPSN’s Adam Teicher (via Twitter).
Edwards-Helaire did not practice at all this week, meaning he will miss a second straight game. The shoulder injury he picked up in Week 16’s win over the Steelers kept him out for this past Sunday’s loss to the Bengals. The regular season finale will be the seventh game missed this year for the 2021 first round pick. In the 10 games he has appeared in, he’s totaled 517 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 119 carries (4.3 yards per attempt), along with 19 catches for 129 yards and another two scores.
The news means that Darrel Williams will once again be the starter for the Chiefs. In his fourth season in Kansas City – by far his most productive – Williams has recorded 541 yards and six touchdowns on the ground, as well as 422 yards and another two majors in the passing game. Having been activated from IR last week, veteran Jerick McKinnon will likely serve as the backup again.
In other injury news, starting right tackle Lucas Niang was placed on IR on Friday, which is another big blow to the Chiefs’ offense. On the other hand, Teicher reports that Head Coach Andy Reid believes starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has a “good chance” to play on Saturday after being sidelined last week.
The only way the Chiefs can regain the top spot – and corresponding bye week for the first round of the playoffs – in the AFC is by winning against the Broncos and having the Texans upset the Titans. If both of those things don’t happen, there is a chance they fall all the way to the fourth seed, although a win over Denver alone guarantees them second spot.
Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire To Miss Tomorrow’s Game
The Chiefs will be without their top running back for tomorrow’s showdown against the Bengals. The team announced that running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been ruled out for tomorrow’s game and won’t travel with the team to Cincinnati. The Chiefs also announced that they’ve activated running back Jerick McKinnon from IR.
Edwards-Helaire has been battling a shoulder injury that kept him out of practice all week. The RB was knocked out of last weekend’s win over the Steelers, but subsequent X-rays were negative.
The former first-round pick has already missed five games this season, and while he’s started each of his 10 games, he’s pretty much splitting playing time with Darrel Williams at this point. Williams will likely get the starting nod tomorrow, with Derrick Gore likely serving as the number-two back.
McKinnon should also be on the roster for tomorrow’s game. The veteran signed with the Chiefs this past offseason, and he saw time in 11 games before landing on IR in late November, collecting 119 yards from scrimmage on 17 touches. The veteran also saw plenty of playing time on special teams. A hamstring injury sidelined McKinnon for all of December, but he returned to Chiefs practice earlier this week.
Chiefs To Activate Clyde Edwards-Helaire
The Chiefs will have Clyde Edwards-Helaire back in uniform Sunday. After not activating him when first eligible last weekend, Kansas City is moving its starting running back onto its active roster Saturday, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets.
A sprained MCL has sidelined Edwards-Helaire since Week 5, marking the second year the first-round pick has missed a chunk of a season due to injury. While the LSU product has been inconsistent as a pro, he would stand to further equip a Chiefs team that has re-emerged atop the AFC West.
It is uncertain how the Chiefs plan to use last year’s No. 32 overall pick, with backup Darrel Williams having played well in his absence. Andy Reid expressed caution about CEH returning against the Cowboys, so it is possible he will not resume his full pre-injury workload. Williams is coming off a strong performance, when he totaled 141 scrimmage yards and a long touchdown reception in the Chiefs’ blowout win over the Raiders.
Edwards-Helaire does have two 100-yard rushing games this season but also has lost two fumbles, including one that ended a potential Chiefs game-winning drive against the Ravens. He finished with 1,100 scrimmage yards in 13 games last season, before a hip and ankle injuries put him on ice until the playoffs.
Chiefs Designate RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire For Return
A suddenly much-needed reinforcement may be coming for the Chiefs soon. They designated Clyde Edwards-Helaire to return from IR on Wednesday.
The second-year running back has 21 days to be activated. Edwards-Helaire has been down since Week 5 due to an MCL sprain. In the time since, the Chiefs’ offense has encountered its most significant struggles of the Patrick Mahomes era.
While Edwards-Helaire has yet to solidly justify his first-round investment, he has been Kansas City’s starting running back since Week 1 of his rookie season. The LSU alum posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games in his past two full contests this year and totaled 1,100 scrimmage yards in just 13 games last season. Fumbles have been an issue for CEH, but he represents another weapon the Chiefs can use as they attempt to navigate these unexpected offensive woes.
Edwards-Helaire will rejoin a backfield housing Darrel Williams, Jerick McKinnon and Derrick Gore. The latter has become a bigger part of Kansas City’s offense over the past two weeks.
Chiefs Place Clyde Edwards-Helaire On IR
TUESDAY: The Chiefs placed their starting running back on IR. Edwards-Helaire will miss at least the next three games. Kansas City promoted running back Derrick Gore from its practice squad. Gore joins Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon as the Chiefs’ active-roster running backs. As of this afternoon, the Chiefs are not expecting Edwards-Helaire to miss more than the required three games, USA Today’s Josina Anderson tweets.
MONDAY: Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire will miss time after suffering an MCL sprain on Sunday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). That’ll cost him a few weeks of action, but that’s relatively good news considering how the injury looked last night.
The Chiefs may look to place Edwards-Helaire on injured reserve if he’s looking at three weeks or more of recovery. If he has a chance of returning sooner, however, they could leave him on the 53-man roster to keep a Week 8 return on the table.
Edwards-Helaire, the No. 32 overall pick of the 2020 draft, enjoyed a strong rookie showing up until his late season ankle and hip injuries. In 13 games, the LSU product tallied 803 rushing yards and four touchdowns off of 181 totes. He also added 36 catches for 297 yards and one score, showcasing his potential as a dual-threat back. So far this year, he’s got 304 yards off of 65 totes, good for a 4.7 ypc.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are also awaiting word on injuries to wide receiver Tyreek Hill (knee) and Joe Thuney (hand fracture).
Clyde Edwards-Helaire Out For Rest Of Regular Season
Chiefs rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who has enjoyed a strong first season in the pros operating as the starting running back for the 13-1 defending champions, is out for the rest of the regular season, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). The No. 32 overall pick of this year’s draft suffered a hip and ankle injury in Sunday’s victory over the Saints.
X-rays came back negative, but CEH will miss Kansas City’s final two games of the regular season. Rapoport says in a separate tweet that the running back will have a shot at returning for the postseason, but it doesn’t sound like a sure thing.
The good news is that the Chiefs likely won’t need Edwards-Helaire for the next few weeks anyway. The club is all but certain to secure the AFC’s lone first-round bye, so CEH will have about a month to heal up before the divisional round of the playoffs. In 13 games (all starts) this season, the former LSU standout has 181 carries for 803 yards (4.4 YPC) and four TDs. He’s added 36 catches for 297 yards and a score through the air.
Le’Veon Bell will get the lion’s share of the work in CEH’s absence. The two-time First Team All-Pro has been reasonably effective in his time in Kansas City, maintaining a 4.0-YPC average across 56 carries with the club. He has two rushing scores and 12 catches for 90 yards.
Kansas City is also thinking about some depth to its RB room. Per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), the club is bringing in Elijah McGuire for a visit. McGuire has not seen any regular season action since 2018, but the Chiefs are familiar with what he can do. The former sixth-round pick of the Jets spent the end of the 2019 campaign and all of this year’s training camp with KC but was cut before the start of the 2020 season. He has spent time on the Cowboys’ and Dolphins’ taxi squads this year.
Chiefs To Sign Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Wrap Draft Class
The Chiefs have verbally agreed to deals with all six players in their draft class, as Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports tweets. Here’s the full rundown of the group, headlined by one of this year’s most intriguing rushers: 
1-32: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB (LSU)
2-63: Willie Gay Jr., LB (Mississippi State)
3-96: Lucas Niang, OT (TCU)
4-138: L’Jarius Sneed, S (Louisiana Tech)
5-177: Mike Danna, DE (Michigan)
7-237: Thakarius Keyes, CB (Tulane)
Don’t let Edwards-Helaire’s 5’7″ frame fool you – he’s tough, durable, and a proven three-down back. His agility and soft hands made him one of this year’s most coveted rookie RBs, though some evaluators were concerned about his speed. That’s not a huge problem in KC, where they already have ample quickness on offense.
The LSU product is expected to serve as the Chiefs’ top running back, ahead of Damien Williams and Darwin Thompson. Elijah McGuire, Darrel Williams, and former Raiders rusher DeAndre Washington are also on the offseason roster.
Draft Rumors: Dolphins, Herbert, Edwards-Helaire, Aiyuk, Shenault
The Dolphins held a predraft video meeting with Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who reports no NFL team has done as much work on Herbert as the Dolphins. Herbert is fully expected to come off the board in Round 1 of next week’s draft, but it’s unclear if Miami will be comfortable taking him with the fifth overall selection. Per Jackson, the Dolphins’ questions about Herbert are twofold: he’s more of an introvert than an extrovert, and he is occasionally inaccurate.
Miami also conducted a video conference with LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, per Jackson, who indicates the Dolphins could consider Edwards-Helaire with pick Nos. 39 or 56 in the second round. While the Dolphins already signed veteran Jordan Howard this offseaon, Edwards-Helaire, who caught 55 passes in 2019, would add another dimension to Miami’s backfield.
Here’s more on the upcoming draft, which is now only one week away:
- Speaking of the Dolphins, former NFL executive Gil Brandt says it would not not be a surprise for Miami to take a non-quarterback with the fifth overall pick (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). While the Dolphins have seemingly spent the past year-plus acquiring draft capital in order to land a quarterback, it’s possible that they could go in a different direction. If Miami opts for another position at No. 5, offensive tackle could speculatively be a target area.
- A number of prospects– including Arizona State receiver Brandon Aiyuk, Colorado receiver Laviska Shenault, and Cal safety Ashtyn Davis — recently underwent core muscle surgery but have medically cleared, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). All three should be ready for the start of the 2020 regular season. Meanwhile, Virginia cornerback Bryce Hall (ankle) has also been medically cleared, while South Carolina receiver Bryan Edwards (fifth metatarsal) and Utah safety Julian Blackmon (ACL) should be cleared by May and July, respectively.
- While NFL teams aren’t all that concerned about the upcoming remote draft format, they are potentially worried about the undrafted free agent process, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (video link). The UDFA signing period is often a frenzy as is, and clubs think the virtual nature of the process could make it even more difficult.