Dan Arnold

Eagles Cut TE Dan Arnold, QB Ian Book, T Dennis Kelly

Sun, 8:44pm: The cuts continued in Philadelphia today, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Among those already listed below, the Eagles waived DE Quinton Bell, RB Kennedy Brooks, DT Robert Cooper, WR Jadon Haselwood, LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams, DT Olive Sagapolu, DT Caleb Sanders, WR Freddie Swain, and DT Marvin Wilson.

Most notable of these is likely Swain, who is only two years separated from catching four touchdowns for the Seahawks in 2021. After failing to catch on with the Broncos and Dolphins in 2022 and the Eagles this offseason, Swain will have to keep looking for his next NFL home.

Sat, 9:45pm: Further names on the cut list are in, courtesy of KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Veteran offensive tackle Dennis Kelly is among the players being let go, putting an end to his Eagles reunion. The 33-year-old began his career in Philadelphia and returned there in July after spending last season with the Colts, but the team will move forward with its in-house options up front. A veteran of 54 starts and 130 games, Kelly will look to find a depth role elsewhere as teams search for quality fill-in options along their O-lines.

In addition to Kelly, the Eagles have released fellow linemen Josh AndrewsCameron Tom and Brett Toth, as well as wide receiver Deon Cain.

Sat, 12:48pm: The Eagles are starting to reduce their roster to 53 players. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Eagles are releasing tight end Dan Arnold. The team has also waived tight end Tyree Jackson (per Pelissero), quarterback Ian Book (per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer), offensive lineman Tyrese Robinson (per McLane), and wideout Johnny King (per Andrew DiCecco of InsideTheBirds.com).

According to Pelissero, the Eagles released Arnold now so the veteran would have more time to catch on with a new team. The former undrafted free agent out of UW–Platteville joined Philly earlier this offseason but was facing an uphill battle to make the final roster.

The tight end’s best season came with the Cardinals in 2020, when he hauled in 31 receptions for 438 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games (five starts). He spent most of the past two seasons in Jacksonville, hauling in 37 catches for 459 yards. Pro Football Focus generally hasn’t been a fan of Arnold’s blocking ability throughout his career, although the site has given him solid grades for his receiving skills. There’s a chance he catches on with a new team, even if he has to ultimately settled for a practice squad gig.

Jackson was facing a similar battle to make the roster considering the team’s depth at tight end. The former UDFA got into 12 games for the Eagles over the past two years, compiling three catches and one touchdown. With Arnold and Jackson out of the picture, the team’s depth chart at TE now includes Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, and Brady Russell.

Book seemed destined to be the Eagles fourth QB in 2023, so there’s a good chance he lands back on the practice squad after serving in a similar role in 2022. The former fourth-round pick got one start as a rookie with the Saints in 2021, completing 12 of his 20 pass attempts while tossing a pair of interceptions.

Eagles To Sign TE Dan Arnold

Dan Arnold is heading back to the NFC. After a two-year stint in Jacksonville, Arnold is signing with the Eagles, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the veteran TE.

The former undrafted free agent out of UW–Platteville spent a few years in New Orleans before having a somewhat prominent role with the Cardinals in 2020. That season, Arnold hauled in 31 receptions for 438 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games (five starts).

That performance earned him a two-year contract from the Panthers, but he only got into three games with his new team before getting shipped to the Jaguars in the C.J. Henderson trade. The tight end had 324 yards in eight games with Jacksonville to finish up the 2021 campaign, but with Evan Engram added to the mix for 2022, Arnold finished his only full season in Jacksonville with 135 receiving yards.

The Eagles have a long list of tight ends behind starter Dallas Goedert, including Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, and Dalton Keene. Pro Football Focus has never been all that favorable of Arnold’s blocking ability but has given him solid marks for his receiving skills, so Arnold could perhaps carve out a role as a pass-catching option behind Goedert.

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

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jared Cook, LB Damon Lloyd (remains on IR)

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/22/21

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Jaguars Place Dan Arnold On IR

The Jaguars have placed tight end Dan Arnold on the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. This was the expected move after Arnold was diagnosed with a grade 2 MCL sprain on Monday. 

Technically, Arnold would be eligible to return after three weeks on IR. However, given the 4-6 timeline for his recovery, this likely spells a season-ender for the 26-year-old.

The Jaguars traded for Arnold (and a third-round pick) in late September, in exchange for former first-round choice C.J. Henderson and a fifth-round selection. Since then, the tight end has reeled in 28 catches for 304 yards in eight games. Coupled with his early Carolina line, he’s recorded 35 grabs for 408 yards in eleven contests. Even in this injury-shortened season, that’s roughly in line with his entire 2020 from Arizona.

At 2-9, the Jaguars have little reason to rush the young tight end back to the field. Thanks to his two-year, $6MM deal, he remains under contract with Jacksonville through 2022.

Jaguars’ Dan Arnold Out 4-6 Weeks

Dan Arnold may be done for the year. The Jaguars tight end has been diagnosed with a grade 2 MCL sprain that will sideline him for 4-6 weeks (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 

[RELATED: Jaguars Sign Mickens Off Buccaneers P-Squad]

The Jaguars acquired Arnold in late September, shipping former first-round pick C.J. Henderson and a fifth-round choice to the Panthers in exchange for the tight end and a third-round pick. Since then, he’s been a bright spot for the Jaguars in an otherwise trying year.

Through eleven games (three with the Panthers and eight with the Jags), Arnold has 35 grabs for 408 yards. That’s roughly in line with his entire 2020 with the Cardinals — 31 grabs for 438 yards and four touchdowns. On the plus side, the Jaguars still have Arnold under contract for 2022, thanks to the reasonable two-year, $6MM deal he inked with Carolina earlier this year.

The Jaguars, sans Arnold, will head west this week to face the Rams. At 2-9, they aren’t playing for much, so it’s unlikely that Arnold will return before the year is through.

Jaguars Trade C.J. Henderson To Panthers

The Jaguars have agreed to trade former first-round pick C.J. Henderson and a fifth-round choice to the Panthers (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). In return, the Panthers will send tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round pick to the Jaguars. 

[RELATED: Panthers’ Horn To Miss Time]

Henderson will provide immediate help in the secondary, since the Panthers are going to be without Jaycee Horn for a while. Through his first three pro games, the No. 8 overall pick showed promise as he notched three tackles and one interception to his credit. Henderson, meanwhile, has struggled to find his footing as a pro.

The Jaguars’ old regime made Henderson the No. 9 overall pick in 2020. He went on to appear in just eight games, due to a reserve/COVID-19 list stint and shoulder labrum surgery. Reportedly, even when he was there, the ex-Florida Gator appeared to be disinterested at Jags practice. Still, teams were interested in acquiring him this summer, including the Saints.

With Henderson out of the picture, the Jaguars will move forward with Shaquill Griffin and Tre Herndon as their boundary corners with Chris Claybrooks in the slot. Meanwhile, Urban Meyer & Co. will focus on developing rookie second-rounder Tyson Campbell for a larger role.

On the other side of the ball, Arnold provides Trevor Lawrence with an intriguing weapon. Last year, Arnold finished with 31 grabs for 438 yards and four touchdowns for the Cardinals. He went on to sign a two-year, $6MM deal with the Panthers, but he’s seen just eleven targets through three games while rookie Tommy Tremble has gotten more of the attention.

Panthers To Sign TE Dan Arnold

Tight end Dan Arnold has agreed to sign with the Panthers, according to a source who spoke with Peter Schrager of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal reunites Arnold with his former Saints coach, Joe Brady

Arnold’s two-year deal is worth $6MM, according to Schrager. Not bad for a UDFA out of Division III Wisconsin-Platteville. Arnold was used sparingly as a rookie in New Orleans, but he made the most of his 12 receptions by taking them for 150 yards and a touchdown. Then, last year, he reemerged with the Cardinals and finished out with 31 grabs for 438 yards and four touchdowns.

The Panthers just lost tight end Chris Manhertz to the Jaguars in free agency, so there’s an opportunity for Arnold to play. Still, even with Arnold’s pass-catching ability, the Panthers might need to replace Manhertz’s blocking on the TE depth chart.

Cardinals Place DL Jonathan Bullard On IR

Jonathan Bullard‘s contract year will end with him on IR. The Cardinals placed the fourth-year defensive lineman on their season-ending injured list Thursday, doing so in order to claim tight end Dan Arnold.

A former Bears third-round pick, Bullard is battling a hamstring injury. The Saints waived Arnold on Wednesday, doing so in order to claim Manti Te’o.

The Bears waived Bullard after the preseason, and the Cardinals made him one of their five day-after claims. He has operated as a part-time starter with Arizona, being a first-stringer for six games and playing in 36% of the Cards’ defensive snaps. The Florida alum made 1.5 sacks and 22 tackles this season, including a half-sack against the Rams on Sunday.

Arnold joins Maxx Williams and Charles Clay among Arizona’s tight end contingent. A UDFA out of Division III Wisconsin-Platteville, Arnold has played in 12 career games. His more prominent role came as a rookie, when he caught 12 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown with New Orleans.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/19

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Indianapolis Colts

  • Reverted to season-ending IR after 21-day activation window closed: WR Devin Funchess

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers