Today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Waived: OL Sam Cooper
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: WR Chris Finke
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: DT Jalen Dalton
- Released: DB KeiVarae Russell
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S Josh Jones
- Waived: DT Niles Scott
The Saints restructured the contracts of defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Tanoh Kpassagnon, creating $12.45MM in cap room (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Meanwhile, the Saints have also re-signed a pair of would-be ERFAs in defensive end Carl Granderson and defensive tackle Jalen Dalton. 
[RELATED: Saints Interested In Mathieu]
That’ll help the Saints tamp down their payroll, but they still have lots of work to do. Heading into today, the Saints were projected to be $45.2MM over the salary cap, so they still have a franchise quarterback’s worth of dollars to carve out.
Jordan still has two to go on his deal, thanks to the three-year, $52.5MM add-on he signed in 2019. Jordan has spent his entire career in New Orleans, turning in near-perfect attendance and 175 total starts. This past year, Jordan notched his fifth-straight Pro Bowl nod with 12.5 sacks, 59 tackles, six passes defensed, and two forced fumbles.
Kpassagnon, meanwhile, notched four sacks in eight games (five starts) last year. The 6’7″, 289-pound edge rusher still has one year to go on his deal — his contract will remain largely unchanged via the simple restructure.
Here are Monday’s activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Sam Tecklenburg, DE Darryl Johnson, C Matt Paradis
Chicago Bears
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jesper Horsted, LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Darius Phillips (remains on IR), WR Auden Tate (remains on IR)
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jordan Evans
Denver Broncos
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: K Brandon McManus, P Sam Martin
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Michael Brockers, WR Josh Reynolds, OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, TE Brock Wright
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Austin Bryant, T Taylor Decker, T Penei Sewell
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB Rodney Smith
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Chauncey Rivers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jaire Alexander, OT Dennis Kelly, DB Darnell Savage, WR David Moore
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Justin Reid
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Malik Jefferson
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB James Morgan, TE Eli Wolf
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Mike Remmers (remains on IR)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Will Compton, LB Patrick Onwuasor
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OG Lester Cotton, OG Jeremiah Poutasi
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Andrew Brown, LB Kenneth Murray
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Raymond Calais (remains on IR)
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: NT John Jenkins, WR Preston Williams
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: C Spencer Pulley, DT Durval Queiroz Neto
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Patrick Jones II
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Camryn Bynum, G Ezra Cleveland, T Christian Darrisaw, LB Eric Kendricks, T Brian O’Neill
New England Patriots
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Myles Bryant
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: T William Sherman
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: K Wil Lutz, OL Landon Young
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Jalen Dalton (from IR)
New York Jets
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Kyle Phillips
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Andre Chachere
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Genard Avery, DT Fletcher Cox, DB Marcus Epps, G Nate Herbig, RB Jordan Howard, C Jason Kelce, DB Avonte Maddox, DB Rodney McLeod, RB Boston Scott, LB Alex Singleton, TE Jack Stoll
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Damion Willis
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Raheem Mostert (from IR), CB K’Waun Williams, DB Jimmie Ward
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Alton Robinson
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Julio Jones, LB Jayon Brown, OT Kendall Lamm
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: OT Paul Adams
Washington Football Team
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Samuel Cosmi, CB Darryl Roberts
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Beau Benzschawel
Veteran cornerbacks continue to cycle off the Saints’ roster. They placed Brian Poole on injured reserve Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 tweets. Poole is now ineligible to play for New Orleans this season.
The Saints signed Poole just before training camp started. While the former Falcons and Jets slot corner could play for a non-Saints team in 2021, he would need an injury settlement to do so. Either way, more cornerback issues have surfaced for the Saints, who are looking at outside options.
[RELATED: Saints Likely To Add CB Help]
While the Saints gave Poole barely veteran-minimum money and guaranteed him just $137K on a one-year deal, this strips another proven corner from their roster. Poole, 28, was one of the league’s top slot defenders over the last two years, representing one of the Jets’ few bright spots in that span. Pro Football Focus graded the former Falcons UDFA as a top-12 corner in 2019 and ’20.
New Orleans made Janoris Jenkins a cap casualty before free agency and has since seen Marshon Lattimore venture onto the suspension radar — for a March arrest — and prospective starter Patrick Robinson retire. The Saints also cut Prince Amukamara recently. They still have the likes of P.J. Williams, Ken Crawley and third-round rookie Paulson Adebo on the roster. But an outside addition should be expected soon.
Additionally, the Saints placed defensive tackle Jalen Dalton and offensive lineman Ethan Greenidge on IR, per Wilson. They also waived punter Nolan Cooney and waived defensive end Marcus Willoughby with an injury designation.
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE T.J. Carter, DE Anthony Lanier, LB Wynton McManis
- Waived: T Darrin Paulo
- Waived/injured: DT Jalen Dalton
New York Giants
- Signed: CB KeiVarae Russell
- Waived: DB Christian Angulo, RB Javon Leake
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed (from Steelers): DE James Lockhart
- Signed: TE MarQueis Gray, OL Dakoda Shepley
- Waived: OL Kofi Amichia, TE Erik Swoope
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Cam Phillips, WR Darrell Stewart
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DB Maurice Smith
- Released: K Tristan Vizcaino
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Bengals): WR Damion Willis
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Dominique Dafney
- Released: RB Bruce Anderson III
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed (from 49ers): RB Salvon Ahmed
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB David Reese
- Waived: S Brian Cole
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: DT Jalen Dalton
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Tino Ellis
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Brandon Williams
Philadephia Eagles
- Waived: LB Dante Olson
- Placed on IR: TE Josh Perkins
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: LB Khaylan Kearse-Thomas, RB Cameron Scarlett
Today’s workout updates:
Detroit Lions
- T Casey Tucker; Ss Kentrell Brice, Marcus Gilchrist, David Jones (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Indianapolis Colts
- DE Tashawn Bower; DTs Justin Ellis, Christian Ringo (link via Wilson)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- DE Jonathan Bonner; DTs P.J. Johnson, Ray Smith (Twitter link via Howard Balzer)
Miami Dolphins
- OTs Dino Boyd, Pace Murphy, Tyler Roemer; DTs Daryle Banfield, Jalen Dalton, Eddie Vanderdoes (link via Wilson)
New Orleans Saints
- FB Ricky Ortiz; WRs Jonathan Duhart, Jake Lampman, Charone Peake; CB Captain Munnerlyn; S Briean Boddy-Calhoun (link via Balzer)
The Bears reached the NFL’s mandatory 53-man limit by dropping 34 players and placing two players on IR.
Here’s the full breakdown:
Waived:
RB Josh Caldwell
RB Ryan Nall
WR Tanner Gentry
WR Taquan Mizzell Sr.
WR Marvin Hall
WR Thomas Ives
WR Joe Walker
WR Jordan Williams-Lambert
TE Ellis Richardson
TE Jesper Horsted
TE Ian Bunting
OL Jordan McCray
OL Alex Bars
OL Sam Mustipher
OL Marquez Tucker
OL Joe Lowery
OL Tommy Doles
DE Jonathan Bullard
DL Jonathan Harris
DL Jalen Dalton
DL Daryle Banfield
LB Jameer Thurman
OLB Chuck Harris
OLB Matt Betts
CB Michael Joseph
CB John Franklin III
CB Clifton Duck
S Jonathon Mincy Sr.
S Doyin Jibowu
LS John Wirtel
OLB Kylie Fitts
OLB James Vaughters
CB Stephen Denmark
Released:
QB Tyler Bray
Placed on IR:
TE Dax Raymond
G Blake Blackmar
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DE Aaron Adeoye, CB Terrell Bonds, OT Darrell Williams
- Waived: DB Robertson Daniel, S Evan Worthington, OL C.J. Toogood
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Tommy Doles, DE Jalen Dalton
- Cut: DB Adarius Pickett, DE Lawrence Marshall
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Jhavonte Dean, RB Travon Gray, LB Willie Harvey
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed: WR Jawill Davis
- Signed: WR Darrius Shepherd, CB Chandon Sullivan
- Released: RB Lavon Coleman
Kansas City Chiefs
- Reserve/non-football injury list: DE Tim Ward
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Bryce Hager
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Terrance Alexander, DE Stacy Keely, DB Isaiah Wharton
New England Patriots
- WR Xavier Ubosi
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Kenny Bigelow Jr., RB Devine Ozigbo, CB Jordan Wyatt
New York Giants
- Signed: G Austin Droogsma
New York Jets
- Waived: QB Brandon Silvers
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: P A.J. Cole, DT Ronald Ollie
- Waived: P Drew Kaser, OL Jamar McGloster
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed: OL Willie Beavers,
- Signed: LB LaRoy Reynolds, RB Austin Walter
- Waived: RB Matthew Dayes, DL Ryan Delaire
The battle to replace Cody Parkey in Chicago is getting a little tighter. The Bears have released kickers Redford Jones and John Baron II as part of a handful of roster moves made Sunday, they announced on Twitter.
After Parkey’s now infamous double-doink eliminated the Bears from the playoffs last year, they’ve gone all out in their search for his replacement. They just had eight kickers at their rookie minicamp for tryouts, and they had four on the roster before making this move. Jones is the former Tulsa kicker who the Bears signed back in January. Baron was an undrafted free agent from San Diego State who Chicago just added last week.
With Baron and Jones gone, only Elliott Fry and Chris Blewitt are left. The Bears have left no stone unturned, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they weren’t done adding to the kicking group just yet. Fry shined in the recently-folded AAF, while Blewitt is the former Pitt kicker signed back in March.
Jones and Baron weren’t the only ones who got bounced from the 90-man roster, as defensive back Adarius Pickett and defensive end Lawrence Marshall were both cut as well. Pickett and Marshall were both rookie undrafted free agents who were just signed recently, from UCLA and Michigan respectively.
The Bears signed two rookie undrafted free agents to take their place, offensive lineman Tommy Doles from Northwestern and defensive lineman Jalen Dalton from North Carolina. Both players participated in the minicamp.
The Bears have had an unstable kicking situation recently, and it’s one of the team’s biggest needs as they look to repeat as NFC North champions in 2019. The battle will be closely monitored in training camp.