Jalen Nailor

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/4/23

Today’s minor moves and gameday callups for Week 9:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

  • Elevated: QB Dresser Winn

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

With Kyler Murray not being activated from injured reserve this week, the Cardinals are heading into Week 9 with Clayton Tune as the only quarterback on their active roster. Driskel will be called up for the week as a standard gameday elevation to back up Tune.

With Matthew Stafford listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, the Rams are adding some depth at the quarterback position. Dresser Winn had a breakout 2022 campaign at UT Martin, tossing 18 touchdowns while adding another three scores on the ground. He joined the Rams as an UDFA but was cut at the end of the preseason. He had a brief stint in the Canadian Football League before rejoining the Rams practice squad earlier this week. If Stafford can’t go, Brett Rypien will get the call under center for the Rams.

Peters will be elevated for the second straight week in Seattle. The 41-year-old, playing in his 19th NFL season, split snaps with right tackle Stone Forsythe last week against Cleveland.

Vikings Place OLB Marcus Davenport On IR, Activate KR Kene Nwangwu

Minnesota’s Danielle HunterMarcus Davenport edge-rushing partnership hit a snag with a Davenport injury. That will lead to a paused season for the free agency pickup.

The Vikings placed Davenport on IR on Wednesday, shelving the former Saints first-rounder until at least Week 11. Davenport is battling a high ankle sprain. In addition to the Davenport transaction, the Vikings activated running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu from IR and designated wide receiver Jalen Nailor for return from IR.

While Nwangwu represents Minnesota’s first IR activation this season, Davenport will be on track to join him later. The Vikings gave Davenport a one-year, $13MM deal this offseason, bringing him in to replace Za’Darius Smith. This move led to uncertainty at Minnesota’s edge positions, with Smith remaining on the roster for several weeks ahead of a trade to Cleveland. While Smith is now part of a top-tier Browns defense, the Pro Bowler has yet to record a sack. Davenport, who notched a half-sack despite playing 15 games last season, has two through six Vikes contests.

Davenport, 27, and Hunter are together for now, but the Vikings’ edge situation is not settled from a long-term standpoint. Neither starter is signed beyond 2023, and Hunter profiles as one of this season’s top trade candidates. The ninth-year Viking has eight sacks thus far, pacing the NFL. Davenport’s injury weakens the Vikings’ pass rush and likely prevents them from dealing the 2018 first-rounder. The Vikes did make a seller’s trade involving an edge rusher three years ago, trading Yannick Ngakoue to the Ravens. But Davenport’s injury probably squashes his market, with the trade deadline Oct. 31.

The team considered Hunter trades this offseason, and with Kevin O’Connell‘s squad starting 2-4, it will be interesting to see if the defending NFC North champions consider moving on. But Hunter may still be in Minnesota’s long-term plans. For Davenport, this injury hurts his chances of putting quality production on film for a potential 2024 free agency push. It also hurts Davenport’s hopes of showing he can provide consistency. His up-and-down New Orleans tenure led to a “prove it” deal in March.

Nwangwu returned to practice Oct. 11. The Vikings have not used the third-year back much in the backfield, but the Iowa State alum has been one of the NFL’s best kick returners during his career. Nwangwu is the only NFLer to have tallied three kick-return touchdowns since the start of the 2021 season. Nyheim Hines is the only other player with even two kick-return scores. Nwangwu, 25, will stand to give the Vikings a boost on special teams.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/23

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

The Bears released Peterman on Wednesday, but Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes the team was planning to use the roster spot to poach a player off a another team’s practice squad. Chicago’s effort did not produce a signing, however, leaving Peterman’s spot vacant. When a team makes an effort to sign a player off another club’s P-squad, the team can promote the player to its 53-man roster to keep him from being poached. The seventh-year QB, who is in his second season with the Bears, again give the team three active-roster QBs — along with Justin Fields and rookie Tyson Bagent.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/22

Thursday has featured several rookie deals finalized. Here are the mid- and late-round draftees to sign their four-year contracts today:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • WR Montrell Washington (fifth round, Samford)

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • RB Snoop Conner (fifth round, Ole Miss)
  • CB Gregory Junior (sixth round, Ouachita Baptist)
  • CB Montaric Brown (seventh round, Arkansas)

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans