Teams continue to sign players to reserve/futures contracts, allowing the organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:
18 teams had their seasons come to an end yesterday, and their front offices have already turned the page to the 2023 NFL seaon. This started today, as a number of players were signed to reserve/futures contracts, which allows organizations to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. Here are today’s reserve/futures contracts:
OCTOBER 16: Arizona has not, in fact, cut McSorley, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network adds that the team made the announcement in error and subsequently deleted it (Twitter link). So at least for the time being, the Cards have three QBs on their active roster in Murray, McCoy, and McSorley.
OCTOBER 15: The Cardinals’ preferred backup quarterback will be available for the first time this season. The team activated Colt McCoy from IR and released quarterback Trace McSorley.
McCoy battled multiple issues in the weeks leading up to the season, dealing with arm soreness during training camp before suffering a strained calf. The Cardinals brought McCoy over from the Giants last year, and that move went a long way toward snapping Arizona’s playoff drought.
Initially signed to a one-year deal in 2021, McCoy reupped with the Cards on a two-year, $7.5MM accord this offseason. The Cardinals gave the 13th-year veteran $6MM fully guaranteed, doing well to entrench McCoy as Kyler Murray‘s top backup. McSorley impressed during the preseason and has held that gig through five games, but he is not part of Arizona’s roster for the time being. It should expected, however, that the Cardinals will circle back to McSorley via a practice squad spot next week.
McCoy, 36, started three games with the Cards last season, which included McCoy-led wins over the 49ers and Seahawks. The former Browns draftee spent much of his career in Washington and was with the Giants in 2020. He completed 74.7% of his passes in those Murray fill-in starts last season. Both of McCoy’s victories as a 2021 starter came without DeAndre Hopkins, who was out due to injury for much of last season.
The Cardinals also released linebacker Devon Kennard, though they have made that move before this year. Kennard, a Phoenix native, returned to the team after being released ahead of the August 30 roster cutdown. Kennard, 31, did start last week’s game and could be brought back soon. As a vested veteran, the ninth-year linebacker will bypass waivers next week. Wide receiver Javon Wims is also now on Arizona’s active roster.
Teams have until 3pm Tuesday to slash their rosters from 80 to 53 players. Here are the Monday moves teams are making en route to doing so. The list will be updated throughout the day.
Activated from reserve/retired list: LB Tre Walker
Weatherly was in line for a rotational role with the Browns this season behind entrenched starters Myles Garrettand Jadeveon Clowney. The 28-year-old was coming off of a sack-less campaign with the Vikings last year, but has 73 games and 17 starts on his NFL resume. In his absence, the Browns will depend not only on another mostly healthy season for Clowney, but also third-round rookie Alex Wrightand recent USFL signing Chris Odomin the edge rush department.
Just yesterday, Walker surprisingly ended his NFL career before it began, briefly becoming the second young Commander this offseason to hand up his cleats unexpectedly. Hours later, however, the UDFA changed his mind and asked to be reinstated. Having signed him to his rookie contract, Washington held the rights to the San Jose State alum and were free to bring him back into the fold. He will once again look to make the team’s roster – something he has a decent chance at, given the lack of proven options Washington has down the depth chart at ILB.
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:
Fans of the Browns may have been hoping to add a few more veteran bodies to the wide receiver room this offseason, but, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, the Browns “don’t feel compelled to add a bona fide No. 2 just for the sake of it.”
Several factors contributed to the team’s lack of production in the passing game. Quarterback Baker Mayfield played throughout the season with a torn labrum, missing some time due to the injury and leading to starts by backups Case Keenum and Nick Mullens. A disgruntled Beckham parted ways with the franchise following a frustrating first half of the season and Landry saw injuries limit his action to 12 games. Peoples-Jones made an impact, leading the team in receiving yards, but without the two leaders of the room, his efforts look less like an impressive No. 3 receiver and more like a disappointing No. 1 target. After Landry and Peoples-Jones, Mayfield mostly targeted his tight ends, with Njoku, Hooper, and Bryant making up half of the team’s top-6 players in receiving yards. Again, much like with Peoples-Jones, the tight end room’s contribution was welcomed, but without a productive 1-2 punch from the receiving corps, it only helped so much.
With veterans Beckham, Landry, and Rashard Higgins all finding their way to the NFC this offseason, the Browns lost their entire veteran presence. To offset the losses, Cleveland brought in Amari Cooper, who immediately slots in as WR1, and the diminutive Jakeem Grant, an expert in the return game. They retain youngsters Schwartz, Peoples-Jones, and Ja’Marcus Bradley, while bringing in an unproven pass catcher in Javon Wims. Through the Draft, Cleveland brought in Purdue’s David Bell and Oklahoma’s Michael Woods II. They also signed a number of undrafted college players in Isaiah Weston, Travell Harris, and Mike Harley. At tight end, the departure of Hooper leaves Cleveland with Njoku, Bryant, and unproven projects like Miller Forristall, Nakia Griffin-Stewart, Zaire Mitchell-Paden, and college basketball player Marcus Santos-Silva.
It seems Cleveland is comfortable moving forward with Cooper and Peoples-Jones as their top two receivers while counting on Grant, Schwartz, and the rookie, Bell, to contribute behind them. They’ll continue to rely on tight ends Njoku and Bryant, leaning on them slightly more now that Hooper is out of the picture.
If the Browns were able to luck into a mutually beneficial deal, they may find themselves reconsidering their mindset on a veteran No.2 receiver. The free agent market still houses distinguished names like Julio Jones, T.Y. Hilton, Emmanuel Sanders, and DeSean Jackson. Past contributors like Allen Hurns, Cole Beasley, and Albert Wilson remain on the market, as well. Beckham is currently a free agent who has expressed interest in returning to his most recent home in Los Angeles, but he recently claimed he wouldn’t rule out a return to Cleveland. Former Texan Will Fuller is also available to sign and has expressed interest in rejoining his former quarterback.
Regardless of whether or not they choose to add another weapon to their receiving corps, the Browns are hoping for a different outcome simply by changing the composition of personnel. Perhaps more important than any of the additions and subtractions noted above is the acquisition of quarterback Deshaun Watson. It’s unclear how soon he’ll be able to contribute, but the prospect, alone, of having the three-time Pro Bowler under center is enough to instill confidence in the receiving room as it is for the Cleveland staff.
The Browns have made a depth addition on each side of the ball. The team announced Wednesday the signings of defensive end Isaac Rochelland receiver Javon Wims.
Rochell, who will turn 27 later this week, began his career with the Chargers. In four years there, he rarely started, but played a notable role in the team’s defensive front. His best season came in 2018, when he registered 29 tackles and five of his 9.5 career sacks.
His play earned him a deal from the Colts last offseason. The value of the one-year contract outweighed what the Chargers could have paid to keep him, but his production points to letting him leave having been the right decision. In 12 games, Rochell totalled 17 tackles and no sacks. Now, he will join a Browns team which just recently signedStephen Weatherly.
Wims, 27, is also joining a new team for the second time in his career. A seventh-round pick of the Bears in 2018, he started seven of 33 games in Chicago. He recorded 18 receptions and 186 yards in 2019, but made just 10 total catches in his other two campaigns. After being waived by the Bears, he spent 2021 on the Raiders’ practice squad.
These deals likely won’t have any significant effect on Cleveland’s cap space, meaning that reunions with the likes of Jadeveon Clowneyand Jarvis Landryare still possible. In any event, these two represent depth at key positions for a team looking to seriously contend in the AFC in 2022.
After appearing in 14 games for the Raiders last season, offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunorhas agreed to return to Las Vegas, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. In a series of transactions heading into the weekend, the Raiders have made sure to bring back a proven backup lineman who could earn a starting spot.
A fifth-round pick for the Ravens in 2017, Eluemunor had already traveled more than most draft prospects. Eluemunor was born in England, moving to New Jersey in his teenage years and finding football. After applying to around 120 schools, he earned a scholarship to Texas A&M before getting drafted to Baltimore.
Eluemunor had three starts in two seasons with the Ravens as a reserve lineman before being traded alongside a sixth-round pick to New England in exchange for a fourth-round pick. His first year as a Patriot was plagued with injury, but he was named the starting right tackle to start the 2020 NFL season. A Week 6 ankle injury landed Eluemunor on injured reserve, but he returned four weeks later to start four of the eight remaining games of the season.
A free agent after his stint in New England, Eluemunor signed with the Dolphins, getting cut before the season started. Four days later, he joined the Jaguars for a four-day period before getting cut yet again. Eluemunor wasn’t unemployed for long, though. Two days later, Eluemunor landed in Vegas.
An injury to Week 1 starter Denzelle Good elevated Eluemunor to first-string in a matchup versus his former team, the Ravens. Eluemunor, who had been with the team for only two weeks, made three more starts for Las Vegas before returning to his role as a backup and special teamer.
The Raiders return key contributors from last year Kolton Miller, John Simpson, Alex Leatherwood, and Andre James. Vegas has also re-signed back ups Jackson Barton and Brandon Parker, as well as recently signing Alex Bars, who started 11 games in three seasons with the Bears. Despite the addition of Bars, the Raiders have a ton of familiarity heading into 2022.
