Minor NFL Transactions: 5/15/23
The first of this year’s spring leagues to debut, the XFL’s third effort, finished its season Saturday. XFL players are now free to sign NFL contracts, and several agreed to terms Monday. Here are those agreements, along with the other transactions from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DL Manny Jones, LB Blake Lynch
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DB Natrone Brooks, S Lukas Denis, DL LaCale London, T Barry Wesley
- Waived: LB David Anenih, CB Javelin Guidry, DB Matt Hankins, WR Ra’Saun Henry, DB Dylan Mabin, TE/FB John Raine
- Waived/injured: RB B.J. Baylor
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: T BJ Wilson
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: LB Storey Jackson, DT Roderick Perry
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Tyreik McAllister, RB Jacques Patrick
- Waived: WR Dallas Daniels, DB Darrious Gaines, TE Kris Leach, RB Emanuel Wilson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Dylan Drummond
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: S James Wiggins
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DB Latavious Brini, WR Jacob Harris
- Waived: DL Jayson Ademilola
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Ekow Boye-Doe
- Waived: WR Ty Scott
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Kristian Wilkerson
- Waived: WR Tyler Johnson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Timarcus Davis, DL Taron Vincent
- Waived: WR Tyler Hudson, LB Matthew Jester, DB Jaiden Woodbey
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DB Bryce Thompson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Adrian Frye, DL Jack Heflin, DE Niko Lalos, RB Ellis Merriweather
- Waived: WR Sy Barnett, DB Vincent Gray
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Izaiah Gathings
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Luq Barcoo, RB Alfonzo Graham
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DL Austin Faoliu, NT Forrest Merrill
- Waived: LB Michael Ayers, DE Jacob Sykes
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DL C.J. Brewer, S Kedrick Whitehead
- Waived: T Dylan Cook, OLB Nelson Mbanasor
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: C James Empey, CB Eric Garror, WR Gavin Holmes, WR Kearis Jackson, CB Armani Marsh
Washington Commanders
- Signed: T Jaryd Jones-Smith
- Placed on active/PUP list: LB Drew White
After seeing the pandemic nix its second effort in 2020, the XFL concluded its season Saturday. The Broncos signed the league’s second-leading rusher, in Patrick, while the Browns and Cowboys offered Barqoo contracts, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Barqoo, who played for the Jaguars in 2020 and XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas this year, opted for the Steelers’ offer. Patrick, whom the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson notes passed a Broncos physical Monday, finished with 443 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He joins XFL passing leader Ben DiNucci as a Broncos May addition.
Seeing time for the St. Louis BattleHawks, Jones-Smith played in three games apiece with Raiders and Ravens, respectively, from 2020-21. Thompson will join the Dolphins after a spring tour of duty with the Seattle Sea Dragons, while fellow XFL alum Brewer played in two games for the Bills last year. Heflin played five games for the Packers in 2021; the new Saint spent the XFL season with the Houston Roughnecks.
The Raiders gave Johnson a reserve/futures deal in January. The young wideout collected a ring with the 2020 Buccaneers and totaled 360 receiving yards for Tampa Bay’s 2021 iteration. While the Texans claimed him on waivers ahead of last season, he played in just two games with the team.
Jackson suited up for national championship-winning Georgia last season. The new Titans wideout finished with 514 receiving yards in 2020 and totaled 320 for last season’s Bulldogs edition. A Division II Quincy alum, Wilson received an East-West Shrine Bowl invite but tore an Achilles tendon late last season.
Jaguars Sign 11 UDFAs
Jacksonville announced their class of undrafted rookie free agents on Monday. Here is a breakdown of the prospects who will compete to fill out their roster this summer:
- DT Jayson Ademilola, Notre Dame
- OLB DJ Coleman, Missouri
- WR Elijah Cooks, San Jose State
- CB Kaleb Hayes, BYU
- LB Dequan Jackson, Colorado State
- LB Matthew Jackson, Eastern Kentucky
- OL Samuel Jackson, UCF
- WR Jaray Jenkins, LSU
- WR Oliver Martin, Nebraska
- TE Leonard Taylor, Cincinnati
- CB Divaad Wilson, UCF
Jacksonville had 13 picks in this year’s draft in addition to the above names, so they will have plenty of rookies on hand to add to last year’s successful team. The group includes a number of intriguing names, though no reports have emerged yet with respect to sizeable guarantees in any of their respective contracts.
Ademilola and Coleman are heading into the NFL after very different college journeys, but they each posted notable production. The former totaled seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons, and could find a role for himself as a rotational pass-rusher on the interior after a lengthy career with the Fighting Irish. The latter only played at Ole Miss for one season, but he recorded 4.5 sacks, 8.5 TFLs and three forced fumbles in that time, which could help earn him an extended look.
Of the three receivers signed, Cooks is the largest (6-4, 215 pounds) and most productive of the bunch in terms of 2022 statistics. After five years at Nevada, he transferred to San Jose State and had a career-year. Cooks totaled 1,076 yards on 69 receptions, and led the Mountain West Conference with 10 touchdowns. Those figures far outpaced what he had in all but one of his previous seasons, and could point to potential at the NFL level as a depth option.