Minor NFL Transactions: 4/17/18
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DB Tyson Graham, DT Garrison Smith, DT Justin Zimmer
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: WR Quincy Adeboyejo, RB Alex Collins, CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste, TE Vince Mayle, LB Patrick Onwuasor, OL Maurquice Shakir, OL Matt Skura (ERFA)
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: TE Nick O’Leary, CB Lafayette Pitts, TE Logan Thomas, DE Eddie Yarbrough (ERFA)
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: WR Damiere Byrd, OL Tyler Larsen, P Michael Palardy (ERFA)
Chicago Bears
- Signed original round RFA tender: CB Bryce Callahan
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: WR Geronimo Allison, CB Donatello Brown, QB Joe Callahan, WR Michael Clark; FB Joe Kerridge, G Justin McCray, T Adam Pankey, G Lucas Patrick, S Jermaine Whitehead (ERFA)
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: RB Malcolm Brown, K Sam Ficken, CB Troy Hill (ERFA)
New York Jets
- Signed original-round RFA tender: S Rontez Miles, TE Neal Sterling
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: LB Paul Dawson
- Re-signed: C Joey Hunt, DE Branden Jackson, LS Tyler Ott (ERFA)
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/18
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions, with the list being updated throughout the day. All links go to Twitter unless otherwise noted:
RFAs
Tendered at original round level ($1.907MM):
- Cardinals: DL Xavier Williams
- Jets: S Rontez Miles (via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY)
- Saints: WR Willie Snead (story)
- Steelers: LB Anthony Chickillo (via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Non-tendered:
- Saints: CB Delvin Breaux (story)
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Bills: TE Nick O’Leary, DE Eddie Yarbrough, TE Logan Thomas, CB Lafayette Pitts (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
- Browns: FB: Dan Vitale, C Austin Reiter (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
- Buccaneers: RB Peyton Barber (story)
- Jaguars: WR Shane Wynn (story)
- Packers: QB Joe Callahan, T Adam Pankey (reports via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com),
- Ravens: RB Alex Collins, TE Vince Mayle, CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste (via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, on Twitter)
Non-tendered:
- Bears: TE Daniel Brown, LB John Timu
Packers To Re-Sign QB Joe Callahan
The Packers’ active-roster quarterback contingent will stand at three soon. Joe Callahan will return two days after being waived to make room for Aaron Rodgers, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
Callahan has yet to throw an NFL pass and went unclaimed on waivers, but the Division III product is in his second year with the team and served as Brett Hundley‘s backup while Rodgers recovered.
Considering what transpired on Sunday, the Callahan transaction could be a sign the Packers aren’t going to risk further injury to their franchise player in the two final regular-season games. The Packers lost to the Panthers to drop to 7-7 and would be eliminated from playoff contention if the Falcons defeat the Buccaneers on Monday night. Mike McCarthy didn’t confirm a protective route was in the franchise’s plans just yet, however.
Demovsky, though, notes the Packers view Callahan as a developmental prospect. He remains in the team’s plans despite being waived over the weekend.
Green Bay also worked out two other quarterbacks on Monday, per Demovsky, who notes Matt McGloin and Garrett Fugate auditioned for the team. McGloin has worked out for several teams this season and spent time with two, the Eagles and Texans. Both cut him. A Kansas City, Kan., native, Fugate is a rookie out of Division II Central Missouri.
Packers Activate Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers absolutely will return to action on Sunday against the Panthers. The Packers moved their starting quarterback onto their 53-man roster on Saturday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
To make room, the Packers slashed their quarterback contingent back to two by cutting Joe Callahan. A second-year passer, Callahan resided on Green Bay’s taxi squad before Rodgers’ injury made him the primary backup to Brett Hundley.
Rodgers spent the eight weeks on IR, the NFL-mandated minimum, and earlier this week announced he was medically cleared. The Packers probably aren’t in position to make this move without their overtime victories against the Buccaneers and Browns. The Panthers are likely to see a different version of the Packers, a team picked by some to advance to Super Bowl LII before the season.
Green Bay sits one game behind the No. 6 wild-card spot in a crowded NFC race. And winning out won’t be easy. Although, it would have been next to impossible without Rodgers’ return. The Packers follow their trip to Charlotte with a home game against the Vikings and a trip to Detroit.
The Packers cutting Callahan indicates a degree of confidence in Rodgers’ health. Callahan will have to pass through waivers to make it back to Green Bay’s practice squad, if that is the move the franchise is trying to make. The Division III product has yet to take an NFL snap.
Rodgers was leading the NFL with his 13 touchdown passes at the time he went down early in Week 6. The two-time MVP led the Packers from 4-6 to the NFC championship game last season. He’ll have a chance to potentially do that again, only this year the team will not be gunning for an NFC North title and instead will need wild-card help to reach the postseason.
Packers To Promote QB Joe Callahan
The Packers have agreed to sign practice squad quarterback Joe Callahan to the 53-man roster, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets. For now, he’s slated to serve as Brett Hundley‘s backup. 
[RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Suffers Collarbone Injury]
The Packers, of course, will be without Aaron Rodgers for an extended period after he suffered a broken collarbone. Even after losing one of the league’s best quarterbacks, it’s not clear whether the Packers will seriously explore outside options. The Packers have always been big on their philosophy of promoting from within and they may feel that Hundley is better suited for the task than a veteran quarterback who does not know the playbook.
Hundley, a fifth round pick in the 2015 draft, attempted just 11 NFL passes before Sunday’s game. He’s now quadrupled that total with 44 attempts.
Callahan, 24, first joined the Packers as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2016. He has yet to play in an NFL game, but he has gotten a taste of life on the fringes of the NFL after being released and claimed a couple times over. He had brief stints with the Browns and Saints before circling back to Green Bay last December.
NFC North Notes: Bears, Hundley, Lions
Although John Fox is known for his conservative tendencies, the Bears coach wanted to pull the trigger on starting the Mitch Trubisky era earlier than the team ended up going through with the quarterback switch. Fox raved about the No. 2 overall pick’s upside and was open to the team replacing Mike Glennon earlier than Week 5, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports. However, ownership and management, due to Trubisky’s inexperience and the investment the team recently made in Glennon, halted the switch before finally agreeing to turn to the rookie after Glennon’s rough outing in Green Bay. Trubisky picked up his first career win as a starter Sunday, with the Bears beating the Ravens in overtime.
Here’s more from the NFC North, shifting to the division’s highest-profile quarterback situation.
- Mike McCarthy doesn’t sound ready to explore outside solutions to replace Aaron Rodgers after the perennial MVP candidate broke his collarbone Sunday. The Packers coach said postgame (via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com, on Twitter) Brett Hundley is his starting quarterback and Joe Callahan, who hasn’t played in a regular-season game yet, is the backup. A 2015 fifth-round pick, Hundley entered Sunday with 11 career pass attempts. The UCLA product threw three interceptions in the Packers’ loss to the Vikings. Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III and Matt McGloin are among the UFA options. Wisconsin native Tony Romo has stood out as an analyst in his first season, and the 37-year-old recently retired passer reportedly would only consider a return to the NFL if the Cowboys needed him. However, this would be quite the special circumstance, given the Packers’ recent track record.
- The Lions continue to wait for left tackle Taylor Decker to return to action, and Greg Robinson has yet to prove a capable replacement. But it’s likely the former No. 2 overall pick will continue to function as the Lions’ starter on the left edge due to his experience advantage over Brian Mihalik and Emmett Cleary, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. However, Rothstein notes Decker might be ready to play by the time the Lions return to action in Week 8. A late-October return gels with the last update that emerged on Decker.
- Teddy Bridgewater received good news on multiple fronts. Eligible to come off the PUP list on Monday, the Vikings quarterback is said to be ready to go. Bridgewater’s contract situation also looks to be breaking in a favorable fashion after previously residing in a murky place.
Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC North
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC North teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Bears, Lions, Packers, and Vikings are noted below.
Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s NFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Chicago Bears
- Claimed:
- LS Andrew DePaola
- WR Tre McBride
- RB Taquan Mizzell
- Cut:
- TE Ben Braunecker
- RB Jeremy Langford
- LS Jeff Overbaugh
Detroit Lions
- Claimed:
- G Zac Kerin
- T Brian Mihalik
- Cut:
- T Cornelius Lucas
- G Brandon Thomas
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Thurston Armbrister
- CB Adairius Barnes
- WR Jace Billingsley
- WR Dontez Ford
- C Leo Koloamatangi
- DT Derrick Lott
- S Rolan Milligan
- T Storm Norton
- DE Pat O’Connor
- TE Cole Wick
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed:
- DE Chris Odom
- Placed on IR:
- OL Don Barclay
- Signed to practice squad:
- G Kofi Amichia
- CB Donatello Brown
- QB Joe Callahan
- WR Michael Clark
- LB Reggie Gilbert
- DT Izaah Lunsford
- LB Derrick Mathews
- G/T Adam Pankey
- S Jermaine Whitehead
- WR DeAngelo Yancey
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed:
- TE Blake Bell
- Waived/injured:
- TE Bucky Hodges
- Signed to practice squad:
- DT Dylan Bradley
- TE Kyle Carter
- RB Bronson Hill
- WR Cayleb Jones
- LB Elijah Lee
- DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
- CB Horace Richardson
- QB Kyle Sloter
Packers Down To 53
The Packers’ 53-man roster is set…for now. Here’s a look at the players that were cut to allow the team to get down to the limit.
Cut:
- DT Calvin Heurtelou
- RB Kalif Phillips
- CB Daquan Holmes
- TE Aaron Peck
- G Thomas Evans
- S Aaron Taylor
- OLB Johnathan Calvin
- ILB Cody Heiman
- G Geoff Gray
- DT Izaah Lunsford
- CB Raysean Pringle
- QB Joe Callahan
- TE Emmanuel Byrd
- QB Taysom Hill
- WR Malachi Dupre
- ILB Derrick Mathews
- OT/G Adam Pankey
- WR DeAngelo Yancey
- CB Donatello Brown
- WR Max McCaffrey
- WR Michael Clark
- DT Brian Price
- OLB Reggie Gilbert
- G Kofi Amichia
- OT Robert Leff
- OLB Josh Letuligasenoa
- WR Montay Crockett
Placed on reserve/PUP:
- OLB Vince Biegel
- CB Demetri Goodson
Placed on reserve/Injured
- FB Joe Kerridge
- LB David Talley
The Packers surprised some by releasing Yancey, a fifth-round pick, and Dupre, a seventh-round pick. Both could be candidates for the practice squad if they clear waivers.
NFC Rumors: Unger, Saints, Howard, Bears
While Max Unger recovers from surgery, the Saints could fill the gap from within and use center/guard Senio Kelemete as the starter in the middle, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) suggests. Center Jack Allen is also on the roster, but Rapoport seems to think that Kelemete would have the leg up.
Here’s more out of the NFC:
- Jaye Howard‘s deal with the Bears calls for a base salary of $775K but can make up to $4MM with incentives, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Chiefs will be keeping a close eye on Howard’s performance thanks to the offset language in his contract. The Chiefs can recoup up to $3.75MM in cap space if Howard maxes out his incentives.
- If UDFA quarterback Taysom Hill works out for the Packers, it could enable the team to trade backup Brett Hundley for something of value this summer, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel opines. The BYU product offers high-level athleticism for the position and at the age of 27, he may be more mature than your average UDFA. In theory, Joe Callahan could ascent to the QB2 spot with Hill taking over as the new third-stringer. The Packers nearly traded Hundley during Day 2 of the draft this year.
- The Cardinals worked out quarterback Blaine Gabbert on Thursday, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). We learned last week that Arizona had interest in the former No. 10 overall pick and an audition was on the way. The Cardinals already have three signal callers on the roster in Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, and Zac Dysert.
Packers Promote QB Joe Callahan
The Packers have waived linebacker Carl Bradford. By cutting him, Green Bay will make room for quarterback Joe Callahan on the active roster.
Starter Aaron Rodgers is dealing with a strained left calf muscle and Callahan will help provide depth at the position. Rodgers is expected to play tomorrow against the Bears, but he may not last long given that he has a soft-muscle injury in freezing cold temperatures. Brett Hundley will be Rodgers’ top understudy and Callahan will slot in as the No. 3 QB. Callahan has moved around the league a bit this season after also having stints with the Browns and Saints.
Bradford, 24, appeared in four games this season but did not record an official statistic.