Eight Teams Submitted Waiver Claims For DL John Cominsky
The Falcons no longer viewed John Cominsky as a fit, waiving him after three seasons Friday. But a fourth of the NFL remains at least somewhat intrigued by the young defensive lineman’s potential. Eight teams made waiver claims for the fourth-year veteran, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Cominsky is now with the Lions, who hold the No. 2 spot in the offseason waiver order. While the Jaguars (No. 1 on the waiver list) did not try to claim him, the Commanders, Colts, Browns, Texans, Cardinals, Vikings and Bengals did.
A 6-foot-5 defensive lineman out of Division II Charleston (West Virginia), Cominsky only factored in prominently on defense for the 2020 Falcons, who used him on 398 defensive snaps as mostly a backup. Otherwise, the Cleveland-area native has played just 113 non-special teams plays as a pro. The Falcons took Cominsky in the 2019 fourth round (135th overall); Tuesday’s claim volume makes it fairly clear other teams believe some of the potential that led the former Mountain East Conference Defensive Player of the Year to the Senior Bowl and 2019 Combine remains.
As a senior at Charleston, Cominsky totaled 16.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. This potential has not yet translated to the pro level, with the ex-Falcon finishing the 2020 season with a sack and 10 pressures. The Falcons used him on 13 defensive plays last season. But the 285-pound defender offers some versatility, as a defensive end and D-tackle.
The Lions will aim to see if the small-school product can carve out a role under second-year defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. If he cannot, Tuesday’s waiver summary points to a third chance for the contract-year defender.
Lions Claim DL John Cominsky, Release K Aldrick Rosas
The Falcons cut John Cominsky after three seasons, but the defensive lineman did not last long on the waiver wire. The Lions claimed the young defender Tuesday, according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).
Despite being a healthy scratch at points last season — a four-game campaign for the former fourth-round pick — Cominsky only lasted to the No. 2 team on the waiver wire. The Lions, by virtue of their 3-13-1 record, sit only behind the Jaguars here.
Dan Campbell‘s team has been busy at defensive end this offseason, drafting Aidan Hutchinson second overall and adding Kentucky’s Josh Paschal in the second round. The Lions, who cut three-year defensive end Trey Flowers, largely stood pat at defensive tackle. Michael Brockers remains; ex-Day 2 picks Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill join him. Cominsky, who has worked as an inside player as well, profiles as a potential rotational cog here.
That will be the goal, at least, for the 26-year-old defender. Atlanta did not view Cominsky as a fit in Dean Pees‘ 3-4 scheme. After Cominsky played 398 defensive snaps in 2020, he logged just 13 last season. He registered a sack in 2020, but the Charleston (West Virginia) alum’s pro career has largely been light on statistics.
Detroit also cut kicker Aldrick Rosas, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Lions gave Rosas a reserve/futures deal in early February. The team still has Riley Patterson and Austin Seibert, who combined to kick in 13 Lions games last season, on its offseason roster.
Rosas kicked in one game with Detroit in 2021. The former Giants Pro Bowler continues to bounce around the league. Prior to venturing to Michigan, Rosas spent time with Jacksonville and New Orleans over the past two seasons.
Falcons Waive DL John Cominsky
A rotational defensive lineman with the Falcons, John Cominsky hit the waiver wire Thursday. The Falcons moved on from the former fourth-round pick.
The team will create nearly $1MM in cap space by jettisoning Cominsky, who was going into the final year of his rookie contract. He will hit free agency if unclaimed in the next 24 hours. Atlanta, however, used some of its available space by signing running back Jeremy McNichols earlier Thursday.
Cominsky, 26, emerged out of Charleston (West Virginia) in 2019. His most notable season came in 2020, when he saw action on 44% of Atlanta’s defensive plays. The 285-pound defender registered a sack and three tackles for loss that year. Last season, the Falcons’ Dean Pees-headed defensive staff only used Cominsky in four games and on just 13 defensive plays.
The Falcons have some questions about how their non-Grady Jarrett front seven will look, with even Deion Jones‘ status up in the air. The team used a second-round pick on Marlon Davidson in 2020, but he started just one game last season. Eleven-game starter Tyeler Davison is no longer with the team; the Falcons released him in March. This would seemingly clear a path for Davidson. The team did not use a draft choice on a pure D-lineman, though it did add two edge rushers (Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone) on Day 2.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/31/20
Here is the league’s avalanche of Halloween minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB De’Vante Bausby
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: DT John Cominsky
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Terrell Bonds, LB Kristian Welch
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from IR: CB Levi Wallace
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Lee Smith
- Promoted: CB Dane Jackson
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: WR Dwayne Harris
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: G Shaq Calhoun
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed off waivers (from Lions): LB Elijah Lee
- Activated from IR: WR KhaDarel Hodge
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: LB Austin Calitro
- Promoted: WR Fred Brown, FB Jeremy Cox, OL Patrick Morris
- Placed on IR: TE Andrew Beck
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: TE Isaac Nauta
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: S Henry Black
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Chris Thompson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Damon Arnette, T Trent Brown
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Trey Pipkins
- Promoted: WR Jason Moore, RB Troymaine Pope, OL Cole Toner
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: LB Derrick Moncrief
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: CB Tae Hayes, DT Benito Jones
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Cameron Dantzler
- Activated from IR: LB Troy Dye
- Promoted: C Brett Jones, CB Chris Jones, DB Luther Kirk, DE Hercules Mata’afa
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Todd Davis
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Sony Michel (Michel remains on IR)
- Activated from IR: S Cody Davis, LB Josh Uche
- Promoted: DE Tashawn Bower, DT Nick Thurman, WR Isaiah Zuber
- Placed on IR: T Justin Herron
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Austin Carr, OL Will Clapp, WR Tommylee Lewis, WR Juwan Johnson
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: CB Arthur Maulet
- Promoted: K/P Sergio Castillo, LB Bryce Hager, WR Jaleel Scott
- Placed on IR: S Bradley McDougald
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: CB Michael Jacquet, DT Raequan Williams
- Waived: TE Hakeem Butler
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: S Antoine Brooks, FB Trey Edmunds, LB Jayrone Elliott
- Placed on IR: DT Chris Wormley
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: WR River Cracraft, S Johnathan Cyprien
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from NFI list: TE Colby Parkinson, CB D.J. Reed
- Promoted: CB Jayson Stanley, DE/TE Stephen Sullivan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: TE Antony Auclair, G John Molchon
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DB Breon Borders, RB D’Onta Foreman, CB Kareem Orr
- Placed on IR: CB Kristian Fulton
Falcons To Be Without Defensive Lineman, DL Coaches In Week 6 Due To COVID-19
The Falcons are still scheduled to play the Vikings at noon CT on Sunday. But more news is trickling out about their run-in with the coronavirus.
Defensive lineman John Cominsky joined rookie defensive tackle Marlon Davidson on Atlanta’s reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday, and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets that Cominsky also tested positive for the virus. Additionally, Falcons defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi and assistant D-line coach Jess Simpson have been identified as close Cominsky contacts. They are not traveling with the Falcons to Minnesota.
Cominsky and Davidson are the only Falcons to have tested positive this week. The team moved A.J. Terrell off its COVID-19 list earlier this month. While it would not be surprising if other Falcon D-linemen landed on the COVID list, none have thus far. That has prompted the NFL to keep their game against the Vikings on as scheduled.
The Falcons closed their facility earlier this week and continued to work in a virtual capacity Thursday, but the team reopened its facility after no more positive tests came in the immediate aftermath of Davidson’s. The Falcons are taking two planes to Minnesota and leaving injured players in Atlanta, per Pelissero (on Twitter). This is certainly a situation to monitor ahead of Sunday morning.
Cominsky started in Week 1 for the Falcons but has worked as a reserve in the four games since. However, the second-year defender has played 53% of Atlanta’s defensive snaps. Defensive tackle Chris Slayton and linebacker Edmond Robinson will come up from the practice squad ahead of Sunday’s Vikings tilt.
Falcons Sign Four Rookies
More than half of the Falcons’ draft class is under contract. The following players have put pen to paper, according to a team announcement:
- 4-135: John Cominsky, DE (Charleston)
- 5-152: Qadree Ollison, RB (Pittsburgh)
- 5-172: Jordan Miller, CB (Washington)
- 6-203: Marcus Green, RB (Louisiana-Monroe)
The Falcons still have first-round guard Chris Lindstrom (Boston College), first-round tackle Kaleb McGary (Washington), and fourth-round cornerback Kendall Sheffield (Ohio State) to go. The first rounders may take more time than the rest, but GM Thomas Dimitroff managed to clear a good deal off of his plate with these four deals.
The Falcons were high on Cominsky heading into the draft and gave up a seventh-round pick in a trade with the Raiders in order to move up two spots for him. Cominsky, the 2018 Mountain East Defensive Player of the Year, made 16.5 tackles for loss and three sacks last year.
Miller, meanwhile, will have a familiar face in Atlanta once former teammate McGary signs. He showed that he can be a quality NFL player in his own right after securing two interceptions last year.