Josh Sills

Colts Re-Sign WR Isaiah McKenzie, Place TE Jelani Woods On IR

5:23pm: McKenzie’s release has proven to be a paper transaction. The Colts announced he has been re-signed, so his time with the team will continue. To open a roster spot to make the McKenzie reunion possible, second-year tight end Jelani Woods was placed on IR. The latter – who has been named by some as a breakout candidate for 2023 – will thus be sidelined for at least the first four weeks of the season.

1:50pm: Making three waiver claims Wednesday, the Colts needed to clear roster space. Isaiah McKenzie will be one of the players moved off Indianapolis’ 53-man squad.

The Colts claimed tackle Ryan Hayes (from the Dolphins), defensive end Isaiah Land (from the Cowboys) and guard Josh Sills (from the Eagles). D-tackle McTelvin Agim and offensive lineman Carter O’Donnell join McKenzie in being cut to make room.

This is the second time a team has cut McKenzie this year. The Colts gave the 5-foot-8 slot receiver a one-year deal worth $1.32MM. The only dead money that will come via this release will be the $403K guarantee Indy authorized. The Colts picked up McKenzie not long after the Bills dropped him this offseason.

As a result of this release, the Colts have just three wide receivers — Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, third-round rookie Josh Downs — on their active roster. Indy also moved on from veterans Amari Rodgers, James Washington and Breshad Perriman this week. Though, Rodgers and former seventh-round pick Mike Strachan are back on the practice squad. The Colts will need to make some adjustments before Week 1, as teams do not go with three-wideout gameday configurations.

Downs is on track to work in the slot alongside Pittman and Pierce, while the Bills picked up Deonte Harty from the Saints shortly after cutting McKenzie. The Bills had given McKenzie a two-year, $4.4MM deal in 2022, keeping his Buffalo resurgence going. McKenzie scored 15 touchdowns with the Bills, including five in 2021, and posted a career-high 423 receiving yards last season. Despite the Bills also using him as a gadget weapon, they did not opt to keep the 28-year-old playmaker around after an inconsistent receiving campaign.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC South

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These ColtsJaguarsTexans and Titans moves are noted below.

Houston Texans

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Indianapolis Colts

Placed on IR:

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad: 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Tennessee Titans

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Released:

Released from IR via injury settlement:

Eagles Set 53-Man Roster

The Eagles released linebacker Nicholas Morrow and waived running back Trey Sermon today, and they’ve now cut a number of young players to get down to the 53-man roster limit:

Waived:

Released from IR:

Devon Allen is two-time Olympian hurdler, and after having played college football for Oregon between 2013 and 2016, he caught on with the Eagles last offseason. He spent most of the 2022 campaign on Philly’s practice squad, and there’s a chance he’s destined for the same gig again in 2023.

Britain Covey is another subtraction from the WRs room, although the 26-year-old played only 19 snaps on offense for the Eagles in 2022. He had a much larger role on special teams, where he returned 10 kicks for 206 yards and 33 punts for 308 yards.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/23

Here are today’s minor moves as we head into the weekend:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Removed from commissioner’s exempt list: OL Josh Sills

San Francisco 49ers

Sills was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list back in February when a grand jury indicted him on counts of rape and kidnapping. The charges stem from an event that allegedly took place back in December 2019. Today it was announced that Sills was acquitted of both charges, according to sources at The Athletic. The Eagles released a statement that, with his adjudication, he will return to the team’s active roster.

The 49ers announced that Johnson has been placed on season-ending injured reserve. They didn’t disclose the injury that will sideline the young edge they signed two months ago.

The Vikings are adding the XFL’s 2023 leading rusher in Smith. Smith had 791 rushing yards in 10 games last year.

NFL Places Eagles OL Josh Sills On Commissioner’s Exempt List

A grand jury in Ohio indicted Eagles offensive lineman Josh Sills on Wednesday on one count of rape and one count of kidnapping, according to ESPN.com’s Tim McManus. The rookie is no longer on Philadelphia’s active roster.

The NFL placed Sills on the commissioner’s exempt list, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The exempt list or “paid leave” will prevent Sills from practicing or traveling with the Eagles ahead of Super Bowl LVII, and his future with the team should be considered very much in doubt.

Sills, 25, is alleged to have engaged in nonconsensual sexual activity and is accused of holding a victim against her will in December 2019. The Eagles signed Sills as a UDFA in May. Although Sills was on Philadelphia’s 53-man roster as of Wednesday morning, he has played in one game this season.

The organization is aware of the legal matter involving Josh Sills,” the Eagles said in a statement. “We have been in communication with the league office and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time.”

The accuser said she has known Sills for seven or eight years, having gone to high school with him. She accused Sills of sexual assault, saying in a statement he both touched her inappropriately and forced her to perform oral sex on Dec. 5, 2019, according to ESPN. The woman received emergency room care at Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center, with a nurse informing a police officer bruising could be found in the back of the woman’s throat and inner lip. Bruising also was present on the accuser’s right ear and back of her knee.

A Sarahsville, Ohio, native who transferred from West Virginia to Oklahoma State in 2020, Sills has been an Eagles backup this season. He played four regular-season snaps — all on special teams — but has spent his rookie year as a gameday inactive. The NFL will review this case under its personal conduct policy.

Eagles Add 11 UDFAs

After their best-known 2022 undrafted free agent became known over the weekend (Nevada quarterback Carson Strong), the Eagles announced the rest of their UDFA class. Here is that 11-man contingent:

The Oklahoma backfield continues to produce NFL talent, with Brooks having teamed with the likes of Rhamondre Stevenson and Trey Sermon during his days in Norman. Brooks is one of the rare Sooners to rip off three 1,000-yard rushing seasons during his time at the Big 12 program, notching the first of those slates as a true freshman in a Kyler Murray-led offense. Rather than turning pro after his 2020 COVID-19-related opt-out, Brooks returned to school for his senior season and amassed a career-high 1,253 rushing yards.

Brooks has a path to a potential role with the Eagles, who did not draft a running back and who have starter Miles Sanders entering a contract year. Behind Sanders, the team returns Boston Scott and 2021 fifth-rounder Kenneth Gainwell.

A guard at San Diego State, Dunkle did not allow a sack in 30 games at the Mountain West school. Sills started at four positions up front for Oklahoma State, while Williams will enter the NFL after spending six seasons in college (five at Houston, one as Miami’s starting right tackle). Covey tops that, having been in college since 2015. The 5-foot-8 wideout notched three return touchdowns for the Utes last year. Philly’s class also houses the 2021 Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year (Fayad) and the son of longtime Lions defensive tackle Luther Elliss. Sporting a 346-pound frame, Noah Elliss was a three-year starter at Idaho.

The Eagles gave Elliss $250K guaranteed, while Goodrich — a first-team All-ACC cornerback and reigning Cheez-It Bowl MVP — received a $217K guarantee (per Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed, on Twitter). Blackwell will see a $137.5K guarantee, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson tweets, while Kyed adds (via Twitter) Sills will collect $135K guaranteed. The Eagles are guaranteeing Dunkle $110K, Kyed tweets.