Minor NFL Transactions: 12/6/20
A couple of minor moves from the past day to pass along:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID list: DE Amani Bledsoe
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: FB Cullen Gillaspia
- Activated from IR: RB David Johnson, LB Kyle Emanuel
Bledsoe tested positive for COVID-19 this morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets, although obviously there wasn’t enough concern to cancel their game against the Dolphins. Bledsoe had been playing a big role on Cincy’s reshuffled defensive line in recent weeks, notching almost half the defensive snaps. Johnson and Emanuel both missed a few games with concussions and returned for Houston today.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/10/20
We’ve got a long list of all the minor transactions from the last day or so:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: CB De’Vante Bausby
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: LB Edmond Robinson
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DT Anthony Rush
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: Deon Bush, Lachavious Simmons
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Margus Hunt
Denver Broncos
- Claimed off waivers from Cardinals: CB De’Vante Bausby
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: CB Tony McRae
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jarrad Davis
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Jordan Love, LB Kamal Martin, RB Jamaal Williams
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Dylan Cole, LB Whitney Mercilus, G Max Scharping
- Placed on IR: LB Kyle Emanuel, LB Brennan Scarlett
- Claimed off waivers from Washington: DE Nate Orchard
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: DL Ron’Dell Carter
- Promoted: WR DeMichael Harris
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/PUP list: T Martinas Rankin
- Waived: DE Demone Harris
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Natrez Patrick
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Todd Davis
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LS Austin Cutting
- Waived/failed-physical: LB Ben Gedeon
- Placed on IR: DB Holton Hill
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers from Cardinals: TE Jordan Thomas
- Waived: LB Cassh Maluia
- Placed on IR: TE Dalton Keene
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Will Hernandez
- Waived: CB Corey Ballentine
New York Jets
- Activated off NFI list: CB Bryce Hall
- Waived: QB Mike White
- Placed on IR: TE Trevon Wesco
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Kendrick Bourne
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Jeff Badet
- Waived: WR Tony Brown
Texans Sign Kyle Emanuel Off Raiders’ Practice Squad
Kyle Emanuel‘s NFL comeback is taking another step in the right direction. The Texans have signed the veteran linebacker off the Raiders’ practice squad, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
A fifth-round pick of the Chargers back in 2015, Emanuel quickly became a starter. From 2016-18 he started 29 games, but at the conclusion of his rookie contract he surprisingly opted to retire despite reportedly having multiple contract offers on the table. After sitting out the 2019 season, he announced his intention to return to the league back in March.
Obviously COVID-19 threw a bit of a wrench into his plans, and he ended up having to wait until late August to sign with Las Vegas. He was elevated to the active roster for Week 3 but has mostly been on Jon Gruden’s practice squad until now. 29 now, Emanuel will hope to revamp his career with a struggling Houston defense.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/26/20
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: RB Jonathan Ward
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: LB Deon Lacey
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DT Kahlil McKenzie
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB A.J. Green
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: RB LeVante Bellamy, CB Kevin Toliver
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: TE John Lovett, WR Darrius Shepherd
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on IR: LB Matthew Adams
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: LB Kyle Emanuel, CB Madre Harper
New England Patriots
- Promoted: DT Nick Thurman, WR Isaiah Zuber
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Bennie Fowler, DL Margus Hunt
- Placed on IR: RB Ty Montgomery
- Waived: OL Will Clapp
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR Johnny Holton
New York Jets
- Promoted: Lawrence Cager, OL Jimmy Murray
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: DB Grayland Arnold, WR Deontay Burnett
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: OL Hroniss Grasu, RB JaMycal Hasty, LB Joe Walker
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: RB Kenjon Barner
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: WR Cameron Batson
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: G Joshua Garnett, LB Jared Norris
Raiders Place Marcus Mariota On IR, Add DeShone Kizer To P-Squad
The Raiders have placed quarterback Marcus Mariota on injured reserve, per a club announcement. For added insurance, the club has added one-time Notre Dame star DeShone Kizer to the Raiders’ practice squad. 
Mariota’s strained pectoral muscle will keep him out for at least three weeks, per the league’s modified rules for 2020. Without him, the Raiders are rolling with two QBs on the active roster – Derek Carr and Nathan Peterman. Mariota’s temporary absence may take a little bit of pressure off of Derek Carr, who has certainly heard the footsteps. Mariota, who was leapfrogged by Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee, finished the year with a career-low 59.4% completion rate and just 1,203 yards.
Kizer has been on the workout trail ever since he was cut by the club in May, but those tryouts didn’t land him a deal. Now, the 2017 second-round pick will stick around in Las Vegas as he waits for his next opportunity. Kizer, 24, has made 18 appearances over the course of his NFL career, most of which came during the Browns’ winless season. All in all, he’s got eleven touchdowns against 24 interceptions.
Here’s the full rundown of the Raiders’ practice squad after Monday’s move:
- WR Marcell Ateman
- TE Nick Bowers
- S Jordan Brown
- WR Keelan Doss
- K Dominik Eberle
- LB Kyle Emanuel
- S Madre Harper
- DE Datone Jones
- QB DeShone Kizer
- C Dylan Mabin
- OL Erik Magnuson
- RB Theo Riddick
- OT: Kamaal Seymour
- DE Chris Smith
- LB Javin White
Raiders Sign LB Kyle Emanuel, RB Theo Riddick
The Raiders have been busy this weekend. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the club is signing linebacker Kyle Emanuel (Twitter link), and Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com tweets that the Raiders have signed running back Theo Riddick to a one-year pact.
Emanuel, 29, was selected by the division-rival Chargers in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, and he completed his four-year rookie pact with the team before announcing in April 2019 that he was retiring from the game. He appeared in 63 out of a possible 64 contests with the Bolts, including 33 starts, but he only topped 50% playing time once during that span. He was, however, a consistent force on special teams.
Before Emanuel stepped away, several teams were interested in his services (including the Raiders). He announced in March 2020 that he was coming out of retirement, and Pelissero says the North Dakota State product was again generating some attention on the open market. But Emanuel saw an opportunity to win in Vegas, so he put pen to paper with the Raiders.
He also likely saw an opportunity for playing time with the Silver-and-Black. The Raiders signed Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton this offseason, but Emanuel could theoretically push Nicholas Morrow and third-round rookie Tanner Muse for playing time on the weak side while showing off his ST acumen.
Riddick, who established himself as one of the league’s better receiving backs during his six-year stint with the Lions, also sat out the 2019 season, but that was due to injury, not retirement. Detroit released him last July, and the Broncos scooped him up shortly thereafter, but he suffered a shoulder fracture in the preseason that ultimately kept him sidelined for the entire campaign.
Though he has posted a mediocre 3.6 yards-per-carry average in his career, he has 285 career catches for 2,238 yards and 14 TDs. He will have a chance to reassert himself as a reliable pass catcher in Vegas behind RB1 Josh Jacobs.
Former Chargers LB Kyle Emanuel Comes Out Of Retirement
Kyle Emanuel is ready to get back in the game. Last year, the former Chargers linebacker retired at the age of 27, but he has decided that he wants to return to the NFL, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Emanuel walked away for a multitude of reasons, at a time when he had multiple contract offers as a free agent:
“There is no specific reason why I came to this decision, but as I contemplated it this offseason, something told me it was time to walk away,” Emanuel wrote last April. “Although it wasn’t the sole reason, the injuries have started to pile up and I had to take my long-term health into consideration. I have no idea what will come next, which is scary and exciting at the same time, but I can’t wait to get started on whatever it is.”
Across four seasons with the Chargers, Emanuel appeared in 63 games with 33 starts. In 2018, he finished out with 30 tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery. The Raiders were among the clubs to express interest in him prior to his retirement.
Chargers LB Kyle Emanuel Retires From NFL
Chargers free agent Kyle Emanuel won’t be signing with any club this offseason. On Thursday, the linebacker announced his retirement from the NFL via social media.
“There is no specific reason why I came to this decision, but as I contemplated it this offseason, something told me it was time to walk away,” Emanuel wrote. “Although it wasn’t the sole reason, the injuries have started to pile up and I had to take my long-term health into consideration. I have no idea what will come next, which is scary and exciting at the same time, but I can’t wait to get started on whatever it is.”
Emanuel likely had opportunities to sign, so he’s not leaving the game for a lack of opportunity. The Raiders had interest in Kyle Emanuel early in free agency, as Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal tweets, and Lions came to the table with a stronger offer. Ultimately, he passed on both offers (and, potentially, an opportunity with the Saints) to focus on other endeavors.
Over four seasons with the Bolts, Emanuel appeared in 63 games with 33 starts. Last year, he finished out with 30 tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery.
We here at PFR wish Emanuel the best in retirement.
Saints Notes: Ansah, Emanuel, Rankins
The latest from New Orleans:
- Although the Saints recently met with free agent defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, no deal is imminent between the two parties, according to Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link). That’s because New Orleans — and other clubs with interest — want to evaluate the status of Ansah’s shoulder before signing him. Ansah was limited by that shoulder issue all year long, and ultimately appeared in only seven games while trying to work through the ailment. The Bills have also met with Ansah, who was the Lions’ franchise player in 2018.
- The Saints hosted linebacker Kyle Emanuel for a visit on Thursday, tweets veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer. Emanuel, 27, started 33 games for the Chargers over the past four years, but only topped 50% playing time in a season once during that span. He’s been a force on special teams, however, seeing at least 150 ST snaps in each of his pro campaigns. New Orleans already has Alex Anzalone, Demario Davis, and A.J. Klein as is starting linebackers, so Emanuel would serve as depth if signed.
- After tearing his Achilles in the Divisional Round of the postseason, Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins is likely to begin the 2019 regular season on the physically unable to perform list, which would force him to miss the first six games of the year, per Nick Underhill of the Advocate (Twitter link). Rankins, 24, played the most snaps of any Saints defensive tackle in 2018, managing 40 tackles (12 for loss), eight sacks, and 15 quarterback hits in the process. Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, graded Rankins as the No. 23 interior defender among 119 qualifiers.
2018 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure should be around $1.908MM in 2018. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2018 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
49ers: Trent Brown, T; Eli Harold, LB
Bears: Adrian Amos, S
Bengals: Tyler Kroft, TE; Josh Shaw, DB
Bills: John Miller, G
Broncos: Max Garcia, G; Trevor Siemian, QB
Browns: Duke Johnson, RB
Buccaneers: Kwon Alexander, LB
Cardinals: David Johnson, RB; J.J. Nelson, WR
Chargers: Kyle Emanuel, LB
Chiefs: Chris Conley, WR; Steven Nelson, CB
Colts: Henry Anderson, DE; Mark Glowinski, G; Denzelle Good, OL
Dolphins: Bobby McCain, CB
Eagles: Jay Ajayi, RB; Jordan Hicks, LB
Falcons: Grady Jarrett, DT
Jaguars: A.J. Cann, OL
Lions: Quandre Diggs, CB
Packers: Jake Ryan, LB
Panthers: Daryl Williams, T
Patriots: Trey Flowers, DE; Shaq Mason, G
Raiders: Clive Walford, TE
Rams: Jamon Brown, G
Ravens: Za’Darius Smith, LB
Redskins: T.J. Clemmings, OL; Jamison Crowder, WR
Saints: Tyeler Davison, DT
Seahawks: Tyler Lockett, WR
Steelers: Jesse James, TE
Vikings: Stefon Diggs, WR; Danielle Hunter, DE
OverTheCap.com was essential in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.