Leonard Johnson

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/23

With a number of teams preparing for the start of training camp, a long list of players were placed on inactive lists today. We’ve compiled all of those and today’s other minor moves below:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Free Agents

Isaiah Wilson hasn’t had an NFL gig since he was released by the Giants in January of 2022. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the free agent lineman was slapped with a three-game suspension, but it’s uncertain what led to the temporary ban. Wilson was a first-round pick by the Titans in 2020 but got into only one game with Tennessee before getting shipped off to Miami. He was waived by Miami after showing up late to his team physical, and his practice squad stint with New York only lasted one season.

Max Garcia is an experienced addition to the Saints OL room, with the veteran having most recently started seven of his 12 appearances with the Cardinals in 2022. The 31-year-old has 59 games of starting experience, although Pro Football Focus was iffy on his production last year (63rd among 77 qualifying offensive guards).

Following a three-year stint in Cleveland, Terrance Mitchell has spent the past two seasons bouncing around the NFL. He got into 14 games (13 starts) for the Texans in 2021, finishing with 60 tackles and 10 passes defended. He spent the 2022 season with the Titans, finishing with 39 tackles in 11 games (five starts). 49ers fifth-round pick Darrell Luter Jr. is set to miss some time with a knee injury, providing Mitchell with an opportunity during training camp.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/20/23

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Caleb Huntley‘s 2022 campaign ended in mid-December when the RB suffered a torn Achilles. Naturally, it’s not a surprise that he won’t be ready to go for the start of training camp, and it remains to be seen if the third-year pro will be forced to miss any regular season time. The 2021 UDFA didn’t play as a rookie but took on a larger role in 2022, finishing with 369 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. When he returns to the field, he’ll be joining a deep RBs room that added Bijan Robinson to the likes of Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson.

Needham, a 2019 UDFA out of UTEP, has spent his entire career in Miami, getting into 51 games (27 starts). He started five of his six appearances last season before landing on injured reserve in October with a torn Achilles tendon. Until Needham is back on the field, Kader Kohou and Cam Smith will have a chance to battle it out for the open cornerback spot.

Josh Norman Tests Positive For COVID-19

Nov. 15: Luckily for Norman, he is asymptomatic, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Norman understands that he cannot play today due to league protocols, but he says he feels well enough to do so. The team hopes to have him back shortly.

Nov. 14: The Bills have run into a COVID-19 issue ahead of their trip to Arizona. Josh Norman tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the team, and this will result in at least four Bills not traveling for their Week 10 game.

Norman, cornerback Levi Wallace, safety Dean Marlowe and tight end Tyler Kroft landed on Buffalo’s reserve/COVID-19 list. The latter three players — deemed as high-risk close contacts — must isolate for five days.

As of now, Sunday’s Bills-Cardinals game remains on as scheduled. The team is set to travel to Arizona later this afternoon. Defensive assistant Leonard Johnson will join the aforementioned quartet of players in not making the trip to the desert.

This is not the first time Saturday news of a Bills positive test emerged to weaken one of their position groups. Dawson Knox tested positive for COVID-19 late last month, and the Bills placed two other tight ends on their COVID list that day. The NFL did not adjust the game time of the Bills’ rematch with the Jets. The league has not changed a game time because of COVID-19 since Week 7. With virus numbers skyrocketing around the country, similar challenges to the one that prompted the NFL to move a Bills-Titans game to a Tuesday night appear on the horizon.

Norman signed a one-year, $6MM deal with the Bills — one of several ex-Panthers to rejoin Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane in Buffalo this offseason — but began the season on IR. He returned for three games but has missed the past three due to a hamstring injury. He had practiced all week and was expected to return against Arizona, however. The Bills also recalled Wallace from IR earlier this season.

They will face the Cardinals’ No. 1-ranked offense with a depleted secondary. The team will promote some reinforcements, however. The Bills elevated Daryl Worley, Darron Lee, cornerback Dane Jackson, wide receiver Jake Kumerow and safety Josh Thomas from their practice squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/18

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

  • Promoted from practice squad: G Dorian Johnson
  • Placed on IR: RB Kenjon Barner

Cleveland Browns

  • Promoted from practice squad: WR Blake Jackson
  • Placed on IR: LB Tanner Vallejo

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

  • Waived: S Rolan Milligan

Jacksonville Jaguars

Washington Redskins

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/18

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: LB Tre’Von Johnson

New England Patriots

Oakland Raiders

Washington Redskins

NFL Workout Updates: 11/13/18

Here’s the latest from the workout circuit. All links go to NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account, unless otherwise noted.

Arizona Cardinals

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Tennessee Titans

NFL Workout Updates: 9/5/18

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter unless otherwise noted:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans

Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles

Giants Lock In 53-Man Roster

The Giants will head into the 2018 season without one of their longest-tenured players and one of their 2017 starting safeties, with both Mark Herzlich and Darian Thompson failing to make the team.

A 2017 fifth-round pick, edge defender Avery Moss missed out as well. As did Roger Lewis, a wideout who became needed when the Giants became decimated at receiver last season.

The Giants also released recently signed cornerback Leonard Johnson, who was trying to make a fifth NFL franchise’s 53-man roster. The former Buccaneer, Patriot, Panther and Bill started seven games with Buffalo last season.

Here’s the full list of Giants cuts:

Released:

Waived:

Waived with an injury designation

Placed on IR:

Placed on Reserve/NFI list:

  • DL R.J. McIntosh

Suspended:

Giants To Sign CB Leonard Johnson

The Giants are signing cornerback Leonard Johnson, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The move comes hours after the team auditioned fellow corners Alterraun Verner and Zack Sanchez

Johnson played for the Panthers during GM Dave Gettleman’s time in Carolina, which might explain the move. Johnson didn’t fill up the stat sheet in that 2016 season, but he did appear in ten games. Last year, he recorded 51 tackles and seven passes defensed with the Bills. He appeared in 15 games in 2017 and started in seven of those contests. Johnson graded out as just the 99th best corner in the NFL out of Pro Football Focus’ 120+ qualified players, but that likely doesn’t faze Gettleman, who isn’t big on analytics.

Johnson doesn’t profile as a starter, but he could sneak in as a reserve behind starters Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins and bench corners William Gay and Teddy Williams.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/17/17

The latest minor moves:

  • The Bills have signed three free agents – cornerback Leonard Johnson, running back Joe Banyard and wide receiver Corey Washington. Johnson easily possesses the most experience of the trio, having appeared in 62 games and started 20 with the Buccaneers, Patriots and Panthers since entering the NFL in 2012. He also has five career interceptions, though none since 2014, and connections to the Bills’ coaching staff. Johnson played under defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier in Tampa Bay in 2014 and head coach Sean McDermott in Carolina last season. Banyard, a five-year veteran of the Vikings and Jaguars, has collected 23 career rushes – 21 of which came in 2014. Washington, meanwhile, hasn’t played in a game since 2014, when the then-Giant totaled the only 14 appearances and five catches of his career. He had a brief stint on the Bills’ practice squad last year.
  • The Chargers have re-signed reserve offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins to a one-year deal, per Michael Gehlken (Twitter link). Wiggins, who had stints with the Ravens and 49ers from 2011-13, is now in line to play a fourth year with the Bolts. He debuted in 2014 and has since racked up 29 appearances and nine starts. Wiggins totaled a career-high eight starts in 2015, while the other came last year.
  • The Bengals have re-signed restricted free agent center T.J. Johnson, tweets James Palmer of NFL Network. The three-year veteran is coming off his first 16-game season, in which he logged the lone start of his career.