HEADLINES

Lewis Cine

Chargers Sign S Marcus Williams

October 28th, 2025 at 1:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

More than seven months after the Ravens released Marcus Williams, the veteran safety has secured his first post-Baltimore gig. The Chargers are signing the longtime starter to their practice squad, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

The Ravens designated Williams a post-June 1 cut this offseason, having demoted him during what became a disappointing tenure. Chargers GM Joe Hortiz was in Baltimore when the team signed Williams back in 2022, and after sending Alohi Gilman to the Ravens in the trade for Odafe Oweh, the Bolts will take a flier on Williams. This addition also comes as questions surround Derwin James‘ near-future availability after a Week 8 injury.

Los Angeles is also adding defensive tackle Kyle Peko to its practice squad and releasing running back Nyheim Miller-Hines from the 16-man unit. Williams joins ex-Ravens safety Tony Jefferson among the Bolts’ back-line crew. The Bolts also released wide receiver Luke Grimm from their P-squad, per ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim.

This signing comes after Williams took part in a Chargers workout late last week. The Bolts also auditioned Marcus Maye, Lewis Cine and ex-Raven Daryl Worley, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Maye was an in-season Chargers addition last year, while Worley was part of many Ravens transactions in recent years. This could have been an 11th team for Worley, but instead it will be Williams receiving the opportunity.

Baltimore could not count on Williams, who signed a five-year deal worth $70MM as a 2022 free agent. Injuries and shaky play defined the ex-Saints draftee’s Maryland stay. The Ravens benched Williams midway through last season and made him a healthy scratch down the stretch. Acquired weeks before the Kyle Hamilton pick, Williams could not justify his $14MM-per-year contract. The Ravens reworked the deal in January to precede a release. Although Williams met with the Panthers and Steelers this offseason, no deal came to pass. He will now accept a practice squad invite.

A Saints standout who drew a franchise tag in 2021, Williams is now 29. He has made 106 career starts. Known partially for a mishap on the Vikings’ Minneapolis Miracle play, Williams was a key part of the Saints’ late-2010s resurgence — an ascent largely keyed by the team’s 2017 draft class. He has 20 career INTs. While his recent play left much to be desired, the former second-round pick will provide experienced depth behind James, Jefferson and Elijah Molden. James, though, is not certain to play in Week 9 due to a sprained ankle suffered against the Vikings. Williams stands to provide some insurance in case James misses time.

Peko also worked out for the Bolts last week, per Wilson, who adds Raekwon Davis participated as well. Davis has been out of football since the Colts cut him this offseason. The defensive tackle signed with Indianapolis in 2024. Peko, 32, has played for five teams in nine seasons.

Colts Work Out Kendall Fuller, Lewis Cine

October 6th, 2025 at 9:37pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Colts worked out defensive backs Kendall Fuller and Lewis Cine on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports. Those two join Tre Hawkins as free agent DBs on the Colts’ radar.

At 4-1, Indianapolis has emerged as one of the NFL’s most unexpected success stories early in 2025. After a 40-6 dismantling of the Raiders on Sunday, the Colts’ defense ranks third in the league in points per game allowed (17.8). Nevertheless, the team is on the lookout for help in the secondary after starting cornerback Xavien Howard abruptly retired last week.

Like Howard, Fuller comes with an extensive resume in the NFL. A third-round pick in 2016, the 30-year-old has amassed 128 appearances, 104 starts, and 16 interceptions in nine seasons divided among Washington, Kansas City, and Miami.

In 2024, his lone season with the Dolphins, Fuller started in all 11 of his games and racked up 50 tackles with seven passes defensed. Fuller failed to pick off a pass for the first time since 2019, though, and the Dolphins released him in February.

Cine, a safety, entered the league as a first-round selection (No. 32) of the Vikings in 2022. The former Georgia Bulldog hasn’t established himself in the pros, however, thanks in part to a gruesome injury that derailed his rookie season. Cine suffered a compound fracture of his left leg during the third game of his career and had to undergo multiple surgeries to repair it. The 26-year-old has played in just eight regular-season games since then (seven with the Vikings in 2023, one with the Bills in 2024), and he hasn’t been a factor on defense. Almost all of his snaps (134 of 144) have come on special teams.

Cine, who ended last season with the Super Bowl-winning Eagles, has been available since they waived him from IR last month. That came after he dealt with another leg injury during the preseason.

NFL Minor Transactions: 9/15/25

September 15th, 2025 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

As expected, Cowboys center Cooper Beebe landed on injured reserve today after suffering an ankle and foot injury during yesterday’s win over the Giants. The lineman suffered a lateral sprain in his ankle along with a bone fracture in his foot, an injury that’s expected to keep him sidelined for six to eight weeks. During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones expressed optimism that the injury timeline is “on the shorter end of that” (per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com).

Vikings Trade QB Sam Howell To Eagles; Minnesota Signs Carson Wentz

August 24th, 2025 at 11:27pm CST by Rory Parks

The Vikings are trading quarterback Sam Howell and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Eagles, per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. In exchange, Minnesota will receive a fifth- and seventh-round choice in 2026, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report that the team is also signing veteran passer Carson Wentz to replace Howell and to serve as the backup for J.J. McCarthy.

Wentz, 32, visited the Vikings yesterday, and the summit clearly went well. McCarthy, of course, missed his entire rookie season in 2024 due to injury, though the club’s faith in his ability to operate as the starting QB in 2025 never wavered. Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones were therefore allowed to leave in free agency, and Minnesota acquired Howell during April’s draft with the expectation that he would slot in behind McCarthy on the depth chart.

Howell played well in the club’s first preseason contest this summer, but he struggled in his second outing, completing one of five passes for 13 yards and an interception. He sat out the preseason finale on Friday as Brett Rypien and 2025 UDFA Max Brosmer shared the snaps under center.

In addition to adding a more experienced and accomplished voice in Wentz — who is familiar with HC Kevin O’Connell‘s offensive system — today’s transaction adds a bit more draft capital to the Vikings’ stockpile (just as the recent Harrison Phillips swap did). As multiple pundits, including ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, were quick to point out in the immediate aftermath of the Howell report, Minnesota is in the market for a wide receiver, and the Phillips and Howell trades could help facilitate a WR addition. Longtime Viking and current Panther Adam Thielen remains a target, but Fowler notes the club has multiple lines of inquiry open. Plus, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, Minnesota has been pleased with Brosmer and appears perfectly content to have him as the No. 3 QB.

Howell, meanwhile, continues a nomadic journey that is uncommon for such a young player. The Commanders’ 2022 draftee, who will turn 25 next month, started all 17 games for Washington in 2023, and he finished with a 4-13 record. The club was unafraid to let him air it out, as he led the NFL with 612 pass attempts, which led to a league-worst 21 interceptions. He was traded to Seattle in April 2024, but he saw limited action as the backup to Geno Smith. Including today’s deal, the UNC product has been traded three times in the span of 18 months.

Still, the Eagles needed some cover for their own QB room, as Jalen Hurts‘ presumptive backup, Tanner McKee, is dealing with a finger injury that has jeopardized his Week 1 availability. Albert Breer of SI.com notes Philadelphia remains high on McKee, and it does not sound as if his ailment is a long-term one. Nonetheless, Howell will offer an upgrade over sixth-round rookie Kyle McCord, both as the QB2 in the event McKee is not ready to go at the start of the season and as the QB3 over the course of the campaign (or, the Eagles could theoretically try to trade McKee; per Breer, there has been outside interest in the 25-year-old signal-caller, which echoes his recent report on the matter).

Assuming a McKee trade does not come to fruition, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes McCord will be waived, though the Eagles could try to stash him on the practice squad if he clears waivers. Offseason trade acquisition Dorian Thompson-Robinson is also on the Eagles’ roster for the time being, but today’s news obviously does not bode well for his future in Philly.

McLane adds that the team has waived/injured DB Lewis Cine, who, according Zach Berman of The Athletic, was on crutches following Friday’s preseason game, when he recorded a diving interception.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/25

August 24th, 2025 at 8:14pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions that may have slipped through the cracks with a day full of mass cuts:

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Thompson-Robinson continues to struggle to find his place in the NFL. A fifth-round pick for the Browns out of UCLA, Thompson-Robinson was asked to make a number of spot starts in Cleveland. In five starts, he went 1-4, averaging about 150 passing yards per game. Over those two seasons, he scored only one touchdown while throwing 10 interceptions. He was sent to Philadelphia along with a 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for Kenny Pickett, but the Eagles seemingly do not have a place for him.

Moore was hospitalized with a leg injury suffered in the Giants’ final preseason game but has been discharged following a successful surgery. Barring an injury settlement, he’ll spend the 2025 season on New York’s injured reserve.

Webb received a large signing bonus to sign with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent. While other teams will get their chance to claim him, the Broncos will hope to be able to bring him back to their practice squad.

2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

May 1st, 2025 at 11:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
  • Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
    • At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
    • A 75% snap average across all three seasons
    • At least 50% in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position

We covered how last year’s Pro Bowl invites affected the 2022 first-round class. With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the 2026 option decisions from around the league:

  1. DE/OLB Travon Walker, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
  2. DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson, Lions ($19.87MM): Exercised
  3. CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans ($17.6MM): Extended through 2029
  4. CB Sauce Gardner, Jets ($20.19MM): Exercised
  5. OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants ($14.75MM): Exercised
  6. T Ikem Ekwonu, Panthers ($17.56MM): Exercised
  7. T Evan Neal, Giants ($16.69MM): Declined
  8. WR Drake London, Falcons ($16.82MM): Exercised
  9. T Charles Cross, Seahawks ($17.56MM): Exercised
  10. WR Garrett Wilson, Jets ($16.82MM): Exercised
  11. WR Chris Olave, Saints ($15.49MM): Exercised
  12. WR Jameson Williams, Lions ($15.49MM): Exercised
  13. DT Jordan Davis, Eagles ($12.94MM): Exercised
  14. S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens ($18.6MM): Exercised
  15. G Kenyon Green, Eagles* ($16.69MM): Declined
  16. WR Jahan Dotson, Eagles** ($16.82MM): Declined
  17. G Zion Johnson, Chargers ($17.56MM): Declined
  18. WR Treylon Burks, Titans ($15.49MM): Declined
  19. T Trevor Penning, Saints ($16.69MM): Declined
  20. QB Kenny Pickett, Browns*** ($22.12MM): Declined
  21. CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs ($13.63MM): Exercised
  22. LB Quay Walker, Packers ($14.75MM): Declined
  23. CB Kaiir Elam, Cowboys**** ($12.68MM): Declined
  24. G Tyler Smith, Cowboys ($20.99MM): Exercised
  25. C Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens ($20.99MM): Declined
  26. DE Jermaine Johnson, Jets ($13.92MM): Exercised
  27. LB Devin Lloyd, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
  28. DT Devonte Wyatt, Packers ($12.94MM): Exercised
  29. G Cole Strange, Patriots ($16.69MM): Declined
  30. DE George Karlaftis, Chiefs ($15.12MM): Exercised
  31. DB Dax Hill, Bengals ($12.68MM): Exercised
  32. S Lewis Cine, Vikings: N/A

* = traded from Texans on March 11, 2025
** = traded from Commanders on August 22, 2024
*** = traded from Eagles on March 15, 2024; traded from Steelers on March 10, 2025
**** = traded from Bills to Cowboys on March 12, 2025

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/8/25

January 8th, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions:

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Designated to return from IR: CB Eli Apple

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed off Bills’ practice squad: S Lewis Cine

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Designated to return from IR: CB Troy Hill

Washington Commanders

  • Designated to return from IR: TE Colson Yankoff
  • Placed on IR: DT Haggai Ndubuisi

A former first-round pick, Cine will get a third chance in Philadelphia. The Georgia-product has failed to gain much traction at his first two stops with the Vikings and Bills, but he’ll open the postseason on the active roster with the Eagles.

Once a ball-hawking cornerback for the Rams, Hill’s role has reduced quite a bit in his age-33 season. With the playoffs coming up, though, Hill has the potential to provide some experienced depth in the Buccaneers secondary.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/24

December 28th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves, including gameday elevations for Week 17:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

It was already known Lamb would be out for the remainder of the year, but the same will now be true of Oruwariye. The latter made seven appearances in 2024, his debut Cowboys season. That included four starts and a defensive snap share of 62%, making him a notable contributor on a Dallas defense which has dealt with a number of injuries. Oruwariye, 28, is a pending free agent.

McCoy and Patrick suffered injuries during the Saints’ Week 16 loss, and today’s move confirms they will both miss the remainder of the season. New Orleans’ offensive line has been dealt a number of blows in 2024, and that will continue through the final two games of the season. McCoy appeared in just seven games this year, but plenty of term remains on his pact. Patrick, by contrast, is set to hit the open market this spring.

Whitehead returned to practice earlier this week, so it comes as no surprise he will be available to the Buccaneers tomorrow. He will be expected to reprise his role as a defensive starter as Tampa Bay looks to seal the NFC South over the final two games of the campaign. Bringing back Whitehead and Johnson will leave the team with two IR activations.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/7/24

December 7th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor transactions, including gameday practice squad elevations:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Eagles starting tight end Dallas Goedert has been placed on injured reserve, so Jenkins will come up from the practice squad for a little added depth.

Lewis Cine Backs Out Of Jets Deal; S To Join Bills’ Practice Squad

August 29th, 2024 at 8:09am CST by Adam La Rose

Lewis Cine was available on waivers after the Vikings moved on from him. The third-year safety went unclaimed, but in short order he appeared to line up a Jets agreement. Instead, he will be joining the Bills.

Cine is set to sign with Buffalo, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. As was the case with yesterday’s development, this will be a practice squad deal at first. Cine will attempt to rebuild his value while providing safety depth to the Bills, a team which has seen plenty of turnover in the secondary this offseason.

Buffalo no longer has either member of the Jordan Poyer–Micah Hyde tandem at the safety spot, although the latter could rejoin the team if he elected to avoid retirement. The Bills re-signed Taylor Rapp, added Mike Edwards in free agency and kept special teamer Damar Hamlin on the 53-man roster. Those three offer plenty of experience on the backend, and they are positioned to handle notable roles in 2024.

The Bills also invested in the safety position during this year’s draft, adding Cole Bishop in the second round. The Utah product was unable to remain healthy throughout his first training camp, but he has the upside to take on starting duties relatively early in his career. While the top of the depth chart gets sorted out in the fall, Cine will look to earn a promotion to the Bills’ active roster in short order.

The 24-year-old was unable to live up to expectations during his brief Vikings tenure. Cine, the final pick in the first round of the 2022 draft, has played just 10 regular season games to date. He will join veteran Kareem Jackson on the taxi squad to begin the campaign as he hopes to find a long-term opportunity. If one does not arise, Cine will be free to sign to the active roster of another team during the year if he draws interest.

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