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Minor NFL Transactions: 5/15/23

May 15th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first of this year’s spring leagues to debut, the XFL’s third effort, finished its season Saturday. XFL players are now free to sign NFL contracts, and several agreed to terms Monday. Here are those agreements, along with the other transactions from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Waived: DL Manny Jones, LB Blake Lynch

Atlanta Falcons

Signed: DB Natrone Brooks, S Lukas Denis, DL LaCale London, T Barry Wesley
Waived: LB David Anenih, CB Javelin Guidry, DB Matt Hankins, WR Ra’Saun Henry, DB Dylan Mabin, TE/FB John Raine
Waived/injured: RB B.J. Baylor

Carolina Panthers

Signed: T BJ Wilson

Cleveland Browns

Waived: LB Storey Jackson, DT Roderick Perry

Denver Broncos

Signed: RB Tyreik McAllister, RB Jacques Patrick
Waived: WR Dallas Daniels, DB Darrious Gaines, TE Kris Leach, RB Emanuel Wilson

Detroit Lions

Signed: WR Dylan Drummond

Green Bay Packers

Waived: S James Wiggins

Jacksonville Jaguars

Signed: DB Latavious Brini, WR Jacob Harris
Waived: DL Jayson Ademilola

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed: CB Ekow Boye-Doe
Waived: WR Ty Scott

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed: WR Kristian Wilkerson
Waived: WR Tyler Johnson

Los Angeles Rams

Signed: DB Timarcus Davis, DL Taron Vincent
Waived: WR Tyler Hudson, LB Matthew Jester, DB Jaiden Woodbey

Miami Dolphins

Signed: DB Bryce Thompson

New Orleans Saints

Signed: DB Adrian Frye, DL Jack Heflin, DE Niko Lalos, RB Ellis Merriweather
Waived: WR Sy Barnett, DB Vincent Gray

New York Jets

Signed: TE Izaiah Gathings

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed: CB Luq Barcoo, RB Alfonzo Graham

Seattle Seahawks

Signed: DL Austin Faoliu, NT Forrest Merrill
Waived: LB Michael Ayers, DE Jacob Sykes

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed: DL C.J. Brewer, S Kedrick Whitehead
Waived: T Dylan Cook, OLB Nelson Mbanasor

Tennessee Titans

Signed: C James Empey, CB Eric Garror, WR Gavin Holmes, WR Kearis Jackson, CB Armani Marsh

Washington Commanders

Signed: T Jaryd Jones-Smith
Placed on active/PUP list: LB Drew White

After seeing the pandemic nix its second effort in 2020, the XFL concluded its season Saturday. The Broncos signed the league’s second-leading rusher, in Patrick, while the Browns and Cowboys offered Barqoo contracts, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Barqoo, who played for the Jaguars in 2020 and XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas this year, opted for the Steelers’ offer. Patrick, whom the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson notes passed a Broncos physical Monday, finished with 443 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He joins XFL passing leader Ben DiNucci as a Broncos May addition.

Seeing time for the St. Louis BattleHawks, Jones-Smith played in three games apiece with Raiders and Ravens, respectively, from 2020-21. Thompson will join the Dolphins after a spring tour of duty with the Seattle Sea Dragons, while fellow XFL alum Brewer played in two games for the Bills last year. Heflin played five games for the Packers in 2021; the new Saint spent the XFL season with the Houston Roughnecks.

The Raiders gave Johnson a reserve/futures deal in January. The young wideout collected a ring with the 2020 Buccaneers and totaled 360 receiving yards for Tampa Bay’s 2021 iteration. While the Texans claimed him on waivers ahead of last season, he played in just two games with the team.

Jackson suited up for national championship-winning Georgia last season. The new Titans wideout finished with 514 receiving yards in 2020 and totaled 320 for last season’s Bulldogs edition. A Division II Quincy alum, Wilson received an East-West Shrine Bowl invite but tore an Achilles tendon late last season.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/23

January 9th, 2023 at 6:45pm CST by Ely Allen

18 teams had their seasons come to an end yesterday, and their front offices have already turned the page to the 2023 NFL seaon. This started today, as a number of players were signed to reserve/futures contracts, which allows organizations to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. Here are today’s reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

T Julien Davenport, S Juju Hughes, LB Blake Lynch, TE Chris Pierce, TE Bernhard Seikovits, G Lachavious Simmons, WR Auden Tate, S Josh Thomas, T Badara Traore, WR Javon Wims

Atlanta Falcons

WR Josh Ali, RB BJ Baylor, OLB Quinton Bell, DL Amani Bledsoe, LB Dorian Etheridge, TE Tucker Fisk, CB Javelin Guidry, CB Matt Hankins, OL Jonotthan Harrison, WR Ra’Shaun Henry, LB Nathan Landman, DB Dylan Mabin, CB Jamal Peters, TE John Raine, FB Clint Ratkovich, CB John Reid, OL Justin Shaffer, OL Tyler Vrabel

Buffalo Bills

WR Isaiah Coulter, DE Kendal Vickers

Carolina Panthers

G Deonte Brown, RB Spencer Brown, DE Kobe Jones, LB Arron Mosby, TE Giovanni Ricci, WR C.J. Saunders, TE Stephen Sullivan, DT Raequan Williams, WR Derek Wright

Chicago Bears

TE Chase Allen, S Adrian Colbert, LB Kuony Deng, T Kellen Diesch, DE Gerri Green, TE Jake Tonges, WR Nsimba Webster

Cleveland Browns

WR Daylen Baldwin, S Bubba Bolden, WR Mike Harley, LB Storey Jackson, DE Sam Kamara, RB John Kelly, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, DT Roderick Perry, WR Marquez Stevenson, T Tyrone Wheatley

Denver Broncos

WR Victor Bolden, G Parker Ferguson, CB Faion Hicks, CB Delonte Hood, S Devon Key, RB Tyreik McAllister, OLB Wyatt Ray, OL Hunter Thedford, LB Ray Wilborn

Detroit Lions

WR Maurice Alexander, WR Stanley Berryhill, T Obinna Eze, S Brady Breeze, CB Khalil Dorsey, RB Jermar Jefferson, WR Tom Kennedy, T Darrin Paulo, DT Demetrius Taylor, CB Jarren Williams

Indianapolis Colts

DT McTelvin Agim, S Henry Black, S Marcel Dabo, S Trevor Denbow, G Arlington Hambright, T Jordan Murray, LB Segun Olubi, LB Forrest Rhyne, RB Aaron Shampklin, WR Vyncint Smith, CB David Vereen, TE Jalen Wydermyer

Kansas City Chiefs

WR Ty Fryfogle

Las Vegas Raiders

CB Isiah Brown, CB Bryce Cosby, P Julian Diaz, S Jalen Elliott, TE Cole Fotheringham, G Vitaliy Gurman, T Sebastian Gutierrez, WR Chris Lacy, LB Kana’i Mauga, G Jordan Meredith, WR DJ Turner, RB Austin Walter, WR Isaiah Zuber

Los Angeles Rams

TE Roger Carter, DL T.J. Carter, CB T.J. Carter, S Richard LeCounte, T Max Pircher, WR Jaquarii Roberson, WR Jerreth Sterns, DE Brayden Thomas, DE Zach VanValkenburg

New Orleans Saints

G Yasir Durant, DT Prince Emili, RB Derrick Gore, CB Vincent Gray, TE Lucas Krull, QB Jake Luton, LB Nephi Sewell, DE Jabari Zuniga

New York Jets

OL Chris Glaser, CB Craig James, CB Jimmy Moreland, DL Marquiss Spencer, QB Chris Streveler, LB Chazz Surratt, WR Malik Taylor

Washington Commanders

CB Troy Apke, DE William Bradley-King, WR Alex Erickson, CB DaMarcus Fields, QB Jake Fromm, G Nolan Laufenberg, WR Kyric McGowan, T Aaron Monteiro, G Keaton Sutherland

Falcons Reduce Roster To 53

August 30th, 2022 at 3:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the deadline for teams to cut their rosters down to 53 players minutes away, the Falcons are the latest team to announce how they got there. Here are the moves Atlanta made to set its roster:

Released:

Waived:

DL Abdullah Anderson
DB Corey Ballentine
WR Stanley Berryhill
S Henry Black
OLB Jordan Brailford
DL Darrion Daniels
WR Frank Darby
TE Tucker Fisk
OL Colby Gossett
DB Matt Hankins
RB Caleb Huntley
WR KeeSean Johnson
OL Ryan Nuezil
RB Qadree Ollison
OL Justin Shaffer
S Teez Tabor
DL Derrick Tangelo
DL Nick Thurman
OL Tyler Vrabel
OL Leroy Watson

Waived/injured:

ILB Dorian Etheridge
FB John Raine

A few of Atlanta’s offseason additions are no longer with the team. Former Arthur Smith Titans charges Firkser and Pruitt — each of whom being with Tennessee during the current Atlanta HC’s run as Titans tight ends coach — leave a young tight end group. It would not surprise if one of the two — if not both — were back, via a belated active-roster return or practice squad stash. The Falcons currently have Kyle Pitts, 2021 UDFA Parker Hesse and sixth-round rookie John FitzPatrick at tight end.

The team also signed Kwiatkoski this offseason, bringing him in along with a few ILB investments. But the former Bears and Raiders starter/depth piece is back in free agency. The Falcons still have Deion Jones rostered, despite trade rumors, and have former first-round Titans pick Rashaan Evans in place as well. The team also drafted Troy Andersen in Round 2 this year.

Falcons Sign 13 UDFAs

May 2nd, 2022 at 8:49pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons announced the signing of 13 undrafted free agents:

Jared Bernhardt, WR (Ferris State)
Stanley Berryhill, WR (Arizona)
Kuony Deng, OLB (California)
Matt Hankins, CB (Iowa)
Brad Hawkins, S (Michigan)
Timothy Horne, DL (Kansas State)
Tyshaun James, WR (Central Connecticut)
Nathan Landman, ILB (Colorado)
Bryce Rodgers, DL (UC-Davis)
Derrick Tangelo, DL (Penn State)
Seth Vernon, P (Portland State)
Tyler Vrabel, OL (Boston College)
Leroy Watson, TE (UT-San Antonio)

“We keep talking about our scouting staff and our coaches and all the work that goes into it, and they really grind through this free agency process as well,” GM Terry Fontenot said right after the draft (via Scott Bair of the team’s website). “So I know we are going to continue to add some good football players. We’re excited.

“Once they get here, it doesn’t matter how they got here. It’s competition at every position.”

Derrick Tangelo got some significant money from the organization. Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets that the defensive lineman got $55K guaranteed, including a $5K signing bonus. The rookie had 6.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss in five seasons split between Duke and Penn State.