Minor NFL Transactions: 10/2/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Practice window opened: T Christian Jones
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: LB Nathaniel Watson
Green Bay Packers
- Practice window opened: DT Jonathan Ford
Houston Texans
- Practice window opened: DT Kurt Hinish
Las Vegas Raiders
- Practice window opened: S Trey Taylor
New York Giants
- Practice window opened: LB Matthew Adams
Miami Dolphins
- Practice window opened: CB Cam Smith
New England Patriots
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP list: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki (story)
- Practice window opened: S Marte Mapu
New York Jets
- Practice window opened: DT Leki Fotu
- Released from IR: LB Brandon Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed to active roster: RB Aaron Shampklin
- Practice window opened: LB Jeremiah Moon
San Francisco 49ers
- Practice window opened: DL Kalia Davis
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return from PUP list: DT Cameron Young
Today marks most teams’ first practice before Week 5, making it the first date players stashed on IR as teams set their initial 53-man rosters can work out again with their teams. This year’s IR tweak allowed teams to designate up to two players for return August 27, the catch being all players who receive that designation count toward their respective club’s eight-activation total. The batch included in today’s minor moves post consists entirely of players to receive that August IR-return designation.
The IR-return window is unchanged, however, with teams having 21 days from Wednesday to activate these players. Anyone from today’s group not being activated from IR by October 23 must miss the rest of the season. PFR will keep track of all players returning from IR via the Injured Reserve Return Tracker.
Giants Place Isaiah McKenzie On IR, Move Roster To 53
Here is how the Giants moved down to the 53-man limit today:
Released:
- WR Miles Boykin
- TE Lawrence Cager
- CB Tre Herndon (story)
- WR Isaiah Hodgins
- DB Darnay Holmes (story)
- FB Jakob Johnson
- CB David Long
- T Joshua Miles
- WR Allen Robinson (story)
Waived:
- LB Darrian Beavers
- LB K.J. Cloyd
- LB Tomon Fox
- DB Alex Johnson
- T Marcellus Johnson
- DB Raheem Layne
- K Jude McAtamney
- RB Dante Miller
- RB Jimmy Morrissey
- DT Casey Rogers
- TE Jack Stoll
Waived/injured:
- DB Mario Goodrich
- G Jalen Mayfield
- DE Ovie Oghoufo
Placed on season-ending IR:
Placed on IR/return:
Just as the NFL greenlit a full-on kickoff revamp, McKenzie is out of the picture in New York. Signing with the Giants this year and completing a reunion with ex-Bills staffers Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, McKenzie has been a return man and slot receiver for seven seasons. This transaction, unlike the Adams designation, will knock the 5-foot-7 cog out for the year. McKenzie only received $75K guaranteed.
McKenzie joins Hodgins among the players not currently in the mix for the team. The Giants received good value from the former waiver claim, who was a Bills teammate of McKenzie’s under Daboll earlier his career. They brought him back after non-tendering him as an RFA in March, and he and Robinson were battling for back-end receiver jobs. The Giants kept Bryce Ford-Wheaton, a 2023 UDFA, over Hodgins. Considering Hodgins’ past with Daboll, it would not surprise to see New York circle back with a potential practice squad invite. Though, the fifth-year veteran might have other options.
Beavers was viewed as a potential inside linebacker starter in 2023, but Micah McFadden ended up beating out the former sixth-round pick. Beavers played in only two games last season. Cager also was considered a contender to be one of the Giants’ receiving tight ends, but the converted wideout fell short. Daniel Bellinger and fourth-round rookie Theo Johnson are leading the way post-Darren Waller.
Giants Sign LB Matthew Adams
The Giants have added depth at the linebacker spot head of the upcoming draft. New York has signed Matthew Adams, per a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Giants Sign DT Jordan Phillips]
Adams spent his first four seasons with the Colts, playing 58 games with Indianapolis. He started nine games across his first two seasons in the league, but throughout his career his primary contributions have come on special teams. That remained true during his one-year stints in Chicago and Cleveland.
The former seventh-rounder was limited to 10 games with the Bears in 2022, but he still managed to record the second-most tackles of his career (26). Upon seeing his one-year Chicago deal expire, Adams joined the Browns on another low-cost contract of the same length. He played every game in 2023, logging a career-high 85% snap share on special teams.
The Giants have a number of options in place for the time being at the linebacker spot. That contingent includes Isaiah Simmons, who re-signed on a one-year deal last week. The former Cardinals first-rounder logged a rotational defensive role last season alongside Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden. Each of the latter two are under contract for 2024 and beyond, so Adams will be hard-pressed to carve out a workload unrelated to his special teams duties on his latest team.
Still, the 28-year-old will be able to contribute in the third phase with New York. Adams will aim to help the Giants improve on special teams in 2024 after they ranked 21st in DVOA in that regard last season. The team entered Friday with $6.3MM in cap space, but this agreement will not dramatically lower that figure if it is in line with the deals Adams played on over the past two years.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/21/23
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: DL Henry Anderson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Matthew Adams
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL Chuma Edoga
- Re-signed: RB Rico Dowdle
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: WR Thomas Hennigan
Adams, a former seventh-round pick, collected 55 tackles across 58 games (nine starts) with the Colts to begin his career. He spent the 2022 campaign in Chicago, compiling 26 tackles in 10 games (three starts).
The Cowboys previously tried to trade for Edoga, so it’s not a surprise that he’s finally landed in Dallas. Per Nick Eatman of the team’s website, the lineman could be a candidate to start at left guard to replace Connor McGovern. The former third-round pick has only appeared in seven games over the past two seasons in stints with the Jets and Falcons.
Anderson hasn’t started a game since the 2020 season, but he can still be a reliable special teamer and situational defender for a rebooted Panthers squad. The veteran got into 11 games for the Colts last season, collecting 18 tackles.
Bears Sign DE Taco Charlton, Cut LB A.J. Klein
The Bears acquired some depth on the defensive line today, signing former first-round pick Taco Charlton from the Saints practice squad, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Additionally, the Bears activated linebacker Matthew Adams from injured reserve. 
Charlton has had a rollercoaster of a career through six seasons. He’s coming off of a down season in Pittsburgh where the Steelers barely used him. As a rotational pass rusher, Charlton only played more than half of the team’s defensive snaps twice in the season. In his lone start, he earned his only half-sack and a quarterback hit. In the only other game that saw him play more than half the Steelers’ snaps, he recorded his only other quarterback hit of the season.
Charlton hasn’t played a full season since his rookie year for the Cowboys in 2017. Since then, injuries and inactive periods for other non-disclosed reasons have kept him off the field for weeks at a time. He signed with the Saints early in the offseason but was cut and signed to the practice squad at the roster cut deadline.
Adams is a reserve linebacker and core special teamer for the Bears. He was placed on IR after suffering a calf injury in the team’s Week 5 loss to the Vikings. His return adds some depth to the linebacking position behind starters Jack Sanborn, Joe Thomas, and Nicholas Morrow.
To make room for Charlton on the active roster, Chicago released linebacker A.J. Klein with a non-injury settlement agreement, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Klein was acquired in the trade that sent star linebacker Roquan Smith to Baltimore. Klein appeared in each of the Bears’ last two games, playing sparsely on special teams. His departure is quickly remedied by the return of Adams.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/22
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed (from Saints): G Wyatt Davis
- Placed on IR: G Will Hernandez (story)
- Designated for return: S Charles Washington
Chicago Bears
- Designated for return: LB Matthew Adams
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: DE Tarell Basham
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: RB Craig Reynolds
- Signed off Broncos’ practice squad: WR Trinity Benson
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: OLB Rashan Gary (story)
- Designated for return: OLB Tipa Galeai
Indianapolis Colts
- Designated for return: WR Ashton Dulin
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed from practice squad: S Isaiah Pola-Mao
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on IR: DL Austin Johnson (story)
- Signed from practice squad: DL Breiden Fehoko
Minnesota Vikings
- Designated for return: TE Ben Ellefson
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return: DE Jordan Willis
Adams, Dulin, Ellefson, Galeai, Washington and Willis each have until Nov. 30 to be activated from IR. Should they not be activated, they would revert to season-ending IR. The Colts and Vikings are in solid shape regarding activations, having only used one apiece. The Bears, Cardinals, 49ers and Packers have used three such moves apiece. Teams are allotted eight injury activations this season.
The Cowboys dangled Basham in trades before last week’s deadline, but no takers emerged. While the team cut the other D-lineman they were hoping to deal — Trysten Hill, who has since been claimed by the Cardinals — they ended up using one of their injury activations on Basham. A former Colts third-round pick, Basham notched 3.5 sacks during his first Cowboys season last year. He played in one game this season (Week 1) before going down with a quadriceps injury. The Cowboys, who have Tyron Smith and James Washington on their IR-return radar, have used two injury activations this season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/11/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: CB Daryl Worley
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Brandin Bryant
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR: LB Julian Stanford
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: LB Matt Adams
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DE Khalid Kareem
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Thomas Graham
Denver Broncos
- Waived: OLB Jonathan Kongbo
Houston Texans
- Released from IR: DB Kendall Sheffield
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: G John Miller
- Placed on IR: OL Ben Bartch, LB K’Lavon Chaisson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: WR Albert Wilson
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: RB Jake Funk
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed of Titans practice squad: DB Theo Jackson
- Placed on IR: RB Ty Chandler
New England Patriots
- Waived: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: DT D.J. Davidson
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: RB Marlon Mack
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Xavier Crawford
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: LB Genard Avery
- Released from IR: RB Kenjon Barner
Bears LB Matthew Adams Arrested
Bears linebacker Matthew Adams was arrested earlier this week. According to Patrick Finley and David Struett of the Chicago Sun Times, Adams was arrested on Thursday night in Chicago and charged with “misdemeanor illegal gun possession and possession of a high-capacity magazine and metal-piercing bullets.”
According to the report, police were investigating a car that was reported stolen. Adams was spotted near the vehicle and later told police the car was his. Following a search, the guns were found.
Per Finley and Struett, possession of a high-capacity magazine and metal-piercing bullets is “municipal code violation” in Chicago. Adams has a license for the guns that isn’t usable in Illinois. He has a court hearing on August 24.
“Earlier this morning, we were made aware of an incident involving the arrest of Bears linebacker Matthew Adams,” the team said in a statement yesterday morning (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin on Twitter). “We are in the process of gathering more information. We will refrain from making any further comment at this time.”
Adams was a seventh-round pick by the Colts in 2018, and he ended up spending four seasons in Indy. He eventually settled into a special teams role, and he collected 55 tackles across 58 regular season contests. He inked a one-year deal with Chicago this offseason, following former Colts defensive coordinator (and current Bears head coach) Matt Eberflus. As the Sun Times points out, this is the second Bears acquisition to get arrested this offseason; receiver Byron Pringle (who has a connection to new Bears GM Ryan Poles) was arrested in February for “reckless driving and driving with a suspended license.”
Bears Sign LB Matthew Adams
Former Colts seventh-round pick Matthew Adams will follow Matt Eberflus to Chicago. The Bears signed the veteran linebacker to a one-year contract Saturday.
Despite his final-round draft status, Adams played four seasons with the Colts — all during Eberflus’ defensive coordinator stay — and served as a defensive part-timer and near-full-time special teams contributor. Adams joins defensive lineman Al-Quadin Muhammad as ex-Colt defenders to commit to Chicago since Eberflus’ HC hire.
Part of the 2018 draft class that sent Quenton Nelson, Darius Leonard, Braden Smith and Nyheim Hines to the Colts, Adams played 58 games for the team. The Colts used the ex-Houston Cougar as a nine-game starter over his first two seasons but kept him strictly on special teams from 2020-21. Adams played 79% of Indianapolis’ special teams plays in 2021, making 10 tackles.
Chicago has added a few auxiliary players at linebacker this offseason, signing ex-Raider Nicholas Morrow along with journeymen backups Joe Thomas and Noah Dawkins. Entering his fifth season, Roquan Smith stands to anchor this group — one that lost six-year cog Danny Trevathan following a March release.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/20
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Devon Kennard, CB Byron Murphy
- Placed on IR: Kevin Peterson
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Marlon Humphrey
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: RB Reggie Bonnafon
- Placed on IR: LB Adarius Taylor
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Baker Mayfield
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Tyrone Crawford
- Claimed off waivers from Colts: DL Ron’Dell Carter
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Graham Glasgow
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Matthew Adams
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Mecole Hardman
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: WR Preston Williams (story)
New York Jets
- Claimed off waivers from Giants: CB Corey Ballentine