Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off Bills practice squad: RB Raheem Blackshear
- Signed to active roster: LB Arron Mosby
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: LB Jordan Kunaszyk, DE Isaac Rochell
Houston Texans
- Promoted: OL Jimmy Morrissey
- Placed on IR: LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
- Placed on NFI: OL Justin Britt (story)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed off Rams practice squad: DE Benton Whitley
Los Angeles Rams
- Suspended: TE Brycen Hopkins
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Suspended: S Damontae Kazee
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: DT Deadrin Senat
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: RB Trenton Cannon, DB Chris Jackson
Kazee was suspended three games for violating the league’s policy on substances of abuse. After signing with the Steelers this offseason, he landed on injured reserve after the preseason. Per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor (on Twitter), Kazee will be allowed to serve his suspension while he’s on IR.
Hopkins was also suspended three games for violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC East
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots moves are noted below.
Here are Wednesday’s AFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.
Buffalo Bills
Placed on IR:
Signed to practice squad:
- OL Alec Anderson, WR Tavon Austin, QB Matt Barkley, RB Raheem Blackshear, DT C.J. Brewer, DT Brandin Bryant, WR Tanner Gentry, LB Joe Giles-Harris, WR Isaiah Hodgins, DB Ja’Marcus Ingram, RB Duke Johnson, DE Mike Love, OL Greg Mancz, OT Ryan Van Denmark
Miami Dolphins
Signed to practice squad:
New England Patriots
Signed to practice squad:
- C/G James Ferentz, S Brad Hawkins, RB Kevin Harris, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, LB Harvey Langi, LB Cameron McGrone, CB Terrance Mitchell, G Bill Murray, WR Tre Nixon, DT Jeremiah Pharms, DT LaBryan Ray, C Kody Russey, TE Matt Sokol, DT Ben Stille, RB J.J. Taylor, TE Jalen Wydermyer
New York Jets
Signed to practice squad:
- DL Bradlee Anae, WR Tarik Black, WR Irvin Charles, T Chris Glaser, T Grant Hermanns, WR Calvin Jackson Jr., CB Craig James, DT Jonathan Marshall, LB Hamsah Nasirildeen, S Will Parks, DT Tanzel Smart, QB Chris Streveler, LB Chazz Surratt, LB DQ Thomas, TE Kenny Yeboah
Bills Set 53-Man Roster
After waiving six players yesterday, the Bills cut 18 more players today to get themselves down to the 53-man roster limit:
Released:
- DT Eli Ankou (injury settlement)
- QB Matt Barkley
- WR Tanner Gentry
- TE O.J. Howard (story)
- RB Duke Johnson (story)
- OL Greg Mancz
Waived:
- OL Alec Anderson
- RB Raheem Blackshear
- DT C.J. Brewer
- DT Brandin Bryant
- DT Prince Emili
- LB Joe Giles-Harris
- WR Isaiah Hodgins
- DB Ja’Marcus Ingram
- DE Kingsley Jonathan
- DE Mike Love
- DB Nick McCloud
- OL Luke Tenuta
Placed on reserve/PUP:
- CB Tre’Davious White (story)
Placed on reserve/suspended:
- LB Andre Smith
We heard about some of Buffalo’s bigger moves earlier today, including the release of O.J. Howard and Duke Johnson. Greg Mancz is one of the most experienced players to get cut, with the veteran having appeared in 63 games across seven NFL seasons. His positional versatility was expected to land him a roster spot as a backup offensive lineman, but the team ultimately opted for a younger option. Mancz certainly didn’t help his case when he missed the preseason finale while recovering from a foot injury suffered during practice.
Tanner Gentry and Alec Anderson are both candidates to return to Buffalo via the practice squad. Gentry has bounced on and off the Bills roster over the previous two seasons without getting into a game. Anderson started 10 games at UCLA last year before landing with the Bills as an undrafted rookie.
Matt Barkley has spent the past four seasons in Buffalo. He got into eight games with the Bills between 2018 and 2020, completing 53 of his 97 pass attempts for 788 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. He was demoted to QB3 in 2021 following the acquisition of Mitchell Trubisky, and Barkley didn’t end up seeing the field last year. He was eyeing a similar role in 2022 with Case Keenum now serving as Josh Allen‘s primary backup.
Bills Add 11 Undrafted Free Agents
May 15: The Bills have added 10th and 11th players to their UDFA list, signing Marshall offensive lineman Will Ulmer, as Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus tweets, and defensive lineman C.J. Brewer from Coastal Carolina, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com.
Ulmer started a school-record 57 games for the Thundering Herd, and his run-blocking prowess and mean streak have been praised by scouts. As one might expect for a UDFA, however, his technique is said to be quite raw at this point.
Brewer was a five-year contributor for the Chanticleers, utilizing the fifth year of eligibility granted due to COVID-19. In his last three years, Brewer contributed a combined 14.0 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss, impressive numbers for a player who lines up mostly on the interior of the line.
Both players were able to secure their new roster spots after successful tryouts at the Bills’ rookie minicamp.
May 14: The 2022 undrafted free agent class’ reveal is nearly complete. The Bills became the latest team to unveil their UDFA contingent:
- Alec Anderson, T (UCLA)
- Raheem Blackshear, RB (Virginia Tech)
- Travon Fuller, CB (Tulsa)
- Kingsley Jonathan, DE (Syracuse)
- Derek Kerstetter, G (Texas)
- Tanner Owen, T (Northwest Missouri State)
- Neil Pau’u, WR (BYU)
- Malik Williams, WR (Appalachian State)
- Jalen Wydermyer, TE (Texas A&M)
Once viewed as a potential early- or mid-round draftee, Wydermeyer fell to the UDFA level despite forgoing his senior season with the Aggies. The 6-foot-3 tight end caught 40 passes for a career-high 515 yards and four touchdowns as a junior and was a regular in the SEC program’s offense in each of his three College Station seasons — each ending in second-team All-SEC acclaim.
Fuller spent time as Wydermeyer’s teammate, transferring to Tulsa after four seasons with Texas A&M. Kerstetter started at four O-line positions (all but left tackle), while Anderson spent most of his Bruins career at right tackle. Owen started all 52 career games at Northwest Missouri State, one of Division II’s top programs. Blackshear spent three seasons at Rutgers and two at Virginia Tech; he led the Hokies in rushing (757 yards, six touchdowns) last season.