Minor NFL Transactions: 9/2/24
Here are Labor Day’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: TE Sage Surratt
Buffalo Bills
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: CB Dee Delaney
Carolina Panthers
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: LB Tae Davis, OL Badara Traore
Dallas Cowboys
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: WR David Durden
Las Vegas Raiders
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: OL Corey Luciano
Miami Dolphins
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: RB Chris Brooks
Minnesota Vikings
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: TE Trey Knox
New Orleans Saints
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: TE Kevin Rader
San Francisco 49ers
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: DB Tayler Hawkins
Washington Commanders
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: C Ricky Stromberg
Stromberg sustained a knee injury that will require surgery. The 2023 third-round pick, one of five 2023 draftees that did not make Washington’s 53-man roster last week, will only need an arthroscopic procedure, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Stromberg is aiming to catch on somewhere else around the midseason point. He only played 26 rookie-year snaps on offense. The Arkansas product would technically have a chance to land back with the Commanders, depending on the terms of the settlement, but the team moving on so early may well point to the Adam Peters regime deeming the Ron Rivera– and Martin Mayhew-overseen move a mistake.
Davis figures to land elsewhere and play this season. The 28-year-old linebacker sustained a foot sprain and will be out for a few weeks, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Davis played in 16 games, split evenly between the Saints and Panthers, last season.
Cardinals Get Down To 53
The Cardinals finalized their initial 53-man roster with the following moves:
Released:
- WR Andre Baccellia
- LB Markus Bailey
- LB Krys Barnes
- OL Jackson Barton
- DL T.J. Carter
- S Andre Chachere
- WR Dan Chisena
- OL Keith Ismael
- CB Bobby Price
- OL Elijah Wilkinson
Waived:
- RB Michael Carter
- CB Jaden Davis
- RB Hassan Hall
- OL Marquis Hayes
- DL Phil Hoskins
- DL Naquan Jones
- LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams
- DL Myles Murphy
- LB Trevor Nowaske
- WR Tejhaun Palmer
- QB Desmond Ridder (story)
- TE Bernhard Seikovits
- LB Tyreke Smith
- DL Ben Stille
- TE Blake Whiteheart
- CB Divaad Wilson
Waived/injured:
- TE Sage Surratt
Placed on IR:
Placed on IR (designated for return):
We’ve already reported on the most notable name, Ridder. The Cardinals instead opted to rely on second-year passer Clayton Tune to back up Kyler Murray behind center. There’s still a chance Ridder could remain on the practice squad as QB3.
Robinson and Jones will miss the first four games of the season, but both have been designated to return from IR eventually. Jones Jr. will miss the 2024 season, though.
Two rookie draft picks failed to make the 53-man. Alabama Birmingham receiver Palmer (sixth-round) and Miami (FL) cornerback Davis (seventh-round) both hit the waiver wire following the preseason. Undrafted receiver Xavier Weaver out of Colorado, does make the roster, though.
Other surprises were the cutting of Carter and Barnes. Carter struggled last year before parting ways with the Jets, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2021. Six games in Arizona last year were not enough to warrant a return in 2024 on the active roster. Carter had been shopped around a bit as of late, but with no buyers, he hits the waiver wire. Barnes started six games for the team last year after three years in Green Bay, where he started 24 games.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/24
Today’s mid-week minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Sage Surratt
- Waived: WR Daniel Arias
Carolina Panthers
- Waived (with injury settlement): G Nash Jensen
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: WR Freddie Swain
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Marvin Moody
- Waived (with injury designation): Brandon Bouyer-Randle
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Rachad Wildgoose
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on exempt/international list: K Alex Hale
- Reverted to IR: RB Jarveon Howard
- Waived: DE Kenneth Odumegwu
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: TE Dalton Keene
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Jaaron Hayek
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: WR Jeff Foreman
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: G Matt Cindric
- Claimed off waivers (from Jets): TE Neal Johnson
- Waived (with injury designation): T Jeremy Flax, CB NaJee Thompson
New York Giants
- Reverted to IR: WR Dennis Houston
- Waived (with injury settlement): TE Tyree Jackson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released (with injury settlement): CB Tyler Hall
Washington Commanders
- Reverted to IR: LB Keandre Jones, S Ben Nikkel
Interesting move up in Green Bay, where the Packers are essentially swapping out which player will qualify as the 17th member of their practice squad through the International Player Pathway program. They’ll waive the Nigerian, Odumegwu, who joined through the league’s IPP program last year, and assign the international exemption to the Australian kicker, Hale.
It’s unfortunate news for Keene, who doubled in his offensive duties as fullback at times for the Texans. Keene reportedly tore his ACL in Houston’s second preseason game last weekend, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. His placement on injured reserve today will end his 2024 season.
Chargers Trim Roster To 53
As final cuts continue to be announced, the Chargers have unveiled their list of departing players. Here is the final tally:
Released:
Waived:
- T Zack Bailey
- WR Michael Bandy
- WR Trevon Bradford
- DL Andrew Brown
- RB Leddie Brown
- LB Cole Christiansen
- OLB Jamal Davis II
- DB Ben DeLuca
- OLB Emeke Egbule
- DL Joe Gaziano
- CB Kemon Hall
- OL Ryan Hunter
- CB Michael Jacquet
- TE Hunter Kampmoyer
- OLB Carlo Kemp
- TE Erik Krommenho
- S Raheem Layne
- LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams
- RB Kevin Marks Jr.
- WR Jason Moore Jr.
- FB Gabe Nabers
- WR Joe Reed
- T Foster Sarell
- CB Brandon Sebastian
- DB Mark Webb Jr.
Waived/injured:
- TE Sage Surratt
Covington represents by far the most experienced player being let go. He spent just one season in Los Angeles, starting three of his 16 appearances. While the 28-year-old Canadian set a new career-high in tackles with 52, he was part of the league’s third-worst run defense. That, coupled with Covington’s small roster bonus, made him a logical cut candidate.
The Chargers have a crowded backfield to work with, and one main training camp storyline has been the competition to establish the pecking order behind Austin Ekeler. By waiving Nabers, however, the team can keep one more back on the 53-man roster. Given their passing efficiency, eliminating the fullback position from the offense would allow them to keep the former UDFA on the practice squad (if at all); if not, Nabers will need to find one of the few remaining teams with a spot for his skillset.
Surratt carries the most upside amongst the TE departures. The converted WR didn’t play during his rookie season, but demonstrated his talent in college, including a 1,000-yerd season at Wake Forest. Given his absence from the 2020 college season, as well as the 2021 NFL campaign, though, keeping the six-foot-three, 215-pounder as a depth option behind Gerald Everett could better be done via the practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/29/22
Teams have until 3pm Tuesday to slash their rosters from 80 to 53 players. Here are the Monday moves teams are making en route to doing so. The list will be updated throughout the day.
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: CB Jace Whittaker, S James Wiggins
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Darrell Baker
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: C Jimmy Murray
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: OL Jacob Capra, DE Daniel Joseph, DB Jordan Miller, OL Tanner Owen, WR Neil Pau’u, DB Josh Thomas
Chicago Bears
- Waived: S Jon Alexander, C Corey Dublin, WR Kevin Shaa
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: DE Chris Odom (story)
- Released: WR Javon Wims
- Waived: WR Ja’Marcus Bradley, DT Glen Logan, S Jovante Moffatt, T Ben Petrula, DE Curtis Weaver
Denver Broncos
- Waived: CB Bless Austin, LB Jeremiah Gemmel, OL Sebastian Gutierrez, RB JaQuan Hardy
- Waived/injured: CB Donnie Lewis
Detroit Lions
- Released: QB Tim Boyle
- Waived: CB Mark Gilbert, WR Tom Kennedy, WR Kalil Pimpleton, CB Saivion Smith
Houston Texans
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Chester Rogers
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: QB Jack Coan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: S Rudy Ford, K.C. McDermott
- Waived: LB Tyrell Adams, DL Auzoyah Alufohai, RB Ryquell Armstead, CB Benjie Franklin, DB Brandon Rusnak, LB Chapelle Russell, OL Badara Traore
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: LB Emeke Egbule, TE Sage Surratt
Miami Dolphins
- Released: OL Adam Pankey
- Waived: OL Blaise Andries, DL Owen Carney Jr., RB Gerrid Doaks, CB Elijah Hamilton, LB Darius Hodge, DT Niles Scott, RB ZaQuandre White, CB Quincy Wilson
- Placed on IR: LB Calvin Munson
- Waived/injured: CB D’Angelo Ross
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: CB Tye Smith
- Placed on IR: WR Olabisi Johnson (story), DL T.Y. McGill
- Waived: WR Myron Mitchell, T Timon Parris
New York Giants
- Waived: DB Yusuf Corker, WR Keelan Doss, DB Olaijah Griffin, OL Josh Rivas, K Ryan Santoso, OL Eric Smith, WR Travis Toivonen
New York Jets
- Waived: DE Bradlee Anae, WR Irvin Charles, CB Javelin Guidry, WR Calvin Jackson Jr., RB La’Mical Perine, LB Del’Shawn Phillips, QB Chris Streveler
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: CB Josh Blackwell, QB Carson Strong, OL Cameron Tom, DT Renell Wren
- Waived/injured: WR Greg Ward
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: DL Ron’Dell Carter, CB Linden Stephens, TE Jace Sternberger
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: CB Ken Crawley
- Waived: OL Dohnovan West
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: LB Andre Anthony, WR Jerreth Sterns
Tennessee Titans
- Released: S Adrian Colbert
- Waived: S Tyree Gillespie, OL Willie Wright
Washington Commanders
- Waived: DT Tyler Clark, DE Jacub Panasiuk, DB Steven Parker
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/22
Here are the minor moves to wrap up the weekend:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Sage Surratt
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from active/PUP: CB Don Gardner
Surratt went undrafted last year after opting out of the 2020 college football season, an option given to all football players that year due to COVID-19. He considered entering the 2020 NFL Draft after an impressive redshirt sophomore season at Wake Forest, but ultimately decided to return before eventually opting out. Despite only playing in 9 games with the Demon Deacons in 2019, Surratt totaled 66 receptions for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns. Unfortunately, averaging 111.22 receiving yards per game in 2019 didn’t build his draft stock enough for the 2021 Draft. Surratt has spent time on the practice squads for the Lions and the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL but hasn’t seen the field for either. The Chargers will hope to tap into that explosive play from three years ago.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC North
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 Bears, Lions, Packers and Vikings moves are noted below.
Here are Wednesday’s NFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.
Chicago Bears
Claimed:
- WR Nsimba Webster (from 49ers)
Signed:
Waived:
- WR Rodney Adams
Placed on IR:
Signed to practice squad:
- DL Auzoyah Alufohai, C Dieter Eiselen, CB Thomas Graham Jr., OL Arlington Hambright, WR Isaiah Coulter, K Brian Johnson, WR Jon’Vea Johnson, OLB Sam Kamara, RB Ryan Nall, WR Dazz Newsome, RB Artavis Pierce, OLB Charles Snowden, DB Teez Tabor
Detroit Lions
Released/Waived:
- TE Darren Fells, S Dean Marlowe
Signed to practice squad:
- LB Tanner Beckett, LB Rashod Berry, DT Miles Brown, S Jalen Elliott, K Zane Gonzalez, DL Bruce Hector, G Tommy Kraemer, TE Alize Mack, WR Javon McKinley, RB Dedrick Mills, OT Darrin Paulo, RB Craig Reynolds, CB Nickell Robey-Coleman, WR Sage Surratt, TE Brock Wright, TE Shane Zylstra
Green Bay Packers
Signed to practice squad:
- DL Abdullah Anderson, QB Kurt Benkert, WR Chris Blair, G Ben Braden, OL Jacob Capra, CB Kabion Ento, S Innis Gaines, LB Tipa Galeai, TE Bronson Kaufusi, K J.J. Molson, DL Willington Previlon, WR Equanimeous St. Brown, RB Patrick Taylor, OL Cole Van Lanen, LB Ray Wilborn, WR Juwann Winfree
Minnesota Vikings
Signed:
Claimed:
- TE Ben Ellefson (from Jaguars)
Placed on IR:
- WR Dan Chisena, RB Kene Nwangwu, TE Irv Smith Jr. (story)
Signed to practice squad:
- OT Zack Bailey, FB Jake Bargas, LB Tuf Borland, TE Zach Davidson, S Myles Dorn, G Dakota Dozier, G Kyle Hinton, WR Myron Mitchell, CB Parry Nickerson, WR Whop Philyor, RB A.J. Rose, CB Tye Smith, DE Kenny Willekes
Lions Down To 53
The Lions have their 53-man roster in place. On Tuesday, the Lions officially cut:
Released
Waived
- LB Tavante Beckett
- LB Rashod Berry
- S Jalen Elliott
- DT Bruce Hector
- G Tommy Kraemer
- TE Alize Mack
- WR Javon McKinley
- RB Dedrick Mills
- T Darrin Paulo
- RB Craig Reynolds
- WR Sage Surratt
- LB Jahlani Tavai
- TE Brock Wright
Placed on Reserve/Suspended
The Lions will carry three quarterbacks for now in Jard Goff, Tim Boyle, and David Blough. Boyle is currently dealing with an injured thumb, which will keep him sidelined for two months. But, in order to hang on to him and dress him ASAP, they’ll have to carry him on their initial 53-man roster. Fortunately, Goff has proven largely durable during his five-year career. He did not miss a start due to injury until late last season, when a thumb surgery sidelined him.
Wake Forest WR Sage Surratt Opts Out
Wake Forest wide receiver Sage Surratt announced that he will opt out of the 2020 college football season and turn his attention to preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft (Twitter link). Surratt, widely projected to be a first-round pick next April, is just the latest college football star to skip out on the upcoming campaign. 
[RELATED: Purdue WR Rondale Moore Opts Out]
In recent days, Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, Minnesota wideout Rashod Bateman, and Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore have decided to prioritize their safety and long-term career prospects. Surratt is widely projected as one of the top WR talents in the ’21 class, along with LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase and Alabama stars Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith.
Surratt, who boasts size and power at 6’3″, caught some attention as a frosh in 2018 with 41 catches for 581 yards and four touchdowns. Last year, he made an even stronger case for NFL evaluators: 66 receptions for 1,001 yards and eleven scores.
More players from the ACC, SEC, and Big 12 conferences are expected to pass on playing this year, including some of the game’s top prospects for the upcoming draft.