Sean McKeon

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/29/24

PFR’s practice squad rundown, signaling we are indeed close to games that count, begins Thursday. Here is how teams began to handle their 16-man P-squads.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Slovis went to camp with the Colts, joining the team as a UDFA this year. Houston placed Case Keenum on IR and released Tim Boyle, who is now the Dolphins’ P-squad QB. Slovis, who played at USC, Pittsburgh and BYU in college, is now the Texans’ de facto third-stringer.

Shelley has 11 career starts — with the Bears and Vikings — on his resume. He joined the Raiders last year but ended up with the Rams, playing in 11 games as a backup. The Giants have spent time searching for a cornerback answer, having not been too satisfied with their Cor’Dale FlottNick McCloud CB2 competition. New York did not make any waiver claims at the position Wednesday.

Reagor, who played for the Patriots last season, is back after being released earlier this week. The former Minnesota first-rounder played in 11 New England games last season, returning a kick for a touchdown. Latu joins the Browns after being a 49ers cut. The 2023 third-round pick missed all of last season with an ACL tear. Jefferson is back with the Bolts hours after being released.

Lions Get Down To 53 Players

The Lions used a couple of different methods to get their active roster to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

The Lions released a lot more vested veterans than we typically see at this time in the year, perhaps a sign of the young talent on the roster. Peko seemed like a sure thing to make the roster after starting 10 games for the Titans in 2023.

Detroit will dismiss a couple of young rushers in Jefferson and Knight after the two failed to develop a significant role on the roster. Fromm was easily outshined in the preseason by an electric Hendon Hooker, who will take the backup job behind Jared Goff. Fromm continues to search for his place in the NFL after nearly winning it all at the collegiate level.

Martin, like Mahogany, will be able to return after four weeks, thanks to a new NFL rule that allows each team to place two players on IR before or at the roster cut deadline and designate them to return. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley has the other designation.

Mahogany is the only drafted rookie not to make the initial 53, but he’ll stick around in Detroit. On the other side of things, the Lions kept three undrafted rookie signees on their active roster to start the season. Most notably Hogan Hatten will come in and operate as the team’s new long snapper. Safety Loren Strickland from Ball State and wide receiver Isaiah Williams from Illinois are the other two undrafted rookies to make the initial roster.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/24

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Waived: WR De’Angelo Hardy

Cleveland Browns

  • Waived/failed physical: OL Kellen Diesch

Detroit Lions

A former Cowboys UDFA, McKeon spent the past four seasons in Dallas. He worked as a backup to the likes of Dalton Schultz and Jake Ferguson in that span. Used more as a run blocker, McKeon played between 100 and 128 snaps on offense over the past three seasons. The Michigan alum joins a Lions tight end group that includes Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright, the latter drawing a matched RFA offer sheet.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/6/23

Today’s minor transactions from around the league:

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

The Cowboys made some adjustments to their injured reserve list today. Waletzko returned to practice today as he continues to work his way back from a shoulder injury. McKeon was placed on IR in order to make room for Hendershot after the latter’s activation. This will give McKeon a chance to deal with an ankle injury that’s bothered him this year and a chance to serve as a potential activation candidate for the playoffs.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/12/23

Today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Philadelphia Eagles

Peyton Hendershot will miss at least the next four games while he continues to recover from an ankle injury. The tight end already missed a pair of contests thanks to the injury, with the second-year player hauling in a single catch before that. Sean McKeon will be taking the open spot on the roster. The 25-year-old has spent the past three-plus seasons in Dallas, hauling in six catches in 38 games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/23

Saturday’s gameday elevations and other minor moves ahead of tomorrow’s slate of Week 4 games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Walker’s elevation comes amidst a degree of uncertainty regarding Deshaun Watson‘s Sunday availability. The latter is dealing with a shoulder injury, but he has expressed confidence he will be able to suit up. In the event he is unable to play, though, Walker will provide insurance under center. NFL Network’s James Palmer reports Watson will be a game-time decision.

Chosen, formerly Robbie Anderson, made his Dolphins debut in Week 3, scoring a 68-yard touchdown on his only catch. His performance – along with other depth wideouts currently being sidelined for Miami – will give the 30-year-old a longer look with his new team.

Gore’s elevation will give him the chance to see regular season game action for the first time since 2021. The former UDFA recorded 361 scrimmage yards with the Chiefs that season, but a subsequent IR stint marked the end of his time in Kansas City. Gore has since spent time on the Saints’, and now Commanders’, taxi squads. Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes that fellow depth back Chris Rodriguez has bee ruled out with an illness, opening the door to Gore seeing limited snaps.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC 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 Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles and Giants moves are noted below.

Dallas Cowboys

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

New York Giants

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Philadelphia Eagles

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Washington Commanders

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Cowboys Set 53-Man Roster

The Cowboys were busy today, with the organization announcing 36 roster moves as they reduced their team to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

  • OT Josh Ball
  • WR David Durden
  • LB DeMarvion Overshown
  • TE John Stephens Jr.

According to Nick Harris of the team website, both long snapper Trent Sieg and cornerback C.J. Goodwin are expected to rejoin the active roster once the dust settles from this initial round of cuts.

Quinton Bohanna spent the past two years in Dallas after being selected in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. He got into 27 games (10 starts) over the past two years, collecting 29 tackles while playing both on defense and special teams. The Cowboys added first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith this offseason, making Bohanna expendable.

Cowboys Unlikely To Re-Sign Dalton Schultz

A key Dak Prescott target for years, Dalton Schultz did not have the opportunity to test free agency last year. The veteran Cowboys tight end likely will in March.

It is believed the Cowboys will not be ready to pay Schultz enough to keep him from hitting the market and ultimately leaving town, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes. With a modest wide receiver crop set to become free agents, Schultz stands to be one of the top pass catchers available.

It would cost the Cowboys just more than $13MM to tag Schultz again, but the team is believed to be preparing to tag Tony Pollard. The Pro Bowl running back is indeed squarely on the tag radar, Archer confirms. The running back tag being only $10.1MM — the second-lowest tag figure — makes that a more appealing solution for teams with upper-echelon backs nearing free agency. Teams have until 3pm CT March 7 to tag players. The Cowboys negotiated with Schultz ahead of last year’s deadline; contract length stood as one of the issues that impeded an agreement.

Schultz, 26, did not match his 2021 production but served as CeeDee Lamb‘s top complement down the stretch for the 12-5 team. Upon returning from an early-season knee injury, Schultz struggled to develop a rapport with Cooper Rush. But the former fourth-round pick posted two two-touchdown games during the season’s second half. His 38.5 receiving yards per game, however, ranked 12th among tight ends last season. Schultz, who became needed as a post-Jason Witten option after Blake Jarwin found injuries too difficult to surmount, topped that number in 2021 — an 808-yard, eight-touchdown season that led the Cowboys to tag him.

Schultz’s 2021 numbers, at full strength and with Prescott fully available, will likely entice teams. Both tight ends that played last season on the tag — Schultz and the Dolphins’ Mike Gesicki — are expected to hit the market. Gesicki is coming off a bigger production decrease compared to Schultz. Evan Engram is on track for free agency as well, but the Jaguars have the tag as a weapon to prevent that. Engram not reaching free agency would help Schultz and Gesicki, thinning the talent pool at the position. Austin Hooper, Hayden Hurst and Robert Tonyan are also free agents-to-be.

The Cowboys used a fourth-round pick on Jake Ferguson last year, and Archer adds the team is fond of three-year backup Sean McKeon. Ferguson led all other Dallas tight ends with 174 yards last season. If Schultz leaves, the Cowboys should be expected to eye a cheaper replacement in free agency or seek more help in what is viewed as a tight end-rich draft. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah called it the best tight end class in a decade (Twitter link).

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/29/22

Here are the minor moves leading into Sunday’s slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders