Tarell Basham

Bengals Waive DE Tarell Basham

The Bengals brought in Tarell Basham to compete for a depth role, but they have moved on days before roster cutdowns. The veteran defensive end was waived on Friday, per a team announcement.

Basham signed with Cincinnati during the second wave of free agency, a move which saw him add further to his journeyman status. The 29-year-old has seen time with the Colts, Jets, Cowboys and Titans, splitting time between the latter two clubs in 2022. Basham joined the Bengals in the hopes of securing a rotational role behind Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard on the edge.

That goal was interrupted by an injury on the opening day of training camp, as noted by The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. (Twitter link). As a result, Basham fell behind other pass-rush contenders such as Joseph Ossai, Cam Sample and first-round rookie Myles Murphy for a roster spot. Presuming he goes unclaimed, Basham will now seek out another new home in the midst of impending roster cuts.

The former third-rounder played 42 of his 82 career games (and made 12 of his 18 starts) during his time in New York. He registered 3.5 sacks with the Jets in 2020, and matched that total the following year with the Cowboys. Dallas’ depth on the edge led to the team’s decision to move on from him midseason, however, which opened the door to a five-game stint in Tennessee to finish the campaign. Basham logged a notable 41% snap share with the Titans, but that did not translate to statistical success.

A smaller workload likely awaits the Ohio alum upon arrival with his next team. Basham will look for another new gig as squads sort out final roster decisions in the coming days, while the Bengals will move forward with their remaining edge rush contingent, a group which will look to improve on the team’s poor showing in the sack department (30) last season.

Bengals To Add DE Tarell Basham

Working to bolster their edge-rushing depth, the Bengals are adding a six-year veteran to the mix. Tarell Basham agreed to terms with the team Friday, according to his agency (on Twitter).

The former third-round pick who played for two teams last season will return to Ohio, where he played his college ball. The ex-Ohio Bobcat spent last season with the Cowboys and Titans. Basham, 29, will now prepare to vie for a rotational role behind starting Bengals defensive ends Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson.

Basham has already played for four teams in his career, beginning with the Colts before moving to the Jets. He has twice been waived in-season, seeing the Colts and Cowboys cut bait. Dallas did so last year, having seen Basham go down with a quad injury in Week 1 and the likes of Dante Fowler and Sam Williams become its preferred edge-rushing depth pieces. The Cowboys attempted to dangle Basham in trades but found no takers.

The Cowboys gave Basham a two-year, $5.5MM deal in 2021. He helped Dan Quinn revive Dallas’ defense that year, registering 3.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits. That came after he totaled 3.5 sacks and 13 QB hits for the Jets in 2020, creating a modest market. Basham forced three fumbles for the 2020 Jets and added another with the ’21 Cowboys. The ’22 Cowboys’ depth at the position left no room for Basham, who played five games for an injury-riddled Titans team to close out the season.

Cincinnati rosters Joseph Ossai as a backup edge option, but the 2021 draftee was playing through a torn labrum during the final games of last season. Ossai underwent surgery early this offseason. Basham will join Ossai, a former third-round pick, and Cam Sample (Round 4, 2021) as backup options going into Cincy’s offseason program. Ossai and Sample combined for 5.5 sacks in 2022.

Titans Sign OLB Tarell Basham

Tarell Basham is coming back to the AFC South. The former Colts draft choice signed with the Titans on Monday, ending a brief stay in free agency. This is an active-roster agreement, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

After dangling Basham in trades for a bit, the team did not find a taker. Dallas used one of its injury activations to bring Basham off IR, where he resided for much of its season’s first half, but waived him last week. With a high-six-figure total still left on Basham’s deal, he cleared waivers. But the Titans brought him in for a workout late last week and will sign him.

Tennessee has dealt with a steady stream of edge rusher injuries. Harold Landry suffered a season-nullifying ACL tear late this summer, and Bud Dupree has missed three games. Rotational cog Ola Adeniyi has missed most of this season, though the Titans did activate the young pass rusher off IR ahead of Week 13.

Basham stands to provide some more depth for the AFC South leaders. Alongside lead rushers Denico Autry and Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee has seen second-year outside linebacker Rashad Weaver (5.5 sacks) take a step forward this season. DeMarcus Walker, on his third team in three years, has also contributed to the team’s pass rush (4.5). The Titans are tied for 10th in the league with 33 sacks.

The Colts waived Basham early during the 2018 season, and he spent two-plus seasons with the Jets and much of the 2020s with the Cowboys. Basham, 28, totaled seven sacks between the 2020 and ’21 seasons. The ex-Ohio Bobcat’s three forced fumbles during his Jets contract year upped his value in 2021, when he signed a two-year, $5.5MM deal with the Cowboys.

While Basham’s 3.5 sacks helped Dallas’ cause during a 2021 playoff campaign, the team’s changes up front this offseason left less room for him upon return from IR. Basham suffered a quadriceps injury in Week 1 and only played eight defensive snaps upon return. Mike McCarthy said Basham’s exit came about because of a roster crunch, with the Cowboys needing to clear space for Tyron Smith and James Washington eventually.

NFL Workout Rumors: Basham, Dobbs, Raiders, Beckham

Veteran defensive end Tarell Basham is quickly back to work in trying to secure his spot on an NFL roster, spending the day with the Titans on a free agent visit, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. He’s been available for three days and has clearly been busy attempting to find his fourth NFL home.

This display of resiliency is nothing new for the 28-year-old. After disappointing as a third-round pick in Indianapolis, Basham was waived partway through only his sophomore season in the league. He was claimed the next day by the Jets but failed to produce much more in the next season and a half. In his final year in New York, Basham decided to have a career year starting nine games for the Jets and recording career highs in sacks (3.5), tackles for loss (5.0), and quarterback hits (13).

He capitalized on that performance, signing a two-year, $5.5MM contract to join the Cowboys. Basham rewarded Dallas with a season much like his last in New York matching his sack total and racking up three tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits. His second year with the team hit a bit of a snag, though. A thigh injury in the fourth quarter of the team’s season-opening loss to the Buccaneers landed Basham on injured reserve. He would eventually return to the active roster, after sitting out seven weeks, but would only play eight more snaps as a Cowboy before being released earlier this week.

The Titans could certainly use the depth in a season that currently shows them with fifteen players on IR, tops in the NFL. Basham likely wouldn’t start for Tennessee if signed to the team but he could certainly provide some strong depth behind starting defensive ends Jeffery Simmons and DeMarcus Walker.

Here are few other workout rumors from around the NFL, starting with a former AFC North quarterback looking for a new home:

  • Former Browns backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs worked out for the Broncos today, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The sixth-year quarterback out of Tennessee is looking to join the fourth NFL team of his career after being waived in order to make room for newly available Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson following Watson’s 11-game suspension. Also involved in the workout were wide receivers Javon McKinley, Malik Taylor, and Connor Wedington.
  • The Raiders also hosted a large workout today, according to Wilson, with the most notable names being former Baylor running back Abram Smith and former Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate. Smith had a breakout senior year for the Bears that saw him rush for 1,601 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Smith originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Saints, getting cut before the final roster deadlines. He’s auditioned for the Texans and Browns since then and was recently the No. 1 overall pick in the recent 2023 XFL Draft. Tate spent his rookie in 2020 attempting to convert from quarterback to wide receiver for the Eagles before eventually getting waived just prior to his sophomore season. He had offseason stints with two separate teams in the Canadian Football League this summer but did not appear in any games. Other participants in the workout were quarterback Nathan Rourke, wide receiver Jerreth Sterns, and defensive backs Daniel Isom and Nate Meadors.
  • Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made the first in a tour of several visits today, according to Wilson. The visit with the Giants reportedly lasted two days involving a medical check early in the day and dinner with some players and coaches later on, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. His next stop is expected to be in Buffalo before eventually heading to Dallas. As we reported recently, it is not uncommon that Beckham didn’t actually work out for New York. His visits with the Bills and Cowboys are expected to follow a similar itinerary of medical examination and sales pitch.

Cowboys To Waive DE Tarell Basham

The Cowboys dangled Tarell Basham in trades before the deadline, despite the veteran pass rusher being on IR at the time. No takers emerged. Nearly a month later, Dallas will still move on.

Dallas is waiving Basham on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Basham is attached to a two-year, $5.5MM deal agreed to in 2021. Less than $700K remains on that deal, potentially opening the door to a claim. Mike McCarthy said this transaction came about because of a roster crunch, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets, with the team needing to clear space for Tyron Smith and James Washington eventually.

Although the Cowboys used one of their injury activations on Basham this season, he has not seen much action since returning. Basham played eight defensive snaps against the Packers in Week 10; he has not been active for any other game since the Cowboys moved him off IR. The Cowboys have assembled a deep pass-rushing contingent, leaving less work available for Basham, who collected seven sacks between the 2020 and ’21 seasons.

This move follows the Cowboys’ decision to cut defensive tackle Trysten Hill shortly after the trade deadline. The team shopped both Basham and Hill during the season. The Cardinals claimed Hill’s rookie deal; Basham being tied to veteran money complicates his status to some degree.

A third-round pick in Chris Ballard‘s first Colts draft, Basham did not last too long in Indianapolis. The Colts moved on in 2018, but the Jets came in with a waiver claim in October 2018. Basham spent the next three seasons in New York. He created a bit of a market for himself in his 2020 contract year, forcing three fumbles and tallying 3.5 sacks. The Cowboys added him to new DC Dan Quinn‘s stable up front and used him as a six-game starter in 2021, when both DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory missed time due to injury.

This year, however, the Cowboys bought in bulk up front. Gregory’s 11th-hour decision to spurn the Cowboys led the team to re-sign Dorance Armstrong, add Dante Fowler in free agency and draft Sam Williams in Round 2. With Lawrence going through a much healthier season, Dallas did not have much room for Basham. The sixth-year defender spent much of his season on IR after a Week 1 quadriceps injury but is healthy now.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/22

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

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.

Trade Rumors: Broncos, Cooks, Akers, Hunt, Cowboys, Lions, 49ers

Brandin Cooks is available, and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) the Texans are in discussions involving the ninth-year receiver. But Cooks’ $18MM guaranteed 2023 salary — which came to pass after Houston re-signed him on a two-year, $39MM pact in April — has proven to be an impediment here. Teams are not moving on Cooks unless the Texans pick up a chunk of that salary. Cooks, 29, was linked to giving up some guaranteed money to facilitate a trade back to the Rams. But it is unlikely he will give up too much cash to be moved. The Giants and Vikings have also been connected to the thrice-traded Cooks. For what it’s worth, Cooks was not at Texans practice Tuesday. Personal reasons — not an imminent trade — are believed to be behind Cooks’ absence, NFL.com’s Garafolo tweets.

With the deadline in less than three hours, here is the latest from the trade front:

  • The Broncos have told teams they are not conducting a fire sale, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. A Bradley Chubb trade still could commence, but NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo hears (video link) the team is holding out for a better offer. Denver has been linked to not only wanting a first-round pick for Chubb but two firsts. With the latter price range unlikely to take shape, the Broncos figure to be put to a major decision today. Jerry Jeudy remains unlikely to be moved, per Garafolo.
  • No Cam Akers trade is imminent, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets. The Rams have been looking for a trade partner to unload their 2020 second-round pick. This situation may not be as icy as previously believed, however. Akers was once rumored to be done with the Rams, but he is now prepared to return to the team if no trade occurs this afternoon.
  • Prior to acquiring James Robinson from the Jaguars, the Jets looked into Kareem Hunt, Breer notes. The Browns have dangled Hunt for the price of a fourth-round pick, but the former rushing champion may now be set to stay in Cleveland for at least this season’s remainder. Hunt, 27, should be expected to hit free agency if no trade goes down today.
  • The Lions may not be done dealing. After sending T.J. Hockenson to the Vikings, the rebuilding NFC North squad has informed teams it remains open for business. Defensive back is one of the areas in which Detroit is willing to deal, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweets. Contract-year cornerback Amani Oruwariye would appear to be one name available. While Jeff Okudah arrived before the Brad Holmes regime took over, it would still be surprising if Detroit moved on from the former No. 3 overall pick.
  • In addition to making defensive end Tarell Basham available, the Cowboys are open to moving defensive tackle Trysten Hill, Breer adds. Dallas has not seen the former second-round pick develop into a starter but has used him as a part-time player throughout this season. The team just added Johnathan Hankins via trade and has rookie-contract performers Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna ahead of Hill. Basham has only played in one game this season (Week 1) and remains on IR. The Cowboys designated the former third-round edge rusher for return late last month, however.
  • The 49ers have already made their big trade splash, sending four picks to the Panthers for Christian McCaffrey. Kyle Shanahan said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area) the phone lines are always open, but the team does not expect to make another move.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/22

Today’s minor transactions:

Dallas Cowboys

Pittsburgh Steelers

Basham suffered a quad injury in Week 1 that landed him on injured reserve. The defensive lineman joined the Cowboys last season, finishing with 39 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 17 games (six starts). The 28-year-old saw time in 18 defensive snaps in Week 1 before suffering his injury.

Kazee landed on IR after the preseason, and he now has a three-week window to return to the roster. The defensive back joined Pittsburgh this offseason after spending the 2021 campaign in Dallas, where he had 52 tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles in 17 games (15 starts).

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/17/22

Today’s minor moves around the league, including practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s action:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • Promoted from practice squad: CB Daryl WorleyWR Raleigh Webb

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Cowboys To Sign LB Tarell Basham

It sounds like Tarell Basham is heading to Dallas. Agent Aaron Henderson tweets that the free agent edge defender is signing with the Cowboys (Twitter link). It’s a two-year deal worth up to $6.5MM, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter).

Basham spent the past two-plus seasons with the Jets, starting 12 games for the organization. He had a career year in 2020, finishing with 36 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles in 16 games (nine starts).

The 2017 third-round pick out of Ohio spent the first year-plus of his career with the Colts. In total, he’s appeared in 58 career games, collecting 7.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, and 23 QB hits.

The Cowboys have been busy adding to their defensive line today, inking a pair of free agents in Brent Urban and Carlos Watkins.