Minor NFL Transactions: 8/10/21
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Demetrius Harris, DL Margus Hunt, DL Josh Mauro
- Waived: TE Cary Angeline, S Jamal Carter, OT Ryan Pope, CB Donald Rutledge
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from NFI list: DE Jerry Hughes
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Marquel Lee
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: FB Mikey Daniel
Chicago Bears
- Activated from NFI list: S Eddie Jackson
Houston Texans
- Claimed (from Lions): C Drake Jackson
- Signed: RB Darius Jackson
- Waived: LS Mitchell Fraboni
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: QB Case Cookus
- Waived: WR Trey Quinn
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed (from Falcons): CB Tyler Hall
- Waived: DB Jovan Grant, K Brandon Wright
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Kellen Mond
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Malik Gant
- Waived: RB Tyler Gaffney
New York Giants
- Re-signed: LB Ryan Anderson
- Waived: TE Tommy Stevens
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed (from Panthers): WR Marken Michel
- Waived/injured: WR Michael Walker
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: G Anthony Coyle
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Shilique Calhoun, CB Alexander Myres
- Waived: CB Mark Fields, OT Isaiah Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OT Kukayus McNeil, WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams
- Waived: TE Michael Jacobson, WR Darece Roberson
Tennessee Titans
- Waived/injured: TE Donnie Ernsberger
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/21
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OT Ryan Pope
Atlanta Falcons
- Reverted to IR after clearing waivers: P Sterling Hofrichter
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Michael Dereus
- Waived: DL Chauncey Rivers
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Caleb Benenoch
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Doug Middleton
- Waived: FB Mason Stokke
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Eddie Goldman, LB Christian Jones, LS Patrick Scales, OT Elijah Wilkinson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Saivion Smith
- Waived/injured: OT Cody Conway; Conway suffered a torn ACL
Detroit Lions
- Released: LB Reggie Gilbert
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from active/PUP list: TE Josiah Deguara
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OL Jeremiah Poutasi
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: G Jamil Demby
- Signed: G Jeremiah Kolone
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Adonis Alexander
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Andy Jones, TE Tommy Stevens
- Placed on IR: RB Mike Weber
New York Jets
- Waived/injured: S Brandon White
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on IR: DB DeMarkus Acy; Acy suffered a torn ACL
- Waived/injured: OT Anthony Coyle
QB Tommy Stevens Trying Out For Packers As TE
Yet another player is attempting a position change to tight end. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that quarterback Tommy Stevens is auditioning for the Packers next week as a tight end. Defensive back Rashard Robinson and nose tackle Sterling Johnson will also be working out for the team.
Stevens was in and out of the lineup during his time at Penn State and Mississippi State, but he showed promise both with his arm and on the ground. Thanks to that potential, he was drafted by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2020 draft…but the team chose the prospect as a tight end. So, while we’ve seen the likes of Tim Tebow and Jordan Matthews attempt their own changes to tight end, Stevens already has a bit of experience at the position.
Stevens didn’t end up making New Orleans’ active roster, but he did stick around their practice squad for most of the campaign. He later caught on with the Panthers (as a quarterback), and he ended up making his NFL debut in Carolina’s Week 17 loss to the Saints. Stevens got four carries in that game for 24 rushing yards.
If the 24-year-old gets a deal, he’ll still have an uphill battle to make the Packers roster. The top of the team’s depth chart features Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, and Jace Sternberger, meaning Stevens would be competing with the likes of Josiah Deguara, Isaac Nauta, Dominique Dafney, and Bronson Kaufusi for a final roster spot.
Robinson, a former fourth-round pick, has seen time in 42 games across five seasons in the NFL. After spending his first two seasons split between the 49ers and Jets, the defensive back ended up sitting out the 2019 season thanks (in part) to a 10-game suspension. The 25-year-old caught on with the Cowboys in 2020, seeing time in four games (three starts) and finishing with 20 tackles.
The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Johnson went undrafted in 2020. He spent time with the Jets and Steelers over the past year-plus.
Panthers Waive QB Tommy Stevens
Tommy Stevens brief stint with the Panthers has come to an end. The team announced that they’ve waived the quarterback. The team signed rookie wideout C.J. Saunders to take the open roster spot.
Stevens was in and out of the lineup during his time at Penn State and Mississippi State, but he showed promise both with his arm and on the ground. Thanks to that potential, he was drafted by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2020 draft…but the team made the bold decision of switching him to tight end. He didn’t end up making New Orleans active roster, but he did stick around their practice squad for most of the campaign.
He later caught on with the Panthers (as a quarterback), and he ended up making his NFL debut in Carolina’s Week 17 loss to the Saints. Stevens got four carries in that game for 24 rushing yards.
With the move, the Panthers are now rostering three quarterbacks: Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker, and Will Grier.
Saunders was a former walk-on cornerback at Ohio State, but he ended up transforming into one of the team’s most reliable receivers. He had 27 receptions in two seasons at Ohio State, and he was named a captain in 2019 before succumbing to an injury. He spent rookie minicamp with the Falcons organization.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/21
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Christian Kirk
- Promoted: DL Stacy McGee, LB Terrance Smith, CB Jace Whittaker
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: WR Chris Rowland, WR Devin Gray, TE Jared Pinkney
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Nate Brooks, QB Tyler Huntley
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Tyler Kroft; Kroft contracted the coronavirus
- Promoted: TE Nate Becker, CB Dane Jackson, DE Mike Love, RB Antonio Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: LB Clay Johnston, T Aaron Monteiro, QB Tommy Stevens
- Placed on IR: CB Troy Pride
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: DB Xavier Crawford
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Mike Daniels
- Promoted: LB Keandre Jones, DT Kahlil McKenzie, CB Winston Rose
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Jets’ practice squad: G Blake Hance
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Karl Joseph
- Promoted: G Cordell Iwuagwu, LB Montrel Meander, T Alex Taylor
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: DB Steven Parker
- Promoted: DT Walter Palmore, T William Sweet
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: WR K.J. Hamler
- Promoted: LB Josh Watson
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: DT Danny Shelton
- Promoted: C Evan Brown, DT Albert Huggins, S Bobby Price
- Waived: DL Frank Herron
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: David Bakhtiari (story)
- Promoted: G Ben Braden, DL Brian Price
Houston Texans
- Promoted: OL Greg Mancz, WR Steven Mitchell
- Placed on IR: OL Brent Qvale
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: S Ibraheim Campbell, T Jared Veldheer
- Activated from IR: TE Noah Togiai
- Waived: WR Marcus Johnson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: WR Collin Johnson
- Promoted: WR Terry Godwin, OL Tre’vour Wallace-Simms
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from IR: S Jeff Heath
- Promoted: LB James Onwualu, OL Erik Magnuson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: DB John Brannon
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: QB Bryce Perkins
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: S Nate Holley, WR Marcus Kemp, QB Reid Sinnett
- Waived: FB Chandler Cox
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: CB Tae Hayes, Cordrea Tankersley, DE Eddie Yarbrough
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: RB Damien Harris
- Promoted: TE/DL Rashod Berry, CB Michael Jackson, LB Cassh Maluia, OL Ross Reynolds, CB D’Angelo Ross
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: FB Michael Burton, RB Latavius Murray, S D.J. Swearinger, RB Dwayne Washington; Murray and Washington are close contacts of COVID-positive Alvin Kamara (story)
- Promoted: LB Andrew Dowell, TE Garrett Griffin, CB Grant Haley, LB Chase Hansen, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, RB Tony Jones Jr., WR Tommylee Lewis
New York Giants
- Activated from IR: LB Kyler Fackrell, CB Madre Harper
- Promoted: P Ryan Santoso
- Placed on IR: FB Elijhaa Penny
- Waived: QB/WR Joe Webb
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: G Greg Van Roten
- Waived: K Sam Ficken
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins, LB Sharif Finch, LB Brady Sheldon, DL Tanzel Smart
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: S Blake Countess, DE Joe Ostman, T Prince Tega Wanogho
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Eric Ebron, LB Cassius Marsh
- Promoted: WR Deon Cain, T Anthony Coyle, TE Kevin Rader, K Matthew Wright
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: G Tom Compton
- Promoted: DT Josiah Coatney, WR Jordan Matthews, K Tristan Vizcaino, OL Isaiah Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: CB Tre Flowers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Damarious Randall, T Brandon Shell
- Promoted: G Alex Boone, RB Alex Collins, WR Penny Hart
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Herb Miller, DL Benning Potoa’e
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Brett Kern
- Promoted: LB Brooks Reed, K Sam Sloman
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Dontrelle Inman
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/16/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LBs Terrance Smith, Stephone Anthony
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: QB Tommy Stevens
Denver Broncos
- Signed: TE Jordan Leggett
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR John Hurst, RB Derrick Gore
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LS Rex Sunahara
New England Patriots
- Signed: QB Jake Dolegala
- Released: TE David Wells
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Quincy Wilson, OL Kenny Wiggins, RB Taquan Mizzell
Washington Football Team
- Signed: DE Jalen Jelks
The Panthers were going to land Stevens as an UDFA back in April before the Saints snagged him in the seventh-round. He was recently cut from New Orleans’ practice squad last week. Stevens is a diverse athlete who played a Taysom Hill-esque role at Penn State before transferring to Mississippi State for the 2019 college season. His signing could be an indication the Panthers are worried about Teddy Bridgewater‘s status for Sunday, but since they had previous reported interest in Stevens it could be completely unrelated.
Saints Sign Anthony Chickillo, Margus Hunt To Practice Squad
Two of the Saints’ most notable Saturday cuts will stay with the team. Both Anthony Chickillo and Margus Hunt opted to stay with New Orleans, joining the practice squad Sunday.
The Saints signed Chickillo, a five-year Steelers linebacker, and Hunt — a former first-round defensive lineman whom the Colts cut earlier this year — earlier this year. Each will represent a veteran slot on the Saints’ P-squad.
Teams are permitted, thanks to the COVID-19-altered rules, to carry six veterans of unlimited service time on their taxi squads this year. Here is New Orleans’ full squad:
- LB Joe Bachie
- LB Anthony Chickillo
- LB Andrew Dowell
- WR Bennie Fowler
- TE Garrett Griffin
- CB Kemon Hall
- WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
- DL Margus Hunt
- WR Juwan Johnson
- RB Tony Jones Jr.
- TE Tommy Stevens
- OL Calvin Throckmorton
- G/C Cameron Tom
- DB Keith Washington Jr.
Saints Cut Margus Hunt, Drop Roster To 53
Here is how the Saints moved their roster down to 53 players Saturday:
Waived:
- LB Joe Bachie
- WR Emmanuel Butler
- WR Austin Carr
- DE T.J. Carter
- LB Andrew Dowell
- TE Garrett Griffin
- CB Kemon Hall
- WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
- WR Juwan Johnson
- RB Tony Jones Jr.
- OL Jordan Steckler
- TE/QB Tommy Stevens
- OL Calvin Throckmorton
- C Cameron Tom
- DB Keith Washington
- TE Ethan Wolf
Released:
- LB Anthony Chickillo (story)
- DL Mario Edwards (story)
- WR Bennie Fowler
- G Patrick Omameh
- DL Margus Hunt
Waived/injured:
- RB Saquan Hamilton
Placed on reserve/PUP:
- LB Kiko Alonso
Placed on IR:
Placed on reserve/suspended list:
- OL James Hurst
Panthers Deny Wrongdoing In Tommy Stevens Pursuit
Last month, seventh-round pick Tommy Stevens found himself in the headlines after a strange tug-of-war between the Saints and Panthers. The Saints, after trading away their entire Day 3 haul, hoped to sign the Mississippi State quarterback as an undrafted free agent. The Saints and Panthers reportedly wound up in a bidding war for him before the conclusion of the draft, prompting Sean Payton to trade back into the draft to nab Stevens at No. 240 overall.
It seems that both teams violated league rules which allow for teams to chat with potential UDFAs before the draft is over, but forbid actual negotiations. For his part, Panthers GM Marty Hurney says he did not do anything “out of bounds”.
“That’s not — what we did is we did have several conversations with Tommy before the draft. He had history with [offensive coordinator] Joe Brady (at Penn State). We thought that if we didn’t have a chance to draft him that he was one of the guys on our list. But it didn’t go any further than that,” Hurney said (via Joe Person of The Athletic).
The league may or may not agree after completing an investigation into the matter. If the Saints and/or Panthers are found to have violated league rules, they could be penalized with fines or the forfeiture of future draft picks.
Saints, Panthers To Be Sanctioned for Tommy Stevens Pursuit?
Two division rivals were engaged in an interesting game of tug-of-war at the tail end of the 2020 draft, with the prize being Mississippi State quarterback Tommy Stevens. On Day 2 of the draft, New Orleans traded pick nos. 130, 169, 203, and 244 to the Vikings for the right to move up to no. 105 and select Dayton tight end Adam Trautman. That left the team with no Day 3 selections, so as Jeff Duncan of The Athletic writes, the Saints spent much of that day planning for the UDFA signing period.
One of New Orleans’ top UDFA targets was Stevens, who may ultimately fill the same QB2/gadget role that Taysom Hill presently occupies. But the Saints learned that the Panthers were interested in Stevens as well and were prepared to offer him a $15K signing bonus and guarantee $30K of his salary if he signed with Carolina as a UDFA. The Saints swooped in and offered a massive $144K in guaranteed salary if he would agree to sign with New Orleans, but then Stevens’ camp stopped answering the Saints’ calls.
Perhaps the Panthers topped the Saints’ offer, or perhaps Stevens viewed Carolina as a better long-term fit. But Saints head coach Sean Payton coveted the 6-5, 235-pound signal-caller, so he helped engineer a trade back into the seventh round of the draft to grab him, leaving the Panthers stunned.
This makes for an interesting story, one that may ultimately have no significance if Stevens, like most seventh-round picks, doesn’t pan out. The problem, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, is that both the Saints and the Panthers flagrantly violated league rules. Once the draft begins, teams are at liberty to let prospects know that they are interested in them if they go undrafted, but they cannot discuss financial details. The NFL drove that point home in a league-wide memo this year, perhaps because the UDFA signing period was expected to be even more frenzied than usual.
As Florio notes in a separate piece, the league has yet to comment on the matter, though the Panthers have said that their actions were in compliance with league rules. And these particular rules are surely violated all the time, probably by every team in the league. The casualness with which the Saints brass discussed the situation suggests as much. Nonetheless, a league source expects both teams to be punished, though it remains to be seen what that punishment will entail.