Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/25
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return from IR: LB Jay Higgins
Buffalo Bills
- Designated for return from IR: WR Mecole Hardman
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return from IR: WR David Moore
Cleveland Browns
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP: LB Winston Reid
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return from IR: LB Karene Reid
Detroit Lions
- Designated for return from IR: T Giovanni Manu
Green Bay Packers
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP: G John Williams
- Placed on IR: LB Micah Parsons (story)
Houston Texans
- Designated for return from IR: LB Darrell Taylor
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on IR: QB Patrick Mahomes (story)
- Opened practice window: TE Jake Briningstool, DB Nazeeh Johnson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed from practice squad: DE Jahfari Harvey
Miami Dolphins
- Signed off Texans’ practice squad: LB Jackson Woodard
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: S Rashad Wisdom
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return from IR: LB Ali Gaye, LB Oluwafemi Oladejo, WR Bryce Oliver
Probably the most overqualified transaction we’ve ever listed in this space, Mahomes is heading to IR for the first time. The superstar Chiefs quarterback suffered ACL and LCL tears and has undergone surgery. Generally, Chiefs IR-return moves are impactful at this stage of the season. In the cases of Briningstool and Johnson, they are returning to practice for a 6-8 team. The Chiefs designated both for return in August, meaning both have already counted toward the team’s eight-activation total. As our IR return tracker shows, Kansas City has not used any other injury activations this season.
Given a one-year, $4.75MM deal by the Texans, Taylor worked as a backup in four games before going down with an ankle injury. Despite his contract, the former Seahawks second-rounder played just 64 defensive snaps before hitting IR.
Deshaun Watson, Dustin Hopkins Not On Browns’ Initial 53-Man Roster
The roster-cutdown deadline is less than an hour away, but some teams have turned in their test answers early. Here are the Browns’ moves to pare their roster to 53 players:
Released:
- K Dustin Hopkins
- WR Diontae Johnson (story)
- DT Sam Kamara
- DE Julian Okwara
- RB Trayveon Williams
Waived:
- WR Chase Cota
- WR Kaden Davis
- S Christopher Edmonds
- CB LaMareon James
- WR Kisean Johnson
- RB Ahmani Marshall
- T Kilian Zierer
Waived/injured:
- WR Cade McDonald
- RB Pierre Strong
Activated from active/PUP list:
- DT Michael Hall
Placed on IR-designated for return:
- LB Winston Reid
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
Placed on reserve/NFI list:
- WR David Bell
This is effectively a procedural move involving Watson, who has long been expected to be sidelined throughout the 2025 season due to two Achilles surgeries. The long-embattled quarterback had resumed throwing early this offseason, but he will not be activated. Long hovering off the Browns’ QB radar — as they conducted a rare four-man competition, one that has since lost Kenny Pickett (via trade) — Watson is not expected to play for the Browns again. Though, the team (via another restructure) still has the high-priced passer tied to a $35.97MM cap number.
Watson and Bell must miss at least four games apiece, while Hall will avoid such a delay. The 2024 second-round pick suffered a season-ending knee injury in December, and while he did not participate in training camp, this activation signals the Browns expect the Ohio State product to be ready at some point in the first four weeks.
A UDFA who started three games as a rookie last season, Reid will count toward Cleveland’s eight in-season injury activations. The Browns stashing the off-ball linebacker on the IR-return list will cut that total down to seven, whether Reid is activated this season or not. Placing Reid on IR now certainly points to activation plans, however.
Many of these players will likely be brought back on practice squad deals, as 16 of those spots are open to non-international players annually. Davis, a rookie UDFA, will be added to the Browns’ P-squad if he clears waivers, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes.
Hopkins, 34, has been the Browns’ kicker for the past two seasons. The team extended him on a three-year, $15.9MM deal in 2024, but the Browns are going with former UDFA Andre Szmyt at kicker. Szmyt kicked a 37-yard game-winning field goal to beat the Rams during the Browns’ preseason slate, making all three of his field goal tries.
Cutting Hopkins — who was just 18-for-27 last season — will bring a $4.91MM dead money charge (spread over two years) for the Browns. A former Syracuse kicker, Szmyt signed with the Browns in June; he has not attempted a regular-season kick yet. Hopkins’ slump led to the Browns making him a healthy scratch in Week 15, and while he returned to duty a week later, Cleveland has found a replacement.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/8/25
Tuesday’s minor NFL transactions:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: CB Nahshon Wright
Cleveland Browns
- Signed ERFA tender: LB Winston Reid
Denver Broncos
- Signed: S Sam Franklin
Wright didn’t last long as a free agent. He signs with the Bears after being released by Minnesota yesterday.
Franklin had nine starts in his first four years of his career with the Panthers, but after being relegated to the practice squad in 2024, Franklin didn’t appear until the eighth game of the season and played primarily on special teams, only seeing four defensive snaps on the year. He’ll now bring his secondary and special teams experience to Denver.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/3/25
More teams made tender/non-tender decisions on restricted and exclusive rights free agents today. Here are the latest updates:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Bears: LB Jack Sanborn
Despite 48 appearances, 19 starts, and 1,794 total snaps over the last three years, the Bears will not tender Sanborn, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. While not considered a starting defender, Sanborn could draw interest in free agency as a backup linebacker and core special teams contributor.
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Browns: LB Winston Reid, TE Blake Whiteheart
- Cowboys: DB Juanyeh Thomas, OL Brock Hoffman
Non-tendered:
- Lions: OT Connor Galvin
Hoffman started the Cowboys’ last seven games of the 2024 season after Zack Martin went down for the season. He primarily played right guard, though he played 109 snaps at center and 19 at left guard, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Martin retired last month, so Hoffman will likely compete for a starting role in 2025 while earning $1.1MM.
Browns Add James Proche To Active Roster, Waive Jaelon Darden
The Browns made a handful of moves today ahead of their Week 2 matchup vs. the Jaguars. The team announced that they’ve signed wideout James Proche and linebacker Winston Reid to the 53-man roster. The team also promoted offensive tackle Germain Ifedi and tight end Blake Whiteheart from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the team waived special teamer .
Proche got into 10 games last season with Cleveland, with the majority of his production coming as a punt returner. The former Ravens draft pick was released by the Browns at the end of the 2024 preseason before landing on the team’s practice squad, although he wasn’t promoted for Week 1. He’ll presumably be taking over return duties for Darden, who was actually productive in his role last week. The former fourth-round pick returned five punts for 72 yards, including one for 28 yards.
Reid caught on with the Browns this offseason as an undrafted free agent out of Weber State. The rookie stuck with the organization after getting cut, and he earned a promotion from the taxi squad for Week 1. While Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was on the injury report this week, the linebacker was a full participant for the team’s final three practices. Reid could see playing time if the depth chart thins out, but he’ll likely be stuck to special teams tomorrow.
Ifedi’s promotion vs. an outright signing is an indication that the Browns’ offensive tackles “will be back sooner than later,” per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin were limited participants this week at practice after missing Week 1 with injuries. James Hudson and Dawand Jones got the starts at the tackle spots last weekend, with Ifedi serving as the temporary backup.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC 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 Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers moves are noted below.
Baltimore Ravens
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- OT Corey Bullock, RB Chris Collier, CB Bump Cooper Jr., WR Malik Cunningham, G Darrian Dalcourt, OLB Joe Evans, CB Ka’dar Hollman, TE Qadir Ismail, RB John Kelly, WR Keith Kirkwood, QB Devin Leary, WR Anthony Miller, DE C.J. Ravenell, ILB Josh Ross, WR Dayton Wade
Cincinnati Bengals
Signed:
Claimed:
- DE K.J. Henry
Released:
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Nate Brooks, WR Cole Burgess, T Devin Cochran, DT Domenique Davis, CB Jalen Davis, TE Cam Grandy, LB Shaka Heyward, C Trey Hill, WR Shedrick Jackson, S PJ Jules, WR Kendric Pryor, QB Logan Woodside
Cleveland Browns
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- DT Jowon Briggs, CB Tony Brown, WR Jaelon Darden, S Christopher Edmonds, CB Mike Ford, CB Justin Hardee, T Germain Ifedi, T Sam Kamara, T Roy Mbaeteka, WR James Proche, LB Winston Reid, LS Rex Sunahara, T Lorenzo Thompson, WR Michael Woods
Pittsburgh Steelers
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Anthony Averett, RB Boston Scott
Browns Release RB D’Onta Foreman, Trim Roster To 53
The Browns kept four quarterbacks on their active roster, using other position groups to make their way down to 53. Here is how Cleveland maneuvered there:
Released:
- CB Tony Brown
- RB D’Onta Foreman
- CB Justin Hardee
- T Germain Ifedi
- WR James Proche
Waived:
- DT Jowon Briggs
- WR Ahmarean Brown
- WR Jaelon Darden
- S Christopher Edmonds
- DT Siaki Ika
- DT Sam Kamara
- TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden
- LB Winston Reid
- T Lorenzo Thompson
- TE Treyton Welch
- WR Michael Woods
Placed on reserve/non-football illness list:
Placed on reserve/non-football injury list:
- RB Nyheim Hines
Placed on reserve/PUP:
- RB Nick Chubb (story)
Placed on IR:
Placed on commissioner exempt list:
- DT Michael Hall (story)
Kevin Stefanski pointed to Foreman not being out of the picture, alluding this only being the team’s initial 53-man roster. The veteran back, who signed as a depth/rotational option this offseason, should be expected back, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot tweets. Teams can use up to six practice squad slots on vested veterans. This is Foreman’s fourth team in four years, but he has managed to play regular roles for each. The Browns also have their two other high-profile options — Chubb and Hines — out for at least four games, as they recover from 2023 injuries.
Cleveland considered trading Jameis Winston or Tyler Huntley, with second-year QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson showing enough improvement to have made the 53-man roster. But the team stopped short and made the rare move to carry four active-roster arms. One of the non-Deshaun Watson passers could be vulnerable, however, as the waiver wire will come into play soon. Winston and Huntley are vested vets and would head straight to free agency if released; Thompson-Robinson would need to pass through waivers. Teams often prioritize those players on cutdown day.
Hall is out of the picture for the foreseeable future, as his legal issue runs its course, and Wypler is out for the year with a broken ankle. The Browns designated Dunn for return. This will cut into Cleveland’s eight injury activations, and while the veteran blocker will miss at least four games, the team prioritized his comeback enough to use this early designation. Dunn has been with the team since 2020.
Browns Bring In Eight UDFAs
Here are the eight priority free agents heading to Cleveland as part of the Browns’ post-draft haul:
- Ahmarean Brown, WR (South Carolina)
- Javion Cohen, G (Miami)
- Christopher Edmonds, S (Arizona State)
- Dyshawn Gales, CB (South Dakota State)
- Winston Reid, LB (Weber State)
- Aidan Robbins, RB (BYU)
- Lorenzo Thompson, T (Rhode Island)
- Treyton Welch, TE (Wyoming)
After playing alongside first-round pick Xavier Legette with the Gamecocks, Brown will collect some notable (in the UDFA realm, that is) guarantees to join the Browns. Cleveland is giving Brown $170K guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Standing 5-foot-8 and weighing just 170 pounds, Brown provided a contrast to the 227-pound Legette. Brown tallied 26 receptions for 265 yards and two TDs in 2023. As a freshman at Georgia Tech, the diminutive target totaled a career-high 396 yards and seven TD grabs.
Cohen profiles as an interesting add. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. slotted the interior blocker as the 159th-ranked player in this year’s class. An Alabama transfer, Cohen started 36 games in college. This included 10 for the Crimson Tide in 2022, when Cohen received second-team All-SEC acclaim. The former four-star recruit was a full-time guard starter for the 2021 Alabama edition as well.
The Browns hosted Robbins on a “30” visit in April. They reached a pay-cut agreement with Nick Chubb, and while Nyheim Hines joined the team in free agency, the Browns did not draft a back. Robbins played for three Division I-FBS teams, transferring from Louisville to UNLV to BYU. Robbins’ most notable season came in 2022 — his lone Runnin’ Rebels year — when he rushed for 1,009 yards and nine touchdowns. He totaled 485 on the ground in eight games at BYU.
Cleveland dipped into the lower levels of the sport in its UDFA haul, with one of its bigger-school additions (Edmonds) having transferred from the Division I-FCS tier as well. Reid spent seven years at Weber State, while Gales intercepted four passes en route to all-conference honors while at South Dakota State in 2022. Thompson twice earned all-conference acclaim at Rhode Island, starting 37 straight games along the Rams’ O-line. Edmonds transferred from Samford, having been a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award (given to Division I-FCS’s top defender) in 2021. Edmonds picked off three passes with the Sun Devils last year.