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.
Chicago Bears
Claimed:
- LB D’Marco Jackson (from Saints), CB Jaylon Jones (from Cardinals)
Released:
- LS Scott Daly, WR Devin Duvernay
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Maurice Alexander, WR Miles Boykin, RB Brittain Brown, TE Stephen Carlson, DL Xavier Carlton, LB Power Echols, LS Luke Elkin, CB Tre Flowers, DL Jonathan Ford, DB Mekhi Garner, DL Tanoh Kpassagnon, DL Jamree Kromah, OL Jordan McFadden, WR JP Richardson, OL Ricky Stromberg
Detroit Lions
Signed:
Claimed:
- DT Tyler Lacy (from Jaguars), DE Tyrus Wheat (from Cowboys)
Signed to practice squad:
- DL Myles Adams, WR Ronnie Bell, C Trystan Colon, DL Keith Cooper, DB Erick Hallett, TE Zach Horton, WR Tom Kennedy, WR Jackson Meeks, OL Mason Miller, OL Michael Niese, LB Anthony Pittman, RB Jacob Saylors, S Loren Strickland, T Dan Skipper, DL Isaac Ukwu
Green Bay Packers
Signed:
- LB Nick Niemann
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- RB Israel Abanikanda, DL Deslin Alexandre, DB Johnathan Baldwin, T Brant Banks, DL James Ester, WR Mecole Hardman, LB Jamon Johnson, K Mark McNamee, DL Arron Mosby, WR Isaiah Neyor, WR Will Sheppard, DB Jaylin Simpson, LB Kristian Welch
Minnesota Vikings
Signed to practice squad:
- G Henry Byrd, WR Dontae Fleming, S Kahlef Hailassie, DL Jonathan Harris, WR Lucky Jackson, WR Jeshuan Jones, WR Tim Jones, G Vershon Lee, CB Fabian Moreau, OLB Gabriel Murphy, TE Bryson Nesbit, T Max Pircher, DL Taki Taimani, RB Xazavian Valladay, TE Nick Vannett, CB Zemaiah Vaughn
Vikings Use Both IR-Return Slots, Set Initial 53-Man Roster
Here is how the Vikings slashed their roster down to the required 53-man limit:
Released:
- DL Jonathan Harris
- TE Giovanni Ricci
- CB Ambry Thomas
- TE Nick Vannett
Waived:
- G Henry Byrd
- WR Dontae Fleming
- OL Michael Gonzalez
- S Kahlef Hailassie
- WR Lucky Jackson
- WR Jeshaun Jones
- G Vershon Lee
- LB Dorian Mausi
- OLB Gabriel Murphy
- TE Bryson Nesbit
- S Gervarrius Owens
- DL Taki Taimani
- WR Thayer Thomas
- RB Xazavian Valladay
- CB Zemaiah Vaughn
Placed on IR (return designation):
- OLB Tyler Batty
- FB C.J. Ham
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
Ham and Batty will be eligible for activation to the 53-man roster after Week 4. As a result of these early IR placements, the Vikings’ will use up two of their eight regular-season injury activations. A Duluth, Minn., native, Ham has quietly become the Vikings’ second-longest-tenured player (behind Harrison Smith). This is the Pro Bowl fullback’s ninth season with the Vikes. Batty will take up an IR-return slot as a rookie UDFA.
The Vikings kept three quarterbacks on their active roster, keeping rookie UDFA Max Brosmer behind J.J. McCarthy and newly acquired Carson Wentz. Vannett and Ricci’s exits leave the tight end room at three, while Thomas has now been cut twice times since the 49ers waived him in December 2024 (the Colts waived the former third-round pick soon after adding him late last year).
Vikings Sign 19 UDFAs
The Vikings owned the NFL’s smallest draft class with only five selections this year, so naturally, they added a good amount of undrafted free agents to form a 24-man rookie class. Here are the 19 UDFAs the team signed:
- Tyler Batty, OLB (BYU)
- Silas Bolden, WR (Texas)
- Max Brosmer, QB (Minnesota)(post)
- Logan Brown, T (Kansas)
- Chaz Chambliss, OLB (Georgia)
- Oscar Chapman, P (Auburn)
- Zeke Correll, C (NC State)
- Dontae Fleming, WR (Tulane)
- Keenan Garber, CB (Kansas State)
- Joe Huber, G (Wisconsin)
- Austin Keys, LB (Auburn)
- Robert Lewis, WR (Auburn)
- Dorian Mausi, LB (Auburn)
- Bryson Nesbit, TE (North Carolina)
- Mishael Powell, S (Miami)
- Tre Stewart, RB (Jacksonville State)
- Zemaiah Vaughn, CB (Utah)
- Alex Williams, DE (Middle Tennessee State)
- Ben Yurosek, TE (Georgia)
An undersized runner, Stewart had an incredible year for the Gamecocks. In fact, with 1,678 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns in 2024, Stewart joined top ten pick Ashton Jeanty as the only two FBS backs with over 1,600 yards and 25 scores on the ground.
After two strong years at Oregon State, Bolden wasn’t very productive as a receiver for the Longhorns. He was extremely productive, though, as a punt returner, notching 315 yards on 30 returns and scoring a touchdown. His return abilities netted him $205K in guaranteed money on his UDFA contract, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Brown is a surprising get post-draft, considering he was projected to be an early-Day 3 selection. Likely a significant injury history kept him available to this point. Huber was another likely Day 3 selection. He started 13 games at right tackle at Cincinnati before transferring and shifting inside. He started as left guard in 2023 and right guard in 2024 for the Badgers. Despite only playing offensive line since 2019, Huber’s versatility was able to net him $210K guaranteed on his UDFA deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
Chambliss was impressive in his final season at Georgia with 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss, but his route to a 53-man roster will likely have to come through special teams contributions. Impressive length and production should give Vaughn a chance at the opening day roster. In five years at Utah (one redshirt season), Vaughn tallied 27 passes defensed, three interceptions, three sacks, and 14.0 tackles for loss.