Sam Eguavoen

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/23

Here are today’s minor moves following the first NFL Sunday of the season, including a gameday elevation for the first Monday Night Football game of the year:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/23

Saturday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts 

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Signed: WR Jontre Kirklin

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

The Browns waived receiver Daylen Baldwin yesterday, and more details on his situation have emerged today courtesy of NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). Baldwin tore a tendon behind his knee, and he will undergo surgery as a result. After his recovery (which is expected to take roughly six to eight weeks), Pelissero notes that a return is the Browns’ preference.

Vigil will add considerable experience to the middle of the Jets’ defense. The 29-year-old has started 53 of his 89 career games, though he has not operated as a full-time starter in recent years as he once did. Vigil spent the 2022 season in Arizona, where he was limited to only eight games played and logged a defensive snap share of 35%. Both Vigil and Eguavoen worked out with the Giants last month, but they will instead head to New York’s other franchise for the 2023 season.

Kirklin played four games with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks, and he scored four touchdowns in the process. He will look to carry over that production at the NFL level as part of a Saints receiving corps which has plenty of uncertainty amongst its depth options.

Whittaker spent the past three seasons in Arizona, coming on and off the Cardinals’ practice squad a number of times. He was a key member of the team’s secondary last year, however, starting four of his six games played and logging a snap share of 74%. The 28-year-old will compete for a depth role behind the established starters at the CB spot in Washington.

NFC East Notes: Barnett, OL, Cowboys, Giants

Derek Barnett is coming off a season that ended one game in due to an ACL tear. The Eagles also used a first-round pick on edge rusher Nolan Smith, crowding their depth chart. Barnett remains on the roster, but the team has since reached a pay-cut agreement with the former first-round pick. Barnett agreed to reduce his base salary from $7.5MM to $3.5MM, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, noting that the $3.5MM figure will be guaranteed. That marks a bump in guarantees from Barnett’s previous locked-in number for this season ($1.5MM), but the max value of the new deal is $6MM — down $2.5MM from its previous number.

Barnett signed a two-year, $14MM deal to stay with the Eagles in 2022. Even though the team has since re-signed Brandon Graham and drafted Smith to join a group housing Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat, Barnett’s contract should give him a decent chance to stay on the team. Due to the void years the Eagles included in his deal, a release would lead to a $12.7MM dead-money charge. Should the 27-year-old defensive end indeed make the 53-man roster, this will be his seventh season in Philly.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • In a bit of news that might prove relevant re: Joe Burrow, the Cowboys are going to be without one of their starting safeties for a stretch. Donovan Wilson suffered a calf strain that ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes could sideline him for 4-6 weeks (Twitter link). Wilson, who re-signed with Dallas this offseason, still has a chance to return in time for the opener. After years with questions at safety, the Cowboys — when at full strength — have a nice setup with Wilson, Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse.
  • The Cowboys did not use void years in Trevon Diggsfive-year, $97MM extension, and the cornerback’s cap number will vault from $5.8MM to $16.3MM from 2023 to 2024. Additionally, Archer notes Diggs’ 2025 base salary ($9MM) will become guaranteed in March of that year (Twitter link). Should this deal not pan out, that March trigger gives the Cowboys an escape hatch of sorts. They can cut bait for $12.8MM in dead money in 2025.
  • While the Eagles will provide Cam Jurgens with some competition — from third-round rookie Tyler Steen — Zach Berman of The Athletic notes the 2022 second-rounder is the frontrunner to replace Isaac Seumalo at right guard (subscription required). Jurgens is viewed as the Jason Kelce heir apparent, a title that briefly belonged to now-LG starter Landon Dickerson, but his 2023 place is at guard. Steen is attempting to convert from a college tackle, having started outside at Vanderbilt and Alabama. Jurgens played just 35 offensive snaps as a rookie, working behind the Dickerson-Seumalo-Kelce trio.
  • On the subject of positional frontrunners, it looks like the Giants‘ inside linebacker spot alongside Bobby Okereke is Darrian Beavers‘ to lose. Now that Jarrad Davis is on IR, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy offers that Beavers is favored to win the job over fellow 2022 draftee Micah McFadden. Beavers was informed Tuesday he would have the first crack at the job, Dunleavy adds. Because Beavers suffered a torn ACL during the preseason last year, McFadden — a fifth-round pick — started seven games. A sixth-rounder, Beavers will have a chance to turn his offseason rehab into a starting role.
  • The Giants also recently worked out linebackers Nick Vigil and Sam Eguavoen, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Big Blue, which worked out Deion Jones this spring, also recently placed linebacker Elerson Smith on IR. Vigil is a seven-year veteran with 53 starts — for the Bengals, Chargers, Vikings and Cardinals — on his resume. Eguavoen spent the past four seasons with the Dolphins.
  • Offseason Giants signee Rakeem Nunez-Roches suffered a concussion in a car accident this week, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets. The accident occurred when the veteran defensive lineman was leaving the team facility. No other injuries emerged from the crash. Nunez-Roches accompanied A’Shawn Robinson as veteran D-linemen to join the Giants in free agency.

Dolphins To Re-Sign LB Sam Eguavoen

Sam Eguavoen is staying with the Dolphins. The linebacker is inking a new one-year deal with Miami, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter).

The one year pact will pay Eguavoen $2MM, with $800K of the deal fully guaranteed.

The Texas Tech product had to settle for a CFL gig after going undrafted in 2015, and he ended up spending three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He got a chance with the Dolphins in 2019, and he’s made the most of his opportunity, appearing in all 49 games for Miami over the past three years.

That includes a 2021 campaign where Eguavoen collected 16 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a fumble-return touchdown in 17 games. While Eguavoen spent some time on defense, he had a particularly large role on special teams.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/8/19

Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

  • WR Duke Williams

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Miami Dolphins

  • LB Sam Eguavoen

New England Patriots

  • C Jake Eldrenkamp

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Houston Texans

Philadelphia Eagles

  • LB Alex Singleton

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • K Matt McCrane

Seattle Seahawks

NFL Workout Updates: 1/3/19

Today’s workout updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • WR Jordan Williams-Lambert

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

NFL Workout Updates: 12/27/18

Today’s workouts, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):

Cincinnati Bengals

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

NFL Workout Updates: 12/24/18

Today’s workouts, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):

Cincinnati Bengals:

  • K’s Ty Long (BC CFL), Tristan Vizcaino

Detroit Lions:

Indianapolis Colts:

Kansas City Chiefs:

New York Giants:

  • DEs Tobi Antigha (SASK), Jake Ceresna (EDM); QB Bo Levi Mitchell (CALG); WRs Bryant Mitchell (EDM), Jordan Williams-Lambert (SASK); RB Terry Williams

Philadelphia Eagles:

  • WRs Carlton Agudosi, Marken Michel (CALG), Devin Smith; DB Mercy Maston (EDM); LBs Alex Singleton (CALG), Jameer Thurman (CALG)

Pittsburgh Steelers:

  • QB Max Browne; LB Sam Eguavoen (SASK); DE Avery Ellis (OTT); WR Dominique Rhymes (OTT

Tennessee Titans:

Washington Redskins:

This time of year, a lot of teams are auditioning guys for potential reserve/futures deals to be a part of their 90-man rosters for 2019. It’s also common to see a lot of CFL guys getting looks this time of year, because players participating in the 2018 CFL season aren’t eligible to sign NFL contracts until after the regular season is over.

Extra Points: Wentz, Gurley, Newton, Draft

Cam Newton will not play in the Panthersfinal two games, and Monday night was the tipping point. The eighth-year quarterback complained of shoulder pain in the fourth quarter of recent games, but Albert Breer of SI.com notes Newton was dealing with soreness in the third stanza of Carolina’s 12-9 loss to New Orleans. This, and the short week going into the Panthers’ Sunday game, prompted Ron Rivera and Marty Hurney to bring the idea of shutting the starter down to owner David Tepper. The rookie owner concurred with the coach and GM and then informed Newton of the plan, Breer adds. It’s unclear if Newton is dealing with anything beyond shoulder soreness, but he has not looked the same for weeks. And a national audience observed the former MVP’s throwing issues Monday.

Newton underwent shoulder surgery last year, sidelining him for much of the offseason. Two years remain on the 29-year-old QB’s contract, and how he recovers from this latest shoulder problem may determine the timetable the Panthers set for discussing another extension.

Here’s the latest from around the league going into Week 16:

  • Carson Wentz is set to join Newton in ending his season early, with back trouble shelving the Eagles‘ franchise passer. This, however, is not the first back issue Wentz has dealt with in his career. Wentz discovered a stress fracture in his back during his redshirt year at North Dakota State, Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports. This injury, suffered prior to his North Dakota State tenure, healed fairly soon and is not related to his current setback, per McManus. Still, this may be something for the Eagles to monitor as they determine how to proceed with Nick Foles or a possible replacement backup this coming offseason.
  • On the subject of NFC injuries, Todd Gurley has yet to resume running after he experienced knee inflammation, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com notes. The fourth-year Rams running back returned to Sunday’s game but has not practiced this week. He does not plan to do so the rest of this week but does expect to play against the Cardinals. With the Rams facing two bottom-end teams during the final two weeks of this season (the Cards and 49ers), and being effectively down two games to the Saints in the home-field advantage race, it would not be a surprise if Sean McVay rested Gurley until the playoffs. McVay rested Gurley and other starters in Week 17 of last season, even though the Rams were not locked into a seed. The Rams, who have not held a first-round bye since 2003, are one game up on the Bears for this year’s No. 2 seed.
  • Ohio State running back Mike Weber has taken a backseat to J.K. Dobbins during the past two seasons, but the first of the Buckeyes’ post-Ezekiel Elliott starters will declare for the 2019 draft. A redshirt junior, Weber announced his decision on Twitter. Weber finished his career with 2,580 yards, 5.9 per carry, and 24 rushing touchdowns. He did not make much of an impact in the passing game but may be a mid-round prospect come April.
  • The Lions worked out quarterback Joe Callahan and hosted three CFL tryouts — for wide receivers Bryant Mitchell, D’haquille Williams and Jordan WilliamsLambert — on Thursday, NFL reporter Howard Balzer tweets.
  • With reserve/futures decisions for non-playoff teams due soon (the first day such deals can be agreed to is New Year’s Eve), the Browns also worked out a CFL-to-NFL hopeful. Linebacker Sam Eguavoen auditioned for the Browns on Thursday, per Balzer (on Twitter).

NFL Workout Updates: 12/19/18

Today’s practice squad updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):

Arizona Cardinals

  • WR Bryant Mitchell; T Ryker Mathews; LBs Tobi Antigha, Sam Eguavoen, Pete Robertson, Alex Singleton, Jameer Thurman; K Ty Long

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

  • G Avery Gennesy

Cleveland Browns

  • RB Jarvion Franklin; TE Kevin Rader; G Ian Park; DT Lance McDowell; S Jack Tocho

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

  • LB Jameer Thurman; DEs Tobi Antigha, Kwaku Boateng; S Chris Edwards

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • G Chris Schleuger; T Dakoda Shepley; DB Tevaughn Campbell; Ks Jon Brown, Trevor Moore; Ps Hayden Hunt, Ryan Winslow; LS Zach Triner

Washington Redskins