Minor NFL Transactions: 9/4/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Browns claimed offensive lineman Zach Banner off waivers from the Colts, who cut him despite drafting him in the fourth round this year. Cleveland made room for Banner by placing offensive lineman Rod Johnson on IR. Additionally, the Browns continued their busy offseason regarding secondary turnover by releasing former safety starter Ed Reynolds from IR.
- The Steelers re-signed linebacker Steven Johnson and waived safety Jordan Dangerfield with an injury designation. Johnson initially saw his name appear on Pittsburgh’s cut list Saturday, but the backup will return. Pittsburgh also placed cornerback Cameron Sutton, a rookie third-rounder, on IR.
- Jacquies Smith will move from the PUP list back to the Buccaneers‘ 53-man roster. The team reinstated the defensive end on Monday. A fourth-year player, Smith is expected to be a rotational player in Tampa Bay this season.
- The Dolphins re-signed tackle Sam Young. Miami cut the offensive lineman on Saturday but will keep him around for now. Miami guaranteed Young’s salary, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets, signing Young this week instead of next because an unspecified team wanted him. This will mark Young’s eighth NFL season. The Dolphins signed him to an extension in December.
- Quarterback Jeff Driskel will land on the Bengals‘ IR list. The former 49ers sixth-rounder has yet to play in a game.
- A starter in three games last season, linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin landed on the Jets‘ IR Monday. To replace the third-year player, Gang Green re-signed linebacker Bruce Carter. Now a seventh-year veteran, Carter played a depth role with the Jets last season.
- Wide receiver Chris Matthews re-signed with the Ravens, who made room on their 53-man roster by placing cornerback Maurice Canady on IR.
- The Falcons released defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman, who resides on the Commissioner’s Exempt list as a result of misdemeanor charges from 2016. While Hageman is on that list, the Falcons will not have to pay Hageman.
- The Chargers claimed linebacker Hayes Pullard off waivers from the Jaguars. A former Browns seventh-rounder in 2015, Pullard started two games for the 2015 Jags and played in all 16 Jacksonville contests last season.
- Jelani Jenkins was expected to start for the Raiders, but the former Dolphins linebacker found himself on the team’s cut list Saturday. The Raiders, though, reached an injury settlement with the fifth-year linebacker, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports (on Twitter). Jenkins suffered a groin injury during the preseason. Oakland also reached an injury settlement with Jaydon Mickens, per Gehlken, who adds Mickens suffered an ankle injury.
- The Seahawks waived cornerback Demetrius McCray with an injury settlement, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets.
- The Redskins reached an injury settlement with center Ronald Patrick, waiving the interior blocker from IR as a result.
Chargers Won Heated Waiver Race For Schofield
- A two-position starter for the Broncos during the past two seasons, Michael Schofield attracted widespread interest on the waiver wire. The Chargers won out due to their position in the waiver hierarchy, but the Lions, Redskins, Vikings and Saints also put in claims on the fourth-year guard/tackle, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. A 2014 third-rounder, Schofield started for the Broncos at right tackle during their Super Bowl season and lined up at right guard throughout 2016. While Denver didn’t sport particularly effective O-lines during those seasons, Schofield clearly has believers out there.
Chargers Re-Sign QB Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens is back with the Chargers. The Bolts re-signed the quarterback on Monday, just 48 hours after releasing him. 
Clemens, 34, will return for a fourth season as a backup to Philip Rivers, though he may not be Rivers’ primary understudy. The Chargers acquired former Ohio State standout Cardale Jones through a trade with Buffalo earlier this offseason and he may be the first one in the game if Rivers suffers an injury.
With that said, Rivers has been remarkably healthy throughout his career and has not missed a regular season game since becoming the Chargers’ starter in 2006. If that continues, this could be an uneventful season for both Jones and Clemens.
Clemens has attempted only ten passes with the Chargers, but he does have 21 career starts to his name thanks to his time with the Jets and Rams.
Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC West
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC West teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders are noted below.
Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s AFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Denver Broncos
- Signed:
- DT Kyle Peko
- Signed to practice squad:
- DB Dymonte Thomas
- DT Tyrique Jarrett
- CB Marcus Rios
- T Elijah Wilkinson
- LB Jerrol Garcia-Williams
- LB Deiontrez Mount
- WR Hunter Sharp
- C Dillon Day
- TE Austin Traylor
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed:
- Placed on IR:
- Signed to practice squad:
- TE Orson Charles
- OL Joseph Cheek
- WR Gehrig Dieter
- WR Marcus Kemp
- G Damien Mama
- S Leon McQuay
- RB Devine Redding
- LB Marcus Rush
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed:
- DB Jeff Richards
- OL Michael Schofield (story)
- Signed to practice squad:
- G Brett Boyko
- CB Michael Davis
- CB Randall Evans
- WR Andre Patton
- DE Whitney Richardson
- WR Artavis Scott
- RB Andre Williams
Oakland Raiders
- Signed to practice squad:
- DB Breon Borders
- DE Fadol Browl
- TE Pharaoh Brown
- LB Shilique Calhoun
- WR Keon Hatcher
- RB Elijah Hood
- G Jordan Simmons
- WR Issac Whitney
Chargers Claim Michael Schofield Off Waivers
Michael Schofield was claimed by the Chargers, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post tweets. The Broncos waived the offensive lineman on Saturday as they cut down to a 53-man roster.
Schofield has appeared in and started in 29 contests for the Broncos over the last two years. This summer, he asked for a trade when it became clear that he would not make the cut. The Broncos tried, but could not find any takers.
Last year, Schofield finished out as the No. 48 ranked guard in the NFL out of 75 qualified players. He’s not a world beater by any means, but the Bolts need all the help they can get on the offensive line. Second round pick Forrest Lamp is out for the year with a torn ACL and interior lineman Max Tuerk is suspended through Week 4 after violating the league’s PED policy.
Chargers To Place Denzel Perryman On IR
The Chargers will place linebacker Denzel Perryman on IR tomorrow, as GM Tom Telesco told the team’s official website (video link). The team hopes to bring Perryman back later in the year.
Telesco said, “He just had surgery last week so it’s slow right now, but the plan with him is that he’d come back at some point during the year.”
Perryman suffered an ankle injury during a preseason contest last month, and he was required to undergo surgery as a result. Perryman has been no stranger to injuries throughout his two-year career, as pectoral, shoulder, hamstring, and knee issues have sidelined him since he entered the league as a second-round draft pick in 2015. He’s been relatively effective when on the field, however, especially against the run. Last year, the 23-year-old Perryman started 11 games and played on 45% of the Chargers’ defensive snaps, racking up 71 tackles, two sacks, and grading as the league’s No. 43 linebacker in the process, per Pro Football Focus.
Perryman will be forced to miss the first eight weeks of the regular season as a result of being placed on IR, though he can begin practicing with the club after Week 6. Los Angeles has the depth to withstand a Perryman absence, especially given that he was only expected to be a two-down player thanks to his lack of coverage abilities.
Korey Toomer is expected to start in Perryman’s stead.
Chargers Reach 53-Man Limit
The Chargers announced 37 player moves on Saturday, bringing them down to the 53-man limit. Here’s the full breakdown.
Released:
- RB Kenjon Barner
- QB Kellen Clemens
- TE Jeff Cumberland
- S Dwight Lowery (story)
Waived:
- P Toby Baker
- QB Mike Bercovici
- G Brett Boyko
- WR Da’Ron Brown
- NT Ryan Carrethers
- LB Kyle Coleman
- CB Michael Davis
- TE Mike Estes
- CB Randall Evans
- C/G Barrett Gouger
- WR Jamaal Jones
- K Josh Lambo
- WR Mitchell Paige
- WR Andre Patton
- WR Cameron Posey
- CB Trovon Reed
- DT Caraun Reid
- WR Artavis Scott
- CB Brandon Stewart
- CB Brad Watson
- TE Matt Weiser
- RB Andre Williams
Waived/Injured:
- WR Isaiah Burse
- T Tyreek Burwell
- G Donavon Clark
- DT Kaleb Eulls
- RB Kenneth Farrow
- LB Joshua Perry
Reserve/Suspended:
- DT Tenny Palepoi
- C Max Tuerk
Reserve/Injured:
Barner seemed to have a decent chance of cracking the roster as a pass-catching back, particularly after the loss of Danny Woodhead. On 27 carries last season, Barner averaged a career-best 4.8 yards per attempt.
Clemens, 33, was slated to return for a fourth season as Philip Rivers‘ backup. Instead, that job will go to Cardale Jones, who was acquired in a trade with Buffalo earlier this offseason.
Chargers To Cut Josh Lambo
The Chargers will cut third-year kicker Josh Lambo and give his job to undrafted rookie Younghoe Koo, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Lambo played in all 16 games for the Bolts over the past two seasons, but the team will move on and go with Koo — a South Korean talent who kicked at Georgia Southern before signing with the Chargers in May.
The Bolts are the latest AFC team to award their kicking job to the lower-profile competitor, doing so shortly after the Texans released Nick Novak — whom Lambo succeeded with the Chargers in 2015 — in favor of a second-year kicker.
Lambo made 26 of 32 field goal tries last season. He’s missed eight extra point attempts in his two-year run, however, misfiring on four post-touchdown efforts in each season. Koo only served as Georgia Southern’s full-time kicker in one season, 2016, but made 95 percent of his tries (19-for-20) during his final college campaign.
Mike Williams To Come Off PUP List
The Chargers will take Mike Williams off the PUP list in advance of the regular season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
A lingering back injury had the first-round pick’s rookie season in doubt, but this move signals the Chargers believe he will be ready to contribute early in the season. Williams remaining on the PUP list would have shelved him for the first six weeks of the Bolts’ season.
The most recent news on the former Clemson star indicated a possible October return was in the cards, and Rapoport hears (Twitter link) that’s still the tentative plan. The herniated disc Williams suffered is still not believed to require surgery; he’s been rehabbing it for several weeks now.
Williams missed Los Angeles’ training camp and did not play during the preseason. The No. 7 overall pick returning would strengthen a Chargers offense that’s also getting Keenan Allen back. Allen, Mike Williams, Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin would quietly form one of the league’s most intriguing wideout contingents — one that could be the deepest of Philip Rivers‘ career.
Chargers To Release Dwight Lowery
The Chargers will release veteran safety Dwight Lowery, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Lowery had been competing with Tre Boston for the Los Angeles’ starting safety job opposite Jahleel Addae, and appears to have lost the battle. The Chargers also invested draft picks in their secondary, as they added both Desmond King and Rayshawn Jenkins this spring.
The 31-year-old Lowery started all 16 games for the Chargers a season ago, racking up 60 tackles and one interception in the process. He had two years left on his contract, and Los Angeles will incur $500K in dead money in each of the next two seasons as a result of Lowery’s release.