Jets Deal CB Parry Nickerson To Seahawks
The Seahawks will make another Saturday trade. They will acquire cornerback Parry Nickerson from the Jets, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
New York will receive a 2021 conditional seventh-rounder for Nickerson, a 2018 sixth-round pick. Nickerson played in 16 Jets games last season, making two starts.
This marks another quick jettisoning of a Mike Maccagnan draft pick. The Jets cut third-round pick Jachai Polite earlier today, with Joe Douglas making moves to rid the roster of some young players his predecessor acquired.
Douglas said recently he will seek cornerback help off the waiver wire. With a corner being moved off the roster, that is now a near-certainty to occur.
Seahawks To Release WR Jaron Brown
Another key name from the 2018 Seahawks’ receiving corps will no longer be part of the current roster. Shortly after acquiring Jadeveon Clowney (and a $15.9MM salary cap number), Seattle will release Jaron Brown, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The 2018 UFA signing was expected to play a role for the Seahawks’ post-Doug Baldwin receiving corps, but the team will now clear $2.75MM off its cap to help fit Clowney’s tag salary on the payroll.
Brown caught just 16 passes for 166 yards last season, though he did add five touchdown receptions. The former Cardinals target signed a two-year, $5.5MM deal in 2018. The Seahawks, however, drafted three wideouts — including D.K. Metcalf — and are set to supplement Tyler Lockett with rookie contracts.
Seahawks Release CB Jamar Taylor
The Seahawks are releasing veteran cornerback Jamar Taylor, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Just days ago, he seemed to be the frontrunner for Seattle’s nickel job, so this was an unexpected cut.
In May, Taylor was brought on to potentially replace the departed Justin Coleman. The 2013 second-round pick was productive in his two Cleveland seasons, including a 2016 campaign where he had three interceptions and 13 passes defended. In 2017, he appeared in a career-high 16 games and finished with a career-high 62 tackles.
It’s yet another move on a busy day for the Seahawks. They, of course, acquired Jadeveon Clowney on Saturday morning.
Texans To Trade Jadeveon Clowney To Seahawks
The Jadeveon Clowney era in Houston has come to an end. The Texans and Seahawks have agreed to a trade that will send the star edge rusher to Seattle. Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets that the Texans will receive a 2020 third-rounder, defensive end Barkevious Mingo, and linebacker Jacob Martin.
While the deal is all but “done” according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), there are a few formalities that need to be taken care of. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Clowney is currently in Seattle to sign his franchise tender, which would enable Houston to trade him. Clowney, Mingo, and Martin will also need to pass physicals before the deal’s completed. We learned earlier today that the two sides had been progressing towards a deal.
The move makes plenty of sense for the Seahawks. Seattle doesn’t have to commit to a new Clowney deal until the offseason, allowing them to evaluate his fit on the team. Further, if the edge rusher ends up leaving in free agency, they’re likely land a 2021 third-round compensatory draft pick. While the organization will have to fit Clowney’s $15.9MM tag charge into their $25MM in cap space (the team cleared $4MM by trading Mingo), it was still clearly worth the “risk.”
Considering the Seahawks’ need for pass-rushing, Clowney’s desire to play in Seattle, and the minimal asking price, there’s really no risk at all. While the Seahawks did add defensive end Ziggy Ansah, they moved on from veteran Frank Clark. The team will also be without defensive tackle Jarran Reed for the first six games due to suspension, necessitating their need for help up front.
The Texans were somewhat stuck behind a rock and a hard place when it came to the Clowney trade talks. The 26-year-old did have a bit of leverage regarding where he could land, and it apparently worked. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets that the Dolphins and Texans were well on their way to hammering out a deal. When Clowney refused to play in Miami, it allowed one of his preferred suitors to swoop in.
In other words, the Texans did relatively well considering the circumstances. Most teams would purely view Clowney as a rental, so a third-rounder is fine value for an impending free agent. Plus, while Martin may not be a recognizable player, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that one GM gushed about the player’s motor. The 2018 sixth-round pick had nine tackles and three sacks as a rookie.
Mingo, a former first-rounder, has bounced around the NFL during his six-year career. He started a career-high 14 games for Seattle in 2018, compiling 48 tackles and two forced fumbles.
Texans, Seahawks Agree To “Parameters” Of Clowney Trade
It sounds like Jadeveon Clowney will get his wish. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Texans and Seahawks have agreed to the parameters of a trade. The deal is contingent on Clowney and other traded players passing their physicals. Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets that the Texans are expected to receive a 2020 third-rounder, while Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes that Houston will also be acquiring two players.
Earlier today, Wilson reported (via Twitter) that the Texans and Seahawks have had a “dialogue” about the star edge rusher. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero (via Twitter) said the two sides were “deep” in trade talks, with Clowney declaring Seattle as his preferred trade spot.
After firing his agent on Tuesday afternoon, it appears that Clowney is serious about landing the long-term deal he desires. We heard that Clowney preferred the Seahawks and the Eagles as trade destinations, and Seattle larer emerged as the front-runner. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Clowney would willingly sign his tag if traded to Seattle. Meanwhile, Wilson tweets that the Seahawks would essentially be renting Clowney, with the organization evaluating a long-term fit throughout the season.
Clowney met with the Dolphins earlier this week after the organization emerged as a potential trade partner. However, it sounds like Clowney isn’t interested in playing for Miami. The front office has also talked trade with the Jets and Redskins.
As an unsigned franchise player, Clowney does have a bit of leverage in this matter. The Texans have been unwilling to commit to the former top-overall pick, and he might have enough juice to force a trade to one of his preferred teams.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Houston will simply give him away. We heard that the Texans would actually like to keep Clowney, and they’ve also established an asking price in trade talks. If the defender ends up sitting out games as he pursues a new contract and/or a trade, he’ll forfeit around $1MM per game. In other words, there are also some negotiating advantages for the Texans.
Seahawks Release DB DeShawn Shead
The Seahawks are cutting a longtime familiar face. Seattle has released veteran defensive back DeShawn Shead, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Shead originally signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent back in 2012. He spent the next six seasons with the team, and made a big impact. Shead started 21 games between 2015 and 2016, and was one of the few remaining members of the team that won Super Bowl XLVIII for the Seahawks. He became a starter toward the end of the 2015 campaign, and started 15 games in 2016. Unfortunately he suffered a torn ACL in the 2016 playoffs, which derailed his career.
He only appeared in two games in 2017 as he worked his way back from the injury, and was then cut after the season. He signed with Detroit, and appeared in 12 games for the Lions last season, making one start. He was placed on injured reserve in December, then signed back with the Seahawks in July.
As Henderson points out, the Seahawks had been mostly using him as a safety this season in an attempt to have him make the team. The Portland State product ended up coming up short, and will now re-enter the open market at the age of 30.
Seahawks Waive Paxton Lynch
The Paxton Lynch experiment in Seattle is over. The Seahawks have waived the former first-round pick quarterback, a source told Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). 
With Lynch being cut, that means that Geno Smith has won the right to carry Russell Wilson‘s clipboard during the regular season. Condotta writes that the Seahawks “may try to keep Lynch on the practice squad.” Lynch drew some positive reviews earlier this preseason, but he melted down in the team’s fourth and final game. He completed just one of seven passes for four yards, which likely sealed his fate if it wasn’t sealed already.
The Broncos drafted the Memphis product 26th overall back in 2016, and he never panned out in Denver. He never got a chance to be the full-time starter, a feat very rare for first-round quarterbacks. During his time with the Broncos he started a total of four games, tossing four touchdowns and four interceptions while averaging only 6.2 yards per attempt.
After spending the entire 2018 season out of football, he signed with the Seahawks in January. Lynch has plenty of athleticism and can make the occasional splashy play, but has never been able to put it all together. There have been questions about his maturity, and he’s running out of chances to show he can deliver on his potential.
Colts, Texans, Browns Lead NFL In Cap Space
On Tuesday morning, the NFL released a report of every team’s cap space. The total number accounts for the top-51 cap numbers on every team’s roster. Therefore, these numbers will naturally change before next week as teams set their 53-man rosters (although the 52nd- and 53rd-ranked cap numbers (and beyond) for each team will hardly change anything).
It’s also worth noting that there have been a handful of extensions, trades, signings, and cuts since this report was released. However, there weren’t any significant moves that would drastically alter these rankings.
Why are these numbers important at this time of year? Well, rosters will be trimmed on Saturday, meaning an influx of players will hit the open market. While we can’t imagine any roster casualties earning a lucrative contract from a new team, these numbers can help illustrate the monetary advantage one organization has over another. These numbers are also useful in regards to any potential trades or extensions.
With help from TheMMQB.com’s Albert Breer on Twitter, we’ve listed the league’s cap space totals (as of Tuesday morning) below:
- Indianapolis Colts: $56.6MM
- Houston Texans: $37.0MM
- Cleveland Browns: $34.6MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $26.1MM
- Tennessee Titans: $26.0MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $25.5MM
- Buffalo Bills: $23.3MM
- Miami Dolphins: $22.1MM
- Chicago Bears: $22.1MM
- Washington Redskins: $21.7MM
- Detroit Lions: $21.5MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $21MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $19.7MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $19.5MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $18.6MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $18.2MM
- Oakland Raiders: $17.3MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $16.4MM
- Green Bay Packers: $15.2MM
- New York Jets: $14.9MM
- New England Patriots: $14.1MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $13.4MM
- New Orleans Saints $7.5MM
- Carolina Panthers $5.9MM
- Los Angeles Rams $5.6MM
- New York Giants $5.5MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers $4.9MM
- Minnesota Vikings $4.7MM
- Arizona Cardinals $4.7MM
- Denver Broncos $4.4MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers $4.3MM
- Atlanta Falcons $3.4MM
Possible Career-Ending Injury For Seahawks CB Kalan Reed
Seahawks cornerback Kalan Reed may be forced to retire after suffering a serious neck injury, agent Harold Lewis tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Seahawks already placed Reed on injured reserve, but it sounds like this will be a career-ender as well.
Reed went down in the Seahawks’ preseason game against the Vikings earlier this month and injured his third and fourth vertebrae in the process. Doctors have since advised him that attempting to play again would put him in serious jeopardy, especially since he experienced numbness afterwards.
Reed entered the league in 2016 as a seventh-round pick of the Titans. He appeared in seven games over two seasons in Tennessee before hooking on with Seattle’s practice squad last year. Last year, he earned a promotion to the varsity squad, but did not see the field. This year, he was hoping to make the 53-man cut, but he’ll have to focus on other endeavors from here on out.
We wish Reed the best in his recovery.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/19
We’ll keep track of today’s roster shuffling here as teams gear up for major cuts at the end of the week:
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: DE Mike Love
- Waived: P Corey Carter
- Waived from IR: OL De’Ondre Wesley
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LS Andrew DePaola
- Placed on IR: DT Destiny Vaeao
Chicago Bears
- Claimed off waivers: OL Tommy Doles
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB James Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Jackson Porter
- Waived (failed physical): LB Nicholas Grigsby
Houston Texans
- Waived: DB Deante Burton, DB Derrick Jones
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from injured reserve: RB Roc Thomas
New England Patriots
- Waived from injured reserve: WR Maurice Harris
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OT Riley Mayfield
- Placed on IR: WR Charles Johnson
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: TE Cole Wick
- Waive/injured: OLB Josh Smith
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Will Holden, DE Logan Tago
- Waived: DT Jay-Tee Tiuli