Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Cap Capi
- Waived/injured: DE Bryson Albright
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DE Ja’Von Rolland-Jones
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL Korren Kirven, DE Joby Saint Fleur
- Waived: DE James Hearns, RB Trey Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Nick Callender
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB Channing Stribling, WR Marcus Peterson
- Placed on IR: TE Austin Roberts
New England Patriots
- Waived/injured: G Nate Theaker
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Bucky Hodges, OT Kyle Meadows
- Waived: LB Darnell Leslie, TE Ryan Malleck
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed CB Jeremy Boykins, LB Josh Forrest
- Waived: S Alex Carter, TE Je’Ron Hamm
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Dare Ogunbowale
- Waived: RB Dalton Crossan
Earl Thomas Discusses Holdout
On Thursday, safety Earl Thomas opened up about his standoff with the Seahawks. In an essay for The Players’ Tribune, Thomas indicated that he will continue his holdout until he gets a new multi-year deal or gets traded to another team that will give him one.
“In the end, it’s like I said: If the Seahawks don’t intend on having me around for the long-term, then I understand,” Thomas wrote. “And if they want to start over and rebuild, then that’s their right — it’s part of the business. It’s not what I want … but I get it. All I ask, though, is that if that’s the case, and they don’t want me anymore — just please trade me to an organization that does. Please trade me to a team that wants me, so I can give my all to them for the rest of my career.”
Thomas, who is still only 29, is insistent that he still has years of great football left in the tank. With six Pro Bowl appearances and three First-Team All-Pro selections on his resume, it’s hard to argue with him on that point. Still, the Seahawks say they will not address Thomas’ deal until after the 2018 season.
Latest On Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin
Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin is expected to miss most, if not all, of the preseason as he deals with a knee injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, Seattle expects Baldwin to be available to the start of the regular season.
Baldwin is a veteran receiver, so the preseason isn’t a necessity as he prepares for the start of the 2018 campaign. However, it’s not clear at present exactly what type of knee issue is ailing Baldwin. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said the club would take precautions in order to preserve Baldwin’s health.
“We’re gonna give him a couple weeks here before we bring him back out to make sure that we’ve ramped him back up properly,” Carroll said. “He came into camp a little bit off and we just want to make sure that we take care of him. We know exactly what’s going on. He’s doing some special treatments to make sure that we’re taking care of him, and we want to bring him back into shape so we can really get him ready for the long haul.”
If Baldwin is lost for any significant amount of time, the Seahawks’ wide receiver depth chart doesn’t provide much in the way of reinforcements. Perpetual breakout candidate Tyler Lockett would become Seattle’s default No. 1 wideout, while veteran Brandon Marshall could also have a greater chance of making the team’s 53-man roster. Other Seahawks pass-catchers include free agent acquisition Jaron Brown, 2017 third-rounder Amara Darboh, and Marcus Johnson, among others.
Seahawks Sign G J.R. Sweezy
The Seahawks have signed guard J.R. Sweezy, according to a team announcement. To make room, the club waived guard Avery Young with an injury designation. 
The deal brings Sweezy back to the team that drafted him six years ago. A seventh-round pick out of N.C. State in 2012, Sweezy spent his first four seasons in Seattle before signing with the Bucs as a free agent in 2016. That deal was terminated this summer after two injury-plagued seasons with Tampa Bay.
The 29-year-old guard started all 14 games he played for the Bucs last season, though he was less than 100% healthy. Pro Football Focus rated Sweezy as its No. 53 guard in 2017.
The Seahawks can use all the help they can get on the offensive line, so it makes sense for them to kick the tires on Sweezy and see where he stands in his rehab from a broken leg. For now, the Seahawks project to start 2017 second-round pick Ethan Pocic and free agent pickup D.J. Fluker at the guard positions.
Seahawks Notes: Baldwin, Jordan, Thomas
Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin is currently dealing with a knee issue that will force him to miss a couple of weeks, coach Pete Carroll told reporters today.
“We’re gonna give him a couple weeks here before we bring him back out to make sure that we’ve ramped him back up properly,” Carroll said (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “He came into camp a little bit off and we just want to make sure that we take care of him. We know exactly what’s going on. He’s doing some special treatments to make sure that we’re taking care of him, and we want to bring him back into shape so we can really get him ready for the long haul.”
Meanwhile, Carroll didn’t sound as optimistic about the recovery of defensive end Dion Jordan, who is sitting on the physically unable to perform list. The head coach described the veteran’s injury as a “stress issue,” although the latest ailment isn’t attributed to Jordan’s offseason knee surgery.
“It’s gonna be a while,” Carroll said. “The word is it’s gonna be a while. He’s got a little bit of healing to do, so it’s gonna be a while.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Seattle…
- Carroll also told reporters that there’s been zero communication with safety Earl Thomas (via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta on Twitter). The veteran continues to hold out as he pushes for either a new contract or a trade, and reports have continually connected him to the Cowboys. However, we heard earlier today that Seattle wasn’t going to give away the Pro Bowler for nothing, while the Cowboys aren’t intending on overpaying to acquire Thomas via trade.
- Peter King of Football Morning in America believes the most general manager John Schneider could get for Thomas would be a conditional 2020 third-rounder from either the Cowboys or Raiders. King even puts in specific conditions: if the safety makes at least 10 starts, Seattle receives a third-rounder. If he doesn’t, Seattle will receive a fourth-rounder.
- Punter Jon Ryan, the longest-tenured member of the Seahawks, saw his team select fellow punter Michael Dickson in the fifth-round of this past year’s draft. While the 36-year-old understands that his stint in Seattle is likely coming to an end, he admitted to Condotta that the team’s selection also provided some motivation. Ryan also discussed how the punter’s holding duties could play a role in who makes the roster, especially since the Seahawks are auditioning a righty (Jason Myers) and lefty (Sebastian Janikowski) for their kicking gig. This sentiment was echoed by special teams coordinator Brian Schneider. “That’s a huge part (of the job) and Jon’s been so consistent over the years,” Schneider said. “Dickson hasn’t done a whole lot of it, but he’s very talented. He’s got great hands, he’s caught a lot of balls, and so he’s done a really nice job, too.”
Seahawks, Cowboys In Staring Contest Over Earl Thomas
There’s still no end in sight to the Earl Thomas/Seahawks drama. Thomas continues to insist he won’t report without a new contract, and that without a new contract he wants to be traded. The Seahawks won’t budge on extending him, but also haven’t complied with his trade demands. The Cowboys have been a frequently mentioned potential destination for Thomas, a Texas native, and Brady Henderson and Todd Archer of ESPN.com, the site’s Seahawks and Cowboys reporters, respectively, took a look at what it would take to get Thomas to Dallas.
Henderson notes that the Seahawks have the money available to give Thomas a new deal if they really wanted to, they just don’t have any desire to pay him longterm top-safety market as he enters his age-29 season. Archer notes the Cowboys are even less restricted by the cap, and could give Thomas any deal they want comfortably. Henderson says the Seahawks “aren’t going to give Thomas away for nothing despite the perception that they have no other choice.” The Seahawks are clearly intent on getting top dollar for the All-Pro safety in any trade, and it’s unclear if the Cowboys will be willing to pay it.
- The details on Duane Brown‘s new extension from the Seahawks are in. He’ll get $14.5MM fully guaranteed this year, an increase of nearly $5MM from what he was scheduled to make, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). The team could get out from under his contract fairly easily if they want after this year, as Rapoport notes only $1.75MM is guaranteed for injury in 2019.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/30/18
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Kendall Calhoun, LB Jonathan Celestin, WR Colby Pearson
- Waived: DB Jason Hall, FB Daniel Marx, DB Terrance Parks
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Kevin Bowen, DB Christian Boutte, TE Orson Charles, DB Jeremiah McKinnon
- Waived: OL Victor Salako, DL Trenton Thompson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DT Kaleb Eulls
- Waived/Injured: DL Kapron Lewis-Moore
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: RB James Butler
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: FS Lorenzo Jerome
- Retired: LB Joshua Perry
Chargers, Seahawks Interested In DRC
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie may be closer to finding an NFL home. The free agent is receiving interest from the Seahawks and Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 
The Seahawks are showing the most interest in DRC, Rapoport reports, but the Chargers’ are also in the mix thanks to their recent cornerback injury. Now that Jason Verrett is done for the year with an Achilles injury, DRC could step in as the club’s first cornerback off of the bench to support Desmond King and Casey Hayward.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, just recently waived DeAndre Elliott, leaving them thin at slot cornerback. DRC would help address that issue and he might also be able to contribute at safety when needed.
Last year, Rodgers-Cromartie earned a 77.2 overall score from Pro Football Focus, his lowest showing since 2012. He graded out as the 58th ranked cornerback in the NFL, portraying him as someone who is on the fringe of starter quality. His on-field performance was problematic, but there were also behavioral issues. Rodgers-Cromartie clashed with former coach Ben McAdoo on four separate occasions before being suspended “indefinitely” for conduct detrimental to the team. He was brought back after just one game, but teams could still be wary of his locker room influence.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DE Moubarak Djeri
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: C Erick Wren
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Kenneth Durden
- Placed on injured reserve: CB Sam Beal
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DB Trovon Reed, WR Malik Turner
- Waived: TE Kayaune Ross
Seahawks Sign WR Marvin Bracy
Marvin Bracy‘s best-known work has come as a track and field athlete, with the former Florida State sprinter donning a Team USA speedsuit at the 2016 Rio Olympics. But Bracy remains in pursuit of an NFL future.
The Seahawks will give Bracy an opportunity. They signed the 5-foot-9 wide receiver hopeful on Saturday and waived long snapper Tanner Carew, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets.
A 2016 100-meter qualifier for Team USA and a member of the United States’ 4×100 relay squad in Brazil, Bracy also medaled on the world stage in the 60-meter dash in the past. However, he’s attempted to make a run as an NFL wideout. He caught on with the Colts last year. However, Indianapolis waived the speedster after the preseason. The 24-year-old Bracy worked out for the Jets in October but has hovered relatively off the radar since.
Seattle already has a crowded wideout room, having added Jaron Brown and Brandon Marshall this offseason, but Bracy’s best bet may be a practice squad opportunity.