Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/17

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Promoted to active roster: LB Howard Jones, OL Cameron Lee

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Promoted to active roster: T Mike Liedtke

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/2/2017

Here are today’s minor moves:

Los Angeles Rams

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Miami Dolphins

  • Added from practice squad: DE Cameron Malveaux
  • Placed on reserve/non-football illness list: FS Maurice Smith

Indianapolis Colts

Seahawks Cap And Injury Notes

The Seahawks have dealt with multiple injuries on the defensive side this season. Marquee performers like Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril have all been ruled out for the year and in the case of Avril and Chancellor, their overall football careers could really be in jeopardy.

Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes in a column, with the help of former NFL agent Joel Corry, how he expects the team will handle a few of these injury situations from a cap point of view in 2018. The most complicated of the group seems to be Chancellor, who’s contract runs through the 2020 season. By simply retiring, the strong safety would alleviate a lot of Seattle’s cap problems, but he’s unlikely to do that given all the money that’s left for him to make. Condotta notes that if the safety was inactive to start the season, he would still make a guaranteed $6.8MM if he remains on the roster by February 10, 2018. With this in mind, it seems likely that the front office would opt to wait things out to see how the soon-to-be 30-year-old responds next year given the salary cap situation. However, unlike Chancellor, Avril is likely not to be back with the Seahawks on his current deal given that the team can save $7.5MM if he were released or retires. Seattle could look to bring him back on a lesser, more incentive-rich contract if he were to be released.

The piece adds some more in-depth cap information as well, and is really a good deep dive into how the Seahawks will handle some of their trickier contract situations given that they are right up against the cap at the moment.

  • On more positive Seahawks injury news, head coach Pete Carroll spoke positively about the chances starting defensive backs Earl Thomas and Shaquill Griffin would be able to play Sunday, reports Brady Henderson of ESPN.com“He’s fine,” Carroll said of Thomas. “He had something we just tended to yesterday, a sore foot, and that was it. Not a big deal.” The star safety was listed as questionable on Thursday, but looks to be on track to suit up this weekend. Griffin missed last week’s game against the 49ers with a concussion, but he will be back too, according to Henderson.

Cliff Avril Undergoes Disc Surgery

Cliff Avril underwent disc surgery this week, and Pete Carroll confirmed (via Stefanie Loh of the Seattle Times) the procedure went well. Avril will be out for the season, and previous reports indicated the longtime Seahawks defensive end’s career is in jeopardy. Avril, who said in October he wasn’t thinking retirement, sent out a tweet about his upcoming recovery process. Next season will be Avril’s age-32 slate. Michael Bennett said, via Loh, he talks to Avril daily and called his friend’s future “uncertain” as he prepares for a long recovery.

  • The Seahawks have yet to place Kam Chancellor on IR alongside Avril, and Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes this might be because of the franchise’s cap situation. Seattle’s up against the salary ceiling presently at $84K, per OverTheCap, and by placing Chancellor on IR and replacing him with another player could create a tricky situation. Chancellor’s salary is guaranteed whether he’s on IR or the active roster. Henderson writes the Seahawks might not make this move until they need a roster spot. Given that five games remain in the regular season, that date appears likely to arrive soon.

Seahawks Wanted To Re-Sign Dwight Freeney

The Seahawks had hoped to re-sign Dwight Freeney after cutting him last week, but the Lions claimed him off waivers before they could so, as Freeney explained to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Seattle needed to reinforce its depth at linebacker, and waiving Freeney was simply the easiest move the club could make. That’s not to say there wasn’t a financial component to the Freeney’s release, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times noted last week. Nevertheless, Freeney now heads to Detroit, a team that had interest in signing him at several points earlier in the season, tweets Birkett.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/29/17

Today’s practice squad updates:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: RB Darius Victor

Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

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Seahawks’ Malik McDowell Won’t Play In ’17

Rookie defensive lineman Malik McDowell won’t play in 2017 after suffering a severe concussion in a July ATV accident, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Carroll indicated in early October that McDowell still had a chance to see the field this season, but the Michigan State product hasn’t made enough progress in his recovery.Malik McDowell (Vertical)

Seattle could certainly use help along the defensive line, as Cliff Avril is done for the season with a neck injury while while Dion Jordan is also batting health questions. The Seahawks also recently waived veteran end Dwight Freeney, so the club’s depth up front is lacking. McDowell, whom Seattle selected in the second round of the 2017 draft, could have potentially filled a vacancy on the interior or on the edge and helped a defensive line that ranks just 20th in adjusted sack rate.

Because McDowell will spend his entire rookie campaign on the non-football injury list, his contract will toll, meaning he won’t gain credit for the 2017 season. As such, the Seahawks will now control his rights through 2021 instead of 2020.

NFL Workout Updates: 11/28/17

Here are today’s workout updates, courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer unless otherwise noted.

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Jets

  • DL Marcus Hardison

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/28/17

Here are today’s minor moves.

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

Oakland Raiders

  • Signed: WR Isaac Whitney

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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