Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/22
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: WR Pharoh Cooper, DL Manny Jones
- Placed on IR: S Budda Baker (story), DT Trysten Hill
Atlanta Falcons
- Designated for return: WR Jared Bernhardt
- Placed on IR: OL Chuma Edoga
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return: WR Tylan Wallace
Detroit Lions
- Reverted to season-ending IR: WR Quintez Cephus
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: CB Darrell Baker Jr.
- Placed on IR: CB Isaiah Rodgers Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed to active roster: DT Jeremiah Ledbetter
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: DE Isaac Rochell, LB Harvey Langi
- Placed on IR: DE Chandler Jones, LB Denzel Perryman (story)
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Cardinals): OL Wyatt Davis
- Signed off Lions’ practice squad: LB Jarrad Davis
- Placed on IR: OL Shane Lemieux
- Waived: TE Chris Myarick
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Designated for return: CB Ahkello Witherspoon
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return: CB Isaiah Dunn
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: RB Jonathan Ward
Washington Commanders
- Designated for return: CB Tariq Castro-Fields, TE Armani Rogers
NFC West Notes: Cards, Lance, Hawks, Akers
While nothing is certain yet, the Cardinals may be on the lookout for a new GM for the first time in 10 years. Steve Keim took a leave of absence earlier this month and, as of now, is not expected to be back. The Cardinals may be considering keeping their current setup — a dual-GM partnership between Adrian Wilson and Quentin Harris — on a permanent basis, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Arizona has promoted from within to fill its GM post the past two times it opened, elevating Rod Graves in 2003 and then Keim in 2013. Bob Ferguson (1996) represents the franchise’s past outside hire for this post.
Wilson and Harris each played safety with the Cardinals, being teammates from 2002-05, and have worked in the front office for several years. Harris, the team’s VP of player personnel, has been on staff longer — since 2008, when he became a scout — while Wilson, the VP of pro personnel, enjoyed a much longer playing career. Wilson has been a Cards staffer since 2015. Harris interviewed for the Giants’ GM gig this year; Wilson interviewed with the Jaguars. Whomever lands the Arizona GM job will have some pieces to pick up after a turbulent year, and a coaching search could commence.
Here is the latest from the NFC West:
- When the Seahawks acquired Drew Lock from the Broncos, the front office viewed him as the likely starter, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes. Believing they knew what they had in Geno Smith, Russell Wilson‘s backup for three seasons, the Seahawks were planning on Lock taking over. Smith’s contract — one year, $3.5MM — reflects this plan, but Pete Carroll consistently kept the former Jets second-rounder in front of Lock. While the Seahawks have faded since a surprising start, Smith made one the more unlikely Pro Bowl runs in recent QB history. The Seahawks want to re-sign him to a long-term deal.
- Kliff Kingsbury said the Cardinals did not know about J.J. Watt‘s retirement decision beforehand. The Cardinals signed the three-time Defensive Player of the Year to a two-year, $28MM deal in 2021. Despite Watt suffering another significant injury last season, he rebounded to re-emerge as one of the league’s top D-linemen this year. Watt will pass on a chance to join a contender in free agency next year, and it appears a near-lock he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2028.
- Colt McCoy cleared concussion protocol and will start for the Cardinals in Week 17, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets. Arizona faces Atlanta and San Francisco to close out its season. McCoy is signed to a two-year, $7.5MM deal.
- Brock Purdy has stepped in and kept the 49ers on course. Prior to Jimmy Garoppolo‘s injury, the team was open to re-signing him. Now, the prospect of Purdy keeping the gig over Trey Lance in 2023 is starting to surface. An anonymous exec told the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora he is growing more convinced the 49ers will trade Lance and stick with this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. With Lance on a rookie contract through 2024, that would be a wild call — even given Purdy’s early form. But teams would figure to be interested in the former No. 3 overall pick — even if he has only played one full season in his five since high school.
- Although the Rams tried to trade Cam Akers, they have turned back to him as their top running back. They should be expected to retain him in 2023, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Akers’ career path changed when he tore an Achilles’ tendon in July 2021, but he totaled 147 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns Sunday. Next season will be a contract year for the former second-round pick.
- Weeks after the Cardinals fired their offensive line coach, Sean Kugler, the dismissed assistant said he did not grope a female security guard in Mexico. Kugler is taking legal action against the Cardinals, whom he contends did not conduct a thorough investigation. The team released a statement (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, on Twitter) conveying confidence the firing was for cause. Kugler worked for the Cardinals from 2019 until his November firing.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/27/22
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: G Wyatt Davis
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: DT Isaiah Mack (claimed by Seahawks)
New York Jets
- Designated to return from IR: OT Cedric Ogbuehi
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed off Giants practice squad: LB Tae Crowder
- Placed on IR: LB Marcus Allen
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: LB J.J. Russell
- Placed on IR: T Josh Wells
Allen suffered a biceps injury in the Steelers win over Las Vegas, requiring surgery, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic. With two games remaining and Pittsburgh in danger of elimination from postseason contention, Allen’s 2022 season has likely come to an end.
Seahawks Place TE Will Dissly On IR
After staying healthy for most of the past two seasons, Will Dissly will see another injury likely end his season. The Seahawks placed the veteran tight end on IR due to a knee injury.
Dissly, who suffered major injuries during his first two NFL seasons, went down against the Chiefs on Saturday with what Pete Carroll is calling a contusion. More tests appear on tap, however. Unless the Seahawks make an unlikely voyage to the NFC championship game, Dissly will be ineligible to return this season.
Although his season is likely wrapped after 15 games, Dissly both displayed durability (15 games played) and provided considerable aid to Geno Smith‘s unexpected Pro Bowl campaign. Dissly established new career-high marks in receptions (34) and receiving yards (349), adding three touchdowns. Valued for his run-blocking ability, Dissly (60% snap rate) also played a prominent role in Ken Walker‘s rookie-year emergence.
The Seahawks re-signed Dissly on a somewhat surprising three-year, $24MM pact in March. Dissly was uncertain as to what his market would bring, but Denver and Tampa Bay also showed interest in adding him. Instead, Dissly teamed with ex-Broncos tight end Noah Fant to help Seattle’s cause post-Russell Wilson.
Dissly’s deal includes $10.3MM fully guaranteed but nearly $6MM more in injury guarantees, so it will be interesting to see if his latest setback is a significant one. The University of Washington product went down with a torn patella tendon in 2018 and was lost for much of the 2019 season after an Achilles tear. Dissly rebounded to make his way toward that nice contract in the ensuing two seasons, playing in 31 of a possible 33 games.
In addition to the Dissly transaction, the Seahawks claimed defensive lineman Isaiah Mack off waivers from the Ravens. A fourth-year former UDFA, Mack spent the past two seasons with Baltimore. Seattle also signed cornerback Xavier Crawford off its practice squad, waived D-tackle Daviyon Nixon and added corner Steven Parker to its taxi squad.
Packers Place DL Dean Lowry On IR
Dean Lowry‘s streak of 101 straight regular-season games will come to an end. The Packers placed the veteran defensive lineman on IR on Tuesday.
The seventh-year defender suffered a calf injury against the Dolphins. To replace him on the roster, the Packers signed wide receiver Bo Melton from the Seahawks’ practice squad; Seattle drafted Melton in this year’s seventh round out of Rutgers. He has not seen any game action yet. The Packers also released linebacker Tipa Galeai from IR, weeks after opting against using one of its IR activations on him.
In order for Lowry to be activated, the Packers would need to reach the NFC championship game. While Green Bay has accomplished this twice under Matt LaFleur, the team is 7-8 and still has an uphill battle to make the playoffs. FiveThirtyEight gives the Pack a 27% chance to secure a wild-card spot. Tuesday’s transaction is likely to end Lowry’s season.
Lowry, 28, has been with the Packers since they drafted him in the 2016 fourth round. He has started 80 career games, becoming a primary starter during LaFleur’s time in Green Bay. The Northwestern product recorded five sacks last season but has only a half-sack this year. Still, Lowry has maintained a regular role on a defensive line housing Kenny Clark, Jarran Reed and first-round pick Devonte Wyatt. Lowry has played 53% of the Packers’ defensive snaps this season.
Pro Football Focus ranks Lowry just outside the top 60 interior D-linemen (out of 125 qualified players), after slotting him 33rd overall last season. Lowry’s three-year, $20.3MM extension expires after this season, though three void years are tacked on for cap purposes. Wyatt saw his highest snap share against the Dolphins, being on the field for 24 defensive plays. While the Packers have eased the Georgia product into action, he stands to see more time in the team’s final two regular-season games.
Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, much is still to be decided both in terms of playoff positioning and the order of the upcoming draft. Five teams are still eligible to land the top pick.
The Texans remain in pole position to hold the No. 1 spot, but their win over the Titans (coupled with the Bears’ losing streak extending to eight games) leaves Chicago just a half-game away. The fact that the Bears would likely select a defensive player rather than a quarterback with the top pick adds considerable intrigue to the potential implications of them ending up with that slot.
With the Browns continuing to struggle even with Deshaun Watson back from suspension, there is a distinct possibility that four first-rounders which changed hands (including Cleveland’s top 2023 pick, part of the package they sent to Houston for Watson) land in the top 10. Another premium selection would obviously soften the blow of losing out on the No. 1 spot from the Texans’ perspective, should that take place.
The final Wild Card spot in each conference is still being contested by several teams, resulting in a logjam of 7-8 squads in the middle of the order. Several head-to-head matchups will be played out between those clubs, which could lead to plenty of change in their positioning over the next two weeks. The race for both the AFC and NFC South titles will also have a significant impact on the final order, given the average (at best) record each division’s winner will have at the end of the regular season.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks entering Week 17:
- Houston Texans: 2-12-1
- Chicago Bears: 3-12
- Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-11
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-10-1
- Atlanta Falcons: 5-10
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Carolina Panthers: 6-9
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Seattle Seahawks: 7-8
- Tennessee Titans: 7-8
- New England Patriots: 7-8
- New York Jets: 7-8
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-8
- Green Bay Packers: 7-8
- Detroit Lions: 7-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-8
- Washington Commanders: 7-7-1
- New York Giants: 8-6-1
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-6
- Baltimore Ravens: 10-5
- Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)
- Dallas Cowboys: 11-4
- Cincinnati Bengals: 11-4
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-3
- Minnesota Vikings: 12-3
- Buffalo Bills: 12-3
- Philadelphia Eagles: 13-2
Next year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/26/22
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: LS Aaron Brewer
- Claimed (from Steelers): CB Josh Jackson
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: LB Segun Olubi
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed from practice squad: S Raheem Layne
- Placed on IR: CB Kemon Hall
- Promoted: RB Larry Rountree
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on IR: S Joey Blount
- Signed from practice squad: RB Godwin Igwebuike
Brewer, who has been the Cardinals’ long snapper for the past seven seasons, suffered a pectoral injury. Brewer’s contract expires after this season. The Cardinals initially signed Jackson this offseason but waived him weeks later. The Steelers carried Jackson on their practice squad for much of this season. The former second-round pick played in four games with the team.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/26/22
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: P Brock Miller
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Tony Jones Jr.
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Danny Isidora
Washington Commanders
- Signed: LB De’Jon Harris
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/22
Today’s minor moves heading into the NFL’s largest slate of Saturday games of the season:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: DT Isaiah Mack
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Cole Beasley, DE Kingsley Jonathan
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: RB Khalil Herbert (story)
- Signed to active roster: CB Breon Borders
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Chase Allen, WR Nsimba Webster
- Placed on IR: CB Jaylon Johnson, CB Kindle Vildor
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Allan George
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Mackensie Alexander, C Brock Hoffman
Detroit Lions
- Promoted from practice squad: S Brady Breeze, TE Garrett Griffin
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from IR: TE Blake Bell
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Danny Shelton
- Placed on IR: TE Jody Fortson
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted from practice squad: G Kyle Hinton
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: LS Tucker Addington
- Promoted from practice squad: K Tristan Vizcaino, TE Scotty Washington
- Placed on IR: LS Joe Cardona
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: WR Kirk Merritt
- Promoted from practice squad: G Josh Andrews, WR Keith Kirkwood
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed to active roster: LB Christian Elliss
- Promoted from practice squad: P Brett Kern
- Placed on IR: TE Tyree Jackson
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: DL Michael Dwumfour, WR Willie Snead
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Godwin Igwebuike, RB Wayne Gallman
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: WR Deven Thompkins
- Placed on IR: LB Genard Avery
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Andre Smith, Jonathan Ward
Notable 2023 Pro Bowl Incentives
The NFL announced their 2023 Pro Bowl rosters this evening. Besides the ability to list the accolade on their career resume (plus the monetary bonus that comes from participating in and winning the game), many players had a financial incentive for wanting a Pro Bowl nod. We’ve collected some of the notable Pro Bowl contract incentives below, most via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter (unless noted).
WR Davante Adams, Raiders: $250K- TE Mark Andrews, Ravens: $250K
- LT Terron Armstead, Dolphins: $650K
- LB Demario Davis, Saints: $500K
- WR Tyreek Hill, Dolphins: $250K
- CB Marlon Humphrey, Ravens: $250K
- WR Terry McLaurin, Commanders: $250K (via CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (on Twitter))
- S Jordan Poyer, Bills: $500K
- QB Geno Smith, Seahawks: $500K
Geno Smith‘s contract bonus came via a specific incentive that required not only Pro Bowl recognition but 20 touchdown passes, according to Yates (on Twitter). Smith hit that TD mark back in Week 13. The impending free agent is set to cash in following a breakout campaign during his age-32 season.
Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard has a more complex bonus worked into his contract. According to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (on Twitter), Howard is one step closer to earning a $1MM bonus thanks to his Pro Bowl nod, but he’ll also need Miami to improve in either wins, points allowed, TDs allowed, total defense, interceptions, average net yards allowed per rushing play, or turnover margin.
Speaking of the Dolphins, the organization saved a chunk of future money since one of their players didn’t make the Pro Bowl roster. As Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald tweets, Tua Tagovailoa‘s fifth-year option would have increased from $22MM to $28MM if he earned a Pro Bowl nod.