Today’s minor moves:
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Richard Sherman‘s July arrest put quite a damper on his market, but things are starting to heat back up. Several days ago, we heard that the 49ers remain interested in a reunion with the five-time Pro Bowler, and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reported this morning that multiple teams have reached out to Sherman recently.
One of those teams is the Buccaneers, who lost starting CB Sean Murphy-Bunting to a dislocated elbow in Week 1. Murphy-Bunting is now on IR and his return date is uncertain, so Tampa’s interest in a proven commodity like Sherman is certainly understandable.
It probably goes without saying, but nothing is imminent between Sherman and the Bucs at this point, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. However, ESPN’s Ed Werder says the two sides could engage in more serious discussions this week, depending (perhaps) on how Tampa’s current crop of CBs holds up against the Falcons this afternoon (Twitter link). Regardless, Sherman will probably need a week or two of practice to be ready for game action.
Pelissero offers more details on Sherman’s legal matter. Although two of the five charges he is facing were said to include a “domestic violence element,” police say that Sherman never physically assaulted anyone. A source close to the player himself says Sherman — who pleaded not guilty to all charges — has been doing magnetic therapy and speaking with a therapist.
Also, Sherman is back down to 195 pounds, which is where he was during his halcyon days in Seattle. He gained 15 pounds following his 2017 Achilles tear, and he played at that slightly elevated weight throughout most of his three-year tenure with the 49ers.
Of course, there is the potential for league discipline. The NFL is monitoring the criminal case but is unlikely to take any action until the legal process has run its course. So even if Sherman is available to play as soon as he signs, he could be hit with a suspension later on, perhaps at a critical juncture of the season. Indeed, Sherman is facing a driving under the influence charge, and the league’s substance-abuse policy calls for a minimum three-game ban for a first DUI offense.
For his part, Sherman expects to see the field at some point in 2021. Given the renewed interest in his services, it looks like he could be right.
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
Green Bay Packers
New Orleans Saints
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions
Las Vegas Raiders
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Football Team
In the wake of a key injury in their secondary, the Buccaneers are signing a notable name. Tampa Bay has added veteran corner Pierre Desir, Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets.
However, Desir will report to the practice squad initially instead of the active roster. The move comes after starting corner Sean Murphy-Bunting suffered an elbow injury in the Bucs’ opener that will have him sidelined for at least a few weeks. Not too long ago Desir was a highly regarded corner, although his stock has dropped sharply the past couple of years.
Last year he started eight games for the Jets, racking up eight passes defended and three interceptions, but was cut in November. He then spent the rest of the year with Baltimore but barely played. Originally a fourth-round pick of the Browns back in 2014, Desir rose to prominence with the Colts.
He started 23 games for Indianapolis between 2018-19, and was given a three-year contract worth $22.5MM in March of 2019. He got $12MM guaranteed, but made it just one year into that pact.
Desir, who turned 31 last week, will give Tampa some solid depth and a veteran presence in their young secondary.
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
Dallas Cowboys
Las Vegas Raiders
New Orleans Saints
Philadelphia Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Carolina Panthers
Dallas Cowboys
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Football Team
Shurmur will give WFT another option as Ryan Fitzpatrick recovers from his hip injury. For now, this likely means that Taylor Heinicke will serve as their starter. Heinicke stepped in for Fitz against the Chargers on Sunday, completing 11-for-15 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting has suffered a dislocated elbow, head coach Bruce Arians announced (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Arians said he’s “going to be alright,” so Murphy-Bunting should be able to return before the season is through. 
Murphy-Bunting suffered the gruesome injury in the first half as he tried to prevent a touchdown from CeeDee Lamb. The Bucs went on to beat the Cowboys 31-29, but they also allowed 400+ yards passing in the process.
The 24-year-old played in all 16 games last year with 13 starts. He turned in 70 stops, three passes defensed, and one interception. As shown by the Bucs’ swiss cheese D on Thursday night, he’s crucial to the defending champs’ secondary.
Ross Cockrell stepped into Murphy-Bunting’s spot last night. It’s likely that he’ll serve as a Week 2 starter for the Bucs when they face the Falcons in Tampa on Sunday 9/19. Beyond that, the Buccaneers will probably consider some out-of-house reinforcements. Even in a best case scenario, Murphy-Bunting is probably looking at two months of rehab.
Buccaneers defensive back Sean Murphy-Bunting suffered an elbow injury during tonight’s season opener that will sideline him for at least the rest of the game. The team announced that Murphy-Bunting has been ruled out for the rest of the contest.
Murphy-Bunting suffered the injury in the first quarter in a play that saw Dak Prescott connect with CeeDee Lamb for a touchdown. The defensive back was seen holding his shoulder and arm while retreating back to the locker room.
Some pundits have speculated that Murphy-Bunting suffered a dislocated elbow, an injury that would likely sidelined the 24-year-old for a handful of games. Of course, we’ll learn more over the upcoming days about the player’s status moving forward.
Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, their cornerbacks depth isn’t a strength. Ross Cockrell moved to the nickle following the injury, with Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean playing the outside.
Murphy-Bunting, a 2019 second-round pick, has started 23 of his 32 games since entering the NFL. He had a career season in 2020, finishing with 70 tackles, three passes defended, and one interception. He also came up big during the playoffs, collecting three interceptions in four games.