Minor NFL Transactions: 5/29/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed off waivers: DL Pita Taumoepenu (from 49ers)
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: G Kofi Amichia
- Waived: OL Landon Turner
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: OL Chidi Okeke
Oakland Raiders
- Waived/Injured: FB Ryan Yurachek
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Marcelias Sutton
- Waived/Injured: RB Adam Choice
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: DT Stevie Tu’ikolovatu
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Frank Herron
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/24/19
Buccaneers Sign Ndamukong Suh
May’s biggest free agent is officially off the board. On Thursday, the Buccaneers announced the signing of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Suh will receive a one-year deal worth $9.25MM with incentives that can push it to $10MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Suh’s arrival will give the Bucs a major stopper to replace six-time Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy, who was released on Monday. In essence, the Bucs swapped McCoy’s $13MM salary for Suh and defensive end Shaquil Barrett, who will earn a combined $13MM in 2019. With all due respect to McCoy, that’s a pretty outstanding value for Tampa.
Suh, 32, has five Pro Bowl nods and two First-Team All-Pro selections on his resume. Throughout his career, Suh has been one of the very best defensive tackles in the NFL with an impressive knack for finding the quarterback from the interior.
After five years with the Lions, Suh inked a six-year, $114MM with the Dolphins, making him the highest-paid defensive player in league history. Suh continued to play at a high level, but didn’t quite live up to the mammoth contract. Midway through, the Dolphins released him, paving the way for Suh to latch on with the Rams in 2018.
In L.A., Suh tallied 4.5 sacks and 59 tackles and graded out as the No. 20 ranked interior defender in the NFL. Those numbers aren’t in line with his best work, but it’s clear that the veteran still has a lot to offer for the Bucs.
Suh would have made sense for clubs like the Seahawks, Cowboys, Broncos, and Vikings, but the Bucs jumped at the opportunity to replace McCoy with the equally accomplished defender. Meanwhile, the deal brings Suh back to Florida, a no-income tax state.
Bucs Claim Jordan Leggett
On Tuesday, the Buccaneers claimed tight end Jordan Leggett off waivers. Leggett was cut loose by the Jets and newly minted interim GM Adam Gase earlier this week. 
[RELATED: Buccaneers To Sign Ndamukong Suh]
Although he hasn’t done much at the pro level, there was a real market for Leggett’s services. Four other teams besides the Bucs entered claims for the Clemson product, Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter) hears.
Leggett, a fifth-round pick in 2017, lost his rookie year to a preseason knee injury. In 2018, Leggett appeared in 15 games, but finished out with just 14 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. All in all, he saw time on 326 offensive plays and 93 special teams plays.
Raiders Work Out TE Erik Swoope
Former Colts and Saints tight end Erik Swoope will work out for the Raiders on Tuesday, a source tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Swoope also worked out for the Redskins and Buccaneers in the past few days and Rapoport expects him to sign somewhere soon. 
Swoope originally signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent in March of 2014. He made his first real impact in 2016, when he caught 15 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown. After losing his 2017 season to a knee issue, he returned in 2018 to appear in seven games and catch eight passes for 87 yards and three scores. The Colts jockeyed him on and off the roster last year, so Swoope is probably hoping for more in the way of stability on his next deal.
The Raiders are on the lookout for tight end depth after releasing blocking specialist Lee Smith earlier this month. Currently, the Raiders’ tight end group is headlined by recent addition Luke Willson, blocker Derek Carrier, and fourth-round rookie Foster Moreau.
Buccaneers Release Gerald McCoy
Gerald McCoy‘s time in Buccaneers limbo will end with a release. The nine-year veteran has been informed he will be cut soon, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). The Bucs announced the release.
This has been a consideration for a while, but the team has finally decided on a course of action. The Bucs did not want to pay McCoy his $13MM 2019 salary, per Stroud, and did not find a trade partner. Trade talks commenced for two months, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The team did not ask McCoy to take a pay cut.
McCoy will become one of the most attractive free agents on the market. Although, being released in mid-May does not do the longtime Bucs stalwart any favors. He will join fellow 2010 top-five defensive tackle pick Ndamukong Suh as a top-caliber free agent.
Though McCoy failed to make the Pro Bowl last season — his first such omission since 2011 — he still recorded six sacks and rated as one of Pro Football Focus’ upper-echelon interior defenders. McCoy also has avoided serious injuries, the six-time Pro Bowler having played in at least 14 games in each of the past seven seasons.
The signing bonus-averse Bucs will create $13MM in cap space; McCoy had three years remaining on a seven-year, $95.2MM contract. The Bucs currently possess barely $1MM and needed to make a move in order to finish up signing draft picks.
Of course, a Tampa Bay defense that was one of the NFL’s worst in 2018 now will be without its top two pass rushers. Jason Pierre-Paul will be out for a while after sustaining a neck injury in a recent car accident, and McCoy (54.5 career sacks; at least six in six straight seasons) will almost certainly sign elsewhere soon in advance of his age-31 season.
The Bucs used a 2018 first-round pick on Vita Vea and are moving to a 3-4 look after using a 4-3 scheme throughout McCoy’s career. Still, this now profiles as one of the NFL’s most pass rush-needy teams.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G R.J. Prince
- Waived: G Kofi Amichia, TE Nick Keizer
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Tommy Doles
- Waived/Injured: DB Jomon Dotson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: D’Ernest Johnson
- Waived: RB L.J. Scott
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Adarius Pickett
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: WR Justin Sumpter
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: C Tony Adams, G Kyle Fuller
- Waived: C Kirk Barron
- Waived/Injured: G Isaac Asiata
New England Patriots
- Waived: DT Frank Herron
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Alex Brown
- Waived: DL Damontre Moore
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Bryant Mitchell
- Waived: LS Dan Godsil
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Jalen Tolliver
Latest On Bucs, Gerald McCoy
Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy remains in limbo. It has long been speculated that the Buccaneers will either trade Gerald McCoy, release him, or ask him to take a pay cut from his slated $13MM salary for 2019. Of course, the first two scenarios have not happened yet and the club still has not asked McCoy to take a salary trim, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. 
Reading between the lines, it sounds as though the Buccaneers are pretty certain that they’ll be moving on from McCoy. If they wanted McCoy to stay in Tampa, they probably would have discussed a pay reduction with him by now. The fact that they haven’t suggests that they want to offer McCoy much, much less than $13MM – a figure so low that McCoy would not even consider it.
Lately, coach Bruce Arians and GM Jason Licht have been non-committal when asked about McCoy, who has been with the club for nine seasons. It remains to be seen whether McCoy will show for any part of voluntary OTAs and, if the situation drags, he may even stay home during the club’s mandatory minicamp between June 4-8. If McCoy no-shows, the Bucs will have the ability to fine him.
Buccaneers Cut Kerwynn Williams
Barely a week after signing Kerwynn Williams, the Buccaneers will move in a different direction. Tampa Bay signed four players in recent days and made the veteran running back one of the cuts required to clear roster space, Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets.
Williams has a history with Bruce Arians and OC Byron Leftwich, playing parts of four seasons with the Cardinals. A Chiefs post-training camp cut last year, Williams did not see any time last season but caught on with the Lions via reserve/futures contract in January. He will now look for another team to give him a shot.
The 27-year-old back’s best season came in 2017, when the Cardinals were mostly without David Johnson. Williams rushed for 426 yards that year. Despite that being by far his NFL high-water mark, Williams has nonetheless managed to remain a roster consideration for teams despite being a 2013 seventh-round pick.
Tampa Bay also cut tackle Israel Helms and wide receiver Malik Taylor. The Bucs waived Isaiah Searight with an injury designation.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/12/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WRs Tom Kennedy, Jordan Smallwood
- Waived: TEs Nate Becker, Donald Parham
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE Charles Jones, CB Jocquez Kalili, TE Michael Colubiale
- Waived: TE Carson Meier, CB Marquez Sanford, WR Papi White
- Waived/injured: S Cody Brown, DT Roderick Young
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S D’Cota Dixon
Kennedy is an interesting story, as he was taken in the third round of last year’s Major League Lacrosse Draft by the Boston Cannons, per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. He appeared in six games for the Cannons while also suiting up at wide receiver for Bryant University. Despite only playing two years of football at Bryant, Kennedy is eighth in school history in catches and receiving yards, and he posted 57 receptions for 888 yards and nine touchdowns in 2017. He missed four games due to injury in 2018, but he still finished with 33 catches for 410 yards and a touchdown.