Minor NFL Transactions: 10/2/18
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: DT Justin Zimmer
Detroit Lions
- Waived: CB Dee Virgin
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: RB Jeremy McNichols
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DB Josh Shaw
- Waived: TE Alex Ellis
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived from injured reserve: LB Carlos Thompson
Oakland Raiders
- Signed off Titans’ practice squad: OL Ian Silberman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Treyvon Hester
- Waived: DT Bruce Hector
- Waived from injured reserve: OT Toby Weathersby
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DB T.J. Green
- Placed on injured reserve: TE Will Dissly (story), S Earl Thomas (story)
- Waived from injured reserve: FB Khalid Hill
Practice Squad Updates: 10/2/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Darian Thompson, WR Bernard Reedy
- Cut: CB Demetrious Cox, LB Nigel Harris
Carolina Panthers
- Released: WR DeAndrew White
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Tyrell Adams
- Cut: CB Breon Borders
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Skai Moore, TE Erik Swoope, RB Jonathan Williams
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: OL Jamar McGloster
- Waived: DT Steven Richardson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DE/OLB Ja’Von Rolland-Jones, DB Linden Stephens
- Cut: DE Marcus Martin
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Garrison Smith
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Darius Hillary, G Will Holden, DB Chris Lammons, WR Tanner McEvoy
- Released: QB J.T. Barrett, T Rick Leonard, DB Arrion Springs, TE Deon Yelder
New York Giants
- Signed: T Jylan Ware
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Kyle Wilson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Chad Hansen, LB LaTroy Lewis
- Cut: WR Kalif Raymond
Washington Redskins
- Signed: RB Mack Brown
Titans’ Kenny Vaccaro To Miss Time
Titans safety Kenny Vaccaro will miss time with an elbow dislocation, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Vaccaro will miss at least two weeks and potentially up to four. 
The injury is obviously not ideal, but it looked a whole lot worse when he went down in the Titans’ 26-23 win over the Eagles. After resting up for a few weeks, Vaccaro will look to continue his strong play from the month of September. Through four games, Vaccaro has already recorded an interception and a sack.
Vaccaro joined the Titans in August after the team lost starting safety Johnathan Cyprien to an ACL tear. Without him, they’ll look to fill the void internally with Kendrick Lewis, rookie Dane Cruikshank and Brynden Trawick.
The 3-1 Titans will face the Bills, Ravens, and Chargers in the next three games before their Week 8 bye. Depending on how things go from here, the team may opt to push Vaccaro’s return until Week 9, giving him nearly five weeks to recover.
Jack Conklin Addresses Status
The Titans will have their offensive line intact on Sunday against the Eagles. Jack Conklin is returning after missing the first three games, and the third-year right tackle starter appears to be glad his rehab took this careful route from the ACL tear that required a full offseason and some regular-season time to overcome. It looks like the Titans’ decision to keep Conklin off their PUP list was critical, since a PUP designation would’ve shelved him for the season’s first six weeks.
Conklin and Taylor Lewan haven’t played in a full game together since the Titans’ wild card win over the Chiefs. Lewan suffered a concussion earlier this season but is now back at his left tackle spot. Both players are signed through at least 2019, although it’s a near-lock the Titans will pick up Conklin’s fifth-year option next May.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/18
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released from IR: RB Tra Carson
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Mo Alie-Cox, RB Jeremy McNichols, DE Carroll Phillips
- Waived: LB Skai Moore, TE Erik Swoope
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: RB Jonathan Williams
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Darius Kilgo
Titans' Jack Conklin To Debut In Week 4
Jack Conklin is in line to make his season debut for the Titans. The right tackle participated fully in Tennessee’s Friday workout and is set to play Sunday, per TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick (on Twitter). Finalizing a recovery from the torn ACL he suffered during the Titans’ divisional-round loss last season, Conklin missed the team’s first three games. Taylor Lewan returned from a concussion in Week 3. This will mark the first time the Titans have deployed their top two tackles together since that Patriots game in January.
Titans Won’t Rule Out Dez Bryant Signing
The Titans are down a wide receiver after granting Rishard Matthews‘ request for a release, and that vacancy could potentially lead them to Dez Bryant. When asked about the free agent, GM Jon Robinson told reporters that he is “looking at all players to see who fits on this football team.” However, he cautioned that the club probably won’t add another wide receiver immediately (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of the team website). 
Bryant is still out of work as we near October, and other clubs with wide receiver needs have more or less dismissed the idea of signing him. Recently, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll indicated that the team will not be adding Bryant, despite Doug Baldwin‘s partial MCL tear.
Bryant, who doesn’t turn 30 until November, has hinted at wanting to join the Patriots or Redskins, but neither team seems interested. The Redskins didn’t reach out despite some injuries to their receiver group and the Patriots are already busy getting Josh Gordon up to speed on the playbook.
Matthews amassed nearly 1,000 yards receiving for the Titans in 2016, so Bryant, one of the league’s best receivers from 2012-2014, could be of use. Still, the Titans may want to focus on getting their offense to click on the whole while properly utilizing Corey Davis, a promising young talent who has yet to find the end zone in his 14 NFL games.
Titans Release WR Rishard Matthews
As expected, the Titans announced their intention to release Rishard Matthews. The wide receiver asked the team to cut him on this week and the Titans obliged after being unable to find a suitable trade for him. 
The Titans’ passing offense has struggled this year, in part because the injury to Marcus Mariota that forced Blaine Gabbert into action. Matthews, meanwhile, was upset about his limited role and wants to join a club that will utilize him more.
“I’ve been the leading receiver for two years,” Matthews said. “Then all of a sudden I’m barely playing and not even starting. Using my injury as the scapegoat. Look at number of snaps and targets.”
As Field Yates of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter), receiver-needy teams like the Cowboys, Patriots, Bills, Seahawks, and Cardinals would all make sense for Matthews. The Bills, in particular, could be a likely landing spot for the veteran. Bills wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie was Tennessee’s offensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017, so he knows what Matthews can do when he’s at his best.
Matthews had something of a breakout season with the Dolphins in 2015 and parlayed that into a free agent deal with the Titans in 2016. Matthews responded by amassing 945 receiving yards in his first year with Tennessee and had nearly 800 yards last season. In three games this year, Matthews had just three catches off of six targets.
After releasing Matthews, the Titans are left with five wide receivers on the roster – Corey Davis, Tajae Sharpe, Taywan Taylor, Darius Jennings, and Nick Williams. Davis leads the team with 13 catches for 151 yards through three weeks.
Titans Unlikely To Trade Rishard Matthews
On Wednesday night, wide receiver Rishard Matthews asked the Titans for his release. The transaction has yet to be processed, but it’s “doubtful” that the team will find a trade partner for him, Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky hears (on Twitter). 
Presumably, then, it’s a matter of time before Matthews’ request for a release is granted. Once he’s cut, Matthews will be free to sign with any club of his choosing since he is a vested veteran.
Matthews surely has his reasons for wanting out of Tennessee, but the perception around the league may be that he quit on his team. With that in mind, it’s hard to see another team giving up a draft pick, even a late one, to add Matthews in the middle of the season. Instead, interested clubs are likely willing to wait things out and try to sign the receiver to a cheap one-year deal.
Titans WR Rishard Matthews Requests Release
Wide receiver Rishard Matthews has requested his release from the Titans, as he tells Austin Stanley of A to Z Sports. Matthews says he and Tennessee have reached an agreement, although the club has yet to announce any transaction.
“I’ve been the leading receiver for two years,” Matthews said. “Then all of a sudden I’m barely playing and not even starting. Using my injury as the scapegoat. Look at number of snaps and targets.”
Matthews has appeared in all three games for the Titans this season, but is tied for sixth in targets with tight end Luke Stocker and fellow receiver Tajae Sharpe. He’s played exactly 50% of Tennessee’s offensive snaps, which ranks him third among Titans wideouts behind Corey Davis and Sharpe. The 28-year-old has produced just three receptions for 11 yards on six targets.
Mathews agreed to an extension just over a month ago, a self-negotiated deal that was widely panned. the pact tacks on a one-year team option in 2019 that’s valued at $7.5MM, but the extra year doesn’t contain any guaranteed money. Matthews is earning a base salary of $5MM this season, and while that total should be guaranteed given that he made the Titans’ Week 1 roster as a vested veteran, Tennessee could look to negotiate that total down, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap tweets.
Despite his lackluster production in 2018, Matthews is indeed an accomplished receiver. He led the Titans in receiving yards in both 2016 and 2017, and he averaged 59 receptions, 870 yards, and 6.5 touchdowns during that time.
Matthews will presumably garner a good deal of free agent interest once he reaches the open market, and he’ll join a list of available pass-catchers that includes Dez Bryant, Kendall Wright, Kenny Britt, and Jeremy Maclin, among others.