Tom Kennedy

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/30/24

Here are Tuesday’s reserve/futures deals:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/29/23

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Rumored to be eyeing kickers after rookie Chad Ryland‘s game-tying miss in Week 12, the Patriots will give Wright another opportunity. The Jaguars’ primary 2021 kicker, Wright has not kicked in a game this season. He logged six as a replacement leg — for the Steelers and Chiefs — last season. The Pats drafted Ryland in the fourth round and jettisoned Nick Folk on roster-cutdown day, trading the veteran to the Titans. Ryland has missed 35-yard field goals in back-to-back games; the Patriots will now give him competition.

Waived to make room for Monday claim Derek Barnett, Ammendola remains in place as the Texans’ Ka’imi Fairbairn fill-in. Ammendola, who also worked as a Harrison Butker replacement last season in Kansas City, will be elevated to Houston’s active roster once again, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Ammendola missed two 50-plus-yard field goals, including a game-tying 58-yard try, last week. Fairbairn, who is recovering from a strained quad, can be activated from IR next week.

Lions Release LS Jake McQuaide, Sign OL Bobby Hart

Jake McQuaide‘s effort to land the Lions’ long snapping job looks to have ended. The team released the 12-year veteran Monday, leaving Scott Daly on track to keep his position.

The Lions also signed veteran tackle Bobby Hart and removed wide receiver Tom Kennedy from their IR list with an injury settlement. These transactions did not register on the same level as Detroit’s Teddy Bridgewater addition, but they will affect the team’s depth chart.

A former snapper with the Rams and Cowboys, McQuaide signed with the Lions in March. The Dan CampbellBrad Holmes era had featured Daly — a 2018 UDFA who did not debut until 2021 — as the snapper for all 34 games, but the team brought in the 35-year-old free agent as competition. McQuaide has snapped in 181 career games. While long snappers generally bring durability due to the nature of their position, McQuaide is coming off a season in which a triceps tear sidelined him after four games.

Hart, who will turn 29 this month, operated as a Bills backup throughout the 2022 season. After bouncing around in 2021, Hart stayed on Buffalo’s active roster last year and played 125 offensive snaps. A suspension knocked Hart out of a September game, but he returned to work as a backup the rest of the way.

A former Giants seventh-round pick, Hart has done well to extend his career toward the 10-year mark. This will be Year 9 for the Florida State alum, who has started 67 games over the course of his career. The Giants made Hart a rookie-year starter, but after Dave Gettleman took over as GM in December 2017, the team cut bait immediately. The Bengals gave Hart a chance soon after and then re-signed him to a three-year, $16.2MM deal in March 2019. Hart played two seasons on that contract, working as Cincinnati’s primary right tackle in that span. The Bengals cut him in 2021.

The Lions have no questions about starting tackle roles, with Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell locked into their respective spots. Hart offers depth alongside fellow free agency addition Germain Ifedi, who has played both tackle and guard as a pro. The Lions also brought back Graham Glasgow, who has started 91 career games, this offseason. Detroit has done well to stockpile experienced depth behind its upper-echelon front five.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/23

Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

  • Activated from NFI: G Colby Gossett 
  • Waived (injury designation): CB BoPete Keyes

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Claimed off waivers (from Titans): OL James Empey

Houston Texans

  • Placed on IR: OL Dylan Deatherage

Indianapolis Colts

  • Waived: CB Cole Coleman

New York Giants

With Butler being moved from the NFI list to injured reserve, he is out for the season. The former first-rounder signed a futures deal with New York in January, after spending the past campaign on and off the team’s practice squad. He made just one appearance for the Giants in 2022, and will be four years removed from his career-best six-sack season with the Panthers in 2019. Butler, 29, has started 19 of his 77 career regular season games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/23

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league as we head into the weekend:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Waived: OL Dylan Deatherage

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Waived: LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

  • Waived: OL James Empey

Mullen was placed on the NFI list two days ago. Apparently, his failure to disclose the non-football injury led to his release. Claimed off of waivers early into the offseason this year, Mullen has spent a good amount of time in Baltimore but has yet to see any game time. The Ravens hoped he might add some depth to their secondary, but with today’s transaction, the former second-round pick hits the free agent market.

Dantzler, a former third-round pick in Minnesota, also finds himself available in free agency after a short stint with the Bills. After signing with his second team of the offseason last month, Dantzler was waived with an injury designation.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/23

18 teams had their seasons come to an end yesterday, and their front offices have already turned the page to the 2023 NFL seaon. This started today, as a number of players were signed to reserve/futures contracts, which allows organizations to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. Here are today’s reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

  • WR Ty Fryfogle

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/20/22

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: QB James Morgan
  • Released: QB Carson Strong

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: G Parker Ferguson, DB Devon Key
  • Released: LB Harvey Langi

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: DT Jarrod Hewitt

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/22

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

  • Promoted: C Brock Hoffman

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/22

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

A number of players who were placed on IR after the preseason and prior to the regular season returned to practice today. These players will have a three-week practice window until they have to be activated to the active roster. Otherwise, they’ll be ineligible to return this season.

One of the most surprising returns is Cardinals cornerback Antonio Hamilton. The former undrafted free agent rode a strong preseason to a potential starting gig, but he was sidelined with second-degree burns after spilling hot oil on his legs and feet. Kliff Kingsbury previously said an early-October return may be a “little aggressive” (per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss on Twitter), but the cornerback ended up working his way back to practice.