Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/21
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OT Ryan Pope
Atlanta Falcons
- Reverted to IR after clearing waivers: P Sterling Hofrichter
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Michael Dereus
- Waived: DL Chauncey Rivers
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Caleb Benenoch
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Doug Middleton
- Waived: FB Mason Stokke
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Eddie Goldman, LB Christian Jones, LS Patrick Scales, OT Elijah Wilkinson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Saivion Smith
- Waived/injured: OT Cody Conway; Conway suffered a torn ACL
Detroit Lions
- Released: LB Reggie Gilbert
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from active/PUP list: TE Josiah Deguara
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OL Jeremiah Poutasi
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: G Jamil Demby
- Signed: G Jeremiah Kolone
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Adonis Alexander
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Andy Jones, TE Tommy Stevens
- Placed on IR: RB Mike Weber
New York Jets
- Waived/injured: S Brandon White
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on IR: DB DeMarkus Acy; Acy suffered a torn ACL
- Waived/injured: OT Anthony Coyle
Buccaneers Extend DC Todd Bowles
As they get ready to defend their Super Bowl title, the Buccaneers are taking care of a key member of the organization. Tampa has given defensive coordinator Todd Bowles a three-year contract extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Schefter writes that this new deal replaces the one year Bowles had left on his old one, and “continues to make him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive coordinator.” Bowles has deservedly received a ton of praise for the heights he took the Bucs’ previously woeful defense to, as they became one of the best units in the league last year. The 57-year-old got some looks in head coaching searches this cycle, receiving interest from at least the Falcons, Lions, and Eagles.
It was also reported back in February that Bruce Arians would like Bowles to succeed him as Buccaneers head coach whenever he retires. He might not get that opportunity, since Schefter writes this new contract “doesn’t preclude him from taking another head coaching job,” and Bowles will likely be a hot candidate again this winter.
Bowles first broke into the league as a secondary coach with the Jets in 2000. 15 years later he would become New York’s head coach, a high profile role he held for the next four seasons.
His tenure there didn’t end well, but in recent years it’s been more or less accepted that the dysfunction had more to do with the Jets being, well… the Jets, than anything Bowles did wrong. It’s probably only a matter of time before he gets another head coaching opportunity, especially if Tampa’s defense keeps it up in 2021.
Bears To Sign Alec Ogletree
Another longtime veteran has found a new home early in training camp. The Bears are signing free agent linebacker Alec Ogletree, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
This is the first we’ve heard of Ogletree since the Jets cut him all the way back in October of last year. A first-round pick of the Rams in 2013, Ogletree’s NFL career got off to a very solid start. In his first two seasons with the Rams he had ten forced fumbles and three interceptions. In each of his four healthy seasons with the Rams he had at least 10 passes defended, and he was a second-team All-Pro in 2016.
That earned him a four-year, $42.75MM extension in 2017, but he quickly fell out of favor with the new coaching staff in Los Angeles. He was traded to the Giants for a fourth and sixth-round pick, and spent the next two seasons in New York. He started 26 games in those two years with the Giants, but was released in February of 2020. Ogletree latched on with the Jets, where he was released after just a couple games.
Despite the significant tread on his tires, he’s still only 29. Presumably signed for close to the veteran’s minimum, he’ll now be a depth option behind Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan at inside linebacker for Chicago.
Jets To Sign Josh Johnson
The Jets have signed veteran quarterback Josh Johnson, per his agent (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Johnson could provide depth behind No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, who finally put pen to paper last week. 
[RELATED: Jets Sign Zach Wilson]
Johnson, pictured here in one of his many NFL jerseys, has now signed deals with roughly half of the league. The 35-year-old spent November 2020 — May 2021 with the 49ers but didn’t take a snap during his time there. His last live action came with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL and he hasn’t attempted an NFL pass since 2018, when he started in three games for Washington.
Despite the stop-and-go nature of it all, Johnson always seems to be in demand as a backup arm. Neither of New York’s other QB2 candidates — 2020 fourth-round pick James Morgan and former UDFA Mike White — have taken a regular-season snap.
49ers Sign CB B.W. Webb
B.W. Webb is heading to San Francisco. The veteran cornerback is signing with the 49ers, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
[RELATED: 49ers To Work Out Dre Kirkpatrick]
The 2013 fourth-round pick has earned journeyman status after spending time with nine teams in eight years. Webb actually had two of his better NFL seasons in 2018 and 2019, collecting 82 tackles, 13 passes defended, and two interceptions in 31 games (25 starts) split between the Giants and Bengals. In total, the 31-year-old has seen time in 80 career games, and he got into a single playoff game with the Steelers in 2014.
Webb signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals last August, but he ended up getting cut less than a week later. The veteran didn’t sign with a club for the rest of the 2020 campaign.
The 49ers could temporarily use some extra bodies at cornerback. Emmanuel Moseley is on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Tim Harris Jr. is sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Dontae Johnson is dealing with a foot injury. Webb still has an uphill battle to make San Francisco’s roster, but he’ll get a chance at an extended look over (at least) the next few practices.
Dolphins Add Three Tight Ends
Why sign one tight end when you can sign all the tight ends? The Dolphins have added a handful of players at that position over the past 24 hours, including Sal Cannella, Gabe Holmes, and Kalif Jackson.
The trio’s stint with the Dolphins could be short lived, as the team made the additions only after placing three other tight ends (Mike Gesicki, Adam Shaheen, and Cethan Carter) on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Still, the three players will presumably have a fair shot at showing what they’ve got, but they’ll have to overcome the likes of Carson Meier and Chris Myarick if they want to stick around.
Holmes is the only one of the three additions with any NFL experience, as the 30-year-old appeared in 10 games (four starts) for the Cardinals between the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The Purdue product has also spent time with the Colts, Ravens, Seahawks, and Raiders.
Following his collegiate career at Auburn, Cannella has participated in the Spring League over the past two years. He had tryouts with the Colts and Bears this offseason, but neither audition resulted in a deal. Jackson started his college career at Florida before transferring to Grambling. The former wideout is list at 6-5 and 245 pounds, so it sounds like he’s added the bulk to compete at tight end.
Saints Sign LB Kwon Alexander
Kwon Alexander is heading back to New Orleans after all. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the free agent linebacker has agreed to a one-year deal with the Saints. The deal is worth up to $3MM.
The veteran was released by the Saints back in March, but the move was mostly financially motivated. By cutting Alexander, the organization saved $13MM at the time. Considering the discount they got on the latest pact, this was clearly a wise move by the organization. Back in March, some suspected that the team may have also been wary of the player’s Achilles injury, which ended his season early. However, we learned last month that Alexander had already been cleared to resume football activities.
Alexander was shipped from San Francisco to New Orleans in November, and he ultimately collected 27 stops, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in seven games with his new squad. A torn ACL and a torn pectoral muscle limited Alexander to only 14 games between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, and he only appeared in 12 total games last season. It’s been five seasons since Alexander appeared in all 16 games, and it’s been four seasons since he made a Pro Bowl. Still, he’ll only be 27 by the start of next season, and the Saints were apparently more than happy to take a shot at the player’s upside.
The 27-year-old will still have to battle for reps, of course. The Saints are pretty deep at linebacker; behind projected starters Zack Baun, Demario Davis, and Pete Werner, the team is rostering the likes of Kaden Elliss, Wynton McManis, Andrew Dowell, Chase Hansen, Shaq Smith, and Sutton Smith.
Panthers Waive S J.T. Ibe Following “Unacceptable” Hit At Practice
Safety J.T. Ibe was waived by the Panthers today after landing “an illegal hit to the head” of teammate Keith Kirkwood, reports ESPN’s David Newton. The hit took place during the team’s first padded practice.
Matt Rhule immediately kicked Ibe out of practice, with Joe Person of The Athletic describing the head coach as “incensed.”
“It’s completely unacceptable, something like that,” Rhule later said (via Person). “There’s things, bang-bang plays that happen, and guys will hit the ground. But you can’t tee off on somebody. So that’s not what we’ll do. It’s undisciplined by us, so it can’t happen.”
The team ultimately decided to move on from the Rice/South Carolina product, who joined the team as an undrafted free agent back in April. The 25-year-old was quick to apologize for his actions (while also making it clear that he’s not a dirty player).
“I feel terrible for the play,” Ibe wrote in a statement (via Person on Twitter). “I’m glad Keith is doing fine, but as a teammate, I’m supposed to protect my brothers during practice, and I didn’t do that today, and I let the team and coaches down.”
Following the hit, Kirkwood was sent to the hospital via ambulance. The wideout was later released to team physicians and diagnosed with a concussion. The 26-year-old spent most of the 2020 season on the Panthers injured reserve.
Raiders’ Sam Young Retires
Sam Young has retired, per an announcement from the Raiders. The offensive tackle re-signed with the team just a month ago, but he’s opted to hang ’em up instead. 
Young was expected to slot into the Raiders’ offensive tackle rotation, behind left tackle Kolton Miller and unexpected first-round pick Alex Leatherwood. Young would have been one of the first tackles off of the bench and an insurance policy for Leatherwood, if he proved to be too green. But, based on the reviews Leatherwood has been getting out of practice, there might not have been much playing time left for Young anyway.
Young was never an elite tackle, but he did enjoy a lengthy pro career. On the whole, he’s got 103 appearances to his credit across eleven pro seasons. That includes eleven games (seven starts) for the Raiders in 2020. We here at PFR wish Young the best in retirement.
Vikings Cut Jeff Gladney
The Vikings have released 2020 first-round pick Jeff Gladney, per a club announcement. This comes after the cornerback’s Tuesday morning indictment on a felony domestic violence charge.
[RELATED: Vikings’ O. Johnson Tears ACL]
“Following our review of today’s indictment against Jeff Gladney, we have decided to release Jeff immediately,” the Vikings said in a statement. “As we have previously said, we take these matters very seriously and condemn all forms of domestic violence. Due to the ongoing legal nature of this matter, we are unable to provide further comment.”
Gladney’s girlfriend alleges the 24-year-old corner struck her with closed fists during an argument in April. The accuser told police that Gladney punched her in her stomach, ribs and back. She also alleges that Gladney strangled her and dragged her across the ground.
The Vikings selected Gladney at No. 31 overall in 2020. He started in 15 games last year, notching 81 tackles and forced a fumble. He was not a participant in this year’s offseason program, however.
Per league rules, Gladney will be available on the waiver wire, though he’s not expected to be claimed.