Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Greg Dortch
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: P Cameron Nizialek
- Waived: P Sterling Hofrichter
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed off waivers (from Texans): LB Nate Hall
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DT Josh Avery
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Tony Brooks-James
- Released: LB Jarvis Miller
Eagles Restructure OL Lane Johnson, DE Derek Barnett Contracts
Derek Barnett and Lane Johnson have reworked their contracts. ESPN’s Tim McManus reports (via Twitter) that the two Eagles players have agreed to restructure their contracts.
While details of the moves are unknown, McManus notes that the move will free up 2021 money and push current cash down the road. The reporter suspects that the front office also added voidable years (presumably) to Johnson’s contract, a common mechanism that teams use to clear space.
Johnson has earned three Pro Bowl appearances and a first-team All-Pro nod during his eight years in Philadelphia. The veteran signed a four-year, $72MM deal with the organization in 2019, a contract that included just under $55MM in guaranteed money. At the time, the move made the offensive tackle the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. The veteran has been willing to work with the organization throughout his career, so it’s not a surprise that the sides agreed to restructure.
Barnett, a 2017 first-round pick, is also an Eagles lifer, and he’s started 24 games for the team over the past two seasons. The defensive end will be playing the 2021 season on his fifth-year option, which will pay him around $9MM this upcoming season. With only a year remaining on his contract, it will be interesting to see what kind of “restructuring” the two sides agreed upon.
Dolphins Release OL D.J. Fluker With Injury Settlement
D.J. Fluker‘s stint in Miami has already come to an end. After being placed on injured reserve last week, the veteran offensive lineman was released with an injury settlement today (per Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network on Twitter).
The Dolphins assured that Fluker wouldn’t play for the team this season when they placed him on IR. However, it was suspected that an injury settlement could take place, in which case Fluker would be free to sign (and play) elsewhere. While the former first-round pick underwent meniscus surgery on Thursday, he’s expected to be ready to play within a month. We also heard that a conditioning issue could have led to Fluker’s demise in Miami, and Beasley tweets that the offensive lineman showed up to camp eight pounds heavier than his 2020 weight.
The Dolphins could have four rookie-contract starters on the offensive line, and Fluker was expected to provide a veteran presence to that grouping. Now, the young offensive line corps will have to turn to veterans like Matt Skura, who is vying for the Dolphins’ starting center role, and versatile lineman Jesse Davis.
Fluker, 30, spent last season with the Ravens, with whom he started eight games. Prior to that, Fluker spent two years as a Seahawks guard starter. He previously played with the Giants and Chargers, who chose him in the 2013 first round. His latest injury (and the note about his conditioning) certainly doesn’t bode well for the 30-year-old. However, with 96 career regular season starts on his resume, the offensive lineman will surely find another gig once he’s healthy. He signed for the veteran minimum without any fully guaranteed money earlier this offseason, so the lineman won’t be looking to break the bank.
Saints Sign G J.R. Sweezy
The Saints have signed guard J.R. Sweezy, per a club announcement. Meanwhile, the club has waived defensive lineman Lorenzo Neal and defensive back Lawrence Woods. The Saints also placed tight end Dylan Soehner on injured reserve, opening up roster spots for Sweezy and their new cornerbacks, Prince Amukamara and KeiVarae Russell.
[RELATED: Saints Sign CBs Prince Amukamara, KeiVarae Russell]
Sweezy offers 117 games of NFL experience, including 104 starts. He spent the first four years of his career with the Seahawks before moving to the Bucs in 2016. Unfortunately, he missed his first would-be season in Tampa and was clearly hampered in 2017 – they terminated the rest of his five-year deal, $32.5MM pact. He returned to the Seahawks in ’18 before joining up with the Cardinals, where he’s spent the last two seasons.
In addition to all of that regular season time, the 6’5″, 310-pound lineman has started in eleven Seattle playoff games. Not bad for a former seventh-round pick. His more recent run with Arizona wasn’t his best work, but he still profiles as an intriguing option for the Saints’ offensive line. The bulk of his work has come at right guard, but he can also pitch in on the left side if needed.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Jonathan Celestin
Houston Texans
- Signed: LS Mitchell Fraboni
- Waived: LB Nate Hall
Kansas City Chiefs
- Cut from IR: WR Chris Finke
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: RB Darius Jackson
- Placed on reserve/retired list: LB James Onwualu
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: QB Case Cookus
- Claimed off waivers (from Seahawks): QB Danny Etling
New Orleans Saints
- Cut: DL Lorenzo Neal Jr., DB Lawrence Woods
- Placed on injured reserve: TE Dylan Soehner
Washington Football Team
- Waived: OL Ross Reynolds
Giants Sign Alfred Morris
It’s official. On Monday morning, the Giants formally welcomed Alfred Morris back to the team. It’s likely a low-cost, one-year deal for the veteran running back.
Morris is now one contract shy of completing the NFC East cycle — perhaps he can hook on with the Eagles next year. For now, he’ll provide the Giants with some much-needed insurance as they monitor Saquon Barkley‘s availability. Barkley’s still working his way back from a torn ACL, leaving the Giants with Morris, Devontae Booker, Elijhaa Penny, Gary Brightwell, Corey Clement, Sandro Platzgummer, and Mike Weber as their active RBs.
In 2020, Morris totaled 238 yards on 55 carries for the Giants. His most notable game came against Washington in November — 67 yards off of nine-totes.
All in all, Morris has 6,000+ yards to his credit over nine seasons with the Giants, Cowboys, Washington, 49ers, and Cardinals.
Saints To Sign CBs Prince Amukamara, KeiVarae Russell
All offseason, we’ve been hearing about how the Saints would likely add some veteran cornerback help. Now finally on August 1st, it appears they’re signing two.
New Orleans plans to sign both Prince Amukamara and KeiVarae Russell pending the passing of physicals, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. We heard last night that the team was hosting Amukamara on a visit. The 19th overall pick of the 2011 draft was a full-time starter with the Bears from 2017-19, but spent 2020 on the Cardinals’ practice squad. The Super Bowl XLVI champ has 99 career starts under his belt, so he’s got plenty of experience. He turned 32 in June.
Russell was a third-round pick of the Chiefs back in 2016. He was surprisingly cut in September of that year, getting waived shockingly early for a 74th overall pick. Russell latched on with the Bengals for the next three seasons, but was mostly a special teamer. He was on the Packers’ practice squad for most of last season, and was elevated to the active roster for a couple playoff games.
In addition to top corner Marshon Lattimore, the Saints also have longtime vet Patrick Robinson and 23-year-old Chauncey Gardner-Johnson on the depth chart. With these two vets soon to be in the fold, New Orleans will now have pretty solid depth at the position after cutting starter Janoris Jenkins this offseason.
Titans Claim K Sam Ficken Off Waivers
It didn’t take long for Sam Ficken to find a new home. Just a day after getting cut by the Jets, the kicker has been claimed by the Titans, the team announced Sunday.
Tennessee cut fellow kicker Blake Haubeil in a corresponding roster move, and also announced they’ve placed tight end Briley Moore on injured reserve. A Penn State product, Ficken went undrafted in 2015. He didn’t even sign his first NFL contract until 2016, and didn’t make a regular season roster until December of 2017 with the Rams. He kicked in a few games with Los Angeles between 2017-18, both times as a fill-in for an injured Greg Zuerlein.
After quick stints with the Seahawks and Packers, Ficken eventually landed with the Jets in September of 2019, where he found his first real home. He’s been New York’s kicker for most of the last two seasons, with mixed results. Injuries limited him to only nine games last year, in which he made 13 of 15 field goals and 12 of 15 extra points.
In 2019 he was shakier, making only 19 of 27 field goal attempts across 15 games. He’ll now battle it out with Tucker McCann to be the Titans’ next permanent kicker after they elected not to re-sign Stephen Gostkowski this offseason.
Haubeil is an undrafted rookie from Ohio State. Moore is an undrafted rookie from Kansas State who suffered a knee injury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Rojesterman Farris
Las Vegas Raiders
- Re-signed: K Dominik Eberle
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: QB K.J. Costello
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TEs Cethan Carter, Mike Gesicki, Adam Shaheen
Washington Football Team
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Daron Payne
Giants Sign Todd Davis
The Giants signed interior offensive lineman Joe Looney to a contract on Saturday, and they also added another longtime vet. New York inked free agent linebacker Todd Davis to a contract, the team announced in a release.
Davis worked out for the Giants earlier this week, and they apparently liked what they saw. The unheralded Sacramento State product started out as an UDFA in 2014, and carved out a heck of a career for himself. After starting his career with the Saints he was claimed off waivers by the Broncos midway through his rookie season, and quickly established himself in Denver.
He played a real role on the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50, and became a full-time starter the following year in 2016. From 2016-19, he started at least 14 games at inside linebacker in four straight seasons. Davis was released two years into the three-year $15MM deal that he signed in March of 2018.
He latched on with the Vikings last September, and appeared in 11 games with six starts for Minnesota. Always a run defender first and foremost, Davis turned 29 in May. The Giants currently have a pretty young linebacking group, so Davis will provide some veteran leadership right off the bat.