Lions Place Joel Heath On IR
The Lions have placed defensive lineman Joel Heath on injured reserve, per a club announcement. This was the expected move after Heath suffered a torn ACL while working out at the Lions’ facility earlier this week.
Heath, a Michigan State product, went undrafted in 2016 and signed his first deal with the Texans. He went on to appear in 32 games for Houston, including 16 starts. Then, the Broncos claimed him towards the end of 2019 and re-upped him in 2020, but he didn’t see any action in Denver and opted-out of the 2020 season.
Heath hooked on with the Lions earlier this year with the hope that he would crack the defensive line rotation. Unfortunately, he suffered a freak injury midway through a bag drill on Wednesday. Now, he’ll focus on recovery with an eye on 2022.
The Lions’ revamped 3-4 scheme will feature newcomer Michael Brockers plus Day 2 rookie DLs Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill. Meanwhile, Romeo Okwara and Trey Flowers will be shifted to outside linebacker.
49ers To Sign James Burgess
The 49ers are set to sign James Burgess (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). It’ll be a one-year deal for the former Packers and Jets linebacker. 
Burgess went undrafted out of Louisville in 2016 and didn’t see the field until 2017 with the Browns. But, when he arrived in Cleveland, he notched four sacks and wound up starting nine of his 14 games. He later moved on to the Jets, serving as their starting middle linebacker for ten games in 2019. That year, he notched 80 total tackles, one interception, three passes defensed, and eight tackles for loss.
His 2020 with the Packers was a little less noteworthy — he saw just four games before losing the year to a hamstring injury. Now, he’ll get a shot to stick with the Niners, who are also taking a look at ex-Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall. Marshall, 32 in September, was a key player for Denver’s 2015 Super Bowl squad, but he’s been slowed by injuries of his own in recent years. It’s not immediately clear whether Marshall is still in the mix for SF after the addition of Burgess.
Bills Extend Reid Ferguson
The Bills signed long snapper Reid Ferguson to a brand new three-year deal, per a club announcement. Ferguson has served as the team’s LS for his entire four-year career. Now, he’s slated to continue in that role through 2024. 
Ferguson came into the league in 2016 as an undrafted free agent out of LSU. He didn’t make the final cut that year, but the Bills stashed him on the taxi squad. In 2017, he got the LS job, and he’s held it with perfect attendance ever since — four seasons, 64 games.
Today, the 27-year-old stands as the second-longest tenured player on the Bills’ roster, behind only Jerry Hughes, who has been with the club since 2013.
Patriots Cut LaRoy Reynolds
LaRoy Reynolds‘ tenure with the Patriots lasted a bit more than two months. The team announced that they released the veteran linebacker/special teamer today. The 30-year-old was released with an injury settlement.
Despite going undrafted out of Virginia in 2013, Reynolds has managed to put together an eight-year career. In stints with the Jaguars, Bears, Falcons (two stints), Eagles, 49ers, and Bengals, the veteran has collected 117 tackles, with most of those coming on special teams. He appeared in 315 snaps for the Falcons in 2020, including 275 on special teams. He finished the season with 12 tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
The Patriots inked Reynolds to a one-year, $1.5MM deal back in March, and the journeyman was expected to serve as one of Bill Belichick‘s beloved special teams aces. Instead, Reynolds will be hitting free agency for the second time this offseason.
With the move, the Patriots have opened up a roster spot, and they’ll soon open another spot when they officially process Patrick Chung‘s retirement. The Patriots could use these spots to add an undrafted free agent or two, as their previous roster constraints only allowed them to add one rookie after the draft.
Packers TE Robert Tonyan Signs RFA Tender
Robert Tonyan is officially back with the Packers. The tight end signed his restricted free agent tender today, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky (via Twitter). The 27-year-old will earn $3.38MM this upcoming season.
[RELATED: This Date In Transactions History: Packers Re-Sign TE Robert Tonyan]
After effectively redshirting his rookie season, the former undrafted free agent hauled in only 14 receptions through his first two seasons of action. However, Tonyan had a breakout campaign in 2020, finishing with 52 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. After the season, the Packers slapped Tonyan with the second-round tender.
After appearing in only 61-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in 2020, Tonyan could see an even larger role in 2021 (regardless of who’s under center). The tight end is projected to lead a depth chart that also features veteran Marcedes Lewis.
While Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay receivers have no-showed OTAs, Tonyan was one of the higher-profile offensive players to participate this past week, per Demovsky.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/27/21
We’ll keep track of today’s draft signings here:
New York Giants
- DB Aaron Robinson (third-round, Central Florida)
Bengals Sign Kavon Frazier
The Bengals have signed Kavon Frazier, per a club announcement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it’s likely a one-year deal for the former Cowboys and Dolphins safety.
Frazier came into the league as a sixth-round pick of the Cowboys. He played in 44 games with Dallas, starting two. The Central Michigan product primarily functioned as a special teams player during his time in Texas — ditto for his 2020 with the Dolphins. Still, Frazier accomplished his No. 1 goal of showing that he can stay healthy for a full season. Most of his 2019 was lost to injury, but Frazier suited up for 15 of the Dolphins’ regular season games.
Now, he’ll look to stick in Cincy and join fellow newcomers in the Bengals’ secondary, including Mike Hilton, Chidobe Awuzie, and Ricardo Allen.
Cardinals Cut QB Cole McDonald
The Cardinals have released quarterback Cole McDonald, per a club announcement. The former University of Hawaii standout was signed in February to provide offseason depth, but he’s been squeezed out of the crowded QB room. 
McDonald has yet to see live action in the NFL. The Titans snagged him in the seventh-round of the 2020 draft, but dropped him in August to make room for Trevor Siemian.
While with the Rainbow Warriors, McDonald finished third in the nation in passing yards. Most evaluators chalked that up to Hawaii’s highly-aggressive offense, but McDonald surely deserves some of the credit.
Without McDonald, the Cardinals are left with Chris Streveler and Colt McCoy behind Kyler Murray on the depth chart. It’s worth noting that Streveler stumbled in the season finale, so the Cardinals may look to bring in extra competition this summer.
Patriots Cut FB Dan Vitale
The Patriots have released fullback Dan Vitale, as Jim McBride of the Boston Globe tweets. To take his place on the roster, the Pats have added tight end Troy Fumagalli. 
Vitale joined the Patriots last year, but opted out of the 2020 season in the midst of the pandemic. Vitale was one of the first NFL players to take the opt-out, following Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Ravens wideout De’Anthony Thomas, Seahawks guard Chance Warmack and Cowboys cornerback Maurice Canady. Before that, Vitale played 170 snaps for the Packers in 2019, catching 12 passes for 97 yards.
Fumagalli came into the league as a 2018 fifth-round pick of the Broncos. After missing his rookie year due to injury, he went on to appear in 19 games for the Broncos between ’19 and ’20. All in all, he’s notched 14 grabs for 118 yards and two scores. He’ll have his work cut out for him as the Patriots’ TE group already includes Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Dalton Keene, Devin Asiasi, and Matt LaCosse.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/26/21
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Lance Lenoir
- Waived: WR Tre Walker
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: DE Frank Herron
- Waived: DE Kendall Donnerson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed (from Eagles): LB Joe Bachie
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR DeAndre Thompkins
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Kareem Orr
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived/injured: DE Marcus Webb
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Christian DiLauro