Seahawks, Paul Richardson Agree To Deal
Paul Richardson‘s Seahawks visit indeed produced a contract offer. The former Seahawks second-round pick agreed to rejoin the team on Saturday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
The six-year veteran wide receiver resurfaced on the free agency radar by trekking to Seattle, where he played from 2014-17. The recent Washington cap casualty will attempt to reignite his career in a familiar place.
Richardson enjoyed his best season (44 catches, 703 yards, six touchdown receptions) in his 2017 contract year and parlayed it into a five-year, $40MM deal with Washington. However, injuries plagued the ex-Colorado prospect in the nation’s capital. Washington released him in February, taking on some dead money to do so.
Connected to higher-profile veteran receivers for months now, the Seahawks are adding Richardson to a stable that includes Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf and Phillip Dorsett. The latter, however, is currently sidelined with a foot injury. John Ursua, a 2019 draftee, is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Richardson, 28, probably cannot be considered a lock to make the Seahawks’ roster — given his inconsistent career that includes just one 300-plus-yard season in six tries. The Seahawks have also changed offensive coordinators since his previous run with the team. But if the now-two-time Seahawk is healthy, he will bolster the team’s depth for the time being. The Seahawks have been the team most closely connected to Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon. Those suspended talents will likely remain on the team’s radar, though no resolutions are in sight for either player.
Jets To Sign Donte Moncrief
The Jets are set to sign Donte Moncrief (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The deal, pending a physical and COVID-19 testing, will give the Jets some sorely needed depth at wide receiver. 
[RELATED: Dolphins Trade Kalen Ballage To Jets]
Moncrief made his name with the Colts, playing as a featured regular in Andrew Luck‘s offense. The former third-round pick totaled 13 touchdown receptions between the 2015-16 season and set a career-high in ’15 with 733 yards. Since then, things have been a bit rocky for the 27-year-old. Last year, he appeared a grand total of eight games for the Panthers and Steelers, resulting in four catches for 18 yards.
The Jets are curious to see what Moncrief can offer at this stage, especially since they’re dealing with a rash of injuries at WR. Newcomer Breshad Perriman and highly-touted rookie Denzel Mims are both banged up; ditto for reserves Vyncint Smith, Jeff Smith, and Lawrence Cager. That’s left the Jets with only a handful of recognizable receivers, including Jamison Crowder, Braxton Berrios, and Chris Hogan. Moncrief will look to show a bit of his old form and make the fast-approaching final cut.
Dolphins Trade LB Raekwon McMillan To Raiders
The Dolphins have agreed to trade linebacker Raekwon McMillan to the Raiders, according to a source who spoke with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). In exchange, the Raiders are sending a 2021 fourth-round pick to Miami, but they’ll also receive a 2021 fifth-round pick along with McMillan (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). 
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In 2019, McMillan ranked as the Dolphins’ best defensive player, according to Pro Football Focus. Earlier this year, the Dolphins were said to be considering an extension for McMillan, but the pandemic threw a wrench into those talks. The Dolphins also had their doubts about McMillan’s pass coverage, and they were planning to mostly use him on run downs this year. DeVante Parker, Jesse Davis, Allen Hurns, and Jakeem Grant all received extensions recently, but the Dolphins ultimately did not want to lock down the young ‘backer.
McMillan, who has one year and $1.1MM left on his deal, will now try to make his case in Las Vegas. There, he’ll support a revamped linebacker group that previously had depth concerns, despite the additions of Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski.
McMillan wasn’t the right fit for Brian Flores‘ 3-4 hybrid scheme, but he could fare better with Jon Gruden. He comes to the Raiders with ample experience, having started 28 of his 29 games since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2017.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves in this post. In addition to the transactions listed below, note that Broncos DT Joel Heath and Giants CB Shakial Taylor, who had previously been listed as cut, actually opted out of the 2020 season. As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, both players were reinstated to their teams’ rosters and placed on the Reserve/Opt-Out List. The full (and final) opt-out tracker can be found here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Ty’Son Williams
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Brian Allen
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Jameson Houston, DE Austin Larkin
- Waived: DE DaVonte Lambert, CB Cole Luke
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Andre Baccellia
- Waived: WR Will Hastings
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Wynton McManis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Saeed Blacknall
- Placed on IR: WR Anthony Johnson
- Waived: LB James Lockhart
Cardinals Cut CB B.W. Webb
B.W. Webb‘s stint with the Cardinals lasted all of (*checks calendar*) six days. ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter) that Arizona has cut the veteran cornerback.
The Cardinals signed the 30-year-old to a one-year deal last Friday, and it was believed he’d fill in for the injured Robert Alford (who suffered a season-ending pec injury). However, the team has since added some depth to their secondary, as they signed both Ken Crawley and Dre Kirkpatrick. With the cornerbacks room getting increasingly crowded, the Cardinals apparently saw no use for Webb.
It was only last offseason that Webb was able to snag a two-year, $10.5MM deal from the Bengals, but he only lasted a single season in Cincinnati. He ultimately started 12 of his 15 games in 2019, compiling 37 tackles, one interception, and seven passes defended. He was released by Cincy back in March.
However, he had a stronger season in 2018 as a member of the Giants. As our own Zach Links pointed out last week, Webb ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No.77 cornerback, putting him on the same tier as the likes of Morris Claiborne, Marcus Peters, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Jimmy Smith. Thanks in part to those metrics, it wouldn’t be shocking if Webb catches on with another squad before the season begins.
Bills Cut Stephen Hauschka
The Bills parted ways with one-time fantasy football hero Stephen Hauschka. With the veteran kicker out of the picture, they’ll turn the job over to Georgia Southern product Tyler Bass.
[RELATED: Bills, Ravens Monitoring Ziggy Ansah]
Hauschka spent the bulk of his career with the Seahawks and had stops with the Ravens and Broncos before landing with the Bills in 2017. In his first Buffalo season, he converted 87.9% of his field goals. Since then, he’s gone 22-of-28 in each of his last two campaigns. Last year, the 35-year-old struggled from deep range, going just 1-for-5 on kicks of 50+ yards. After watching him compete with Bass – a sixth-round pick – the Bills have decided to go in a younger (and cheaper) direction.
By cutting Hauschka, the Bills will save $1.55MM against the 2020 cap while carrying an equal amount as a dead money hit.
Eagles’ Andre Dillard Done For Year
The hits just keep on coming for the Eagles’ offensive line. Andre Dillard has been ruled out for the season with a biceps injury, as NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Dillard, a 2019 first-round pick, was reportedly having an inconsistent camp, following his up-and-down rookie campaign. Still, it’s a bad break for an Eagles O-Line that has already been spread thin by injuries.
[RELATED: Eagles, Ertz Resume Negotiations]
As Dillard gets set for surgery, the Eagles will scramble for solutions. They managed to quickly replace guard Brandon Brooks by re-signing Jason Peters (and shifting him to the interior), but Dillard’s absence creates a whole new problem for the Birds. Peters, in theory, could return to his usual post, but the Eagles would then have to figure out their right guard situation all over again.
If they put Peters at left tackle, the Eagles could draw from their current group of guards which includes Matt Pryor and fourth-round pick Jack Driscoll. They could also take things down to the wire by waiting a few days to see what shakes loose after cutdowns. There will undoubtedly be a number of proven guards and tackles available when teams trim down their rosters, but any new addition will have to learn the scheme in a hurry.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/20
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Craig Reynolds
Buffalo Bills
- Released: P Lachlan Edwards
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: CB Derrek Thomas
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: C Jon Toth
- Placed on IR: DE Curtis Weaver
Denver Broncos
- Waived: LS Wes Farnsworth
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Kevin Wilkins
- Waived: DT Olive Sagapolu
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on IR: RB Bruce Anderson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Avery Moss
New York Giants
- Signed: RB Tavien Feaster
- Released: WR Tony Brown
New York Jets
- Released: RB Pete Guerriero
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Jayrone Elliott, LB Liam McCullough
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR River Cracraft
- Released: WR Jaron Brown
- Waived/Injured: DL Jonathan Kongbo
Tennessee Titans
- Released/Deal Voided: S Walt Aikens
Dolphins Trade Kalen Ballage To Jets
Earlier today, the Dolphins toldd Kalen Ballage that he was getting cut. Instead, they’re trading the running back to the rival Jets, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In exchange, Miami will receive a conditional late-round draft choice.
It’s a situation that plays out often in the NFL. Before formally releasing a player, teams will often leak word of their impending release to reporters. That sometimes prompts teams further down the waiver wire to make a call. In this case, it worked out for the Dolphins, who will be receiving something, rather than nothing, for their former fourth-round pick.
In an admittedly small sample size of 36 carries, Ballage averaged 5.3 yards per attempt as a rookie. He was far less impressive last season, but the Jets could find a role for him behind starter Le’Veon Bell and RB2 Frank Gore.
49ers Sign WR Kevin White
The 49ers have signed Kevin White, per a club announcement. This marks yet another stop for the former No. 7 overall pick, who has yet to realize his potential as a pro. 
White, a West Virginia product, came out of West Virginia with tons of hype. The Bears jumped at the chance to grab him in 2015, but injuries have limited him ever since. Over the last five years, he’s played in just 14 games. And, in the last ~365 days, he’s been pretty much off the radar. The Cardinals were his last employer, and they cut him in August of 2019.
All in all, White has 25 career catches for 285 yards and zero touchdowns. Still, he’s coming into his age-28 season, so there’s reason to believe that he can get back on the right track.
SF already added Tavon Austin and J.J. Nelson, but the team is dealing with a host of injuries. Deebo Samuel remains out with his foot fracture, while Richie James is battling a broken hand. First-round pick Brandon Aiyuk is dealing with a hamstring injury, further clouding the 49ers’ potential first-string wideout picture. Jalen Hurd also suffered an ACL tear recently, with that setback following Travis Benjamin‘s opt-out decision. Meanwhile, they’ve released Jaron Brown with an injury designation.