Washington To Sign G Joshua Garnett, Waive TE Thaddeus Moss
Joshua Garnett‘s Washington visit turned into a contract offer. The team will sign the former 49ers first-round pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Washington will add Garnett and fellow offensive lineman David Steinmetz. One of the space-clearing roster moves: waiving tight end Thaddeus Moss with an injury designation.
Garnett has not lived up to his first-round billing and has played in just 22 games over the past four seasons. The Stanford product missed the 2017 and ’19 seasons. The 49ers gave him 11 starts as a rookie in 2016 but only used him as a depth piece in 2018. Considering the once-coveted guard’s career trajectory, that will probably be the role he vies for in Washington.
Washington will be able to move Moss to its IR list, should the second-generation pass-catcher go unclaimed on waivers. The son of Randy Moss, Thaddeus showed promise at LSU but went undrafted. He represented a possible weapon for a Washington team housing perhaps the league’s leanest tight end group.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/20
Here are today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: CB Robert Alford
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: OL Scottie Dill
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: TE Darion Clark
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed (from Panthers): TE Andrew Vollert
New York Jets
- Signed: S Anthony Cioffi
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: WR Saeed Blacknall
Chargers Guarantee Melvin Ingram’s 2020 Salary
Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram had been sitting out of practice in hopes of getting a new deal. He doesn’t have a new deal yet, but he does have some newfound security.
As Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter), Ingram signed an adjusted contract that guarantees his 2020 salary, which checks in at a hefty $14MM. While the Bolts were unlikely to cut Ingram to save that money, the 31-year-old is now assured of earning a very nice income this season. As such, he has returned to the practice field.
It’s unclear what, if anything, this means for contract talks between player and team, though both sides have benefited from their eight-year relationship. From 2015-18, Ingram started every game for the Chargers and averaged nine sacks per season. Though he missed three games last season due to injury, he collected his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod.
The South Carolina product may not be one of the league’s most feared pass rushers, but he is consistently able to apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks, and those types of players get paid handsomely in today’s NFL. He is shooting for one last big-money contract — he is entering the final year of the four-year, $66MM deal he signed in 2017 — and he has a good chance of getting it, whether that happens this season or in 2021.
If the Chargers’ key defenders can stay healthy this year, the club will have a good chance to rebound from a disappointing 2019 season and return to the playoffs.
Chiefs To Sign OL Daniel Kilgore
The Chiefs intend to sign veteran offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore, as Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports reports (via Twitter). Kilgore, 32, is about to enter his 10th season in the NFL.
The Appalachian State product was selected by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2011 draft. It took him until the 2014 season to record his first career start, and then he ran into some tough injury luck, sustaining a broken leg that wiped out a good portion of his 2014-15 seasons.
He battled back to start 13 games at center in 2016 and a full 16-game slate in 2017. The advanced metrics have never been high on his work, but the 49ers certainly liked him enough to keep him around for a number of years and even signed him to a three-year extension after the 2017 season, only to ship him to the Dolphins several months later.
But in 2018, his first season with the ‘Fins, Kilgore played in only four games due to a torn pec. Though he played in 13 contests (all starts) in 2019, Miami was not terribly impressed and declined his 2020 option, making him a free agent. The Chiefs are the first team with reported interest.
It’s presently unclear whether Kilgore will push incumbent Kansas City center Austin Reiter for playing time, or if he projects as more of a depth piece. Kilgore has played guard in his career as well, so he could back up that position in the wake of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif‘s decision to opt out. Of course, the club also signed Kelechi Osemele to help fill the void left by LDT.
Cardinals Sign B.W. Webb
The Cardinals have agreed to sign B.W. Webb, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Webb will join the Cards on a one-year deal, giving the club another cornerback to consider as the season draws near. 
Webb hooked on with the Bengals last year on a two-year, $10.5MM deal, but he only fetched $2.5MM in guaranteed dollars. In his lone Bengals season, Webb appeared in 15 games and started in 12 of those contests. In March, they cut him to save $3.5MM against the cap.
Webb, 30, had a stronger 2018 when he was with the Giants. In that season, he graded out as the No. 77 ranked corner in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. By those advanced metrics, he performed roughly as well as Morris Claiborne, Marcus Peters, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Jimmy Smith.
Now with the Cardinals, Webb will look to find a roster spot behind starters Patrick Peterson and Byron Murphy.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon:
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed (from Bills): K/P Kaare Vedvik
- Waived: TE Andrew Vollert
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: Artie Burns (story)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Wes Hills
- Placed on IR: DT Jashon Cornell
- Waived: FB Luke Sellers
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: TE Josh Oliver
New Orleans Saints
- Reverted to IR: DB Tino Ellis
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed (from Packers): WR Travis Fulgham
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Ray-Ray McCloud
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DB DeMarkus Acy, LB Jonas Griffith
Washington Football Team
- Released: OL Kevin Pamphile
49ers To Sign Johnathan Cyprien
The 49ers have agreed to sign safety Johnathan Cyprien, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but it’s likely a one-year pact for the veteran’s minimum.
[RELATED: 49ers, WR Jaron Brown Agree To Deal]
Cyprien originally entered the league as a second-round pick of the Jaguars back in 2013. After four years as a full-time starter in Jacksonville, he signed with the Titans in 2017. He missed six games with a hamstring injury that year, but started the other ten. In 2018, a torn ACL cost him the entire season.
Last August, the veteran hooked on with the Eagles. But, before the end of September, he was shipped to the Falcons for linebacker Duke Riley. One week later, he was placed on IR after just five total games played.
Injuries have derailed Cyprien repeatedly over the last three years, but he’s still only 30. With experience and the ability to deliver crushing hits, he could carve out a role as a reserve in SF. He’ll make his case for a spot behind Jaquiski Tartt and Jimmie Ward over the next few weeks.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/20
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon.
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: P Lachlan Edwards
- Waived: K/P Kaare Vedvik
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Rodney Adams
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: WR Chris Lacy
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: T Travis Bruffy, WR Travis Fulgham
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: S Adrian Colbert, WR Marcus Kemp
New Orleans Saints
- Waived/injured: DB Tino Ellis
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB/S: Evan Foster
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Krishawn Hogan, RB Marcus Marshall
- Waived: RB Dalyn Dawkins, TE Parker Hesse, WR Kyle Williams
49ers, WR Jaron Brown Agree To Deal
Another veteran wideout is heading to San Francisco. After signing Tavon Austin and J.J. Nelson, the 49ers agreed to terms with Jaron Brown, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
This will mark Brown’s third NFC West team. The 6-foot-3 target spent the first seven years of his career in Arizona (from 2013-17) and Seattle (2018-19). Brown, 30, worked out for the 49ers on Tuesday.
The 49ers’ receiving corps has encountered multiple setbacks, with a reported Jalen Hurd ACL tear following Deebo Samuel‘s offseason foot fracture. Still, the 49ers boast a crowded group. Brown, Austin and Nelson join the likes of first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Taylor, Kendrick Bourne and 2018 second-rounder Dante Pettis. How the 49ers determine roles for their as-of-now Samuel-less operation will be interesting as the season approaches.
Brown saw action as a Seahawks auxiliary weapon in 14 games last season, catching 16 passes for 220 yards. His best season came in 2017 with the Cards, when he hauled in 31 passes for 477 yards.
Titans To Sign Trevor Siemian
The Titans have agreed to sign quarterback Trevor Siemian, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, the Titans will also welcome tight end Geoff Swaim to the roster, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. To make room for Siemian, the Titans have dropped seventh-round rookie Cole McDonald.
Siemian auditioned for the Titans earlier this week, alongside fellow QB DeShone Kizer, running back D’Onta Foreman, and Swaim. The 28-year-old can provide experience behind starter Ryan Tannehill, where Logan Woodside currently sits as the QB2. Unfortunately, he’s appeared in just one game over the past two years, thanks in part to his brutal ankle injury in 2019. The last time he got an extended look was 2017, when he went 5-5 as a starter for the Broncos.
Swaim played four seasons for the Cowboys before moving on to the Jaguars last year. He played in six games for the Jags before landing on IR. In March, the Jaguars dropped him from the roster. Swaim’s best season came in 2018 when he notched a career-high 26 catches for 242 yards and one touchdown. Now, he’ll push to make the final cut, even though the Titans already have Jonnu Smith, Anthony Firkser, MyCole Pruitt, Parker Hesse, and Tommy Hudson at tight end.
McDonald, a University of Hawaii product, finished third in the nation in passing yards. Hawaii’s aggressive offensive scheme had a lot to do with that, but the Titans also saw some pro potential in the youngster. If he clears waivers, it stands to reason that the Titans will try to stash him on the practice squad.