Jets Cut Kenneth Dixon
Kenneth Dixon‘s time with the Jets has come to an end. 
On Wednesday, the Jets dropped the running back to make room for Chris Hogan.
[RELATED: Jets Have No Interest In Ngakoue]
Dixon joined the Jets late last year in the wake of Bilal Powell‘s ankle injury. Before that, he spent the early part of his career with the Ravens. The 2016 fourth-rounder played well when he was healthy, averaging 5.6 yards per tote in 2018. However, that came in a small sample size – Dixon had just 60 carries that year.
Between injuries and suspensions, Dixon was on the field for just 18 games across three Baltimore seasons. When the Ravens added Mark Ingram and Justice Hill, they had no room for Dixon. The Jets, with less depth in the backfield, have come to the same conclusion. With just a few weeks to go before the start of the season, they’ll forge ahead with a young group of RBs behind Le’Veon Bell and Frank Gore.
Hogan agreed to join the Jets earlier this week, but his deal did not become official until earlier today. The two-time Super Bowl champ can now say that he has inked deals with all four teams in the AFC East.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/20
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon.
Cleveland Browns
- Waived/injured: DE George Obinna
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: T Pace Murphy
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: CB Ken Crawley
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Rod Smith
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Hardy Nickerson
- Waived: CB Marcus Sayles
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed (from Falcons): QB Danny Etling
- Signed: DT P.J. Johnson
Cowboys Release Gerald McCoy
It does not appear Gerald McCoy‘s three-year Cowboys contract will make it into Year 1. Following the veteran defensive tackle’s quadriceps injury, the Cowboys are releasing him, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
An injury waiver exists within McCoy’s deal, and Schefter adds the Cowboys are using this mechanism to release McCoy (Twitter link). While a standard release would have cost Dallas $7MM, the franchise will move off this contract and pay out just $3MM.
The former top-five pick was due $9MM in guarantees on the three-year, $18MM pact he signed in March. The Cowboys, however, are off the hook for McCoy’s $2.5MM 2020 base salary and $750K roster bonus, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets. The team inserted this waiver into McCoy’s contract after determining he had a pre-existing quadriceps condition, Gehlken adds (via Twitter).
McCoy is not expected to play this season. He suffered a torn quad earlier this week. The Cowboys have been busy on their defensive line this offseason, adding Dontari Poe, Aldon Smith and Everson Griffen. But McCoy was slated to be a key player for the Cowboys this season. The team has already moved on, with the release showing up on the league’s transaction wire.
The Buccaneers released McCoy last summer, and the six-time Pro Bowler found his way to the Panthers. McCoy played in 16 games last season, registering five sacks to give him 59.5 for his career. His best hope of adding to this total will be a return to health in advance of his age-33 season in 2021.
Jaguars DE Aaron Lynch Retires
Jaguars defensive end Aaron Lynch will retire from the NFL, per a club announcement. Lynch, 27, leaves the Jaguars with yet another hole to fill in the front seven. 
[RELATED: Jaguars’ Gunter Announces Retirement]
On Monday, fellow Jaguars DE Rodney Gunter arrived at the same decision. Previous to that, defensive tackle Al Woods opted out of the 2020 season, pushing his three-year, $18MM deal into 2021. All three of those players were new arrivals in Jacksonville, and none of them will be playing this year. Woods and Gunter were supposed to help fill in for Marcell Dareus and Calais Campbell. Lynch, meanwhile, was set to serve as a rotational edge rusher.
Lynch entered the league in 2014 as a fifth-round pick of the 49ers. He spent his first four seasons in SF and made a dent early with 12.5 sacks through his first two pro campaigns. Suspensions and injuries limited him to only 14 games between 2016 and 2017, and he moved on to the Bears in 2018. All together, he leaves the sport with 20 career sacks.
Jaguars DE Rodney Gunter Stepping Away From Football
Rodney Gunter is calling it a career, at least temporarily. The Jaguars defensive end revealed last night that he’s stepping away from football at the advice of doctors. In a procedural move, the Jaguars placed Gunter on the reserve/retired list.
In a statement, Gunter explained that he was diagnosed with a severe heart condition, and he could have ruptured his aorta is he continued his football career. Surgery could eventually remedy the issue, and that would theoretically allow him to return to the football field. However, the 28-year-old currently doesn’t meet the specific criteria for the procedure, so he’s understandably stepping away from football as he awaits his next steps.
On Monday, head coach Doug Marrone praised the player’s offseason work ethic, and he revealed that he offered Gunter a staff position with the purpose of keeping him around the team.
“These are the things that are very difficult,” Marrone said. “Things come up that are out of your control and take away things that you love and want to do…It’s just an awful feeling. It really is. It’s just tough.”
The 2015 fourth-round pick had spent the first five seasons of his career with the Cardinals, including a 2019 campaign where he finished with 31 tackles and three sacks in 13 games. He signed a three-year, $18MM deal with Jacksonville this past offseason, and he was expected to replace traded defensive lineman Calais Campbell.
Now, Jacksonville will be scrambling to figure out their defensive line depth, especially with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue avoiding camp. As ESPN’s Michael DiRocco notes, the team’s already seen nose tackle Al Woods and defensive end Lerentee McCray opt out of the upcoming season, while defensive tackles Dontavius Russell and Brian Price were placed on IR.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/20
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: QB Danny Etling
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: DT Niles Scott
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed off waivers (from Dallas): DE Jalen Jelks
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived/Injured: RB Rodney Anderson
Houston Texans
- Activated off NFI: WR Kenny Stills (Sunday)
- Activated off PUP: LB Dylan Cole (Sunday)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: TE Josh Oliver
- Released from IR: DT Brian Price
Kansas City Chiefs
- Claimed: TE Daniel Helm (from 49ers)
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: OT Nick Kaltmayer (Sunday)
Minnesota Vikings
- Cut (injury designation): LB Quentin Poling
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Ben Braden, TE Paul Butler, TE Alex Ellis
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Connor Davis
- Waived: S Anthony Cioffi
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Daylon Mack
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB/DE Jamal Davis II (Sunday)
Ravens Place Iman Marshall On IR
Iman Marshall‘s season is over. The Ravens placed the cornerback on injured reserve after he tore several knee ligaments, including his ACL. 
[RELATED: Ravens Won’t Sign Antonio Brown]
Marshall, a fourth-year pro out of USC, was pushing for one of the final spots on the Ravens’ CB depth chart. Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Tavon Young, and Jimmy Smith are set to lead the group, but there will be one or two more openings to fill.
Marshall also missed the bulk of his rookie season due to injury. He suited up for just three games, spending most of his on-field time with the special teams unit.
On the other side of the ball, the Ravens are doing their homework on Dez Bryant. Meanwhile, they’ve ruled out Antonio Brown, despite Lamar Jackson‘s strong endorsement.
Giants Cut Chandler Catanzaro
The Giants have released kicker Chandler Catanzaro, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). That job now belongs to former Panthers kicker Graham Gano, who spent years playing under GM Dave Gettleman. 
[RELATED: Giants Sign K Graham Gano]
Catanzaro, 29, hooked on with the Jets last year. After a rocky training camp and equally rough start to the preseason, he announced his retirement. He returned to the game last month with New Jersey’s other team, but his stay was short-lived.
Catanzaro nailed 87.9% of his kicks as a Cardinals rookie in 2014 and 90.3% of his tries in 2015. His success rate dipped to 75% in 2016, but bounced back a bit with the Jets in 2017, making 83.3% of his kicks and all of his PATs. Then, he dipped once again. His three-year deal with the Bucs was torn up pretty quickly after he missed two field goals in a loss to the Redskins, ending his Tampa Bay tenure with a weak 73.3% success rate. His last live action came with the Panthers towards the end of the 2018 campaign.
Gano, meanwhile, has been out of football since he fractured his femur towards the end of the 2018 season. Before that, he was tremendous in 2017, his last full season. Gano nailed 29 of his 30 field goal tries for a league-leading 96.7% conversion rate.
Lions Sign RB Jonathan Williams
The Lions have signed running back Jonathan Williams, per a club announcement. To make room, the Lions dropped fellow RB Wes Hills. 
[RELATED: Lions Work Out QB Trevor Siemian]
Williams made some noise as a fifth-round Bills rookie in 2016, running for 92 yards on 27 carries. Since then, he’s lived life on the fringe of the NFL. Two seasons with the Saints yielded just three appearances. Last year, he suited up nine times for the Colts, averaging 4.8 yards per carry in a small sample size. All in all, he had 235 yards off of 49 carries with one score.
The Arkansas product will join the Lions’ ~80-man roster and try to make the final cut for Week 1. As it stands, the Lions have Kerryon Johnson, promising rookie D’Andre Swift, and Bo Scarbrough atop their RB depth chart.
49ers’ Spencer Long Retires
Last week, the 49ers signed Spencer Long to a one-year deal. This week, they placed the offensive lineman on the reserve/retired list, per a club announcement.
[RELATED: 49ers Sign Tavon Austin]
Long, 29, spent last season as a key reserve for the Bills. He was a surprise cut in early August, leading him to the Niners. His stint in SF lasted just three days, and he’s apparently walking away from the sport altogether.
Long came into the league with Washington as a third-round pick in 2014. After four seasons in D.C., he moved on to the Jets in 2018 before landing with the Bills last year. If this is the end fo the line for Long, he’ll leave the sport with 67 games played, including 44 starts at both center and left guard.