Lions Trade Michael Jackson To Patriots
The Lions have agreed to trade Michael Jackson to the Patriots, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In exchange, the Pats will send an undisclosed 2022 draft pick to Detroit.
[RELATED: Filling The Voids Left By Patriots Opt Outs]
Jackson was initially set to be released, along with former first-round pick Joshua Garnett and others. Instead, the Patriots have made a low-cost move to leapfrog the rest of the waiver wire.
Jackson will give the Pats some additional secondary depth to consider after safety Patrick Chung exercised his right to opt out of the 2020 season. As far as the first-string goes, the Patriots can probably stand pat with Adrian Phillips and second-round rookie Kyle Duggar can slot in opposite Devin McCourty. The Pats still have holes to fill at tackle and linebacker, but they also have more than $33MM in cap space thanks to their league-high eight opt-outs.
Jackson, 23, entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Cowboys. The University of Miami product has suited up for just one game in his pro career.
Quinton Dunbar Cleared To Join Seahawks
Effective today, Quinton Dunbar has the greenlight to rejoin the Seahawks (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). Dunbar has been removed from the NFL’s exempt list, which permits him to get back to offseason work. 
[RELATED: No Charges For Quinton Dunbar]
The Broward State Attorney’s office declined to pursue charges against Dunbar for his alleged role in an armed robbery. Giants cornerback Deandre Baker, on the other hand, will be prosecuted for four counts of robbery with a firearm.
The Seahawks allowed Dunbar to participate in their offseason program up until he was placed on the league’s exempt list. That was, perhaps, an indication that they knew a little more about the case than the general public. At the outset, authorities claimed that Baker held partygoers at gunpoint while Dunbar robbed them. The Broward State Attorney’s office hasn’t cleared Dunbar of wrongdoing, per se, but insufficient evidence against him has led them to refocus the case on Baker.
The league office may still conduct its own investigation against Dunbar, especially in wake of witness tampering allegations. Dunbar’s ex-defense attorney Michael Grieco was accused of paying off victims in an effort to get them to change their story.
Dumbar, 28, graded out as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus.
Washington Activates Reuben Foster
The Washington Football Team has activated Reuben Foster from the PUP list, per a club announcement. The linebacker is now on track to play in the team’s season opener. 
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team]
Foster suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and LCL in his first Washington practice back in May of 2019. Foster also suffered nerve damage, further complicating an already challenging recovery. The 26-year-old only just regained feeling in his toes earlier this year, so this marks a major step forward for him.
The controversial linebacker could provide a huge boost to Washington’s front seven in 2020. He’ll also have extra motivation as he retakes the field – Ron Rivera & Co. declined his fifth-year option for 2021, putting him on course for free agency in March.
Between his suspensions and injuries, Foster has played in just 16 games since being drafted No. 31 overall in 2017. In 16 total games for the Niners, Foster has registered 101 tackles and two passes defensed.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/20
We’ll keep track of this weekend’s minor moves here:
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed: DB M.J. Stewart. (from Buccaneers)
Detroit Lions
- Released: WR Travis Fulgham
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Ricardo Louis, WR Chester Rogers
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Ross Cockrell
Lions Cut Joshua Garnett
The Lions released former first-round pick Joshua Garnett on Sunday morning, per a club announcement. The Lions also dropped defensive back Michael Jackson, linebacker Christian Sam, defensive end Jonathan Wynn, and wide receivers Travis Fulgham and Chris Lacy to reach the 80-man limit for single squad practices. 
The 49ers took Garnett No. 28 overall in 2016, but he never lived up to his pre-draft hype. The Stanford product started in 11 of his 15 games as a rookie, but failed to impress. Then, knee surgery wiped out his 2017 season and he played in just seven games as a reserve in 2018. The Niners cut him before 2019, and his ensuing workout tour didn’t result in a contract. The Lions picked Garnett up in February, but they’ve put him back on the free agent pile as the season draws near.
The Lions’ O-line was not particularly good at run-blocking or pass protection in 2019 and earned below-average DVOA marks in both categories. On the plus side, Russell Bodine was Detroit’s only offensive line opt-out, so they might be able to stand pat with their current group of linemen.
49ers To Sign Spencer Long
The 49ers are signing Spencer Long, according to an announcement from his agent (Twitter link). The offensive lineman was released by the Bills earlier this week, making him an unrestricted free agent.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team]
The Bills’ decision to release Long came as a bit of a surprise. Buffalo exercised the 2020 option on his deal in March and he appeared to be a strong fill-in option for Jon Feliciano at right guard. Instead, they dropped him to save $2.4MM against the salary cap.
The versatile vet saw time in 14 games for the Bills last year. Before that, Long made a total of 44 starts for Washington and the Jets between 2014 and 2018. In San Francisco, he’ll provide the 49ers with some sorely needed depth after offensive lineman Jake Brendel and tackle Shon Coleman opted out. Long, who can play multiple positions, will support the Niners’ front five of Trent Williams, Laken Tomlinson, Weston Richburg, Tom Compton, and Mike McGlinchey.
The Niners had ample room to sign Long. After the opt outs, GM John Lynch was left with $12.5MM in cap space.
Washington Football Team Releases Derrius Guice
Shortly after his arrest for domestic violence charges, Washington released running back Derrius Guice. Guice is facing charges for three separate incidents that took place earlier this year, and Washington moved fast to drop the former LSU star. 
[RELATED: Washington Football Team To Sign Dontrelle Inman]
Guice was viewed by many as the second-best running back in the 2018 draft class behind Saquon Barkley, but rumored off-field issues caused him to fall to Washington at No. 59 overall. Guice went on to miss his his entire rookie campaign after a summer ACL tear. Then, complications from surgery caused his rehab to drag. Last year, a knee injury put him back on IR and he appeared in just five games. From a football perspective, Washington was excited to see what Guice could do – in that limited sample, he averaged 5.8 yards per carry.
With Guice out of the picture, Washington will move forward with Adrian Peterson, former Seahawk J.D. McKissic, and ex-Buc Peyton Barber, on the depth chart. They also have rookie RB/WR Antonio Gibson on the roster, plus Bryce Love. That could be enough backfield firepower for Ron Rivera & Co., especially if Love stays healthy. Still, it stands to reason that they’ll explore the open market between now and Week 1.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/20
Here are Friday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon.
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: RB Craig Reynolds
Detroit Lions
- Waived via failed-physical designation: DT Daylon Mack
Houston Texans
- Released from reserve/NFI list: DL Ira Lewis
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DT Bruce Hector, CB Prince Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: LB John Houston
Giants LS Zak DeOssie Retires
Months after Eli Manning‘s retirement, the other holdover from the Giants’ most recent two Super Bowl teams will call it quits. Long snapper Zak DeOssie announced his retirement Friday (Twitter link), though he indicated he made this decision months ago.
DeOssie played for the Giants throughout his career, which spanned from 2007-19, and snapped for both of Big Blue’s 21st-century championship teams. His 199 regular-season games rank behind only Manning, Michael Strahan, tight end Howard Cross and defensive lineman George Martin in Giants history.
This move was not unexpected. The Giants anticipated DeOssie’s retirement months ago, when they signed former Broncos long snapper Casey Kreiter. DeOssie, 36, finished last season on IR after suffering knee and wrist injuries. DeOssie missed five games. Throughout his career, the former fourth-round pick only missed nine.
This will signal a new era for the Giants. Their longest-tenured player now, wideout Sterling Shepard, has only been with the team since 2016.
Eagles Re-Sign Vinny Curry
The Eagles have brought Vinny Curry back into the fold. The veteran defensive end will sign a one-year deal worth up to $2MM, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The pact includes $1.3MM in fully guaranteed cash, plus $700K in incentives tied to sack totals and playoff bonuses. 
Curry has thrived as a situational pass rusher. Curry had a rocky 2018 with the Bucs, but he did well in his 2019 return to Philly when he was deployed on passing downs. Playing in all 16 regular season games, Curry notched five sacks and 27 total tackles. Four of those sacks came after Week 12, helping him to finish with one of the highest pressure rates in the league among edge rushers.
The Jets gave Curry some consideration in March, but his market has been quiet for much of the offseason. That’s been the case for many of this year’s edge rushers – Jadeveon Clowney, Everson Griffen, and Ezekiel Ansah are just a few of the notable names who have been left hanging on the telephone.
The Eagles came into Friday morning with $23.7MM in cap space. Even after signing Curry, they still have more flexibility than at least 20 other teams in the NFL. The Birds’ real numbers crunch will come in 2021, especially if the salary cap is slashed significantly.