Falcons Activate Matt Bosher, Cut Ryan Allen
The Falcons made a couple of roster moves on Black Friday. The team announced they’ve waived punter Ryan Allen and linebacker Jermaine Grace. They’re activating punter Matt Bosher off injured reserve, who had been designated as one of their return players.
Bosher was the punter to start the season, but went down with a groin injury after just a few games. Bosher has been Atlanta’s punter since 2011, so it’s not surprising that the former sixth-round pick had his job waiting for him when he got healthy. The Falcons have used four different punters this season, and hopefully the cycling through can stop now. Allen had been the Patriots’ punter for six seasons up until he was cut this past August in favor of rookie Jake Bailey.
Allen latched on with Atlanta just a few weeks ago, after Matt Wile and Kasey Redfern had previously filled in. Grace entered the league as an UDFA back in 2017, and has already spent time with four different teams. Grace had played only a handful of defensive snaps, but had been a key special teamer all year, playing almost 70 percent of special teams snaps. Grace missed the block on Taysom Hill‘s punt block during last night’s loss to the Saints, which apparently sealed his fate.
Eagles, Lane Johnson Agree To Extension
The Eagles and Lane Johnson agreed on a record extension Friday. In a year featuring several re-ups for Eagles offensive linemen, Johnson agreed to a four-year, $72MM deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
Johnson will receive a staggering $54.595MM guaranteed in this contract, per Garafolo. In terms of per-year value ($18MM), this is the most lucrative contract given to an offensive lineman. The seventh-year lineman’s guarantee also tops the league, making this a banner day for Johnson and the oft-overlooked right tackle position.
This marks a near-$7MM-per-year raise for Johnson, who was previously signed to a five-year, $56.25MM deal that ran through the 2021 season. The 29-year-old blocker is now signed through 2025.
This pact follows a spree of 2019 extensions, with the Eagles planning far ahead with their O-line. Philadelphia has extended Johnson, Brandon Brooks, Jason Kelce and Isaac Seumalo this year. Four members of Philly’s current front five are locked up into the mid-2020s, with only 37-year-old Jason Peters on a year-to-year setup at this point. While the Johnson deal represents the biggest number, the Eagles are showing tremendous faith in their current blockers.
Philly now employs the highest-paid tackle and guard in the league, with Brooks’ $14MM-per-year deal edging Zack Martin‘s pact earlier this month. Johnson’s new contract eclipses Trent Brown‘s $16.5MM-AAV price set earlier this year. The NFL’s two highest-paid offensive linemen, interestingly, now each play right tackle. The highest-paid left tackle, Taylor Lewan, signed for $16MM annually last year. Johnson’s deal figures to move that market, however.
Taken in a 2013 draft that produced several top-10 busts, Johnson is the rare Pro Bowl right tackle. Twice given the honor that almost exclusively goes to left tackles, Johnson has helped the Eagles form one of the league’s top lines. Pro Football Focus grades Johnson as this season’s No. 2 overall tackle.
He has dealt with suspension and injury issues, however. Johnson has missed 14 career games due to two PED bans, the most recent of which in 2016. He earned first-team All-Pro honors the next year and helped the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title. Helping to explain the record-smashing contract: in Carson Wentz‘s four-year career, his QBR figure drops by more than 20 points without Johnson in the lineup. He is set to return to Philadelphia’s lineup this week after missing Week 12 with a concussion.
Bengals To Place G Alex Redmond On IR
The Bengals will be without another of their offensive line starters for the season’s remainder. Alex Redmond will go on IR because of the torn biceps injury he suffered last week, Ben Baby of ESPN.com tweets.
Redmond’s move off the 53-man roster will make room for cornerback Darius Phillips, whom the Bengals will activate from IR. The Bengals placed Phillips on IR in late September, but the second-year corner returned to practice last week.
A 15-game starter last year, Redmond only made two starts for the Bengals this year. He began this season with a four-game suspension and suffered an ankle injury weeks ago. The third-year blocker was set to return to action in Week 12 but suffered this biceps malady during pregame warmups. Par for the course for what’s been a brutal Bengals season, particularly on the offensive front.
Phillips will be used in a backup role, per Zac Taylor. The 2018 fifth-round pick has played in 18 games, making one start in that time. Redmond can be retained next year via RFA tender, though the 2017 UDFA will not have much momentum going into that process.
Seahawks Designate Ethan Pocic To Return
The Seahawks announced that they have designated Ethan Pocic to return from injured reserve. The offensive lineman will aim to take the field for the first time since his back injury sidelined him. 
Per league rules, the move will kickstart a two-week practice window for Pocic, who will be eligible to return in Week 15 against the Panthers. The move also means that the Seahawks cannot bring another player back from IR in 2019. The Seahawks used their other IR-DTR slot to bring Ed Dickson back into the fold last week, but the tight end quickly reverted to IR after his knee troubles re-emerged.
Pocic has served as a swiss army knife of an offensive lineman for the Seahawks, but he’ll likely be deployed at center to hold down the role previously filled by Justin Britt. Since Britt tore his ACL, Joey Hunt has been the starter, with Jordan Roos as his backup.
Pocic, a 2017 second-round pick, has started in 16 games as a pro. Between now and Week 15, the 9-2 Seahawks will have to keep fighting without him as they face the Vikings and Rams.
Patriots To Sign Kai Forbath
The Patriots are expected to sign veteran kicker Kai Forbath to replace Nick Folk, sources tell ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). With that, Forbath will serve as the Pats’ kicker against the Texans on Sunday. 
On Thursday, we learned that Folk will miss one game as he recovers from an appendectomy. The surgery was minimally invasive, so the belief is that he will be ready to roll against the Chiefs on December 8.
Forbath kicked in three games for the Jaguars last season and served as the Vikings’ full-time kicker in 2017. For his career, Forbath has made 85.7% of his field goal tries for the Redskins, Saints, Vikes, and Jaguars.
In other Pats news, the club released tackle Jared Veldheer from the reserve/retired list earlier this week. Despite his injury issues, the nine-year veteran is reportedly in good shape and could profile as an emergency fill-in for a contender in need.
Giants To Place Zak DeOssie On IR
The Giants are expected to place longtime long snapper Zak DeOssie on injured reserve with knee and wrist injuries, sources tell NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). The injury may mark the end of DeOssie’s time with the Giants, as he looks ahead to his 36th birthday in May. 
DeOssie entered the league as a 2007 fourth-round pick of the Giants and went on to win two Super Bowls rings the club. The long snapper and Eli Manning represent the last two players from the Giants’ last Super Bowl victory, and both players could exit the organization in the coming months. After those two, the longest tenured Giants are cornerback Janoris Jenkins and wide receiver Sterling Shepard.
DeOssie was named to the Pro Bowl twice, in 2008 and again in 2010. Before now, he missed just four games in his career, all in the 2015 season.
The Brown product re-upped with the Giants on a one-year deal in the spring, fresh off of his previous two-year contract worth $2.315MM. He’ll be eligible for free agency in March.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/27/19
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Carson Meier
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: C Jake Brendel
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Chris Lacy
- Placed on IR: WR Marvin Hall
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Da’Mari Scott
- Waived: WR Bennie Fowler
Oakland Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Rico Gafford
- Waived: OL Erik Magnuson
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: DL Damontre Moore
- Promoted from practice squad: DL Jeremiah Valoaga
Washington
- Signed: OLB Nate Orchard
Raiders Promote Rico Gafford, Release Eric Magnuson
The Raiders promoted wide receiver Rico Gafford to the active roster and released offensive lineman Erik Magnuson to clear the spot on the 53-man roster, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. Oakland, of course, recently will be missing slot receiver Hunter Renfrow while he recovers from a rib injury and decided to add Gafford to help supplement their receiving corp.
Before joining the Raiders, Gafford was a defensive back. He bounced between two junior colleges before landing at Wyoming prior to going pro last year. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Titans, but was released at the end of training camp. The Raiders signed him a couple days later to their practice squad and soon announced a position change to wide receiver. Last season, Gafford was briefly promoted to Oakland’s 53-man roster and appeared in one game on special teams. This season, Gafford once again failed to make a roster at the end of the preseason, but was resigned to the Raiders practice squad.
With Renfrow out, the Raiders have limited experience in the rest of their wide receivers. Gafford will likely start at the bottom of the depth chart, primarily playing on special teams, but he may have an opportunity to earn his way into the rotation.
Magnuson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the 49ers in 2017. He made the team’s active roster and appeared in 8 games (3 starts) from 2017-2018. San Francisco waived Magnuson early this preseason, but was eventually signed to the Bills practice squad, where the Raiders signed him from on October 30th. With experience at center, guard, and tackle, Magnuson should receive other opportunities to provide depth along a team’s front.
Titans Place Delanie Walker On IR, Sign K Ryan Santoso
The Titans made a pair of roster moves Wednesday. Tennessee is placing tight end Delanie Walker on injured reserve, and signing kicker Ryan Santoso to take his place on the roster, the team announced.
Walker started the season as the Titans’ starting tight end once again, but the 35-year-old was hampered by the ankle that he had surgery on last year. A severe ankle injury cost him all but one game last season, and with the injuries piling up it’s possible this is the end of the road for the longtime veteran. He’ll finish 2019 having played in seven games, with 21 catches for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
Walker has been playing in the league for 14 seasons, and has been with the Titans since 2013. He had at least 800 yards for four straight seasons from 2014 through 2017. He’s under contract for next season, but the Titans can get out of it pretty easily if they want to. He signed a two-year, $17MM extension with $10.5MM guaranteed before last season.
In his absence the team will continue to lean on Jonnu Smith, a third-year player who has flashed a lot of promise. Tennessee also added Santoso, but regular kicker Ryan Succop isn’t going anywhere. The team intends to carry two kickers for now, writes Jim Wyatt of the team’s official site. Santoso is a Minnesota alum who has never kicked in a regular season game. It appears that he’s going to be tasked with handling kickoffs, while Succop continues to kick field goals.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/26/19
A handful of practice squad moves to pass along:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: OT Cody Conway
Houston Texans
- Signed: S Jonathan Owens
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: S Doug Middleton
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: FB Johnny Stanton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Chris Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Wes Saxton
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Kenneth Durden, DL Joey Ivie