Minor NFL Transactions: 11/20/19
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Jesper Horsted
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: S J.T. Hassell
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed off Colts’ practice squad: CB Deante Burton
- Placed on IR: CB Anthony Brown
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from IR: LB Andrew Van Ginkel
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Gerald Willis
Lions Activate DE Austin Bryant From IR
One of several Clemson defensive linemen drafted this year, Austin Bryant is in line to make his NFL debut. The Lions activated Bryant from IR on Wednesday.
The defensive end will take the roster spot of fullback Nick Bawden, whom the Lions placed on IR. A foot injury will shelve Bawden.
Bryant joined first-rounders Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence on Clemson’s loaded D-line last season. Despite registering 17 sacks and 30.5 tackles for loss last season, Bryant fell to the fourth round. The rookie suffered a torn pectoral muscle last November but played through it. He did not undergo surgery until January, affecting his stock somewhat. But the Lions will soon see what they have in the two-time national champion defender.
This will be Bawden’s second straight season on IR. The 2018 seventh-round pick missed all of last season because of an ACL tear. He played sparingly this season but served as the team’s fullback.
Dolphins Place Jones, McCain On IR
The two longest-tenured Dolphin defenders will finish their seasons on injured reserve. Miami placed safeties Reshad Jones and Bobby McCain on IR, where they will join cornerback Xavien Howard.
This strips the Dolphins’ secondary of two key veterans — in a year that’s seen numerous Miami vets depart or head to IR — and creates questions about Jones’ future with the franchise. Jones is by far the Dolphins’ longest-tenured player, at 10 years, but he was a trade candidate throughout this offseason.
A chest injury cost Jones four games this season, but he returned for the Dolphins’ Week 11 matchup against the Bills. Against the Browns, the Dolphins will deploy a skeleton crew featuring Eric Rowe and a host of young players. McCain suffered a shoulder injury against Buffalo.
The Dolphins gave Jones a $12MM-per-year extension in March 2017; the two-time Pro Bowler’s play since, however, has not quite lived up to that price. Jones will turn 32 in February and stands to count $15.6MM toward Miami’s 2020 cap. The Dolphins could save nearly $8MM by releasing Jones next year, though that move would cost them almost as much in dead-money charges.
Miami offered Jones to Pittsburgh before sending Minkah Fitzpatrick there this year, but the former’s high salary impeded trade talks this offseason. For a Dolphins team that’s made no secret of a full-scale rebuild, as the exits of most of the franchise’s previous core have shown, it will likely not have an issue jettisoning Jones next year.
McCain has started eight games for Miami this season and 40 since joining the team as a 2015 fifth-round pick. He’s attached to a four-year, $27MM extension the Dolphins gave him in 2018. With only $5.5MM in 2020 salary due, the 26-year-old defender has a better chance of returning next season.
The Dolphins added safety help by signing ex-49ers starter Adrian Colbert off the Seahawks’ practice squad. They also placed 2019 Seahawks wide receiver draftee Gary Jennings on IR.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/19/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Waived: LB James Vaughters
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed off Giants’ practice squad: LB Tuzar Skipper
- Placed on IR: DE L.T. Walton
Browns Place Morgan Burnett On IR
07:56pm: Burnett underwent successful surgery today, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). He is expected to make a full recovery.
09:35am: Morgan Burnett‘s season is over. As feared, the Browns’ veteran safety tore his Achilles in Cleveland’s win over the Steelers on Thursday, and the club announced that it has placed Burnett on IR.
It’s an especially difficult blow for Burnett, who missed some time due to injury earlier in the season as well. But he played all of the Browns’ defensive snaps in Weeks 8 through 10, and he was having a great night against Pittsburgh in Week 11, piling up five tackles — including one tackle for loss — and a big interception before suffering the Achilles tear. Burnett had been relegated to a part-time role as a member of the Steelers in 2018, but he had returned to a starter’s workload with Cleveland.
The 4-6 Browns were already going to have an uphill climb to make the playoffs, but that task will be even more difficult without Burnett on the back end of the defense and without the suspended Myles Garrett in the trenches. The Browns already cut safety Jermaine Whitehead earlier this year after he went on a Twitter tirade, so they could look outside the organization for a replacement for Burnett (they did work out several safeties yesterday). If not, Eric Murray, Juston Burris, or rookie Sheldrick Redwine are the current internal candidates on the 53-man roster.
Cleveland has Burnett under club control through the 2020 season after signing him to a two-year, $7.5MM deal in April. He ends his first Browns season with 41 tackles, one interception, and two sacks.
Eagles Extend LS Rick Lovato
A report surfaced Sunday indicating the Eagles were preparing to extend core players. While their long snapper might not qualify for such a label, that position is now locked down long-term.
The Eagles signed long snapper Rick Lovato to a four-year extension Tuesday. Although terms are not yet disclosed, the league’s 17 highest-paid long snappers earn between $1MM and $1.3MM annually. Lovato’s deal will undoubtedly fall in or around that price range.
After two seasons of part-time work with the Packers and Redskins, Lovato caught on with the Eagles in 2016 and became their full-time snapper in 2017. The Eagles used the Old Dominion alum as their deep snapper during their Super Bowl campaign and have deployed him in the same role since. Lovato, 27, is now signed through the 2023 season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/19/19
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad decisions.
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DE Austin Larkin
- Released: OL Anthony Coyle
Chicago Bears
- Signed: RB Jeremy McNichols
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DE Freedom Akinmoladun, WR Cody Thompson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: T Ryan Pope
Redskins Waive OLB Noah Spence
The Redskins waived Noah Spence on Tuesday, becoming the second NFC team to cut the fourth-year pass rusher this year. Washington promoted linebacker Carroll Phillips from its practice squad.
An in-season signing, Spence played seven games with Washington. He recorded one sack and three tackles in a backup role. The former second-round pick did not make the Buccaneers’ active roster this season. Unless Spence is claimed, he will again become a free agent.
Phillips played in 10 games with the Jaguars and Colts over the past two seasons. The former UDFA out of Illinois has made five career tackles. Despite making his NFL debut a year later, the 27-year-old Phillips is two years older than Spence.
Only one Washington edge defender — Ryan Kerrigan — has posted more than 2.5 sacks this season. The team’s premier sack artist has four in 10 games.
Patriots To Activate T Isaiah Wynn
Isaiah Wynn will make another return to the Patriots’ active roster. The second-year tackle missed the past eight games due to turf toe, but Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter) the Patriots will move him from IR back into their starting lineup.
The 2018 first-round pick’s NFL odyssey has not gone smoothly. After an Achilles tear wiped out his would-be rookie season, Wynn suffered an injury in Week 2 that sent him to IR. But the Patriots are set to give him another try. Considering their unusually shaky left tackle situation, Wynn staying healthy this time would represent a key development for the defending Super Bowl champions.
New England has used in-season signing Marshall Newhouse at left tackle for the past eight games. While Pro Football Focus slots the journeyman as a middling tackle this season (No. 48 overall), he’s been an obvious downgrade from Trent Brown. The Pats have benefited from a steady succession at left tackle for nearly 30 years, going from Bruce Armstrong to Matt Light to Nate Solder to Brown. The franchise had designs on Wynn continuing that pipeline, but the North Carolina State product’s injury trouble has put his future in question.
The Pats used the first of their two 2018 first-round picks on Wynn. While he’s only played 82 snaps as a pro, PFF did rate his limited work as positive. He will have a chance to build on that soon, likely this week against the Cowboys.
To make room for Wynn on their 53-man roster, the Pats placed wide receiver Gunner Olszewski on IR. Olszewski is battling ankle and hamstring injuries.
Dolphins Cut Mark Walton
The Dolphins are moving on from running back Mark Walton, they announced on Twitter. Walton was apparently involved in another as of yet undisclosed legal incident.
“We were made aware of a police matter earlier this morning regarding Mark Walton. We hold our players to a high standard and take these matters very seriously. We will have no further comment at this time,” GM Chris Grier said in a brief statement. Walton has had a ton of off-field issues during his short career, so this isn’t the most shocking news. Walton was recently suspended four games for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Walton had been arrested three times in a span of just a few months earlier this year, which ultimately led to the suspension. The Dolphins issued a statement sticking by him and saying he’d be welcomed back to the team after serving the suspension, but obviously something new happened while he was away from the franchise. Walton was drafted in the fourth-round by the Bengals back in 2018, but was cut after just one season in Cincinnati following his arrests.
The former University of Miami star came home to play for the Dolphins, and looked pretty good. He started to get more and more touches, and was for a brief period the undisputed starter after they traded away Kenyan Drake. Walton will likely get another shot from someone depending on how serious this new issue is, but he might have to wait until 2020. He still has two games left on his suspension. Second-year player Kalen Ballage will continue to filling in as the starter, with rookies Patrick Laird and Myles Gaskin filling in behind him. Ballage has struggled mightily, so he might start to lose playing time soon.