Jaguars Release WR Terrelle Pryor
The Jaguars are making some early moves towards making the 53-man max. On Friday morning, Jacksonville cut wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, defensive tackle Datone Jones, and former Alabama cornerback Saivion Smith, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Pryor parlayed his huge season with the Browns a couple of years back into a one-year, $6MM free agent deal with the Redskins. Unfortunately, he was held back by an ankle injury and did little in D.C. He tried to regain his footing with the Jets and Bills last year, but injuries got the best of him once again. Then, he signed a veteran’s minimum contract with the Jaguars, but the former quarterback was unable to stay healthy and/or prove himself in practice.
Jones, 28, was selected by the Packers with the 26th overall pick of the 2013 draft, but he’s never been able to put it all together at the NFL level. In four seasons with Green Bay, Jones appeared in 60 games, but made only seven starts and never topped 600 snaps in any individual campaign. He joined the Jags in June and he finds himself seeking a new gig in late August.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/29/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LS Andrew DePaola
- Placed on IR: DT Destiny Vaeao
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: G Dejon Allen
Browns, Bills Complete Trade
The Bills have sent guard Wyatt Teller and a seventh-round pick to the Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick in 2020. The deal, announced by Buffalo, will give Cleveland some additional depth on the offensive line.
Given the timing of the deal, Teller seems a near-lock to make the final cut. He’ll find out for sure on Saturday afternoon, when teams go from the 90-man max to the 53-man limit.
Teller a former fifth-round pick of the Bills in 2018, started the final seven games of his rookie year at left guard.
Cardinals Sign Clinton McDonald
The Cardinals have signed defensive tackle Clinton McDonald, according to a tweet from his agents. McDonald should help provide depth on the defensive line as the club prepares for a switch back to a 3-4 scheme.
[RELATED: Cardinals To Place WR Hakeem Butler On IR]
It’s a one-year, $1.25MM deal, according to Adam Caplan (on Twitter). The pact includes just $120K fully guaranteed with a base salary of $930K.
The Cardinals already added defensive tackle help with their trade for Bruce Hector, but they’re leaving no stone unturned, especially after cutting former first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche. The well-traveled McDonald, who spent time with the Seahawks, Bengals, Buccaneers, and Broncos before joining the Raiders last year, could fit the bill.
McDonald is perhaps best known for his work with the Seahawks in 2013 in their lead-up to the Super Bowl. In that season, McDonald compiled 35 tackles and 5.5 sacks.
Jermon Bushrod To Retire
Jermon Bushrod is retiring, according to Jane Slater of NFL.com (on Twitter). The offensive lineman will sign a one-day contract with the Saints and make a formal announcement on Thursday during the Saints’ final preseason game. 
Bushrod, the Saints’ starting left tackle in Super Bowl XLIV, met with the Panthers back in March, but his plans have changed for one reason or another. Prior to his retirement, Bushrod was one of less than 20 players from the 2007 draft to still be active in the NFL.
After starting his career with the Saints, Bushrod spent time with the Bears and Dolphins before returning to New Orleans in 2018. He made six starts and 11 total appearances last season, filling in at left tackle for the injured Terron Armstead. Pro Football Focus assigned Bushrod sub-par grades, ranking him as the league’s No. 59 tackle among 80 qualifiers.
Ravens Trade OG Jermaine Eluemunor To Patriots
The Patriots aren’t done trading for offensive linemen. About an hour after acquiring Korey Cunningham from the Cardinals, the Pats went out and got another body up front.
New England has reached a deal with Baltimore to trade for guard Jermaine Eluemunor, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). In the deal, the Ravens will send Eluemunor and a sixth-round pick to the Pats a fourth-round pick, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter hears.
Hensley writes that Eluemunor was originally the favorite to start at left guard for the Ravens, but he “fell out of favor” after failing a conditioning test earlier this offseason. He also had several nagging injuries that kept him off the practice field.
Terms of the deal weren’t immediately disclosed, and the Ravens later tweeted out they were receiving an “undisclosed draft pick.” The Patriots needed some offensive line depth, so these moves make some sense. After it was revealed that David Andrews might miss the entire season with a blood clot, Ted Karras became the starting center. Karras was also a reserve guard, and the Pats’ interior line became pretty thin with him getting bumped up to a starting role.
Eluemunor was drafted by the Ravens in the fifth-round back in 2017. He started two games as a rookie and one last year. The Texas A&M product isn’t a lock to make New England’s roster, especially if the pick they gave up for him turns out to be conditional.
Packers Trade Reggie Gilbert To Titans
We’ve got another minor trade for you. This time, it’s the Packers sending outside linebacker Reggie Gilbert to the Titans in exchange for a seventh-round pick, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Gilbert entered the league as an undrafted free agent back in 2016, and he’s been in Green Bay ever since. Gilbert spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad, and then managed to get on the active roster for a bit in 2017. He was finally able to carve out a real role last season, when he appeared in all 16 games.
Playing in a rotational role, Gilbert racked up 38 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two passes defended. All told he ended up playing over 45 percent of the defensive snaps, so he was more than just a bit contributor. The Arizona product will be a free agent after the season. The Titans could use some pass-rushing depth, so their interest makes some sense.
It’s not a coincidence that all these minor trades are starting to take place. It’s a way for teams to circumvent the waiver process and add depth before roster cutdowns by giving up late-round picks. These type of moves will continue to happen more and more as we get closer to cutdown day.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/19
We’ll keep track of today’s roster shuffling here as teams gear up for major cuts at the end of the week:
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: DE Mike Love
- Waived: P Corey Carter
- Waived from IR: OL De’Ondre Wesley
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LS Andrew DePaola
- Placed on IR: DT Destiny Vaeao
Chicago Bears
- Claimed off waivers: OL Tommy Doles
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB James Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Jackson Porter
- Waived (failed physical): LB Nicholas Grigsby
Houston Texans
- Waived: DB Deante Burton, DB Derrick Jones
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from injured reserve: RB Roc Thomas
New England Patriots
- Waived from injured reserve: WR Maurice Harris
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OT Riley Mayfield
- Placed on IR: WR Charles Johnson
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: TE Cole Wick
- Waive/injured: OLB Josh Smith
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Will Holden, DE Logan Tago
- Waived: DT Jay-Tee Tiuli
Cards Trade Korey Cunningham To Patriots
The Patriots are sending a sixth-round pick to the Cardinals in exchange for offensive lineman Korey Cunningham, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Cunningham first broke the news himself, via Instagram.
“Arizona!! Man, it’s been a fun year and a half out in the desert!” Cunningham wrote. “Thank you to Mr. [Bidwill], Steve Keim, and the Cardinals organization for allowing me to start off my career here. Wish you guys nothing but the best of luck this season! With that being said, I was just notified that I have been traded to the New England Patriots. Beyond excited to continue my career and to get back to work!!”
Cunningham, a second-year pro, was set to serve as a backup tackle for the Cardinals after starting six games last season. Instead, the 2018 seventh-round pick will provide depth for the Patriots.
Given the Patriots’ need for offensive line support and the timing of the deal, Cunningham seems likely to make the 53-man roster as a swing tackle behind Isaiah Wynn and Marcus Cannon. Dan Skipper and Cole Croston, meanwhile, could be on or near the bubble.
Texans, Brennan Scarlett Agree To Extension
The Texans have agreed to an extension with outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). With the new deal, Scarlett is now under contract through the 2020 season. 
Earlier this year, the Texans used the restricted free agent tender to lock Scarlett down for $2.25MM in 2019. The extension will take him through the following season at a rate of $3.75MM.
Scarlett, a Stanford product, has had a strong offseason, and he has been rewarded for his efforts.
“Brennan, he has improved a whole lot, especially from last year to this year,” Texans veteran Whitney Mercilus said recently (via the Houston Chronicle). “He’s embraced his role. His pass rush has been on point. His pass coverage has been on point. I’m excited to see exactly what he does this year.”
Last year, the former UDFA was called upon to make three starts. If teammate Jadeveon Clowney gets traded, then he’ll be seeing even more time on the field.