Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/19
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: G Isaac Asiata, S Abraham Wallace
- Waived: WR Da’Mari Scott
- Placed on IR: Jeremiah Sirles
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DL Lyndon Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB David Rivers
- Waived: C Ryan Anderson
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: K Jonathan Brown
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Mazzi Wilkins
- Waived/injured: CB Jalen Allison
Seahawks’ Jarran Reed Suspended
Seahawks defensive lineman Jarran Reed has been suspended for the first six games of the 2019 season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The ban stems from a 2017 violation of the personal conduct policy.
As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes, the Bellevue Police Department recommended that Reed be charged with fourth-degree assault in connection with a domestic violence incident that occurred in April 2017, but the city’s prosecuting office did not believe there was sufficient evidence to prove the crime occurred, so it declined to pursue the matter. As such, Reed was never arrested or charged
According to the police report, Reed and his girlfriend got into an argument at Reed’s home, and Reed allegedly grabbed the woman’s throat and pulled her into the bathroom. Shortly thereafter, the woman claimed that Reed grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her across a bedroom floor and then down several stairs before she broke free.
The NFL did its own investigation and opted to suspend Reed 27 months after the incident. The league also denied Reed an appeal.
Of course, this will lead to obvious questions as to why Reed was suspended — and why it took so long to do it — when the Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill escaped league discipline. The NFL did not respond to the Seattle Times’ request for further comment on the matter.
Reed underwent sports hernia surgery in April but was on track to participate in training camp. Now, he’ll have to wait until at least October to see live action.
The Seahawks were banking on a big season from Reed, who is coming off of a season with 10.5 sacks as a starter. He was also an extension candidate, but those plans may now be put on hold.
The Seahawks will have to generate pass pressure from elsewhere, and that won’t be an easy task after the trade of Frank Clark. Poona Ford and first-round pick L.J. Collier will have to carry much of the load, unless the team is able to find help elsewhere.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Texans Sign P Bryan Anger
The Texans have signed veteran punter Bryan Anger, according to a team announcement, and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets that it is a one-year, $1MM pact. In a related move, Houston waived UDFA linebacker Drew Lewis.
The Buccaneers cut Anger in May, thereby saving $3MM against the cap. At the end of the 2016 season, Anger signed an extension with Tampa Bay that would have kept him under club control through 2021, but the Bucs elected to move forward with Bradley Pinion instead.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle makes it sound as if Anger was signed merely for camp depth, as he suggests that second-year player Trevor Daniel will remain the starter. However, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com tweets that Anger and Daniel will compete for the job.
Anger, a former third-round pick of the Jaguars who was selected ahead of players like Russell Wilson and T.Y. Hilton, spent the first four years of his career in Jacksonville before signing with Tampa Bay in March 2016. He has a net average of 40.6 yards per kick for his career.
Packers, Dean Lowry Agree To Extension
The Packers have agreed to a contract extension with DE Dean Lowry, according to a team announcement. Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports that it will be a three-year, $20.325MM extension (Twitter link).
Lowry, a fourth-round pick out of Northwestern in 2016, was heading into the last year of his rookie deal and was scheduled to earn $2.025MM this year. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the $20.325MM (which includes a $6MM signing bonus) will be new money on top of that $2.025MM.
Lowry has quietly put together a very strong start to his professional career, and 2018 was his best season to date, as he recorded 57 tackles (seven for loss), three sacks, three passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two QB hits, and 14 QB pressures in 16 games (eight starts).
He is, at the very least, a solid piece of the club’s D-line, and now that he is in the fold for the foreseeable future, Green Bay may turn its attention to fellow DE Mike Daniels, who is also entering the last year of his current contract.
Vikings’ Holton Hill Suspended (Again)
Vikings cornerback Holton Hill has been suspended, once again. This time around, it’s a four-game ban for violating the NFL’s policy and program on substances of abuse, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. 
Hill, 22, made the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of Texas and wound up appearing in all 16 games for the Vikings last year, including three starts. He finished out with 36 tackles in total and made his first career interception in the Vikings’ October romp over the Jets.
This year, he was slated for a significant role in the secondary, but a pair of four-game bans will keep him sidelined until the midway point of the season. In April, the Vikings learned that they would be without Hill for a quarter of the season thanks to a PED policy violation.
The team will not be releasing a statement, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter).
Broncos Waive K Taylor Bertolet
The Broncos have ended their kicking competition, while starting a new battle at punter. On Tuesday, the Broncos waived kicker Taylor Bertolet and signed punter Justin Vogel. 
This effectively means that Brandon McManus will be the Broncos’ starting kicker this year. A cursory look at McManus’ stats shows a so-so 80% field goal conversion rate last year, but all five of his misses came from 50 yards or more. Within reasonable range, McManus was a perfect 18-18 and nailed all of his extra point tries.
Vogel, meanwhile, will duke it out with Colby Wadman for the punting gig. Wadman, a rising NFL sophomore, averaged 44.7 yards per punt in 2018.
Redskins Release Mason Foster
The Redskins released Mason Foster on Tuesday (Twitter link via Erin Hawksworth). The news comes as a surprise, especially since inside linebacker Reuben Foster won’t be able to play in 2019. 
[RELATED: Reuben Foster Done For Season]
Foster started in 16 games for the Redskins last year and was expected to return to first-string duties following R. Foster’s leg injury. Still, the team had concerns about M. Foster’s ability to play in nickel sets, which may have led to his release.
The 30-year-old tallied 131 tackles, two interceptions, and one sack last season. He’ll now be free to sign with another club as an unrestricted free agent and he likely won’t be out of work for long. By releasing Foster, the Redskins will save $4MM against just $250K in dead money.
Cowboys Release WR Allen Hurns
The Cowboys are cutting wide receiver Allen Hurns, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The Cowboys were reportedly asking Hurns to take a pay cut this offseason and his release could be related to that matter. 
Hurns signed a two-year, $12MM deal with Dallas last offseason, and was slated to have a cap hit of $6.25MM this year. Given his level of production last season, it’s not surprising that the Cowboys wanted to reduce that number or remove him from the roster. Still, they exercised the Year Two option in March.
With Dez Bryant gone, Hurns was supposed to compete for one of the Cowboys’ top receiving jobs after Dallas signed him away from Jacksonville. But he never showed much chemistry with Dak Prescott, and he quickly got buried on the depth chart after the emergence of rookie Michael Gallup and the trade for Amari Cooper. Hurns caught 20 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season.
His season ended with a devastating ankle injury suffered in the first round of the playoffs against the Seahawks. The injury was gruesome, but Hurns was said to be recovering well.
Hurns will now look to prove his health elsewhere and look to regain the form he exhibited in Jacksonville.
Bengals, Tyler Boyd Agree To Extension
The Bengals are signing wide receiver Tyler Boyd to a four-year, $43MM extension, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Boyd now will be under contract through the 2023 season. 
Prior to the deal, Boyd was set to play out the 2019 season before reaching free agency. Under the new pact, the Bengals have added four more years while Boyd has put himself in the top 20 at his position, in terms of new money average annual value. Furthermore, he’s now one of the league’s highest-paid slot receivers.
Following a pair of underwhelming seasons to begin his career, Boyd had a breakout campaign in 2018, hauling in 76 receptions for 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games. Part of his production could be attributed to the fact that A.J. Green missed seven games, placing Boyd atop the depth chart. On the flip side, the receiver also established a career-high catch percentage and yards-per-target.
The deal is similar that of Sterling Shepard‘s contract with the Giants, which was a four-year deal worth $41MM ($21.3MM guaranteed), a watermark that Boyd personally said he had in mind. We’re still waiting on the full details, but the contract may also mirror the one Tyrell Williams signed with the Raiders (four years, $44MM ($22MM guaranteed)).
As our own Dallas Robinson previously pointed out, Boyd topped Shepard in every offensive category this past season, and he finished higher than the Giants wideout in both Pro Football Focus‘ positional grades and Football Outsiders’ receiving metrics. Boyd’s 2019 season was comparable to Williams’ 2016 campaign, although Williams was older and coming off a pair of subpar seasons when he signed his recent deal with Oakland.
With Boyd’s contract addressed, the Bengals’ focus now must shift to Green, who has one year to go on his deal. Despite Green’s recent injury trouble, both sides have expressed a strong desire to get something done.
Jets Release RB De’Angelo Henderson
The Jets have released running back De’Angelo Henderson. The former Broncos sixth-rounder was on the Jets’ active roster last season, but appeared in only three games.
Henderson, 26, appeared in a handful of games as a rookie for Denver, despite some training camp hype and hope about his potential role. He joined the Jets’ practice squad after missing Denver’s final cut in 2018 and earned a promotion to the main roster after Bilal Powell was lost for the year.
The running back had a standout collegiate career at Coastal Carolina University, rushing for a touchdown in 35 consecutive games (an NCCA Division I record). In the NFL, he has a total of nine carries for 32 yards.