Minor NFL Transactions: 6/13/19
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Jordan McCray
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Obum Gwacham
- Waived: DT Chunky Clements
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Tre McBride, DT Kalani Vakameilalo
- Waived: LB Nick Deluca, LS Christian Kuntz
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Neal Sterling
- Waived: LB Gary Johnson, T Justin Senior, RB James Williams
New York Jets
- Signed: CB Mark Myers
- Waived: S John Battle
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Ryan Hewitt
- Waived: TE Keith Towbridge
Saints Sign Rishard Matthews
The Saints have signed wide receiver Rishard Matthews, according to the NFL’s transactions wire. To make room, the team waived fellow wide receiver Travin Dural. 
The Titans granted Matthews’ request for release in late September after he grew frustrated with his lack of playing time. He hooked on with the Jets in October, but posted just two catches for 13 yards before landing on injured reserve.
Prior to that, Matthews was the Titans’ leading receiver for two seasons. And, prior to that, he had something of a breakout season with the Dolphins in 2015.
Matthews isn’t the only ex-Jet to join the Saints’ WR group. The Saints also added Chad Hansen earlier this week, giving them a baker’s dozen of receivers on the 90-man roster.
Cardinals Release CB David Amerson
The Cardinals announced that they have released cornerback David Amerson. It’s a surprising move considering that star Patrick Peterson will be suspended for the first six games of the 2019 season. 
[RELATED: Cardinals Meet With Andre Branch]
The Cardinals project to start free agent addition Robert Alford at one cornerback spot, opposite of Peterson when his suspension is over. While Peterson is sidelined, the club figures to place either second-round pick Byron Murphy or Tramaine Brock in the starting lineup. The other cornerbacks on the roster include Chris Jones, Deatrick Nichols, rookie Nate Brooks and Brandon Williams.
Amerson joined the Cardinals last November and appeared in six games with the club. The 27-year-old will now look to hook on elsewhere.
Chiefs, Harrison Butker Agree To Extension
The Chiefs signed kicker Harrison Butker to a contract extension, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The new deal will lock Butker down with a five-year add-on worth roughly $20MM. 
With the new pact, Butker will be on the books for another six years in total, taking him through the 2024 season. The Chiefs couldn’t have known it at the time, but they found their franchise kicker in 2017 when they claimed Butker off waivers from the Panthers.
The Chiefs held on to Butker via the exclusive rights free agent tender this offseason, locking him down for $645K in 2019. The new deal will give him an average annual value of $4MM, putting him in the top ten at his position.
In 2017, Butker led the NFL with 42 field goal attempts, despite playing in only 13 games, and sank 38 of them, giving him a 90.5% completion percentage on the year. He kept up the good work in 2018, nailing 88.9% of his kicks. The Chiefs’ high-powered offense resulted in far more touchdowns than FGs last year, but Butker still got plenty of screen time with a league-high 69 extra point tries and converted 65 of them.
Buccaneers Sign Rookie Mike Edwards
The Buccaneers have signed third-round safety Mike Edwards to his rookie deal, according to a team announcement. Per the terms of his slot, the four-year pact should be worth $3.34MM with an $822K signing bonus. 
Taken with the No. 99 overall pick, Edwards could be in line for a starting role at safety this year. Even if he doesn’t make the first-string squad, he figures to see a decent amount of playing time in the secondary.
At Kentucky, Edwards proved his effectiveness at multiple positions. In total, he racked up 318 tackles, the second-highest total in school history among defensive backs. He also had a nose for the football with the Wildcats, notching ten career interceptions, including two pick-sixes.
With Edwards signed, the Bucs have just two unsigned picks left in first-round linebacker Devin White and third-round cornerback Jamel Dean.
Colts, Kenny Moore Agree To Extension
The Colts and cornerback Kenny Moore have agreed to terms on a four-year extension, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal will make him the highest paid slot cornerback in NFL history in terms of new money. 
Before the add-on, Moore had one year remaining on his contract. The Colts also had the option of keeping Moore via the restricted free agency tag beyond 2019, but the new deal will provide the Colts with long-term cost certainty and give security to the former undrafted free agent.
After earning his scheduled $645K salary in 2019, Moore will earn $30MM in new money between 2020 and 2023, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Through incentives and bonuses, he can earn up to $36MM over the course of the extension.
The Colts claimed Moore off waivers from the Patriots just prior to the 2017 season. He made the cut as the team’s No. 5 cornerback, but proved to be much more valuable than that late in the season when he took over for the injured Rashaan Melvin later in the season.
In 2018, Moore won a starting role and truly took off. He graded out as the No. 32 ranked corner in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, and finished out with three interceptions and 77 tackles.
Outside of Darius Leonard, Moore was probably the Colts’ most effective defensive playmaker last year. The Colts didn’t necessarily have to extend Moore, who was still under club control for two more years, but they had the cap room to get a deal done after a quiet offseason.
Lions Trade Michael Roberts To Patriots
The Lions are trading tight end Michael Roberts to the Patriots for a conditional 7th-round pick in 2020, according to Justin Rogers of the Detroit News (on Twitter). Roberts, a fourth-round pick in 2017, will hope to find success with a chance of scenery. 
Roberts has yet to break through at the pro level, but he has flashed some ability over the past two seasons. He had his best showing in October of last year when he caught two touchdown passes against the Dolphins. Ultimately, however, injuries have prevented him from really making a dent.
Roberts provides the Patriots with another possibility at tight end, something they sorely need after the retirement of star Rob Gronkowski. Austin Seferian-Jenkins was meant to be one of the team’s solutions at the position, but the Pats released him earlier this month when his personal problems reemerged. Meanwhile, new pickup Ben Watson will be sidelined for the first four games of the season due to PEDs.
As it currently stands, Matt LaCosse projects to be the Patriots’ starting TE when they open the season in September. The Roberts acquisition probably won’t change that, but he could provide some valuable support if he’s able to make the cut.
Titans Sign Second-Round WR A.J. Brown
The Titans have wrapped up their 2019 draft class by signing second-round wide receiver A.J. Brown, the club announced today.
Brown was the fourth wideout off the board — following Marquise Brown (Ravens), N’Keal Harry (Patriots), and Deebo Samuel (49ers) — when Tennessee selected him at 51st overall. Brown was the second Ole Miss alum to be drafted, following offensive tackle Greg Little, one of two Rebel receivers (joining fellow second-rounder D.K. Metcalf), and one of six Ole Miss products to be drafted in 2019.
Although he was viewed as a pro-ready pass-catcher coming out of college, Brown may not become an immediate starter for the Titans. 2017 first-round pick Corey Davis and free agent addition Adam Humphries — inked to a four-year, $36MM deal — are locked into starting spots, so Brown will compete with the likes of Taywan Taylor and Tajae Sharpe for snaps as Tennessee’s third wide receiver.
Brown led Ole Miss in receptions (85), yards (1,320), and touchdowns (six) during his final collegiate season, and topped 1,000 yards in each of the past two years. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared the 6’0″, 225-pound Brown to Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, lauding Brown’s route-running ability and competitiveness.
Here’s the Titans 2019 class in its entirety:
- 1-19: Jeffery Simmons, DT (Mississippi State)
- 2-51: A.J. Brown, WR (Ole Miss)
- 3-82: Nate Davis, G (Charlotte)
- 4-116: Amani Hooker, S (Iowa)
- 5-168: D’Andre Walker, LB (Georgia)
- 6-188: David Long Jr., LB (West Virginia)
Cowboys Sign Connor McGovern
The Cowboys have signed third-round pick Connor McGovern, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). With that, the Cowboys have inked every draft pick in their 2019 class. 
McGovern isn’t practicing with the team during its mandatory minicamp due to a pectoral strain. However, once he’s healthy, he says he’ll try to crack the team’s starting lineup.
Even if McGovern isn’t a starter this year, he could provide quality support behind Connor Williams and Zack Martin at the guard spots. Eventually, Williams may be shifted to tackle and current right tackle La’el Collins may depart after this year, his final season under contract, so there’s a clear path for McGovern to start at some point. In theory, strong camps from Williams and McGovern could give Dallas enough confidence to move Collins in a trade and add some draft picks for 2020.
Here’s the full rundown of the Cowboys’ class, via PFR’s tracker:
- 2-58: Trysten Hill, DT (Central Florida): Signed
- 3-90: Connor McGovern, G (Penn State): Signed
- 4-128: Troy Pollard, RB (Memphis): Signed
- 5-158: Michael Jackson, CB (Miami): Signed
- 5-165: Joe Jackson, DE (Miami): Signed
- 6-213: Donovan Wilson, S (Texas A&M): Signed
- 7-218: Mike Weber, RB (Ohio State): Signed
- 7-241: Jalen Jelks, DE (Oregon): Signed
Jaguars Sign Quincy Williams
The Jaguars’ entire draft class is in the books. On Wednesday, the Jaguars announced the signing of third-round linebacker Quincy Williams, the club’s last straggler in the 2019 group.
Williams, the brother of third-overall pick Quinnen Williams, was a surprise pick in the third round. The Murray State linebacker wasn’t among the 400 players scouted by NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, nor was he on the list of 730 prospects compiled by The Athletic’s Arif Hasan. He wasn’t invited to the Combine and Murray State didn’t have a Pro Day, so Williams assumed he was going to go undrafted.
“For me coming from a small school and didn’t get a combine invite, yeah, I kind of did,” Williams said. “Then I had to go to Pro Day somewhere else, so most people thought I was a safety or a smaller linebacker, so yeah it was a thought in my mind. But then I know my abilities, and I believe in myself.”
Here’s the full breakdown of the Jags’ class, courtesy of PFR’s tracker:
- 1-7: Josh Allen, DE (Kentucky): Signed
- 2-35: Jawaan Taylor, T (Florida): Signed
- 3-69: Josh Oliver, TE (San Jose State): Signed
- 3-98: Quincy Williams, LB (Murray State): Signed
- 5-140: Ryquell Armstead, RB (Temple): Signed
- 6-178: Gardner Minshew, QB (Washington State): Signed
- 7-235: Dontavius Russell, DT (Auburn): Signed