Dolphins Re-Sign LS John Denney
The Dolphins have re-signed long snapper John Denney, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Denney has been with the ‘Fins since 2005 and is the club’s longest-tenured player. 
Denney, 40, hooked on with Miami as an undrafted free agent out of BYU and has not missed a game in his entire career. His perfect attendance record and steady hands have kept him employed in sunny Miami for 14 seasons, and he’ll be back for a 15th year in 2019.
Along the way, Denney picked up Pro Bowl nods in 2010 and 2012 for his special teams work. He’s also shown to have a nose for the football – he has two fumble recoveries to his credit, one in 2013 and one in 2014.
Denney also boasts a streak of playing in 224 consecutive games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL. He’s tied for the longest streak ever for a long snapper and he’ll own that record outright if he plays in Week 1.
Cardinals Sign CB Robert Alford
The Cardinals have signed former Falcons cornerback Robert Alford to a three-year contract, the club announced today. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported (via Twitter) that Alford, who was released by Atlanta earlier this week, was working out an agreement with the Cards.
Alford’s thee-year pact has a base value of $22.5MM and could be worth up to $24MM, tweets Rapoport. The ex-Falcons defensive back was earning $9.5MM annually under his Atlanta contract, so Alford will take a pay cut as he heads to the Cardinals. His deal reportedly contains $13MM in guarantees, although those are likely injury guarantees and not full guarantees.
Arizona has previously attempted to fill its No. 2 corner void by making veteran additions, and it’s worked at points, with Antonio Cromartie and Tramon Williams representing success stories opposite top defensive back Patrick Peterson. The Cardinals attempted a similar strategy in 2018 by acquiring Jamar Taylor from the Browns prior to the regular season, but he struggled in the desert and was ultimately released in November.
Career journeyman Bene Benwikere ended up playing the second-most snaps of any Cardinals cornerback last year, but Arizona ranked just 23rd in DVOA against opposing No. 2 wideouts, so they were searching for an upgrade. As a bonus, Alford won’t affect the Cards’ compensatory pick calculations given that he was a street free agent following his release from the Falcons.
Alford, 30, had been one of Atlanta’s longest-tenured players, as he’d been with the club since being selected in the second round of the 2013 draft. An 88-game veteran, Alford started 15 games a season ago but posted arguably the worst campaign of his pro career. Pro Football Focus graded Alford as a bottom-10 cornerback league-wide, while he ranked dead last among 85 qualifiers in Football Outsiders’ yards per pass allowed and success rate.
Rams Re-Sign QB Brandon Allen
The Rams re-signed the practice squad quarterback Brandon Allen, according to the NFL’s transactions wire. In a related move, the club also re-signed offensive tackle Darrell Williams. 
Allen spent the year on the Rams’ practice squad but was with the club for the bulk of the 2017 season on their main roster. Like many QBs on the fringe, Allen has yet to throw a pass in a real NFL game.
Depending on how the rest of the offseason shakes out, Allen may have an opportunity to stick on the 53-man roster. As of this writing, he’s the only other QB on the roster outside of starter Jared Goff. Sean Mannion, last year’s No. 2 QB, will be a free agent in March.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/7/19
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Reggie Davis
New York Jets
- Signed: G Jordan Morgan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: K Phillip Andersen
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Hroniss Grasu
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/6/19
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Waived: DE Andrew Trumbetti
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Tre’ Williams
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/6/19
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Los Angeles Rams
- DB Donte Deayon
- LB Travin Howard
- T Kyle Murphy
- WR Austin Proehl
New England Patriots
- OL Cole Croston
- OL Jake Eldrenkamp
- QB Danny Etling
- DL Trent Harris
- DL Frank Herron
- DB A.J. Howard
- OL Ryker Matthews
- LB Calvin Munson
- DL David Parry
- WR Damoun Patterson
- OL Dan Skipper
New Orleans Saints
- RB Martez Carter
Brooks Reed Bids Farewell To Falcons
This appears to be the end of the line for the Falcons and Brooks Reed. On Wednesday, the defensive end took to Instagram to bid farewell to Atlanta. 
“Thankful to have been a part of the Atlanta Falcons for the last four years,” Reed wrote. “It has been an incredible journey and I’m so grateful to the city of Atlanta, the Falcons organization, my teammates, and all who have supported me along the way. I walk away with lifelong friendships and memories I will cherish forever. I’m not done yet, and can’t wait to see what’s next!”
Reed was set to carry a $5.44MM cap figure in the final year of a five-year deal. By releasing him, the Falcons will save $4.5MM against the cap with just $940K in dead money.
Last year, Reed finished out with 24 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 56 ranked edge defender in the NFL. It’s a drop-off from 2017 when he was ranked as the No. 31 edge rusher in the league by PFF and 39 tackles and four sacks.
Prior to joining Atlanta in 2015, Reed spent the first four years of his career with the Texans. The former second-round pick will now seek to join his third NFL team, unless a Houston reunion is in the cards.
Colts’ Matt Slauson Announces Retirement
Colts guard Matt Slauson is hanging ’em up. On Wednesday, the veteran took to Instagram to announce his retirement from the NFL. 
“It has been ten amazing years,” Slauson wrote. “Four organizations and countless friendships. What an amazing dream this has all been. Thanks to all my teammates who have gone into battle with me, the group of coaches that have made me better on and off the field, the fans that were there no matter what, and especially my wife and kids who supported me through it all. It has been a very difficult decision but we are excited for what the next chapter holds.”
Over the course of nine seasons, Slauson suited up for the Jets, Bears, Chargers, and Colts. Last year, he appeared in five games – all starts – for Indianapolis. His season ended in October when he suffered a scary back injury.
Somehow, even without Slauson, the Colts’ offensive line was exceptional in 2018. The Colts went five straight games in the fall without allowing Andrew Luck to get sacked even once. The streak lasted until Week 12 when Dolphins pass rusher Cameron Wake got to the QB.
The Colts signed Slauson to a one-year, $3MM deal last offseason. He moved into their starting lineup opposite first-rounder Quenton Nelson and played well: both guards graded as top-30 players, in the view of Pro Football Focus, through the first five games of the year.
Falcons To Release Matt Bryant
The Falcons are parting ways with kicker Matt Bryant. The club informed him of his impending release, according to an announcement from Bryant on social media. 
“I was informed last night that the team was moving on from my services and that I would be released,” Bryant wrote. “I want to say thank you to all the fans that have stood with me and my family during our time here. I take great pride in my body of work on and off the field. I hope I have represented you well while I was here. It was an honor to be a part of some big moments in this franchise’s history. This chapter is now closed. I look forward to bringing the success and consistency that I’ve produced to my next team.”
Bryant has repeatedly said that he plans to play into his age-44 season. His age could work against him in free agency, but his 2018 season proved that he still has something left in the tank. Bryant connected on 20 of 21 field goals, including a 57-yarder, giving him a 95.2% completion percentage. He also sank 33 of 35 extra point tries.
Bryant signed a three-year, $10.5MM extension with Atlanta last offseason that would have carried him through the 2020 season. Under the old deal, he would have made $2.45MM base salary in ’19.
Nick Foles To Void Option, Become Free Agent
Well, that didn’t take long. We learned a few hours ago that the Eagles were planning on picking up Nick Foles‘ $20MM option for next season, and now ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting (via Twitter) that the veteran quarterback will void the option and buy his way back to free agency.
Of course, this isn’t a very surprising development, as it had been assumed Foles would pay the $2MM it’d take to become a free agent. However, as our own Sam Robinson detailed earlier, this is likely the start of an extensive ordeal for the two sides. The Eagles are expected to slap Foles with the franchise tag, which the quarterback is then expected to accept. Philly would subsequently shop the former Super Bowl MVP, with the team reportedly seeking a third-rounder in exchange.
Fortunately, we should have some clarity on at least the first step of this process relatively soon. ESPN’s Tim McManus points out (on Twitter) that the window for teams to use the franchise tag is between February 19th and March 5th. Of course, with the Eagles in a precarious cap situation ($13MM over the ceiling), they’d likely want to assure that they have a trade lined up before they make such a financial commitment.
Despite the quarterback’s postseason heroics, the Eagles turned back to Carson Wentz in 2018. However, when the former first-rounder was lost to injury, Foles has another shot at the starting gig. In five games, the 30-year-old completed 72.3-percent of his passes for seven touchdowns and four interceptions.