Bills Sign Derek Anderson To One Year Extension
Buried beneath all the coaching news this morning, the Bills quietly signed quarterback Derek Anderson to a one-year extension, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Anderson, 35, appeared on his way out of the league when the Panthers moved on from him and no team signed him this past offseason. But then the Bills came calling in October when Josh Allen went down with an elbow injury. In true journeyman fashion, he ended up starting two games for Buffalo, losing both. He was concussed in a Monday Night Football loss to the Patriots, and didn’t play again the rest of the season.
While the deal keeps him tied to Buffalo through the 2019 season, it’s still no guarantee he’s back next year. Terms haven’t been made public yet, but it’s likely the deal contains little or no guaranteed money. The Bills also recently extended fellow backup Matt Barkley, giving him two extra years. Barkley fared much better than Anderson did in his one start this season, and would seem to have the leg up on Anderson to be Allen’s backup next year.
Anderson’s long-winding career has taken him through Baltimore, Cleveland, Arizona, Carolina and now Buffalo, and the veteran has started 49 games in his 14 year career. All told he has a 60:64 career touchdown to interception ratio, with 10,878 passing yards and a 54.3% completion percentage.
Saints Sign TE Josh Hill To Extension
The Saints are the number one seed in the NFC, and they just doled out a contract extension while they wait to see who they’ll play in the divisional round of the playoffs. New Orleans is signing tight end Josh Hill to a three year extension worth $8.85MM, sources told Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
While Hill isn’t a household name and doesn’t catch a ton of passes, he plays a big role in the Saints’ offense as a blocker. He’s played a tick over 62% of the offensive snaps this year, and also has the most receiving yards of his career. In the regular season he put up 16 catches for 185 yards and a touchdown, also matching his career high in receptions.
Hill just wrapped up his sixth year in the league, all with the Saints. The Idaho State product signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent back in 2013. The Saints clearly think very highly of him as they already matched an offer sheet for him when the Bears signed him as a restricted free agent in 2015, and $8.85MM is a lot of money for a blocking tight end. With Ben Watson set to retire after the season, it’s possible Hill will have an even bigger role as a receiver next year.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/29/18
Today’s practice squad moves will be posted below. Death, taxes, and J.T. Barrett being re-signed to the Saints’ practice squad…
Indianapolis Colts:
- Signed: QB Phillip Walker
New Orleans Saints:
- Signed: QB J.T. Barrett
- Released: RB Martez Carter
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/29/18
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Andre Chachere
- Placed on IR: CB DeShawn Shead
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Alonzo Russell
- Placed on IR: WR Jawill Davis
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: DL Ryan Delaire, WR Max McCaffrey
- Placed on IR: RB Matt Breida, WR Dante Pettis
Washington Redskins
- Promoted from practice squad: TE J.P. Holtz
Jets Place Claiborne, Enunwa On IR
While Quincy Enunwa signed an extension to be part of the Jets’ long-term future, Morris Claiborne is again finishing out a one-year contract.
Both will end the season on IR. The Jets placed Enunwa, Claiborne and linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis on IR Saturday. All were declared out going into the team’s season finale in New England. Replacing them on the roster: defensive back Brandon Bryant, wide receiver J.J. Jones and defensive tackle Destiny Vaeao.
Claiborne started 30 Jets games over the past two seasons but is again set for free agency, barring an extension. He signed a one-year, $7MM deal to stay in the Big Apple in March. No extension talks are known to have taken place, and with a new coaching staff set to arrive, Claiborne’s place on the Jets may be less certain exiting this contract year than it was in 2017.
Enunwa’s four-year, $36MM deal makes him the highest-paid skill-position player the Jets have. He bounced back from a season-nullifying injury in 2017 to catch 38 passes for 449 yards this year, doing so despite dealing with more injuries in a 10-game slate.
The Jets acquired Bryant after he went undrafted in this year’s supplemental draft, guaranteeing $70K of his contract. He has spent the season on the practice squad.
Colts Promote CB Jalen Collins
Jalen Collins has not played in an NFL game since Super Bowl LI, seeing suspensions hijack his career. But the embattled cornerback landed on the Colts’ practice squad earlier this season. He may have a chance to suit up again.
The Colts made the decision to promote the former second-round pick from their practice squad Saturday.
With five corners on their roster going into a win-or-go-home game against the Titans on Sunday night, the Colts have backup Nate Hairston listed as questionable. Collins provides insurance.
The Falcons waived Collins earlier this year. He served 10-game suspensions for violating the NFL’s PED policy the past two years. Atlanta did not activate Collins after his 2017 ban ended and did not bother keeping him around during his 10-game hiatus this year.
Collins made two starts for Atlanta during the 2016 regular season, intercepting two passes, and started in each of the team’s three playoff games that year.
Bears Activate OG Kyle Long From IR
The Bears will be receiving a boost just in time for the playoffs. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the team will be activating offensive lineman Kyle Long off the injured reserve today. To make room on the roster, Chicago waived quarterback Tyler Bray (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).
Long suffered a foot injury during his team’s late-October victory over the Jets. The injury involved a tendon, and it wasn’t related to his broken ankle from 2016. His estimated time of recovery was six to eight weeks, and Long was healthy enough to be activated by the time he was eligible to return. Earlier this week, head coach Matt Nagy acknowledged that Long had completed an entire week of practice and would likely play most of the game this weekend.
‘‘Just talking to him throughout the week, I feel pretty good with him playing most of the game,’’ Nagy told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times. ‘‘But we’ve just got to kind of see if that’s where we’re at and if it is a pitch count. I think a lot of that, honestly, is going to be more so when you’re in the game: How’s he feeling?
‘‘If he’s feeling good, keep him going. If he’s not . . . maybe it’s just between all of us talking, ‘Hey, let’s just get him out.’ It’s good for him any way you look at it.’’
The 2013 first-round pick has battled through injuries over the past three years, missing a total of 22 games during that span. When he’s been in the lineup, Long has been among the top offensive guards in the entire league. Pro Football Focus only ranks him 28th among 79 eligible guards in 2018, but he was previously an annual inclusion in the top-five.
Current starting offensive guards Eric Kush and James Daniels have seen their way in and out of the starting lineup this season, and Long will surely replace one of them. Daniels, a second-round rookie, has graded out as the better lineman this season, per Pro Football Focus.
Cowboys Activate CB C.J. Goodwin
The Cowboys are adding some reinforcement to their secondary. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Dallas has activated cornerback C.J. Goodwin from injured reserve.
The Cowboys signed Goodwin off the Bengals practice squad back in October. The 28-year-old went on to appear in two games for Dallas before breaking his forearm. Goodwin subsequently underwent surgery and was placed on injured reserve.
The cornerback has bounced around the NFL a bit since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2014, spending time with the Steelers, Falcons, Cardinals, Giants, 49ers, and Bengals. He played in 28 total games between 2016 and 2017, compiling 26 tackles and two passes defended.
The Cowboys could use some extra help at cornerback, especially after Anthony Brown missed Week 16 with a back injury. That left Jourdan Lewis as the lone cornerback behind Byron Jones and Chidobe Awuzie, so Goodwin will provide some insurance for that trio. At the very least, Goodwin will have an opportunity to contribute on special teams.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/28/18
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/18
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Malachi Dupre, DT Pasoni Tasini
- Waived: CB Leonard Johnson, CB Deatrick Nichols
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted from practice squad: G Dorian Johnson
- Placed on IR: RB Kenjon Barner
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Blake Jackson
- Placed on IR: LB Tanner Vallejo
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers from Saints: DE Mitchell Loewen
- Placed on IR: DT A’Shawn Robinson
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: S Rolan Milligan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Dimitri Flowers, QB Tanner Lee
- Activated from IR: LB Donald Payne
- Placed on IR: K Josh Lambo, T Josh Wells
- Waived: LB Martrell Spaight
Washington Redskins
- Placed on IR: WR Maurice Harris