Buccaneers To Release OLB Randy Gregory
AUGUST 18: As Greg Auman of Fox Sports observes, the Bucs still need to reach a resolution on the fines that Gregory has accrued as a result of his absence. Auman notes that Gregory has racked up at least $902K in non-waivable fines — $50K per day for each day of missed training camp plus $102K for missing minicamp — and another ~$150K for missing Tampa Bay’s two preseason contests.
AUGUST 17: Randy Gregory remained absent from the Buccaneers during training camp, and his time with the team will now come to an end. The veteran defensive end has reached an agreement with the Bucs and will be released, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. 
Gregory’s absence has been shrouded in mystery, but Stroud’s report suggests an injury settlement has been reached. Such arrangements are commonplace during this time of year, as they allow for players to be let go while rehabbing ailments before being positioned to sign with a new team. Gregory will be a free agent once his release is official, though he will no doubt have a tepid market.
The 31-year-old had been on the reserve/did not report list since late July after also missing mandatory minicamp. The reason for doing to was unclear, but Gregory filed a suit against the Broncos and the NFL for being prevented from using a prescription medication containing THC earlier this offseason. Updates on his situation since then have been sparse.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said in the lead-in to training camp he had not been in communication with Gregory, who signed in April. The former Cowboy turned down a Dallas offer in 2022 and took one with identical terms to join the Broncos. His tenure in the Mile High City did not go according to plan, however, and after only 10 Broncos games he was traded to the 49ers in October.
Gregory posted 2.5 sacks in San Francisco, but his overall production while playing on a five-year, $69.5MM pact was underwhelming to say the least. He took a $3MM deal to head to Tampa Bay and serve a depth role in the team’s pass rush. Shaquil Barrett departed in free agency (and has since retired), creating a vacancy along the edge for the Bucs. After Gregory was absent from minicamp and training camp – accruing fines along the way – however, it seemed as though he would be released before the start of the season.
With that decision now having been made, the former second-rounder will (presumably) attempt to land with a team ahead of Week 1. Clarity on his situation over the past several months will no doubt be needed for any suitor to add him, though, so Gregory may spend an extended stretch on the free agent market for the second time in 2024.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/24
Sunday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: WR James Washington
Chicago Bears
- Activated from active/NFI list: T Kiran Amegadjie
Cleveland Browns
- Released from IR: CB Vincent Gray
New York Jets
- Signed: DL Jaylen Twyman
- Placed on IR: WR Malik Taylor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Reverted to IR: DB Mekhi Garner
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from active/NFI list: Tanner Taula
- Waived (injury designation): DL Eric Banks
Washington signed in late July, but his Falcons tenure has proven to be brief. The 28-year-old was let go to clear a roster spot for Justin Simmons‘ arrival. Washington last played a regular season game in 2022, and he will now look to find another opportunity ahead of roster cutdowns.
Steelers OL Nate Herbig Suffers Torn Rotator Cuff
AUGUST 18: A follow-up from Dulac notes that Herbig is dealing with a torn rotator cuff. He is now in danger of missing the 2024 campaign as a result. At a minimum, a lengthy rehab awaits him. Frazier will ascend to the top spot on the depth chart for the foreseeable future with Herbig not in the picture any time soon. Herbig has since been placed on IR, clearing the way for Frazier.
AUGUST 17: Nate Herbig spent training camp atop the Steelers’ center depth chart, but he will be unavailable for a stretch. The sixth-year blocker is dealing with a “signficant” shoulder injury, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. 
Herbig will miss regular season time, Dulac adds. As a result, the 26-year-old is no longer in contention to be tapped as the starter in the middle for Week 1. Second-round rookie Zach Frazier will instead handle those duties, as may have at some point during the 2024 campaign anyway. The West Virginia product was one of three draft investments up front made by Pittsburgh in April.
The first of those was Troy Fautanu, selected 20th overall. The Washington alum is set to handle right tackle duties right away, thus allowing 2023 first-rounder Broderick Jones to move to the blindside. Frazier will have a limited period to log first-team reps in practice and the preseason before taking on starting responsibilities in the fall. For Herbig, the injury news leaves him sidelined for the start of his second season with the team.
The former Eagle and Jet signed a two-year, $8MM deal last offseason. That pact allowed him to play in every regular and postseason game during his debut Steelers season, making a pair of starts. Herbig played at left and right guard (his most familiar positions) but not at center during that time. With Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels in place at both guard spots, though, he spent this summer preparing to log a starter’s workload at the pivot.
Now, Herbig’s attention will turn to recovery as he enters a contract year. If Frazier performs well right away, he will cement his status as the Steelers’ center of the present and future. That would help the chances of Herbig departing in free agency next March (as Mason Cole did this past offseason), although he could still be counted on in a depth capacity once healthy.
Chargers To Sign LB Frank Ginda
Frank Ginda first entered the NFL in 2018, but he has yet to see regular season game action. The former UDFA linebacker has another opportunity in place, though.
Ginda is set to sign with the Chargers, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The 27-year-old had a strong showing in the USFL in 2022 and ’23 while playing for the Michigan Panthers. That tenure included Defensive Player of the Year honors last spring and continued in 2024 following the USFL-XFL merger. After another campaign of spring league action, Ginda will get his latest chance to land an NFL roster spot.
The San Jose State alum caught on with the Falcons almost exactly one year ago in his bid to survive roster cutdowns. That did not wind up being the case, and Ginda bounced on and off Atlanta’s practice squad during the season. After not generating a market until deep into summer once again, he will now attempt to carve out a role in Los Angeles.
The Chargers saw considerable turnover at the linebacker spot this offseason. Eric Kendricks was released, while Kenneth Murray and Tanner Muse departed in free agency. That created multiple vacancies at the second level, and veteran signing Denzel Perryman will be counted on to provide starting-caliber play. The same may true of third-round rookie Junior Colson, who of course is a familiar face for head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as a Michigan product. The Bolts also have Troy Dye and the newly-signed Shaquille Quarterman in their linebacking corps ahead of their final preseason contest.
Ginda – also a veteran of the AAF and XFL – will spend the coming weeks looking to find a place on the LB depth chart. If he is unable to lock down a 53-man roster spot, he could be a practice squad candidate once again. With nearly $21MM in cap space as of Sunday, this addition will not alter Los Angeles’ financial outlook.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/24
Saturday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Deven Thompkins
Cleveland Browns
- Reverted to IR: S Brady Breeze
Las Vegas Raiders
- Claimed off waivers (from Panthers): LB Jackson Mitchell
New York Giants
- Reverted to IR: TE Tyree Jackson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: T Gottlieb Ayedze
- Waived (injury designation): DB Mekhi Garner
- Placed on IR: CB Tyler Hall
Seahawks Sign OL Connor Williams
AUGUST 17: In terms of base value, Williams’ deal checks in at $4MM, per OverTheCap. After signing a two-year, $14MM Dolphins contract (and expressing frustration a year into that deal), the veteran interior O-lineman will attempt to create a better market following his ACL tear.
AUGUST 6: At long last, Connor Williams has landed in Seattle. The veteran offensive lineman has reached an agreement with the Seahawks, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’s a one-year deal that could be worth up to $6MM. The contract contains $3MM in guaranteed money.
The veteran has been connected to the Seahawks for several weeks. The two sides overcame their first hurdle when Williams passed a physical, a notable milestone considering the lineman is only about eight months removed from suffering a torn ACL. The signing stalled when the two sides started negotiating a contract, with Williams asking for more than the Seahawks could offer.
While agent Drew Rosenhaus indicated yesterday that a deal was imminent, Williams added a slight wrinkle to the saga by taking a visit with the Ravens. That may have been the final push the Seahawks needed, as the two sides agreed to a deal less than 24 hours after Williams’ reported trip to Baltimore.
There was recent uncertainty surrounding Seattle’s center depth, with the likes of Nick Harris and Olusegun Oluwatimi struggling to take hold of the opportunity. The Seahawks seemed to signal an impending move yesterday, when they moved on from Michael Novitsky.
Williams will now slide atop the depth chart…when he’s ready to take the field. The veteran tore his ACL in December, although Rosenhaus expressed optimism that Williams will be available for Week 1. The injury came at the worst possible time for the impending free agent, as he would have been among the top linemen on the market.
After spending his first four season as a starting guard in Dallas, Williams inked a two-year deal with Miami in 2022. He ended up starting all 17 games at center that season, with Pro Football Focus grading him as the fourth-best player at his position. Williams finished 2023 in the number-two spot, and the veteran previously graded as a top-15 guard during his time with the Cowboys.
With Seattle lacking depth in the middle of their offensive line and Williams hoping to reset his value, this pairing seemed like a perfect match. After a few weeks of uncertainty, the deal has finally come to fruition.
Bengals To Extend K Evan McPherson
Bengals conversations with Evan McPherson have produced a deal ahead of the kicker’s contract year. The parties came to terms on an extension that will tie McPherson to Cincinnati through 2027, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports.
McPherson agreed to a three-year, $16.5MM deal that Garafolo indicates will include $10MM in new money in Year 1. This is the most Year 1 money a kicker has secured on a three-year deal, for those keeping track. This frontloaded contract makes McPherson the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid kicker, with the deal’s structure undoubtedly appealing to the young specialist.
[RELATED: Contract Structure A Factor In Ja’Marr Chase Negotiations]
This extension has been rumored for months, so it is not exactly surprising the Bengals have completed a deal in a low-cost market. The NFL’s highest-paid kicker (Harrison Butker) is attached to a $6.4MM-per-year number. McPherson’s second contract will come in at fifth, tied with Graham Gano at $5.5MM AAV.
Memorably kicking game-winning field goals to help the Bengals upset the Titans and Chiefs to reach Super Bowl LVI, McPherson has shown considerable promise. Though, he has yet to make 85% of his field goals during a regular season. He checked in at 83.9% last year, seeing his 50-plus-yard accuracy wane a bit. After making 14 of 16 50-plus-yard tries from 2021-22, the former fifth-round pick was just 7 of 12 from long range last season.
Still, McPherson is 19-for-19 in the playoffs, covering two postseasons, and is just 25. This extension gives him a clear path to becoming a long-term Bengals kicker.
The Browns were eyeing McPherson in the 2021 draft, leading them to Cade York a year later. The Bengals ended up taking the Florida product to replace Randy Bullock, their kicker of four seasons. This extension will take McPherson through Year 7, though he will need to remain in good form following 2024 to stay on the deal. Given the frontloaded structure and low rate this contract brings, the Bengals would be able to get out of it rather easily after this year. Considering how the team prioritized the agreement, however, a separation is unlikely for the foreseeable future.
Minor NFL Transaction: 8/16/24
Friday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Ike Boettger
- Waived: LB Jackson Mitchell
- Reverted to IR: G Nash Jensen
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: S Tyler Coyle, LS Rex Sunahara
- Waived: LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle
- Waived (injury designation): S Brady Breeze
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DE Joe Gaziano
- Released: DE Rasheem Green
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: QB Anthony Brown
Green was let go after failing to disclose a physical condition, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes. The 27-year-old has bounced around the league after playing out his rookie contract, playing with the Texans (2022) and Bears (2023) following his four-year Seahawks stint. Green signed with Jacksonville late last month, giving him the chance to compete for a depth role. He will now return to free agency, but without being healthy it will likely be some time before he finds another contract.
Vikings Sign QB Matt Corral
The Vikings announced on Friday that quarterback Matt Corral has been signed. To make room on the roster, first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy was placed on IR following his season-ending meniscus surgery. 
McCarthy’s injury confirmed Sam Darnold‘s place atop the QB depth chart for Minnesota, but it thinned the team’s number of healthy options behind him. Corral will join Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall in competing for a roster spot. In Corral’s case, of course, his efforts on that front will double as an attempt to return to the NFL.
The 25-year-old entered the league as a third-round pick of the Panthers. A member of 2022’s poorly-regarded quarterback class, Corral suffered a preseason Lisfranc injury and was sidelined for his entire rookie campaign as a result. Carolina brought in Andy Dalton before selecting Bryce Young first overall last offseason, and Corral’s performances in exhibition games were not sufficient to land him a roster spot.
The Panthers intended to keep Corral in the fold via the practice squad, but the Patriots put in a claim and prevented that from happening. The Ole Miss alum’s time in New England proved to be short-lived, though, as he found himself on the exempt/left squad list before being let go in September. No team put in a waiver claim the second time around, leaving him as a free agent. A lack of interest at the NFL level led to a deal with the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions.
Corral’s decision to sign with the team left him in competition with Adrian Martinez for the starting QB role. The latter went on win league MVP honors while helping lead the Stallions to the inaugural UFL championship (earning himself an NFL audition in the process), but the former did see some game action. Corral made a total of five regular and postseason appearances, including three starts. He posted a 2:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio along with an 81.0 passer rating during that time.
Now, Corral will look to at least earn consideration for a practice squad spot with the McCarthy-less Vikings. He will share snaps with Mullens, who has one year remaining on the $4MM pact he signed in 2023, and Hall, who will be attached to his rookie contract through 2026.
Titans Place Marlon Davidson On IR
Marlon Davidson was in position to log a depth role during his second season with the Titans in 2024, but that will not turn out to be the case. The fourth-year edge rusher was placed on IR due to a biceps tear Friday, per a team announcement. 
Davidson did not live up to expectations during his tenure with the Falcons. The former second-rounder registered only one sack in 19 games with Atlanta before ultimately being released in October 2022. That led to a brief stint on the 49ers’ practice squad the following year before Davidson found a deal with Tennessee. He made five appearances late in the campaign, logging a career-high 48% defensive snap share.
Davidson re-signed with the Titans in May, receiving an extended look after the team’s only draft addition along the edge came in the seventh round. The 26-year-old posted one sack, 10 tackles and a pair of QB pressures during his brief spell with Tennessee, and he was in position to compete for a depth role in 2024. Instead, his attention will now turn to recovery.
If Davidson were to be released via an injury settlement, he would be free to join a new team. Failing that, however, he will be sidelined for the entire campaign ahead of reaching free agency next spring. The Titans will move forward with the likes of Harold Landry, Arden Key and Rashad Weaver along the edge. Davidson was capable of taking snaps inside as well, but the team will rely on Jeffery Simmons, Sebastian Joseph-Day and T’Vondre Sweat along the D-line in his absence.
In a corresponding move, Tennessee signed defensive lineman Abdullah Anderson. The 28-year-old is a veteran of 33 games in the NFL, making appearances with a different team in each of his five seasons to date. If Anderson survives roster cutdowns at the end of the month, the Titans will mark a sixth employer as he eyes a rotational role for 2024.