Bears To Waive P Trenton Gill
The Bears turned to the fourth round for a punter last week, tabbing Iowa’s Tory Taylor to take over. This will mean a change, and Chicago is not wasting much time finalizing it.
Rather than entertain any notion of a competition, the Bears are waiving incumbent punter Trenton Gill, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. Gill operated as the Bears’ punter for the past two seasons. Two years remain on Gill’s rookie contract.
Among regular punters, Gill’s 46.1-yard average ranked in the bottom quartile last season. The Bears ranked 31st in net punting, which obviously affects more than just Gill’s range, but finished 30th in punts inside the 20 (26.9%). Chicago chose Gill 255th overall out of NC State in the 2022 draft. Gill is due a $985K base salary in 2024; the Bears will incur a minimal dead money hit (less than $40K) via this transaction.
The move clears the way for Taylor, who was on the field often for an Iowa team that struggled offensively in 2023. Averaging 48.2 yards per boot in 2023, Taylor managed this despite punting 93 times. Iowa’s 15.4 points per game ranked 132nd in Division I-FBS. Their punter, meanwhile, broke several FBS single-season and career records and earned All-America acclaim in 2022 (second team) and ’23 (first team).
Entering the draft with only four picks, the Bears brought in Caleb Williams (No. 1) and Rome Odunze (No. 9) before drafting Yale tackle Kiran Amegadjie 75th overall. When the Bears took Taylor at No. 122, they were out of picks. The team later traded a future selection to move into Round 5 for Kansas State edge rusher Austin Booker. Taylor’s rookie contract will run through 2027; the Bears will be hoping his Windy City tenure lasts longer.
Three teams over the past four years have chosen a punter in Round 4, though between 2007 and 2019, only one — the 2012 Jaguars, who chose Bryan Anger in Round 3 — did so. The Bears decided to follow the recent trend, deeming an upgrade here a priority.
Saints To Sign DB Will Harris
A Saints-to-Lions pipeline formed recently, with Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn in place after lengthy New Orleans tenures. Will Harris will make the reverse trip, committing to the Saints on Wednesday.
The veteran defensive back is joining the Saints, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. Harris has experience at both safety and cornerback, and he will relocate within the NFC a year after re-signing with the Lions. Harris, 28, has made 40 career starts.
[RELATED: Marshon Lattimore Still In Saints’ Plans]
Busy reshaping their DB corps last year, the Lions reduced Harris’ playing time despite re-signing him. After the former third-round pick had played 1,012 defensive snaps for the 2021 Lions and logged 660 in 2022, the Lions’ bevy of additions kept him as a backup last season. Harris played in every Lions game but started only two and was on the field for just 192 defensive plays. The Bob Quinn-era draftee will nevertheless bring some versatility to the Saints, having spent full seasons at both safety and corner — with some time as a sub-package linebacker — while in Detroit.
As the Lions brought in C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and second-rounder Brian Branch last year, Harris played on a one-year, $2.58MM deal. The Lions have now moved on from three of these players, making a concerted effort to upgrade at corner, where Harris spent the 2023 season. Detroit moved Harris to corner before the 2022 season and kept him there upon re-signing the Boston College product. Harris started two games last season, playing behind the likes of Sutton, Jerry Jacobs and Kindle Vildor. Only Vildor remains with the Lions among that CB cadre, as the team traded for Carlton Davis and used its first two draft choices on corners last week.
Harris started 11 games from 2019-20 but made 17 starts during Campbell’s first season, a rebuilding campaign that ended at 3-13-1. Pro Football Focus has never been particularly impressed by the 6-foot-1 defender, though he made 93 tackles in 2021 and stuck as a starter for much of Glenn’s second DC season.
The Saints released Marcus Maye this offseason but reached an extension agreement with Tyrann Mathieu. The team used rookie Jordan Howden as a Maye fill-in during his injury- and suspension-marred 2023. New Orleans also re-signed Johnthan Abram in March. At corner, the team added Kool-Aid McKinstry to a crew housing Marshon Lattimore and recent Day 2 picks Alontae Taylor and Paulson Adebo. If nothing else, Harris stands to supply some depth and special teams assistance for the NFC South club.
Jaguars Add 13 UDFAs
Now in Year 3, the Doug Pederson-Trent Baalke partnership has most of its offseason roster in place. The Jaguars agreed to terms with 13 UDFAs. Here is the Jacksonville post-draft group:
- Shawn Bowman, TE (Rutgers)
- Andre Carter, DE (Indiana)
- Joshua Cephus, WR (UTSA)
- Brevin Easton, WR (Albany)
- Jalen Jackson, RB (Villanova)
- Steven Jones, OL (Oregon)
- Trey Kiser, LB (South Alabama)
- Lorenzo Lingard, RB (Akron)
- Andrew Parker Jr., LB (Appalachian State)
- Josh Proctor, S (Ohio State)
- Wayne Ruby, WR (Mount Union)
- Joseph Scates, WR (Memphis)
- David White Jr., WR (Western Carolina)
A host of small-school options populate the Jags’ list. Two of the four players who do hail from Power 5 programs — Bowman and Carter — respectively transferred from Maine and Western Michigan. Jones spent six years at Oregon, starting 32 games. The 340-pound blocker’s 14-game run at right guard last season drew first-team All-Pac-12 acclaim. Proctor started 20 games for the Buckeyes and participated at the Combine this year. Between his signing bonus and salary guarantee, Proctor is locked into $215K, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
Multiple teams offered Parker around $200K guaranteed, Wilson adds, noting the Jaguars secured his commitment for that amount. Parker transferred from Arkansas in 2022 and earned first-team All-Sun Belt acclaim last season, leading Appalachian State with 114 tackles. The Jags did not draft a linebacker but still roster 2022 third-rounder Chad Muma and 2023 fourth-rounder Ventrell Miller behind starters Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd.
Ruby will attempt to go from Division III to the NFL; he will do so after being the rare college player to record three 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Ruby’s 2022 at the D-III powerhouse jumps out; the 190-pound wideout totaled 105 receptions for 1,785 yards and 30 touchdown receptions. The 30 TDs were one shy of a D-III record. He followed that up with a second first-team All-American honor last season. Cephus also topped 1,100 yards last season, totaling 1,151 and 10 TDs — en route to first-team All-Conference USA honors — in 2023.
The Jags devoted nearly half their UDFA class to receiver, doing so despite adding Gabe Davis, Devin Duvernay and first-rounder Brian Thomas Jr. this offseason. The Jags also have 2023 sixth-round pick Parker Washington rostered. Competition for practice squad jobs figures to include this batch of UDFAs.
Buccaneers To Decline Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s Fifth-Year Option
The final pick of the 2021 first round won’t have his fifth-year option exercised. The Buccaneers won’t pick up Joe Tryon-Shoyinka‘s option for the 2025 season, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports.
This move will make the linebacker a free agent following the 2024 campaign. Tryon-Shoyinka would have been attached to a fully guaranteed $13.25MM for the 2025 season had the Buccaneers picked up his fifth-year option option.
This isn’t a huge surprise considering the former 32nd-overall pick’s lack of production through three NFL seasons. Tryon-Shoyinka has yet to top 50 tackles or 10 tackles for loss in a season, although he has compiled at least four sacks in each of his three campaigns.
That includes a 2023 season where the linebacker finished with 45 stops, five sacks, and seven QB hits in 17 games (12 starts). Pro Football Focus ended up ranking the 25-year-old 71st among 112 qualifying edge defenders, with the site giving him some hope for his pass-rush ability.
Tryon-Shoyinka should continue manning one of the starting OLB spots in 2024 opposite YaYa Diaby. However, the organization has started to add some depth to the position, as the Buccaneers selected Chris Braswell in the second round of last weekend’s draft.
Jaguars Release WR Zay Jones, K Joey Slye
Zay Jones‘ time with the Jaguars has come to an end. The veteran wideout was released by Jacksonville on Tuesday, per a team announcement. 
Jones joined Jacksonville on a three-year, $24MM pact in 2022. During the first year of that accord, the 29-year-old posted career highs in receptions (82) and yards (823), scoring five touchdowns. The 2023 campaign did not go according to plan, however. Jones missed considerable time due to injury, and in December he was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge.
While the former Bill and Raider returned in time for the regular season finale, his final statline (34-321-2) reflected his time on the sidelines as well as his reduced role in Jacksonville’s offense. The team did lose Calvin Ridley in free agency, but Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay were among the receivers added to help replace him. Jacksonville also used a Day 1 selection on LSU product Brian Thomas Jr. during the 2024 draft.
With those new faces in place, the Jags will move on and Jones will now join the list of veterans in search of a post-draft agreement. The former second-rounder was due a non-guaranteed base salary of $7MM this year, and he was set to carry a cap hit of $10.75MM. This move will generate a larger dead money charge ($6.56MM) than cap savings ($4.18MM) if processed immediately. Designating Jones a post-June 1 cut, though, would free up more than $7.7MM in space against a dead cap charge of only $3MM.
Jacksonville also announced the release of veteran kicker Joey Slye. The 28-year-old spent the past two full seasons in Washington, going a combined 44-for-54 (81.4%) on field goal attempts during that stretch. He signed with the Jaguars early in free agency after Jacksonville lost Brandon McManus to the Commanders. Before even taking part in a training camp competition, however, Slye is once again on the open market. The Jags were among the teams which selected a kicker in last weekend’s draft, adding Cam Little in the sixth round. The latter is now joined by Riley Patterson as the only two kicking options on the team’s roster.
Broncos To Decline Zach Wilson’s Fifth-Year Option
As expected, the Broncos won’t be committing to Zach Wilson for the 2025 campaign. According to ESPN’s Jeff Legwold, the Broncos have informed Wilson’s camp that they won’t be picking up the quarterback’s fifth-year option.
[RELATED: 2025 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Considering the $22.41MM commitment that the option would have required, it’s not a surprise that the Broncos won’t lock themselves into that salary. Wilson will now hit free agency following the 2024 campaign, and he’s set to earn more than $5MM in what will be the final season of his rookie contract (the Jets are picking up a portion of that tab).
The Broncos acquired the former second-overall pick last week, swapping a sixth-round pick for a seventh-round pick along the way. Things have already changed since that acquisition, as the Broncos reached a bit for Bo Nix in the first round. The rookie could end up leading the depth chart in 2024, with only Wilson and Jarrett Stidham standing in the way.
Wilson, of course, will be seeking a fresh start in Denver. Following two underwhelming seasons to begin his career, the Jets made a major pivot last offseason when they acquired Aaron Rodgers from the Packers. The veteran suffered a season-ending injury in his first drive with his new squad, forcing Wilson back into the limelight. The third-year quarterback ended up going 4-7 under center, completing 60.1 percent of his passes for eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The Jets allowed Wilson to seek a trade elsewhere this offseason, although the market was predictably light considering the player’s lack of production and $11MM cap charge. They eventually found a taker in the Broncos, but following today’s move, this could prove to be only a one-year stop in Denver for Wilson.
Packers Sign Eight UDFAs
After leaving this past weekend with one of the league’s largest draft classes, the Packers are continuing to add rookies to their roster. The team announced that they’ve signed eight undrafted free agents:
- Peter Bowden, LS (Wisconsin)
- James Ester, DL (Northern Illinois)
- Ralen Goforth, LB (Washington)
- Jarveon Howard, RB (Alcorn State)
- Donovan Jennings, OL (South Florida)
- Trente Jones, OL (Michigan)
- Rodney Mathews, DL (Ohio)
- Messiah Swinson, TE (Arizona State)
South Florida offensive lineman Donovan Jennings earned a significant pay day to join the Packers. The rookie got a $10K signing bonus and $100K in guaranteed salary to catch on with Green Bay, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. As Wilson notes, that signing bonus is higher than any the organization handed out in 2023, and the Packers also didn’t give any of their UDFAs guaranteed money last offseason.
Elsewhere on offense, the team added Arizona State’s Messiah Swinson. The tight end had 15 catches during his first season in Arizona in 2022, but he followed that up with only six receptions in 2023.
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers added a pair of pass rushers in James Ester and Rodney Mathews. Ester compiled eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss during his final three seasons at Northern Illinois, while Mathews collected 14.5 tackles for loss in his final three seasons with the Bobcats.
Steelers Sign Five UDFAs
After adding seven players in the draft, the Steelers have added five more rookies to their roster. The team announced that they’ve signed five undrafted free agents:
- Beanie Bishop, CB (West Virginia)
- Daijun Edwards, RB (Georgia)
- John Rhys Plumlee, QB (Central Florida)
- Julius Welschof, LB (Charlotte)
- Jacoby Windmon, LB (Michigan State)
After adding one linebacker in the third round (NC State’s Payton Wilson), the Steelers have added another two players at the position. Jacoby Windmon is the more accomplished of the two UDFAs, with the linebacker collecting 119 tackles and 6.5 sacks with UNLV in 2021. However, he didn’t see nearly as big of a role after transferring to Michigan State in 2022, compiling 41 stops across two seasons with the team. Julius Welschof was a situational defensive lineman during his time at Michigan and Charlotte, and the Steelers are apparently looking to switch the prospect to a new position.
After three seasons of mostly sitting on the bench at Ole Miss, John Rhys Plumlee caught on with UCF as their starting QB between 2022 and 2023. He got into 23 games over the past two seasons, completing 63 percent of his passes for 4,857 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He also added 1,367 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 265 carries. In Pittsburgh, he’ll learn from a pair of prolific runners (one former, one current) in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/30/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: WR Kaden Davis, CB Quavian White
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Tyron Billy-Johnson
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: P Seth Vernon
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Oshane Ximines
The Patriots have added some linebacker depth in Oshane Ximines, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Giants. A third-round pick in 2019, Ximines ended up getting into 48 games during his time in New York, compiling 71 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He was limited to only three games this past season while alternating between the Giants practice squad and active roster.
In New England, he’ll be reunited with outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, who previously served in the same role with the Giants. The Patriots will be hoping the new addition can provide some depth at strongside linebacker behind the likes of Matt Judon and Josh Uche.
Cardinals To Decline Zaven Collins’ Fifth-Year Option
Zaven Collins will be a free agent following the 2024 campaign. Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort revealed that his team won’t be picking up the linebacker’s fifth-year option, per Darren Urban of the team’s website.
Had the Cardinals picked up Collins’ 2025 option, they would have been on the hook for a $13.25MM cap hit. It seems that the lofty financial commitment is the biggest reason why the fifth-year option won’t be picked up, and Ossenfort acknowledged that Collins remains in the organization’s plans.
“We want to keep Zaven around here,” Ossenfort told the “Burns and Gambo” show (via Urban). “It’s just the fifth-year option, it removes some flexibility in terms of the (salary) cap. We’re going to have some discussions here. Love Zaven, love where he’s at, love what he brings for our defense and hopefully (we) keep him around here for a long time.”
The 16th-overall pick in the 2021 draft spent most of his rookie season in a backup role, but he compiled 100 tackles in 16 starts as a sophomore. The Cardinals moved him to outside linebacker for the 2023 campaign, and Collins proceeded to compile 41 tackles and 3.5 sacks while getting into 58 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus ended up grading him 44th among 112 qualifying edge defenders, although his pass-rush grade left plenty to be desired.
The Cardinals intend to keep Collins on the edge once again in 2024, meaning the impending free agent could only increase his value with a strong performance. At the very least, Collins will have two paths to joining teams (ILB and OLB) when he hits free agency after the season.