NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/30/24
Here are Tuesday’s reserve/futures deals:
Arizona Cardinals
Baltimore Ravens
- CB Tre Swilling
Detroit Lions
- DL Mitchell Agude, WR Maurice Alexander, OL Matt Farniok, RB Jake Funk, T Connor Galvin, CB Craig James, RB Jermar Jefferson, S Brandon Joseph, WR Tom Kennedy, DT Chris Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- TE Noah Togiai
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/29/24
Monday’s futures contracts:
Baltimore Ravens
- G Tykeem Doss, OL Tashawn Manning, DB Christian Matthew, DT Rayshad Nichols, LB Josh Ross, DL Bravvion Roy, WR Sean Ryan, TE Scotty Washington, RB Owen Wright
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/27/24
Here are the standard gameday practice squad elevations for Championship Sunday:
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: WR Dan Chisena, LB Josh Ross
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: FB Jason Cabinda, OL Michael Schofield
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: NT Mike Pennel, CB Keith Taylor
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: LB Curtis Robinson, WR Willie Snead
Panthers OC Thomas Brown Not Expected To Stay In Carolina
It’s been assumed for some time now, but Joe Person of the The Athletic confirmed today that Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will not be a part of new head coach Dave Canales‘ staff. Brown just finished his first season as an offensive coordinator in the NFL and is receiving interest for other head coaching and coordinator jobs around the NFL. 
Brown has been a hot, young name in NFL coaching circles the past few years. He broke into coaching at the collegiate level, working as a strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, Georgia. After consecutive one-year stints as a running backs coach at Chattanooga, Marshall, Wisconsin, and Georgia, Brown followed his head coach Mark Richt to Miami, where he would work as offensive coordinator for the Hurricanes, though Richt retained play-calling duties.
After another one-year stint at South Carolina, Brown made his NFL debut on Sean McVay‘s staff in Los Angeles as a running backs coach. After only a year, McVay added the role of assistant head coach to Thomas’ title and, eventually, moved him to tight ends for a year. The demand became strong for Brown as he started interviewing for head coaching jobs and was eventually hired as Frank Reich‘s offensive coordinator in Carolina. It was a doomed role for Brown as, like Richt, Reich retained play-calling duties, ceding them to Brown here and there during periods of ineffectiveness before getting let go.
Brown’s expected departure from Carolina is less a reflection on Brown than an indicator of Canales’ plans moving forward. Canales has requested an interview with Eagles senior offensive assistant Marcus Brady, and there have been rumors that his quarterbacks coach from Tampa Bay, Thad Lewis, may eventually join him in Carolina, as well. Canales plans on calling plays for the offense during his stint as head coach, so we’re seeing less experienced candidates getting looks for the coordinator job below him.
Brown’s name continues to stay hot in conversations for vacant positions. So far this offseason, Brown has interviewed for offensive coordinator positions with the Bears, Patriots, and Steelers, and he even made it to the second round of interviews for the Titans’ head coaching job that went to Brian Callahan. Even if Brown fails to land a new coordinator job for 2024, he remains a name to watch due to his leadership potential.
Ravens Activate TE Mark Andrews From IR
As expected, the Ravens will have Mark Andrews available for this weekend’s AFC title game. The All-Pro tight end was activated from injured reserve on Friday, per a team announcement. 
Andrews returned to practice two weeks ago, leaving open the possibility that he could suit up for Baltimore’s divisional round contest. To little surprise, however, he was unable to recover in time for that game. With the Ravens having advanced to the conference championship, though, he will now be able to see game action for the first time since November.
The three-time Pro Bowler suffered a leg fracture and ligament damage in his ankle, and the requisite surgery appeared to mark an end to his campaign. The team has been optimistic about a postseason return, though, and Andrews’ ongoing progress has now made that possible. Today’s move was foreshadowed yesterday when Jeremiah Moon was waived, creating a roster spot for Andrews to take.
The latter was in the midst of another strong season before suffering the injury, posting 544 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games. Andrews has drawn at least eight targets in a game three times this season, demonstrating his continued presence as a focal point of the Ravens’ passing game. The team’s re-vamped WR room has helped alleviate Andrews’ absence, but the 28-year-old can still be considered quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s favorite target.
Of course, Andrews’ injury paved the way for fellow tight end Isaiah Likely to take on a starting role late in the regular season and into the playoffs. The 2022 fourth-rounder flashed potential as a complementary option as a rookie, but he was not a signficant factor in the passing game before Andrews went down. With an uptick in usage, however, Likely has posted 40 or more yards five times as a starter; he has also racked up five touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how he and Andrews are used now that both are healthy again.
Today’s move will use up one of the Ravens’ two remaining IR activations. The team will thus have a degree of roster flexibility ahead of the Super Bowl if Baltimore manages to win against Kansas City on Sunday. Having Andrews back in the fold will no doubt help in that regard.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/26/24
Friday’s minor transactions:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: LB Darius Harris
- Placed on IR: DT Derrick Nnadi
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Claimed off waivers (from Ravens): OLB Jeremiah Moon
After missing the Divisional Round matchup with the Bills due to a triceps injury, Nnadi has been placed on injured reserve. This ends the season for another Chiefs starter as the team continues to limp its way through the postseason.
Ravens Waive OLB Jeremiah Moon
The Ravens have made a roster move ahead of this weekend’s AFC Championship game, waiving pass rusher Jeremiah Moon from the 53-man roster. Moon has gone back and forth between the active roster and practice squad this season, and his release will open up a roster spot for a potential big addition this Sunday.
A second-year, undrafted player out of Florida, Moon spent his entire rookie year on the practice squad. This year, Moon was signed to the active roster shortly into the season before ultimately being waived and signed to the practice squad in late-October. Even from the practice squad, though, Moon saw himself elevated enough times to appear in eight games and even start a game this year.
Moon played in last Saturday’s win over the Texans, mostly appearing on special teams before the blowout nature of the game allowed him some defensive snaps, as well. The team likely won’t miss him on special teams, though, as key special teamer Del’Shawn Phillips is hopeful to return from injury. After appearing in every regular season game, the reserve linebacker sat out of the Divisional Round with a shoulder injury.
The real return that Moon’s waiving allows for is that of star tight end Mark Andrews from injured reserve. Andrews has been out since mid-November after suffering a cracked fibula and a high ankle sprain from getting taken down by a hip-drop tackle by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson. The team didn’t have much faith in seeing Andrews play again this year, but as one of the last four teams remaining, the Ravens have stayed alive long enough to grant their leading tight end a chance to play again this season.
Baltimore doesn’t have too long left to activate Andrews in time for this weekend’s game, but waiving Moon seems like the perfect primer for such a move. Moon has fit well over his two years in Baltimore. Expect him to return via a practice squad or reserve/futures contract should he clear waivers.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/24/24
Today’s reserve/futures deals from around the league:
Cleveland Browns
Denver Broncos
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
New England Patriots
In his second year out of college, Havrisik made his NFL debut for the Rams, playing nine games for Los Angeles this season. He struggled from distance, only converting four of nine field goal attempts over 40 yards, and disappointed with three missed PATs this year. Cleveland will take a chance on an experiment at kicker after seeing regular kicker Dustin Hopkins miss the last few games of the season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/24/24
Here’s Wednesday’s minor moves throughout the NFL:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Designated for return from IR: T Prince Tega Wanogho
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return from IR: DT Kalia Davis
Wanogho and Davis’ 21-day practice windows will open now. Wanogho’s addition to the active roster could add some well-timed depth on the offensive line as the team deals with an injury to starting guard Joe Thuney that could force him to miss time. Davis isn’t expected to make much of an impact on a deep 49ers defensive line rotation, but allowing Davis to return to practice following a high ankle sprain in December could give San Francisco a good look at one of the few defensive tackles they’ll still have under contract in 2024. It should also give Davis a head start on any offseason training plan.
Steelers To Extend DC Teryl Austin
The Steelers surpassed expectations this season, making the playoffs despite scoring the fifth-least number of points in the NFL and the eighth-least amount of yards. The reason for that may well be due to the work done by second-year defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and his defensive unit. Seemingly happy with what they’ve seen so far, Pittsburgh is working to finalize a new two-year deal with Austin, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. 
Austin has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for seven of the last 10 years. Before earning a coordinator position, Austin spent 23 years at the college level or coaching defensive backs for the Seahawks, Cardinals, and Ravens.
The Lions were the first team to give Austin a chance calling defensive plays, and he rewarded them in his first year with a top-three scoring defense that allowed the second-least number of yards in the NFL. His next three years in Detroit saw the team come back down to earth a bit, resulting in middling results for the defense. Austin left Detroit following the firing of then-head coach Jim Caldwell and accepted the defensive coordinator job in Cincinnati. Unfortunately, 2018 would be his only year with the Bengals as the team would finish 30th in points allowed while giving up the most yards in the NFL that season.
Austin took a step back in 2019, joining the Steelers under the title of senior defensive assistant & secondary coach. After three years in that role, Pittsburgh promoted Austin to defensive coordinator, once again giving him a chance to call plays. In 2022, the Steelers finished 10th in points allowed and 14th in yards allowed. This year, a bend-but-don’t-break mentality kept Pittsburgh in the playoff hunt as the defense finished sixth in points allowed while finishing 21st in yards allowed.
With his contract renewed, Austin will be under contract through the 2025 season. Many considered head coach Mike Tomlin‘s job to be in danger after a sixth straight year of failing to reach the Divisional Round of the playoffs, but for now, Tomlin’s job appears safe, so Austin’s will be, too.