Colts Sign S Ronnie Harrison
5:07pm: Harrison has a deal in place with the Colts, according to the team. The sixth-year vet will return to the AFC South to help Indianapolis’ Blackmon-led safety corps.
8:56am: The Colts could be nearing a depth addition to their secondary. Veteran safety Ronnie Harrison is set to visit Indianapolis today, reports Jordan Schultz of the Score (Twitter link). 
Harrison was a third-round pick of the Jaguars in 2018, but he only spent two seasons with the team. After playing 28 games (including 22 starts) in Jacksonville, he was dealt to Cleveland just before the 2020 campaign. That began a three-year Browns stint in which Harrison was a key contributor on the backend.
The 26-year-old started 23 contests in Cleveland, seeing the most playing time in 2021. Harrison logged a 75% snap share that season, and his play earned him a one-year re-up last April. That pact came in spite of the continued presence of Grant Delpit and John Johnson at the safety spot, and that pair ate into Harrison’s role. The latter saw a higher usage rate on special teams than defense in 2022.
Harrison has 223 tackles, five interceptions and 5.5 sacks to his name. With the exception of 2021 (where he surrendered six touchdowns as the nearest defender), the Alabama product has also generally posted strong coverage statistics. That would make him at least a solid rotational option for a Colts team which lost Rodney McLeod to the Browns in free agency.
Indianapolis has Julian Blackmon in place as a safety starter, and McLeod’s departure should open the door to 2022 third-rounder Nick Cross taking on a larger workload. Harrison would give the Colts a young trio at the position if his visit were to produce a deal, but his experience could help land him another short-team deal with the upside to be an effective addition for the team. Indianapolis currently has just over $19MM in cap space, so they could comfortably afford to take a flier on Harrison.
Ravens Activate RB J.K. Dobbins
J.K. Dobbins is eligible to take part in his first team activities of the offseason. The Ravens’ lead back has been activated from the PUP list today, per a team announcement. 
Dobbins missed OTAs and minicamp while dealing with an undefined injury and apparent tension over his contract status. He was also absent from the first 14 practices of training camp and the team’s record-extending 24th consecutive preseason win on Saturday, giving him plenty of ground to make up with respect to acclimating to new OC Todd Monken‘s scheme. With Dobbins activated, Baltimore does not have any remaining players on the PUP list.
A major knee injury cost Dobbins the entire 2021 season and the beginning of the following campaign. He returned for a four-game stretch in 2022, but then underwent a cleanup procedure to recover in full. After seeing the field following the second surgery, the 24-year-old showed the efficiency which was present before the injury, something which has helped put him on the extension radar.
Head coach John Harbaugh has remained optimistic that Dobbins would return to Ravens camp shortly, something which could help contract talks yield progress. An extension has been discussed recently, but nothing is considered imminent. The signficant missed time in the Ohio State alum’s career serves as an obvious factor working against him with respect to securing a multi-year commitment from the Ravens.
More generally, the running back market has skewed heavily in favor of teams over players recently, as the actions by a number of the league’s top producers at the position have alluded to throughout the offseason. Baltimore has a number of other options in the running game aside from Dobbins, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Quarterback Lamar Jackson can be expected to remain a frequent runner despite the offensive coordinator change, while Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Melvin Gordon are all on the books as well for 2023.
Limited usage relative to other lead backs could thus remain an element of Dobbins’ upcoming season. That, in turn, would also likely hurt his production and subsequent free agent value, though operating as part of a committee could have long-term benefits for the former second-rounder. In the immediate future, Dobbins will make a welcomed return to the fold with the regular season not far away.
Vikings To Sign LB Tanner Vallejo
The Vikings added some linebacker depth today, adding an elite special teamer to the unit, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Linebacker Tanner Vallejo has started games here and there throughout his career, but the new Vikings defender has made his name on special teams. He’s like to continue doing more of the same in Minnesota. 
Vallejo came into the league as a sixth-round draft pick for the Bills out of Boise State back in 2017. Almost immediately, he became an active contributor on special teams, only playing 13 defensive snaps as a rookie. Buffalo waived him just before his sophomore season, allowing for him to be claimed by the Browns, who would attempt to utilize him in a more natural linebacker role.
After being waived by Cleveland, Vallejo would spend the offseason with the Cardinals before being waived and starting the 2019 season in Washington. Washington didn’t use him at all on defense and hardly utilized him on special teams either. Nine weeks into the season, he was waived once again and returned to Arizona, where he would spend the next three years.
Since then, he’s carved out a reserve linebacker role with the Cardinals, becoming an elite contributor on special teams. The Cardinals re-signed him to a two-year deal to remain with the team back in 2021 worth $4.1MM. If there’s a knock on the young defender and special teamer, it’s a penchant for missing time due to injuries. As someone without a consistent role on offense or defense, the inability to stay on the field could cost him money on this next contract with the Vikings.
In Minnesota, Vallejo becomes a backup to the likes of Brian Asamoah and Jordan Hicks. Aside from Hicks and backup linebacker Troy Reeder, the Vikings’ linebacking corps lacks much starting experience. Vallejo likely won’t add anything to that, but he does come in as a strong option to rotate in. He’ll, of course, continue his production on special teams.
To make room for Vallejo on the roster, Minnesota waived/injured linebacker William Kwenkeu. Kwenkeu, an undrafted rookie last year, appeared in six games for the Vikings in 2022.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/23
Here are today’s minor transactions as we close the first week of the preseason:
Baltimore Ravens
- Claimed off waivers (from Lions): CB Tae Hayes
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: S Nate Meadors
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Colby Richardson
- Released with injury settlement: C Ross Pierschbacher
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Bobby Evans
- Placed on reserve/retired list: TE Sammis Reyes
Las Vegas Raiders
- Reverted to IR: LB Darius Harris, WR DJ Turner
- Released: DT Kyle Peko
New Orleans Saints
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: G Koda Martin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Forrest Rhyne
- Waived/injured: LB Chapelle Russell
Reyes retires from the sport of football after only two years in the league. A former basketball player with dreams of playing in the NBA, Reyes applied for and was admitted into the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program out of Chile. Despite spending time with three teams, Reyes only suited up for regular season action in Washington, where he played 11 games, starting one. As a tight end, Reyes mostly made an impact on special teams during his career. He retires at the age of 27.
Falcons Waive LB Mykal Walker
The Falcons have made a slightly surprising roster move as we start to inch closer to initial 53-man rosters for the 2023 NFL season. In order to make space on the roster for recent linebacker addition Frank Ginda, Atlanta waived former sixth-round pick Mykal Walker, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
Walker was drafted to the Falcons in 2020 out of Fresno State. He played a decently consistent role in Atlanta over his first two NFL seasons, starting eight of 33 games as a rotational defender. In limited action, Walker graded out fairly well, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), ranking as the league’s eighth-best linebacker as a rookie.
When finally given more opportunities as a starter in 2022, he produced given the extra time but saw the quality of his play suffer. In 12 starts last season, Walker passed the century-mark for total tackles and added two interceptions and six passes defensed in the process. The production was there, but he only graded out at 55th in the league at the position, according to PFF. The site didn’t dock him in any one area, simply grading him as average against the run, in coverage, and rushing the passer.
Coming into 2023, the Falcons didn’t seem to be planning to continue starting Walker moving forward. He had routinely been working behind Kaden Elliss, added in free agency this spring, and second-year linebacker Troy Andersen. The team experimented with maybe moving him back outside, a role he saw a bit as a rookie, but even then, he found himself working on the second-team defense. He felt comfortable moving around the three linebacker spots as a rover, but it seems that at every position, the Falcons preferred other options.
With the 2023 USFL Defensive Player of the Year in Ginda now in the locker room, Walker apparently fell too low on the depth chart. His time in Atlanta has come to an end, but it wouldn’t be surprising to find him on a new roster before the regular season gets going.
Dolphins Sign WR Keke Coutee, CB Jamal Perry
Keke Coutee has not needed to wait long to find his next NFL home. The depth wideout has landed a deal with the Dolphins, the team announced on Sunday. 
Coutee signed with the Saints in June, but he was released on Friday. That allowed him to search for a better opportunity with respect to securing a 53-man roster spot, and he will look to earn one in Miami. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are comfortably set atop the Dolphins’ WR depth chart, while Cedrick Wilson and Braxton Berrios should be considered roster locks as key complimentary players.
The latter required stitches after a collision on a punt return during Miami’s preseason opener, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Berrios is expected to miss a few days as a result, which could leave training camp snaps available for Coutee right away. The 26-year-old’s most productive seasons came with the Texans to begin his career, including a 400-yard campaign in 2020. Coutee played sparingly with the Colts over the past two years.
The former fourth-rounder will compete with the likes of Chosen Anderson and Erik Ezukanma for a depth receiver spot. Coutee has experience as a returner, having handled 17 punts with the Colts in 2022. That special teams value could help him avoid roster cutdowns at the end of the preseason as he looks to secure a full-time spot late in the offseason.
The Dolphins also announced the return of cornerback Jamal Perry. The 28-year-old first joined the team in 2019, and he made 17 appearances between the two following seasons. Perry’s 2021 campaign was cut short by a season-ending knee injury, and he spent part of 2022 on Miami’s practice squad. The Iowa State alum will aim to return to the lineup and remain healthy as he resumes his tenure in South Beach.
To make room for Coutee and Perry, wideout Freddie Swain and corner Mark Gilbert were each waived with an injury designation. Jackson notes that Swain suffered a hamstring injury on Friday. Gilbert, meanwhile, signed with the Dolphins earlier this month after bouncing around Pittsburgh and Detroit earlier in his career.
Texans Sign QB E.J. Perry, WRs Victor Bolden And Adam Humphries
The Texans have made a series of additions to their roster. The club is signing quarterback E.J. Perry along with wide receivers Victor Bolden and Adam Humphries, as Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com reports in separate pieces.
Of course, the No. 2 overall pick of this year’s draft, C.J. Stroud, is set to open the season as Houston’s starting quarterback. The Texans are also rostering 2021 third-rounder Davis Mills and established veteran Case Keenum, so unless there is an injury to one of the three passers ahead of him on the depth chart, Perry appears to be in line for, at best, a spot on the practice squad.
After a strong collegiate career that culminated in his earning MVP honors for his performance in the 2022 East-West Shrine Game, Perry initially agreed to sign with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent last year. When it became clear that Philadelphia planned to add fellow quarterback Carson Strong to the roster, Perry pivoted to the Jaguars. He ultimately spent the season on Jacksonville’s taxi squad, and after signing a reserve/futures deal in January, he was waived in March. Houston subsequently claimed him but sent him back to the waiver wire in May.
After being cut by the Texans, Perry signed with the USFL’s Michigan Panthers towards the end of that league’s regular season. He appeared in two games with the club, including an overtime postseason loss in which he completed 23 of 38 passes for two touchdowns and an interception. The dual-threat player added seven carries for 22 yards and a score. As Wilson reports, the Panthers released him from his USFL contract so he could explore another NFL opportunity.
Bolden, now 28, signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent way back in 2017 and returned 19 kicks (20.8 yards per return) and four punts (5.8 yards per return) for the club that year. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season due to a PED violation and ended the campaign as a member of the Bills, for whom he returned five kickoffs. His last game with Buffalo in December 2018 is also the last time he saw regular season action for an NFL club, though he would spend time on the practice squads of the Lions, Cardinals, and Broncos in subsequent years.
Bolden’s efforts as a member of the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions in 2022, which included Wide Receiver and Special Team All-USFL Team acclaim and MVP honors in the 2022 USFL Championship Game, have kept him on the NFL radar. The diminutive speedster has just one NFL catch to his credit but will attempt to crack the back end of Houston’s WR depth chart, which is topped by Nico Collins, John Metchie, and Robert Woods, and which also includes free agent pickup Noah Brown and 2023 draftees Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson.
Humphries, 30, has plenty of NFL experience, and from 2018-20, he averaged 64 catches and just under 700 receiving yards per season as a key member of the Bucs’ receiving corps. His last professional action came as a member of the Washington Football Team in 2021, as he was unable to land a contract last season despite working out for the 49ers and Giants.
In corresponding moves, the Texans released cornerback Kendall Sheffield and UDFA running back Xazavian Valladay, who was given a $175K guarantee to sign with Houston.
Commanders To Sign TE Kaden Smith
The Commanders are signing tight end Kaden Smith, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Smith signed with the Colts in May but was waived earlier this month.
As ESPN’s John Keim tweets, Washington’s TE1, Logan Thomas, is currently nursing a calf injury. As such, Smith will at least give the club an extra body at the position for the time being, and given his past experience with the divison-rival Giants, he may have a legitimate shot to stick on the roster.
A sixth-round pick of the 49ers in 2019, Smith was waived by San Francisco one week into his rookie season and was claimed by the Giants. From 2019-21, the Stanford product was a regular presence in New York’s offensive lineup, appearing in 33 games (22 starts) as the blocking complement to receiving tight end Evan Engram. Smith also showed some receiving abilities of his own, catching 31 balls for 268 yards and three TDs during Engram’s injury-related absence in the second half of the 2019 campaign.
Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered in November 2021 derailed Smith’s career, and there was concern that he would not be able to play again. After missing all of 2022, the 26-year-old is healthy enough, though he could not carve out a spot in a crowded TE room in Indianapolis. He will hope for better luck with the Commanders, who are rostering two recent mid-round draft choices in John Bates and Cole Turner in addition to Thomas.
Like Smith, Bates is known more for his blocking prowess. While Bates did flash some promise as a pass catcher in his rookie season in 2021 (20 receptions for 249 yards and a score), Turner, a 2022 fifth-rounder, is the more exciting receiving prospect. Thomas, meanwhile, played in just six games in 2021 due to injury and was unable to recapture his pre-injury form last year, so the fact that he is now battling a calf ailment is certainly cause for concern.
In the TE-friendly scheme of new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, there is perhaps room for all four of Thomas, Bates, Turner, and Smith, especially in light of Thomas’ health concerns and the fact that Bates and Turner are largely unproven commodities.
The Commanders cut punter Colby Wadman in a corresponding transaction, as Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post tweets.
Falcons To Sign LB Frank Ginda
The Falcons have agreed to sign linebacker Frank Ginda, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Ginda played for the USFL’s Michigan Panthers in each of the rebooted league’s first two seasons, and he took home Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2023.
Now 26, Ginda is no stranger to the NFL. The former San Jose State standout signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and went through OTAs with the club before being waived. He spent the rest of that summer with the Dolphins and ultimately wound up on Miami’s taxi squad, though he never appeared in a regular season contest.
Ginda, who has also spent time in the AAF and XFL, signed with the Saints in May 2019. New Orleans waived him as part of its final roster cuts that year.
While the Falcons’ two starting inside linebacker spots will be occupied by free agent acquisition Kaden Elliss and 2022 second-rounder Troy Andersen, it seems as if Ginda has a chance to finally carve out a spot for himself on a Week 1 NFL roster. Mykal Walker, a 2020 fourth-round selection, was displaced as a starter by Andersen late last season and appears ticketed for more of a rotational role in 2023. Walker’s spot on the depth chart is likely secure nonetheless, but Ginda could push players like Tae Davis and 2022 UDFA Nathan Landman for playing time.
In what he surely hopes was his final USFL season, Ginda posted a league-leading 104 tackles along with three interceptions and a sack. He has produced prolific tackle totals at both the collegiate and professional levels, and that acumen may at least earn him an extended look as a rotational defender and special teams contributor in Atlanta.
The Seahawks were also interested in Ginda and recently brought him in for a workout, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/23
Saturday’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: LB Jacob Phillips (story)
- Waived (injury designation): CB Bubba Bolden
Detroit Lions
- Waived: CB Tae Hayes
Houston Texans
- Activated from PUP list: TE Teagan Quitoriano
- Waived: K Jake Bates
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB, Kana’i Mauga, RB Darwin Thompson
- Waived (injury designation): WR DJ Turner, LB Darius Harris
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB C.J. Marable, T Micah Vanterpool
- Waived: LB Olakunle Fatukasi, LB Jourdan Heilig
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Ra’Shaun Henry
- Waived: DT Robert Cooper
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Cephus Johnson
- Waived: CB Duron Lowe
Hayes was signed one week ago as the Lions were dealing with injuries in the secondary, but he will now be on the lookout for another new team. The 25-year has appeared in 13 career regular season games while bouncing around the league.
The Raiders added one ex-Chiefs running back in Damien Williams yesterday, and they have done so again today. Thompson was part of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning squad in 2019, and remain with the Chiefs the following season. He made 31 combined regular and postseason appearances in Kansas City, but he has yet to see game action since 2020. Especially until Josh Jacobs returns to the Raiders, Thompson will aim to earn a depth role in the Vegas backfield.