Texans Place T Greg Little On IR
Greg Little will not play for the Texans in 2023. The former second-round pick sustained a back injury, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, that led to Houston moving him to IR.
The Ole Miss alum is undergoing more tests, per Wilson, but this transaction will prevent him from playing for the Texans this season. Midway through the offseason, Houston signed Little to a one-year, $1.1MM deal that came with $100K guaranteed. The tests revealing Little will be able to return at some point during the season would open the door to an injury settlement that allows him to play elsewhere this season, but for now, the ex-Panthers and Dolphins blocker is out of the picture.
This marks another setback for Little, whom the Panthers drafted 37th overall in 2019. Starting six games in two seasons with Carolina, Little was unable to break through with the team that selected him and has not found his footing as a lineup regular to date. The Dolphins acquired Little for a seventh-round pick in 2021, but an injury kept him off the field that year. Little, 25, also finished the 2020 season on IR.
Besieged by injuries last season, Miami used Little as a seven-game starter. Little played a career-high 528 offensive snaps, making it through a full regular season without missing time. Pro Football Focus, however, graded Little as the league’s worst tackle regular in 2022.
The Texans were not planning to use Little as a starter, given the investments they have made at this position this year, but the team is a bit thin at tackle without him. Right tackle Tytus Howard suffered a broken hand and has undergone surgery. The recently extended blocker’s Week 1 availability is in doubt. Signed months after Little’s commitment, George Fant now stands to move into position opposite Laremy Tunsil up front.
Lions Release LS Jake McQuaide, Sign OL Bobby Hart
Jake McQuaide‘s effort to land the Lions’ long snapping job looks to have ended. The team released the 12-year veteran Monday, leaving Scott Daly on track to keep his position.
The Lions also signed veteran tackle Bobby Hart and removed wide receiver Tom Kennedy from their IR list with an injury settlement. These transactions did not register on the same level as Detroit’s Teddy Bridgewater addition, but they will affect the team’s depth chart.
A former snapper with the Rams and Cowboys, McQuaide signed with the Lions in March. The Dan Campbell–Brad Holmes era had featured Daly — a 2018 UDFA who did not debut until 2021 — as the snapper for all 34 games, but the team brought in the 35-year-old free agent as competition. McQuaide has snapped in 181 career games. While long snappers generally bring durability due to the nature of their position, McQuaide is coming off a season in which a triceps tear sidelined him after four games.
Hart, who will turn 29 this month, operated as a Bills backup throughout the 2022 season. After bouncing around in 2021, Hart stayed on Buffalo’s active roster last year and played 125 offensive snaps. A suspension knocked Hart out of a September game, but he returned to work as a backup the rest of the way.
A former Giants seventh-round pick, Hart has done well to extend his career toward the 10-year mark. This will be Year 9 for the Florida State alum, who has started 67 games over the course of his career. The Giants made Hart a rookie-year starter, but after Dave Gettleman took over as GM in December 2017, the team cut bait immediately. The Bengals gave Hart a chance soon after and then re-signed him to a three-year, $16.2MM deal in March 2019. Hart played two seasons on that contract, working as Cincinnati’s primary right tackle in that span. The Bengals cut him in 2021.
The Lions have no questions about starting tackle roles, with Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell locked into their respective spots. Hart offers depth alongside fellow free agency addition Germain Ifedi, who has played both tackle and guard as a pro. The Lions also brought back Graham Glasgow, who has started 91 career games, this offseason. Detroit has done well to stockpile experienced depth behind its upper-echelon front five.
Packers’ Rashan Gary Returns To Practice
Rashan Gary needed to wait longer than most first-round pass rushers to become a regular starter. The Packers chose the Michigan product a month after signing both Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith in free agency in 2019. Gary started all of four games over his first two seasons.
Za’Darius Smith’s back injury shelving him in September 2021 opened the door to a regular role, and Gary made the most of the opportunity by becoming the Packers’ top edge rusher that season. After Gary carried that momentum into 2022, a November ACL tear blunted it. Gary, however, took a big step toward returning on time for this season.
The fifth-year edge defender returned to practice Monday, moving off the Packers’ active/PUP list. If Gary ends up needing more time in an effort to come back from the severe knee injury, the Packers no longer have the option of stashing him on the reserve/PUP list to start the year. Green Bay would only have an IR option; like the reserve/PUP list, that designation would cost Gary four games. As of Monday, however, it is more likely than not Gary begins the season on time.
Gary broke through for 9.5 sacks and 28 quarterback hits in 2021, helping the Packers secure their second straight No. 1 seed despite a wave of injuries depleting their depth chart. The team then made Za’Darius Smith a cap casualty in March 2022. Gary and Preston Smith remain the Packer anchors on the edge, though first-round pick Lukas Van Ness — who excelled as an off-the-bench inside and outside rusher at Iowa — is now in the picture.
Gary’s return will give the Packers flexibility with Van Ness, whose path could be similar to that of Gary’s. That said, Green Bay would only incur a $4MM dead-money charge by designating Preston Smith a post-June 1 cut in 2024. For now, the team will have an intriguing set of pass rushers entering its first post-Aaron Rodgers season.
Eric Stokes, who was lost for the season during the same Week 9 game in which Gary went down, remains on Green Bay’s active/PUP list. The third-year cornerback can be activated at any point during training camp. Stokes is coming off knee and foot surgeries.
Cowboys To Release K Tristan Vizcaino
The Cowboys’ kicking competition has, at least for now, come to an end. Dallas is moving on from Tristan Vizcaino, reports Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. That leaves only one kicker on the active roster. 
Vizcaino joined the Cowboys in January after incumbent Brett Maher missed four extra points in the team’s wild-card victory. The latter is no longer in the picture, but it was clear that Vizcaino would not be unopposed during the offseason as Dallas looked for a long-term solution at the position.
The 27-year-old has seen game time with four different teams, but his longest stretch of action in one place has been only six games (with the Chargers in 2021). Vizcaino has converted 11 of his 12 career field goal attempts, but he was unable to carry over that success during this offseason. He went a combined 22-for-35 during training camp, as noted (on Twitter) by ESPN’s Todd Archer. That total includes a poor showing during Saturday’s practice As a result, the Cowboys have quickly decided to cut bait.
Today’s move leaves only Brandon Aubrey on the roster at the moment, though he too struggled over the weekend. As Gehlken recently noted, Aubrey (who signed in July after spending time in the USFL) had been the more consistent performer during camp, making it little surprise that he is still in the fold. The 28-year-old has yet to play a regular season NFL game, however, so further moves at the position should be expected.
The Cowboys demonstrated with the Aubrey addition that they are willing to look at options from the XFL and USFL. A number of veterans with considerable NFL experience are still on the market, though, including Robbie Gould, Mason Crosby and Ryan Succop. Dallas currently has just under $19.5MM in cap space, so they will have plenty of spending power if they look to add a more experienced competitor for Aubrey. Vizcaino, meanwhile, will look to find another new opportunity with training camps well underway around the league.
Rams To Bring Back S John Johnson
John Johnson was released by the Browns in March, marking an end to his tenure with his second career team. A reunion with his first is now in order. The veteran safety has agreed to a one-year deal which will return him to the Rams (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jeremey Fowler). It is a veteran minimum pact worth $1.08MM, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (subscription required).
Johnson spent his first four seasons in Los Angeles, quickly establishing himself as a key member of the team’s secondary. He started 48 of his 54 games with the Rams, and played every snap of the 2020 season. That made him a hot commodity on the open market when he reached free agency, and he arrived in Cleveland with plenty of expectations.
The Boston College product signed a three-year, $33.75MM with the Browns in 2021, and provided playmaking in his debut season. Johnson recorded three interceptions and five pass breakups while remaining a full-time starter. Things did not go as well last year, though, one in which he was moved closer to the line of scrimmage. That decision resulted in a 100-tackle campaign for the third time in his career, but only one interception and a career-worst passer rating allowed in coverage (82.8).
The Browns saved $9.75MM by designating Johnson as a post-June 1 release, something which came about after it was clear they would look to trade him in a cost-shedding move. Cleveland signed Juan Thornhill and Rodney McLeod in free agency to work alongside incumbent Grant Delpit on the backend. Thornhill in particular will be counted on to replace Johnson’s production.
The Rams have a number of relatively inexperienced options at the safety position (among many others after embracing a youth movement this offseason). Jordan Fuller can be expected to once again shoulder a starting role after being limited to just three games last year, but Johnson could find himself alongside the former sixth-rounder with the first-team defense if he can regain his previous Los Angeles form. Doing so would help the Rams improve on their highly disappointing performance in 2022 while boosting his free agent stock ahead of next offseason in the process.
Eagles Add Zach Cunningham, Myles Jack
The Eagles expanded their roster at linebacker a bit today, signing free agent linebackers Zach Cunningham and Myles Jack, according to the team’s Twitter account. After working out the two veterans today, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, they were brought onto the roster on identical one-year deals worth up to $2.5MM. 
Philadelphia did a similar dual-action deal last year with defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh, both of whom played sparingly as rotation depth pieces. This time, the two players signing deals have a bit more of a chance of making an impact during their one-year terms. Over their careers, Cunningham and Jack have both served as starters for their respective teams.
Cunningham has stuck in the AFC South for the first six years of his career, playing with the Texans and Titans until now. Serving as a starter essentially from the start, Cunningham made a name for himself as a tackling machine. The Texans rewarded him with a four-year, $58MM extension before the final year of his rookie contract. He rewarded them right back by leading the league in tackles that same year.
He was a strong run defender and pass rusher but struggled in coverage, keeping him from being an all-around top player at the position. Eventually, his one-way style of play, his big contract numbers, and a reported disciplinary issue led to Houston waiving the veteran, allowing him to be claimed by their division rivals in Nashville. Injuries marked Cunningham’s time with the Titans, contributing to him missing 14 games over the last two seasons. When he was available, though, he started in the box for Tennessee.
Jack has spent the majority of his career in Jacksonville after being drafted by the Jaguars in the second round back in 2016. After turning into a full-time starter in Duval, Jack earned a second contract in the form of a four-year, $57MM extension. Unfortunately, the following year saw Jack miss five games with a number of different issues. After falling out of the first round of the draft due to injury concerns, this was the first game time Jack would miss. Over the following years, he would miss more games, but ultimately, he was able to suit up for 88 of 97 possible games in Jacksonville, starting 82.
The Jaguars attacked the free agent market at its opening last year and, as a result, released Jack to make some room in their cap space. The Steelers jumped on Jack’s availability, signing him the next day to a two-year, $16MM deal. Jack didn’t have a stellar season in Pittsburgh, but he logged his fourth 100-tackle season at only 27 years old. Pittsburgh ended up releasing him during a complete revamp of their linebacking corps, making him available for the Eagles to sign today.
On their way to the Super Bowl last year, the Eagles relied on T.J. Edwards (now with the Bears), Kyzir White (now with the Cardinals), and Haason Reddick to start on defense. Reddick returns to reclaim his role as a starter, but with Edwards and White gone, Philadelphia was looking to second-year second-round pick Nakobe Dean and free agent linebacker addition Nicholas Morrow (who spent last year as a full-time starter for the first time in his career with the Bears) to start next to him. Adding to the bit of uncertainty that comes with handing the keys over to two such inexperienced starters, Dean is dealing with an ankle injury that appears to be holding him out of camp, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com.
Whether Philadelphia is fully confident and committed to rolling out a starting three of Reddick, Dean, and Morrow or they aren’t sold on that lineup, the signings of Cunningham and Jack make a lot of sense. If Dean and Morrow are able to step up, the two new signings provide strong, experienced depth behind them. If Dean and Morrow falter in taking the reins, Cunningham and Jack will be ready and waiting in the wings to take over.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/23
Here are today’s minor moves as the weekend comes to a close:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from PUP: DT Jordan Phillips
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: TE Chase Allen
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: G Yasir Durant
Green Bay Packers
- Released: Danny Etling
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Khalil Davis
- Claimed off waivers (from Commanders): G Keaton Sutherland
- Placed on IR: T DJ Scaife
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from PUP: DT Byron Young
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Da’Shawn Hand, CB Parry Nickerson
- Waived: DT Anthony Montalvo
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: DL James Lynch (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: RB Eno Benjamin (story)
New York Jets
- Waived/injured: LB Maalik Hall, LB Hamsah Nasirildeen
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Josh Andrews
- Waived/injured: WR Charleston Rambo
- Released: LB Davion Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Roderick Perry
- Activated from PUP: CB Tariq Woolen
- Waived: DE MJ Anderson
Washington Commanders
- Waived: G Keaton Sutherland
Andrews joins Philadelphia as a potentially strong depth piece on the offensive line. The seven-year veteran has played 48 games over the years with five different teams, so rejoining the Eagles, even with a new staff from when he left, shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Last year, he started five of the six games he played with the Saints.
Woolen underwent arthroscopic knee surgery back in May and was given a four-to-six-week recovery timeline. He was forced to start camp on the physically unable to perform list, but it’s time for him to make his way back to the field. Last year’s other starter at cornerback, Michael Jackson, has had a great camp and rookie Devon Witherspoon is pushing for a starting role, so Woolen will be glad to get back and reestablish his role in the secondary.
Panthers Sign OLB Justin Houston
7:25pm: Thanks to Adam Schefter of ESPN, we have some details on Houston’s new deal with the Panthers. After performing on a one-year $3.5MM deal with the Ravens last year, Houston will have the opportunity to make double that in 2024.
Schefter reports that the veteran’s new deal is worth up to $7MM and will include a guaranteed amount of $6MM. This represents the largest contract Houston has played under since 2020, when he was making $12MM per year in Indianapolis.
3:48pm: The Panthers have found their long-awaited edge rushing addition. Justin Houston has agreed to a one-year deal with Carolina, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The team has since confirmed the news. 
The Panthers have been on the lookout for a compliment to their starting tandem of Brian Burns and Yetur Gross-Matos and Houston will represent an experienced option in that respect. The latter had spent the previous two seasons with the Ravens, playing on one-year accords both times.
Houston proved to be a highly effective addition for a Baltimore team which has leaned increasingly on young pass-rushers in recent years. The 34-year-old recorded 4.5 sacks in 2021, then upped that total to a team-leading 9.5 last year. The latter figure was produced despite Houston seeing only a 44% snap share, showcasing his continued value as a sack artist.
The Ravens have seen not only Houston, but also fellow veterans Jason Pierre-Paul and Steven Means go unsigned in free agency. Houston expressed a desire to remain in Baltimore on what would have presumably been another short-term deal. A raise from his previous earnings would have been called for, though the team entered today with more than $9MM in cap space, suggesting an agreement could have been worked out. Instead, the former third-rounder will now join a new team for the third time in his career.
Houston earned four straight Pro Bowl invitations and his lone All-Pro nod between 2012 and 2015 during his highly-productive tenure in Kansas City. That stint was followed by two-year runs in Indianapolis and Baltimore, and his performances there should lead to expectations as at least a quality rotational rusher in Carolina. His new team has room for depth contributions on the edge rushing front.
Houston’s sack total from last season would have ranked second on the Panthers, behind only Burns’ 12.5. A change to a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is expected to help Gross-Matos take a step forward, and Frankie Luvu has shown an ability to produce both on the inside and outside at the linebacker spot. Despite the incumbents in place, Joe Person of The Athletic wrote earlier today about the high probability of an addition being made (subscription required).
Houston was among the options Person laid out, headlining a group which was thinned recently by the Bears’ deal for Yannick Ngakoue. That accord came in at a higher price ($10.5MM guaranteed) than many anticipated, and it will be interesting to see how Houston made out with this Panthers pact. The latter will look to repeat his success from last year while helping to lead Carolina back to the postseason.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/23
Saturday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from PUP list: G Chandler Zavala
Chicago Bears
- Waived (injury designation): TE Chase Allen
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Gavin Heslop, T Derrick Kelly
Denver Broncos
- Signed: DT Forrest Merrill
- Waived (injury designation): OL Yasir Durant
Detroit Lions
- Waived: DL Zach Morton
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Nick Eubanks, TE Michael Jacobson
- Placed on IR: WR Ethan Fernea, OL Jake Witt
- Waived: RB Toriano Clinton
Los Angeles Rams
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from PUP list: OLB Andre Carter II
New Orleans Saints
Signed: WR Jontre Kirklin
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Nick Vigil, LB Samuel Eguavoen
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Daelin Hayes
- Placed on IR: DE Darryl Johnson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: CB Jace Whittaker
The Browns waived receiver Daylen Baldwin yesterday, and more details on his situation have emerged today courtesy of NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). Baldwin tore a tendon behind his knee, and he will undergo surgery as a result. After his recovery (which is expected to take roughly six to eight weeks), Pelissero notes that a return is the Browns’ preference.
Vigil will add considerable experience to the middle of the Jets’ defense. The 29-year-old has started 53 of his 89 career games, though he has not operated as a full-time starter in recent years as he once did. Vigil spent the 2022 season in Arizona, where he was limited to only eight games played and logged a defensive snap share of 35%. Both Vigil and Eguavoen worked out with the Giants last month, but they will instead head to New York’s other franchise for the 2023 season.
Kirklin played four games with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks, and he scored four touchdowns in the process. He will look to carry over that production at the NFL level as part of a Saints receiving corps which has plenty of uncertainty amongst its depth options.
Whittaker spent the past three seasons in Arizona, coming on and off the Cardinals’ practice squad a number of times. He was a key member of the team’s secondary last year, however, starting four of his six games played and logging a snap share of 74%. The 28-year-old will compete for a depth role behind the established starters at the CB spot in Washington.
Titans Sign OL Justin Murray
The Titans have added some much-needed depth on the offensive line. The team announced that they’ve signed veteran offensive lineman Justin Murray.
The former UDFA made a name for himself in Arizona, where he started 19 of his 27 appearances for this organization between the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The lineman was limited to only three games in 2021 thanks to a back injury, and he was ultimately released by Arizona at the end of the 2022 preseason.
Murray spent the 2022 season in Buffalo, getting into five games. He caught on with the Raiders earlier this offseason but was cut by the team earlier this week. In total, the 30-year-old has spent time with the Broncos, Buccaneers, Saints, Bengals, Raiders, Cardinals, and Bills. He’s started 20 of his 37 appearances in five NFL seasons.
Nicholas Petit-Frere is facing a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy, and the Titans released his expected replacement, Jamarco Jones, following multiple fights during training camp. John Ojukwu is also dealing with an injury, leaving the team with Chris Hubbard, Jaelyn Duncan, Zack Johnson, and Andrew Rupcich for OT depth. Murray’s ability to play both guard and tackle could provide him with an upper-hand when it comes to earning a Week 1 roster spot.