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.
Lions Add CB Tae Hayes, Waive LB Zach Morton
The Lions have started the weekend by reworking the bottom of their roster. The team announced that they’ve signed cornerback Tae Hayes and wide receiver Avery Davis. To make room on the roster, the Lions have waived linebacker Zach Morton.
Hayes has the most experience of the bunch, with the defensive back bouncing around the NFL since going undrafted out of Appalachian State in 2019. Since then, Hayes has spent time with the Jaguars, Dolphins, Vikings, Cardinals, Panthers, and Patriots. The defensive back also had a stint with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL.
In total, the soon-to-be 26-year-old has appeared in 13 career games, collecting 16 tackles and a pair of passes defended. He got into seven games with the Panthers and Patriots in 2022, finishing with six stops. He’ll provide some depth to a Lions secondary that is currently dealing with a number of injuries. Jarren Williams was carted off the field with a leg injury the other day and was ultimately waived/injured. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu is also sidelined while dealing with his own knee injury.
Davis spent four years at Notre Dame, with the prospect listed as a quarterback, cornerback, and wide receiver during his four years at the school. He took on a larger role in the offense in 2021 and 2022, compiling 784 yards from scrimmage and six total touchdowns.
Morton joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent earlier this offseason. The Syracuse and Akron product finished his collegiate career with 24 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and a pair of interceptions.
Saints, Cameron Jordan Agree To Extension
The latest new deal keeping Cameron Jordan in New Orleans has been worked out. The parties agreed to a two-year extension which is worth a fully-guaranteed $27.5MM, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the news. 
Jordan is now on the books through 2025, which should set him up well to meet his stated goal of continuing his career for roughly three to four more seasons. Indeed, while Jordan would not rule out a return in 2026 — which would be his 16th year in the league — he expects the 2025 campaign to be his last (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football).
The new money and guarantees included in this pact are the largest ever provided to a defensive player at the age of 34, showcasing Jordan’s ongoing value to New Orleans even in the latter stages of his playing days. The eight-time Pro Bowler began extension talks earlier this offseason, and a strong mutual interest existed to ensure he would not play for a franchise other than the Saints. General manager Mickey Loomis made it clear a deal would be worked out, and Jordan’s future is now secure. The latter will move into second in franchise history in games played if he remains durable during the 2023 season, something which has never been an issue to date.
Jordan has played exactly 16 games in each of his 12 seasons in the NFL, remaining consistently productive over that span. He has reached double-digit sacks six times, and earned a Pro Bowl nod each year since 2017. Amidst his remarks confirming his wishes to remain in New Orleans to finish out his career, the former first-rounder said he intended to retire when it became clear he could no longer operate as a full-time starter. With 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2022, Jordan will still be counted on as an anchor of the Saints’ defensive front moving forward.
New Orleans saw former first-rounder Marcus Davenport depart in free agency, which will leave plenty of snaps available for Payton Turner and second-round rookie Isaiah Foskey this season. Jordan will still be at the heart of the team’s edge rushing contingent, though, as he looks to extend his franchise record in sacks (115.5) while climbing the NFL’s all-time list in that department. Only Von Miller has more sacks amongst active players, and three years of runway will give Jordan considerable opportunity to improve on his current NFL rank of 23rd.
The Cal product was set to count for $15.1MM against the Saints’ cap this season, and it will be interesting to see if this agreement alters that figure. More importantly, though, New Orleans will now not be facing the prospect of seeing a $23.3MM cap charge next season as a result of the numerous void years tacked onto his deal. A multi-year extension should provide the Saints – a team forever tasked with salary cap gymnastics to retain its veterans – some clarity and stability moving forward.
Jordan is now well-positioned to help guide the Saints back to the postseason while adding further to his personal accolades. The 2010s All-Decade member will have a clearer picture of his remaining playing days as he winds down what will likely be a Hall of Fame career.
Bengals, Logan Wilson Agree On Extension
Although Joe Burrow‘s extension is not yet completed, the Bengals are checking off another key box on their offseason to-do list. Logan Wilson will not play out a contract year.
The Bengals and Wilson agreed to terms on a four-year, $37.25MM extension Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The deal will give the fourth-year linebacker an $11.2MM average annual value over its first two years. Wilson had entered Friday joining Burrow, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd as key contract-year Bengals. No longer, as the team now has he and Germaine Pratt — re-signed in free agency — locked up.
[RELATED: Bengals Extend DE Trey Hendrickson]
Wilson, 27, has resided on Cincinnati’s extension radar for a while now. The full terms of the deal are not yet known, but on the surface, it will not quite check in among the top-10 off-ball linebacker contracts. Just as they did with Orlando Brown Jr.‘s deal, the Bengals look to be frontloading this contract. Wilson’s overall AAV will be $9.3MM, however, will only be good enough for a tie with the Saints’ Demario Davis in 11th at the position. While the salary cap’s rise would suggest higher payouts are coming in the future, this year’s market did not produce a host of impact deals for ILBs.
Pratt enjoyed a strong contract year but could only score a three-year, $20.25MM accord in free agency. The Bengals brought back Pratt while letting safeties Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell walk. Pratt received just $7MM guaranteed. It should be expected Wilson’s contract will provide him more security, as the Bengals have relied on the Wyoming alum as a three-down player — responsibilities that Pratt does not have on a full-time basis — during their rise into an AFC power.
It will be interesting to see what the Bengals are guaranteeing Wilson, as a $9.3MM AAV leaves a bit to be desired for a player who would have certainly enjoyed a nice market — barring a major injury — in 2024. The cap’s restoration following a 2021 reduction will give teams more to spend, and this year’s ILB market did include $18MM- and $10MM-per-year payments — to Tremaine Edmunds and Bobby Okereke. The round of Pratt-level pacts handed out may have come about because of the volume of second-tier-type off-ball ‘backers available. But Wilson had wanted to sign an extension before the season, per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. (subscription required), and will bypass a free agency bid, giving the Bengals what looks like a big win ahead of the 2023 season.
From Boyd to Bates to Higgins to Pratt to Sam Hubbard, the Bengals have found several quality starters on Day 2 of the draft over the past several years. Wilson is squarely on that list, arriving as the No. 65 overall pick in 2020. The Bengals made Wilson a full-time player in 2021, giving him an 83% defensive snap rate. Last season, Wilson played a career-high 955 defensive snaps — a 97% rate — and ranked as a top-20 linebacker in the view of Pro Football Focus. Wilson’s coverage chops represented a key reason for that ranking, with PFF slotting him as a top-15 coverage ‘backer.
After a 100-tackle 2021, Wilson made 123 stops last season. Despite his linebacker role, Wilson has intercepted seven passes and deflected 11 more over the first three years of his career. Wilson added 2.5 sacks and seven QB hits last season, solidifying himself as one of the NFL’s top young linebackers. The Bengals lost both their starting safeties from the past three years, but DC Lou Anarumo will have his top two linebackers locked down for the foreseeable future. While Pratt’s contract is a pay-as-you-go setup, he is signed through 2025. Wilson is locked in through 2027.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/23
Here are today’s minor moves as we head into the weekend:
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on IR: WR Chris Blair, DL Ikenna Enechukwu, QB Feleipe Franks
Baltimore Ravens
- Reverted to reserve/NFI: CB Trayvon Mullen
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Mac McCain
- Waived: CB Colby Richardson
Chicago Bears
- Released: DE Jalyn Holmes
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Cam Bright, TE Miller Forristall, WR Jalen Wayne
- Waived/injured: WR Daylen Baldwin, CB Thomas Graham Jr.
- Waived: P Joseph Charlton, RB Nate McCrary, T Hunter Thedford
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: LB Jonas Griffith (story)
Detroit Lions
- Waived/injured: CB Jarren Williams
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL DJ Scaife
- Placed on IR: C Scott Quessenberry (story)
- Waived from IR: OL Dylan Deatherage
Miami Dolphins
- Waived/injured: FB John Lovett
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: RB Abram Smith
- Waived: FB Zach Ojile
New England Patriots
- Reverted to IR: LB Terez Hall
New York Giants
- Signed: NT Donovan Jeter
- Waived/injured: WR Jeff Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- Removed from commissioner’s exempt list: OL Josh Sills
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Daelin Hayes
- Placed on IR: DE Darryl Johnson
Sills was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list back in February when a grand jury indicted him on counts of rape and kidnapping. The charges stem from an event that allegedly took place back in December 2019. Today it was announced that Sills was acquitted of both charges, according to sources at The Athletic. The Eagles released a statement that, with his adjudication, he will return to the team’s active roster.
The 49ers announced that Johnson has been placed on season-ending injured reserve. They didn’t disclose the injury that will sideline the young edge they signed two months ago.
The Vikings are adding the XFL’s 2023 leading rusher in Smith. Smith had 791 rushing yards in 10 games last year.
Colts To Sign RB Kenyan Drake
Kenyan Drake‘s Colts workout will lead to a signing. The veteran running back agreed to terms with the team Friday, according to his agency (Twitter link).
Indianapolis auditioned Drake, Devine Ozigbo and Benny Snell on Wednesday. Of that trio, Drake brought by far the most experience and production. The former Dolphins, Cardinals, Raiders and Ravens running back will have another opportunity — for a team dealing with some big-picture issues at the position.
Jonathan Taylor‘s stay on the active/PUP list continues, and Zack Moss suffered a broken arm earlier this week. Taylor’s top backup, Moss is expected to be out approximately six weeks. Drake, 29, will step in and play a key role for the retooling team. The former third-round pick spent last season in Baltimore, serving as insurance for a team that had seen injuries derail its backfield plan. Injuries are technically limiting the Colts right now, but Taylor’s situation is obviously far more complex.
Although Drake has been with four teams over the past four seasons, he has enjoyed quality spurts. The Alabama product averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his 2019 Cardinals games, following a midseason trade with the Dolphins, and the team transition-tagged him in 2020. The then-Kliff Kingsbury-led team used Drake as its top back that year, and he finished with a career-high 10 touchdowns. Drake totaled more than 1,000 scrimmage yards in 2019 and ’20, and the Raiders — despite having drafted Josh Jacobs in the 2019 first round — gave him a two-year, $11MM deal in 2021.
Jon Gruden‘s vision of Drake serving as a dynamic pass-catching back alongside Jacobs did not entirely come to fruition, with Drake totaling just 291 receiving yards. The Josh McDaniels-led Raiders released Drake last summer, after trade talks did not progress, leading to the Ravens commitment. With J.K. Dobbins returning to IR and Gus Edwards not coming off the reserve/PUP list until midseason, Drake provided some notable fill-in work. Headlined by a 119-yard game against the Giants and a 93-yard rushing performance against the Saints, Drake finished with 482 rushing yards (4.4 per carry) and made some key contributions to the playoff-bound team’s cause while its top backfield cogs battled injuries. But the Ravens have a more stable situation now, with Melvin Gordon also involved.
The Colts’ situation: far from stable. Taylor has gone from being labeled as ready to go for camp by Jim Irsay to requesting a trade. The former All-Pro, who is coming off a minimally invasive January ankle surgery, is dissatisfied with his contract — during a bleak offseason for the running back position — and is likely staging a hold-in. Irsay has indicated the Colts will not trade Taylor, but as his time on the sidelines continues, this topic may not be entirely out of bounds.
For now, Drake will step in as a veteran presence atop — Taylor excluded — an inexperienced depth chart. Deon Jackson, ex-Rams UDFA Jake Funk and fifth-round rookie Evan Hull entered Friday as the Colts’ top available backs.
Cowboys To Extend S Malik Hooker
The Cowboys re-signed Donovan Wilson to solidify their safety position. Months later, they are making another commitment. Former first-round pick Malik Hooker agreed to an extension to stay in Dallas on Friday.
Hooker agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $24MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The contract includes $16.5MM guaranteed, which features an $8MM signing bonus to be paid within the next 15 days. This agreement will tie Hooker to the Cowboys through the 2026 season.
Having been previously tied to a two-year deal worth $7MM, Hooker has secured an elusive payday. These terms appear in line with the pacts given to the non-Jessie Bates wing of safeties in this year’s free agent class. Wilson and Juan Thornhill received $7MM-per-year deals, while Vonn Bell signed for $7.5MM per year with the Panthers. Jimmie Ward ($6.5MM AAV) and Jordan Poyer ($6.25MM) came in just south of that, with the Seahawks and Raiders respectively giving Julian Love and Marcus Epps two-year, $12MM accords.
Hooker has gone from the lowest-paid member of Dallas’ safety trio to the highest-paid, guarantee-wise. It is not yet known how Hooker’s AAV stacks up here, but his $16.5MM guarantee tops all the above-referenced safeties. Wilson signed for $13.5MM guaranteed. The Cowboys now have three safeties — Wilson, Hooker and Jayron Kearse — signed to veteran contracts south of $10MM per year, making this an interesting all-middle-class trio at the position. Kearse is signed to a two-year, $10MM contract.
This is a long time coming for Hooker, whom the Colts selected with the 15th overall pick in 2017. He came into his rookie year after an injury, and a September 2020 Achilles tear ended up concluding his Colts tenure. Indianapolis moved on after Hooker’s rookie deal, having passed on his fifth-year option prior to that injury occurring. Hooker had missed 15 games from 2017-19, having suffered a torn ACL in October 2017. This Cowboys stay has rebuilt the one-time top prospect’s value.
Hooker, 27, has missed just three games since initially signing with the Cowboys — on a one-year, $920K deal in July 2021 — and has helped the team build a strong safety foundation. Once regularly connected to Earl Thomas, the Cowboys now have three proven defenders at the position. Pro Football Focus ranked all three of Dallas’ safeties in the top 30 last season. Hooker (13th) led the way, playing 861 defensive snaps despite starting just six games. Using a bevy of three-safety looks, the Cowboys saw Hooker intercept three passes and make 62 tackles last season.
The Cowboys came into training camp with lofty extension goals. Hooker’s name did not appear on this marquee, with CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs and Terence Steele being Dallas’ top extension targets. Diggs has signed a five-year, $97MM extension. The Cowboys have Lamb signed through 2024, via the fifth-year option, but have Steele heading into a contract year. Several weeks still remain for the Cowboys to find common ground there, however. Zack Martin remains a camp holdout, though Jerry Jones did not indicate a deal is coming for the future Hall of Fame guard.
Cardinals Sign RB Marlon Mack
Marlon Mack‘s latest opportunity to find a permanent NFL home has arrived. The veteran running back has signed with the Cardinals, per a team announcement. ESPN’s Josh Weinfus tweets that it is a one-year deal.
Mack (who worked out with the Cardinals yesterday) proved to be a highly productive lead back in Indianapolis during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, but an Achilles tear derailed his career. He initially joined the Texans last offseason in an attempt to find playing time, but he did not survive final roster cuts in the summer. That led him to join the 49ers while they were thin in the backfield.
The 27-year-old did not see any carries during his brief stint in the Bay Area, however. He was signed off the 49ers’ practice squad by the Broncos in October, in response to the season-ending loss of Javonte Williams. Mack was part of Denver’s efforts to add a number of contributors to their banged-up backfield, and he played six games as a Bronco.
Mack saw limited usage in Denver, but he averaged 5.3 yards per carry while scoring one touchdown on the ground and another through the air. He will now join a Cardinals backfield which could stand to add a veteran depth contributor. Not much is certain on the team’s RB depth chart aside from the fact that James Conner will once again handle a heavy workload in 2023.
The Cardinals also have Keaontay Ingram in the fold, but the 2022 sixth-rounder has missed time in training camp recently due to an injury. Corey Clement, who joined Arizona midway through the season last year, is also an option to carve out a depth role. The same is true of Ty’Son Williams and undrafted rookie Emari Demercado. Mack will use the remainder of training camp and the preseason to try and earn a 53-man roster spot behind Conner on the depth chart. To made room for Mack, long snapper Jack Coco was released.
Bears To Sign TE Marcedes Lewis
Marcedes Lewis is set to break the record for seasons played by a tight end, but it will not take place in Green Bay. The veteran is finalizing a deal with the Bears, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets that the agreement is for one year and $2MM. 
Lewis made it clear in June that he had no intention or retiring and was in conversation with teams about a deal for the 2023 season. He will be able to do so in the NFC North, but in a new home for only the third time in his career. The 39-year-old spent the past five seasons with the Packers after 12 as a Jaguar.
As they begin the post-Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay, however, attention is being turned to the young array of pass-catchers on the team. That includes rookies Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft at the TE spot. A new Packers deal for Lewis seemed unlikely once the trade sending Rodgers to the Jets was finalized, a move which has seen a number of familiar faces on offense join him in New York.
In Chicago, Lewis will compete for a role on a young offense looking to take a step forward in the passing game in particular compared to 2022. The trade involving the No. 1 pick saw wideout D.J. Moore head to the Windy City, putting him in position to operate as the team’s top pass-catcher. At the tight end position, the recently-extended Cole Kmet will lead the group, one which now has even more of a Green Bay flavor to it.
Robert Tonyan inked a Bears deal at the start of free agency after a lengthy Packers stint. He and Lewis will have plenty of familiarity as they compete for snaps in the new-look Bears offense. The latter had the second-least productive season of his career in 2022, recording only six catches (though two of them were touchdowns). His snap share (41%) remained consistent with that of the three previous campaigns, however, showing his continued effectiveness as a run blocker.
Much of the Bears’ success on offense will be determined by the growth of quarterback Justin Fields and the production from the renovated skill-position group around him. Lewis will spend the remainder of training camp looking to carve out a depth role as the newest member of that unit, and in doing so make NFL history for longevity at his position.
Bears, DE Yannick Ngakoue Agree To Deal
The top edge rusher still on the market has found a home. Yannick Ngakoue has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Bears, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 
Schefter adds that the contract includes $10MM guaranteed, with a maximum value of $10.5MM. Ngakoue made out very well for himself financially considering how tepid his market appeared to be for much of the offseason. It does not come as a surprise, however, that he will head to the Windy City in 2023.
The Bears – a team which recorded a league-worst 22 sacks last season – were named as a team to watch in June. A report from that time indicated Ngakoue was seeking between $8MM and $10MM on his next contract, a figure which outpaces what Leonard Floyd and Frank Clark were able to secure (in terms of base compensation) from the Bills and Broncos, respectively. Bears GM Ryan Poles has been rather public about his ongoing desire to land an upgrade on the edge, and this move has allowed that to come to fruition.
Ngakoue, 28, had originally stated his desire to sign a multi-year deal with a contending team. Securing a long-term commitment from any team has proven elusive to date in his career, though. The former second-rounder has played for five teams in his seven years in the NFL, remaining productive at every stop. Ngakoue has recorded at least eight sacks every year, but his struggles against the run have limited his overall effectiveness and thus his ability to find a stable home.
The Maryland alum changed his stance last month, indicating he did not see the chances of his next team to compete for a Super Bowl as a make-or-break factor in his decision-making process. After a 3-14 season last year, the Bears certainly qualify as a team which is not expected to be among the heavyweights in the NFC. Despite head coach Matt Eberflus having a background with the Colts, where Ngakoue played last season, the pair have never worked together.
The Bears entered Thursday with the most cap space in the league, holding over $28MM in available funds. A sizeable investment in Ngakoue will eat considerably into that total, but if he can remain consistent as a pass-rushing presence, he will prove to be an effective addition as Chicago looks to take a needed step forward on defense.