Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BroncosChargers, Chiefs and Raiders moves are noted below.

Here are Wednesday’s AFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.

Denver Broncos

Re-signed:

Signed to practice squad:

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed to practice squad:

Las Vegas Raiders

Released from IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Chargers

Signed: 

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These 49ersCardinals, Rams and Seahawks moves are noted below.

Here are Wednesday’s NFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.

Arizona Cardinals

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Rams

Signed to practice squad:

San Francisco 49ers

Signed:

Claimed:

Placed on IR:

Released from IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Seattle Seahawks

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

  • LB Joshua Onujiogu

Placed on IR:

Reverted to IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Cowboys Place LT Tyron Smith, WR James Washington On IR

For players who are currently injured, but are expected to be available at some point during the season, teams are required to name them to their initial 53-man rosters before placing them on injured reserve. A team announcement confirmed on Wednesday that the Cowboys have done just that with left tackle Tyron Smith and wideout James Washington

Neither move comes as a surprise, of course. Smith suffered a hamstring tear in practice last week, and faces a long road to recovery. The required surgery is expected to keep him sidelined until at least December, an absence which will be widely felt in Dallas’ offense. The 2010s All-Decade member has been a mainstay on the Cowboys’ o-line since 2011, and internal replacement options are highly lacking in experience.

That list includes first-round rookie Tyler Smith – though the team’s intention was to bring him along slowly, and at guard to begin his NFL career. Remarks from coach Mike McCarthy confirm that, out of necessity, that plan has changed (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Jon Machota). Swing tackle Josh Ball could also fill in as a blindside protector, but the Cowboys have widely been reported as being active in search of outside options. That most recently included an attempt to trade for former Jet Chuma Edoga, but the deal fell through.

Washington, meanwhile, is partway through the recovery process from surgery to repair a foot fracture suffered at the beginning of the month. The timeline (ranging from six to 10 weeks) made him a logical IR candidate to begin the regular season. His absence will compound that of Michael Gallup, who is recovering from an ACL tear. Washington’s production fell off in Pittsburgh, but the lack of established options aside from Gallup (when healthy) and CeeDee Lamb should leave him with a path to significant snaps.

At some point, both Smith and Washington should return, which would inevitably give the Cowboys’ offense a boost. With the roster spots made open by the move, Dallas brought back long snapper Jake McQuaide and defensive back C.J. Goodwin after their temporary releases yesterday.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC North

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BearsLions, Packers and Vikings moves are noted below.

Here are Wednesday’s NFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.

Chicago Bears

Claimed:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Detroit Lions

Claimed:

Waived:

Released from IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Green Bay Packers

Signed:

Waived: 

Signed to practice squad:

Minnesota Vikings

Waived:

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC North

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BengalsBrowns, Ravens and Steelers moves are noted below.

Here are Wednesday’s AFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.

Baltimore Ravens

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Cincinnati Bengals

Claimed:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Cleveland Browns

Claimed: 

Released:

Signed to practice squad:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ravens To Sign RB Kenyan Drake

AUGUST 31: The deal is going through. Drake will join his fourth team, with Rapoport adding the Ravens have agreed to terms with the seventh-year back (Twitter link).

AUGUST 30: With plenty of questions still surrounding their RB room, the Ravens are set to make an addition at the position. Baltimore is hosting veteran Kenyan Drake and “likely will sign him” pending a physical, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 

The 28-year-old was on the roster bubble in Vegas, leading to the recent announcement that he would either be traded or cut. Nothing materialized on the trade front, as expected, leaving Drake on the open market. His Raiders tenure lasted one season, and produced 254 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns; he added 30 catches for 291 yards and another score across his 12 games played.

Despite his release causing $8MM in total dead cap charges, the Raiders were willing to proceed with the move. That leaves the team with Josh Jacobs in the No. 1 spot for at least one more season, as they declined his fifth-year option, and a mix of veterans and rookies behind him. Drake will enter a similarly-crowded Ravens backfield, but he should be in line for a more significant workload.

Baltimore could have lead back J.K. Dobbins on the field for the first time since 2020 as early as Week 1, but he will not handle a full starter’s workload right away. That, coupled with the absence of backup Gus Edwards for at least the first four games of the season, leaves plenty of snaps available for other options. That list includes veteran Mike Davis and sixth-round rookie Tyler Badie.

Drake will compete with those two for a role in the build-up to the regular season. At least until Dobbins and Edwards are back to full health, he should give the team a more proven pass-catching back.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC East

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These CommandersCowboys, Eagles and Giants moves are noted below.

Here are Wednesday’s NFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.

Dallas Cowboys

Signed to practice squad:

New York Giants

Signed:

Released:

Claimed:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Philadelphia Eagles

Claimed: 

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Washington Commanders

Released:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Eagles To Trade WR Jalen Reagor To Vikings

Despite Jalen Reagor ending up on the Eagles’ 53-man roster Tuesday, he will not play a third season with the team. The Vikings will acquire the former first-round pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Philly is parting ways with the third-year wideout for a 2023 seventh-round pick and a conditional 2024 pick. The latter selection will either be a fourth- or fifth-rounder. Reagor came up in trade rumors fairly consistently this offseason, and the Eagles are moving on. Two years remain on Reagor’s rookie deal.

[RELATED: Eagles Acquire DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson From Saints]

Two years ago, the Eagles faced a decision between TCU’s Reagor and LSU’s Justin Jefferson. The room was believed to be split, but Reagor won out. The Vikings took Jefferson. That move worked out pretty well. Minnesota, which has seen Jefferson rocket to the Pro Bowl tier quickly, now has both the 2020 first-rounders.

Reagor will be expected to fill in behind the likes of Jefferson and Adam Thielen. The Vikings also have 2020 draftee K.J. Osborn, who is ticketed to again be their No. 3 wideout. The Vikings did just lose Bisi Johnson to a season-ending ACL tear.

Although Reagor showed some promise in his third Eagles training camp, he has come in far below expectations during game action. Reagor failed to exceed 400 receiving yards in each of his two seasons, missing time with an injury as a rookie and seeing the Eagles add at the position (DeVonta Smith) and shift to a run-heavy attack in 2021. Philly made a considerable effort to upgrade its receiving corps this year. After pursuing Christian Kirk and Allen Robinson, the Eagles acquired A.J. Brown during the draft and gave him a monster guarantee. The addition of former Nick Sirianni Colts charge Zach Pascal may have made a bigger impact on Reagor’s standing.

For his career, Reagor has 64 receptions for 699 yards and three touchdowns. Inconsistency has plagued the second-generation NFLer, however, and the Vikings will try to coax supporting-cast production from the once-coveted Big 12 prospect. Reagor, 23, delivered his best college season as a sophomore — a 1,061-yard, nine-touchdown campaign — before posting 611 yards in 12 junior-year games. The 5-foot-11 talent, who ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the 2020 Combine, still became a top receiver prize in a loaded draft, going 21st overall.

Teetering on the bust cliff, Reagor should at least enjoy a friendlier situation in Minnesota. Carson Wentz struggled mightily during his final Philly season, and Jalen Hurts‘ first starter year turned the Eagles into a smashmouth force. Kirk Cousins certainly is not a top-tier quarterback, but he has proven more consistent as a passer than the QBs Reagor has played with as an Eagle. New Vikes HC Kevin O’Connell will attempt to salvage the downtrodden target.

Jaguars Claim K Riley Patterson, RB JaMycal Hasty

The Jaguars were one of the busiest teams to start the post-training camp waiver period, making four claims Wednesday. One of the moves will lead to another kicker switch.

Jacksonville, which has been rather active at this position this offseason, claimed Riley Patterson off waivers from the Lions. The team also added former 49ers running back JaMycal Hasty via waivers. The Jags’ other Wednesday claims: safety Tyree Gillespie, wide receiver Kendric Pryor (Bengals) and linebacker Ty Summers (Packers).

Patterson’s arrival will lead two kickers off Jacksonville’s roster. The team waived James McCourt and waived Jake Verity with an injury designation. This positions Patterson to be the Jags’ kicker, but given the events at this particular job this offseason, that cannot be considered a lock just yet.

The Jags waived 2021 kicker Matthew Wright and went with Ryan Santoso and UDFA Andrew Mevis for a stretch. Some Mevis practice struggles led him off the team, prompting the Jags to sign Elliott Fry to join Santoso. McCourt came later, with each of the transactions transpiring during camp. Fry, Santoso and McCourt are off the roster.

Patterson, 22, is the only kicker on the Jags’ 53-man team right now. Memphis’ kicker from 2017-20, Patterson kicked in seven Lions games as a rookie. The former UDFA made 13 of 14 field goal tries and was 16-for-16 on PATs.

Hasty played sparingly for the 49ers during his two years in San Francisco, being summoned from the practice squad due to the team’s injury troubles at the position in each year. The 49ers used him primarily as a pass-catching back last season, after they added Elijah Mitchell as their starter. This marks the second summer relocation for Gillespie, whom the Raiders traded to the Titans during camp. Summers spent three years with the Packers, working mostly as a backup. He played 17% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps in 2020, however. Pryor impressed at Bengals training camp but could not make their roster. The rookie UDFA spent five seasons at Wisconsin.

The Jags made room for these additions by cutting veteran offensive lineman Will Richardson, who signed a $2MM deal with the team this offseason. A 2018 fourth-round Jaguars pick, Richardson started five games for the team during his rookie contract. Jacksonville also waived outside linebacker Jamir Jones and safety Josh Thompson.

Chargers To Sign RB Sony Michel

12:50pm: Michel’s visit went well. He will indeed ink a deal with the Chargers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. While several vets are signing to teams’ practice squads Wednesday, this is an active-roster agreement for Michel.

9:02am: A clear-cut Austin Ekeler backup did not emerge during the Chargers’ preseason slate. The Dolphins may be delivering one.

After failing to make Miami’s 53-man roster, Michel will meet with the Bolts on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Michel spent the 2021 season in Los Angeles, leading the Rams in rushing. Although Michel’s Dolphins training camp injects some doubt into his 2022 capabilities, the former Patriots first-rounder has led two Super Bowl-winning teams in rushing.

Michel, 27, has battled knee issues during a pro career that has seldom seen him flash the potential he showed at Georgia. Nevertheless, the 2018 first-round pick produced two 900-yard rushing seasons in New England and added 845 in L.A. last season. The Rams acquired Michel via trade last year, following Cam Akers‘ ACL tear, and the late-summer addition outproduced Darrell Henderson in 2021.

The Rams pivoted back to Akers after his late-season return from the Achilles tear, leaving Michel (4.1 yards per carry in 2021) without much of a postseason role, and opted not to bring the veteran back in free agency. Michel signed a one-year, $1.75MM deal and pocketed $850K guaranteed with Miami but saw holdovers Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed beat him out for a role alongside Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert.

The Chargers kept three backs behind Ekeler — Joshua Kelley, 2021 sixth-rounder Larry Rountree and fourth-round rookie Isaiah Spiller. A Michel addition would likely send one of these backs to the waiver wire.

Ekeler stayed healthy last season, producing a 20-touchdown slate that led the league but curiously did not produce a Pro Bowl invite. But the dual-threat back missed six games in 2020, seeing a hamstring tear derail his season. Despite losing out to multiple younger backs during the Dolphins’ preseason competition, Michel could provide stability as an Ekeler backup.

Show all