Minor NFL Transactions: 8/22/22
Teams have until 3pm CT Tuesday to cut their rosters from 85 to 80 players. Many franchises have started doing that early. Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: RB T.J. Pledger
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: WR Jaylon Moore
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: T Austen Pleasants, LB Khalan Tolson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: WR Jaivon Heiligh, WR Jack Sorenson, TE Scotty Washington
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: P Joseph Charlton, S Luther Kirk IV, T Wyatt Miller, CB Parnell Motley, TE Marcus Santos-Silva
Denver Broncos
- Claimed (from Saints): RB Devine Ozigbo
- Waived/injured: DE Marquiss Spencer
Green Bay Packers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Dominique Dafney
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: WR D.J. Montgomery, DT Caeveon Patton
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: WR Marvin Hall
- Waived: OL Beau Benzschawel, CB Shabari Davis, TE Grayson Gunter, OLB Wyatt Ray, WR Lujuan Winningham
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DT Jeremiah Ledbetter
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: CB Brandin Dandridge, DB Nasir Greer, OL David Steinmetz
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Tae Davis
- Placed on IR: DE Jordan Jenkins (story)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: G Cameron Hunt, K James McCourt
New Orleans Saints
- Released from IR via injury settlement: CB Jordan Brown
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived/injured: WR Lance Lenoir
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: T Adrian Ealy
- Waived: T Jordan Tucker
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived/injured: WR Austin Mack
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on IR: LB Cam Gill, G Aaron Stinnie (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Released: OLB Justin Lawler
- Waived: WR Terry Godwin
- Waived/injured: CB Shakur Brown, DB Shyheim Carter
Cardinals Acquire G Cody Ford From Bills
After three-plus years, the Bills are ending their run with Cody Ford. Buffalo is trading the former second-round pick to Arizona, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The Cardinals are sending a fifth-round pick for the Bills offensive lineman. Ford has played tackle and guard as a pro, having been stationed at the latter spot more recently. The Bills have announced the trade. Monday’s transaction will reunite Ford with Kyler Murray and fellow 2019 Oklahoma draftee Marquise Brown.
This move comes not long after a report indicated Ford was on Buffalo’s roster bubble. The former No. 38 overall pick, who enticed the Bills to move up two spots for him three years ago, had struggled to hold a spot in the Bills’ starting lineup. After starting for almost all of his 2019 rookie season, Ford saw his second campaign end early. But the ex-Sooner still started all seven games he played. In 2021, the Bills used Ford as a part-timer. His inability to play tackle as a swing backup affected this deal, per The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia (on Twitter).
This does add a younger blocker to an aging Cardinals offensive line. The team saw two of its interior O-line starters — guard Justin Pugh and center Rodney Hudson — consider retirement this offseason. Pugh is 32, while Hudson and right tackle Kelvin Beachum are 33. While Ford is far from a proven commodity, he is going into his age-26 season. It also marks the second straight offseason in which the Cards have traded a pick for a starter-level O-lineman; they sent the Raiders a third-rounder for Hudson and a seventh last year.
Pro Football Focus has never been impressed by Ford, rating him outside the top 60 at his position in each of his three seasons. Last season, PFF slotted Ford as the fourth-worst guard (among regulars) — a mark that came in one spot behind Cardinals starter Josh Jones. The team used a third-round pick on Jones in 2020 but added four-year Giants starter Will Hernandez — a 2018 second-round pick — this offseason.
Hernandez entered Monday viewed as the team’s right guard starter opposite Pugh, but the team is in need of reinforcements up front. Injuries have sidelined Justin Murray, Danny Isidora and rookie Marquis Hayes. Murray, a Cards regular starter during the 2019 and ’20 seasons, has not returned to regular work after missing most of last season due to injury.
To make room on their 85-man roster, the Cardinals released veteran wide receiver Marcell Ateman. The former Raiders backup signed with the Cards earlier this month.
Vikings Release WR Albert Wilson
Teams have until Tuesday to trim their rosters from 85 to 80 players. The Vikings included veteran wide receiver Albert Wilson in their second wave of cuts.
Minnesota added Wilson in late May, signing the former Kansas City and Miami pass catcher as a possible depth option. Nearly three months later, the partnership appears complete. The Vikings also waived defensive lineman Jullian Taylor with an injury designation.
Wilson, 30, returned to football in 2021 after making the decision to opt out in 2020. Working as a Dolphins part-time starter, the former UDFA caught 25 passes for a career-low 213 yards. More productive during his run with the pre-Patrick Mahomes-era Chiefs and in his early Dolphins years, after signing a three-year deal worth $24MM with Miami in 2018, Wilson has logged seven seasons as an NFL wideout.
The Vikings did not guarantee Wilson anything to sign, giving him a one-year deal worth $1.12MM. The team has K.J. Osborn in place as its top complement to Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, while the likes of Bisi Johnson and recent Day 3 picks Jalen Nailor (sixth round, 2022) and Ihmir Smith-Marsette (Round 5, 2021) complicating Wilson’s active-roster path.
Because Wilson is a vested veteran, he will bypass waivers and move back into free agency. Despite coming into the league in 2018, Taylor does not have sufficient service time. He will revert to the Vikings’ IR (in a transaction that could well preceded an injury settlement) if unclaimed. A former seventh-round 49ers pick, Taylor has not played since the 2019 season.
49ers To Sign S Tashaun Gipson
Not long after they hosted him for a workout, the 49ers are indeed adding a veteran to their safety room. San Francisco is signing Tashaun Gipson, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
The 32-year-old auditioned for the 49ers last week, so the deal comes as little surprise. Gipson is coming off of a two-year stint in Chicago where he posted a pair of interceptions in each campaign. His age and struggles in pass coverage left him on the open market deep into the offseason, however, a stark contrast to the regard he was held in earlier in his ball-hawking career.
The former UDFA has recorded at least one pick in each of his 10 seasons in the league, including six in his lone Pro Bowl campaign in 2014. Especially if he plays a more limited role than he is accustomed to (he has logged a snap share of at least 91% during every year since his rookie season), then, Gipson should be able to provide quality play on the backend for the 49ers.
San Francisco may, at least temporarily, need the Wyoming alum to start, however. Jimmie Ward is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, and his Week 1 availability remains in doubt. The questions surrounding Ward likely drove the team’s search for a veteran insurance policy, especially one like Gipson who has 132 starts to his name. Other options on the roster include Tarvarius Moore and George Odum to pair with Talanoa Hufanga at safety during Ward’s absence.
The 49ers will be the fifth team Gipson suits up for, joining the Browns, Jaguars, Texans and Bears. He likely won’t be able to replicate the success of earlier in his career, but could prove to be an effective addition especially if Ward ends up missing any significant time.
Raiders To Trade QB Nick Mullens To Vikings
The Raiders faced a decision with respect to their backup quarterback position at some point before the start of the regular season. They have apparently made it, as the team is sending Nick Mullens to the Vikings in exchange for a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). 
His colleague Ian Rapoport adds that Mullens must be active for one game this season for Vegas to receive the pick. The Raiders signed Mullens this April as an insurance policy for starter Derek Carr. The former UDFA spent three seasons in San Francisco, wining five of his 16 starts filling in for Jimmy Garoppolo. He then joined the Eagles briefly, but spent last season in Cleveland, where he made one start as the Browns were dealing with a long list of COVID-related absences.
One month after signing Mullens, though, the Raiders also traded for Jarrett Stidham. The former Patriots fourth-rounder got an opportunity to once again work with Josh McDaniels in Vegas, and has impressed in training camp and the preseason to the point where he has won the competition with Mullens for the No. 2 spot.
The Vikings, meanwhile, will likely be able to accommodate Mullens for their backup gig. Minnesota drafted Kellen Mond in the third round last year, but have also rostered Sean Mannion. The two have been receiving equal work so far in training camp, indicating that neither has significantly distanced themselves from the other. With Mullens, who has familiarity in the kind of offensive system new head coach Kevin O’Connell will install, the Vikings will have more of a known commodity behind Kirk Cousins.
The team will be likely to try and retain Mond as well, given his draft status. His hold on a 53-man roster spot has now become much less certain, though, as both the Raiders and Vikings look for clarity in their QB rooms in the build-up to campaigns carrying significant expectations.
Raiders Place OLB Jordan Jenkins On IR
Two AFC teams have now moved Jordan Jenkins off their 90-man roster this week. After the Texans released the veteran pass rusher, the Raiders have placed him on IR.
Jenkins, 28, suffered a torn ACL in the Raiders’ game against the Dolphins on Saturday, Wilson adds (on Twitter). This news certainly deals a blow to the veteran edge defender’s chances of showing a quality pass-rushing gear again. Jenkins sustained a season-ending knee injury, a PCL tear, in November 2021. The 2020s have brought injury misfortune for Jenkins, who suffered a torn shoulder labrum near the end of the 2020 season. He was also battling a calf issue during Texans camp.
This marks another setback for the Raiders’ edge-rushing situation, which has seen some unavailability affect it in recent weeks. The Raiders previously placed free agency addition Kyler Fackrell on IR and have been without Clelin Ferrell for a stretch due to injury. The latter is not a roster lock, despite being a former top-five pick.
A former third-round pick, Jenkins was a productive pass rusher for the Jets in the late 2010s. He combined for 15 sacks from 2018-19, but has not matched that work during his two 2020s campaigns. The seventh-year veteran has registered 4.5 combined sacks in 23 games with the Jets and Texans since 2020.
The Raiders still have edges Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones set to anchor their front seven, but they are thin behind this high-priced duo. Malcolm Koonce, a 2021 third-rounder, and Tashawn Bower represent other options here. Fackrell and Jenkins, however, offered veteran presences who had shown, at points, quality pass-rushing capabilities.
The Raiders should be considered likely to explore other outside options for a top bench rusher in the near future. Jason Pierre-Paul and Trey Flowers are the top free agents available, though waiver claims — once teams pare their rosters from 85 to 53 over the next nine days — may be Vegas’ preferred method to bolster its roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/22
We will keep track of today’s minor moves right here:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: FB Jake Bargas
- Placed on IR: WR David Moore
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: OL Ty Clary, LB Chauncey Manac
Houston Texans
- Released: LB Tae Davis
Los Angeles Rams
- Reverted to IR: WR J.J. Koski
New England Patriots
- Waived: TE Dalton Keene
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: QB K.J. Costello, RB Devine Ozigbo, K John Parker Romo
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: WR Vyncint Smith
- Waived: S Troy Warner
Washington Commanders
- Claimed (from Rams): Kendall Blanton
- Placed on IR: DE Bunmi Rotimi
Moore’s placement on IR indicates that his season is over, and as James Palmer of the NFL Network tweets, a leg injury is the culprit. Moore, who signed with the Bears in April, was a useful complementary receiver in Seattle from 2018-20, and he may have had a shot to carve out a rotational role with Chicago. He was arrested on drug and weapons charges in July and could face league discipline as a result.
The Patriots made Keene the second piece of their two-tight end third round in 2020, trading up (via the Jets) to No. 104 to nab the Virginia Tech product. But neither Keene nor the No. 91 overall pick from that draft (Devin Asiasi) have made big impacts as Patriots. Keene missed all of the 2021 season due to a knee injury. In six games in 2020, Keene caught three passes for 16 yards. In the offseason following the Pats’ Day 2 tight end dive, they signed Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry to big-ticket deals. That duo remains in place in front of Asiasi.
Texans Make Three Roster Moves
Linebacker Tae Davis was already named as a player who won’t see action with the Texans this season earlier today. More names are being added to that list, including a pair of noteworthy free agent additions from this offseason. 
In addition to releasing Davis, Houston is cutting fullback Andy Janovich, per a team announcement. The 29-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Texans in March. A sixth-round pick of the Broncos in 2016, Janovich earned himself a three-year extension in Denver in 2019, but was traded to the Browns during the subsequent offseason.
He saw a slightly lesser offensive workload in Cleveland than in did in Denver, but still proved effective in his role – one which fewer and fewer teams are incorporating into their offenses. The Nebraska alum was a Pro Bowl alternate, and nearly half of his $1.5MM in scheduled compensation was guaranteed, making his release somewhat surprising. On the open market again just weeks before the regular season, he will look to find a new home quickly in a system which accommodates his skillset.
The Texans didn’t release wideout Chester Rogers, but he still won’t see the field in 2022. Houston placed him on injured reserve, after signing him earlier this month. The 28-year-old began his career with the Colts, with whom he had the most productive season of his career (53 receptions, 485 yards and two touchdowns in 2018). A knee fracture cost him significant time the following year, and he didn’t see any action in 2020. With the Titans last year, though, the former UDFA totaled 938 all-purpose yards as he took on a large role as a returner.
That made him a logical signing with the Texans, who will be without second-round rookie John Metchie for the entire campaign. Instead, the team will look to younger options on offense. Per Houston’s announcement, they also waived undrafted offensive lineman Myron Cunningham; the Arkansas alum, like Janovich and Rogers, now faces the task of landing on a new roster with plenty more cuts yet to be made.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/22
With the deadline for more roster cutdowns looming, here are today’s minor moves around the league:
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from active/PUP list: LB Shaq Thompson
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: TE Kendall Blanton, RB Raymond Calais, S Jairon McVea and RB A.J. Rose
- Waived (injury designation): WR J.J. Koski
New England Patriots
- Waived: S Jalen Elliott and CB Devin Hafford
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: S Bubba Bolden, TE Cade Brewer, DL Matthew Gotel and CB Elijah Jones
- Released: LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe
Thompson’s return will be a welcomed sight in Carolina. The 28-year-old had his third-straight 100-tackle season in 2021, adding a pair of sacks and interceptions. Offseason knee surgery cost him time in training camp, but the fact that he passed his conditioning test today means that he can resume practicing with plenty of time before the start of the regular season. Returning to full health in time for Week 1, while expected, would be a crucial development for the Panthers’ defense.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/22
Compared to earlier this week, Friday has been a quiet day on the transaction front, but a number of teams have still made moves. Here’s the full rundown:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-Signed: OL Greg Long
- Released: TE Deon Yelder
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: OL Nathan Gilliam
- Waived: LB Carson Wells
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR via injury settlement: K Elliott Fry
New Orleans Saints
- Re-Signed: K John Parker Romo
- Placed on IR: OL Sage Doxtater and Forrest Lamp
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Chris Owens and Josh Rivas
- Waived: DT Christopher Hinton
- Placed on IR: WR Robert Foster
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Ulysees Gilbert
Lamp, a second-round pick of the Chargers in 2017, played sparingly in his first two years but was a full-time starter in 2020. With the team making upgrades up front, though, he found himself playing in New Orleans this past season. After suiting up for over 1,100 snaps the year prior, Lamp saw action on just five special teams plays with the Saints, meaning that his roster spot wasn’t assured anyway.