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Following the Cowboys’ decision to cut Trysten Hill minutes after the trade deadline, the Seahawks made a similar call. After attempting to trade Sidney Jones, the team moved on from the veteran cornerback.

Jones has played just 45 defensive snaps this season, which brought a major change to his status with the team. The Seahawks have seen rookies Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant step into key gigs, leaving Jones as an odd man out during this surprising start. The Seahawks attempted to shop Jones in October.

Although Jones is a vested veteran, he will head to waivers because the trade deadline passed. The former second-round pick was an 11-game starter for the Seahawks in 2021, when the Jaguars dealt the ex-Washington Huskies standout back to the Pacific Northwest. The Seahawks let D.J. Reed walk in free agency, seemingly clearing a wider path for Jones. But it did not lead to a repeat starter role.

Jones, 26, sustained a concussion on August 3, leading to him sitting out the preseason. He returned for Week 1 but only played in two more games this season. Woolen, Bryant and Michael Jackson have been Seattle’s primary corners this season, relegating veterans like Jones, Artie Burns and the recently re-signed Justin Coleman to backup posts. Burns and Coleman remain with the team, but Jones will be on the move.

The Eagles drafted Jones in 2017, doing so after a pre-draft Achilles tear damaged his stock. A 2020 Jaguars stay helped move Jones back onto the starter radar, leading the Seahawks to trade a 2022 sixth-round pick for the former area prospect. It will be interesting to see if any team claims his contract, which has just less than $1MM in 2022 base salary remaining. Jones’ deal runs through 2023.

4 comments Seattle Seahawks Transactions Sidney Jones

Cowboys Waive DT Trysten Hill

By Sam Robinson | at November 1, 2022 4:28 pm

The Cowboys attempted to find a taker for defensive tackle Trysten Hill. After no trade transpired, Dallas is moving on. The Cowboys cut Hill shortly after the deadline, Jon Machota of The Athletic tweets.

While this will end Hill’s underwhelming tenure with the Cowboys, they had been using the former second-round pick as a rotational player this season. From that end, it marks an interesting decision to move on.

A roster crunch created a decision for the Cowboys. The team designated defensive end Tarell Basham for return Oct. 20. The veteran edge player must be activated by next week or he misses the rest of the season. The Cowboys currently roster 11 defensive linemen, without Basham in the equation, and decided they no longer had room for Hill.

Johnathan Hankins came over from the Raiders via trade, bumping Hill from a rotation that includes Dan Quinn-era investments Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna, along with 2020 draftee Neville Gallimore. Hill resided as the Cowboys’ longest-tenured defensive tackle, but he the team selected him during Rod Marinelli‘s run as defensive coordinator.

Dallas made Hill a healthy scratch for its Week 8 game against the Bears, marking a change from the Central Florida product’s previous role. Hill, 24, had played between 29-38% of Dallas’ defensive snaps in all but one of the team’s first seven games. But the franchise decided years ago Hill was not a starter. His five starts all came during the 2020 season.

1 comment Transactions Trysten Hill

Ravens Activate Tyus Bowser, David Ojabo

By Ben Levine | at November 1, 2022 3:41 pm

NOVEMBER 1: As the team confirmed on Tuesday, both Bowser and Ojabo have been officially activated, which will provide a significant boost to the team’s edge rush as early as Week 9. The Ravens now have five activations remaining in 2022.

OCTOBER 31: The Ravens added a major piece to their defense today when they acquired linebacker Roquan Smith from the Bears. Shortly after pulling off the trade, John Harbaugh revealed that the team will also be activating two key defenders from the reserve list. Linebackers Tyus Bowser and David Ojabo will be activated this week, Harbaugh told reporters (via the team’s website). Bowser will be activated from the reserve/PUP list while Ojabo will be activated off the reserve/NFI list.

Bowser is expected to be ready to go and should make his first appearance of the 2022 season on Monday against the Saints. Ojabo may need a bit more time, but the Ravens have no choice but to activate him from NFI after designating the linebacker for return three weeks ago.

Bowser suffered a torn Achilles during the 2021 season finale. The former second-round pick had a breakout campaign last year, leading the Ravens with seven sacks while also contributing 59 tackles and 15 QB hits. He only started two games through his first four seasons in the NFL, collecting 10.5 sacks in 63 games.

Ojabo was a projected first-round pick before suffering a torn Achilles during his Pro Day. The injury didn’t force the Michigan product to fall too far down the draft board, with Baltimore scooping him up with the 45th pick. The rookie’s familiarity with defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald (dating back to their time at Michigan) should help reduce some of the NFL growing pains, but Harbuagh cautioned that Ojabo will have to get his feet wet at practice before he’s thrown into the fire.

“We’ll see where he’s at with it in terms of being ready,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a rookie, but he would also be possible as far as playing in the game.

“We’ve got to get him out there to practice more and see what he looks like. He hasn’t really been in any team period yet. We’ve got to take a look at the team period, look at how much he knows of the defense.”

In addition to Smith, the Ravens will be adding three linebackers to an already-formidable linebackers room. Patrick Queen, Josh Bynes, and Malik Harrison have received a lot of run at the position to begin the season.

1 comment Baltimore Ravens Transactions David Ojabo Tyus Bowser

Bills To Acquire Dean Marlowe From Falcons

By Sam Robinson | at November 1, 2022 3:38 pm

The Bills’ Nyheim Hines trade was not their only buzzer-beating move ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. Prior to the since-passed endpoint for NFL 2022 trading, the Bills acquired a familiar name to bolster their safety position.

They are trading for Falcons safety Dean Marlowe, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The Bills are sending the Falcons a seventh-round pick for Marlowe, a New York native who spent three seasons with the Bills.

Marlowe, 30, played in Buffalo from 2018-20 but has been with the Lions and Falcons over the past two seasons. With Micah Hyde out for the season and Jordan Poyer suffering an injury in Week 8, the Bills will reunite with a player that should not have much trouble moving back into Sean McDermott‘s scheme.

Previously serving as a reserve behind Buffalo’s top-tier Hyde-Poyer tandem, Marlowe played in 26 games with McDermott’s team and started seven. Marlowe, who caught on with the Bills via a practice squad agreement in December 2017, returns to Buffalo as a higher-profile player capable of fortifying the team’s uncertain safety spot. He has 17 career starts during his NFL career, which began when he spent his rookie season as a Panthers reserve on their Super Bowl-bound 2015 squad.

It is not known how much time, if any, Poyer will miss. The veteran safety said he felt a pop in his elbow during the Bills’ win over the Packers on Sunday night. Poyer went through an MRI on Monday. If the Bills were forced to play without Poyer and Hyde, it would represent new territory for a team that has extracted considerable value since pairing the veterans in 2017. The Bills have used 2021 sixth-rounder Damar Hamlin as Hyde’s primary replacement, with fourth-year man Jaquan Johnson mixing in. Marlowe and Johnson represent the team’s top insurance options against a Poyer absence.

In the minutes before the deadline, the Falcons both received and sent out seventh-round picks. They traded a seventh for Chiefs cornerback Rashad Fenton, having seen injuries alter their corner situation, and recouped that value via Marlowe minutes later. Young talent Richie Grant and Jaylinn Hawkins are Atlanta’s starting safeties; Marlowe and Erik Harris served as depth pieces for the NFC South-leading team.

3 comments Atlanta Falcons Buffalo Bills Transactions Dean Marlowe Jordan Poyer

Chiefs To Trade CB Rashad Fenton To Falcons

By Adam La Rose | at November 1, 2022 3:26 pm

One more trade has been reported just before today’s deadline. The Chiefs have dealt cornerback Rashad Fenton to the Falcons (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates). Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets that Atlanta is sending a conditional seventh-round pick in return.

Fenton had taken on larger workload with each passing season during his first three years with the Chiefs. That continued early this year, as he saw a snap share above 90% during Weeks 2 through 5. His spot in the starting lineup has since been usurped, however, making him a logical trade candidate. The Chiefs will save $1.4MM as a result of the move.

The Chiefs invested heavily at the CB position during this year’s draft, including first-rounder Trent McDuffie. As Yates notes, the effectiveness of Kansas City’s youth movement made Fenton more expendable. Set to hit free agency in March for the first time in his career, he will have the opportunity to see significant playing time once again. Kansas City will move forward with the likes of Joshua Williams and L’Jarius Sneed at the top of the depth chart, with McDuffie set to return from IR.

Atlanta, meanwhile, is certainly set at the position in terms of having a No. 1 corner. That distinction belongs to A.J. Terrell, but Fenton will now, at a minimum, provide depth behind fellow starters Darren Hall and Isaiah Oliver. If he shows the form of his previous Chiefs campaigns, he could land himself a new deal in Atlanta come the offseason.

The 4-4 Falcons find themselves atop the underwhelming NFC South, despite ranking last in the league in passing yards surrendered (over 306 per game, on average). A move to shore up the secondary therefore comes as little surprise, as they look to return to the postseason while the Chiefs now have some financial breathing space.

6 comments Atlanta Falcons Kansas City Chiefs Transactions Rashad Fenton

Colts To Trade RB Nyheim Hines To Bills

By Sam Robinson | at November 1, 2022 3:00 pm

The Bills will beat the buzzer by acquiring a running back. Nyheim Hines is Buffalo-bound, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The longtime Colts passing-down back/return man surfaced in trade rumors Monday night and will join a 6-1 Bills team.

Hines will head to Buffalo in a package that includes Zack Moss going to Indianapolis. The Bills are trading Moss and a conditional sixth-round pick to the Colts in exchange for Hines, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Moss is signed through 2023.

This move comes after Buffalo was involved in talks for both Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara. While Hines is not on that level, he has been a longtime Colts complementary piece. After signing an Indianapolis extension last year, Hines is signed through 2024. Momentum began to build toward a Hines deal earlier Tuesday, and his three-year, $18MM pact will change hands.

A part of the Colts’ impact 2018 draft class, Hines has been the team’s passing-down back supplementing both Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor, catching at least 40 passes in each of his four full seasons. Hines topped 60 receptions in 2018 and 2020, displaying rare durability at his position. Hines has missed just one game as a pro.

Buffalo’s backfield equation changed in the spring, when a J.D. McKissic agreement did not lead to a finalized contract. McKissic reneged on the deal and went back to Washington. The Bills then drafted James Cook in Round 2 this year. Cook had overtaken Moss as the AFC East leaders’ No. 2 back. It will be interesting to see how the Bills use Cook now that Hines is in this Devin Singletary-fronted mix.

Hines, who turns 26 next week, has also worked as Indy’s punt returner since his second season. The North Carolina State product produced two punt-return touchdowns in that 2019 campaign. As they gun for their first championship since the AFL days, the Bills are undoubtedly planning to take advantage of Hines’ versatility. Hines has 19 career touchdowns, with a career-high seven coming in 2020.

The Bills inquired about McCaffrey this offseason and could have outflanked the 49ers by offering a first-round pick. But Buffalo viewed a first as too rich for the ex-Carolina star and did not make an offer. The team asked the Saints about Kamara recently, but New Orleans — which has not otherwise been linked to trading the five-time Pro Bowler — rebuffed that inquiry. Hines could be a nice consolation prize.

This does qualify as a seller trade for the Colts, but they have underperformed to start the season and are now breaking in another new quarterback (Sam Ehlinger). Moss will be part of the team’s Jonathan Taylor backup crew. The Bills took Moss in the 2020 second round and used him extensively during the first season and change of his career. The Utah product backed up Singletary primarily, totaling 1,118 scrimmage yards over his first two seasons. But Singletary received most of the backfield work down the stretch last season for the pass-first squad. Cook’s arrival further reduced Moss’ role this season. He will attempt to rebound as a Taylor backup.

6 comments Buffalo Bills Indianapolis Colts Newsstand Transactions Nyheim Miller-Hines Zack Moss

Jets To Send Jacob Martin To Broncos

By Sam Robinson | at November 1, 2022 2:28 pm

Barely a half-hour after agreeing to send Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins, the Broncos are acquiring another edge player. They will land Jacob Martin from the Jets, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

This is a pick-swap agreement, with Rapoport adding the Broncos will send a 2024 fourth-rounder to the Jets in exchange for Martin and a 2024 fifth. This is Martin’s second time being traded; he was part of the Seahawks and Texans’ 2019 Jadeveon Clowney deal.

Martin, 26, is a Denver-area native under contract through 2024. The Jets signed the former Seahawks and Texans edge defender to a three-year, $13.5MM deal this offseason. In eight Jets games as a backup, Martin registered 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits. Martin’s departure figures to free up more playing time for first-round pick Jermaine Johnson.

A former Seahawks sixth-round pick in 2018, Martin has been a decent backup rusher. He has 15 career sacks and seven forced fumbles. In his lone starter season (2021 in Houston), the Temple alum registered a career-high four sacks and forced four fumbles. Martin will be asked to contribute to a pass rush that has seen injuries and today’s Chubb trade deplete it.

Denver has Randy Gregory on IR with a knee injury and Baron Browning on the mend due to a hip ailment. With Chubb gone, the AFC West team that possessed a training camp edge surplus needed bodies. Nik Bonitto and 2021 seventh-round pick Jonathon Cooper stand as Denver’s top available rushers. Martin, who is owed less than $700K the rest of the way this year, stands to contribute going forward. Martin is tied to $4.25MM and $3.5MM base salaries in 2023 and ’24, respectively.

The Jets feature a deep pass-rushing contingent, with Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers operating as the team’s starting D-ends. Chosen 26th overall after the Jets traded back into Round 1, Johnson has yet to play more than 34% of the team’s defensive snaps in a game. Johnson (1.5 sacks) and Vinny Curry reside as Gang Green’s backup edges.

7 comments Denver Broncos New York Jets Transactions Jacob Martin

Falcons To Trade WR Calvin Ridley To Jags

By Sam Robinson | at November 1, 2022 2:03 pm

The Jaguars are making a bet for the future. Despite Calvin Ridley serving a full-season suspension, he is changing teams. The Falcons are sending the former first-round wideout to the Jags, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The sides are still determining a final compensation package, but the trade has been agreed upon. Jacksonville will send Atlanta a package that will max out with a 2023 fifth-rounder and a 2024 second. The latter part of the Falcons’ haul is classified as a conditional 2024 fourth, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Ridley’s Jacksonville performance and duration will impact the trade value. If Ridley plays for the Jags in 2023, the conditional fourth-rounder must be conveyed. If he hits certain performance thresholds, the Falcons will receive a 2024 third. The pick upgrades to a second if the Jags extend Ridley, per Schefter, adding an intriguing variable into one of the more unusual trades in recent memory (Twitter link).

Atlanta was on the verge of trading Ridley to Philadelphia earlier this year, but the impending gambling suspension nixed it. Now, the Jags are parting with two picks for a player who cannot play for them until next season.

While unexpected, this is an intriguing swap. The Jags are 2-6 and may not have a true complement for Christian Kirk. Ridley stands to fill that role next year, though he is neither a sure thing nor signed long term. Ridley’s contract tolled to 2023, due to the suspension, but he is set to play on a fifth-year option salary ($11.12MM). The Jags will still attempt to see how he looks with Trevor Lawrence.

A Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native, Ridley is on the older end for a 2018 draftee as well. The 6-foot-1 pass catcher will be 29 before his first Jaguars season ends. The Jags will still provide a landing spot for the embattled pass catcher, who did not finish the 2021 season with the Falcons. Ridley left the team for personal reasons midway through the year. With that preceding his gambling ban, it is fairly surprising a team is willing to trade for him. Ridley must wait until February 2023 to apply for reinstatement.

When available in Atlanta, Ridley looked like one of the NFL’s top young receivers. The ex-Julio Jones sidekick posted back-to-back 800-plus-yard seasons with Matt Ryan in 2018 and ’19 and broke through in 2020, hauling in 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. That came during a season in which Jones’ hamstring trouble began to become a regular issue, leading to Ridley’s rise into Ryan’s top weapon. Not too much time has passed since that point, but the Falcons have completely closed the book on this period.

Atlanta has now traded Jones, Ryan and Ridley within a 17-month span. The team also let Thomas Dimitroff-era draftee Russell Gage sign with Tampa Bay. The Falcons still roster Olamide Zaccheaus from the previous era but now have a new quarterback and new top playmakers. GM Terry Fontenot chose Kyle Pitts and Drake London in the top 10 over the past two years. The Falcons will sink or swim with those rookie-contract performers catching passes, though the team is using a run-oriented attack with Marcus Mariota presently.

The Jaguars gave Kirk a four-year, $72MM deal but also signed Zay Jones to a three-year, $24MM accord this offseason. The team has 2021 free agency addition Marvin Jones playing out his contract. Kirk still resides atop Jacksonville’s long-term aerial pecking order, but the Jags have made an interesting splash to see if it can land a high-end supplementary piece in Ridley. Between Kirk and Ridley, the latter’s 2020 season represents the only 1,000-yard showing. It remains to be seen if the 2018 first-rounder can show that form again.

30 comments Atlanta Falcons Jacksonville Jaguars Newsstand Transactions Calvin Ridley

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