Transactions - Pro Football Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/22

By Sam Robinson | at May 16, 2022 6:59 pm

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Signed: WR Christian Blake, S Tae Daley, QB Jarrett Guarantano, OL Greg Long, RB T.J. Pledger, WR Jared Smart
Waived: LB Ron’Dell Carter, OL Marcus Henry, LB Changa Hodge, S Kekaula Kaniho, DL Will Miles, WR Stephon Robinson

Atlanta Falcons

Signed: TE Tucker Fisk
Waived: WR Chad Hansen, TE Daniel Helm, DB Luther Kirk

Baltimore Ravens

Signed: LB Vince Biegel

Buffalo Bills

Signed: DT C.J. Brewer, DT Prince Emili, CB Ja’Marcus Ingram, T Will Ulmer

Carolina Panthers

Signed: OT Wyatt Miller, TE Jared Scott
Waived: DB Drew Hartlaub (left squad), CB Troy Pride Jr. (failed physical)

Cleveland Browns

Waived: CB Junior Faulk

Denver Broncos

Signed: G Zack Johnson
Waived: CB Cortez Davis

Detroit Lions

Signed: OLB Natrez Patrick
Waived: OLB Jessie Lemonier

Houston Texans

Claimed: DB Kendall Sheffield (from Falcons), WR Connor Wedington (from 49ers)
Waived: CB Reggie Robinson
Waived/injured: S Kolby Harvell-Peel

Jacksonville Jaguars

Signed: TE Naz Bohannon, WR Marvin Hall, WR Willie Johnson, WR Ryan McDaniel
Waived: WR Terry Godwin, WR Josh Hammond, S Sean Mahone, OL Marcus Tatum

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed: CB Stanford Samuels III, T Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Waived: C Brett Heggie, WR Tré Turner

Minnesota Vikings

Signed: LB William Kwenkeu
Waived: LB Tuf Borland

New England Patriots

Signed: LS Ross Reiter
Waived: DB Devin Hafford, QB/WR D’Eriq King

Philadelphia Eagles

Signed: WR Keric Wheatfall

Seattle Seahawks

Signed: CB Elijah Jones, T Liam Ryan

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed: WR Kameron Brown, DL Mike Greene, TE J.J. Howland
Waived: DL Kobe Smith, WR Austin Watkins

Tennessee Titans

Signed: CB Kenneth George
Placed on IR: S Jamal Carter

Washington Commanders

Claimed (from Broncos): T Drew Himmelman
Signed: CB Nijuel Hill, LB Bryce Notree
Waived: G Zack Bailey, LB Jordan Kunaszyk

Jets Sign Round 1 DE Jermaine Johnson

By Sam Robinson | at May 16, 2022 6:00 pm

The Jets are doing the heavy lifting in their rookie deals first. After agreeing to terms with No. 4 overall pick Sauce Gardner, the Jets have signed the third of their first-rounders — Jermaine Johnson — to his four-year rookie contract.

Johnson, who can be controlled through 2026 via the fifth-year option, will be tied to a fully guaranteed deal. Projected to go off the board earlier than he did, at No. 26, the Florida State product will be tasked with boosting a Jets edge rush that has been one of the NFL’s least effective position groups over the past decade and change.

Famously lacking an impact edge presence since the 2006 John Abraham trade, the Jets are now positioned to have Johnson and Carl Lawson. The latter is coming off a season-nullifying Achilles tear. He will now team with one of this draft’s best defensive end prospects.

Transferring from Georgia to Florida State last year, Johnson registered a career-high 11.5 sacks to go along with 17.5 tackles for loss last season. ESPN ranked Johnson as the No. 14 overall prospect, but he slid to the mid-20s, opening the door for the Jets to trade back into Round 1 for him. The Jets sent the Titans second-, third- and fifth-round picks to move up for Johnson, who will join Gardner in attempting to help a defense that ranked 32nd in both points and yardage in 2021.

2 comments 2022 NFL Draft New York Jets Transactions Jermaine Johnson II

Steelers Release OLB John Simon

By Sam Robinson | at May 16, 2022 5:09 pm

A two-year starter for the Patriots and a nine-year NFL veteran, John Simon saw another team hand him walking papers Monday. A few months after the Titans cut the veteran edge defender, the Steelers did the same.

Pittsburgh had signed Simon to a reserve/futures deal in late January, after he played in one game with the team last season. The Steelers have questions behind their T.J. Watt–Alex Highsmith starting outside linebacker duo, but for the time being, younger players are positioned to answer them.

Simon, 31, has started 52 career games, played for six teams — the Ravens, Texans, Colts, Patriots, Titans and Steelers — and won a Super Bowl as a role player with the 2018 Pats. After the Colts bailed on Simon’s three-year, $14MM deal in 2018, the former Ravens fourth-rounder began that season unemployed. But he caught on with the Pats and became a full-time contributor by 2019. From 2019-20, Simon started 28 games with New England. The Titans signed the Ohio State product just ahead of training camp last year. He will look to catch on with yet another team before this year’s training camps open.

The Steelers have Genard Avery and ex-Broncos seventh-rounder Derrek Tuszka as potential backup edge options, and the team drafted Mark Robinson in the seventh round out of Ole Miss. It would still make sense if Pittsburgh looked into other edges this offseason, should its lower-profile lot of backups not impress.

Pittsburgh also waived wideout Rico Bussey and kicker Sam Sloman and waived rookie cornerback Bryce Watts with an injury designation. Sloman kicked in eight games for the Rams and Titans in 2020 but did not see action last year.

2 comments Pittsburgh Steelers Transactions Bryce Watts John Simon Rico Bussey Sam Sloman

Colts Sign Second-Round WR Alec Pierce

By Sam Robinson | at May 16, 2022 4:14 pm

The Colts used a second-round pick on a wide receiver for the third time in four years. They agreed to terms with the most recent of those — Cincinnati alum Alec Pierce — on his four-year rookie deal Monday.

Indianapolis took Pierce 53rd overall, after having traded down 11 spots via the Vikings on Day 2 of the draft. Pierce is Indy’s top draft pick this year, with the team having traded its 2022 first to Philadelphia for Carson Wentz, and will be expected to be an early contributor.

Although the Colts roster Michael Pittman Jr., they have not received much from 2019 second-rounder Parris Campbell, who has suffered numerous injuries as a pro. Indianapolis sat out the veteran receiver market, though they did add ex-Houston slot player Keke Coutee on a reserve/futures deal. This situation, one that does not include T.Y. Hilton presently, would point to the Colts being in the mix for one of the veteran wideouts still available. As is, Pierce will not receive much acclimation time.

Pierce went off the board in between wideouts George Pickens (Steelers) and Skyy Moore (Chiefs). A 6-foot-3, 211-pound target, Pierce helped Cincinnati become the first Group of Five program to advance to the College Football Playoff. He caught 52 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Although Pierce did not post a 1,000-yard season in college, a knee injury limited him to six games in a 2020 season already shortened by the pandemic. He led the 2021 Bearcats in receiving by a wide margin.

0 comments Indianapolis Colts Transactions Alec Pierce

Saints To Sign OL Josh Andrews

By Sam Robinson | at May 16, 2022 3:50 pm

New Orleans is adding another post-draft veteran. The team agreed to terms on a one-year deal with offensive lineman Josh Andrews on Monday, according to his agent (on Twitter).

Although Andrews has only made four starts throughout his career, he has been in the NFL since 2014. The former Eagles UDFA spent last season with the Falcons.

Andrews spent four years with the Eagles, collecting a Super Bowl ring for his backup role on Philadelphia’s 2017 squad, and landed with the Vikings in 2018. While the Oregon State product returned to Philadelphia in 2018, he finished that season with the Colts, who kept him around through the 2019 campaign as well. Andrews started four games with the Jets in 2020 and played in two games as a Falcon last year, having signed with Atlanta for the veteran minimum. It would surprise if this deal was worth more than that low-seven-figure amount.

The 30-year-old blocker will join other vets vying for backup jobs on the Saints’ O-line. James Hurst and Forrest Lamp also reside as backup options for a Saints O-line that returns four starters from last season and has first-round pick Trevor Penning with a clear avenue toward the starting left tackle gig.

0 comments New Orleans Saints Transactions Josh Andrews

Saints Sign LB Eric Wilson

By Sam Robinson | at May 16, 2022 3:30 pm

The Saints continue to add veteran help post-draft. While Eric Wilson is not a New Orleans native like Tyrann Mathieu or Jarvis Landry, he represents a veteran with starter experience to join the team in recent days.

Wilson signed with the Saints on Monday, joining running back Devine Ozigbo in doing so. This will be Wilson’s fourth NFL team.

A full-time Vikings starter in 2020, Wilson broke through for a team that previously used him as a part-timer alongside Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr. With the latter suffering a season-ending injury that September, Wilson recorded 122 tackles (nine for loss) and added three sacks and three interceptions. Still, major interest did not come his way in free agency. The former UDFA out of Cincinnati signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in April 2021 but received in-season walking papers. He finished last year with the Texans.

Wilson, 27, will join a Saints off-ball linebacking corps fronted by 10th-year performer Demario Davis. Beyond Davis, the Saints did not have a full-timer at linebacker last season. They started Pete Werner and Kwon Alexander in eight games apiece. Alexander is no longer with the team. Werner is a 2021 second-round pick who should have an inside track to play alongside Davis. The Saints also roster 2020 third-rounder Zack Baun. Wilson, who also started 10 games from 2018-19, stands to represent some insurance for a Saints team that has veterans across its defense.

Ozigbo, who played in 19 games with the Jaguars from 2019-21, caught on with the Saints last year. He will rejoin a Saints backfield stable that consists of Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, Tony Jones and Dwayne Washington. To make room on their roster, the Saints waived offensive lineman Cohl Cabral, wide receiver Jalen McCleskey and linebacker Joel Dublanko.

0 comments New Orleans Saints Transactions Cohl Cabral Devine Ozigbo Eric Wilson Jalen McCleskey Joel Dublanko

Eagles Sign Rookie LB Nakobe Dean

By Adam La Rose | at May 16, 2022 12:27 pm

One of the prospects who fell much farther down the board than expected in last month’s draft has signed his rookie contract. The Eagles announced on Monday that they have inked third round linebacker Nakobe Dean to his first NFL deal.

Dean enjoyed a highly productive three-year career at Georgia. His sophomore campaign saw him make 71 tackles, as he grew into an integral role on the team’s defense. That was followed up by an improved performance in 2021; he posted 72 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss. He also added six sacks and a pair of interceptions.

Seen by many as the engine driving the Bulldogs’ lights-out defense, Dean was one of many members of the unit to receive notable accolades. He won the Dick Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker, in addition to being named a consensus First-Team All-American in 2021. That had him pegged as no worse than the second-best inside ‘backer in the class, and led to him being widely projected as a first round pick.

However, teams were hesitant to draft Dean for two main reasons. The first was related to health concerns; many believed that pectoral surgery would cost him his rookie season, though there are early indications that may not be the case. The second had to do with his measurables – a five-foot-eleven, 220-pound frame coupled with an underwhelming 40-yard dash time led to concerns about his potential at the NFL level.

While Dean therefore had to wait much longer the rest of his college teammates to hear his name called, the Eagles were able to acquire a potential steal in the third round. He will have the chance to continue playing behind defensive tackle Jordan Davis, whom Philadelphia selected with their top pick, while playing a role in a re-vamped Eagles LB room.

4 comments 2022 NFL Draft Philadelphia Eagles Transactions Nakobe Dean

Falcons Sign Geronimo Allison

By Adam La Rose | at May 16, 2022 11:04 am

Geronimo Allison has found his third home in the NFL. The veteran wide receiver has signed with the Falcons, as the team announced on Monday.

Allison, 28, began his career in 2016 with the Packers. He put up consistent numbers as a complimentary piece of the team’s offense, scoring six total touchdowns and averaging 11.7 yards per catch during his time in Green Bay. After an underwhelming 2019 campaign, though, he signed with the Lions the following offseason.

The former UDFA opted out of that season, however, so he didn’t make his Detroit debut until this year. Allison appeared in just three games, failing to register a catch. At six-foot-three and 200 pounds, he still generated interest as a free agent this offseason. One of the teams which worked him out earlier this month was the Ravens, a club in need of additions at the position.

Another, not long after, was the Falcons. Allison should have a path to a roster spot on a team which lost Calvin Ridley to suspension and Russell Gage in free agency. The team used its top pick on Drake London and traded for Bryan Edwards, but there should be room for him as an experienced depth option. He will look to contribute on a rebuilding offense led by those new wideouts, quarterback Marcus Mariota and tight end Kyle Pitts.

0 comments Atlanta Falcons Transactions Geronimo Allison

Packers Finalizing Extension With Jaire Alexander

By Adam La Rose | at May 16, 2022 9:38 am

The Packers signed one of their stars to a massive extension earlier this offseason with Aaron Rodgers. They have done so again with cornerback Jaire Alexander. The team is extending him on a four-year, $84MM contract (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).

As Schefter notes, the deal includes a $30MM signing bonus, which is a record for corners and will allow him to earn $31MM in 2022. Overall, the annual average of $21MM per year represents another high-mark at the position, and makes him the third CB to eclipse the $20MM-per-season plateau (along with Jalen Ramsey and Denzel Ward).

While those numbers are high, only Alexander’s signing bonus is guaranteed. Among cornerbacks, Alexander agreed to deal that slots him only 12th in terms of fully guaranteed money. That said, the Pro Bowl cornerback should be expected to be with the Packers for a while. His 2025 and ’26 base salaries, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, jump to $16.2MM and $18.2MM, respectively. Alexander’s deal also includes an $8MM roster bonus in 2024. This transaction continues the Packers’ pattern of not guaranteeing any money to a non-quarterback beyond the first year, Florio adds, noting only they and the Bengals still use this old-school method.

A first round pick in 2018, Alexander has been an immediate starter and anchor of the team’s secondary since his arrival. He was named a Pro Bowler for the first time in 2020, leading to increased optimism for this past season. The 25-year-old was limited to just four regular season games due to a shoulder injury, however. With the team having picked up his fifth-year option, it was already a guarantee he would be suiting up for Green Bay for at least the 2022 campaign.

The two sides began negotiations on a long-term extension this offseason, one which saw plenty of other notable moves being made by the team to try and stay competitive while remaining cap compliant. It came out not long after free agency began that the Louisville product was seeking a deal which would place him at the top of the CB market. This news confirms that he has accomplished that goal.

Schefter adds that Alexander’s cap number will be lowered in 2022 by virtue of his base salary being valued at just over $1MM. That will help the Packers absorb another record-breaking contract as they try to extend their Super Bowl window. Alexander will remain with the team through 2026 at the head of a secondary also featuring the likes of Eric Stokes, Rasul Douglas, Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos.