NFL Waiver Priority For Week 4
Starting today, the NFL’s waiver claim order will be reflective of 2021 records, rather than 2020, as ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. As is the case with the NFL Draft, the order of priority is inverted based on win/loss record.
[RELATED: The NFL’s Waiver System, Explained]
In cases of ties – and there are many at this stage of the season – they are broken by the cumulative record of the team’s previous opponents. For example, the Jaguars and Jets’ (0-3) opponents have a combined record of 7-2; they have priority over the Colts and Lions, whose opponents have a combined record of 6-3. If two teams with the same record, and same opponent record, happen to claim the same player (as would be the case with the Jaguars/Jets, Colts/Lions, and so on), the dispute is settled with a coin toss.
With that in mind, here’s the full rundown of every team’s current waiver priority as we get set for Week 4:
- T-1. Jaguars
- T-1. Jets
- T-3. Colts
- T-3. Lions
- 5. Giants
- T-6. Bears
- T-6. Steelers
- T-8: Chiefs
- T-8: Dolphins
- T-8: Vikings
- T-11: Eagles
- T-11: Texans
- 13: Washington Football Team
- T-14: Falcons
- T-14: Patriots
- T-14: Seahawks
- T-17: Buccaneers
- T-17: Saints
- 19: Cowboys
- T-20: Chargers
- T-20: Packers
- T-20: Ravens
- T-20: Titans
- T-24: 49ers
- T-24: Bills
- T-24: Bengals
- T-24: Browns
- 28: Raiders
- T-29: Cardinals
- T-29: Panthers
- T-29: Rams
- 32: Broncos
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/28/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Mazzi Wilkins
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Nate McCrary, S Jordan Richards
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DB Madre Harper
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Herb Miller
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Ibraheim Campbell, TE David Wells
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Ka’dar Hollman, OT Jordan Mills
New York Giants
- Released: WR Matt Cole, DT Willie Henry, OT Foster Sarell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: TE Richard Rodgers
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Sharif Finch
- Released: DL Andrew Brown
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Jace Sternberger
- Released: WR De’Quan Hampton, TE Michael Jacobsen, WR Connor Wedington
Washington Football Team
- Released: WR Dalton Schoen, DT Gabe Wright
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: CB Antonio Hamilton
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: LB Josh Bynes
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Brandon Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: C Sam Tecklenburg
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: QB Brett Rypien
- Placed on IR: LB Jonas Griffith
Green Bay Packers
- Signed off Colts’ practice squad: TE Tyler Davis
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Tyler Lancaster
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: LB Justin Hollins
New York Jets
- Waived: S Saquan Hampton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: S K’Von Wallace
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: OLB Derrek Tuszka
- Waived: LB Jamir Jones
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: DT Robert Nkemdiche
- Waived: QB Jake Luton
49ers Plan To Sign CB Buster Skrine
With longtime slot cornerback K’Waun Williams going down Sunday night, the 49ers plan to sign veteran Buster Skrine, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio tweets.
Skrine has enjoyed a 10-year career, playing with the Browns, Jets and Bears, working mostly as a slot corner. The 49ers are reeling at corner, having seen several key players suffer injuries in recent weeks.
The Ravens auditioned Skrine earlier this month. Otherwise, it has been a quiet 2021 for the veteran inside cover man. Skrine, 32, succeeded Bryce Callahan in the slot for the Bears and has been a regular on defenses since his 2011 rookie season. He is set to join a 49ers coverage corps that lost Jason Verrett for the season and lost Williams to a calf strain in Week 3. The 49ers also played part of Sunday’s game without recently acquired boundary defender Josh Norman. An injury also delayed Emmanuel Moseley‘s season debut by two weeks.
San Francisco has added Norman and Dre Kirkpatrick in recent weeks. The team made the latter a healthy scratch for Week 3, but its latest batch of injuries will likely bump Kirkpatrick back to active duty. Williams, who played with Skrine in 2014 in Cleveland, has been San Francisco’s slot corner since 2017. Rookie Deommodore Lenoir replaced Williams on Sunday.
A former fifth-round pick, Skrine has logged 151 games since arriving in the NFL during the lockout-marred offseason. Skrine’s Browns run ended in 2014, when Kyle Shanahan was Cleveland’s offensive coordinator. Although Skrine was an in-demand free agent in both the 2015 and ’19 offseasons, the Bears cut him shortly before releasing Kyle Fuller amid this year’s salary cap crunch. Skrine graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 92 overall corner last season.
Cardinals, CB Quinton Dunbar Agree To Deal
Quinton Dunbar will land in Arizona. The veteran cornerback reached an agreement Tuesday to sign with the Cardinals, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Cardinals, who were interested in Dunbar this offseason, brought him in for a workout today. He will join the team’s Byron Murphy-headed cornerback corps. This is a practice squad agreement, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus tweets.
Dunbar scheduled a visit with the Cards this offseason but ended up signing with the Lions. The rebuilding squad ended up releasing Dunbar ahead of the season, leading the veteran starter to the in-season workout circuit. Dunbar, 29, auditioned for the Bills last week but will circle back to the Cardinals, who have experienced some cornerback turnover this year.
Ten-year starter Patrick Peterson bolted in free agency, and replacement Malcolm Butler landed on the Cards’ reserve/retired list just before the season. The Cards also placed Darqueze Dennard on IR and then released him with an injury settlement. Although DC Vance Joseph indicated Butler could return at some point, the team has played its first three games without him. Murphy and fourth-round rookie Marco Wilson have operated as Arizona’s starting corners, with Robert Alford — who missed all of the 2019 and ’20 seasons — mixing in heavily.
Two years ago, Dunbar broke out with Washington via a four-interception season that ended with the former UDFA allowing just a 61.2 passer rating while targeted. Washington’s new regime traded Dunbar to Seattle in 2020, and an injury ended a less successful season after six games. The six-year veteran will have a chance to bounce back in Arizona.
Lions Release LB Jamie Collins
No Jamie Collins trade ended up materializing, and the Lions are moving on. They officially released Collins on Tuesday afternoon.
Detroit deactivated the veteran linebacker for its Week 3 game, doing so after Dan Campbell indicated the team was shopping him. Collins will become an interesting in-season free agent, being just two years removed from a standout season in his second Patriots stint — one that led the Lions to sign him to a three-year, $30MM deal in free agency.
The Lions’ previous regime authorized that pact, and Collins quickly fell out of favor with the Campbell-Brad Holmes power structure. The Lions stand to take on more than $11MM in dead money as a result of this transaction. Since the trade deadline has not yet passed, Collins, 32 in October, is free to sign with any team. Although Collins restructuring his contract seemingly made him a more attractive trade piece, as his 2021 base salary dropped to $3.8MM, he will likely end up with a less lucrative deal elsewhere.
This marks the second time a team has cut Collins, with the Browns doing so in 2019. The Lions went down a similar path with the longtime starter, signing him to an eight-figure-per-year contract — though, Collins’ Detroit pact did not quite match his then-linebacker-record Cleveland deal from 2017 (four years, $50MM) — before cutting bait. The Patriots, who drafted Collins in the 2012 second round, signed him to a one-year, incentive-laden deal in 2019.
Used as a hybrid player in New England, Collins made the Pro Bowl in 2015 — when he registered 5.5 sacks and forced an NFL-high five fumbles — and the Southern Miss product delivered a seven-sack season in 2019. He made 101 tackles with the Lions last year. Through two games this season, Pro Football Focus rated Collins as a top-25 off-ball ‘backer.
With Collins a healthy scratch, the Lions used fourth-round rookie Derrick Barnes alongside offseason pickup Alex Anzalone against the Ravens.
Panthers Place Juston Burris On IR
The Panthers have placed Juston Burris on IR with a groin injury, per a club announcement. Fortunately, it sounds like this will be a short-term injured reserve stint, so the safety can return after a minimum of three games.
Burris suffered the injury during last Thursday’s win over the Texans. Before that, he tallied two stops, giving him ten for the season. And, in Week 2 against the Saints, he nabbed an interception, giving him six for his career.
The Panthers can turn to Sam Franklin and Sean Chandler in his absence, but it’s yet another blow to their banged up secondary. They’re already without rookie cornerback Jaycee Horn, who will be out for at least a couple of months with a broken foot. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the Panthers are keeping their fingers crossed for Christian McCaffrey and his ailing hamstring.
In a related move, the Panthers have added Sam Tecklenburg to the 53-man roster. He’ll be eligible to play on Sunday when the 3-0 Panthers face the Cowboys.
Eagles’ Isaac Seumalo Done For Year
Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo will undergo season-ending surgery for his Lisfranc injury, per a club announcement. Seumalo will be placed on injured reserve, leaving the Birds with a major gap on their interior line.
A regular starter since October 2018, Seumalo is in his second year of his contract extension. This also marks his second straight year marred by injuries. In 2020, a knee injury limited him to just nine games. This time around, he’s done after just three starts — this was the outcome doctors feared after Seumalo had to be carted off in the fourth quarter.
Of course, this comes after the Eagles also lost Brandon Brooks for the year. They’re also awaiting word on left tackle Jordan Mailata, who was unable to play in last night’s 41-21 loss to the Cowboys. For now, Nate Herbig will likely take over Seumalo’s place in the lineup.
Meanwhile, defensive back K’Von Wallace is expected to miss three-to-six weeks with a partially separated shoulder (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). While he avoided major structural damage, he’s expected to be placed on the short-term IR list.
Jaguars Designate WR Tavon Austin For Return
Tavon Austin‘s debut with the Jaguars could be imminent. The veteran wideout was designated for return from IR today, the team announced.
This move will start a three-week clock. Austin can be activated to the active roster at any point over the next 21 days. If he isn’t activated within that time, Austin will be ineligible to play this year (although this would most likely be avoided by his release).
Austin joined the Jaguars in early August, and the team showed that they intended to keep him around when he survived final cuts. The team subsequently put him on short-term IR due to a quad injury, leading to today’s move.
The veteran hasn’t come close to matching the production from his days with the Rams. Over the past four years, Austin has seen time in 41 games (nine starts), collecting 756 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns on 110 touches. This included a 2020 campaign when he had only five catches for 20 yards in four games with the Packers.
Jacksonville has a talented grouping of receivers in DJ Chark. Marvin Jones, and Laviska Shenault, but Austin would provide another savvy target for Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars already prepared for Austin’s return when they moved on from practice squad receiver Phillip Dorsett today.
Patriots Extend LB Raekwon McMillan
Raekwon McMillan won’t see the field this season, but the Patriots linebacker still got a deal for next year. New England has signed McMillan to a one-year extension, keeping the player with the team through at least the 2022 campaign, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
McMillan joined the Patriots this offseason, and it sounded like he was going to carve out a role on the team’s defense (per ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Twitter). However, he suffered a torn ACL during training camp that knocked him out of action for the entire 2021 season. The 25-year-old will still have a year to pick up the team’s playbook, and he’ll be able to compete for a spot on next year’s roster.
McMillan was a second-round pick back in 2017, but his rookie season was wiped out thanks to a torn ACL. He was relatively productive in two healthy seasons with the Dolphins, collecting 177 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.
He was traded to the Raiders prior to the 2020 season, and he finished his lone season in Vegas with 27 tackles and one forced fumble in 16 games (four starts).