Dolphins Place LT Austin Jackson On COVID List

The Dolphins have placed left tackle Austin Jackson on the reserve/COVID-19 list. To fill his spot, they’ve elevated cornerback Jamal Perry to the main roster. 

[RELATED: Dolphins Place Shaheen On COVID-19 List]

Jackson was set to start in the Dolphins’ season opener against the Pats. In his place, the ‘Fins will likely turn to Greg Little. Barring any setbacks, Jackson should be eligible to play in Week 2 when the Dolphins face the Bills.

Jackson was the second of three Round 1 choices that the Dolphins had in 2020. He was thrown into the fire right away and showed promise at times, despite a mid-season foot injury. However, it hasn’t been a stellar summer for him. Positive test aside, the Dolphins’ recent acquisition of Little signaled shaky confidence in the USC product.

Jackson will be joined on the COVID-19 list by tight end Adam Shaheen.

Cowboys Re-Sign Bryan Anger

The Cowboys have re-signed Bryan Anger, per a club announcement. Anger was dropped as a part of the Cowboys’ final cuts but they did not sign another punter to replace him.

Anger spent 2019 and 2020 with the Texans, where he cleared 46 yards per punt in each campaign. In March, Houston cleared his contract from the books to save $2MM against the cap. Anger has also spent time with the Buccaneers and Jaguars, but he’s perhaps best known for being a punter that was drafted in the third round. The Cowboys inked him to a one-year deal in April, putting him in competition with Hunter Niswander for the job.

The Cowboys won’t have to make any additional cuts since right guard Zack Martin and offensive lineman Brandon Knight recently landed on the COVID-19 reserve list.

Saints To Re-Sign Chris Hogan, Trevor Siemian 

They weren’t gone for long. On Sunday, the Saints re-signed wide receiver Chris Hogan and quarterback Trevor Siemian (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). 

Hogan delayed a professional lacrosse career to return to the NFL this summer. The two-time Super Bowl champ signed with the Saints back in July and missed the final cut, but that had more to do with the roster shuffle than anything. After his Patriots run, Hogan spent 2019 with the Panthers and 2020 with the Jets, though both years were marred by injuries. In his five games with Gang Green last year, Hogan had 14 catches for 118 yards. He’ll turn 33 in October and will serve as depth while star Michael Thomas works his way back to the field.

Siemian also lost his spot on Aug. 31, but he was expected to return all along. The veteran will operate as Jameis Winston‘s backup on game days while Taysom Hill occupies a variety of other roles and special teams functions. Siemian, a seventh-round pick of the Broncos in 2015, became Denver’s starter after Peyton Manning retired. He started 24 games for the Broncos between 2016-17, and has bounced around with a few different teams as a backup or third-string since losing that gig. His only recent live action came in one start with the Jets in 2019, when he suffered a devastating ankle injury.

49ers Sign Josh Norman

The 49ers have agreed to sign cornerback Josh Norman, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The former Pro Bowler can earn up to $2.5MM on the one-year pact, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 

We haven’t heard much about Norman in recent months, but he’s secured a new deal with just days to go before the start of the season. The veteran signed a one-year, $6MM deal with the Bills last year, making him one of several ex-Panthers to rejoin Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane in that cycle. However, a hamstring injury and a stint on the COVID-19 list cost him much of the year games. Norman finished 2019 with 24 stops and one interception in nine games.

Before that, Norman was once considered one of the best corners in the league. His best work came during his time with the Panthers. He dominated in 2015, playing a key role in their run to Super Bowl 50. He intercepted four passes that year, taking two back for touchdowns. It remains one of the best contract-year performances in modern NFL history. The Panthers rescinded Norman’s franchise tag in April 2016, leading to his five-year, $75MM Redskins pact. He did not match that play in Washington, a tenure that ended with the Redskins benching him.

Now, the 31-year-old will look to bounce back in SF where he’ll support starters Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley.

Saints To Sign DTs Jaleel Johnson, Montravius Adams

The Saints are expected to sign DT Jaleel Johnson, according to veteran NFL reporter Aaron Wilson (via Twitter). The Texans released Johnson as part of final cutdowns last week.

Though Johnson signed a modest one-year, $1.3MM pact with Houston this offseason, his ouster came as something of a surprise given his generally strong performance in training camp and the preseason. Texans GM Nick Caserio elected to go in a different direction, and New Orleans was quick to pounce.

The Saints will be without DT David Onyemata for the first six games of the season due to a PED suspension, and the club lost fellow D-lineman Jalen Dalton — who had been having a good summer as well — to a season-ending injury. That opens the door for Johnson, a run-stuffer who appeared in all 48 games for the Vikings over the past three seasons (including 16 starts in 2020) to come in and compete for snaps.

Montravius Adams is also hoping to carve out a role for himself in the Big Easy. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported (via Twitter) that the Saints are signing the former Packers third-rounder, who signed with the Patriots in March but who could not crack New England’s final roster.

Adams entered the league with tantalizing raw ability and physical tools, but he played in less than 600 snaps over the course of four seasons in Green Bay. Last year, he was limited to eight games due to a sprained toe, and he did not do quite enough this summer to stick with the Pats.

With Onyemata sidelined, Adams and Johnson will jockey for playing time alongside Shy Tuttle, Malcolm Roach, and Christian Ringo.

Lions WR KhaDarel Hodge Reworks Contract

After getting claimed off waivers by the Lions this week, wideout KhaDarel Hodge has taken a pay cut. The wide receiver has agreed to a restructured deal, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

Hodge was previously set to earn a non-guaranteed $2.133MM, and it looked like the receiver was about to earn zilch when he was waived by the Browns earlier this week. Now, he’ll earn a $920K base salary, with at least the $80K signing bonus being guaranteed.

The 2018 undrafted free agent spent his rookie season with the Rams before catching on with the Browns in 2019. He ended up seeing time in 25 games (one start) during his two years in Cleveland, hauling in 15 receptions for 256 yards. Hodge has also been productive on special teams, including a 2019 season where he finished with 13 tackles.

Detroit will likely use Hodge in a similar special teams role, but there could be some opportunities for him on offense. The 26-year-old will be joining a depth chart that’s currently led by the likes of Tyrell Williams, Kalif Raymond, Quintez Cephus, and Tom Kennedy.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/3/21

Here are Friday’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Football Team

Raiders To Add WR David Moore To Practice Squad

Despite having a history with new Panthers GM Scott Fitterer and having pocketed more than $1MM fully guaranteed, David Moore did not make Carolina’s 53-man roster. Two days after his release, the former Seahawks wideout landed another gig.

The Raiders are signing Moore to their practice squad, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Moore, 26, will be the most experienced pass catcher on Las Vegas’ taxi unit, but after the NFL expanded P-squads to 16 players last year, numerous veterans have landed such deals to continue their careers.

Moore served as a complementary option in Seattle but twice exceeded 400 receiving yards in a season, doing so in 2018 and ’20. He totaled 11 touchdown receptions between those campaigns, adding two more in 2019. Moore signed a two-year, $4.75MM deal with the Panthers in March.

The Raiders already have veterans Willie Snead and Zay Jones on their active roster. Moore provides additional insurance for a team set to rely on homegrown young wideouts. Las Vegas also released John Brown earlier this week.

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