Jets’ Vinny Curry Done For Year
On Tuesday, the Jets placed defensive end Vinny Curry on the reserve/non-football injury list. On Wednesday, Curry disclosed that he’s dealing with a number of complications stemming from blood clots and a recent spleen removal (Twitter link). 
“In July, the Jets doctors diagnosed me with a rare blood disorder. The diagnosis required the removal of my spleen and projected me to return to the field in the middle of September. During my recovery blood clots formed and forced me to go on blood thinners preventing me from having physical contact for the next three to six months,” Curry wrote. “While I am incredibly disappointed that I will not be able to play with my teammates this year, I am thankful that the doctors identified my condition in time. They have informed me that I am expected to make a full recovery and return to the field next season.”
Before joining the Jets, Curry spent all but one of his nine seasons with the Eagles. He’s spent much of his career as a rotational player, though he worked as a first-stringer during the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl-winning season.
The Jets signed Curry in late March, giving him a one-year, $1.3MM deal with $1.1MM fully guaranteed. With 32.5 career sacks to his credit, head coach Robert Saleh was excited about what Curry could bring to the D-Line. Unfortunately, the 33-year-old will have to spend the year focusing on his health before evaluating a return to football.
Cardinals Place DL Jack Crawford On IR
The Cardinals parted ways with some defensive line experience Tuesday. In cutting their roster down to 80 players, the Cardinals placed Jack Crawford on IR and released David Parry.
Crawford did not end up spending much time on Arizona’s active roster, arriving two weeks into training camp. Tuesday’s transaction means he cannot play for the Cards this season. Parry signed a reserve/futures contract with the Cardinals in January, but the former starter was attempting to craft a comeback after two seasons away.
A nine-year veteran who has been a frequent starter over the past five seasons, Crawford has now been with five teams in his career. That said, the seasoned D-lineman enjoyed multiyear stops in Oakland, Dallas and Atlanta before signing with Tennessee and landing an opportunity in Arizona this year. Crawford, 32, started nine games with the Titans last year and recorded six sacks with the Falcons in 2018.
Parry received a longer look, being with the Cards for nearly eight months. The former Colts starter had been out of football since 2019, when the Patriots cut him just before the regular season. Parry, 29, also spent time with the Saints and Vikings but has only played four games in the past four seasons. The 2015 fifth-round pick is running short on time to continue his career.
The Cards also waived offensive lineman Branden Bowen and waived linebacker Jamell Garcia-Williams with an injury designation.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here. Teams had until 3pm today to cut their rosters down to 80 players.
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: RB Javian Hawkins, LB Shareef Miller, DL Olive Sagapolu, WR Austin Trammell, OL Willie Wright
- Placed on IR: QB A.J. McCarron (story)
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: QB Kenji Bahar
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed: WR Rico Gafford (from Cardinals), DT Joey Ivie (from Colts)
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cole Beasley, DT Vernon Butler, WR Gabriel Davis, DT Star Lotulelei
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: K Dominik Eberle
- Waived: S LaDarius Wiley
Cleveland Browns
- Suspended two games: WR Davion Davis; Davis was arrested for DUI in 2019
- Released from IR via injury settlement: K Cody Parkey
Denver Broncos
- Waived: WR Branden Mack, LB Josh Watson
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: S Will Redmond
- Waived: DL Josh Avery
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived/injured: TE Noah Togiai
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: OL Derwin Gray, CB Jameson Houston, DT Kenny Randall
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on IR: LB Darron Lee
- Waived: WR Marcell Ateman
- Waived/injured: DL Darius Stills
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: LS Ryan Langan, WR Austin Proehl, TE Matt Seybert, OT Kyle Spalding
- Waived/injured: LB Damon Lloyd, DL Chris Okoye
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: TE Kyle Markway
New England Patriots
- Waived: DB Malik Gant, LS Brian Khoury, LB Cassh Maluia, OL R.J. Prince, WR Devin Ross
- Placed on IR: OL Marcus Martin
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: TE Rysen John, CB Quincy Wilson
- Waived: LS Carson Tinker
- Waived/injured: DB Montre Hartage, TE Cole Hikutini
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR via injury settlement: OT Casey Tucker
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: DE Alex Tchangam
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: K Ryan Succop
- Waived/injured: OT Chidi Okeke
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: CB Kevin Peterson
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Nick Dzubnar, RB Jeremy McNichols
Washington Football Team
- Waived: CB Jordan Brown, OT Rick Leonard, LB Justin Phillips, DT Justus Reed, C Jon Toth
Saints Place CB Brian Poole On IR
Veteran cornerbacks continue to cycle off the Saints’ roster. They placed Brian Poole on injured reserve Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 tweets. Poole is now ineligible to play for New Orleans this season.
The Saints signed Poole just before training camp started. While the former Falcons and Jets slot corner could play for a non-Saints team in 2021, he would need an injury settlement to do so. Either way, more cornerback issues have surfaced for the Saints, who are looking at outside options.
[RELATED: Saints Likely To Add CB Help]
While the Saints gave Poole barely veteran-minimum money and guaranteed him just $137K on a one-year deal, this strips another proven corner from their roster. Poole, 28, was one of the league’s top slot defenders over the last two years, representing one of the Jets’ few bright spots in that span. Pro Football Focus graded the former Falcons UDFA as a top-12 corner in 2019 and ’20.
New Orleans made Janoris Jenkins a cap casualty before free agency and has since seen Marshon Lattimore venture onto the suspension radar — for a March arrest — and prospective starter Patrick Robinson retire. The Saints also cut Prince Amukamara recently. They still have the likes of P.J. Williams, Ken Crawley and third-round rookie Paulson Adebo on the roster. But an outside addition should be expected soon.
Additionally, the Saints placed defensive tackle Jalen Dalton and offensive lineman Ethan Greenidge on IR, per Wilson. They also waived punter Nolan Cooney and waived defensive end Marcus Willoughby with an injury designation.
Bears Place DT Mike Pennel On IR
Mike Pennel will not end up playing for the Bears this season. The team moved the defensive tackle to IR Tuesday, also placing safety Jordan Lucas on its season-ending injured list.
Both Pennel and Lucas were members of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning squad two years ago. While Pennel also contributed for the Chiefs’ 2020 AFC champion team last season, Lucas opted out. These IR placements will ensure neither plays with the Bears this season, though both could resurface in 2021 in the event injury settlements take place.
Pennel participated in the Bears’ minicamp on a tryout basis, and the team was sufficiently impressed. The 30-year-old defender has seven years’ experience, having played with the Packers and Jets before his Kansas City stay. The former UDFA has enjoyed quality stretches, which have continued to generate interest. His 2019 arrival helped a Chiefs defense on a historically bad run early that season.
Lucas started four games for the 2018 Chiefs, who acquired him via trade with the Dolphins. Those are his only four career starts. The Bears signed the ex-UDFA in 2020, but he is unlikely to play in a regular-season game for the team.
Chicago also waived running back C.J. Marable, guard Dareuan Parker and tackle Badara Traore to move its roster down to 80 players by Tuesday’s deadline.
Texans To Sign CB Rasul Douglas
Rasul Douglas did not last long in free agency. The veteran cornerback agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Texans on Tuesday, Sports Talk 790’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
The Texans worked out Douglas earlier today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This continues a busy run for the rebuilding team at the corner spot. The Texans have made two trades involving corners in the past two days, acquiring Ka’dar Hollman from the Packers and dealing John Reid to the Seahawks.
Douglas could not stick with the Raiders, with the team releasing him in order to trim its roster down to 80 players, but has four years’ experience. He will join veterans Bradley Roby, Vernon Hargreaves, Desmond King and Terrance Mitchell in Houston, which has signed numerous midlevel veterans to short-term deals under new GM Nick Caserio.
This marked the second straight summer in which Douglas failed to make a 53-man roster, with the Eagles waiving him last year. The Panthers claimed him shortly after, and the former third-round pick started 11 games for the rebuilding squad. Douglas’ vested-veteran status allowed him to bypass waivers this time around, and he was working out barely 24 hours after being informed of his Raiders release.
Pro Football Focus was moderately impressed with Douglas’ 2020 work, slotting him just outside its top 60 at cornerback. Douglas played a special teams role during the 2017 Eagles’ run to their Super Bowl title and started in the ’18 Eagles’ two playoff contests. Overall, the soon-to-be 27-year-old defender has started 29 career games since the Eagles selected him out of West Virginia.
49ers Move LB Mychal Kendricks To IR
Mychal Kendricks‘ 49ers stay looks set to be brief. The team placed the veteran linebacker on IR Tuesday. Kendricks will no longer be eligible to suit up with San Francisco this season. The team also released cornerback B.W. Webb.
The recently signed linebacker is battling turf toe, an injury he sustained while playing in the 49ers’ second preseason game. The 49ers signed the veteran defender just last week, after he impressed during a workout. This marks another health setback for Kendricks, who suffered an ACL tear late in the 2019 season and saw his 2018 season end due to a broken leg.
Kendricks could play this season, but the 49ers would need to cut him from their IR list — which appears likely — via an injury settlement. However, the nine-year veteran’s run of bad injury breaks will limit his appeal. The 49ers had reached a unique arrangement, signing Kendricks to play for former teammate DeMeco Ryans, who is now the team’s defensive coordinator. This would be Kendricks’ age-31 season. He has played with Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington.
Webb caught on with San Francisco earlier this month as well but did not impress enough to make it past Tuesday’s second cutdown deadline. The 31-year-old veteran has not played since the 2019 season and has never played for the same team in back-to-back years. The 49ers were his 10th NFL stop.
Webb last played for the Bengals in 2019, when he started 12 games. The slot corner also worked as a primary starter in 2018, lining up as a Giants first-stringer in 13 contests.
Additionally, the 49ers released veteran edge defender Shilique Calhoun and waived wide receiver River Cracraft and offensive lineman Corbin Kaufusi.
Jets Place Vinny Curry On Reserve/NFI List
More bad news for the Jets’ pass rush. They placed defensive end Vinny Curry on their reserve/non-football injury list Tuesday. This will sideline Curry for the entire 2021 season.
The veteran edge rusher underwent an undisclosed offseason surgery and did not participate during the Jets’ training camp, residing on the team’s active/NFI list. Gang Green moving the ex-Eagle to the reserve/NFI list marks more unavailability for its thinning pass rush, with the move coming after the team lost Carl Lawson for the season due to an Achilles tear.
The Jets signed Curry in late March, giving him a one-year, $1.3MM deal that includes $1.1MM fully guaranteed. Curry has 32.5 career sacks in nine NFL seasons. The 33-year-old defensive end has spent all but one season with the Eagles but signed with the Jets to be a role player in Robert Saleh‘s new scheme. The Jets’ edge-rushing group is now even lighter on experience, and the team is looking into trades.
Beyond ex-49er Ronald Blair, who has not played since midway through the 2019 season due to injury, New York is down to the likes of John Franklin-Myers (two career starts; five career sacks) and struggling third-round pick Jabari Zuniga (zero, zero) on the edge. Kyle Phillips (seven, 1.5) is on the team’s active/PUP list. The team will almost certainly add an edge rusher or two in the coming days.
Just ahead of the deadline for teams to pare their rosters from 85 to 80 players, the Jets also waived four — wide receivers Josh Malone and Manasseh Bailey, tackle Tristen Hoge and linebacker Edmond Robinson.
Dolphins To Cut OT Jermaine Eluemunor
The Dolphins will cap Jermaine Eluemunor‘s Miami stay at less than three months. After signing the veteran tackle in June, the team opted to cut him on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Miami is also placing wide receiver Lynn Bowden on IR, per Pelissero (on Twitter).
Eluemunor, who spent the past two seasons with the Patriots, was vying for a backup tackle gig in Miami. The Dolphins have done some shuffling on their offensive line, but they will move on without the four-year veteran ahead of the deadline for teams to cut their rosters down to 80 players.
This move comes days after the team acquired third-year tackle Greg Little from the Panthers. The Dolphins have now parted ways with multiple veteran O-linemen since the start of training camp. They placed D.J. Fluker on IR and reached an injury settlement to jettison the guard.
Eluemunor started eight games for the Pats last season, filling in for a team that again was down Isaiah Wynn for a stretch and one that lost Marcus Cannon to an opt-out choice. Pro Football Focus graded Eluemunor as a middle-of-the-road tackle, slotting him 47th at the position in 419 snaps. Eluemunor visited the Broncos earlier this year, but Denver opted to sign Bobby Massie and Cameron Fleming to fill its Ja’Wuan James-created void at right tackle.
The Dolphins acquired Bowden from the Raiders last summer, marking a strange NFL path for the 2020 third-round pick. Bowden contributed in a few Fins games, catching 28 passes for 211 yards for a receiver-deficient team. Miami expanded its wideout group this year, signing Will Fuller and drafting Jaylen Waddle in Round 1. Albert Wilson‘s return gave the Dolphins more depth, and Bowden was battling for a roster spot.
While the Dolphins could keep Bowden on IR all season and develop him, players who land on IR at this time of the year are often subsequently released from teams’ injury lists via injury-settlement payments. It is unclear if the Dolphins play to remove Bowden from IR via that transaction, but Tuesday’s move ensures he cannot play for the team in 2021.
The Dolphins also waived wideouts Robert Foster and Isaiah Ford, cutting the former with an injury designation.
Seahawks To Sign Luke Willson, Release Pierre Desir
The John Reid trade did not mark the only cornerback transaction for the Seahawks on Tuesday afternoon. They are releasing Pierre Desir, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Desir’s surprising release will clear a roster spot for Luke Willson, whom Rapoport adds will return to the Seahawks. Willson, 31, made a return visit to Seattle on Monday. The veteran tight end has twice headed elsewhere, but he will once again return to the Pacific Northwest and aim to contribute as a role player.
The Seahawks originally drafted Willson in the 2013 fifth round. He signed with the Lions in 2018 and spent time with the Raiders in the summer of 2019, earning some Hard Knocks screen time with the latter, but ended up back in Seattle for the ’19 season. After a short stint with the Ravens last year, Willson re-signed with the Seahawks in December. They will now add him to a group that is again dealing with a notable injury.
Colby Parkinson is rehabbing from a second foot fracture. Willson will team with Will Dissly and free agency addition Gerald Everett, though the veteran should not be expected to play a big part in Seattle’s passing game. Willson has not surpassed 200 receiving yards in a season since 2016.
Desir’s departure is somewhat strange for a team that is not exactly oozing high-end cornerback talent. Though, it does continue a trend for the soon-to-be 31-year-old defender. The Colts cut Desir in March 2020, and the Jets ended up cutting him during the season.
Desir, who caught on with the Ravens last year, has been with five teams — including two Seahawks stints, the previous one coming from 2016-17 — but has enjoyed quality stretches. He worked as a full-time starter in 2018 and ’19 with the Colts, who extended him in 2019. The former Division II standout will look for a new home ahead of what would be his eighth NFL season.