Saints To Sign K Aldrick Rosas
The Saints’ most recent run without a healthy kicker will come to an end. They are signing Aldrick Rosas, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Rosas’ workout went well, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill (on Twitter), and the former Pro Bowler edged out fellow prospective Wil Lutz replacements Alex Kessman and Dominik Eberle. Neither Kessman nor Eberle had kicked in an NFL game previously. Rosas has four years’ experience, though he has not had a regular gig in two years.
Lutz is expected to be out for months, and the Saints’ Brett Maher partnership ended after he suffered an injury during the team’s preseason opener. The team waived Maher with an injury designation. New Orleans will now pivot to Rosas, who made the Pro Bowl in 2018 but is coming off a season abbreviated by a suspension.
The Giants’ kicker from 2017-19, Rosas saw a hit-and-run arrest lead to his New York exit. The NFL suspended Rosas four games to start last season, and although he landed with the Jaguars and kicked in six games with the struggling team, he did not make it to camp under the new Urban Meyer regime.
Rosas received his Pro Bowl nod after making 32 of 33 field goals in his second season, but he has not quite approached that success in any of his other three slates. The 26-year-old specialist made 12 of 17 field goals in 2019 and went 8-for-11 in six Jags games last year. The opportunity to kick for a dome team could move Rosas back on track, however, while giving the Saints some stability. Lutz has kicked in every Saints regular-season game for the past five years. He is signed through the 2023 season.
To make room on their roster, the Saints waived tight end Josh Pederson. The aspiring NFL pass catcher is the son of former Eagles HC Doug Pederson.
Eagles’ Jason Croom Done For Year?
Eagles tight end Jason Croom is believed to have suffered a season-ending knee injury (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). This was, unfortunately, expected after Croom was carted off during Thursday night’s preseason game against the Patriots. 
Croom will undergo an MRI to confirm his status, but non-contact knee injuries like this usually signal a torn ACL. If the scans prove the issue to be serious, the Eagles will place Croom on injured reserve between now and Monday morning.
Croom entered the league in 2017 as as an undrafted free agent with the Bills. After bouncing between the practice squad and active roster, the Tennessee got his chance to contribute in 2018. He ultimately led all Bills tight ends with 22 receptions, 259 yards, and one touchdown (he also had a pair of fumbles). Last year, he only registered one catch for the Eagles — a three-yard TD grab against the Ravens.
It’s not a given that Croom would have made the 53-man roster, but he was at least in the mix following the last round of cuts. The injury leaves the Eagles with five TEs on the roster — Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Richard Rodgers, Jack Stoll, and Tyree Jackson.
Browns Sign Willie Harvey Jr.
The Browns have signed free agent linebacker Willie Harvey Jr. (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Harvey, who spent time with the Browns a couple years back, could help fill in for Jacob Phillips following his biceps tear.
[RELATED: Browns’ Jacob Phillips Done For Year?]
Harvey had a standout career at Iowa State and was widely expected to be a Day 3 pick in 2019. Instead, he went undrafted and wound up signing with the Browns as a UDFA. The 230-pound defender had a solid preseason for the Browns, compiling 10 tackles and one pass defended. He didn’t make the final cut, but he did manage to earn a promotion from the taxi squad and see time in a couple of games that year.
Harvey hasn’t seen live action since ’19, but Phillips’ (likely) season-ending injury could open the door for him. Plus, with Sione Takitaki‘s hamstring trouble, he should be able to get some preseason snaps. The Browns will face the Giants on Sunday before wrapping their exhibition slate against the Falcons on Aug. 29.
Browns’ Jacob Phillips Done For Year?
Browns linebacker Jacob Phillips is likely done for the year with a biceps tear (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Philips will know more about his outlook following surgery to repair the tendon.
[RELATED: Browns’ Delpit Suffers Injury Setback]
Phillips, a 2020 3rd-round pick of the Browns, was expected to be a core contributor on defense. He was in the midst of a solid camp and trending in the right direction after missing a good chunk of his rookie year with a knee sprain. The Browns planned on using him as Anthony Walker‘s primary backup at middle linebacker with some possible action on the weakside.
Without Phillips, the Browns will be counting on 2021 second-rounder Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to pick things up quickly. They’ll also be keeping their fingers crossed for fellow ‘backer Sione Takitaki as he recovers from a (less severe) hamstring injury.
Texans To Release DT Brandon Dunn
Brandon Dunn‘s stint in Houston has come to an end. The Texans are releasing the veteran defensive tackle, according to Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk790 in Houston (via Twitter).
The former undrafted free agent caught on with the Texans in 2015, and he’s remained in Houston for the past six years. The veteran inked a three-year, $12MM deal with the organization last February, and he proceeded to have one of his best NFL seasons. In 13 games (13 starts), Dunn collected 26 tackles and three QB hits. His season ended on IR after he suffered a fractured hip, but Wilson notes that the 28-year-old has made a full recovery.
“Yeah, surprised,” Dunn responded when asked for his reaction to the move (via Mark Berman on Twitter). “Like anybody, it always surprising to get released, but it’s a business and I understand.”
Dunn ultimately saw time in 72 games (37 starts) for Houston, collecting 114 tackles, eight tackles for loss, nine QB hits, and one sack. He also played in four postseason games for the Texans, including a 2019 start where he picked off Andrew Luck.
Even with Dunn out of the picture, the Texans have a muddled depth chart at defensive tackle. Any of Maliek Collins, Vincent Taylor, Ross Blacklock, Auzoyah Alufohai, DeMarcus Walker, Roy Lopez, or Jaleel Johnson could jump the depth chart by the start of the regular season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Jordan Phillips; Phillips tested positive for the coronavirus
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: G Steven Gonzalez
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Marquel Harrell
- Waived: WR Micah Simon
Cleveland Browns
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Kiondre Thomas
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived/injured: P Hunter Niswander
Denver Broncos
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DL Deyon Sizer
Detroit Lions
- Waived: TE Hunter Thedford
Houston Texans
- Released from IR via injury settlement: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: CB Luq Barcoo
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DT Daniel Ross
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Josh Harvey-Clemons
Jets’ Carl Lawson Carted Off Practice Field
Jets defensive end Carl Lawson was carted off of the practice field on Thursday morning with a leg injury. There’s no official word on Lawson’s condition yet, but it’s believed to be an Achilles issue (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo). 
Lawson felt a pop when he suffered the injury (Twitter link), a sign that he could be dealing with a serious Achilles tear. That’d be a brutal blow to the Jets, who are counting on Lawson to spearhead their new 4-3 scheme.
Lawson, a former fourth-round pick of the Bengals, delivered serious pressure to opposing quarterbacks last season. He notched a modest 5.5 sacks, but his 32 QB hits were bested only by T.J. Watt.
The Jets gladly scooped him up with a three-year, $45MM deal with a chance to make up to $47.4MM. The deal included a whopping $30MM guaranteed to fill the Jets’ longstanding edge rusher void. Previous efforts to land the likes of Khalil Mack and Anthony Barr fell short — the hope is that Lawson can kick off a new era for the Jets’ front seven.
Lawson has managed to bounce back from serious injuries in the past. Despite suffering a torn ACL in 2018, he’s still managed to put together an impressive resume over the last four seasons. The Jets are hoping for the best this time around, but they might need another lineman to join Quinnen Williams and Folorunso Fatukasi up front.
Titans Place Brent Qvale On IR
The Titans have placed offensive lineman Brent Qvale on injured reserve, per a club announcement. To take his spot on the roster, the club has added fellow blocker Paul Adams. 
[RELATED: Titans Sign S Bradley McDougald]
Qvale, a sixth-year veteran, worked as a part-time starter with the Texans in 2020. The 6-foot-7 blocker joined the Titans just a couple of weeks ago in the wake of Spencer Pulley‘s injury, but Qvale’s season also appears to be over.
To date, Qvale has logged 18 starts as a pro with most of those coming during his five-year tenure with the Jets. Still, he’s yet to see more than six starts in a season. The Titans were considering him for a reserve role where he’d support starters Taylor Lewan and Ty Sambrailo. At some point, second-rounder Dillon Radunz is expected to leapfrog Sambrailo for the top right tackle spot.
Vikings LB Cameron Smith Retires
Vikings linebacker Cameron Smith will opt not to pursue another NFL season, instead announcing his retirement (Instagram link) Wednesday night. This comes after the young defender underwent open-heart surgery in 2020.
A COVID-19 test last summer revealed Smith needed the operation, which ended his season before it started. Although Smith went forward with a procedure that would allow him to continue his NFL career, he will retire nearly a year later.
Smith returned from the surgery and was cleared to return in late May. He participated in Minnesota’s first preseason game Saturday, recording a tackle in the Vikings’ home loss to the Broncos. A concussion, however, ended Smith’s day early.
The 24-year-old defender played in five regular-season games with the Vikings, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. As a backup and special-teamer in 2019, Smith notched eight tackles. He logged special teams snaps in both of Minnesota’s playoff games that year.
Despite the Vikings waiving Smith before last season, he wound up on their IR list. The team paid his full $675K base salary while he recovered from the operation. Smith was a four-year contributor at USC, topping out at 112 tackles (11 for loss) during his 2017 junior season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: G Justin Pugh; Pugh tested positive for the coronavirus
- Signed: LB Reggie Walker
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: K Lirim Hajrullahu
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Rashod Berry
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: CB Stanford Samuels
Kansas City Chiefs
- Reverted to IR after clearing waivers: WR Antonio Callaway
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Samuel Eguavoen; Eguavoen tested positive for the coronavirus
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL Caleb Benenoch, DB Natrell Jamerson, CB Bryan Mills, OT Jordan Mills
- Waived: WR Jake Lampman, DB Lawrence Woods
- Waived/injured: S Adonis Alexander, OL Michael Brown
Philadelphia Eagles
- Reverted to IR after clearing waivers: RB Kerryon Johnson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Claimed (from Steelers): OT Brandon Walton
- Waived/injured: S Raven Greene