Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Corey Taylor II
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Miles Brown
Titans Sign OL Brent Qvale, Place C Spencer Pulley On IR
In addition to changing course at backup quarterback Thursday, the Titans made some moves on their offensive line. They signed tackle Brent Qvale and placed center Spencer Pulley on IR.
A sixth-year veteran, Qvale worked as a part-time starter with the Texans last season. The 6-foot-7 blocker is entering his age-30 season. He has logged 18 starts as a pro, most of those coming during his five-year tenure with the Jets, but never more than six in a season.
Tennessee used two draft choices at tackle this year, adding Dillon Radunz in Round 2 and Dez Fitzpatrick in Round 4. The team also signed Kendall Lamm this offseason, reassembling a tackle group that saw 2020 first-round pick Isaiah Wilson flame out fast and replacement starter Dennis Kelly sign with the Packers.
[RELATED: Titans Sign Matt Barkley, Cut DeShone Kizer]
The Titans signed Pulley just last week. An IR designation before 53-man rosters are finalized means Pulley cannot play for the Titans this year. An injury settlement, which would allow Pulley to catch on somewhere else after he heals up, would appear likely. A former Chargers UDFA, Pulley last played for the Giants in 2019.
The team also signed former XFL tight end Donnie Ernsberger and offensive lineman Ross Reynolds, while placing cornerback Greg Mabin on IR.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Trevor Davis
- Placed on IR: TE Jaeden Graham
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Brian Cole, FB Rod Smith
- Waived: WR Ventell Bryant
Denver Broncos
- Reverted to IR: OT Cody Conway
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed (from Ravens): LB Chauncey Rivers
- Waived: LS Joe Fortunato
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on IR: DL Jared Goldwire
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived/injured: DB Dayan Lake
- Reverted to IR: OL Jamil Demby
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: TE Sal Cannella, TE Gabe Holmes, TE Kalif Jackson; the team signed all three on Wednesday
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Cethan Carter, TE Adam Shaheen, WR Preston Williams
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: QB Case Cookus
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: DE Kendall Donnerson
New York Jets
- Reverted to IR: S Brandon White
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: CB Shakial Taylor
- Placed on IR: DB Nate Meadors
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Reverted to IR: G Anthony Coyle
San Francisco 49ers
- Reverted to IR: CB Tim Harris
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: WR Darvin Kidsy
Titans Sign QB Matt Barkley
On Thursday, Matt Barkley announced that he’s signed with the Titans (Twitter link). The quarterback will now vie for a spot on the Week 1 roster to support starter Ryan Tannehill. 
Barkley, 31 in September, has made the rounds since being drafted by the Eagles in 2013. The former fourth-rounder out of USC has made stops with the Cardinals, Bears, 49ers, Bengals, and Bills, with two tours in Arizona and Buffalo.
Barkley has just seven starts to his credit in total with a 2-5 record in those games. For his career, he’s completed 58.8% of his throwns with eleven touchdowns against 22 interceptions. His last start came in 2018, a solid showing and victory over the Jets. Over the past two years, he’s popped in for seven Bills games, lobbing four INTs with just one TD.
Still, the Titans present a decent opportunity for Barkley to get back into the mix. Before Barkley, the Titans were evaluating Logan Woodside and DeShone Kizer as their QB2 options.
Raiders Sign Gerald McCoy
Well, that was fast. Shortly after meeting with him on Wednesday afternoon, the Raiders have agreed to sign defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The Raiders have since confirmed the deal via press release.
The veteran made the most of his workout, showcasing the skills that made him a star player in Tampa. McCoy earned six Pro Bowl nods with the Buccaneers and performed as one of the NFL’s best defensive lineman in the 2010s. On the flipside, he’s 33 years old, and his last Pro Bowl selection came in 2017.
McCoy found his way to the Panthers in 2019 after his Bucs release. He appeared in all 16 games, registering five sacks — making it 59.5 for his career. McCoy would join the Cowboys in March of 2020, only to see a torn quad end his season before it began.
All in all, McCoy has 139 appearances (all starts), 352 tackles, 59.5 sacks, 79 tackles for loss, 24 passes defensed, six forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries. If he stays healthy, McCoy could have an opportunity to lead the Raiders’ experienced interior group. Jon Gruden already has Johnathan Hankins, Solomon Thomas, Quinton Jefferson, and Darius Philon on hand.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/21
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OT Ryan Pope
Atlanta Falcons
- Reverted to IR after clearing waivers: P Sterling Hofrichter
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Michael Dereus
- Waived: DL Chauncey Rivers
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Caleb Benenoch
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Doug Middleton
- Waived: FB Mason Stokke
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Eddie Goldman, LB Christian Jones, LS Patrick Scales, OT Elijah Wilkinson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Saivion Smith
- Waived/injured: OT Cody Conway; Conway suffered a torn ACL
Detroit Lions
- Released: LB Reggie Gilbert
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from active/PUP list: TE Josiah Deguara
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OL Jeremiah Poutasi
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: G Jamil Demby
- Signed: G Jeremiah Kolone
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Adonis Alexander
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Andy Jones, TE Tommy Stevens
- Placed on IR: RB Mike Weber
New York Jets
- Waived/injured: S Brandon White
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on IR: DB DeMarkus Acy; Acy suffered a torn ACL
- Waived/injured: OT Anthony Coyle
Buccaneers Extend DC Todd Bowles
As they get ready to defend their Super Bowl title, the Buccaneers are taking care of a key member of the organization. Tampa has given defensive coordinator Todd Bowles a three-year contract extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Schefter writes that this new deal replaces the one year Bowles had left on his old one, and “continues to make him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive coordinator.” Bowles has deservedly received a ton of praise for the heights he took the Bucs’ previously woeful defense to, as they became one of the best units in the league last year. The 57-year-old got some looks in head coaching searches this cycle, receiving interest from at least the Falcons, Lions, and Eagles.
It was also reported back in February that Bruce Arians would like Bowles to succeed him as Buccaneers head coach whenever he retires. He might not get that opportunity, since Schefter writes this new contract “doesn’t preclude him from taking another head coaching job,” and Bowles will likely be a hot candidate again this winter.
Bowles first broke into the league as a secondary coach with the Jets in 2000. 15 years later he would become New York’s head coach, a high profile role he held for the next four seasons.
His tenure there didn’t end well, but in recent years it’s been more or less accepted that the dysfunction had more to do with the Jets being, well… the Jets, than anything Bowles did wrong. It’s probably only a matter of time before he gets another head coaching opportunity, especially if Tampa’s defense keeps it up in 2021.
Bears To Sign Alec Ogletree
Another longtime veteran has found a new home early in training camp. The Bears are signing free agent linebacker Alec Ogletree, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
This is the first we’ve heard of Ogletree since the Jets cut him all the way back in October of last year. A first-round pick of the Rams in 2013, Ogletree’s NFL career got off to a very solid start. In his first two seasons with the Rams he had ten forced fumbles and three interceptions. In each of his four healthy seasons with the Rams he had at least 10 passes defended, and he was a second-team All-Pro in 2016.
That earned him a four-year, $42.75MM extension in 2017, but he quickly fell out of favor with the new coaching staff in Los Angeles. He was traded to the Giants for a fourth and sixth-round pick, and spent the next two seasons in New York. He started 26 games in those two years with the Giants, but was released in February of 2020. Ogletree latched on with the Jets, where he was released after just a couple games.
Despite the significant tread on his tires, he’s still only 29. Presumably signed for close to the veteran’s minimum, he’ll now be a depth option behind Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan at inside linebacker for Chicago.
Jets To Sign Josh Johnson
The Jets have signed veteran quarterback Josh Johnson, per his agent (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Johnson could provide depth behind No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, who finally put pen to paper last week. 
[RELATED: Jets Sign Zach Wilson]
Johnson, pictured here in one of his many NFL jerseys, has now signed deals with roughly half of the league. The 35-year-old spent November 2020 — May 2021 with the 49ers but didn’t take a snap during his time there. His last live action came with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL and he hasn’t attempted an NFL pass since 2018, when he started in three games for Washington.
Despite the stop-and-go nature of it all, Johnson always seems to be in demand as a backup arm. Neither of New York’s other QB2 candidates — 2020 fourth-round pick James Morgan and former UDFA Mike White — have taken a regular-season snap.
49ers Sign CB B.W. Webb
B.W. Webb is heading to San Francisco. The veteran cornerback is signing with the 49ers, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
[RELATED: 49ers To Work Out Dre Kirkpatrick]
The 2013 fourth-round pick has earned journeyman status after spending time with nine teams in eight years. Webb actually had two of his better NFL seasons in 2018 and 2019, collecting 82 tackles, 13 passes defended, and two interceptions in 31 games (25 starts) split between the Giants and Bengals. In total, the 31-year-old has seen time in 80 career games, and he got into a single playoff game with the Steelers in 2014.
Webb signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals last August, but he ended up getting cut less than a week later. The veteran didn’t sign with a club for the rest of the 2020 campaign.
The 49ers could temporarily use some extra bodies at cornerback. Emmanuel Moseley is on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Tim Harris Jr. is sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Dontae Johnson is dealing with a foot injury. Webb still has an uphill battle to make San Francisco’s roster, but he’ll get a chance at an extended look over (at least) the next few practices.