Panthers Waive QB Tommy Stevens
Tommy Stevens brief stint with the Panthers has come to an end. The team announced that they’ve waived the quarterback. The team signed rookie wideout C.J. Saunders to take the open roster spot.
Stevens was in and out of the lineup during his time at Penn State and Mississippi State, but he showed promise both with his arm and on the ground. Thanks to that potential, he was drafted by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2020 draft…but the team made the bold decision of switching him to tight end. He didn’t end up making New Orleans active roster, but he did stick around their practice squad for most of the campaign.
He later caught on with the Panthers (as a quarterback), and he ended up making his NFL debut in Carolina’s Week 17 loss to the Saints. Stevens got four carries in that game for 24 rushing yards.
With the move, the Panthers are now rostering three quarterbacks: Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker, and Will Grier.
Saunders was a former walk-on cornerback at Ohio State, but he ended up transforming into one of the team’s most reliable receivers. He had 27 receptions in two seasons at Ohio State, and he was named a captain in 2019 before succumbing to an injury. He spent rookie minicamp with the Falcons organization.
Ravens Sign DL Jovan Swann
After losing one defensive lineman to injury last week, the Ravens are adding another. The team announced today that they’ve signed defensive lineman Jovan Swann. The team also waived/injured defensive tackle Xavier Kelly and wide receiver Donte Sylencieux.
Swann had a standout career at Stanford, and he earned a handful of Pac-12 All-Academic nods during his stint with the Cardinal. He spent the 2020 campaign at Indiana, finishing the season with three QB hits. During his collegiate career, the lineman compiled 8.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss.
Swann ultimately went undrafted during April’s draft, and he’s already bounced around the NFL a bit. He spent rookie camp with the Steelers before getting a workout with the Texans.
Kelly, a fellow undrafted rookie, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury last week, opening a spot for Swann. The team may not be finished adding, however; we learned earlier today that the team worked out defensive tackle Darius Kilgo.
Sylencieux joined the Ravens earlier this offseason, reuniting him with high school teammate Lamar Jackson.
49ers Cut Josh Johnson
The 49ers have released quarterback Josh Johnson (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). In a related move, the Niners have added wide receiver Andy Jones to their 90-man offseason roster.
Johnson, who just turned 35, hooked on with the 49ers last November. Previous to that, he was last seen with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL. He could have been on an NFL roster sooner — the Lions offered him a contract, but the XFL stepped in and blocked it.
Over the years, Johnson has signed deals with 13 different teams. That includes multiple stints with the 49ers in 2012, 2014, and 2020. It remains to be seen whether Johnson will pursue another season in the league, but there’s always a market for experienced QBs like him.
Of course, Johnson’s odds of making the final cut weren’t all that great anyway. The 49ers have Jimmy Garoppolo installed as their starter with first-round pick Trey Lance waiting in the wings. That leaves Nick Mullens and Josh Rosen to compete for one — or perhaps zero — QB spots on the 53-man roster.
Texans Sign Rex Burkhead
The Texans have signed Rex Burkhead, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. The ex-Patriots running back will join fellow newcomers Mark Ingram and Phillip Lindsay in the Texans’ new-look group.
Burkhead, 30, ended the season on IR, thanks to a November ACL tear. Before that, he was enjoying another solid season as the Pats’ change-of-pace back. Through ten games, the 30-year-old collected 274 yards and three touchdowns on 67 carries. He also had 25 receptions for 192 yards and three scores.
The Texans now count seven RBs on their 90-man offseason roster. Burkhead works to carve out a role, he’ll have plenty of familiar faces around. Texans GM and longtime Patriots exec Nick Caserio has imported lots of players from New England, including offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, wide receiver Donte Moncrief, and defensive end Derek Rivers.
David Johnson and Ingram still project to serve as the lead backs, with support from Lindsay. Assuming all three stick, there’s probably only one more RB spot up for grabs in Houston.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/1/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: P Tyler Newsome
New York Jets
- Waived: DL Sharif Finch
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived/Injured: TE Daniel Helm
Lions Sign Brian Price
The Lions have signed Brian Price, per a club announcement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it’s likely a one-year deal for the veteran defensive lineman. 
Price went undrafted in 2016, largely because of red flags — including the time he threw an official to the ground. When he didn’t hear his name called, the University of Texas-San Antonio joined up with the Packers’ practice squad. They were pretty high on his ability, because midway through the year they nearly quadrupled his salary to prevent him from getting poached.
Since then, Price has made the rounds, spending time with the Cowboys, Raiders, Browns, Colts, and Jaguars before circling back to the Packers late last year. All in all, Price has 24 career appearances to his credit. Now, he’ll look to make the cut in Detroit, where he could take the place of Joel Heath following his season-ending ACL tear.
Jets Sign Ronald Blair
The Jets have defensive lineman Ronald Blair, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The deal will reunite Blair with old pal Robert Saleh, the former Niners defensive coordinator who now serves as the Jets’ head coach.
Blair ruptured his ACL midway through the 2019 season, which should have given him enough time to return for 2020. Unfortunately, something went wrong while Blair was on the operating table, leaving him sidelined for the entire year. Now, Blair seems to have recovered from his botched ACL surgery and he’ll have the summer to prove it.
Before all of that, the former 2016 fifth-round pick enjoyed a spot in the Saleh’s defensive rotation, compiling 13.5 sacks, 27 quarterback hits, and 22 tackles for loss across four seasons. Blair could help provide depth for the Jets at multiple spots up front, including the edge where they desperately need a lift over last season. On the plus side, the Jets’ rush should be in better shape thanks to Saleh and newcomers like ex-Bengals defensive end Carl Lawson.
Lions Place Joel Heath On IR
The Lions have placed defensive lineman Joel Heath on injured reserve, per a club announcement. This was the expected move after Heath suffered a torn ACL while working out at the Lions’ facility earlier this week.
Heath, a Michigan State product, went undrafted in 2016 and signed his first deal with the Texans. He went on to appear in 32 games for Houston, including 16 starts. Then, the Broncos claimed him towards the end of 2019 and re-upped him in 2020, but he didn’t see any action in Denver and opted-out of the 2020 season.
Heath hooked on with the Lions earlier this year with the hope that he would crack the defensive line rotation. Unfortunately, he suffered a freak injury midway through a bag drill on Wednesday. Now, he’ll focus on recovery with an eye on 2022.
The Lions’ revamped 3-4 scheme will feature newcomer Michael Brockers plus Day 2 rookie DLs Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill. Meanwhile, Romeo Okwara and Trey Flowers will be shifted to outside linebacker.
49ers To Sign James Burgess
The 49ers are set to sign James Burgess (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). It’ll be a one-year deal for the former Packers and Jets linebacker. 
Burgess went undrafted out of Louisville in 2016 and didn’t see the field until 2017 with the Browns. But, when he arrived in Cleveland, he notched four sacks and wound up starting nine of his 14 games. He later moved on to the Jets, serving as their starting middle linebacker for ten games in 2019. That year, he notched 80 total tackles, one interception, three passes defensed, and eight tackles for loss.
His 2020 with the Packers was a little less noteworthy — he saw just four games before losing the year to a hamstring injury. Now, he’ll get a shot to stick with the Niners, who are also taking a look at ex-Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall. Marshall, 32 in September, was a key player for Denver’s 2015 Super Bowl squad, but he’s been slowed by injuries of his own in recent years. It’s not immediately clear whether Marshall is still in the mix for SF after the addition of Burgess.
Bills Extend Reid Ferguson
The Bills signed long snapper Reid Ferguson to a brand new three-year deal, per a club announcement. Ferguson has served as the team’s LS for his entire four-year career. Now, he’s slated to continue in that role through 2024. 
Ferguson came into the league in 2016 as an undrafted free agent out of LSU. He didn’t make the final cut that year, but the Bills stashed him on the taxi squad. In 2017, he got the LS job, and he’s held it with perfect attendance ever since — four seasons, 64 games.
Today, the 27-year-old stands as the second-longest tenured player on the Bills’ roster, behind only Jerry Hughes, who has been with the club since 2013.