Minor NFL Transactions: 6/11/19
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Sione Teuhema
- Waived: DT T.J. Barnes
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers: TE Pharoah McKever (from Jaguars)
New York Jets
- Released: TE Neal Sterling
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Chad Hansen
- Waived: CB David Simmons
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: WR Montay Crockett
- Signed: CB Isaiah Langley
- Waived: CB Makinton Dorleant
- Waived: CB Montrel Meander
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DB Ashton Lampkin
- Waived: LB DeMarquis Gates
Colt McCoy Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Following Joe Douglas‘s move to the Jets, Andy Weidl has been leading the Eagles‘ scouting department as the director of player personnel, tweets Geoff Mosher of 97.3 ESPN in Jersey. Weidl previously served as Philly’s assistant director of player personnel.
It’s unclear whether Weidl’s new role is on an interim basis or permanent, but it’s obviously that the executive is prepared to take on a bigger role. Further complicating matters is the fact that Weidl could end up joining Douglas in New York.
Lets check out some more notes from around the NFC…
- Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy missed his team’s minicamp as he recovered from a leg injury. However, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington observed that the veteran continued to work with tight end Jordan Reed during the sessions, and the team believes McCoy will be fully ready for training camp. The 32-year-old will be competing with Case Keenum and rookie Dwayne Haskins for a starting gig, and perhaps partly due to McCoy’s injury, the head coach has yet to make a decision on who will be the starter. “For me to make a determination on the starting quarterback after minicamp or mandatory camp is just kind of foolish,” Jay Gruden said. “We’ll let these guys continue to play and see which one continues to improve, which one is most consistent throughout the training camp and preseason and we’ll go from there.”
- The Vikings have a number of competitions on their hands, according to Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com. Three-year veteran Kevin McDermott and rookie seventh-rounder Austin Cutting will be going head-to-head for long snapping duties, with only one of the two presumably in line to make the final roster. Meanwhile, the team is expected to host free agent punters Justin Vogel, Shane Tripucka, and “at least one other” on Wednesday. The Vikings are hoping to provide incumbent punter Matt Wile, who struggled as a holder last season, with competition.
- Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune points to wide receiver as another position battle for the Vikings, as the coaching staff is looking for someone to emerge behind Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. The team has tried out a number of players in their three-receiver package, including Laquon Treadwell, Jordan Taylor, and Chad Beebe. Rookie Olabisi Johnson and former CFL player Brandon Zylstra also have a chance to play a role.
- Cardinals center A.Q. Shipley missed the entire 2018 season after suffering a torn ACL, allowing rookie Mason Cole to start all 16 games. Now, heading into 2019, both players are vying for that starting spot, and the veteran player isn’t willing to concede to his younger teammate. “Competition? Is there a competition?” Shipley asked Katherine Fitzgerald of the Arizona Republic. “I don’t know, you guys tell me. That’s what you keep saying. I’m going in as I’ve got over 100 games played in the NFL, so if they want to give it to someone else, that’s cool, that’s up to them, but I’m going in as the guy. That’s the way I operate.”
Latest On Redskins, Trent Williams
For the first time in 10 years, the Redskins’ left tackle spot features uncertainty. Trent Williams has not been with the team for OTAs and minicamp and is reported to be unhappy with the organization, to the point he wants to leave.
While the 10th-year blocker’s dissatisfaction with the Redskins regarding their handling of his most recent medical situation — having a growth removed from his head — may not be the driving force of his absence.
Williams may be upset with the team over the recent medical developments, but J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington notes the seven-time Pro Bowler’s holdout stems from his contract. This was the initial view of Williams’ minicamp absence, and the medical component in this situation may have made it worse.
The Redskins extended Williams in 2015. The five-year, $66MM deal made him the NFL’s highest-paid tackle. From a AAV standpoint, his contract has not been significantly diminished by recent tackle deals. The soon-to-be 31-year-old lineman still sits seventh among tackles at $13.2MM per year, and $24MM remains on the contract. However, the contract the Raiders gave Trent Brown did change the marketplace a bit. The $16.5MM-AAV pact for a non-Pro Bowler was eye-opening, but the Raiders had plenty of cap space and spent it wildly this offseason.
Redskins president Bruce Allen addressed the situation but declined to go into detail. The longtime Washington executive did say he has spoken with Williams a few times this year.
“I know what Trent told me so I know what the truth is,” Allen said, via Finlay. “I’ll leave my conversation with Trent between the two of us. Trent has been a valuable player for us and that’s why we signed him to the contract he has.”
An argument against a new contract would be Williams’ injury trouble in recent years. He missed three games last season and six in 2017 and has not played 16 games since the 2014 season. A four-game substance-abuse suspension interrupted his 2016 slate. But the Redskins did not address their tackle situation much this offseason. They signed Ereck Flowers, who has been moved to guard, and did not draft a tackle. They did attempt to claim 2018 Browns starter Desmond Harrison, but the Cardinals beat them to it.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/7/19
Shifting from GM decisions, here are the lower-level moves teams executed Friday:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed off waivers from Cardinals: T Andrew Lauderdale
Washington Redskins
- Signed: TE Donald Parham
Redskins Tried To Claim Desmond Harrison
The Redskins placed a claim on tackle Desmond Harrison, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Ultimately, Harrison went to the Cardinals, who had top priority when the Browns cut him loose. 
It’s potentially a sign that the Redskins are concerned about Trent Williams‘ holdout and also an indication that they are eager to bolster their offensive line depth. For example, the Redskins want to use former Giants first round pick Ereck Flowers at left guard, but he has been practicing mostly at tackle due to Williams’ absence and a lack of other available options.
Harrison started in the first eight games of the season for the Browns before losing his gig to Greg Robinson, so it was widely expected that several teams would try and grab the 25-year-old. It’s possible that other clubs were warded off by Harrison’s reported absence and tardiness to team functions this offseason, but there could have also been issues with his game tape. Despite being a first-stringer in the first half of the 2018 campaign, Harrison graded out as just the No. 67 ranked tackle in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/6/19
On one end of the Thursday transactions: Carson Wentz. On the other: today’s minor moves.
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: T Andrew Lauderdale
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Ka’John Armstrong
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Jordan Smallwood
Washington Redskins
- Waived: TE Manasseh Garner
Redskins Sign Terry McLaurin
The Redskins have officially wrapped up their 2019 NFL Draft class. On Thursday, the club announced the signing of third-round wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
McLaurin’s 35 catches for 701 yards last year don’t necessarily jump off of the page, but he proved to have a presence in the red zone with eleven touchdowns. After selecting Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins in the first round, the Redskins are hopeful they can keep the chemistry going at the pro level. For now, he projects to sit somewhere behind Josh Doctson, Paul Richardson, Trey Quinn, and Cam Sims on the wide receiver depth chart. Fellow rookie receiver Kelvin Harmon will also battle for playing time, but McLaurin’s special teams acumen should work in his favor.
Here’s the full rundown of the Redskins’ draft class, courtesy of PFR’s tracker:
- 1-15: Dwayne Haskins, QB (Ohio State): Signed
- 1-26: Montez Sweat, DE (Mississippi State): Signed
- 3-76: Terry McLaurin, WR (Ohio State): Signed
- 4-112: Bryce Love, RB (Stanford): Signed
- 4-131: Wes Martin, G (Indiana): Signed
- 5-153: Ross Pierschbacher, C (Alabama): Signed
- 5-173: Cole Holcomb, LB (North Carolina): Signed
- 6-206: Kelvin Harmon, WR (North Carolina State): Signed
- 7-227: Jimmy Moreland, CB (James Madison): Signed
- 7-253: Jordan Brailford, DE (Oklahoma State): Signed
Latest On Alex Smith, Trent Williams
Essentially ruled out for 2019 before the Redskins selected Dwayne Haskins in the first round, Alex Smith will be set for at least one more surgery. The 35-year-old quarterback must wear an external fixator on his broken leg for at least another month, Jay Gruden said (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter). Smith was initially spotted equipped with this apparatus nearly five months ago. Its removal will mean another operation. The 14-year veteran underwent upwards of six procedures on his injury leg, and it is obviously uncertain the quarterback will play again. Smith is under Redskins contract through the 2022 season.
Moving to another Redskins cog with a cloudy future with the team, here is the latest news out of the NFC East:
- Trent Williams is believed to want out of Washington. Earlier this year, Williams had a tumor (or a similar growth) removed from his head. The 10th-year left tackle has expressed hard feelings toward the Redskins for their handling of this matter, but he is not staying away from the team only because of hard feelings. Gruden said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk) his longest-tenured player would not be able to practice anyway because of the recovery from the aforementioned operation. Williams rehabbed a damaged kneecap throughout the 2018 offseason and is entering his age-31 season.
- Three Kubiaks have now left the Broncos. After Gary Kubiak and his son Klint joined the Vikings’ staff, Klein Kubiak will become a Cowboys scout, according to Neil Stratton of Inside The League (on Twitter). The youngest of the coaching Kubiaks confirmed he will be Dallas-bound (Twitter link). Klein Kubiak spent five years with the Broncos. He will join the Cowboys after the organization lost area scout Jim Abrams to the Raiders.
- The Giants added three new members to their scouting staff. They brought in 16-year Notre Dame staffer Chad Klunder to become their scouting coordinator, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY tweets. Big Blue also hired former Jets pro personnel director and Lions pro scouting director Brendan Prophett as an area scout and added Corey Lockett to their scouting department. Additionally, the Giants promoted six-year pro scout Tim McDonnell to assistant director of player personnel, per Vacchiano (on Twitter).
Redskins’ Trent Williams Wants Out
Typically, player holdouts stem from a desire to secure a new contract. That’s not the case for Redskins left tackle Trent Williams, however. The veteran has told teammates that he has demanded a trade or release due to their handling of his recent medical situation, according to sources who spoke with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Furthermore, Williams has vowed to not play for the Redskins, meaning that this saga could drag on if he is not traded this summer. 
Earlier this year, Williams had a tumor (or a similar growth) removed from his head. Fortunately, Williams is now healthy and is expected to be able to play this season. However, for reasons that are currently unclear, the situation caused friction between the lifelong Redskin and the organization.
For now, Williams is under contract with the Redskins for another two years and is owed $24MM between now and the end of the 2020 season. Despite his injuries, that deal borders on being team-friendly, so there could be a ripe market for the soon-to-be 31-year-old.
Redskins’ Trent Williams Wants New Deal
Redskins tackle Trent Williams skipped the start of the Redskins’ mandatory minicamp in an effort to land a new deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Williams is owed $24MM over the next two years, but wants a better deal now that the market has shifted. 
At the time of signing, Williams’ current deal positioned him as the highest-paid tackle in the NFL, edging Cowboys lineman Tyron Smith. Today, the deal positions him as the sixth-highest paid tackle in the league, thanks in part to recent deals for Trent Brown, Taylor Lewan, and Nate Solder that are worth at least $15.5MM per season.
Williams has missed 13 games over the last three seasons due to various issues, but He still stands as one of the better left tackles in the NFL. He graded out as the league’s best overall tackle in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, and managed to place No. 21 in a down 2018.
In other Redskins news, the team is reportedly planning to stick with cornerback Josh Norman, despite the savings that would come with releasing him.