Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC East
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Cowboys, Commanders, Giants and Eagles moves are noted below.
Dallas Cowboys
Signed:
- OL Hakeem Adeniji, CB C.J. Goodwin
Claimed:
- DB Twikweze Bridges (from Chargers), DB Reddy Steward (from Vikings)
Waived:
- CB Andrew Booth, CB Zion Childress
Placed on IR:
- RB Phil Mafah (story), Caelen Carson
Signed to practice squad:
- LB Justin Barron, WR Jalen Brooks, DT Earnest Brown, G Saahdiq Charles, T Geron Christian, S Alijah Clark, WR Jalen Cropper, RB Malik Davis, TE Rivaldo Fairweather, TE Princeton Fant, QB Will Grier, CB Kemon Hall, WR Traeshon Holden, LB Buddy Johnson, DE Dayo Odeleye, CB Robert Rochell
New York Giants
Claimed:
- DB Beau Brade (from Ravens), DB Rico Payton (from Saints)
Released:
Signed to practice squad:
- DL Elijah Chatman, OLB Trace Ford, OLB Tomon Fox, DL Elijah Garcia, OL Bryan Hudson, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, OL Jake Kubas, S Raheem Layne, K Jude McAtamney, RB Dante Miller, DL Jordon Riley, WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette, CB Dee Williams
Philadelphia Eagles
Signed:
Claimed:
- C Willie Lampkin (from Rams)
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- LB Chance Campbell, WR Elijah Cooks, RB Audric Estime, G Kenyon Green, TE E.J. Jenkins, CB Brandon Johnson, OLB Patrick Johnson, TE Cameron Latu, WR Terrace Marshall, QB Kyle McCord, CB Parry Nickerson, T Hollin Pierce, OLB Antwaun Powell-Ryland, CB Eli Ricks, S Andre Sam
Washington Commanders
Signed to practice squad:
- DT Ricky Barber, WR Ja’Corey Brooks, TE Lawrence Cager, DT Sheldon Day, C Michael Deiter, CB Antonio Hamilton, QB Sam Hartman, DE Jalyn Holmes, WR Jacoby Jones, DE T.J. Maguranyanga, S Rob McDaniel, G Timothy McKay, WR Chris Moore, CB Car’lin Vigers
2025 NFL Waiver Order
Many of the players cut Tuesday were subject to waivers, giving teams a chance to pick them up (along with the rest of their contract). Teams can claim as many players as they want before the next team gets their remaining targets.
It’s also worth noting that relatively few players are claimed off waivers during final roster cuts each year. Waiver claims will be processed at 11am CT in the following order (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). In reverse order of the 2024 NFL standings, here is how the waiver priority sits:
- Titans
- Browns
- Giants
- Patriots
- Jaguars
- Raiders
- Jets
- Panthers
- Saints
- Bears
- 49ers
- Cowboys
- Dolphins
- Colts
- Falcons
- Cardinals
- Bengals
- Seahawks
- Buccaneers
- Broncos
- Steelers
- Chargers
- Packers
- Vikings
- Texans
- Rams
- Ravens
- Lions
- Commanders
- Bills
- Chiefs
- Eagles
Commanders, WR Terry McLaurin Agree To Extension
AUGUST 27: The deal’s base value has emerged; as expected, McLaurin did not score a top-five wide receiver rate. This is a three-year, $87MM extension, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. It includes $44.65MM guaranteed at signing — $30MM of that figure comes via a signing bonus — according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. While just $2.9MM of McLaurin’s $12.9MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing, Breer adds a $10MM 2026 roster bonus is fully guaranteed. McLaurin’s 2027 and ’28 base salaries are nonguaranteed.
Rumors emerged this summer indicating the Commanders were leery of a $30MM-per-year payday for a wideout set to turn 30, and they have McLaurin at $29MM AAV. This value checks in 10th among receivers, settling between the $30MM-AAV club and Tee Higgins‘ $28.75MM-per-year deal. In terms of full guarantees, McLaurin matches Chris Godwin for ninth at the position.
AUGUST 25: Terry McLaurin‘s contract saga has come to an end. The Pro Bowl wideout finalized an extension with the Commanders on Monday, as first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The news is now official, per a team announcement.
This is a three-year accord, per Schultz. He adds McLaurin’s new deal is worth over $96MM. One year remained on his pact prior to today’s news. As a result, McLaurin is now on the books through 2028. This pact contains a $30MM signing bonus, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network adds.
Multiple reports indicate $96MM actually represents the maximum value of this accord. In any event, today’s agreement ends the questions related to McLaurin’s future in Washington. A trade request was issued in response to extension talks failing to progress as hoped. At no point did it appear likely a swap would take place, however, with the Commanders intending to move forward without entertaining trade offers.
McLaurin was briefly absent from training camp, but he later reported and was moved to the active/PUP list. Upon being activated, the 29-year-old was not a full practice participant. Uncertainty loomed in this case as the countdown to Week 1 continued without much in the way of progress being made. After a spell without the parties speaking to one another, though, the expected outcome in this case has arrived.
Exact figures on McLaurin’s initial asking price did not emerge, but over the course of the offseason it became clear the Commanders were taken aback by it. Concerns related to the Ohio State product’s age were a sticking point in negotiations, but today’s pact means McLaurin will remain in the nation’s capital through the foreseeable future (and across the remainder of quarterback Jayden Daniels‘ rookie contract). This marks the second time in his career McLaurin has taken a three-year extension (whereas four-year pacts are common for high-profile receivers).
As the wait for precise details on this extension continues, it is clear McLaurin has secured a major raise. He was owed a base salary of $15.5MM for 2025 with a cap charge of $25.5MM; both figures will change once the deal is finalized. An average annual value of $32MM would put him in a tie for sixth amongst receivers and fall just short of D.K. Metcalf‘s Steelers accord. The Metcalf deal has long been viewed as a comparable one for McLaurin, although he did not deem it necessary to match it entirely.
Receiver depth was an issue for the Commanders last year, and general manager Adam Peters swung a trade with his former team to acquire Deebo Samuel. The former All-Pro will add a unique element to Washington’s offense in 2025, but he is a pending free agent. Especially against the backdrop of a potential Samuel departure next spring, hammering out a long-term McLaurin pact was critical for the team. The top of Washington’s WR depth chart is now set to remain intact for years to come.
McLaurin has topped 1,000 yards in each of the past five seasons, and in 2024 he comfortably set a new career high with 13 touchdowns. A strong connection with Daniels could help the Commanders in their effort to duplicate last year’s run to the NFC title game. McLaurin has been available for a full campaign every year since 2021, so durability should not be a concern as he plays out his third NFL pact.
Expectations will be high for McLaurin in the wake of this news, something which will pave the way for a return to practice. He will spend the coming days ramping up in advance of Week 1, and another productive season would set the Commanders up for successful campaign while also proving their investment to be worthwhile.
Commanders Make 30 Cuts, Place G Sam Cosmi On PUP
The Commanders made a massive wave of roster moves this afternoon, releasing 30 players and placing starting right guard Sam Cosmi on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, per a team announcement.
Cosmi, 26, was viewed as a long shot to be ready for Week 1 after tearing his ACL in January. The fifth-year lineman will be sidelined for at least four games with veteran Nick Allegretti likely to start in the interim.
Here are the rest of Washington’s moves:
Waived
- RB Kazmeir Allen
- LB Kam Arnold
- DT Ricky Barber
- WR Ja’Corey Brooks
- TE Lawrence Cager
- RB Demetric Felton
- QB Sam Hartman
- DE Andre Jones Jr.
- WR Jacoby Jones
- DE T.J. Maguranyanga
- WR Tay Martin
- S Rob McDaniel
- G Timothy McKay
- S Ben Nikkel
- T Foster Sarell
- TE Cole Turner
- CB Car’lin Vigers
Released
- WR River Cracraft
- DT Carl Davis
- DT Sheldon Day
- C Michael Deiter
- DE Clelin Ferrell
- T Bobby Hart
- CB Antonio Hamilton
- DE Jalyn Holmes
- WR Chris Moore
- WR K.J. Osborn
- CB Bobby Price
- LB Duke Riley
- S Daryl Worley
Hartman, who signed with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent in 2024, was never going to make the roster ahead of veterans Marcus Mariota and Josh Johnson. He is likely to return to Washington’s practice squad if he clears waivers, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Felton is another practice squad candidate, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. He hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since 2022 and most recently played for the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions.
Headlining Washington’s veteran cuts is Ferrell, who started 10 games for the Commanders in 2024. He never lived up to his draft billing as the No. 4 pick in 2019 and will now be looking for his fourth team in as many years. H0lmes and Day both had rotational defensive line roles last season, while Deiter started two games as the backup center but lost his spot this year.
Commanders To Release DE Clelin Ferrell
Re-signed in March, Clelin Ferrell will not be part of the Commanders’ initial 53-man roster. Washington is releasing the former top-five pick, veteran reporter Ben Standig tweets.
Ferrell played a key role for the team last season, starting 10 games. The 28-year-old DE will head back to free agency, getting a head-start on the non-vested veterans who must wait until 11am CT Wednesday to clear waivers.
Given a $2MM deal to stay in Washington, Ferrell received just $100K guaranteed. That represented a sign his roster spot was not secure. That said, the Commanders could circle back to the former Raiders and 49ers edge rusher after next month’s guarantee vesting date for qualified vets. Had Ferrell been on Washington’s 53-man roster in Week 1, his $2MM would have become guaranteed. It is also quite possible Ferrell is done in Washington.
Although the Commanders lost top 2024 sacker Dante Fowler (to the Cowboys) in free agency and exited their offseason program with an apparent need at D-end, they still roster Dorance Armstrong. The team added multiple DE pieces as well, with Von Miller‘s summer arrival headlining that group. The team also added Deatrich Wise and Jacob Martin in free agency.
As ESPN.com’s John Keim notes, the Commanders used Ferrell extensively during the preseason — including fourth-quarter work against the Bengals. That evaluation preceded a release, and it comes after Ferrell — who did not live up to his No. 4 overall draft slot with the Raiders — started 17 games with the 49ers in 2023. Ferrell started over Commanders trade pickup Chase Young that year, though an injury prevented him from playing in Super Bowl LVIII. Ferrell registered 3.5 sacks in both the 2023 and ’24 seasons. Last season, he posted nine QB hits and four tackles for loss as a supplementary rusher alongside Armstrong and Fowler.
Commanders Shopping CB Noah Igbinoghene
Noah Igbinoghene was among the Cowboys to follow Dan Quinn to Washington, and the former first-round pick carved out a role for himself last season. But his place on the Commanders’ 2025 roster is not assured.
The Commanders are gauging teams’ interest in Igbinoghene as a trade asset, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. This comes after Igbinoghene’s most active (by far) NFL season. The ex-Dolphins first-rounder played 818 defensive snaps.
Part of a Cowboys CB swap (for Kelvin Joseph) in 2023, Igbinoghene caught on under Quinn and then-Dallas DBs coach Joe Whitt. The duo signed a few ex-Cowboys contributors to start their Washington tenures last year, and Igbinoghene was among them. The 2020 draftee then re-signed on a one-year, $1.5MM deal this offseason.
Washington used Igbinoghene as its primary slot corner last season, giving him 582 snaps inside. That nearly doubled his usage at any defensive position in a season, as the former No. 30 overall pick’s previous career-high snap count was 287 — as a rookie in 2020. The Dolphins did not see much from Igbinoghene — the third of their three 2020 first-round picks — before trading him straight up for Joseph. Even as the 5-foot-11 CB posted a career-best usage rate, Pro Football Focus viewed him as one of the NFL’s worst corners in 2024. The advanced metrics site ranked him 115th out of 116 qualified options at CB.
The Commanders made offseason changes at corner, signing Jonathan Jones and using a second-round pick on Trey Amos. The team has Marshon Lattimore and Mike Sainristil coming back. Sainristil arrived in Washington as a slot option, while Jones made his name as a Patriots slot before finishing his New England run as more of a boundary player. While both Jones and Sainristil have NFL perimeter experience, each can man the slot as well. This would leave Igbinoghene set for a role reduction.
Commanders Cut Michael Gallup, Five Others
The Commanders made six cuts this afternoon as they trim their roster down to 53 players.
Headlining the group is veteran wide receiver Michael Gallup, who signed with the Commanders in March to attempt an NFL comeback. He started 67 games for the Cowboys from 2018 to 2023, but struggled to stay healthy throughout his career and retired last summer.
Gallup’s return to the league came with some fanfare given his past production in Dallas. He averaged 819 yards per year across his first three seasons – including a thousand-yard campaign in 2019 – and still eclipsed 400 yards in his next three years despite a variety of injuries. He was unable to recapture his previous form in Washington, catching only four of his 10 preseason targets for 40 yards, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). As a vested veteran, he is free to sign with any other team.
In addition to Gallup, the following players were cut, per a team announcement.
- CB Essang Bassey
- C Nick Harris
- T Tyre Phillips
- DT Norell Pollard
- WR Braylon Sanders
Harris, a 2020 fifth-round pick, served as the Browns’ backup center for two years on either side of a season-ending knee injury in 2022. He was unable to beat out seven-year veteran Michael Deiter for the same role in Washington this summer. Phillips has started 28 games across his five-year career for the Ravens and the Giants, primarily at right tackle. Similarly to Harris, the Commanders’ offensive line depth kept him firmly outside of the 53-man roster picture.
However, both have enough experience to attract interest from a team that needs offensive line help – perhaps one that has lost several players to injury, like the Saints.
Bassey, Harris, and Phillips are all vested veterans who will become free agents right away. Pollard and Sanders are former UDFAs who will be subject to waivers.
Shanahan: 49ers Acquired Brian Robinson To Be Christian McCaffrey’s Top Backup
Although the 49ers traded Jordan Mason in March and had changed their backfield makeup behind Christian McCaffrey, the Brian Robinson trade became an about-face of sorts. The All-Pro has a new backup.
Isaac Guerendo is a third-round pick who has three years left on his rookie contract, but the 2024 draftee has seen his role change shortly before the season. Robinson will be the 49ers’ primary backup, Kyle Shanahan said (via the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman). Shanahan indicated this 49ers regime had been fans of Robinson coming out of Alabama.
The 49ers have been in need of backfield depth for years. The team has regularly lost starters — from Jerick McKinnon to Tevin Coleman to Raheem Mostert to McCaffrey — during Shanahan’s tenure. While McCaffrey stayed healthy after being acquired in 2022 and throughout his Offensive Player of the Year 2023 season, he missed most of 2024. That made the Mason trade somewhat surprising, but the 49ers used a third-round pick on Guerendo — who clocked a sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash time at the 2024 Combine.
Guerendo averaged 5.0 yards per carry in 16 games last season but had been battling a shoulder injury for a few weeks in training camp. Robinson, who recovered from gunshot wounds sustained just before his rookie season, had operated as the Commanders’ top running back for most of his rookie contract. But he was a Ron Rivera–Martin Mayhew draftee whom the current regime considered trading last year. The Adam Peters-run team then began shopping him in earnest this month, and after the 49ers and Commanders connected on the Deebo Samuel trade March 1, Robinson will take up Bay Area residency in a deal that sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to Washington.
Adding an important note on the pick, CardsWire’s Howard Balzer specifies it is a conditional selection. The conditions are not known, but it is not guaranteed the Commanders will fetch a sixth for their previous RB1. The 49ers have their own sixth-rounder that year in addition to Minnesota’s thanks to the Mason trade. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area notes the Commanders will receive the lower of those two selections provided the conditions are met.
Guerendo will also presumably retain a role should McCaffrey go down, but he has been bumped down to the third-string level as a result of the trade. The speed back complementing Robinson’s between-the-tackles work would seemingly be San Francisco’s plan in the even CMC is hurt again, but Robinson will also see a significant role reduction — after 570 carries from 2022-24 — as a result of this trade.
49ers To Acquire RB Brian Robinson From Commanders
Brian Robinson‘s tenure in Washington is coming to an end as expected. The fourth-year running back will spend the coming season in San Francisco.
The 49ers and Commanders agreed to terms on a Robinson trade Friday, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A 2026 sixth-round pick will head the other way as a result of the swap. San Francisco had been in the market for a backfield addition, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Efforts to pull off a move have now paid off ahead of roster cutdowns. Washington will retain a portion of Robinson’s 2025 salary ($3.4MM), Garafolo adds.
It recently became clear Washington was looking to move on from Robinson, who did not dress in the team’s second preseason game with a trade looming. The team’s Dan Quinn-Adam Peters regime has been open to a trade since last year, and with a swap now agreed to it will proceed with its other in-house RB options. Washington has veteran Austin Ekeler in the fold along with 2023 draftee Chris Rodriguez and seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who has enjoyed a strong training camp.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels led the Commanders in rushing last year, and today’s deal indicates he will once again be counted on as a central element of the team’s ground game. Expectations are high after Washington made a surprise run to the NFC title game during Daniels’ rookie campaign. Robinson will not play a role in the team’s efforts to duplicate that success, though.
Racking up 570 carries across his three seasons in the nation’s capital, Robinson was a key figure on offense with the Commanders. The former third-rounder saw his touchdown total and yards per attempt figure increase with each passing campaign. That included eight scores and 4.3 yards per carry in 2024. Instead of retaining Robinson on the final year of his rookie pact, however, Washington will proceed with a less expensive backfield.
The Commanders will recoup draft capital in this swap, something which is needed given the number of veterans on their roster. For the 49ers, meanwhile, today’s deal marks another addition on offense for the 2025 season. A trade was worked out on Wednesday for Skyy Moore, giving San Francisco a healthy receiver option. Moore, like Robinson, is a pending 2026 free agent.
The 49ers have Christian McCaffrey atop the RB depth chart, and all parties involved will aim for a healthier season this time around than 2024. After trading away Jordan Mason, the team was in position to have 2024 fourth-rounder Isaac Guerendo handle backup duties. Now, he and Robinson will compete for playing time in the backfield (although using McCaffrey and Robinson on the field together could be an option, per Garafolo). Robinson’s market will of course be dictated in large part by the level of success he has with his new team.
San Francisco entered Friday with with nearly $49MM in cap space. Taking on Robinson will eat into the figure, and it will be interesting to see how much Washington retained on his pact to finalize the trade. The Commanders, meanwhile, should see partial cap savings and thus add to their roughly $17MM in available funds ahead of cutdowns. As both NFC teams prepare for the campaign in the coming days, they will do so with differences in their backfields.
Commanders’ Terry McLaurin Has Not Resumed Full Practice
The Commanders took Terry McLaurin off the reserve/did not report list and placed him on the active/PUP list, representing a new phase of this contract squabble. Five days ago, McLaurin came off Washington’s PUP list. The Pro Bowl wide receiver nevertheless remains without a timetable to resume practicing.
At the time McLaurin reported to Commanders camp and began his PUP stay, the ankle injury listed was not viewed as something that would keep him off the field long. An offering from ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated McLaurin’s ankle would probably heal rather quickly once a contract was completed. Nearly a week after his activation, however, the disgruntled wideout is not a full participant in practice.
[RELATED: Commanders Do Not Intend To Honor McLaurin’s Trade Request]
McLaurin is in conditioning mode, per ESPN’s John Keim, as he was present for Commanders 11-on-11 work in a hoodie. The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala notes McLaurin walked onto the practice field after the workout had started and watched the team drills from the sideline. Although obvious signs of a hold-in are present here, the party line centers on the consistent WR’s conditioning.
“I’m not going to play ‘Where’s Waldo’ moving forward,” Dan Quinn said, via the Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore. “Just so we’re clear on that. Terry’s return-to-play format is no different from any of the other players. He’s healthy, which is now a good step to getting closer to being back on the field.
“You’ll see that earlier than later. I don’t have a date circled on a whiteboard in my office. The good news is, we’re getting closer to that, for sure.”
If McLaurin does not return to team drills soon, the seventh-year veteran may need to shift back to a holdout — presuming no deal is finished — as an agreement does not appear imminent. Even if a D.K. Metcalf-level AAV ($33MM) is not necessarily McLaurin’s goal, the Commanders are drawing a hard line on age at an interesting point. They would seem to need McLaurin to realize their potential this season, considering how important he has been on offense since arriving in the 2019 third round. After trekking to an NFC championship game for the first time in 33 years, Washington will run the risk of losing considerable firepower if McLaurin is willing to sit out games.
The Colts navigated a similar situation in 2023, but Jonathan Taylor‘s injury-driven hold-in never involved coming off the active/PUP list. Indianapolis shifted him to the reserve/PUP list while still negotiating to open the season. Taylor played in Week 5 after signing a new deal. With McLaurin being cleared, his options are limited. A hold-in can still be waged, as Brian Burns attempted to briefly in Carolina just before the 2023 season. Burns, though, backed off that stance and played on his fifth-year option.
McLaurin is due a $15.5MM base salary in his contract year, which doubles as an age-30 season. Courtland Sutton finished Broncos negotiations ahead of his age-30 campaign. Sutton carries a similar role in Denver, as the team’s clear-cut WR1, but has inferior statistics to McLaurin. Sutton’s negotiations wrapped at what would be a pay cut ($23MM AAV) for McLaurin, who is tied to the $23.2MM-per-year deal he agreed to in 2022. Thus, Sutton’s deal does not appear a good comp.
The five-time 1,000-yard receiver could continue to apply pressure to the Commanders via a hold-in or resign himself to beginning a contract year. A compromise could emerge between the $30MM-per-year level — where the team is believed to be hesitant to go — and where the Dolphins went for Jaylen Waddle ($28.25MM) last year. If the Commanders are not willing to go there on a medium-term pact, the prospect of McLaurin leaving in free agency — or being an experienced wideout on the franchise tag (a la A.J. Green or Allen Robinson) — would enter the equation.