Commanders Trade DT John Ridgeway To Saints
TODAY, 12:05pm: The seventh-round pick that the Commanders attached to Ridgeway is a conditional selection, according to Howard Balzer of CardsWire. In a fun twist, the pick is technically New Orleans’ 2025 seventh-round pick. The selection was originally sent to Philly in the C. J. Gardner-Johnson trade, and it was recently sent to Washington in the Jahan Dotson deal.
WEDNESDAY, 2:45pm: The Commanders made an effort to trade John Ridgeway before roster-cutdown day. Unlike many of those pursuits, a deal will come to pass after the team had set its 53-man roster.
Ridgeway is heading to the Saints in a pick-swap deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo report. This marks another 2022 or 2023 draftee the new regime is jettisoning. A 2022 Cowboys fifth-round pick, Ridgeway worked as rotational defensive tackle in Washington.
Washington cut five of its 2023 draftees Tuesday and has now traded two 2022 picks in the past week, with this following the Jahan Dotson deal. Even though Ridgeway came from the Cowboys, Dan Quinn‘s team is moving on from a player the Ron Rivera regime initially added. Ridgeway arrived in Dallas during Quinn’s second year as Cowboys DC; the veteran coach has since signed off on moving on twice in three years.
This will be a classic pick-swap agreement, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter adding the Saints are sending the Commanders a 2025 sixth-round pick for Ridgeway and a ’25 seventh. Two years remain on Ridgeway’s rookie contract, which Washington initially claimed in September 2022.
Ridgeway, 25, played a career-high 356 defensive snaps last season. While the Commanders had extra work to go around at D-end during the second half of last season (after trading Chase Young and Montez Sweat), they had less playing time to give out at DT. Ridgeway nevertheless earned a spot operating behind Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Pro Football Focus was still not impressed, ranking the Illinois State alum as a bottom-10 D-tackle (among regulars) last season.
The Saints return 2023 free agency additions Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd at D-tackle, with 2023 first-round pick Bryan Bresee and rookie sixth-rounder Khristian Boyd rounding out the group. New Orleans also rookie UDFA DT Sincere Haynesworth on IR last week.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/29/24
PFR’s practice squad rundown, signaling we are indeed close to games that count, begins Thursday. Here is how teams began to handle their 16-man P-squads.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Jordan Murray, DL PJ Mustipher, OL Luke Tenuta
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Monty Rice, OL Elijah Wilkinson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Ja’Tyre Carter, WR Jalen Coker, TE Feleipe Franks, LB Thomas Incoom, DE Tarron Jackson, DT Jayden Peevy, S Demani Richardson
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Chris Glaser, DL Sam Roberts
- Released: DB Quindell Johnson, DL Dashaun Mallory
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: G Tashawn Manning, RB Kendall Milton, DT Justin Rogers, DE Isaiah Thomas
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Gary Brightwell, WR Tulu Griffin, TE Cameron Latu, TE Blake Whiteheart
- Released: LS Rex Sunahara
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DT Phil Hoskins, CB Amani Oruwariye
Detroit Lions
- Released: S C.J. Moore
Houston Texans
- Signed: T Braeden Daniels, TE Cole Fotheringham, WR Xavier Johnson, S Mark Perry, QB Kedon Slovis
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT McTelvin Agim, DE Titus Leo, TE Sean McKeon, G Atonio Mafi, K Spencer Shrader
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Blake Hance, S Matthew Jackson, WR Louis Rees-Zammit
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: TE Justin Shorter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Tony Jefferson, C Sam Mustipher, TE Eric Tomlinson
- Released: CB Robert Kennedy
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: RB Zach Evans
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: QB Tim Boyle
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Ricky Lee, RB Zavier Scott
- Released: WR Jeshaun Jones, RB DeWayne McBride
New England Patriots
- Signed: DE Brevin Allen, G Jerome Carvin, DT Trysten Hill, C Bryan Hudson, G Michael Jordan, WR Jalen Reagor
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: T Austin Deculus, TE Treyton Welch
- Released: TE Mason Fairchild
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Art Green, DT Elijah Garcia, CB Duke Shelley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Brett Toth
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Anthony Averett, FB Jack Colletto, CB Zyon Gilbert, CB Thomas Graham Jr., LB Marcus Haynes, DL Jacob Slade, RB Jonathan Ward, TE Rodney Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Terrace Marshall, RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Josh Jobe, LB Tyreke Smith
- Released: T Raiqwon O’Neal
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: C Avery Jones, T Lorenz Metz, WR Ryan Miller, WR Cody Thompson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL James Lynch
Washington Commanders
- Signed: LB Jalen Graham, CB Bobby Price
Slovis went to camp with the Colts, joining the team as a UDFA this year. Houston placed Case Keenum on IR and released Tim Boyle, who is now the Dolphins’ P-squad QB. Slovis, who played at USC, Pittsburgh and BYU in college, is now the Texans’ de facto third-stringer.
Shelley has 11 career starts — with the Bears and Vikings — on his resume. He joined the Raiders last year but ended up with the Rams, playing in 11 games as a backup. The Giants have spent time searching for a cornerback answer, having not been too satisfied with their Cor’Dale Flott–Nick McCloud CB2 competition. New York did not make any waiver claims at the position Wednesday.
Reagor, who played for the Patriots last season, is back after being released earlier this week. The former Minnesota first-rounder played in 11 New England games last season, returning a kick for a touchdown. Latu joins the Browns after being a 49ers cut. The 2023 third-round pick missed all of last season with an ACL tear. Jefferson is back with the Bolts hours after being released.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/29/24
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed from practice squad: LB Krys Barnes
- Placed on IR: CB Elijah Jones
Carolina Panthers
- Signed from practice squad: TE Jordan Matthews
- Placed on IR: DL Jaden Crumedy
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-signed: RB Trayveon Williams
- Placed on IR: DT McKinnley Jackson
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: T Chuma Edoga (story)
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Kristian Welch
- Waived: LB Levelle Bailey
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: DL John Cominsky (story)
Green Bay Packers
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: CB Brandon Facyson, RB Jarveon Howard
Las Vegas Raiders
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: LB Elerson Smith
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: RB Jaret Patterson
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: OL Conor McDermott
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LS Blake Ferguson
- Placed on IR: S Patrick McMorris
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Curtis Bolton, FB Jakob Johnson
- Placed on IR: OL Austin Schlottmann
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: WR Dennis Houston, OL Jalen Mayfield
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DT Marlon Tuipulotu
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: LB Julius Welschof
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: LB Kalen DeLoach
Tennessee Titans
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: WR Kyle Philips
Washington Commanders
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: LB Keandre Jones, S Ben Nikke
Schlottmann suffered what Brian Daboll called a long-term injury. Elaborating on the injury Schlottmann suffered in practice Wednesday, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes the veteran backup O-lineman will rehab a broken fibula. The injury is expected to shut down the free agency addition for at least two months. No surgery is on tap for Schlottmann. The Giants considering him for activation may depend on their injury situation, as teams only have eight regular-season IR activations. The Giants have seven presently, as they used a summer IR designation on linebacker Matthew Adams on Tuesday.
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 Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles and Giants moves are noted below.
Dallas Cowboys
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- T Josh Ball, CB Josh Butler, WR Jalen Cropper, RB Malik Davis, DT Denzel Daxon, TE Princeton Fant, CB Kemon Hall, WR Kelvin Harmon, LB Darius Harris, S Emany Johnson, DE Carl Lawson, LB Brock Mogensen, OL Dakoda Shepley, LB Nick Vigil
New York Giants
Signed:
Claimed:
Waived:
Waived/injured:
- DT Ryder Anderson, CB Mario Goodrich, EDGE Ovie Oghoufo
Placed on IR:
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Miles Boykin, CB Art Green, WR Isaiah Hodgins, FB Jakob Johnson, C Jimmy Morrisey, LB Ty Summers
Philadelphia Eagles
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- OL Nick Gates
Washington Commanders
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- RB Kazmeir Allen, CB Chigozie Anusiem, G Julian Good-Jones, QB Sam Hartman, DE Andre Jones Jr., DT Haggai Ndubuisi, RB Chris Rodriguez, OL Max Scharping, WR Mitchell Tinsley, WR Brycen Tremayne, TE Cole Turner, DE Carlos Watkins, RB Michael Wiley
Commanders To Sign WR Noah Brown
Questions have swirled about who the Commanders’ No. 2 wide receiver will be. Another former Cowboys cog will be part of that equation soon.
Noah Brown will be the latest ex-Cowboy to follow Dan Quinn to Washington, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reporting the recently cut Texans wideout is joining the Commanders. This is not a practice squad move; the veteran receiver is joining the active roster. It’s a one-year deal for Brown, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.
A former seventh-round pick by the Cowboys, Brown took until his fifth season in Dallas to truly break out. He finished that campaign with 43 catches for 555 yards and three touchdowns, and he parlayed that performance into a one-year deal from the Texans last offseason.
His lone season in Houston didn’t necessarily go poorly; he still finished with 33 catches for 567 yards and two scores. He re-signed with the organization earlier this offseason but was pushed further down the depth chart following the acquisition of Stefon Diggs, and he found himself among the Texans’ final roster cuts yesterday.
Now, he’ll be joining a Commanders depth chart that has some question marks behind top receiver Terry McLaurin. After trading former first-round pick Jahan Dotson to Philly, the Commanders are left with the likes of Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus, Byron Pringle, Jamison Crowder, and rookie third-round pick Luke McCaffrey to fill out the depth chart. Quinn has been busy adding former Cowboys to his new roster in D.C., and while it may take a bit for Brown to get acclimated with his new squad, he should eventually have a clear path to playing time.
2024 NFL Waiver Order
Waiver claims can begin coming in at 11am CT. While the waiver order will depend on 2024 records in several weeks, teams’ 2023 finishes currently determine it. Here is how the waiver priority list stacks up heading into today’s round of claims:
- Carolina Panthers
- Washington Commanders
- New England Patriots
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Chargers
- New York Giants
- Tennessee Titans
- Atlanta Falcons
- Chicago Bears
- New York Jets
- Minnesota Vikings
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New Orleans Saints
- Indianapolis Colts
- Seattle Seahawks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Los Angeles Rams
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Miami Dolphins
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Green Bay Packers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Houston Texans
- Buffalo Bills
- Detroit Lions
- Baltimore Ravens
- San Francisco 49ers
- Kansas City Chiefs
Commanders Cut Five 2023 Draftees, Move Down To 53
Here is how Adam Peters‘ first Commanders offseason concluded. The Commanders are moving on from a 2023 Day 2 pick; their roster is now at 53.
Released:
- C Cameron Tom
- DE Justin Hollins
- QB Trace McSorley
- CB James Pierre
- S Sheldrick Redwine
Waived:
- WR Kaz Allen
- CB Chigozie Anusiem
- S Kendell Brooks
- CB Tariq Castro-Fields
- T Braeden Daniels
- WR Davion Davis
- G Julian Good-Jones
- DE Jalen Harris
- QB Sam Hartman
- DE K.J. Henry
- DE Andre Jones
- RB Austin Jones
- CB Kyu Blu Kelly
- DT Haggai Ndubuisi
- T David Nwaogwugwu
- LB Anthony Pittman
- DT Benning Potoa’e
- RB Chris Rodgriguez
- WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint
- LB Chapelle Russell
- T Armani Taylor-Prioleau
- C Ricky Stromberg
- WR Mitchell Tinsley
- WR Brycen Tremayne
- TE Cole Turner
- CB Nick Whiteside
- RB Michael Wiley
- CB AJ Woods
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
- DE Efe Obada
Placed on IR:
Placed on IR/return designation:
- LB Jordan Magee
This represents an early exit for Stromberg, whom Washington drafted in last year’s third round. The former No. 97 overall pick only played in four games as a rookie, logging just 26 offensive snaps. Washington brought in ex-Dallas center Tyler Biadasz this offseason, and the team also kept four guards on its 53-man roster. Other personnel staffs around the league may be intrigued here, as this is a quick hook for a Day 2 O-lineman.
Five of the seven Commanders 2023 draftees are part of this cut continent, with Daniels, Rodriguez, Henry and Andre Jones joining Stromberg in being waived. Daniels, a fourth-rounder, spent last season on IR. Rodriguez, a sixth-rounder, rushed for 247 yards. Jones (Round 7) played 171 defensive snaps, while Henry (Round 5) started three games and registered 1.5 sacks. It will be interesting to see if any of these second-year players end up on Washington’s practice squad, as this does not reflect well on Ron Rivera‘s final draft in charge — especially after the team just traded 2022 first-rounder Jahan Dotson to a division foe.
The Commanders attempted to trade both Turner and defensive tackle John Ridgeway, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala. The latter ended up making the team. Magee suffered an MCL injury recently. While it required surgery, the rookie fifth-rounder is not expected to miss the full season. He already counts toward the Commanders’ eight injury activations, however. The Hartman and McSorley cuts leave only Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota on the 53-man roster.
Commanders To Release WR Martavis Bryant
Martavis Bryant‘s efforts to return to the NFL resulted in a Commanders deal, but he will not make the team’s initial roster. The veteran wideout is being cut, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
Bryant spent part of the 2023 campaign on the Cowboys’ practice squad, but he did not see any regular season game action. Dallas retained him via a futures deal, but his May release left him on the open market. The 32-year-old was surprised to be let go by the Cowboys, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes.
Bryant nevertheless remained focused on his goal of landing an NFL roster spot, an effort which he recounted (via the Jhabvala piece) was sparked by a 2023 workout with DeAndre Hopkins. Bryant – who last played a regular season game in 2018 – managed to land a workout with the Commanders not long after being let go by the Cowboys. A second audition (after which he dropped roughly 20 pounds) drew strong reviews from head coach Dan Quinn and Co., resulting in a contract earlier this month.
In the time since that pact was finalized, the Commanders have traded away 2022 first-round wideout Jahan Dotson. That move has led to questions regarding how Washington’s WR depth chart will shake out behind Terry McLaurin, and it seemed to open the door to Bryant making the 53-man roster as a complementary receiver. While he could still be retained via the practice squad, today’s news casts doubt on his 2024 outlook.
Bryant dealt with suspensions in 2015, 2016 and 2018, halting his ability to build off the promise he showed during his Steelers tenure. A one-year Raiders tenure was followed by time in the CFL and XFL before being reinstated by the NFL and given the opportunity to find a permanent gig. That could still take place in Bryant’s case, but the chances of doing so have taken a hit.
NFL Injury Updates: Hill, Horne, Cook, Magee, 49ers
As the preseason comes to a close, a number of teams experienced the scares of a worst-case scenario for most players: getting injured just before the team makes final roster decisions. Some ended up being that worst-case scenario, while others lucked out with minor ailments.
Texans safety Brandon Hill was one such player who experienced a worst-case scenario this weekend. In Houston’s final preseason game against the Rams, Hill suffered a significant knee injury, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The injury will be enough to end Hill’s 2024 season before it even got a chance to begin.
A seventh-round pick out of Pittsburgh last year, Hill only appeared in two games. With much of the same cast from last year returning in 2024, he wasn’t likely to see much more time on the field, but his loss thins out the team’s depth at safety and certainly ends his chances of being on the 53-man roster.
Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:
- Per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Giants defensive tackle Timmy Horne is also likely to miss the 2024 season. The third-year player out of Kansas State suffered a tear to his Achilles tendon that will keep him out for the year. Horne came to New York late last year after spending most of his first two seasons in the league with the Falcons. He started five games as an undrafted rookie in 2022 but has been a depth piece ever since.
- The Steelers continue dealing with some bumps and bruises along the offensive line. After seeing rookie first-round tackle Troy Fautanu suffer an MCL sprain two weeks ago and center Nate Herbig tear his rotator cuff, the latest bump hits key reserve lineman Dylan Cook, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Pittsburgh picked Cook up after he was waived by the Buccaneers last offseason and, while he made the team’s final 53-man roster in 2023, he didn’t ever appear in a game. With the recent foot injury, it looks like Cook will have to wait several more weeks before he can make his NFL- and Steelers-debut.
- Another player who avoided the worst-case scenario but who is set to miss a decent amount of time is Commanders middle linebacker Jordan Magee. According to John Keim of ESPN, the fifth-round rookie out of Temple had an MCL injury that required a “procedure.” It’s been confirmed that the injury is not season-ending and that he will return at some point this season. Washington has a bit of depth at linebacker, but Magee was the only player listed behind veteran Bobby Wagner in that Mike-role.
- Lastly, we finally got an update on the MRI results of 49ers pass rushers Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reported late after Friday’s contest that the two had suffered knee sprains that didn’t result in ACL damage, but MRIs were scheduled for both players to be sure. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows was the one to provide an update today, claiming that, following the MRIs scheduled for yesterday, Floyd has been determined as day-to-day, while Gross-Matos will be week-to-week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/23/24
Friday’s minor transactions to wrap up the week:
Carolina Panthers
- Reverted to IR: T Badara Traore
Chicago Bears
- Waived (with injury settlement): DE Khalid Kareem
- Released (with injury settlement): WR Freddie Swain
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: K Lucas Havrisik
Detroit Lions
- Released (with injury settlement): LB Malik Jefferson
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived (with injury settlement): G Josh Sills
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Jaaron Hayek
Minnesota Vikings
- Reverted to IR: TE Trey Knox
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Andrew Dowell, DT Camron Peterson
- Waived (with injury designation): DE Trajan Jeffcoat
- Waived: CB Kaleb Ford-Dement
San Francisco 49ers
- Reverted to IR: S Tayler Hawkins
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Willie Roberts
- Waived (with injury settlement): DT Nathan Pickering
Washington Commanders
- Signed: C Cameron Tom
- Released: C J.C. Hassenauer