Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/23
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from active/PUP list: OLB BJ Ojulari
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL LaColby Tucker
- Activated from active/PUP list: DL Calais Campbell
- Waived: DL Matthew Gotel
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from active/PUP list: FB Patrick Ricard
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: DT Devonnsha Maxwell
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE Charles Wiley
- Waived: WR Ra’Shaun Henry
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from active/NFI list: TE Luke Schoonmaker
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Nate McCrary
- Activated from active/NFI list: WR Grant Dubose
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Isaiah Moore
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: QB James Blackman
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Jacob Copeland
- Waived: WR Cephus Johnson
New York Giants
- Activated from active/PUP list: G Marcus McKethan, DT A’Shawn Robinson
New York Jets
- Signed: DL Bruce Hector
- Waived: QB Chris Streveler
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: OL Trevor Reid
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Jordan Ferguson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DB Avery Young
- Waived: OL Grant Hermanns
Washington Commanders
- Signed: S Joshua Kalu
- Placed on IR: DB Troy Apke
Streveler is currently dealing with an injury, ESPN’s Dianna Russini tweets. The Jets used Streveler as their top backup QB to close last season, inserting him into a Week 16 game ahead of Joe Flacco. Streveler stuck around via reserve/futures contract in January. But the Jets have since traded for Aaron Rodgers and signed Tim Boyle, marking a new era at quarterback. With Zach Wilson still around, the team does not appear to have any room — potentially even on the practice squad — for Streveler, who has played for the Jets and Cardinals in a three-year NFL career.
Apke has been with Washington since being chosen in the 2018 fourth round. He re-signed with the team in 2022 and stayed via reserve/futures contract in January. A shoulder injury, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, will move Apke to IR, which will end his chances of playing a sixth season with the Commanders this year. Kalu started five games for the Titans last season, playing 494 defensive snaps. Over his first three seasons, Kalu had never cleared the 100-snap barrier on defense.
Schoonmaker suffered a foot injury, a plantar fascia tear, during his final year at Michigan. The Cowboys’ top post-Dalton Schultz tight end investment will aim to make a push for a regular role to begin the season.
The Dolphins made Blackman part of their UDFA class this year. The former Florida State starter spent six years in college, finishing up with Arkansas State. The Dolphins swapped out Teddy Bridgewater for Mike White this offseason, but Skylar Thompson has made a push to be Tua Tagovailoa‘s backup. Regardless of that competition’s outcome, Blackman’s ceiling appeared to be practice squad QB in Miami. But the Dolphins may be looking into outside help for that developmental role — provided the team plans on stashing a fourth passer on its taxi squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/23
Here are today’s minor moves as the weekend comes to a close:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from PUP: DT Jordan Phillips
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: TE Chase Allen
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: G Yasir Durant
Green Bay Packers
- Released: Danny Etling
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Khalil Davis
- Claimed off waivers (from Commanders): G Keaton Sutherland
- Placed on IR: T DJ Scaife
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from PUP: DT Byron Young
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Da’Shawn Hand, CB Parry Nickerson
- Waived: DT Anthony Montalvo
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: DL James Lynch (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: RB Eno Benjamin (story)
New York Jets
- Waived/injured: LB Maalik Hall, LB Hamsah Nasirildeen
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Josh Andrews
- Waived/injured: WR Charleston Rambo
- Released: LB Davion Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Roderick Perry
- Activated from PUP: CB Tariq Woolen
- Waived: DE MJ Anderson
Washington Commanders
- Waived: G Keaton Sutherland
Andrews joins Philadelphia as a potentially strong depth piece on the offensive line. The seven-year veteran has played 48 games over the years with five different teams, so rejoining the Eagles, even with a new staff from when he left, shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Last year, he started five of the six games he played with the Saints.
Woolen underwent arthroscopic knee surgery back in May and was given a four-to-six-week recovery timeline. He was forced to start camp on the physically unable to perform list, but it’s time for him to make his way back to the field. Last year’s other starter at cornerback, Michael Jackson, has had a great camp and rookie Devon Witherspoon is pushing for a starting role, so Woolen will be glad to get back and reestablish his role in the secondary.
Latest On Commanders, QB Sam Howell
Sam Howell has occupied the Commanders’ starting quarterback role throughout the offseason. With the team set to begin the preseason, their evaluation of him will reach the next stage. Head coach Ron Rivera remains confident the team’s young signal-caller is progressing well, but his Week 1 starter’s status is not assured yet. 
The 2022 fifth-rounder was declared Washington’s starter of the present and future as early as January, with Carson Wentz unsurprisingly being released not long after. Howell was tapped as the team’s presumed QB1 after the hiring of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and once again ahead of training camp. His performance since then has drawn praise from Rivera.
As detailed by Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, Howell has impressed with his ability to pick up Bieniemy’s scheme. As a result, he will be in pole position during the preseason, but Rivera has been consistent over the course of the offseason in mentioning Jacoby Brissett as well. The veteran was signed to a one-year deal to serve as an insurance policy in case Howell – who only started one game last year – struggles in his opportunity to hold down the full-time gig.
As Vacchiano notes, it is not clear at this point if the starter’s role could be Brissett’s to win, as opposed to strictly being Howell’s to lose. The former has 48 starts to his name, including the first 11 games of the season last year when he filled in for the Browns until Deshaun Watson‘s suspension had been served. Brissett, 30, represents a high-floor, low-ceiling option for a Commanders team facing what many feel could be a make-or-break season for Rivera.
The NFC East figures to be highly competitive after each of the teams other than Washington made the postseason. Howell’s play during exhibition contests will go a long way in determining his fate, but individual expectations for the North Carolina product will be tempered compared to his divisional counterparts considering the experience gulf which exists. In spite of that, Rivera is assured the Commanders will have have a passer in place by Week 1 who will allow the team to compete for a playoff spot.
“I mean, we got some really good quarterback play going on right now,” he said, via Vacchiano. “We’ve got a real good quarterback room.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/23
Saturday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from PUP list: G Chandler Zavala
Chicago Bears
- Waived (injury designation): TE Chase Allen
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Gavin Heslop, T Derrick Kelly
Denver Broncos
- Signed: DT Forrest Merrill
- Waived (injury designation): OL Yasir Durant
Detroit Lions
- Waived: DL Zach Morton
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Nick Eubanks, TE Michael Jacobson
- Placed on IR: WR Ethan Fernea, OL Jake Witt
- Waived: RB Toriano Clinton
Los Angeles Rams
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from PUP list: OLB Andre Carter II
New Orleans Saints
Signed: WR Jontre Kirklin
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Nick Vigil, LB Samuel Eguavoen
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Daelin Hayes
- Placed on IR: DE Darryl Johnson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: CB Jace Whittaker
The Browns waived receiver Daylen Baldwin yesterday, and more details on his situation have emerged today courtesy of NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). Baldwin tore a tendon behind his knee, and he will undergo surgery as a result. After his recovery (which is expected to take roughly six to eight weeks), Pelissero notes that a return is the Browns’ preference.
Vigil will add considerable experience to the middle of the Jets’ defense. The 29-year-old has started 53 of his 89 career games, though he has not operated as a full-time starter in recent years as he once did. Vigil spent the 2022 season in Arizona, where he was limited to only eight games played and logged a defensive snap share of 35%. Both Vigil and Eguavoen worked out with the Giants last month, but they will instead head to New York’s other franchise for the 2023 season.
Kirklin played four games with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks, and he scored four touchdowns in the process. He will look to carry over that production at the NFL level as part of a Saints receiving corps which has plenty of uncertainty amongst its depth options.
Whittaker spent the past three seasons in Arizona, coming on and off the Cardinals’ practice squad a number of times. He was a key member of the team’s secondary last year, however, starting four of his six games played and logging a snap share of 74%. The 28-year-old will compete for a depth role behind the established starters at the CB spot in Washington.
Commanders Being Sued By Former Executive Jason Friedman
This is a bit of an update of an older story we saw during all the drama of the Commanders sale to new owner Josh Harris. According to Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske of The Washington Post, former ticket and sales executive Jason Friedman is suing his former employers for defamation.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Friedman’s name in our reports of the Commanders ongoing investigations. Jhabvala and Maske provided a report back in May that the team had been fined $425K by the District of Columbia and was required to “refund more than $200K in deposits to D.C. ticket holders.” That punishment was the result of a settlement reached with the office of D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb. The Commanders had reportedly “improperly held on to security deposits that it was required to return…misused those moneys…knowingly used the security deposit for purposes it wasn’t supposed to use the money for…(and) knowingly made it unnecessarily difficult for fans to get their money back.”
Friedman, as the team’s former vice president of sales and customer service, an employee that would presumably have had knowledge of such accusations, testified on behalf of the District of Columbia, providing testimony damning to the team. His accusations were detailed in the April 2022 letter from the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability to the Federal Trade Commission. Despite agreeing to the settlement, the Commanders refused to admit fault, vehemently denying all allegations against them. In doing so, Friedman’s attorney asserts that Washington defamed his client, “repeatedly and publicly calling him a liar, accusing him of committing the federal crime of perjury, and falsely implying that he was terminated as part of the Team’s sexual harassment scandal that was being widely reported…in the press.”
His attorney further complains that the attacks on his client’s reputation have left him in a devastated mental state of anxiety and depression and unable to find comparable work. As evidence, Friedman’s legal team cites a public statement by the team, a letter the team sent to the Federal Trade Commission, and comments made by team attorney John Brownlee made during a radio interview. The lawsuit seeks $7.5MM in compensatory damages and $350K in punitive damages, plus interest, attorneys’ fees, expenses, costs, and any other damages the court deems proper.
In line with their previous stances, Washington released a statement claiming that the complaint is “completely without merit” and stating that they “will vigorously defend the team against these false allegations.” The NFL is currently awaiting the results of its second investigation into former owner Dan Snyder and the Commanders. The league has been urged to release the findings of this investigation to the public upon its conclusion. Perhaps the findings will disclose some information confirming or disproving the veracity of Friedman’s accusations.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/23
Thursday’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Austin Ajiake
Houston Texans
- Activated from PUP list: DE Chase Winovich
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on IR: RB Austin Walter
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Mark Gilbert
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OL Jarrid Williams
- Released: OL Bobby Evans
New England Patriots
- Waived (injury designation): LB Terez Hall
New Orleans Saints
- Reverted to IR: T Scott Lashley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on IR: RB Alfonzo Graham
Washington Commanders
- Signed: DL Curtis Brooks
- Placed on IR: DT David Bada
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/23
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: K Matthew Trickett
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from PUP: DB Damarion Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DT Nick Thurman
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Jared Pinkney
- Waived: WR Thyrick Pitts
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Lorenzo Burns
Denver Broncos
- Signed: G Yasir Durant
- Waived: OT Christian DiLauro
Detroit Lions
- Activated from NFI: WR Marvin Jones
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE Dalton Keene
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from PUP: TE Will Mallory
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Anthony Witherstone
- Placed on IR: LB Isaiah Moore
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Darius Harris
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from PUP: OT Warren McClendon
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: G Trai Turner (story)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OT Liam Ryan, RB SaRodorick Thompson
- Waived: LB Cam Bright, S Morrell Osling
Washington Commanders
- Signed: RB Derrick Gore
Derrick Gore is probably the most intriguing signee on the list, with the running back having seen time in 11 games for the Chiefs in 2021. He finished that season with 361 yards from scrimmage and a pair of touchdowns, but he didn’t have a chance for a followup performance in Kansas City. After landing on IR in late August last year, he was ultimately released by the Chiefs. Gore caught on with the Saints and spent the majority of the 2022 season on their practice squad.
Yasir Durant is another Chiefs product, with the lineman getting into 11 games for Kansas City in 2020. He appeared in seven games for the Patriots in 2021 before spending most of last season on the Saints practice squad. He’ll be taking the roster spot previously held by Christian DiLauro, who got into five games for the Titans and Broncos over the past two years.
Darius Harris will be joining the Raiders following a career year in Kansas City. After being limited to only 11 games through his first two seasons in the NFL, Harris got into all 17 games for the Chiefs last year, including four starts. The former UDFA finished the year with 43 tackles and 1.5 sacks, and he added another five tackles in three playoff games. One of Harris’s strongest performances of the 2022 season came against the Raiders when he had 10 tackles and a sack.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/23
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on PUP: WR Marquez Stevenson
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from PUP: WR Anthony Schwartz
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from PUP: LB Tariq Carpenter, OT Caleb Jones, S Tarvarius Moore
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Ty Scott
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Isiah Brown
- Waived/injured: CB Jordan Perryman
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Blake Lynch
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Kevin Atkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Kyahva Tezino
- Activated from PUP: P Mitch Wishnowsky
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Ben Burr-Kirven
Washington Commanders
- Released: S Xavier Henderson
Ben Burr-Kirven was a fifth-round pick by the Seahawks back in 2019, and he transformed into a key special teamer through his first two seasons in the NFL. However, he suffered a knee injury during the 2021 preseason that ended up wiping out that entire season. The issues persisted in 2022, and after spending that year on PUP, he was ultimately released in March. Coach Pete Carroll apparently reversed course and ended up bringing back the linebacker.
“He’s in a little bit of an experimental mode,” Carroll said earlier this year (via the team’s website). “The surgeries that he has had and the process he is going through, he is making progress. He’s always in the weight room with us. He’s always here working with a tremendous mentality. The nerve issues, really intricate stuff going on, so he’s had to have a really good attitude about it to stay in the fight and he is. He’s planning on getting back out there. So, we are going to give him every chance. If he can do it, this is going to be the place that he does it.”
Xavier Henderson was released today with an injury settlement, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (via Twitter). The undrafted free agent landed on the physically unable to perform list earlier this week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/23
With a number of teams preparing for the start of training camp, a long list of players were placed on inactive lists today. We’ve compiled all of those and today’s other minor moves below:
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on NFI: DE Calais Campbell
- Waived (failed physical designation): RB Caleb Huntley
- Waived from IR: RB B.J. Baylor
Baltimore Ravens
- Claimed off waivers (from Giants): WR Makai Polk
- Placed on NFI: LS Nick Moore
- Released: WR Andy Isabella, WR Mike Thomas
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on PUP: LB Tyler Matakevich, LB Von Miller, DT Jordan Phillips
- Placed on NFI: RB Nyheim Hines
- Released TE Nick Guggemos
Chicago Bears
- Placed on NFI: WR Dante Pettis
- Waived: P Ryan Anderson, LB Sterling Weatherford
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from PUP: CB Chidobe Awuzie
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB Josh Butler
- Placed on PUP: CB Jourdan Lewis
- Placed on NFI: TE Luke Schoonmaker
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Nick Williams
- Waived: QB Jarrett Guarantano
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Cody Chrest
- Placed on NFI: LB Tariq Carpenter, S Tarvarius Moore
Houston Texans
- Placed on PUP: OL Dylan Deatherage, OT Charlie Heck, TE Teagan Quitoriano, CB Kendall Sheffield, DE Chase Winovich
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on PUP: DE Tyquan Lewis, TE Will Mallory, RB Jonathan Taylor
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DT Kyle Peko
- Waived: CB Isiah Brown, QB Chase Garbers
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from NFI: CB Ethan Bonner
- Placed on PUP: OT Terron Armstead, TE Tanner Conner, OT Isaiah Wynn
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OT Bobby Evans
- Placed on NFI: WR Malik Knowles
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Jalen Hurd
- Activated from PUP: DT Justus Tavai
- Placed on NFI: OT Calvin Anderson, DL DaMarcus Mitchell
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL Max Garcia
- Waived: TE Miller Forristall, G Koda Martin
New York Giants
- Signed: DE Tashawn Bower
- Placed on PUP: DT D.J. Davidson, G Marcus McKethan , CB Aaron Robinson, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, WR Sterling Shepard
- Waived: DB Trenton Thompson
- Waived/injured: LB Elerson Smith
- Released from IR (injury settlement): CB Leonard Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Deon Cain, OL Dennis Kelly
- Placed on reserve/retired: DE Matt Leo
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Terrance Mitchell
- Placed on NFI: P Mitch Wishnowsky
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Levi Bell, DT Roderick Perry, CB Andrew Whitaker
- Released: CB James Campbell, CB Isaiah Dunn, LB Alton Robinson
Washington Commanders
- Placed on IR: TE Armani Rogers
- Released: QB Tim DeMorat
Free Agents
- Suspended: OT Isaiah Wilson
Isaiah Wilson hasn’t had an NFL gig since he was released by the Giants in January of 2022. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the free agent lineman was slapped with a three-game suspension, but it’s uncertain what led to the temporary ban. Wilson was a first-round pick by the Titans in 2020 but got into only one game with Tennessee before getting shipped off to Miami. He was waived by Miami after showing up late to his team physical, and his practice squad stint with New York only lasted one season.
Max Garcia is an experienced addition to the Saints OL room, with the veteran having most recently started seven of his 12 appearances with the Cardinals in 2022. The 31-year-old has 59 games of starting experience, although Pro Football Focus was iffy on his production last year (63rd among 77 qualifying offensive guards).
Following a three-year stint in Cleveland, Terrance Mitchell has spent the past two seasons bouncing around the NFL. He got into 14 games (13 starts) for the Texans in 2021, finishing with 60 tackles and 10 passes defended. He spent the 2022 season with the Titans, finishing with 39 tackles in 11 games (five starts). 49ers fifth-round pick Darrell Luter Jr. is set to miss some time with a knee injury, providing Mitchell with an opportunity during training camp.
Commanders, WR Byron Pringle Agree To Deal
For the second straight year, Byron Pringle has found a new home on a one-year deal. The veteran wideout is set to join the Commanders, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). 
Pringle won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs as a rookie, but it was not until his third and final season in Kansas City that he delivered a notable statistical performance. The former UDFA totaled 568 yards and five touchdowns on 42 receptions in 2020, while adding 621 kick return yards. Those totals earned him a path to continued signficant playing time in free agency.
The 29-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Bears last March, earning $4MM guaranteed. The move came after former Chiefs exec Ryan Poles had been hired as Chicago’s new general manager. Pringle logged a snap share of 46%, his second-highest total, but a calf injury led to an IR stint and limited him to 11 games played with the Bears. Pringle made just 10 catches operating in one of the league’s lowest-volume passing attacks.
Now, he will again look to earn a spot on a new team while attempting to remain healthy in the process. By joining the Commanders, Pringle will reunite with Eric Bieniemy. The latter served as offensive coordinator of the Chiefs during Pringle’s time there, and he is now at the helm of the offense in Washington. Pringle could emerge as a capable depth option if he is able to replicate his success in Bieniemy’s offense.
Washington has Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin set atop the WR depth chart, along with veteran Curtis Samuel and recent draft picks Jahan Dotson (first round, 2022) and Dyami Brown (third round, 2021). Pringle will spend training camp looking to carve out a role amongst that group, knowing that a solid season could boost his free agent market next year.