Tag: NFL waiver wire

Lions claim WR KhaDarel Hodge and kicker Austin Seibert off waivers

Hodge and Seibert join the Lions as successful waiver claims

There are two new members of the Detroit Lions following the initial waiver wire claim period on Wednesday. The Lions were awarded successful waiver claims on wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge and kicker Austin Seibert.

Hodge is a veteran who spent the last two seasons in Cleveland. Prior to his BRowns tenure, Hodge played for the Los Angeles Rams and was brought there as an undrafted free agent by now-Lions GM Brad Holmes, who was the Rams’ scouting director at the time.

Seibert was also on the 2019 Cleveland Browns as a fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma. He lost his job in 2020 after a rough outing and subsequently replaced Randy Bullock in Cincinnati. He now replaces Bullock, who was cut on Tuesday, in Detroit.

Both were featured in our 20 players cut by other teams the Lions should consider adding to the roster listing.

The corresponding roster moves have yet to be announced.

Roster cutdown calendar: What’s coming for the Lions

Roster cutdown calendar: What’s next for GM Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions

Tuesday, August 31st is a big day on the NFL calendar. All NFL teams must reduce their rosters to just 53 players by 4 p.m. ET. For the Detroit Lions, it’s the middle of a maelstrom of activity for new GM Brad Holmes and his staff.

The roster cutdown began on Monday when the Lions waived several players, including injured offensive linemen Tyrell Crosby and Dan Skipper. Many more cuts are needed to get to the 53-man limit.

That deadline is just the first of several important times to know this week, however.

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 4 p.m. – waiver claim period ends

All players who were cut via waivers are eligible to be claimed by another team. The waived player claim period ends 24 hours to the second after the initial 53-man deadline.

Expect the Lions to be quite active in claiming players off waivers. Head coach Dan Campbell declared they will be, after all.

In general, players who have less than four full years of NFL experience are subject to waivers. All of the Lions who were cut on Monday are subject to waiver claims except WR Breshad Perriman, who is able to sign anywhere else right away.

The waiver claim order is the same as the selection order (prior to trades) from the 2021 NFL draft. Detroit sits seventh in line. If none of the teams slotted above the Lions claim a player and the Lions did place a claim, he’s theirs.

Of course, claiming a player means the Lions would have to create a place on the 53-man roster by either cutting another player (waivers or release) or placing a player on injured reserve.

Remember, players placed on I.R. prior to the Tuesday 4 p.m. deadline are out for the season. Players placed on the I.R. after the initial 53-man roster deadline can be brought back to the active roster after missing a minimum of just three weeks. For the Lions, DE Da’Shawn Hand and QB Tim Boyle are obvious candidates to get moved to I.R. after making the initial 53.

Practice squad can be formed – Wed. 4 p.m. ET

While any waiver claims are being processed and added to the roster, the Lions are also able to build the 16-player practice squad. All players unclaimed on waivers are eligible, including those from other teams. Just because a player was with the Lions in the preseason, it does not commit them to being on Detroit’s practice squad.

Of the 16 spots, up to six can be used on players with more than two accrued NFL seasons. The others must have less than two full years of NFL experience.

Thursday, Sept. 2nd, 4 p.m. ET – Waiver claim period No. 2 ends

The players who get waived by Wednesday’s deadline are also eligible to be claimed by another team. Teams have until Thursday at 4 p.m. to claim those players.

The Lions have some positive history in making claims here. Romeo Okwara came to Detroit after being claimed off waivers from the New York Giants following the initial claim period.

Browns claim TE Kyle Markway off waivers from the Rams

Markway spent most of the 2020 season on the Browns’ practice squad

The Cleveland Browns have added an old friend back to the tight end room. Per his agent, Brett Tessler, the Browns have claimed TE Kyle Markway off waivers from the Los Angeles Rams.

Markway spent most of the 2020 season on the Browns practice squad, so he knows the Kevin Stefanski offense and the culture of the team well. He signed a reserve/futures contract with Cleveland after the season but was waived following the draft. He did not last long with the Rams, who waived the South Carolina product on Tuesday.

Markway provides some competition for the No. 4 TE spot with Jordan Franks, behind Austin Hooper, David Njoku and Harrison Bryant.

Update: The Browns waived DE Romeo McKnight to make room for Markway. 

[lawrence-related id=63616]

Texans claim center Drake Jackson off waivers from the Lions

Jackson is the second UDFA the Lions waived in a week to get claimed by another team

For the second time in a week, an undrafted rookie waived by the Detroit Lions has been claimed by another team. This time it’s center Drake Jackson, who was waived by the Lions on Monday.

The Houston Texans claimed Jackson on the waiver wire, per the NFL’s transaction report. Jackson joins tight end Jake Hausmann, who was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants after the Lions severed ties last week.

Jackson did not show a great deal in his time in Detroit. He was undersized and pushed off the roster when the Lions activated Evan Brown and signed Evan Boehm, each of whom can play center.

[lawrence-related id=64094]

Giants claim former Jaguars RB Ryquell Armstead

New York claimed Jacksonville’s fifth-round pick in 2019 after he was waived by the Jaguars on Monday.

After just two days on waivers after Jacksonville let him go on Monday, Ryquell Armstead has found a new home. The New York Giants claimed the third-year running back off waivers on Wednesday, waiving quarterback Joe Webb to make room for him.

Armstead was originally a fifth-round pick for the Jaguars out of Temple in 2019, and though his production on the ground was limited to just 108 yards on 35 carries, he made a much bigger impact in the passing game. Though he only had 14 catches that season, he had 144 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Unfortunately, those positive strides were put on pause in 2020. Armstead was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list on Aug. 2 and returned to it on Sep. 4. After not appearing in any games, it was announced on Oct. 25 that Armstead would miss the remainder of the season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he had dealt with serious respiratory issues as a result of the virus and had to be hospitalized twice.

This offseason, Jacksonville largely carried out its plans at running back without considering Armstead’s place. It added Carlos Hyde in free agency and Travis Etienne in the draft, so the decision to waive him was far from a surprise.

Armstead may have an uphill battle to make the Giants’ roster considering it already has starter Saquon Barkley and backups Devonta Booker and Corey Clement, but Armstead will hope his unique skill set is enough to set himself apart and claim a spot on the depth chart.

Jaguars should put in a waiver claim for DT Maurice Hurst

Las Vegas released Maurice Hurts on Thursday, and Jacksonville should seriously consider claiming the fourth-year defensive tackle.

The Las Vegas Raiders made a surprising move on Thursday when they waived fourth-year defensive tackle Maurice Hurst. The 25-year-old was taken in the fifth round back in 2018, and he had 76 tackles and eight sacks in his three seasons with the Raiders.

During his final season at Michigan in college, he was a consensus All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection. He was projected as a first-round pick,  but after being diagnosed with a heart condition at the NFL combine, his stock plummeted.

That hasn’t seemed to impact his play, though. He started 10 of the 13 games he appeared in as a rookie, totaling career-best marks in tackles (31) and sacks (four). He played in every game in 2019, and though he only started four games, he maintained similar production. Though his tackles decreased to 18, he still managed 3.5 sacks and had eight quarterback pressures, five more than his rookie season.

He was off to a solid start in 2020, notching 13 tackles in the first four games,  but was placed on the COVID-19 list on Oct. 6. He returned for the next two games but missed the following four. His play never got back on track after that, though he finished with 27 tackles.

Still, Hurst has proven himself to be a talented pass rusher when healthy and he’s decent against the run, as well. And according to Raiders Wire editor Marcus Mosher, who covered Hurst in Las Vegas, he’d be a better addition than any player available at the position in the draft at the end of the month.

Jacksonville addressed the defensive line in free agency with signings like Roy Robertson-Harris and Jihad Ward (as well as the acquisition of Malcom Brown from New Orleans). However, after Tyson Alualu changed his mind on signing with the Jags and decided to return to Pittsburgh, there’s not quite as much depth there as they would like.

There’s a good chance they’ll address defensive tackle in the draft, possibly with a player like Christian Barmore from Alabama. But if they choose to focus on other areas of need, putting in a waiver claim for Hurst could be a viable solution, especially with them being first in the waiver wire (based on team records).

The Jaguars still need to do a lot of work if they don’t want their defense to be near the bottom of the NFL again in 2021. Adding Hurst would represent a step in the right direction.

NFL waiver wire resumes with Bengals in premium spot

The Cincinnati Bengals have a top spot in waiver priority again.

[jwplayer ZCSnN2Pv]

The Cincinnati Bengals could again be active on the waiver wire soon.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the waiver wire resumed this week and will again follow the draft order, meaning the Jacksonville Jaguars hold this year’s top spot after the Bengals did so this time last year.

But those Bengals aren’t far behind at fifth. Over the course of the last year, the wire was a notable source of talent acquisition for the Bengals with names like Austin Calitro, Samaje Perine and even Takkarist McKinley.

Those moves had varying results, of course, but only a few spots removed from last year’s standing in waiver order, the Bengals figure to be plenty active again.

The current waiver order runs through Week 3 of the regular season. The offseason’s key upcoming dates are important for the Bengals, to say the least.

[listicle id=40656]

Marvin Hall claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns

Hall joins a Browns team that has struggled with injuries at WR

Marvin Hall won’t have to travel far to his next NFL home. Two days after the Detroit Lions cut the veteran wide receiver, Hall was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns.

Hall will join the Browns once his COVID-19 protocols are completed.

The Lions opted to go in a different direction at wide receiver, dumping Hall with five games left on his expiring contract. He was the fastest wideout on the Lions but offered little more than a vertical threat as a route runner. His body-catching style, ineffective blocking and lack of special teams usage hurt his cause to stay in Detroit.

Cleveland has had some injury issues at wide receiver and can use Hall’s field-stretching ability. They relied on practice squad call-up Ja’Marcus Bradley to play as the No. 4 receiver in their win over the Titans on Sunday

Browns claim WR Marvin Hall off waivers from Lions

Browns claim WR Marvin Hall off waivers from Lions

On Tuesday afternoon, the Cleveland Browns bolstered the team’s wide receiver ranks by adding veteran Marvin Hall off waivers from the Detroit Lions.

The Browns will receive a roster exemption for Hall that will expire once he’s permitted to join the team in accordance with testing protocols. He won’t count against the active roster limit until that time.

Hall, 27, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2016, joining the Oakland Raiders, where he was waived before the start of the season. The former Washington Huskie is very well known for being a field stretcher, with a reported blazing fast 4.28 40 yard dash at his pro day.

He was able to flash that speed with the Falcons in 2017, catching this 40-yard touchdown from Matt Ryan in his debut for the team.

He didn’t see much action until 2020 when with the Detroit Lions, where he was able to have a breakout performance of 4 catches for 113 yards against the Indianapolis Colts.

As for his impact on the Browns, it could be one that translates quickly. Since losing wide receiver Odell Beckham in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals, quarterback Baker Mayfield has completed seven passes for 25 yards or more in the five games after the injury.

Hall provides a true speed threat down the field for Mayfield, who has shown a willingness to throw to anyone across the field, with names like KhaDarel Hodge and Breshad Perriman finding success under the young signal-caller.

Similar to Perriman, who also was known for his speed coming out of college, Hall has had some issues catching the ball in 2020, dropping four passes, but it is worth noting that in his combined 25 games in 2018 and 2019, he did not record a drop on 30 targets.

Adding a player like Hall is just what the doctor ordered for head coach Kevin Stefanski, who can add Hall to his arsenal on offense, as well as open things up for the running game by taking the attention of safeties with his vertical threat.

While it is early, this looks like another solid bet by general manager Andrew Berry to bolster the roster as the team continues to move towards a playoff push.

[lawrence-related id=56166]

Report: Jags were 1 of several teams to put in a claim for OL Pat Elflein

The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of six teams to take a swing at former Minnesota Vikings interior offensive lineman Pat Elflein on the waiver wire, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. Ultimately, he ended up going to the only team ahead of the Jags on …

The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of six teams to take a swing at former Minnesota Vikings interior offensive lineman Pat Elflein on the waiver wire, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. Ultimately, he ended up going to the only team ahead of the Jags on the waiver wire (determined by team records) in the winless New York Jets.

Elflein, a former third-round pick from 2017, was expected to be fairly popular on the waiver wire and the news of his release was somewhat surprising. While things didn’t work out for him with the Vikings, he registered 43 starts (some at guard and some at center) making him an enticing player to pick up at just 26 years of age. His addition especially would’ve helped the Jags as A.J. Cann and Brandon Linder have missed games with injuries.

The Jags attempt to land Elflein is also interesting because the argument could be made that he could’ve potentially pushed for a starting job in the future. With the Jags getting decent play out of Andrew Norwell and Cann, things would’ve been intriguing heading forward if they acquired him.