Training camps are underway and this weekend we will finally get to watch some football, with the Steelers playing the Vikings on Sunday night in the Hall of Fame Game. With teams back in action, there were plenty of roster moves. Obviously, the biggest news of the week was Russell Wilson’s contract extension with Seattle. Since I already wrote about that here, you won’t find that move listed below. Four other transactions are discussed below and, as always, the rest of the moves are down below with some of the more significant ones highlighted in red.
Washington Redskins sign OLB Junior Galette
Just a few days after being released by New Orleans, Galette found a new home in Washington D.C.
On the field, there is no doubt about his talent, but the questions come off the field for the 27-year old pass rusher. Due to these questions, he received only a one-year contract worth the veteran minimum.
Early in the offseason, he was arrested and charged with domestic violence, but the charges were later dropped. A few months later, a video from 2013 was released which showed him hitting multiple people, including a woman, with a belt in a beach brawl. Combine these two events with reported locker room clashes and New Orleans decided enough was enough.
On the field, Galette was probably the best player on the Saints’ defense. He recorded 22 sacks over the past two seasons and was Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) fourth-best 4-3 defensive end in 2014 on the strength of his pass rushing acumen. (He had their second-best pass rushing grade at his position.)
Outside linebacker is now the strongest position on the Redskins’ depth chart with the addition of Galette. Ryan Kerrigan and Galette form one of the best duos in the league and backups Trent Murphy and Preston Smith were second round picks in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Philadelphia Eagles trade CB Brandon Boykin to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Chip Kelly’s overhaul of the Eagles’ roster continues, as he sent Boykin across the state to Pittsburgh.
In return for the 25-year old cornerback, the Steelers are sending Philadelphia a conditional 2016 draft pick. The selection is a fifth-round pick that becomes a fourth-round pick if he plays 60 percent of the Steelers’ snaps on defense.
Since the Eagles drafted him in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, Boykin has arguably been their best cornerback. In three seasons he recorded 120 tackles, 32 passes defensed, seven interceptions, four forced fumbles and one sack, all while starting only six games.
Only 5-foot-10, it appeared that the Eagles only saw him as a slot cornerback. Despite the struggles of the team’s outside cornerbacks and the success of Boykin in the slot, the team never significantly increased his snap count.
Pittsburgh drafted a cornerback in the second and fourth round of the draft this year, but the team still needed help in their secondary. Philadelphia drafted three cornerbacks this year and with Boykin a free agent at the end of the year, they felt they could move on.
Seattle Seahawks re-sign LB Bobby Wagner
Seattle locked up both of their signal callers this week, in Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner.
Like Wilson, Wagner receives a four-year contract extension that keeps him in Seattle through the 2019 season. There is $43 million in new money (an average of $10.75 million per season) and about $22 million is guaranteed. This makes him the highest-paid inside linebacker in the game by more than a million dollars per season, according to Over The Cap.
Drafted in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Utah State, Wagner has developed into a top inside linebacker. He has started all but one of the games he has played in and has over 100 tackles in every season.
The Seahawks boast the NFL’s best defense and the 25-year old linebacker is the player who makes the unit go. His ability to make plays all over the field in run defense and pass coverage are essential.
With him out of the lineup for five games last season (injury), the Seahawks’ defense allowed almost five more points per game without their signal caller.
Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas receive more hype for the performance of Seattle’s defense, but Wagner is just as important.
Detroit Lions re-sign LB DeAndre Levy
As the Lions opened up training camp, they hoped to have a new deal in place with Levy, who may be their best defensive player now that Ndamukong Suh is gone.
Keeping with the theme of the week, Levy signed a four-year contract extension. The four new years are worth a total of $33.72 million and there is $20 million guaranteed. This average of $8.43 million per season makes him the highest-paid 4-3 outside linebacker in the league, per Over The Cap.
With 151 tackles in 2014, the 28-year old finished second in the NFL in tackles, just two tackles behind Luke Kuechly. The year before, Levy finished tied for second in interceptions with six, something that is unheard of for linebackers.
PFF graded him as the third-best 4-3 outside linebacker last year, behind Khalil Mack and Von Miller. These two players had different roles than Levy, as Mack and Miller are pass-rushing strongside linebackers, while Levy is a weakside linebacker.
You could make the argument that Levy is the best player on defense in Detroit right now. The team couldn’t afford to mishandle his contract situation and let him walk like a certain other defensive star.
Other Moves:
The Arizona Cardinals sign CB Shaq Richardson.
The Arizona Cardinals sign CB Jonte Green.
The Arizona Cardinals release CB Damond Smith.
The Arizona Cardinals waive TE Ted Bolser.
The Arizona Cardinals waive G John Fullington.
The Atlanta Falcons sign OT Pierce Burton.
The Atlanta Falcons cut G Harland Gunn.
The Atlanta Falcons sign DT Derrick Hopkins.
The Atlanta Falcons waive CB Michael Lee.
The Baltimore Ravens sign WR Trent Steelman.
The Baltimore Ravens waive QB Jerry Lovelocke.
The Baltimore Ravens sign DT Micajah Reynolds.
The Baltimore Ravens waive DT Casey Walker.
The Buffalo Bills claim OT Terren Jones off waivers.
The Buffalo Bills sign CB Merill Noel.
The Buffalo Bills sign RB Bronson Hill.
The Buffalo Bills cut DE Erik Williams.
The Carolina Panthers sign WR Paul Browning.
The Carolina Panthers waive-injured WR Stephen Hill.
Carolina Panthers CB Chris Houston has announced his retirement from the NFL.
The Carolina Panthers sign CB T.J. Heath.
The Carolina Panthers sign DT Kenny Horsley.
The Carolina Panthers cut P Matt Wile.
The Chicago Bears sign G Tyler Moore.
The Chicago Bears sign TE Kevin Greene.
The Chicago Bears waive-injured TE Brian Vogler.
The Cleveland Browns sign RB Jalen Parmele.
The Cleveland Browns sign RB Timothy Flanders.
The Cleveland Browns waive WR Kevin Cone.
The Cleveland Browns waive DB Brandon Stephens.
The Dallas Cowboys sign LB Keith Smith.
The Dallas Cowboys sign LB Will Smith.
The Dallas Cowboys waive-injured LB Justin Jackson.
The Dallas Cowboys sign LB Jonathan Brown.
The Dallas Cowboys sign LB Ka’Lial Glaud.
The Dallas Cowboys waive-injured G Reshod Fortenberry.
The Dallas Cowboys sign TE Brandon Barden.
The Dallas Cowboys waive TE Ray Hamilton.
The Denver Broncos sign OT Charles Sweeton.
The Denver Broncos waive-injured OT Connor Rains.
The Denver Broncos sign WR Corbin Louks.
The Denver Broncos sign DT Sione Fua.
The Denver Broncos waive K Karl Schmitz.
The Detroit Lions trade CB Mohammed Seisay to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2016 sixth-round pick.
The Detroit Lions sign CB Ethan Davis.
The Detroit Lions claim DT Jerel Worthy off waivers.
The Green Bay Packers sign WR Ed Williams.
The Houston Texans sign DT Chris Neild.
The Houston Texans cut OT Will Yeatman.
The Indianapolis Colts claim CB Tevin Mitchel off waivers.
The Indianapolis Colts waive S Robert Smith.
The Kansas City Chiefs sign DL Hebron Fangupo.
The Kansas City Chiefs waive-injured RB Keshawn Hill.
The Kansas City Chiefs sign RB Darrin Reaves.
The Kansas City Chiefs waive RB LaVance Taylor.
The Kansas City Chiefs waive DT Jerel Worthy.
The Kansas City Chiefs sign WR L’Damian Washington.
The Miami Dolphins claim WR Cobi Hamilton off waivers.
The Miami Dolphins waive WR Kai De La Cruz.
The Miami Dolphins claim WR Kevin Cone off waivers.
The Miami Dolphins cut G Dionte Savage.
The Minnesota Vikings sign WR Ryan Whalen.
The New England Patriots release CB Derek Cox.
The New England Patriots release CB Justin Green.
The New England Patriots release LB D.J. Lynch.
The New England Patriots claim G Harland Gunn off waivers.
The New England Patriots waive-injured OT Kevin Hughes.
The New England Patriots waive DL Vince Taylor.
The New England Patriots sign LB Cameron Gordon.
The New England Patriots sign LB L.J. Fort.
The New England Patriots sign FB Eric Kettani.
The New England Patriots sign DL A.J. Pataiali’l.
The New England Patriots waive-injured TE A.J. Derby.
The New England Patriots sign G Mark Asper.
The New England Patriots sign TE Mason Brodine.
The New England Patriots waive G Harland Gunn.
The New Orleans Saints waive DE Glenn Foster.
The New Orleans Saints sign CB Travis Manning.
The New York Giants waive-injured WR Ben Edwards.
The New York Giants cut OT Troy Kropog.
The New York Giants waive-injured TE Matt LaCosse.
The New York Giants sign DE Brad Bars.
The New York Giants sign WR Derrick Johnson.
The New York Jets waive FB J.C. Copeland.
The New York Jets sign WR Jarrod West.
The New York Jets sign WR Arthur Williams.
The New York Jets waive WR Jarrod West.
The Philadelphia Eagles sign RB Kevin Monangai.
The Philadelphia Eagles sign WR Mike Johnson.
The Philadelphia Eagles waive-injured LB Travis Long.
The Philadelphia Eagles sign WR Josh Reese.
The Philadelphia Eagles release WR Devante Davis.
The Philadelphia Eagles sign LB Daiheem Watkins.
The Pittsburgh Steelers sign RB Jawon Chisholm.
The Pittsburgh Steelers cut TE Michael Egnew.
The Pittsburgh Steelers waive-injured RB Ross Scheuerman.
The Pittsburgh Steelers sign WR Kenzel Doe.
The Pittsburgh Steelers waive-injured WR Eli Rogers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers waived-injured TE Rob Blanchflower.
The Pittsburgh Steelers claim TE Ray Hamilton off waivers.
The San Diego Chargers sign DE Luther Robinson.
The San Diego Chargers sign CB Jordan Mabin.
The San Diego Chargers cut WR Demetrius Wilson.
The San Francisco 49ers cut CB Chris Cook.
The San Francisco 49ers sign WR Nigel King.
The San Francisco 49ers waive-injured OL Ben Gottschalk.
The Seattle Seahawks sign S Tyrequek Zimmerman.
The Seattle Seahawks release DT Tony McDaniel.
The Seattle Seahawks waive LB Alex Singleton.
The Seattle Seahawks sign LB Dakorey Johnson.
The St. Louis Rams sign CB Trovon Reed.
The St. Louis Rams waive WR Devon Wylie.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign LB Sammuel Lamur.
The Tennessee Titans sign WR Tebucky Jones.
The Tennessee Titans waive OT Terren Jones.
The Tennessee Titans sign S Josh Aubrey.
The Tennessee Titans waive-injured S Cody Prewitt.
The Washington Redskins waive LB Ja’Gared Davis.
The Washington Redskins sign CB Deshazor Everett.
The Washington Redskins cut LB Dasman McCullum.
The Washington Redskins sign CB Bryan McCann.
The Washington Redskins sign CB DreQuan Hoskey.
The Washington Redskins cut S Phillip Thomas.
The Washington Redskins waive-injured CB Tevin Mitchel.
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