The loudest transaction day of the week belonged to a team that didn't sign anybody good.
New York made five roster moves in one filing: waiving tight ends Chase Curtis and Connor Hulstein off injured reserve with settlements, releasing linebacker Mykal Walker with an injury settlement, waiving/injured running back Dominic Richardson, and swapping practice-squad offensive linemen, Brant Banks in, Marquis Hayes out. Read that list again. Two tight ends and a running back gone, one offensive lineman added. The Jets are telling you where they think their depth is weakest, and it isn't the backfield. Banks is a body for a room that thins out fast once the season starts. If New York's line stays healthy, this is noise. If it doesn't, you'll remember this filing.
Now the move that actually matters on a Sunday. Ashton Jeanty returned to practice Wednesday after a two-week absence, per ESPN, and the optimism in Las Vegas is that he's available for the opener against Miami. I'd pump the brakes on the word optimism. One Wednesday practice after two weeks out is a ramp, not a green light. My read: he plays, and he plays a limited workload. The Raiders have a long season and exactly one running back worth protecting, and the Dolphins are not worth a setback in September. Handing him a reduced snap count and winning ugly is the correct outcome, not a disappointing one.
New England swapped one practice-squad defender for another, signing safety Elliott Davison and releasing defensive tackle Jalen Hunt. Small, but it's a positional bet. Every practice-squad slot is a decision about what you can't afford to lose, and New England just decided it can find interior defensive line help on the street faster than it can find safety help.
New Orleans released running back Devin Neal and defensive end Michael Heldman from injured reserve with injury settlements. This is a front office admitting a player won't help this year. The running back cut is the one that matters. Whoever sits behind the Saints' starter just got more secure, and New Orleans just told the rest of the league it's fine with that.
Seattle signed tackle Bobby Hart to the practice squad and released defensive tackle Uso Seumalo. Same logic as New England, opposite conclusion. The Seahawks would rather stash an offensive tackle, and given how fast a season dies when a starting tackle goes down, I don't hate it.
Washington released defensive back Malik Spencer and linebacker Drake Jackson from injured reserve with settlements. Two defenders, two settlements, and a quiet statement about how thin the Commanders are willing to be on coverage units.
Carolina signed running back Ahmani Marshall and released offensive lineman Isaia Glass. A skill-position body in, a blocker out. That's a roster that believes it has enough protection and wants more competition in the backfield.
Baltimore signed cornerback Ladarius Webb Jr. and tackle Chuma Edoga to the practice squad, releasing center Nick Dawkins and cornerback Amani Oruwariye. Cutting a corner to add a corner plus a tackle is the sharpest move of the day. Oruwariye is a known quantity at a premium position. If Baltimore is comfortable letting him walk in September, either the young corners behind him are ready or the Ravens are thinner at tackle than they've let on. I'll take the second bet.
The Jets made the most moves. The Ravens made the best one. Give me the team that churns the bottom of its roster before it's forced to over the team that waits for an injury to make the decision for it. Baltimore wins the day, and I'll take that over New York's volume every time.
