You never know when NFL waiver claims are going to wind up being key players on your roster. NFL teams may not be able to get starters on the waiver wire all the time, but you never know at roster cuts when teams are going to give up on draft picks, maybe even some players your scouting department really liked coming out. It’s also worth looking into guys that didn’t make deeper rosters around the league and see how they can factor into your roster.
At worst, the waiver wire at the time of final roster cuts can be used as a way to fortify some of the meat of your roster — guys who will be key backups, play special teams, and perhaps even some developmental players worth the time of your coaching staff. There were 33 NFL waiver claims made after final roster cuts on Tuesday, and some of those moves are worth keeping a close eye on.
What were the top five NFL waiver claims made after final roster cuts? A handful were made by the Chicago Bears, but there were some pretty intriguing ones worth keeping an eye on.
Top 5 NFL waiver claims after final roster cuts: Tyler Johnson, WR, Houston Texans
The best move among the waiver claims goes to the Houston Texans, who had to be sweating it out a little bit with their division rivals in Jacksonville also needing help at wide receiver as the waiver wire moves were processed by the league.
The Texans carried just four receivers on their initial 53-man roster including starters Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins, but they needed depth in the worst way. Based on the look of Houston’s roster and potential depth chart, it’s not out of the question to think that Tyler Johnson could ascend to WR3 status there sooner than later. Rookie John Metchie is not going to play this year so the Texans definitely needed additional weapons for young quarterback Davis Mills, and Johnson seems like the cream of the crop from this year’s roster cuts to hit the waiver wire.
When the Bucs let him go, fans across the league expressed their shock considering Johnson had a really strong preseason for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers must have not been able to trade him even for a late-round pick despite his talent, and the Houston Texans are now reaping the benefits.
Top NFL waiver claims: Armon Watts, DL, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears made a handful of moves on the waiver wire after final roster cuts were turned in, so a couple of them were bound to be hits, right? General manager Ryan Poles is a rookie on the job and his roster is in an interesting position. The Bears arguably have a playoff-caliber defense, but they are simultaneously rebuilding on offense with a young QB under center.
There’s no reason the majority of this roster shouldn’t be looked at as a work in progress, and the Bears showed that they are exactly that with five waiver claims. But they upgraded their roster with this particular move, and not only that, but they stole Armon Watts from a division rival that ditched him.
Watts had a career-best five sacks and 10 QB hits last year along with a pair of forced fumbles. He will help the Bears’ defensive front right away.
Top NFL waiver claims: Devin Asiasi, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Credit the Cincinnati Bengals for attacking a roster weakness. The Bengals lost CJ Uzomah in free agency and they replaced him with former first-round pick Hayden Hurst. Additionally, the team is expected to sign veteran OJ Howard, another former first-round pick, to join Hurst and former second-round pick Drew Sample at the position.
The Bengals also made a claim for former New England Patriots third-round pick Devin Asiasi, a player that was picked in the top 100 just two years ago and has only managed to appear in 10 games, including just one last season. Although Asiasi has been a disappointment for the Patriots, he’s still got plenty of upside and could be a really solid addition for the Bengals at a position of need.
Top NFL waiver claims: Alex Leatherwood, OL, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have been in desperation mode to figure out a competent starting five for the offensive line for some time now. They have made a number of additions over the past two offseasons and recently changed Teven Jenkins’ position to guard to find a home for him. Although it hasn’t been the prettiest assembly of an offensive line you’ll see, the Bears are at least doing what they can and getting creative.
Fate dealt them an interesting hand when the Raiders cut 2021 first-round pick Alex Leatherwood. The Bears will inherit the remaining three years of Leatherwood’s rookie contract, but that’s really a non-issue at this point. The fact that they were able to get a 2021 first-round pick off the waiver wire is pretty rare, and for a team in Chicago’s position, it’s a risk that is absolutely worth taking.
Although the Raiders didn’t value Leatherwood and cut him loose, he’s still a young player that could find a home in Chicago, even if it’s not as a tackle. I like this pickup for the Bears.
Top NFL waiver claims: Jamycal Hasty, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars, along with the Chicago Bears, made a bunch of waiver claims in this period to try and upgrade their depth and special teams. Although the Jaguars are going to rely a ton on Travis Etienne this year coming off of injury, they clearly needed to fortify their running back depth with two guys having health concerns.
Jamycal Hasty has been with the San Francisco 49ers for the past couple of years and has done some nice things for them as a runner and receiver, including catching 23 passes last season. He brings some depth to the Jaguars’ running back stable as well as special teams ability where he played over 100 snaps last season.