Ike Ariguzo

Workout Notes: 49ers, Bills, Saints, Eagles

As usual, NFL teams are keeping a close eye on the free agent market, bringing in players for visits and tryouts as they prepare contingency plans in the event that they need to replace injured players or add depth. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has the details on several of the latest workouts and auditions from around the league, so let’s round up the highlights (all links go to Twitter)….

Packers Waive Derek Sherrod

Fresh off their bye week, the Packers have made a slew of roster moves, with the most notable transaction being the waiving of tackle Derek Sherrod, who was the 32nd overall pick in the 2011 draft (Twitter link via Brian McIntyre). To replace him on the roster, Green Bay has activated center J.C. Tretter from the injured reserve/designated to return list, per Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). The club also tweaked its practice squad, signing running back Rajion Neal and linebacker Joe Thomas while cutting tight end Ike Ariguzo and defensive end Joe Kruger, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter).

The Packers’ decision to cut Sherrod ends an unceremonious run in Green Bay for the Mississippi State product, who despite his draft pedigree, started only one game during his stint with the team. He represents a rare miss by general manager Ted Thompson — as ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes (on Twitter), Sherrod joins Justin Harrell as the only Thompson first-round picks no longer on the Packers’ roster. Sherrod’s most notable performance, infamously, came during the NFL opener earlier this year, when he was routinely beaten by various Seahawks defenders on his way to registering a -6.9 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Still only 25, Sherrod should be able to latch on somewhere else; because he isn’t a vested veteran, he will have to clear waivers before becoming a free agent. The Packers, meanwhile, will need to find another swing tackle, as there isn’t another OT on the roster outside of starters David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga. The club does have rookie tackle Jeremy Vujnovich on its practice squad, so perhaps we’ll see him be promoted if the Packers decide they need more depth along their line.

Tretter, 23, was slated to take over as Green Bay’s starting center following the offseason departure of veteran Evan Dietrich-Smith. After injuring his knee during training camp, however, the team placed the 2013 fourth-rounder on IR-DTR. His replacement in the lineup, Corey Linsley, is playing extremely well, as evidenced by his rating as the league’s third-best center per PFF, so it’s fair to wonder if Tretter will be relegated to a reserve role. As Silverstein suggests (via Twitter), Tretter is a candidate to act as a backup tackle, so perhaps his versatility would serve him well in a bench position.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad signings and cuts here..

  • The Seahawks announced that safety Steven Terrell has re-joined the practice squad (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Terrell was waived yesterday when the Hawks re-signed defensive lineman Greg Scruggs. Seattle had only nine players on its taxi squad, so it won’t have to release anyone to make room for Terrell.

Earlier Updates:

  • The Chiefs announced that they have signed former Oklahoma State linebacker Orie Lemon to the practice squad.
  • The Broncos announced that they have added defensive end Gerald Rivers to the practice squad today, as the staff at The Denver Post writes. Rivers appear in two games for the Rams and Jaguars last season.
  • The Dolphins signed quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson to the practice squad, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • The Packers signed tight end Ike Ariguzo to their practice squad and released guard Jordan McCray, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel. The 6’5″, 245-pound Ariguzo, a rookie who played at Eastern Kentucky, made an impression on Green Bay coaches when he auditioned for them in May.
  • The Titans have signed TE Brett Brackett back to their practice squad, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.
  • The Steelers have signed defensive end Ethan Hemer, defensive back Jordan Sullen, and offensive lineman Adam Gettis to the practice squad, according to team PR director Burt Lauten (on Twitter). In related moves, the Steelers have released wide receiver Derek Moye and placed cornerback Shaq Richardson on the taxi squad’s injured reserve. Sullen recently auditioned for the Jets after he was let go in Chicago.
  • The Browns announced they signed wide receiver Kevin Cone to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter). Cone was previously with the Bucs’ practice squad.
  • The Buccaneers added fullback Lonnie Pryor and defensive end George Uko to their taxi squad while releasing Cone, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter).