Jake Dombrowski

Workout Updates: Holmes, Pryor, Lewis

After having been released by the Bears earlier this week to make room for Marquess Wilson, wide receiver Santonio Holmes passed through waivers unclaimed and is on the lookout for a new job. And according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), the veteran wideout has already paid a visit to Kansas City to meet with the Chiefs, a team that could use a receiver — through nine games, no Chiefs wide receivers have a touchdown this season.

While we wait to see if Holmes ends up signing with Kansas City or another club, let’s round up a few more Saturday updates on free agent visits, workouts, and auditions around the league….

  • With Nick Foles on the shelf, the Eagles just have two healthy quarterbacks on the active roster, and while a move is unlikely, the team is keeping an eye on free agent options just in case. According to Florio (via Twitter), Philadelphia worked out signal-callers Terrelle Pryor and Thad Lewis.
  • Lou Young, who was cut from the Jaguars’ practice squad earlier this week, was one of a handful of defensive backs to try out for the Cowboys, along with Robert Steeples and Jonte Green, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • In addition to the previously-reported punters that worked out for the Buccaneers this week, punter Jake Dombrowski and long snapper Charley Hughlett also auditioned for the club, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • Defensive tackle Kenny Horsley, who auditioned for the Packers earlier this week, also worked out for the Bears, per Wilson (via Twitter).

Giants Worked Out Felix Jones, 14 Others

4:31pm: The Giants worked out 15 players in total, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who provides the full list of participants. Here are the 11 new names:

12:00pm: After losing back-to-back divisional matchups against the NFC-leading Cowboys and Eagles, the Giants are entering their bye week, and are taking the opportunity to look at a handful of free agents. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), running backs Felix Jones and Alex Green are working out for the team.

Green, a former third-round pick who started his career with the Packers, was cut by the Jets in August and has auditioned for the Lions and Panthers since then. As for Jones, there haven’t been many reports on the former Cowboy this year, which is somewhat surprising — while he didn’t do much in limited action for the Steelers last season, he had recorded over 100 carries in each of his previous four seasons in Dallas, and is still just 27 years old.

The fact that the Giants are working out running backs shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as a sign that Rashad Jennings‘ recovery is moving slowly, or that the team is looking to add a player at the position. It’s more likely that New York is simply gauging the options in the market at several spots in case the club needs to dip into free agency later in the season.

In fact, Josina Anderson of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that quarterback Terrelle Pryor is also visiting the club today, while Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post adds tight end Tony Moeaki to the list of players auditioning. The Giants’ workout group this work is expected to be large, as Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets, so several more participants will likely be reported soon.

East Auditions: Bills, Pats, Jets, Eagles

While not every NFL team is making adjustments to its 53-man roster this week, many clubs are at least auditioning free agents to get a sense of which players might be worth revisiting later in the season, as injuries begin to take their toll. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has passed along word of several of those auditions, via Twitter, so let’s take a look at which free agents are working out for teams in the NFL’s two East divisions….

Bills Release 11 Players, Roster Sits At 75

The Bills have reduced their roster to the required 75-man limit in advance of tomorrow’s 3pm deadline. The following players were released, per a press release:

As Mike Rodak of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter), the release of Dombrowski indicates that 38-year-old Brian Moorman has won the punting job in Buffalo. Dixon is an ex-fifth-rounder who has spent six years in the NFL.

Extra Points: Bills, Cowboys, Minor League

Here are a handful of extra notes to end your weekend…

  • Bills punter Jake Dombrowski will give veteran Brian Moorman some serious competition, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. The decision will likely come down to whether the team prefers “fresh blood” or the reliable (but inconsistent) Moorman.
  • The Cowboys hiring of passing coordinator Scott Linehan still puzzles the Dallas Morning News’ Gerry Fraley, the writer said on Fox Sports Southwest’s SportsDay OnAir (via DallasNews.com). Fraley questions why the team would want to throw more when they have three first-rounders on the offensive line to protect DeMarco Murray.
  • The NFL is working on a minor league and the owners are aware that investors are “willing to put together developmental leagues for them,” writes ESPN.com’s John Clayton. The writer adds that the league will eventually develop something, but he isn’t sure when.

AFC East Notes: Pats, McCarron, Jets, Bills

Let’s round up a few brief items out of the AFC East….

  • Before heading to Jacksonville to meet with the Jaguars, Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron visited the Patriots yesterday, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com.
  • Jets offensive line coach Mike Devlin is at Bloomsburg’s Pro Day to work out offensive tackle Matt Feiler and guard Brian Clarke, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
  • We knew that wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. would be visiting the Bills today, but the team also announced that it’s hosting two other draft prospects — Cumberlands running back Terrance Cobb and Rice cornerback Phillip Gaines.
  • The contract signed by punter Jake Dombrowski with the Bills is a three-year, minimum-salary pact with no bonuses, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Dombrowski will provide competition this summer for incumbent punter Brian Moorman.

Minor Moves: Scales, Dombrowski, Bunkley

Here’s a round-up of today’s more minor transactions, including contract restructures or signings and cuts involving players without much NFL experience:

  • After signing him to a futures contract in January, the Buccaneers have waived long snapper Patrick Scales, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). The move opens the door for Jeremy Cain to handle snaps for the Bucs in 2014.

Earlier updates:

  • Former Harvard punter Jake Dombrowski has signed with the Bills, according to his agency’s Facebook page (hat tip to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun). The team has since confirmed the move in a press release. Dombrowski will provide some camp competition at the position for veteran punter Brian Moorman.
  • Saints defensive lineman Brodrick Bunkley has reworked his contract to help make room for the team’s latest signees, Rafael Bush and Champ Bailey, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. According to Corry, Bunkley cut his 2014 salary down to $1.65MM in exchange for a guaranteed $300K roster bonus, creating $2.85MM in cap savings for the club.