Michael Bamiro

Giants Waive Robert Malone, Others

The Giants made a score of moves at the 3pm CT deadline for 75-man rosters. The Giants’ cuts include Brandon Mosley, Eric Herman, Robert Malone, and Jordan Stanton, as Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger tweets. The Giants also released running back Akeem Hunt, offensive lineman Michael Bamiro, wide receiver Juron Criner, fullback Justin Halley, offensive lineman Derrick Johnson, defensive tackle Jummy Staten, and tight end Will Tye, as James Kratch of NJ Advance Media tweets.

Bennett Jackson and Josh Gordy have also been placed on season-ending IR, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets.

The release of Malone means that Steve Weatherford has won the battle for the punter job. Safety Nat Berhe is noticeably absent from the IR list and that means his status for 2015 is still up in the air.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

As usual, we expect plenty of Wednesday practice squad moves, as teams around the NFL add and subtract from their respective units in preparation for Week 13 action. Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts:

  • The Ravens signed tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi to the practice squad while placing Konrad Reuland on practice squad-injured list, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • The Seahawks re-signed defensive tackle Jimmy Staten to their practice squad today, cutting offensive lineman Andrew McDonald to make room, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. It’s a reversal of the move the team made over the weekend.
  • The Cardinals filled the two openings on their practice squad today, signing linebacker Kion Wilson and re-adding running back Kerwynn Williams, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
  • Former Georgia defensive tackle Garrison Smith, who spent time in the summer with the Dolphins, has signed to the Saints‘ practice squad, per his agent David Canter (Twitter link). New Orleans had a full unit, so a corresponding move should be announced shortly.

Earlier updates:

  • Washington has added two defensive backs to its practice squad, announcing today that Trey Wolfe and Kenny Okoro have been added to the 10-man unit (Twitter link).
  • After promoting defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, the Raiders signed cornerback Jansen Watson to fill the newly-opened spot, according to a team release. Watson signed with Oakland as an undrafted free agent this spring and was cut during the preseason.
  • The Chargers have filled out their practice squad by adding center Jeff Baca, a 2013 sixth-rounder, the team announced today in a press release.
  • Former Florida State safety Terrance Parks has signed with the Texans‘ practice squad, according to the team.
  • The Dolphins have released defensive end Emmanuel Dieke from their practice squad, signing safety Ahmad Dixon to fill his spot, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Dixon, a seventh-round pick by the Cowboys in May, had spent most of the season with the Bears before being cut last week.
  • The Titans have agreed to terms with outside linebacker Chaz Sutton, adding him to their taxi squad, the team announced today (Twitter link). Sutton fills the lone opening on Tennessee’s unit.
  • Having already made one change to their practice squad (noted below), the Patriots announced several more, via a press release. Linebacker Deontae Skinner and defensive back Daxton Swanson have been cut, while tight end Xavier Grimble has joined the squad.
  • After bringing him in for an audition, the Giants have signed offensive lineman Michael Bamiro to their practice squad, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. New York had an opening on its unit, so no players need to be cut to accommodate the addition.
  • Danny Aiken may have a little competition in New England, as the Patriots have brought back another long snapper, Charley Hughlett, re-adding him to their taxi squad, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). The team will have to announce a corresponding move to make the signing official.
  • Linebacker L.J. Fort has signed with the Bengals‘ practice squad, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Fort, who spent time with the Seahawks earlier this season, worked out for the Bengals and the Saints last week.

Workout Notes: Thursday

The Panthers, still somehow right in the thick of things in the NFC South race, took advantage of their bye week to bring in a number of players for auditions yesterday. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Carolina worked out the following players: Austin Pettis (WR), Uzoma Nwachukwu (WR), Zach Bauman (RB), Toben Opurum (RB), Brad Sorensen (QB), M.D. Jennings (DB), Kimario McFadden (DB), Anthony Walters (DB), and Lou Young (DB). Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds one more name to the list, tweeting that wide receiver Michael Preston also visited the team.

Wilson has details on several more tryouts for free agent players this week, so let’s round up his updates (all links go to Twitter):

AFC East Notes: Jets, Dolphins, Brady

Let’s round up a few Wednesday updates from around the AFC East, where every team except the 1-3 Jets is tied for first place at 2-2….

  • In addition to working out fullback John Conner, who signed with the club, the Jets auditioned center Thomas Austin, tackle Michael Bamiro, and center Lemuel Jeanpierre this week, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds (via Twitter) that the club also tried out linebacker Chris Young.
  • The Dolphins worked out several players as well this week, according to Wilson, who tweets that linebackers Kaelin Burnett, Uani Unga, and Paul Hazel, along with defensive end Steven Means, were among the participants.
  • While Tom Brady‘s subpar September is hardly a reason for the Patriots to panic, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (writing for The Sporting News) outlines possible strategies for the club if Brady’s struggles continue. The former MVP’s contract ensures that his salaries for 2015, 2016, and 2017 will become fully guaranteed if he’s still on New England’s roster at the end of the 2014 season.
  • As Albert Breer of the NFL Network notes (via Twitter), Brady provided an interesting answer today when asked whether he felt the Patriots have the offensive weapons he needs to win: “We’ll see. We’ll see here in a couple months.”
  • Tight end Brandon Barden tried out this week for the Bills, tweets Wilson.

AFC West Notes: Raiders, Chiefs, Chargers

As I noted in a poll yesterday, there are only three unbeaten teams remaining in the NFL — at the other end of the spectrum, only three clubs are still looking for their first win of the season. Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap examines those three franchises in his latest piece for The Sporting News, writing of the Raiders that they’ve “built one of the strangest rosters in recent memory.”

As Fitzgerald notes, Oakland added a number of aging veterans in free agency on its way to compiling the oldest roster in the NFL, and the team handed the quarterbacking reins to rookie Derek Carr shortly after trading for high-priced veteran Matt Schaub. The Raiders figure to win some games at some point this season, but it’s hard to imagine GM Reggie McKenzie and head coach Dennis Allen still having their jobs a year from now unless things turn around quickly, writes Fitzgerald.

Here’s more from around the AFC West:

  • Although Bill Williamson of ESPN.com has received many inquiries from Raiders fans on whether or not the team has interest in free agent defensive back Champ Bailey, Williamson says the team isn’t considering the veteran at this point (Twitter link).
  • Before they signed with the Packers’ and Lions’ practice squads, respectively, offensive lineman Josh Walker and defensive back Josh Victorian worked out for the Chiefs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), who says Kansas City team also auditioned wideout Ryan Spadola.
  • In addition to the players who signed to their roster or practice squad, or those whose workouts have been previously reported, the Chargers tried out the following players, according to Wilson (via Twitter): Offensive linemen Michael Bamiro, Travis Bond, and Bryce Quigley, linebacker Yawin Smallwood, and tight end Brian Wozniak.

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….

NFC North Notes: Suh, Bennett, Packers

J.J. Watt‘s new contract could affect their Lions and their plans regarding Ndamukong Suh, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Watt arguably has been the NFL’s most destructive player the last two seasons. He had 20.5 sacks and 16 pass deflections in 2012, 10.5 sacks last year, and is two years younger than Suh. Still, Suh has the threat of free agency as leverage for a new deal. Here’s tonight’s look at the NFC North..

  • When asked why free agent wide receiver Earl Bennett wasn’t called to replace the injured Marquess Wilson, Bears GM Phil Emery said, “Don’t assume that Earl was not called,” according to Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times (on Twitter).
  • The Packers have worked out offensive linemen Michael BamiroManase Foketi, and Adam Gettis, as well as cornerback Robert Steeples, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Earlier today Green Bay worked out quarterbacks Jeff Mathews, Pat Devlin, and Jon Jennings.
  • The Bears auditioned linebacker Nate Askew and defensive backs Shamiel Gary and Josh Thomas, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

Eagles Cut 14

The Eagles have announced their first wave of roster cuts:

    • Blake Annen, TE
    • Michael Bamiro, OL
    • Karim Barton, OL
    • Kadron Boone, WR
    • B.J. Cunningham, WR
    • Donald Hawkins, OL
    • Emil Igwenagu, TE
    • Jake Knott, LB
    • Joe Kruger, DE
    • Daytawion Lowe, S
    • Frances Mays, DE
    • Davon Morgan, S
    • Carey Spear, K
    • Alejandro Villanueva, DE

Knott is somewhat of a surprise given his special-teams contributions last season, but he dealt with a hamstring injury during training camp and faces a four-game suspension.

NFC East Notes: Beckham Jr., Bryant, Mathis

After receiving a $5MM cap credit on June 1 for cutting offensive lineman David Baas in March, the Giants have just over $7MM to spend on fine-tuning the roster, writes Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com. 91 players are currently under contract for the G-Men, with a team cap of $124.98MM.

As Ranaan points out, $7MM might sound like a lot of money, but 20 teams have more room to spend. All seven 2014 draftees except for third-round defensive tackle Jay Bromley have signed their rookie deals, and it’s only a matter of time before the former Syracuse Orange joins the fold.

More news and notes from the AFC East below…

  • Giants first-round wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is being rested for precautionary reasons while recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him at OTAs, reports National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson. Beckham told reporters he’s also suffering from a tight back.
  • Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden waxed poetic about his former college and current pro teammate, Dez Bryant, per The Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota. “He’s unbelievable at what he does,” Weeden said. “It’s the same stuff he did when he was 18 when he came in. I have said it when we came in the same year, he’s just a freak. The guy is probably the most passionate football player. He loves the game more than anyone I’ve ever been around.” Both players arrived at Oklahoma State in 2007. 
  • At a function honoring former Arkansas head football coach and athletic director Frank Broyles, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said nothing has made him prouder than to know the Arkansas Razorbacks — Jones’ Alma mater — will play at AT&T Stadium next season, tweets Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News Bureau.
  • Eagles guard Evan Mathis said the team is light years ahead of where it was compared to this time last year, reports CSNPhilly.com’s Michael Barkann. “This year, you can just see so much more confidence on the field. Everybody’s executing, it’s much more crisp, and that’s what you get with a year under this system.” 
  • Michael Bamiro has been working mainly at right guard on the Eagles‘ second-team offensive line, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher.
  • According to a tweet by last year’s No. 4 overall pick Lane Johnson, the Eagles‘ rookie dinner totaled nearly $18k, including a $3,495 bottle of wine.
  • Eagles first-round pick Marcus Smith, who will be outside linebacker in Philadelphia’s base 3-4, was tabbed by National Football Post’s Greg Gabriel as one of five players to keep an eye on during the 2014 NFL Season.
  • Niles Paul, the Redskins wide receiver and core special teams player, is optimistic about a potential turnout for the ST unit under Ben Kotwica, the first-year coordinator, writes CSNWashington.com’s Tarik El-Bashir.
  • Training camp practices under new Redskins head coach Jay Gruden will likely start earlier, end later and feature a longer break in between sessions, reports CSNWashington.com’s Rich Tandler.
  • Learning his fifth offensive system in five years, Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy likes the fit in Washington and is eager to learn behind Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III, writes ESPN.com’s John Keim.

Giants Sign 13 Players To Futures Contracts

JANUARY 7TH: The Giants signed quarterback Ricky Stanzi to a reserve/futures deal, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (via Twitter). Combined with their signing of kicker Chris Boswell from earlier today, the tally is now up to 13 for Big Blue.

DECEMBER 29TH: Joining a handful of other teams, the Giants have signed several players to reserve/futures contracts today, locking them up for the offseason. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter links), the following 11 players signed deals with New York today:

Of those 11 players, nine were on the team’s practice squad at season’s end. Jackson and Malone are the new additions, while cornerback Victor Hampton was the only taxi squad player not to receive a new deal.