Will Smith (LB)

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/25/15

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..

  • The Dolphins announced (via Twitter) that they have placed safety Louis Delmas on the Reserve/Injured list.
  • The Patriots announced that they have released fullback Eric Kettani. Kettani, 28, originally signed with New England as a rookie free agent out of Navy in 2009 and after spending time on the Reserve Military list, he went to training camp with the Patriots in 2011 and spent part of the 2011 and 2012 seasons on the team’s practice squad. Kettani also spent time on the practice squad with Washington (2012), Kansas City (2013) and Jacksonville (2014).
  • The Cowboys cut Will Smith from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Jets signed linebacker Bryan Johnson and waived tight end Steve Maneri, Brian Costello of The Post tweets.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/15

Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:

  • The Bills have signed cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks and waived/injured receiver Caleb Holley, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets.
  • The Cowboys have signed defensive back Brandon Smith, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room for Smith, the Cowboys waived/injured Chris Whaley, who tore his Achilles on Monday (link).
  • After getting word that JaCorey Shepherd suffered a torn ACL and will be out for the season, the Eagles added another cornerback to their roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed former Ravens seventh-round pick Marc Anthony.
  • The Lions have placed tight end David Ausberry on their injured reserve list, ending his season, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Twentyman adds that the team signed cornerback Jocquel Skinner to fill the newly-created roster opening.
  • In addition to confirming their previously reported signing of defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, the Buccaneers announced several more moves today in a press release. Tampa Bay signed punter Karl Schmitz, who was cut earlier this week by Denver, and waived rookie linebackers Quinton Alston and Sammuel Lamur.
  • To make room on their roster for new kicker Garrett Hartley, the Steelers waived/injured QB/WR Devin Gardner, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Gardner, who originally signed with the Patriots as an undrafted rookie out of Michigan in May, figures to land on Pittsburgh’s IR if he clears waivers.
  • The Cardinals have made a change in their secondary, re-signing safety Ross Weaver and cutting another safety, D.J. Campbell, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
  • The Falcons have removed safety Terell Floyd from their roster, reaching an injury settlement with him, according to the team.
  • Three months after signing him as an undrafted free agent, the Packers have cut rookie wideout Ricky Collins, the club announced today in a press release. Battling a heel injury, Collins never got off Green Bay’s PUP list during camp.
  • After clearing waivers, linebacker Matt Robinson will revert to the Jaguars‘ IR with a hamstring injury, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
  • According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link), the NFL reinstated the previously-terminated contract between the Cowboys and linebacker Will Smith, who is back on the team’s injured reserve list.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/15

Here are Saturday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Colts made several moves along their offensive line today, adding guard Dionte Savage while waiving guard Kitt O’Brien and tackle Matt Hall (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). O’Brien lost his roster spot quickly, as he was just signed yesterday.
  • In Kansas City, the Chiefs have also been busy, signing offensive tackle Anthony Dima and receiver Adam Drake, and waiving linebacker Sage Harold and receiver Armon Binns, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
  • The Rams have signed defensive tackle Marcus Forston, who has spent the past few years with the Patriots, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In order to create a roster spot, the team waived running back Terrence Franks, a 2015 undrafted rookie free agent (Twitter link).
  • The Cowboys have removed linebacker Justin Anderson from their injured reserve list, according to Wilson (Twitter link), who reports Dallas reached an injury settlement with Anderson. The Cowboys also cut fellow linebacker Will Smith, who, like Anderson, had been on the club’s IR.

Earlier updates:

  • The Browns signed former Ravens tryout cornerback Joe Rankin, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). A 2014 undrafted player from Division I-FCS Morgan State, Rankin worked as an overnight forklift operator to save enough money to train for another NFL opportunity.
  • Former Arena League and CFL cog Shawn Lemon signed with the 49ers, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (on Twitter). The Steelers waived the 26-year-old outside linebacker last week.
  • The Steelers have placed safety Isaiah Lewis on the waived/injured list, and they’ve signed safety Jordan Dangerfield to take his spot, the team announced (via Twitter). Lewis, a former undrafted rookie, was signed to a futures contract at the end of last season. The Michigan State product had been battling a hamstring injury for most of camp. Dangerfield has previously been with the Steelers, participating in their 2014 camp and practice squad before being signed to a futures contract. He was waived last month when Pittsburgh added offensive lineman Kelvin Palmer.
  • The Lions have waived cornerback Ethan Davis, tweets ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein. The undrafted rookie had joined Detroit earlier this week.

More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/15

We rounded up several minor transactions from around the league earlier today, but teams have been busy since then, so we’ve got many more moves to recap. Here’s the latest:

  • The Cowboys have signed offensive tackle Cody Clay after a workout, reports Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The team waive/injured linebacker Will Smith, who was unavailable due to a groin injury.
  • Isaiah Pead and the Rams have agreed a new deal for the final year of his contract on July 30th, reports Howard Balzer of FoxSportsMidwest.com (via Twitter). His base salary was reduced from $940,650 to $585,000 for 2015 (via Twitter).
  • Veteran tight end Alex Smith – not to be confused with the quarterback of the same name – has signed with the Saints, who waived rookie tight end Jack Tabb with an injury designation, tweets Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
  • The Steelers have placed defensive end Clifton Geathers on their injured reserve list, signing free agent defensive tackle Joe Okafor to take his place, the team announced today (via Twitter). As a veteran player, Geathers didn’t have to pass through waivers before landing on IR.
  • In addition to confirming the previously-reported signing of running back Michael Ford, the Falcons also made a few more moves. As Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter), the club signed tight end D.J. Tialavea, waived wide receiver Freddie Martino, and waived/injured tight Beau Gardner, who injured his knee.
  • Safety Robert Smith, waived yesterday by the Colts, has been claimed by the Seahawks, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Seattle cut safety Ty Zimmerman to clear room on the roster.
  • The Titans have made a change at the fullback position, signing Zach Boren and waiving undrafted rookie Connor Neighbors with an injury designation, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online (Twitter link).
  • The Giants have signed rookie safety Justin Halley, waiving receiver Chris Harper with an injured designation to create an opening on the roster, per Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
  • The Patriots have reached an injury settlement with defensive lineman Vince Taylor, removing him from their injured reserve list, tweets Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/2015

Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • Wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, who was cut by the Bengals earlier this week to make room for Greg Little, was claimed off waivers by the Dolphins, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Miami waived another wideout, Kai De La Cruz, just three days after signing him in order to clear room on the roster for Hamilton.
  • The Giants created two roster openings today by waiving two players with injury designations. Per Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), tight end Matt LaCosse (hamstring) and defensive end Brad Harrah (quad) were cut.
  • The Vikings have a full roster again after signing wide receiver Ryan Whalen, a former sixth-round pick, tweets Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune.
  • The Jets cut fullback J.C. Copeland today after a poor showing in practice, according to Connor Hughes of the Journal Inquirer and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

  • A sixth running back is coming to the Eagles, with rookie free agent Kevin Monangai signing with the team, per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Monangai starred at Villanova, scoring 29 career touchdowns in four years with the Division I-FCS Wildcats.
  • The Patriots‘ roster stands at 87 players following the cutting of cornerback Justin Green and linebacker D.J. Lynch, reports WEEI’s Mike Petraglia. Green signed with New England as an undrafted free agent in 2013, playing in two games since, with practice squad time in between. Lynch came to the Pats this offseason as a rookie free agent from Bowling Green.
  • The Bills‘ roster now sits at 89 players after the team claimed Terren Jones off waivers from the Titans, ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak reports, on Twitter. An undrafted free agent who signed with the Falcons in 2013, the 6-foot-7, 341-pound Jones becomes the fifth offensive tackle on Buffalo’s roster. He’s spent time with the Titans, Ravens and Washington, playing in one game in two seasons.
  • To clear space for wideout Trent Steelman, the Ravens cut quarterback Jerry Lovelocke, according to CSNBaltimore.com’s Clifton Brown (Twitter link). Levelocke came to the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in May from Prairie View A&M. A former Army quarterback, Steelman will vie for a roster or practice squad spot at wide receiver. Eligible for the 2013 draft and a participant in the Ravens’ rookie minicamp that year, Steelman was released from active duty in Dec. 2014 in order to pursue an NFL career.
  • The Falcons swapped out one offensive lineman for another, in signing Pierce Burton and waiving Harland Gunn, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). The Vikings originally signed Burton as an undrafted free agent last offseason, while Gunn played in 13 games for Atlanta from 2012-14 after signing there as an undrafted rookie in 2012.
  • Washington signed rookie cornerback Deshazor Everett and released fellow first-year player Dasman McCullum, a linebacker, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). Everett is an undrafted product from Texas A&M and will serve as secondary depth while Bashaud Breeland recovers from a torn MCL.
  • The Cowboys signed Will Smith, a linebacker taken by the team in the seventh round of the 2014 draft before spending his rookie campaign on Dallas’ practice squad, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter).

Cowboys Transactions: McCray, Swaim, Baggs

The Cowboys signed safety Danny McCray to a one-year deal, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. McCray spent the first four years of his career with the Cowboys before joining the Bears last year to follow special teams coach Joe DeCamillis. The former Cowboys UDFA signing played in 15 games last season and had 10 special teams tackles. Here’s a look at the rest of the moves the Cowboys made today..

  • The Cowboys signed seventh-round draft pick Geoff Swaim to a four-year deal, as Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News writes. Swaim’s maximum allowable cap figure in 2015 will be $448K. According to Sabin, the University of Texas product is expected to serve as a blocking tight end. The 6’4″ tight end played in 26 career games for UT, including 22 starts, after transferring from Butte College in California.
  • More from Sabin, who writes that the Cowboys also signed UDFA linebacker Donnie Baggs. Baggs, from Texas A&M, was a tryout player last weekend during the team’s rookie minicamp.
  • To make room for McCray and Baggs, the Cowboys waived linebackers Keith Smith and Will Smith. Keith Smith appeared in ten games last season while Will Smith had several stints on the practice squad.

Cowboys Sign Eight Players To Futures Deals

In the wake of their season-ending loss to the Packers on Sunday, the Cowboys have moved quickly to lock up their coaches without contracts, and they’re doing the same for their practice squad players. Per Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com, the ‘Boys have re-signed seven players who finished the season on their taxi squad, plus Troy Davis, who was on the squad’s IR list. Here’s the full list of signees:

Of the players who finished the season on Dallas’ practice squad, only defensive tackle Davon Coleman and cornerback Micah Pellerin have yet to sign new deals.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

As usual, Tuesday means plenty of practice squad signings and cuts for teams around the NFL. Here are today’s practice squad moves, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • To make room for their new practice squad additions, the Broncos have released defensive end Zach Thompson and wide receiver Douglas McNeil, tweets Mike Klis of The Denver Post.
  • The Saints signed former Chiefs inside linebacker Jerry Franklin to their practice squad, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
  • According to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (via Twitter), tackle Mark Asper and defensive back Josh Bush have joined the Broncos‘ practice squad. Denver previously had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait for word on which players are being replaced.
  • The Bengals have swapped one linebacker for another on their taxi squad, signing Terrell Manning and dropping Justin Jackson, per the team (Twitter link).
  • The Cowboys have made a few changes to their practice squad, releasing guard Jeff Baca and linebacker Will Smith and adding linebacker Keith Smith and cornerback Robert Steeples to replace them (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • Rookie running back Dominique Williams, who was with the Vikings in camp, has re-signed with the team, joining the practice squad, according to a press release. Minnesota had a full 10-man unit, but now no longer lists safety Pierre Warren on its roster, so perhaps he was signed away by another club — the Saints, Warren’s former team, would be the most likely candidate.
  • In addition to making multiple changes to their 53-man roster, the Colts also tweaked their practice squad today, adding running back Michael Hill and cutting wide receiver Eric Thomas, the team announced today. We’ll have to wait to see whether Hill, the only running back on Indianapolis’ practice squad, has a chance to be promoted in Ahmad Bradshaw‘s absence, or if the team will opt for a veteran replacement instead.
  • The Falcons have filled the 10th and final spot on their taxi squad by signing former Oregon defensive tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli, per Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (Twitter link).
  • Having recently worked out for the club, cornerback Marcus Cromartie has joined the 49ers‘ practice squad, replacing tight end Xavier Grimble, who has been cut, according to the club (Twitter link).
  • Outside linebacker Cordarro Law, who was cut from the Chargers‘ active roster prior to Sunday’s game against the Raiders, has re-signed with the team’s practice squad, according to the Chargers’ transactions list.

Cowboys To Sign Dekoda Watson

4:51pm: The Cowboys will cut linebacker Will Smith to make room for Watson, but they hope to re-sign him to the taxi squad, according to Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter).

8:16am: The Cowboys will sign linebacker Dekoda Watson, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Watson was waived by the Jaguars earlier this week.

The Jags signed Watson, a former Buccaneers linebacker, to a three-year deal this past offseason that included $1.5MM in guaranteed money. However, he battled multiple injuries during OTAs and training camp and didn’t produce much once he got onto the field.

The 26-year-old has 69 career games of experience dating back to 2010. In 2013 with Tampa Bay, Watson appeared in 15 games and recorded 42 tackles and two sacks. This season with the Jaguars, Watson started in just one game and turned in a total of 14 tackles.