HEADLINES

William Powell

North Notes: Hawk, Packers, Leonard

December 11th, 2014 at 8:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Ravens safety Will Hill has the talent and he’s determined to stay out of trouble so that it can shine through, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. “My living habits, I don’t go out on the town much,” Hill said. “I sit in the house with my family. I used to be a nightclub guy, especially coming out of college. I’ve just been watching a lot of movies. I’m a homebody. I took a long look in the mirror and decided to change a lot of things.” More from the AFC and NFC North..

  • Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com wonders if we’re seeing the end of A.J. Hawk in a Packers uniform. The 30-year-old has spent his entire career with Green Bay ever since being drafted fifth overall in 2006, but he has seen his role diminish as of late. Hawk, who is owed $3.5MM in salary and bonuses in 2015, says he doesn’t plan on hanging ’em up after this year.
  • Echoing comments he made back at the start of training camp, Browns safety Jim Leonhard said today that he continues to plan to retire from the NFL at season’s end, tweets Michael Beaven of the Akron Beacon Journal. “It’s time,” Leonhard said. “For me, I’ve made the decision. It’s more of mentally being ready to move on rather than the physical side” (Twitter link).
  • The Ravens tried out wide receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu and running backs William Powell and Derrick Strozier, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

October 22nd, 2014 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll keep tabs on Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts right here, as teams look to fill out their units and make sure they have insurance for positions hit hard by injuries. Here’s the latest:

  • The Saints have filled the 10th and final opening on their practice squad by re-signing linebacker Todd Davis, who was waived earlier this week, tweets Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.

Earlier updates:

  • Despite being in London for the week, the Lions have made a change to their practice squad, signing safety Jerome Couplin, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter links). The unlucky roster casualty is running back William Powell, who will have to return stateside.
  • After being cut by the team and clearing waivers, defensive lineman Jacobbi McDaniel has returned to the Browns‘ practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, who tweets that the club has also added wide receiver L’Damian Washington.
  • As anticipated, linebacker Shaquil Barrett has officially re-signed with the Broncos‘ practice squad, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

September 30th, 2014 at 6:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday is often a busy day for practice squad transactions, as teams fill spots vacated by players who were promoted over the weekend, or shuffle their 10-man units around based on injuries to the 53-man roster during Sunday’s games. We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad signings and cuts right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day….

  • The Lions have added running back William Powell to their practice squad, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter). Powell, 26, was cut by the Texans in late August.
  • The Titans have released quarterback Brad Sorensen from their practice squad, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link). Sorensen was a Chargers seventh-round pick in 2013.
  • The Jets have swapped out one cornerback for another, adding LeQuan Lewis to their PS while removing Brandon Smith, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
  • The Panthers’ practice squad is now full after Carolina signed linebacker Horace Miller and running back Tauren Poole, the team announced on Twitter.
  • The Eagles removed two players from their practice squad, cutting linebacker Brandon Hepburn and offensive tackle Tyler Hoover, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Linebacker Jake Knott will return Philly’s PS after serving a four-game PED suspension, says Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
  • The Rams have re-signed tight end Brad Smelley to their practice squad, tweets Howard Balzer. To clear a roster spot, St. Louis cut defensive end Kourtnei Brown from the PS.

Earlier Updates:

  • The Texans have placed receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu on the practice squad injured list, tweets Palmer. Houston’s PS is now down to eight players.
  • The Dolphins have filled their final taxi squad slot by adding defensive end Emmanuel Dieke, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Dieke was cut by the Giants last month.
  • Browns long snapper Christian Yount may be looking over his shoulder this week, as the Browns announced they’ve added long snapper Charley Hughlett to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter). Hughlett replaces defensive lineman Calvin Barnett.
  • The Bills have swapped one tight end for another, replacing D.J. Tialavea with Jamie Childers, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
  • Kicker Chris Boswell has been removed from the Texans‘ practice squad, per James Palmer of CSNHouston.com (Twitter link).
  • Nose tackle Robert Thomas has replaced fellow defensive lineman Hebron Fangupo on the Redskins‘ practice squad, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. Thomas went unclaimed on waivers after being cut by Washington on the weekend.
  • The Dolphins have removed cornerback Rod Sweeting from their practice squad, signing tight end Jake Murphy to take his place, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
  • Wideout Travis Labhart, who was on the Texans‘ practice squad earlier this season, will rejoin Houston’s unit, a source tells David Nuño of KTRK-TV in Houston (Twitter link). The team currently has no openings, so one of the 10 current players will need to be cut or promoted to clear room for Labhart.

Texans Release Nine Players

August 25th, 2014 at 9:25am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Texans’ roster now sits at 79 after they released the nine players this morning, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston. Additionally, offensive tackle David Quessenberry, who is dealing with lymphoma, was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list.

Powell and Sidbury are the most notable names here — Powell had 59 carries for the Cardinals in 2012, while Sidbury is a former fourth-round pick with five years of NFL experience.

Extra Points: Cardinals, Smith, Kasa, 49ers

August 13th, 2014 at 10:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer is very excited about the addition of two backup wide receivers, writes Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic. Ted Ginn Jr., signed in free agency, and John Brown, drafted in the third round, have made Arizona faster. “It opens up everything,” Palmer said. “It opens up the running game. You don’t want to leave a guy one-on-one in press coverage against Ted; it’s a tough matchup for any corner. So it takes an extra guy out of the box in some situations. It helps the running game.” More from around the league..

  • Some may be wondering how much Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith has left in the tank, but Andy Benoit of MMQB believes that he was the best offseason signing in the NFL. Smith, he argues, still has the speed, stop/start acceleration and body control to consistently beat man coverage. The 35-year-old is 19th all-time in NFL history in receiving yards (12,197) and 25th in receptions (836).
  • Bad news for Raiders tight end Nick Kasa as the preliminary reports are indicating that he has torn his ACL, tweets Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. If that’s the case, he’ll be done for the year and a source told Bair that he is in fact done for 2014.
  • Former University of South Florida linebacker Aaron Lynch could wind up being the surprise pick of the 49ers‘ draft, writes Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Lynch had a number of red flags in the eyes of NFL scouts, but he has tremendous speed and is working hard to learn the position after playing defensive end in college.
  • Packers GM Ted Thompson has been at this for a while, but he’s still critical of himself when he makes mistakes, writes Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel. “We got through that annually when we’re gearing up for a new draft with post-draft analysis. You look at that. You don’t beat yourself up too much. It’s not an exact science,” said the GM.
  • William Powell‘s two-year deal with the Texans is a split contract worth $1.08MM with minimum base salaries and no guaranteed money, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Powell last appeared in the NFL with the Cardinals in 2012, rushing for 216 yards off of 59 carries.
  • Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith is a big, big fan of quarterback Josh McCown. In fact, Lovie likes him so much that he’s tried to sign him three times over the years and was successful twice, tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. He was rebuffed once because McCown refused to renege on his UFL commitment.
  • Poor salary cap management and planning by the Lions front office has all but eliminated the possibility of signing Ndamukong Suh to a contract extension that makes sense for the team, writes Jason Fitzgerald for The Sporting News. The best option at this point, he says, is for the Lions to strongly consider trading Suh to the highest bidder before the preseason concludes.

Minor Moves: Monday

August 11th, 2014 at 9:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • In addition to releasing Andre Brown, the Texans have also cut running backs Dennis Johnson (via tweet from ESPN’s Tania Ganguli) and Tim Cornett (via tweet from Fox Houston’s Mark Berman).
  • The Texans have added a running back, as ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that the team has added William Powell on a two-year deal.
  • Former Redskins cornerback Peyton Thompson has cleared waivers and is now a free agent, tweets Zac Boyer of The Washington Times.

Earlier updates:

  • According to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), tight end Richard Quinn has been placed on the Saints‘ reserve-retired list, so it appears the former second-round pick has elected to end his playing career.
  • Wide receiver Quintin Payton was cut by the Lions today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The move clears a spot for new wideout Conner Vernon, who Detroit claimed off waivers from the Bengals, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
  • The Chiefs have signed safety Jonathon Amaya, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Per a series of tweets from Wilson and ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson, the following players have cleared waivers and been placed on their respective teams’ IR lists: Ben Malena (Cowboys), Daniel Adongo (Colts), Jeris Pendleton (Colts), Dezman Moses (Chiefs), Alvin Scioneaux (Chargers), Mike Taylor (Seahawks), and Chuck Jacobs (49ers).
  • Less than a week after signing him, the Browns have waived tight end Kyle Auffray, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
  • Tight end Brad Smelley, who was on the Rams‘ roster briefly at the end of last season, has been re-signed to take the place of Mason Brodine, who sustained a fractured ankle (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner).
  • As the Dolphins explore the free agent market for quarterbacks, they parted ways with one of their undrafted rookies, former North Dakota State signal-caller Brock Jensen (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). With the open roster spot, the club re-added running back Cameron Marshall.
  • The Colts have signed defensive end Gannon Conway, cutting offensive lineman Eric Pike to make room on the roster, tweets assistant director of communications Matt Conti.
  • Running back Jawan Jamison has been waived by the Steelers, according to the team’s PR man Burt Lauten (on Twitter).
  • With the empty 90th spot on the roster, the Cowboys will sign Australian punter Tom Hornsey, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Incumbent punter Chris Jones ranked in the league’s top ten last season according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and has had a solid camp, so Hornsey seems unlikely to make the team.

AFC Notes: Jones, Texans, Raiders, Browns

August 11th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals will be without wide receiver Marvin Jones for at least “a few weeks,” according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Jones broke his foot and had a pin put in his fifth metatarsal. The timetable for Jones’ return isn’t clear yet, but Hobson suggests (via Twitter) that placing him on the short-term IR isn’t entirely out of the question — I doubt the Bengals make that move, but we probably shouldn’t expect to see the wideout back on the field by the time Cincinnati’s regular season gets underway.

Here’s more from across the AFC:

  • The Texans worked out veteran running backs Ronnie Brown, Brian Leonard, and William Powell today, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). None of the three were immediately signed by the club.
  • While a move to San Antonio by the Raiders already seemed very unlikely, a new report may further reduce Mark Davis‘ interest in South Texas. According to Tom Orsborn and Josh Baugh of the San Antonio Express-News, the Spurs’ ownership group would want a controlling interest in any NFL franchise that moved to San Antonio.
  • Only about a week after he was claimed off waivers from Seattle by the Browns, offensive lineman Michael Bowie suffered a shoulder injury that may sideline him for the season. Head coach Mike Pettine says no decision has been made yet, though it’s looking like Bowie will be out for the year, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
  • Ulrich was also among the reporters who spoke to Jordan Cameron today, and the tight end said talks with the Browns on a contract extension have been ongoing and positive. Cameron is hopeful that something can be worked out in time for the regular season (Twitter link).
  • Although they auditioned a few veteran quarterbacks today, it seems the Dolphins wanted a look at those players just in case they need one down the road, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, adding that the club doesn’t necessarily need to bring one aboard right now (Twitter link).
  • After rewarding him in the offseason with a lucrative four-year contract extension, the Colts are hoping for elite play out of cornerback Vontae Davis in 2014 and beyond, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.

Seahawks Work Out Three Running Backs

July 26th, 2014 at 6:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks have given no indication that they’re willing to relent in their ongoing standoff with Marshawn Lynch, and the latest report from Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post is another sign that the team is preparing for life without its top running back. According to Wilson, the Seahawks worked out three running backs this weekend, with Phillip Tanner, Orwin Smith, and William Powell auditioning for the club.

Lynch, who is holding out for a contract extension or a raise, is not in attendance at Seattle’s training camp, prompting the club to place him on its reserve/did not report list. Players with such a designation don’t count toward a 90-man roster, though the Seahawks have already filled that spot – and their other opening – by signing a pair of defenders earlier today. Still, if the team is increasingly concerned that Lynch won’t report, signing a running back and waiving another player is a possibility.

Of the three backs who worked out for the Seahawks, Tanner has appeared in the most NFL games, spending most of the last three seasons with the Cowboys and receiving 56 carries during his stint in Dallas. Powell, with 59 career carries for 216 yards, plus 19 receptions, has better overall numbers than Tanner, though every one of those touches came in the 2012 seasons with Arizona. Smith, a Georgia Tech product who spent time on the Packers’ practice squad last year, has yet to appear in a regular season NFL game.