Zach Thompson

Workout Updates: 1/21/16

Thursday’s workout news from around the NFL:

  • A pair of Montreal Alouettes cornerbacks auditioned for the Cowboys this week (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Facebook): Mitchell White (brother of Giants wideout Myles White) and Mycal Swaim (brother of Cowboys tight end Geoff Swaim). White had previously worked out for the Cardinals, while Swaim spent time in Buccaneers training camp.
  • The Seahawks auditioned four players today (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter): linebackers Curtis Grant and Zach Thompson and offensive linemen Ian Joseph and Julian Vandervelde.
  • The Browns tried out kicker Kyle Brindza, tweets ESPN’s Field Yates. The 23-year-old has spent time with the Buccaneers and Lions.
  • Yates also notes that running back Isaiah Pead visited the Vikings. The former second-round pick has compiled 78 rushing yards on 19 career attempts.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/7/15

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.

  • The Ravens released defensive end Zach Thompson from their injured reserve list, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The 6-foot-5 Wake Forest alum has spent his two seasons with the Broncos and Ravens, but has yet to see any game action.
  • Washington safety Trenton Robinson cleared waivers and is bound for the team’s injured reserve, Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. Robinson was waived/injured Saturday.
  • The Browns claimed former Bills center Gabe Ikard on waivers, according to his agent Ken Sarnoff (via Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk). A 25-year-old snapper who played in three games with the Bills this season, Ikard went undrafted before catching on with the Titans last season. The Browns lost starting guard Joel Bitonio to an ankle injury Sunday, creating the need for interior-line depth.

Ravens Finalize 53-Man Roster

After making five moves on Friday, the Ravens completed the annual process of determining a 53-man roster by cutting 15 more players, Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com reports.

Among those released is cornerback Cassius Vaughn, who started 23 games in five seasons with the Broncos and Colts. The team waived/injured defensive linemen DeAngelo Tyson and Micajah Reynolds and sent rookie outside linebacker Zach Thompson to injured reserve.

The additional cuts are as follows:

  • OLB Brennen Beyer
  • WR Jeremy Butler
  • CB Asa Jackson
  • G Kaleb Johnson
  • OL Jah Reid
  • RB Terrence Magee
  • G Robert Myers
  • S Nick Perry
  • QB Bryn Renner
  • TE Konrad Reuland
  • FB Kiero Small
  • RB Fitzgerald Toussaint

 

Ravens Sign Nine To Reserve/Futures Deals

Earlier today, the Ravens announced that they have signed nine players to reserve/futures deals. Here’s the full list, courtesy of Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter)..

Several of those players spent time on Baltimore’s taxi squad, but Renner is a new addition to Baltimore after going undrafted last year. The QB was initially signed by Denver as a UDFA before being cut in late August.

Ravens Place Rick Wagner On IR

The Ravens announced that they have placed tackle Rick Wagner on injured reserve, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets. To fill his spot, Baltimore moved defensive end Steven Means up to the 53-man roster to fill the open space. In related moves, the Ravens also waived defensive end Zach Thompson from the practice squad and signed a pair of offensive linemen in tackle Nate Menkin and guard J.J. Unga.

Wagner, 25, is in his second season and his first as a starter. He has been stellar this season, grading out as the best pass-blocking right tackle in the league according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Overall, he ranks as the second-best right tackle in the NFL behind Sebastian Vollmer of the Patriots. In his absence, the Ravens will either start reserve undrafted rookie James Hurst or shuffle the offensive line against the Browns, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Baltimore could also move right guard Marshal Yanda to right tackle and insert rookie John Urschel in Yanda’s spot. Wagner is the 18th player the Ravens have placed on IR this season.

Thompson, 23, joined Baltimore’s taxi squad just last week. Unga was with the Ravens during training camp.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

We’ve already got one ongoing post designed to track today’s minor 53-man roster moves from around the league, but we’ll use this space to keep tabs on Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts. Here’s the latest:

  • The Saints added guard Andrew Miller to the taxi squad while releasing offensive tackle DeMarcus Love and defensive tackle Garrison Smith, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Panthers cut running back Tauren Poole from their taxi squad yet again and replaced him by re-signing Micanor Regis, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
  • A source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) that the Chiefs have cut tight end Adam Schiltz, creating a second open spot on the Kansas City practice squad.
  • The Cowboys have their practice squad back up to 10 players, signing linebacker Mister Alexander to fill the final opening, says Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
  • Wide receiver Travis Labhart has been placed on the Texans‘ practice squad-injured list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Having lost cornerback Chance Casey to the Raiders, the 49ers replaced him on their practice squad by signing cornerback Cameron Fuller, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Earlier updates:

  • The Ravens have filled up their practice squad by signing cornerback Quinton Pointer, the team announced today.
  • Earlier today, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reported (via Twitter) that the Texans were working out quarterback Seth Lobato, but the club ended up signing another quarterback to its taxi squad. Ricky Stanzi is the signal-caller that landed with the Texans, tweets Wilson.
  • The Jets have signed former Marshall linebacker Mario Harvey to their practice squad, according to the team (Twitter link).
  • After cutting him over the weekend, Washington has re-signed linebacker Steve Beauharnais to the club’s practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team also added defensive tackle Isaako Aaitui to the unit, cutting linebacker Justin Jackson to accommodate the move (Twitter link).
  • Having lost Zach Mettenberger and Jake Locker to injuries, the Titans added quarterback Jordan Palmer to their active roster yesterday, and have added another signal-caller to their practice squad today for emergency purposes. Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean tweets that QB Alex Tanney has signed with Tennessee’s taxi squad.
  • Former Wake Forest defensive lineman Zach Thompson is signing to the Ravens‘ practice squad, taking one of the two open spots on the unit, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The 49ers have brought back a player who was part of the club’s practice squad earlier this season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve re-added tight end Xavier Grimble.

AFC West Notes: Streater, Mathews, Workouts

Having carried 52 players instead of 53 since Tuesday, it appeared as if the Raiders were saving a roster spot for wide receiver Rod Streater, who received the designation to return earlier in the year, and is now eligible to come off the IR list. However, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (via Twitter) that Streater will be inactive for the rest of the season, rehabbing his foot injury and preparing for the 2015 campaign. That means that open spot on Oakland’s 53-man roster will likely be used on another player.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC West….

  • After five up and down seasons in San Diego, Ryan Mathews will be eligible for unrestricted free agency at season’s end, and Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes the running back’s time left with the Chargers can be measured in weeks. In Acee’s view, Mathews’ injury history should have the team looking for other options, in spite of the 27-year-old’s obvious talents.
  • We previously heard that the Broncos worked out former Dolphins quarterback Seth Lobato this week, but the team auditioned a dozen more players, including five wide receivers, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The full list: WR Chandler Jones, WR Jeremy Kelley, WR Alex Neutz, WR Kerry Taylor, WR Kyle Williams, RB Tim Cornett, RB Turner Petersen, TE Jake Byrne, TE Xavier Grimble, OL Bruce Doyle, OL Andrew Miller, and DE Shawn Lemon.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along details on the Raiders‘ most recent visits and workouts, in a pair of tweets: Oakland tried out tight end running backs Terrance Cobb and Ronnie Wingo, as well as wide receiver Clyde Gates. The club also received a visit from running back David Fluellen.
  • The Chiefs worked out wide receiver Corbin Louks and defensive end Zach Thompson, Wilson adds in another tweet.

East Notes: Revis, Washington, Jets, Giants

There were times last season in Tampa Bay when Darrelle Revis didn’t necessarily look like one of the league’s best cornerbacks, but the veteran corner has re-established himself this year in New England, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Sando (Insider link), who calls Revis the year’s No. 1 free agent or trade acquisition. The East’s two division leaders get nods in Sando’s piece, with the Patriots being recognized for their signing of Revis and the Eagles lauded for their trade for Darren Sproles, who ranks seventh on the list.

Here’s more from around the NFC and AFC East divisions:

  • Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com expects quarterback Colt McCoy to return to Washington next season, but notes that McCoy is eligible for free agency, and if he reaches the open market, he’ll likely get offers from other teams after holding his own as a starter this year.
  • 35-year-old Washington safety Ryan Clark is focused on finishing this season strong, and isn’t thinking about his NFL future, writes Liz Clarke of the Washington Post. Still, while Clark stopped short of saying he’ll retire, he indicated that this season could be his last.
  • The Jets brought in several players for tryouts this week, focusing on the defensive line and special teams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Wilson reports that the club worked out defensive linemen Ben BassKona Schwenke, and Zach Thompson, punters Kasey Redfern and Jacob Schum, and long snapper Patrick Scales.
  • In addition to working out cornerback Keith Lewis, whose audition was previously reported, Washington also took a look at running back Terrance Cobb and offensive lineman Rishaw Johnson earlier this week, tweets Wilson. Johnson has since signed with the division-rival Giants‘ practice squad.
  • Those Giants worked out several players of their own this week, per Wilson, who provides the list of participants (Twitter link): D.J. Bryant (OLB), Mike Golic Jr. (OL), Dion Lewis (RB), Jordan McCray (OL), and Uani Unga (LB).

North Notes: Suh, Lions, Browns, Bengals

In terms of tiebreakers, a loss to an NFC team like the Saints wouldn’t be devastating, but Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t want to hear any of that heading into Sunday’s game, writes Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I absolutely think it is a must-win,” he said. “We feel that this is a very important game and we have to put together a stretch of football like we never played before.” Tonight’s look at the North divisions..

  • Lions coach Jim Caldwell said he supports Ndamukong Suh‘s business interests, but he wouldn’t speculate on how Suh’s quest to be a billionaire would impact contract negotiations. “I’m not going to talk about that particular area,” Caldwell said, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “That’s one that we’ve always said that will be dealt with after the season’s over with.” Suh is likely looking to be one of – if not the – highest paid defensive players in the game. It stands to reason that he could trump Gerald McCoy‘s deal but he might not clear J.J. Watt‘s extension with the Texans.
  • The Browns worked out offensive lineman Maurice Hurt, tight end A.C. Leonard, and defensive end Zach Thompson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • The Bengals worked out tackle Charles Brown, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Of course, the Bengals also signed Jamon Meredith, so there might not be a position open for Brown at this time.

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.