Falcons Release O’Brien Schofield
O’Brien Schofield‘s reunion with the Falcons didn’t last long, as Atlanta has cut the veteran linebacker to make room for new addition A.J. Hawk, the club announced today. The Falcons also officially placed linebacker Sean Weatherspoon on injured reserve after he suffered an Achilles injury on Sunday.
[RELATED: Falcons Sign A.J. Hawk]
The Falcons made Schofield an offer early on in the offseason, but he held out for more money. Schofield appears to have misjudged the market as the Falcons did not improve their offer and interest from other teams was mild to say the least. The Patriots met with Schofield in August and the Jets hosted him on a visit in September, but neither meeting led to a deal.
Schofield, 29, followed Dan Quinn from the Seahawks to the Falcons, signing a one-year, $1.7MM deal with Atlanta last year. He finished the year with 28 tackles, four tackles for losses, two sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble.
Because they signed Schofield after the start of the regular season, the Falcons won’t be on the hook for the rest of his minimum salary.
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Browns Audition Bryan Stork
The Browns worked out free agent center Bryan Stork today, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Cleveland is in dire straits at the center position, as former first-round pick Cameron Erving is banged up, while recent waiver claim Austin Reiter is done for the year.
[RELATED: Josh Gordon To Remain On Suspended List]
In late August, Stork was supposedly on the verge of being released by the Patriots. However, the Redskins got word that Stork was about to be cut and worked out a trade with the Patriots. Hours later, it was learned that Stork was thinking about retirement. The Redskins convinced Stork to continue playing football, but he wound up failing the physical. Ultimately, the trade was rescinded, the Redskins lost the backup center (or maybe even starting center) they desperately needed, and the Patriots lost out on getting a conditional seventh-round pick.
Stork, 26 in November, emerged as the Patriots’ starting center just four weeks into his rookie season in 2014. In 2015, Stork suffered a concussion which limited him to just eight games.
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Minor NFL Transactions: 10/4/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Bills have released tight end Jim Dray and promoted fellow tight end Gerald Christian from the practice squad, the club announced today. Dray, 29, is a seven-year veteran who inked a one-year deal with Buffalo over the offseason. Though he’s posted 56 career receptions, Dray didn’t garner a single target with the Bills.
- The Browns announced that they have promoted tight end Connor Hamlett from the practice squad while waiving safety Don Jones. Jones had been a key special teams cog for Cleveland, but he hadn’t received a single defensive snap thus far.
- The Lions waived tight end Orson Charles, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Detroit signed another tight end — veteran Clay Harbor — earlier today, so Charles is no longer need on the roster.
- The Colts announced that they have promoted rookie linebacker Trevor Bates from the practice squad to the active roster. With veteran Sio Moore out of the picture after being cut earlier today, it’s possible that Bates could carve out a role.
- The Buccaneers promoted wide receiver Jeremy Butler to the active roster. In eight games with Baltimore last season, Butler posted 31 receptions for 363 yards.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/4/16
Here are today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: P Michael Palardy (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
- Cut: LB Davis Tull
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Corey Washington
- Cut: WR Matt Hazel
Chicago Bears
- Signed: RB Raheem Mostert (Twitter link via Brett Tessler)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Mike Liedtke (Twitter link via Tessler)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Lee Hightower (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of FOX59)
New York Giants
- Signed: QB Logan Thomas
- Cut: LB Deontae Skinner
New York Jets
- Signed: S Ronald Martin
- Cut: FB Julian Howsare
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE James Cowser
- Cut: DL Demetrius Cherry, LB Darnell Sankey (Twitter link via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: T Brett Boyko, LB Deon King, WR Kevin Norwood
- Cut: TE Austin Traylor
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Sterling Bailey
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Russell Hansbrough (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
- Cut: WR Jonathan Krause (Twitter link via Auman)
Raiders Sign Perry Riley
The Raiders have signed linebacker Perry Riley, as Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Riley was a cap casualty of the Redskins this offseason and was released in late August. 
Riley was slated to make a little more than $5MM in the coming year and that was too rich for Washington’s blood. The Redskins dropped him, allowing them to save $4MM against the cap. There wasn’t a place for Riley this year as the Redskins saw Will Compton as their starting inside linebacker next to Mason Foster.
Riley may not be a bonafide starter at this stage of his career, but he can be an effective sub. In nine games last year, Riley totaled 43 tackles and two interceptions. He has not recorded a sack since 2014.
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Lions Claim Armonty Bryant
The Lions announced that they have claimed Armonty Bryant off waivers from the Browns. Cleveland waived the defensive end earlier this week. 
Bryant, 26, is slated to return from suspension this week. The Browns gave everyone in the football world a mild surprise by waiving the defensive lineman just before he was eligible to play. Coach Hue Jackson has spoken at length about prioritizing character and it’s possible that Bryant’s off-the-field indiscretions led to his release.
Bryant was arrested in December 2015 when he was found with Adderall but without a prescription. To make room for Bryant, Detroit placed fellow defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry on injured reserve.
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Colts Release Antonio Cromartie
The Colts announced that they have cut cornerback Antonio Cromartie. The veteran hooked on with Indianapolis in late August but his run with them is already over here in early October. The team also waived inside linebacker Sio Moore.
Indianapolis signed Cromartie in the wake of an injury suffered by Pro Bowler Vontae Davis. However, Cromartie was not able to recapture his old form in four games this season.
Against the Bears, Cromartie suffered an arm injury and it’s not immediately clear how long he may be sidelined with that. Still, Cromartie is immediately eligible for free agency since he is a vested veteran. Any team with interest in Cromartie will check into his arm as well as his troublesome hip injury that has dogged him for a while.
Cromartie, a four-time Pro Bowler, returned to New York last year with the Jets. Pro Football Focus ranked him just 86th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks in 2015.
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Falcons Sign A.J. Hawk
The Falcons have signed linebacker A.J. Hawk, according to his agent Mike McCartney (via Twitter). Atlanta was reported to have interest in the veteran earlier today and it didn’t take long for a deal to materialize. 
At the age of 32 (33 in January), Hawk may not be the player that he once was. However, he brings a ton of experience to the table along with his hard-nosed playing style. In his third year in the NFL, Hawk helped the Packers capture the Super Bowl championship following the 2010 season. In total, he spent nine years with Green Bay but he was not retained after a so-so 2014 season. Last year, he hooked on with the Bengals and he started a career-low eleven games.
Now, Hawk has a new opportunity in Atlanta thanks to the rash of injuries they have suffered at linebacker. Hawk will presumably suit up for Atlanta on Sunday when they try to advance to 4-1 against the Broncos.
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Jaguars Place Luke Joeckel On IR
The Jaguars announced that guard Luke Joeckel will be placed on injured reserve. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), he is a candidate to return later this season, so his year might not be over. 
Joeckel, 25 in November, was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, he hasn’t lived up to his pre-draft hype. In the spring, the Jags declined his fifth-year option for 2017. Although he has started 39 games for the Jags since joining the team in 2013, including 34 over the last two years and change, Joeckel has been inconsistent and hasn’t lived up to his draft slot.
The Jaguars, now down one offensive lineman, have a bye week coming up before they travel to Chicago on Sunday, Oct. 16.
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Falcons Have Interest In A.J. Hawk
The Falcons have interest in veteran linebacker A.J. Hawk, sources tell Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The team has four linebackers injured, so Hawk would make a lot of sense for Dan Quinn‘s squad. One month into the season, Atlanta finds itself without Sean Weatherspoon, Paul Worrilow, De’Vondre Campbell, and Deion Jones. Jones suffered a calf injury in Week 4 and his status for this upcoming week is currently unknown. 
Hawk, who spent the first nine years of his NFL career in Green Bay, signed a two-year deal with the Bengals in 2015, but ultimately only played out half of that contract before being given his release. In his lone season in Cincinnati, Hawk was a part-time contributor at linebacker, picking up 24 tackles and a sack.
Hawk auditioned for Miami roughly three weeks ago, but that workout did not lead to a deal.
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