NFL Workout Updates: 10/3/16
We’re a quarter of the way through the regular season, and clubs are constantly updating their emergency lists of players. Let’s take a look at the latest reported auditions and visits:
- The Giants worked out safeties Rahim Moore and and Dion Bailey, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). New York is looking for defensive back help given the large amount of injuries to its secondary, and the club has also auditioned Will Allen, Donte Whitner, Jeron Johnson, and Shamiel Gary. However, the Giants don’t expect to sign anyone until tomorrow at the earliest.
- The Redskins auditioned safety Cedric Thompson, Caplan tweets. Like the division rival Giants, Washington is also on the hunt for secondary options after corner-turned-safety DeAngelo Hall was lost for the season. The Redskins worked out fellow safeties Josh Evans and Jerome Couplin last week.
- The Patriots took a look at wide receivers B.J. Daniels and Shaq Evans, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Daniels, a former college quarterback, has spent time on five other clubs’ rosters over the past three-plus seasons.
- Offensive lineman Mike Liedtke will meet with the Ravens on Tuesday, as agent Brett Tessler tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/3/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Buccaneers are waiving wide receiver Freddie Martino and linebacker Josh Keyes, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Martino saw time in the last two games but did not record a catch.
- The Bears re-signed defensive end C.J. Wilson, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wilson was just released over the weekend, but now he’ll trade roster spots with running back Raheem Mostert, who was waived earlier today.
- The Panthers are re-signing wide receiver Brenton Bersin, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Bersin was waived a few days ago so that Carolina could add more defensive line depth. The man who originally replaced Bersin — defensive end Larry Webster — has now been cut, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Cardinals To Re-Sign RB Kerwynn Williams
The Cardinals will re-sign running back Kerwynn Williams, according to his agent Michael Hoffman (Twitter link). Williams has spent much of the past two seasons with Arizona, but was waived this year during final cutdowns.
[RELATED: Cardinals To Exude Caution With Carson Palmer]
Second-year running back David Johnson has been among the best in the NFL this season, but his backup — veteran Chris Johnson — left Sunday’s game with a groin injury. He didn’t practice today, and with the Cardinals facing a quick turnaround as they prepare to play the 49ers on Thursday night, Chris Johnson might not be able to go. As such, Williams would factor into the backfield along with fellow reserves Andre Ellington and Stepfan Taylor.
Williams, 25, bounced on and off Arizona’s practice squad in 2015. Over parts of three seasons, Williams has totaled 80 rushes for 388 yards and one touchdown.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
14 Players Returning From Suspension
Fourteen players will return from four-game suspensions this week, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). The most high-profile returnee, of course, is quarterback Tom Brady, who will re-join the 3-1 Patriots on Sunday against the Browns.
The following players have completed their suspensions:
- QB Tom Brady, Patriots
- DL Armonty Bryant, free agent (waived by the Browns today)
- CB Jalen Collins, Falcons
- LB Aaron Colvin, Jaugars
- DT Marcell Dareus, Bills
- T Seantrel Henderson, Bills
- DE Arthur Jones, Colts
- DE Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys
- LB Aaron Lynch, 49ers
- DE Rob Ninkovich, Patriots
- G Chris Scott, Panthers
- DL Damion Square, Chargers
- T Zach Sterup, free agent
- TE Darren Waller, Ravens
The club that employs each player will receive a short roster exemption that ends the day following the team’s Week 5 game. that means the 49ers’ exemption for Lynch ends Friday, the Panthers’ exemption for Scott ends next Tuesday, and the rest end next Monday.
Sterup, meanwhile, was on the Chiefs’ practice squad when he was banned, but he hasn’t completed the PED reinstatement requirements, according to Balzer. So although he can sign with a new club, Sterup can’t practice or play until he’s approved by the league.
Josh Gordon To Remain On Suspended List
As was expected, Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon will remain on the reserve/suspended list per the commissioner’s orders until further notice, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Last week, Gordon decided to enter rehab, and will presumably remain suspended until he completes his recovery, if not longer.
[RELATED: Center Austin Reiter Done For The Year]
Gordon decided to go to rehab following a “slip up,” Rapoport reported yesterday, and sources told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that Gordon is dealing with an alcohol addiction. Some of Gordon’s past suspensions have been related to alcohol, and the pass-catcher also has a DUI on his rap sheet, so he decided entering rehab was the “extra step” he needed to get well, per Cabot.
The Browns have indicated that they intend to part ways with Gordon given his most recent transgression, and had in fact been trying to trade him as recently as last week. No other clubs will likely express interest given that Gordon is now unable to return to the field for some time.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/3/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Nordly Capi (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Mike James
- Cut: RB George Winn
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: FB Joe Kerridge (Twitter link via Rob Demovskiy of ESPN.com)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB JaCorey Shepherd (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Cut: G Darrell Greene
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Daryl Richardson
- Cut: DB Jacob Hagen
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB DuJuan Harris
Seattle Seahawks
- Cut: QB Jake Heaps (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DT Antwaun Woods (Twitter link via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com)
- Cut: WR Jordan Leslie
Washington Redskins
- Signed: CB Robertson Daniel
- Cut: CB Lloyd Carrington
Raiders’ Lee Smith Could Be Done For Season
6:00pm: Smith will have surgery, but the Raiders aren’t going to place him on IR just yet, according to head coach Jack Del Rio (Twitter link via Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com). While allowing that Smith’s season is “jeopardy,” Del Rio said Oakland is “hoping for good news.”
12:28pm: Raiders tight end Lee Smith could be done for the season after suffering a “fractured bone in his lower leg,” a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Smith appeared to have hurt his ankle after being hit by Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith in the second quarter of yesterday’s game. 
Smith doesn’t catch a lot of passes in the Raiders’ offense, but he is highly valued for his blocking skill. Since joining the Raiders in 2015, Smith has just 18 catches for 99 yards and one touchdown to his credit. He is currently in the midst of a three-year, $9MM deal that he signed prior to the ’15 season. Before coming to Oakland, Smith spent his first four years in Buffalo.
On the other side of the ball, the Raiders are waiting for additional word on linebacker Malcolm Smith‘s groin injury.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Seahawks Place LB Mike Morgan On IR
The Seahawks have placed linebacker Mike Morgan on injured reserve with a sports hernia, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Head coach Pete Carroll said Morgan will have surgery and will miss four-to-six weeks, so it’s possible that he could return off IR later in the year (link). To fill Seattle’s empty roster spot, the club will promote linebacker Jordan Tripp from the practice squad (link).
[RELATED: Seattle Seahawks Depth Chart]
Morgan, 28, is a starting linebacker in the Seahawks’ 4-3 scheme, but given that the club is the nickel the majority of the time, Morgan has only played on roughly a third of Seattle’s defensive snaps this season. A six-year NFL veteran, Morgan has spent his entire career with the Hawks and has appeared in 71 games, but he’s only started four contests. According to Carroll (link), backups Cassius Marsh and Kevin Pierre-Louis will fill in during Morgan’s absence.
In other Seahawks news, reserve defensive end Quinton Jefferson had hand surgery and will be out a few weeks (Twitter link via Condotta), while the club has waived offensive tackle Terry Poole off IR, per Condotta.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Titans Fire Special Teams Coach Bobby April
The Titans announced that they’ve fired special teams coordinator Bobby April and promoted assistant Steve Hoffman to take over on a full-time basis.
[RELATED: Titans Lose Al Woods For At Least One Month]
April, 63, has been an NFL special teams coach since 1991 when he began his pro career with the Falcons. He was only four games into his Tennessee career, having joined the club prior to this season. April left the Jets in order to replace Nate Kaczor, who was hired by the Buccaneers. Titans head coach Mike Mularkey was familiar with April’s work, as the pair had worked together on the Bills staff in 2004.
Hoffman, meanwhile is in his fourth year with the Titans and in his 27th season as an NFL coach. The team’s assistantspecial teams coordinator since 2013, Hoffman guided punter Brett Kern and kicker Ryan Succop as they enjoyed some of their best seasons. Last year, Succop didn’t miss a kick inside of 50 yards (13-for-13).
Through a three-game sample (Week 4 statistics have not yet been updated), the Titans ranked 25th in Football Outsiders’ special teams DVOA.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers LB NaVorro Bowman Done For Season
Awful news for the 49ers as linebacker NaVorro Bowman is done for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, the team announced. Bowman left Sunday’s game against the Cowboys with the injury and an MRI confirmed the team’s worst fears. 
Bowman exited early on Sunday after a non-contact injury to his leg, which is usually not a good sign. Bowman also suffered a left leg injury in the 2013 NFC title game against Seattle, so he is no stranger to adversity.
Bowman has played 20 games since returning from the gruesome injury that sidelined him throughout 2014. The 49ers underwent significant changes while he was shelved, but the 28-year-old inside linebacker still returned and garnered first-team All-Pro acclaim last season. The 49ers then signed Bowman to a four-year, $44MM extension that stands to keep him in San Francisco through the 2022 season.
Bowman has four first-team All-Pro honors to his credit despite playing in just five full seasons, a remarkable and rare feat. Bowman earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2011, ’12, ’13 and ’15. After missing the entire 2014 campaign, he made 154 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season for a rebuilding San Francisco operation.
Bowman registered eight tackles and a sack, his first of the season, before his day came to a premature end on Sunday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.