Extra Points: Vickerson, Cardinals, Bengals
Former Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson was brought into Cincy to take a physical for the Bengals but he won’t be signing with them this week, a source tells Mike Klis of the Denver Post (on Twitter). Here’s more from around the league..
- The Cardinals were busy looking at linebackers today, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter): James Anderson, Zac Diles, Moise Fokou, and Yawin Smallwood all worked out for them, according to the source.
- The Bengals worked out tight ends Kevin Greene and Ryan Otten this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Redskins worked out Chaz Sutton and Derrell Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- In addition to signing Colton Schmidt, the Bills also worked out fellow punters Bobby Cowan and Drew Butler, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are the latest minor transactions from around the NFL:
5:17pm:
- The Browns have cut offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann with a failed physical designation, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). That clears a roster spot for Vinston Painter, whose signing was noted below.
- The following players have been removed from their teams’ respective IR lists with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (all Twitter links): Ryan McKee (Chiefs), Larry Asante (Raiders), Greg Jenkins (Raiders), and Eric Ward (Titans). C.J. Davis (Seahawks) has also been removed from IR with a settlement, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
4:44pm:
- The Jets have signed linebacker Jeremiah George and wideout Quincy Enunwa to their practice squad, the team announced today (via Twitter). New York selected the duo in the fifth and sixth rounds of this year’s draft, respectively.
4:13pm:
- The Panthers have signed former Jets wideout Stephen Hill to their practice squad, cutting linebacker D.J. Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link). According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Redskins will also interested in bringing Hill in for a workout, but Carolina offered him a deal.
- The Cardinals have added wideout Kevin Cone, defensive tackle Christian Tupou, and running back Dominique Williams to their practice squad, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
- Tight end Jerome Cunningham has signed with the Giants‘ practice squad, according to agent Howard Shatsky (via Twitter).
- The Chargers filled their practice squad by adding running back Marion Grice, who cleared waivers after being cut yesterday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Cowboys have also filled their 10-man squad, adding offensive lineman John Wetzel and defensive back Jemea Thomas, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Presumably, one of the 10 players on the unit will be cut tomorrow if the team intends to bring Michael Sam aboard.
- A.J. Jefferson of the Seahawks and Justice Cunningham of the Rams have both been removed from injured reserve lists with settlements, according to Caplan and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter links).
3:28pm:
- According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter), the Browns are signing offensive lineman Vinston Painter off the Broncos‘ practice squad, which will open up a spot on the 10-man unit for long snapper Kevin McDermott, whose signing was noted below. Cleveland will need to make a corresponding roster move to clear room for Painter.
- The Redskins made a series of changes to their practice squad today, signing offensive lineman Braxston Cave and linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat. Linebacker Chaz Sutton and offensive lineman Tevita Stevens were cut.
- Offensive lineman Matt Patchan has been removed from the Buccaneers‘ injured reserve list with a settlement, says Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).
1:23pm:
- A number of teams have filled their 10-man practice squads by adding a player. The Jaguars signed tight end Marcel Jensen, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter); the Bills signed tight end D.J. Tialavea, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com; the Bengals signed wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (via Twitter); and the Browns officially announced the signing of fullback Kiero Small, which had been previously reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- A pair of clubs also swapped in one player for another on their practice squads. The Dolphins signed defensive end Gerald Rivers and dropped defensive end D’Aundre Reed, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). And the Vikings signed offensive lineman Austin Wentworth to their squad to replace cornerback Kendall James, the team announced (via Twitter).
- The Broncos are also making an addition to their practice squad, in long snapper Kevin McDermott, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter). But Denver already had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait to hear about the corresponding move.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) provide the respective details for Ray McDonald‘s contract restructure with the 49ers and Glover Quin‘s reworked deal with the Lions.
- The Buccaneers intend to open up a roster spot by placing running back Charles Sims on their injured reserve list with the designation to return, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Teams can begin to use that IR spot as of 3:00pm central time today.
- Cornerback Bobby Felder has been removed from the Bills‘ injured reserve list after reaching a settlement with the team, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550.
Cards GM Talks Dockett, Roster, Washington
Over the weekend, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic published a Q&A with Steve Keim, in which the Cardinals GM talked about how the team responded to Darnell Dockett‘s injury, the strategy of giving more snaps to young players, and Daryl Washington‘s season-long suspension. Keim made a number of interesting comments, so let’s dive right in and check out some of the highlights….
On the team’s reaction to Dockett’s torn ACL:
“The first thing that comes to mind is, what does this do to us from a depth standpoint? I know we have other guys who can help us and step up, whether it’s Frostee Rucker, Kareem Martin and Ed Stinson. I know we have guys who can play. I know we can’t replace Darnell’s emotional leadership, but are we good enough to sustain another injury, and where can we go for help next?
In my mind there is no reason to bring in another Ed Stinson or Kareem Martin. Those are two guys, all they need to do is continue to play and get quality reps. We need to find out if Isaac Sopoaga is the kind of guy who can help us? Is Tommy Kelly the kind of guy we can bring in to help us? Bring in veteran leadership and experience.”
On being patient about bringing in veteran help when an injury occurs:
“In years past, before Coach [Bruce] Arians, I felt like there was always trepidation in terms of playing younger guys. And in my opinion, you never know until you throw them out there and give them a chance. A lot of times I think you can be pleasantly surprised that these guys have ability, and if you ask them to do what caters to their strengths, they’ll have some success. To me, whether it’s a young quarterback or positional player, you don’t get better practicing.”
On Washington’s suspension:
“I would say of all our losses that Daryl Washington hurts the most. You can accept a player being injured because that’s going to happen, but when off-field issues come about, those are unacceptable. You certainly can’t plan for them, and I’ll never be able to get over those kinds of consequences. Because one of the things we’ve tried to do over the years is to create a filter – whether it’s in drafting or signing free agents – that we’ll not only draft good players but good people, guys who carry themselves the right way off the field. If you’re getting suspended in the NFL anymore, it means that you’ve been in trouble multiple times. And really at the end of the day, you’re hanging out your teammates as much as anybody.”
On whether the door will be open for Washington to return if and when he’s reinstated:
“You know what? We haven’t even gotten into that discussion yet. The one thing I do know that’s happened, since the suspension, we haven’t talked about him for a minute. Out of sight, out of mind.”
Minor Moves: Monday
We’ll keep track of today’s minor transactions here, with any updates being added to the top of the post:
- After cutting one linebacker earlier today, the Jets have signed another, adding A.J. Edds, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Edds, 26, was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 draft by the Patriots. To clear a roster spot, New York released cornerback Ellis Lankster.
Earlier Updates:
- The Seahawks have swapped out a pair of receivers by signing Bryan Walters while waiving Phil Bates, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Walters, 26, had been waived Saturday as Seattle trimmed their roster to 53, but he’s now back with the team.
- The Cowboys officially announced the signing of linebacker Korey Toomer, and in order to clear a roster spot, waived safety Jemea Thomas, tweets Brian McIntyre. Dallas claimed Thomas, a 2014 sixth-round pick, off waivers from New England just five days ago.
- Receiver Kyle Williams was released from the Chiefs’ injured reserve list with an injury settlement, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Williams, whose most notable playing time came with the 49ers, suffered a shoulder injury in Kansas City’s final preseason game.
- The Jets claimed receiver Walter Powell off waivers from the Cardinals, tweets Symmetry Reps, his agency. To make room for Powell, the Jets cut Jeremiah George, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- The Patriots were awarded safety Don Jones off waivers from the Dolphins, reports Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). Jones was in the news during the offseason after making inflammatory comments about Michael Sam. New England waived guard Chris Barker to clear a roster spot.
- The Raiders have placed linebacker Kaelin Burnett on injured reserve, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN; the 24-year-old Nevada product had been dealing with a knee injury.
- The following players were released from their teams’ respective IR lists with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (series of Twitter links): offensive tackle Matt Patchan (Buccaneers); cornerback Justin Green, defensive tackle Zach Minter, and defensive back Johnny Thomas (Cowboys); linebacker Tim Fugger (Jets); defensive tackle Michael Brooks and linebacker Horace Miller (Seahawks).
Sunday Transactions: NFC West
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC West teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions are noted below.
Additionally, as of 11:00am CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s NFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals:
- Claimed off waivers (officially announced): Thomas Keiser, LB
- Cut (officially announced): Walter Powell, WR
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Jonathan Brown, LB; Brittan Golden, WR; Andre Hardy, TE; Jimmy Legree, CB; Kelvin Palmer, T; Anthony Steen, C/G; Anthony Gaitor (via Jenna Laine on Twitter)
San Francisco 49ers:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Carter Bykowski, OT; Asante Cleveland, TE; John Fullington, OT (via Eric Branch on Twitter); Lance Lewis, WR; Lawrence Okoye, DE; Mike Purcell, DT; Shayne Skov, LB; Chase Thomas, LB
Seattle Seahawks:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Jimmy Staten, DT (Staten on Twitter), RaShaun Allen, TE; Demitrius Bronson, RB; B.J. Daniels, QB; Nate Isles, OT; Chris Matthews, WR; Terrance Parks, S; Steven Terrell, S.
St. Louis Rams:
- Signed to practice squad: Matt Conrath, DT (via Jim Thomas on Twitter); Sean Hooey, OT (via Jim Thomas on Twitter); Justin Veltung, WR (via Thomas on Twitter); Brandon Washington, G (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter); Kevin Reddick, LB (via Doug Kyed on Twitter); Matt Daniels, S (via Thomas on Twitter)
NFC West Links: Smith, Rams, Cardinals
We learned yesterday that 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith will be suspended for the first nine games of the 2014 season for violating the league’s policies for substances of abuse and personal conduct.
Today, a statement was released on behalf of the former Pro Bowler (via the NFL Network’s Albert Breer):
“I apologize to my teammates, coaches, the entire 49ers organization and 49ers fans for not being able to contribute on the field for the next several weeks. Over the last year, I have learned a lot and I’m working hard to grow from my experiences. I want to thank my family and friends, my teammates, my union and the 49ers for supporting me during this process. I will be at work daily to participate in all permitted work activities, and to support my teammates, just as they have supported me.”
Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC West…
- The Rams will “take a look” at free agent quarterback Terrelle Pryor, tweets ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. Pryor was released by the Seahawks earlier today.
- Rams coach Jeff Fisher indicated that there might not be a spot on the practice squad for recently released rookie Michael Sam. “The practice squad is heavily dependent on what you do in other positions…We may have to go heavy in the other positions,” Fisher said (via Wagoner’s Twitter).
- The Cardinals currently have six wide receivers on their roster, but Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com warns that players like Walt Powell could easily be moved to the practice squad.
Patriots Notes: FA Tryouts, Worthy, Mallett
The Patriots were busy today trimming their roster down to 53 players. However, the team was still actively scouting the free agent market, and ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss reports that 12 players were actually in for tryouts:
- Armon Binns, WR
- Omar Brown, S
- Deveron Carr, CB
- Jermelle Cudjo, DT
- Hebron Fangupo, DT
- Cam Henderson, DE
- Aaron Hester, CB
- Rashad Lawrence, WR
- Jeff Matthews, QB
- Kevin Reddick, LB
- Jerome Smith, RB
- McLeod Bethel-Thompson, QB
Let’s check out some more notes out of New England…
- Since Jerel Worthy failed to make the Patriots roster, the team doesn’t owe the Packers a draft pick, explains ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. The Patriots acquired Worthy from the Packers earlier this month for a conditional seventh-rounder.
- The Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe tweets that the Cowboys could be a landing spot for quarterback Ryan Mallett. The writer also suggests that the Texans and Rams could get involved.
- The Patriots won’t be provided with any additional cap relief since Isaac Sopoaga failed to make the Cardinals roster, tweets Howe.
- Following the release of Danny Aiken, the Patriots don’t have a long snapper on the roster. As the Boston Globe’s Shalise Manza Young notes (via Twitter), if the team doesn’t carry a long snapper, it would be the first time they’ve gone without one during Bill Belichick‘s tenure.
Cardinals Release 14 Players, Roster Down To 53
Yesterday, the Cardinals released two notable veterans. Today, the team continued trimming their roster down to 53 players. The moves were officially announced in a press release, and the transactions are listed below:
Released:
- Zach Bauman, RB
- Philip Blake, OG
- Jonathan Brown, LB
- Bruce Gaston, DT
- Brittan Golden, WR
- Andre Hardy, TE
- Jimmy Legree, CB
- Kelvin Palmer, OT
- Anthony Steen, OG
- Adrian Tracy, LB
- Christian Tupou, DT
- Anthony Walters, S
- Teddy Williams, CB
Released with injury settlement:
- Nate Potter, OT
Placed on Injured Reserve:
Cardinals Cut Isaac Sopoaga, Marcus Benard
Two notable veterans are among the Cardinals’ latest wave of cuts, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, who reports (Twitter links) that defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga and linebacker Marcus Benard have been released by the team. The decisions suggest that new addition Tommy Kelly has impressed the Cardinals so far at defensive tackle, and that the club doesn’t feel like Benard has earned a spot on its linebacking corps even following Daryl Washington‘s year-long suspension.
Here are all of today’s Cardinals cuts, with any additional moves inserted into the list throughout the day:
- Marcus Benard (LB)
- Dan Buckner (WR) (via Adam Caplan on Twitter)
- John Estes (C/G) (via Getlin on Twitter)
- Bryan McCann (CB) (via Josh Weinfuss on Twitter, 5:34pm)
- Jalen Parmele (RB) (via Weinfuss on Twitter, 8:34pm)
- Isaac Sopoaga (DT)
- Curtis Taylor (S) (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter, 4:05pm)
James Harrison Visited Cardinals
FRIDAY, 4:44pm: Although Harrison’s visit with the Cardinals was productive, Parise says he doesn’t expect his client to sign with the team, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.
THURSDAY, 1:50pm: Agent Bill Parise tells Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com that the two sides aren’t likely to get anything done before Arizona’s game tonight, but that negotiations are underway and progress is being made toward a possible deal.
8:30am: The door is still open for a possible deal between the Cardinals and Harrison, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that the veteran linebacker will take a physical with the team today.
WEDNESDAY, 10:00am: It’s doubtful that the Cardinals sign Harrison, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, who tweets that the linebacker lives in Arizona during the offseason and the team called to see what kind of shape he’s in.
8:50am: A little over a week after attempting to bring in Brett Keisel for a visit, the Cardinals are taking another shot at hosting a former Steelers defender. According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, veteran linebacker James Harrison is set to visit the club today.
While Harrison played the 2013 season with the Bengals, most of his NFL career was spent in Pittsburgh, where he earned spots in five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2007-11. The Cardinals, who lost Darnell Dockett to a season-ending ACL injury and Daryl Washington to a year-long suspension, could use some veteran reinforcements, and it makes sense that the team would once again look at an ex-Steeler, given head coach Bruce Arians’ history with the club.
Back in May, Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor indicated that Harrison had interest in returning to Pittsburgh, and if that’s the case, maybe scheduling a visit to Arizona is the best way to pique the Steelers’ interest — it worked for Keisel, who ended up turning down an invite from the Cardinals to sign with his old team instead.
Still, it’s possible that there’s mutual interest between the Cardinals and Harrison, so we’ll have to wait to see how the visit goes. As Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets, it’s hard to imagine Harrison getting more than the veteran’s minimum at this point, but the 36-year-old does have interest in continuing his playing career.