Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Jaguars have released safety Matt Daniels from injured reserve with an injury settlement, as John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets. Daniels, 26, spent his first two years in the league with the Rams before hooking on with the Jaguars in 2014 as a practice squad member.
- The Saints reached an injury settlement with wide receiver Nick Toon, who will be waived off injured reserve, Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune tweets. Toon hopes to be ready to play in a couple of weeks, Woodbery adds.
- Marion Grice and Jimmy Legree of the Cardinals and Jimmie Hunt of the Packers were removed from IR with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
NFC Practice Squad Updates: 9/7/15
While many teams filled up their 10-man practice squads on Sunday, plenty of teams didn’t confirm their moves right away, or kept a few spots open on those units. On top of that, at least one club that signed 10 players to its taxi squad on Sunday has already made several changes, bringing in new players and jettisoning players who didn’t even spend 24 hours on the squad.
We’ll have updates on Monday’s NFC practice squad signings and cuts in this space, with teams listed in alphabetical order. When new moves occur, we’ll bump this post back to the top of the page. Here’s a round-up of today’s moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed (link via Josh Weinfuss):
- CB Cariel Brooks
- T Rob Crisp
- LB Gabe Martin
- G Antoine McClain
- WR Jaxon Shipley
- RB Kerwynn Williams
- CB Leon McFadden
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed (press release):
- LB Derek Akunne
- T Pierce Burton
- CB Akeem King
- QB Matt Simms
- LB Tyler Starr
Chicago Bears
- Signed (Twitter links):
- LB Lamin Barrow
- T Nick Becton
- DL Brandon Dunn
- CB Jacoby Glenn
- WR Jalen Saunders
Dallas Cowboys
Signed (Twitter link via Todd Archer):- OT John Wetzel
- S Tim Scott
- LB Dakorey Johnson
- To be signed:
- WR Vince Mayle (Twitter link via Dane Brugler)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed (press release):
- RB John Crockett
- CB Robertson Daniel
- DT Christian Ringo
New Orleans Saints
- Signed (via Evan Woodbery on Twitter):
- TE Blake Annen
- CB Don Jones
New York Giants
- Signed:
- DL Montori Hughes (Twitter link via Zach Braziller)
- TE Will Tye (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed:
- T Tanner Hawkinson (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed:
- DE Robert Thomas (Twitter link via Gregg Bell)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed (press release):
- T Edawn Coughman
- T Terren Jones
- WR Rannell Hall
- TE Cameron Brate
Washington:
- Signed:
- OLB Ryan Delaire (Twitter link via Zac Boyer)
Sunday NFL 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 for the Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, and Rams are noted below.
Additionally, as of 11:00am 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
- Signed to practice squad:
- TE Brandon Bostick (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky)
- CB Robert Nelson (Twitter link via Darren Urban)
- DL Lawrence Okoye (Twitter link via Doug Kyed)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to practice squad (link via Matt Maiocco):
- WR DiAndre Campbell
- CB Marcus Cromartie
- RB Kendall Gaskins
- DT Kaleb Ramsey
- OLB Marcus Rush
- NT Garrison Smith
- QB Dylan Thompson
- OG Andrew Tiller (Twitter link via Matt Barrows)
- S Jermaine Whitehead (Twitter link via Barrows)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to practice squad:
- TE RaShaun Allen (Twitter link via Bob Condotta)
- CB Justin Coleman (Twitter link via Mike Kaye)
- OL Will Pericak (Twitter link via Condotta)
- LB Eric Pinkins (Twitter link via Condotta)
- T Terry Poole (Twitter link via Condotta)
- CB Kevin Short (Twitter link via Terez Paylor)
- WR Kevin Smith (Twitter link via Condotta)
- RB Rod Smith (Twitter link via Condotta)
- WR Kasen Williams (Twitter link via Rob Rang)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed to practice squad:
- T Isaiah Battle (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport)
- RB Malcolm Brown (link)
- S Christian Bryant (link)
- TE Justice Cunningham (Twitter link via Jim Thomas)
- S Jacob Hagen (link)
- FB Zach Laskey (link)
- DE Matt Longacre (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson)
- CB Trovon Reed (link)
- DT Louis Trinca-Pasat (Twitter link via Thomas)
- DT Doug Worthington (link)
Cardinals Cut Down To 53
Joining the Saturday deadline craze, the Cardinals cut their roster down to 53 players.
Among those waived or released was quarterback Logan Thomas, a second-year quarterback who became expendable once the Cardinals traded for Matt Barkley on Friday.
The remainder of Arizona’s cuts are as follows:
- Cameron Bradfield, T
- Cariel Brooks, CB
- Jonte Green, CB
- Marion Grice, RB (Waived/injured)
- Jon Halapio, G
- Trevor Harman, WR
- Robert Hughes, RB
- Harold Jones-Quartey, S
- Paul Lasike, RB
- Jimmy Legree, CB (Waived/injured)
- Gabe Martin, ILB
- Antoine McClain, G
- C.J. Roberts, CB
- Jaxon Shipley, WR
- Phillip Sims, QB
- Anthony Steen, G
- Alameda Te’Amu, NT
- Anthony Walters, S
- Kerwynn Williams, RB
Cards’ Bobby Massie Suspended Two Games
SEPTEMBER 5: Massie will serve a two-game suspension, meaning his appeal reduced the penalty by one game, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
AUGUST 11: Cardinals right tackle Bobby Massie is facing a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, Massie is appealing the suspension, which has yet to be announced the league, in the hopes of reducing it.
As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com explains (via Twitter), Massie was arrested for being intoxicated – and asleep – at the wheel during the week of the Super Bowl in Arizona. He’s seeking to have the ban cut from three games to two games.
While the Cardinals had plenty of injury woes at quarterback and on defense last season, Massie and fellow offensive tackle Jared Veldheer stayed healthy all year — both tackles played all 1,089 offensive snaps for Arizona, so it would be a noteworthy loss for the Cards if they started the season without Massie.
Assuming Massie’s suspension is upheld, it will open the door for rookie tackle D.J. Humphries to earn a starting role for at least the first few weeks of the regular season. Humphries, the Cardinals’ first-round pick in April, was expected to begin his NFL career as a reserve, so if the team determines he’s not ready for the right tackle job immediately, Bradley Sowell could step in while Massie serves his suspension.
Whether or not Humphries is prepared to immediately replace Massie on the Cardinals’ line, the first-rounder looks the long-term solution in Arizona. Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) that Massie, who is entering the final year of his contract, “saw the writing on the wall” when the Cards drafted Humphries, and doesn’t expect to be with the team beyond 2015.
Cardinals Acquire Matt Barkley From Eagles
The Cardinals have agreed to a trade with the Eagles, acquiring quarterback Matt Barkley, in exchange for a conditional late-round pick, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), it’s a seventh-rounder, and Philadelphia will only get the pick if Barkley remains on Arizona’s roster for at least six games.
Barkley, who turns 25 next week, was drafted 98th overall in 2013 by the Eagles, a fourth-round pick out of USC. He has mostly been stuck on the team’s bench since then, completing 30 of his 50 career attempts for 300 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions.
After the Eagles acquired Sam Bradford this offseason, Barkley was poised to enter the year as no better than the third quarterback on Philadelphia’s depth chart, behind Bradford and Mark Sanchez. With Tim Tebow gaining momentum in the preseason and poised to earn a roster spot as well, Barkley was the odd man out.
In Arizona, Barkley will join a group of quarterbacks that includes Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, and Logan Thomas. The deal looks like bad news for Thomas, whose roster spot was already in jeopardy when Bruce Arians suggested last week that the team might just keep two quarterbacks (Twitter link).
Extra Points: Ball, Patriots, Giants, Savage
Vic Lombardi of CBS4 and Benjamin Allbright of AM1340 in Denver (Twitter links) have heard that the Cowboys and Broncos are discussing a potential trade involving running back Montee Ball, who has slipped down the depth chart in Denver. However, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link) cites a Cowboys source who says no trade talks are occurring, and Star-Telegram colleague Charean Williams tweets that Dallas would likely only be interested in Ball if he’s released.
The Cowboys have been adamant throughout the offseason that they likes their running backs, though acquiring Ball on the cheap seems more like a more realistic option for the team than signing a veteran free agent.
As we wait to see if anything materializes for the Cowboys, let’s round up some odds and ends from around the NFL…
- As expected, the Patriots don’t intend to try to recoup the $1MM fine or the two draft picks they lost as a result of DeflateGate, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Team owner Robert Kraft made the decision months ago not to fight the penalties, and even after Tom Brady‘s win in court, it would be a major uphill battle, since teams aren’t protected by the same CBA rules as players.
- The Giants will spend the next couple days looking for safeties, either via trades or waiver claims, according to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That’s no surprise, considering the position looked a little thin even before the team lost several safeties to injuries.
- The Texans got some good news on quarterback Tom Savage, who left Thursday’s game with a shoulder injury. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), Savage just sustained a severe sprain, and won’t require surgery. Houston’s third-string QB is expected to miss at least four to six weeks, and head coach Bill O’Brien indicated today that the club will consider signing another QB for the roster or practice squad (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Asked if the Cardinals have any interest in their former defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, who was released today by the 49ers, head coach Bruce Arians said his club isn’t interested “at this point,” per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
- Former Bears long snapper Rick Lovato is trying out for the Dolphins, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Cardinals Release Matt Shaughnessy
The Cardinals have cut defensive end Matt Shaughnessy, according to ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). The cut is rather surprising since the Cardinals already paid him a $500K bonus this offseason. By releasing him, however, they’ll save $1.45MM in salary.
Shaughnessy, who turns 29 later this month, appeared in all 16 games for Arizona in 2013, including 12 starts. In that season, he tallied 3.0 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble. Last season, he appeared in only 8 total games (7 starts) thanks to a mid-season injury. Still, Shaughnessy was important enough to the team that they put him on IR-DTR in October so that he could be activated later in the year.
Shaughnessy’s best year statistically came in 2010 when he racked up 56 total tackles and 7.0 sacks for the Raiders.
West Notes: F-Jax, Catanzaro, Ward, Injuries
It should be a busy day around the NFL, since many teams won’t wait until Saturday’s deadline to make their roster cuts down to 53 players. While we wait for clubs to announce roster moves, let’s check in on a few items from out of the league’s two West divisions….
- Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said Fred Jackson‘s visit to Seattle went well, but wouldn’t commit to anything definitive with that situation, leading Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links) to speculate that the club could be waiting until after Week 1 to sign the veteran running back. Veterans signed before Week 1 have their salaries fully guaranteed when the season gets underway, which isn’t the case for players signed later.
- Following a pair of missed extra points by Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro, head coach Bruce Arians gave him a vote of confidence, indicating that Catanzaro’s job isn’t in jeopardy, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com notes: “We’re not going to look for a kicker. He’s our guy, so [we’re] glad it’s a preseason game and he can learn from it.”
- Broncos safety T.J. Ward was caught off guard for his one-game suspension for a minor legal run-in that happened over a year ago, telling Troy Renck of the Denver Post, “I just don’t feel the whole process is very fair.” Asked if there’s any more he can do to get the penalty overturned, Ward replied, “I’m going to try, but my last name’s not Brady.” Of course, since the suspension was officially announced, the appeal process has already run its course.
- A pair of NFC West players suffered apparent major injuries during Thursday night action. The Seahawks confirmed (via Twitter) that cornerback Mohammed Seisay suffered a dislocated shoulder, while Arians said that Cardinals tight end Gerald Christian has an MCL injury and may have an ACL issue as well, adding that “he’s probably out” (Twitter link via Weinfuss).
Extra Points: Hunter, Brady, Thomas
Titans wide receiver Justin Hunter‘s case was continued until Sept. 15 because a defense witness did not show up to court today, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. Just days ago, Hunter had his charge reduced to a misdemeanor. The 24-year-old was viewed as a potential breakout candidate last year, but battled injuries and complied just 498 yards and three touchdowns on 28 receptions.
Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Judge Richard Berman will issue his decision and order in the Tom Brady case by the end of the week, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. As it stands, the Patriots QB is set to serve a four-game suspension.
- Following his doctor’s visit, Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas has decided to have surgery on his injured finger on Wednesday, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Thomas could be out for a month, as previously estimated.
- Larry Foote was coaching at Cardinals practice today, which is likely a sign that he’s not playing this season, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets. Foote had to make a decision on his status by 1pm Arizona time, and that deadline has come and gone. The Cardinals added the 35-year-old to their coaching staff earlier in the offseason with the intent of signing him to the roster later in the summer if he decided to continue playing.
- Rams coach Jeff Fisher made it clear that Case Keenum will be the team’s No. 2 quarterback, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets. That leaves Austin Davis and Sean Mannion to battle for the No. 3 job (link). Given that Mannion was a third-round pick this year, it seems unlikely that Davis will win that battle.