Cardinals Sign LS Aaron Brewer
The Cardinals have signed veteran long snapper Aaron Brewer, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Rookie snapper Kameron Canaday struggled during the first three games of the season, and was waived earlier today. Brewer, 26, is a four-year NFL veteran, having spent the past several seasons with the Broncos.
[RELATED: Cardinals Place Troy Niklas On IR]
Brewer was just one of several specialists that Arizona worked out today. Fellow long snapper Tyler Ott was also on hand, as were punters Michael Palardy, Ryan Quigley, and Tim Masthay, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Cardinals will need a new punter for at least a few games, as incumbent Drew Butler will be sidelined for awhile with an ankle/Achilles injury.
Arizona completed a busy day by auditioning a trifecta of linebackers, as they took a look at Nate Irving, James-Michael Johnson, and Joplo Bartu, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Irving, 28, has 62 career appearances to his name, but was released by the Colts at final cutdowns despite being in the midst of a multi-year contract.
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Bears Place Kyle Fuller On IR
The Bears have lost another key defender, as the club announced that cornerback Kyle Fuller has been placed on injured reserve. Fuller could return from IR at some point, down the line, but he’ll have to miss a minimum of eight weeks.
[RELATED: Bears Sign Joique Bell]
Fuller, 24, hasn’t played yet this season while battling a knee injury. The third-year pro underwent a knee scope last month, and his recovery has gone much slower than expected. A full-time starter in each of his first two seasons, Fuller’s loss is just another blow to a Chicago defense that can’t afford many more hits. For now, the Bears will lean on Tracy Porter, Jacoby Glenn, Bryce Callahan, Deiondre’ Hall, and others to hold down the fort in the secondary.
Chicago sits at 0-3 on the season, and their lackluster play on the defensive side of the ball has contributed to the club’s woes, as the Bears’ defense ranks 27th in DVOA. The Bears have already lost Lamarr Houston for the season, while Danny Trevathan and Eddie Goldman will miss several weeks with their own injuries.
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Bears Sign DL C.J. Wilson
7:10pm: The Bears have officially announced the moves listed below.
5:52pm: The Bears have agreed to terms with defensive lineman C.J. Wilson, according to his agents at SportsTrust Advisors (Twitter link). Terms of the deal haven’t been announced, but it’s likely a one-year contract at minimum salary.
[RELATED: Bears Sign Joique Bell]
Wilson, 29, has 78 career games under his belt, with most of that time coming as a rotational option with Packers from 2010-2013. He played in 12 contests in 2015 (eight with the Lions, four with the Raiders), and picked up nine total tackles to go along with one sack. Wilson bounced and off the Saints’ roster this offseason, and was ultimately cut when final rosters were set.
Chicago didn’t stop with the Wilson signing, however, as the club has made several other transactions today. The Bears have waived tight end Greg Scruggs and linebacker Jonathan Anderson, creating roster spots for Wilson and linebacker John Timu, who is being promoted from the practice squad, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links).
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Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The 49ers officially placed offensive lineman Anthony Davis on the exempt/left squad list after he retired yesterday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Davis no longer counts against San Francisco’s 53-man roster.
- The Cardinals announced that they have released long snapper Kameron Canaday, placed tight end Troy Niklas on IR, and released safety Marqui Christian. Christian, a Midwestern State product, was a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.
- The Giants announced that they have re-signed cornerback Michael Hunter. The club created a roster spot by placing Shane Vereen on injured reserve after he suffered a triceps injury.
- The Bills waived kicker Jordan Gay, according to a team announcement. Gay is a kickoff specialist, and he’s never attempted a field goal during regular season action.
- The Redskins are promoting offensive lineman Vinston Painter to the active roster, Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post tweets. Painter will add depth to the front five while left guard Shawn Lauvao deals with an injury.
- The Panthers cut safety Marcus Ball, per Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Defensive end Ryan Delaire has been placed on IR with a knee injury. Carolina needed two roster spots for the newly-signed Michael Griffin and Kyle Love.
- The Cowboys will sign offensive lineman Emmett Cleary following the long-term injury to guard La’el Collins, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
- The Saints waived wide receiver Kyle Prater from injured reserve, Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets.
Seahawks Work Out Bernard Pierce
The Seahawks worked out free agent running back Bernard Pierce today, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link). In addition the club also auditioned six other players, all listed below courtesy of Kyed unless otherwise noted:
- FB Tommy Bohanon
- DB Chimdi Chekwa
- RB Kenny Hilliard
- WR Jamel Johnson
- LB Randell Johnson
- LB Rufus Johnson (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- FB Darrel Young (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
Clearly, Seattle is still looking to augment its backfield depth after the revelation that Thomas Rawls will be out for several more weeks while dealing with a hairline fibula fracture. Christine Michael will continue to dominate touches, and the Seahawks also boast C.J Prosise, Alex Collins, and the recently-promoted Terrence Magee on the roster.
Pierce, 25, has 359 career carries to his name, most coming with Baltimore, for whom Pierce played during the first three seasons of his career. The Ravens waived Pierce in 2015 following a DUI arrest, and he was ultimately picked up by the Jaguars. Even with a two-game suspension hanging over his head, Pierce managed to land with the Jets this offseason, but quickly was placed on injured reserve and then released.
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“Chance” Jamaal Charles Plays In Week 4
Jamaal Charles could return to the field in Week 4, according to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who says “there’s a chance” the veteran back is able to play against the Steelers on Sunday night (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star). Charles has yet to play this season as he recovers from an ACL injury suffered last October.
[RELATED: Kansas City Chiefs Depth Chart]
The Chiefs have managed to get by without Charles, as Spencer Ware has taken over the lead back role in his absence. In three games, Ware has averaged 4.9 yards per carry, rushing for more than 200 yards and adding 10 receptions. Charcandrick West has also chipped in, handling 12 attempts for 63 yards and 10 receptions of his own. Fellow running back Knile Davis is also on the roster, but he has yet to see a carry this season.
Charles, of course, is one of the better backs in the league when at full strength, but Kansas City has exhibited a cautious approach when it comes to his recovery. The 29-year-old has reportedly been working with the scout team during practice, so it seems that he’s at least somewhat close to returning.
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Giants Hoping Rashad Jennings Returns This Week
The Giants are optimistic that running back Rashad Jennings will be able to return to game action in Week 4 against the Vikings, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). New York announced earlier today that Shane Vereen is will be sidelined for awhile, so the club can use all the backfield help it can get.
[RELATED: New York Giants Depth Chart]
Jennings, 31, miss Sunday’s loss to the Redskins due to a left thumb injury. The ailment wouldn’t have affected his ability to carry the ball, but Jennings was concerned that it would hinder his passing game role, reports Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. On the season, Jenning has managed 102 yards on 32 carries, adding another 16 yards through the air. If Jennings can’t go on Sunday, the Giants will rely on Orleans Darkwa, Bobby Rainey, and Paul Perkins to maintain the ground game.
The Giants will likely have an open roster spot once they place Vereen on injured reserve, so they could potentially add another running back to their current crop if they choose.
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Giants’ Shane Vereen To Have Triceps Surgery
2:35pm: Vereen isn’t necessarily done for the year, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter links), who reports that Vereen’s recovery time is roughly two months. As such, Vereen could potentially return from injured reserve later this season.
12:19pm: Giants running back Shane Vereen will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a triceps injury on Sunday, the club announced today. Vereen will undergo surgery to correct the issue.
[RELATED: New York Giants Depth Chart]
With Rashad Jennings sidelined on Sunday, Vereen was New York’s primary back against Washington, and he managed 67 yards on 11 attempts while scoring once, adding two receptions for good measure. Vereen’s receiving prowess is what the Giants paid for when they signed him to a three-year contract prior to the 2015 campaign, and the former Patriot delivered during his first season in New York, posting 59 receptions. Vereen, 27, is signed for one more year, with a 2017 cap charge just south of $5MM.
With Vereen out, the Giants will likely turn to a committee approach in their backfield. If Jennings can’t go next week against the Vikings, Orleans Darkwa, Bobby Rainey, and rookie Paul Perkins are the best bets for touches.
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Patriots To Sign DL John Hughes
The Patriots are signing free agent defensive lineman John Hughes, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). New England created a roster spot earlier today by waiving defensive tackle Anthony Johnson.
[RELATED: New England Patriots Depth Chart]
Hughes, a 2012 draftee, started just seven games in his first three seasons with the Browns and landed on IR in 2014 after suffering an MCL injury. The former third-round pick appeared in all 16 regular season games in 2015 and made three starts, totaling 24 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble. Cleveland cut him last week in order to create a roster spot for quarterback Charlie Whitehurst.
A report earlier today suggested that the Patriots wanted to “bulk up” their defensive line, and Hughes — who stands 6’2″, 320 pounds — will certainly help them do that. Notably, New England won’t use the roster spot created by Johnson’s vacancy to add a free agent quarterback, lending more credence to the notion that at least one of Jimmy Garoppolo or Jacoby Brissett will be ready for Week 4.
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Browns Keeping Kicker Cody Parkey For Now
Despite his lackluster performance on Sunday, the Browns are planning to roll with kicker Cody Parkey, head coach Hue Jackson told reporters, including Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). For what it’s worth, Jackson did couch his declaration a bit, saying his intention “right now” was to keep Parkey.
[RELATED: Josh McCown Out 2-4 More Weeks]
Signed this week to replace the injured Patrick Murray, Parkey face-planted in his Cleveland debut, missing three-of-six field goal attempts, including a potential game-winner at the end of regulation against the Dolphins. The Browns went on to lose the game in overtime, leaving Parkey squarely planted as the scapegoat. For his career, however, Parkey has been an above-average kicker, converting 87.5% of his field goals and all of his extra point attempts.
Meanwhile, Browns sources pushed back against a weekend report that suggested the club chose Parkey over fellow free agent kicker Robbie Gould on the basis that Parkey was less expensive. “Money played no role in the decision,” the Browns source told Ulrich in a full article. “It’s ridiculous to think that it would.” Cleveland’s specials team coach Chris Tabor reportedly preferred Gould, but the front office chose to go in a different direction.
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