Bills Sign Red Bryant
The Bills have announced a series of transactions, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News, who tweets that the team has signed veteran defensive lineman Red Bryant. In addition to signing Bryant, the Bills also added running back Cierre Wood, cutting tight end Chris Manhertz and cornerback Rod Sweeting.
Bryant, who was among the defensive players to work out for the Bills earlier this week, saw time in all 16 games in his first and only season for the Jaguars in 2014. In total, he racked up 23 tackles to go with one pass deflection and one sack. The 31-year-old graded out as a slightly below-average contributor, according to Pro Football Focus‘ (subscription required) metrics, coming in with a -1.6 grade. Overall, that placed him 31st out of 59 qualified 4-3 defensive ends.
Before his season in Jacksonville, Bryant spent six years with the Seahawks, starting all but one regular-season contest for the team from 2011 to 2013. Although Bryant has been a starter for the last four years, one GM tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the veteran defender is best used in a rotation at this point in his career, perhaps for 20-30 plays per game. That shouldn’t be a problem in Buffalo, where the Bills have plenty of talent on the defensive line, even after taking a few injury hits.
The addition of Wood should help provide depth at another injury-plagued position for the Bills, though it’s not clear if his signing means the team has decided not to sign a veteran like Ray Rice. As I outlined earlier today, Buffalo had been discussing a possible pursuit of Rice, with LeSean McCoy (hamstring), Fred Jackson (hamstring), Anthony Dixon (calf), and Karlos Williams (illness) all battling health issues.
Texans Sign Quintin Demps, Fili Moala
The Texans have added a pair of veteran defenders to their roster, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who reports (via Twitter) that safety Quintin Demps and defensive lineman Fili Moala have signed with the club. Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links), both deals are one-year, minimum-salary pacts.
Demps, who turned 30 earlier this summer, has spent time in Houston previously in his NFL career, having played for the Texans in 2011 and 2012. The former fourth-round pick has also played for the Eagles, Chiefs, and Giants since entering the league in 2008, starting a career-high nine games last season in New York. In his one year with the Giants, Demps recorded 57 tackles and grabbed four interceptions. He’ll join Rahim Moore and former teammate Stevie Brown as part of a revamped group of safeties in Houston.
Moala, meanwhile, has spent his entire NFL career with another AFC South team, playing 64 regular season contests (45 starts) for the Colts. Moala, a second-round pick out of USC back in 2009, missed the entire 2014 season due to an ACL injury, and will compete for a roster spot with the Texans.
By my count, Houston had a full 90-man roster prior to the signings, so a pair of corresponding moves should be required. The Texans have yet to officially announce the transactions.
North Notes: Benjamin, Vikings, Packers
Browns wide receiver Travis Benjamin, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract, recognizes that it’s a “big, big year” for him, as he tells Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Still, he’s not looking ahead to signing an extension or a free agent contract, suggesting that if he plays well, things will take care of themselves.
“I’m playing for now. I don’t look far into the future,” Benjamin said. “I’m just playing for the Browns right now, and hopefully, if things work out, I’ll be here for another couple more years.”
As Benjamin looks to surpass his career high of 18 receptions this year, let’s check out some more notes from out of the NFL’s two Central divisions….
- Head coach Mike Zimmer said earlier in camp that it’s not essential to keep a true fullback on the Vikings‘ roster this season, but you should still bet on the club hanging onto one, says Mark Craig of the Star Tribune, suggesting that Zach Line is a strong bet to make the team.
- Jared Abbrederis, selected by the Packers in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, isn’t giving up on his NFL career, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The former Wisconsin wideout missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL, and has yet to be cleared this year due to a concussion, but Green Bay isn’t giving up on him, as Demovsky details.
- Yesterday, we heard that wide receiver Adrian Coxson had been cut by the Packers outright, and that Coxson would be seeking an injury settlement from the team. Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post clarifies (via Twitter) that Green Bay waived Coxson with a “failure to disclose physical condition” designation, suggesting he didn’t inform the team of concussion symptoms.
49ers’ Jerome Simpson Suspended Six Games
3:46pm: Simpson’s suspension was initially going to be for 10 games, but was reduced to six games through the appeal process, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
3:37pm: An offseason littered with bad news for the 49ers got a little worse for the club today. Niners wide receiver Jerome Simpson has been suspended six games for violating the NFL’s policy and program on substances of abuse, the team announced today in a press release.
Simpson, who was suspended for three games to start the 2014 season, faces his latest penalty as a result of a July incident in Bloomington, Minnesota. The veteran receiver initially faced misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession, driving with an open bottle and violating limited license restrictions for that legal run-in last July.
“The probability of a suspension was known when we signed Jerome,” general manager Trent Baalke said, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. “Since joining the 49ers, Jerome has proven to be a great teammate. … Although he will not be able to participate in the first six weeks of the season, Jerome has done everything asked of him, both on and off the field. We are in full support of the NFL’s decision, and look forward to Jerome’s future contributions to our organization.”
While Simpson has had his share of off-field issues, he had productive seasons on the field in 2011 and 2013. The numbers the 29-year-old posted for the Bengals in ’11 (50 receptions, 725 yards, four touchdowns) were nearly identical to the ones he put up for Minnesota in ’13 (48 receptions, 726 yards, one TD).
Along with Torrey Smith, Simpson was one of the free agents brought in this season by Baalke and company to replace a slew of departing players, including receivers Michael Crabtree, Stevie Johnson, and Brandon Lloyd.
Latest On Geno Smith, Jets’ QB Situation
After undergoing jaw surgery last week, Jets quarterback Geno Smith continues to recover, and a spot on the short-term injured reserve list remains a possibility for him. However, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets, general manager Mike Maccagnan said today that the Jets are unlikely to use their IR-DTR slot on Smith.
According to Maccagnan, the Jets expect Smith to miss the first four games of the regular season, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. The GM added that signing a veteran quarterback is something the team is “looking to do,” per Connor Hughes of the Journal Inquirer (Twitter link). Free agents like Matt Flynn and Rex Grossman have been linked to the Jets so far.
The IR slot with the designation to return can only be used on one player per team per season, so if the Jets expect Smith to only miss a month or so of the season, it makes sense that the club would hesitate to use its IR-DTR spot — the designation ensures that the player can’t practice for six weeks, and can’t play in a game for eight weeks.
Still, the Jets will have to keep Ryan Fitzpatrick and Bryce Petty on their active roster, so if they want to add a veteran backup and continue to carry Smith, that would mean devoting four roster spots to the quarterback position for the first month or so, which seems somewhat impractical. The club doesn’t have to make a decision on Smith until the first week of September, so there will be some time to determine how his health is progressing over the next couple weeks.
Tom Brady Settlement Talks At Standstill
Earlier today, we heard that Tom Brady was headed to New York in order to be present for Wednesday’s federal court hearing with Judge Richard M. Berman. However, now it seems that Brady’s time in New York will be brief, and won’t include attending tomorrow’s meeting.
According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), Brady was in New York today to participate in settlement discussions regarding his case, but no progress was made. Pelissero suggested (via Twitter) that Brady had made the decision to rejoin the Patriots rather than sticking around New York, but Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that the Super Bowl MVP was told by Judge Berman that there’s no need for him to be there tomorrow, with settlement talks at a standstill.
Throughout the process, Judge Berman has encouraged the NFL and NFLPA to try to find common ground and reach a settlement, but that outcome always looked like a long shot. The league wants Brady to serve a suspension of some sort, even if it’s not his full four-game penalty, while the Patriots signal-caller is reportedly unwilling to accept more than a fine.
With a settlement looking increasingly unlikely, Judge Berman figures to eventually make a ruling on the case. Tomorrow’s hearing, which will take place without Brady, should help to provide a timeline for when Berman’s decision could come.
Dennis Pitta To Start Season On PUP List
Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta will start the 2015 regular season on the physically unable to perform list, head coach John Harbaugh confirmed today (Twitter link via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). When it becomes official, the move will ensure that Pitta will remain on Baltimore’s reserve list for at least the first six weeks of the season.
After Week 6, players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player on the PUP list could theoretically return for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest. If the player doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, he’ll revert to season-ending injured reserve.
Pitta, 30, is trying to return from a fractured hip he sustained in Week 3 of last season. He suffered the same injury during training camp in July 2013, and this time around, his career could be in jeopardy. While the Ravens would welcome him back if he can return to the field later this season, the team likely won’t be counting on him to contribute down the stretch.
In parts of five seasons with the Ravens, Pitta has racked up 138 catches and 11 touchdowns – including career highs of 61 and seven, respectively, in 2012. The veteran tight end is entering the second season of a five-year, $32MM contract he signed with Baltimore last year.
South Rumors: Castonzo, Kuechly, Brooks
The latest news and rumors out of the AFC South and NFC South focus on a handful of candidates for contract extensions. Let’s round up the highlights….
- Earlier in camp, Colts owner Jim Irsay singled out T.Y. Hilton and left tackle Anthony Castonzo as two players the team would like to sign to contract extensions before the regular season. The team has now finalized a new deal with Hilton, and GM Ryan Grigson acknowledged today that the club has active negotiations ongoing with Castonzo, tweets Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
- This morning, we heard that extension discussions between the Panthers and Luke Kuechly were “heating up,” but head coach Ron Rivera doesn’t want to assume his standout linebacker will get a new contract right away. Rivera tells ESPN.com’s David Newton that the odds of something getting done by Week 1 are still about 50/50. Personally, I’d be surprised if the two sides hadn’t agreed to terms by then.
- Sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle that the Texans would like to lock up guard Brandon Brooks to an extension, though it will depend how expensive he gets. If Brooks were to reach free agency in 2016, he would likely be in heavy demand as one of the best players available at his position, alongside perhaps Ravens guard Kelechi Osemele.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/15
Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- Long snapper Nate Boyer, who took an unusual path to the NFL, has been waived by the Seahawks, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). With the newly-created roster spot, the Seahawks appear to have signed quarterback Jake Waters, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links).
- The Steelers have reduced the number of quarterbacks on their roster by one, announcing today that they’ve cut Tajh Boyd, replacing him with wide receiver Jarrod West (Twitter link via Burt Lauten).
- Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt, who tore his Achilles on Saturday, has been officially placed on injured reserve, the team announced today. To replace him, Minnesota signed former Giants tackle Stephen Goodin.
- The Eagles‘ roster turnover at linebacker continues, as the team announced today (via Twitter) that it has signed former Southern Mississippi linebacker Dasman McCullum to replace Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo, who has been waived/injured due to an ankle injury.
- The Colts made a change to their wide receiver group, signing UDFA wideout L.T. Smith and waiving Tyler Rutenbeck, according to a team release.
- Former Emporia State wide receiver Austin Willis has been waived by the Raiders, tweets Herbie Teope of ChiefsDigest.com.
- The Cardinals have a new body in their secondary, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who reports that safety Anthony Walters has signed a one-year deal with the club. Linebacker Zack Wagenmann, who broke his foot, has been waived/injured, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.
- More updates from Wilson: The Saints have cut receiver Kyle Prater and waived/injured defensive tackle Lawrence Virgil (Twitter link), the Jets have cut punter Jacob Schum (Twitter link), the Cowboys have cut cornerback Jason Wilson from their injured reserve list with an injury settlement (Twitter link), and the Steelers have removed running back Cameron Stingily from their IR with a settlement (Twitter link).
Pats Acquire Asante Cleveland From 49ers
11:21am: The 49ers got a player from the Patriots in the deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who tweets that offensive lineman Jordan Devey is headed to San Francisco in the swap.
11:07am: The Patriots, always on the lookout for tight ends, have added a new one from the 49ers, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who reports that San Francisco has traded Asante Cleveland to New England. The return for the Niners isn’t known, but it’s hard to imagine the team getting more than a late-round pick, perhaps one that’s contingent on Cleveland making the Pats’ roster.
Maiocco reported earlier today (via Twitter) that the 49ers had been getting calls from teams interesting in trading for a tight end, with those clubs targeting Cleveland and Derek Carrier in particular. Even after moving Cleveland, the Niners may decide to trade another tight end, since the team is still carrying seven players at the position.
With Rob Gronkowski and Scott Chandler heading a depth chart that already featured six tight ends prior to the acquisition of Cleveland, the Patriots have no shortage of players at the position either. However, we’ve seen the New England offense put a strong emphasis on tight end play in recent years, so it makes sense that the club would want to stockpile as much talent and upside there as possible. In Cleveland, the Pats are getting a player who spent time on the 49ers’ roster and practice squad last year, and has yet to record his first NFL catch.
Meanwhile, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears from a source that the Patriots are cutting linebacker L.J. Fort today. We’ll have to wait for the official announcement on both transactions, but it looks as if Fort’s release could be the corresponding move for the acquisition of Cleveland.