49ers Sign Phillip Tanner; Celek To IR
The 49ers have made a change to their 53-man roster, signing running back Phillip Tanner and placing tight end Garrett Celek on the injured reserve list to make room for Tanner, the team announced today in a press release.
Tanner recorded 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 56 carries during three years with the Cowboys, along with 93 receiving yards on nine catches. The Middle Tennessee State product, who also contributed on special teams in 2013, spent time with the Colts and Cowboys this summer, but was ultimately waived by Dallas during roster cutdowns at the end of the preseason.
Tanner caught on with the Bills for about a month when Buffalo’s backfield was decimated by injuries, but didn’t get any touches during his stint with the club. In San Francisco, the 26-year-old will provide depth in the backfield, with Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde both ailing, and could get an opportunity to play on special teams as well, with Kassim Osgood done for the year.
Celek, who spent most of the year on San Francisco’s PUP list, appeared in three games, and caught two balls for 53 yards. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason.
Eagles, Brandon Graham Discussing Extension
As his rookie contract neared its end, Brandon Graham‘s name surfaced in a couple trade rumors over the offseason, but Philadelphia is no longer thinking about parting ways with the outside linebacker. In fact, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, the team has actually approached Graham about the possibility of completing a contract extension.
Mosher reports that discussions on a new deal for Graham got underway a few weeks ago, with the team proposing a four-year extension. However, the two sides aren’t close to anything at this point. Per Mosher, the contract structure has been a sticking point, and the possibility that Graham could land more money and longer-term security on the open market is complicating talks.
Graham, 26, had been up and down during his first four years with the Eagles, but the former first-round pick is enjoying the best season of his career in 2014. Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required) place Graham fourth among 3-4 outside linebackers, despite his relative lack of playing time (423 defensive snaps). Graham has already matched his career high with 5.5 sacks, and has 44 overall quarterback pressures, per PFF. He’ll be in line for his first start of the season this weekend, with Trent Cole sidelined.
Graham’s strong season has certainly increased his value, so it will be interesting to see if the Eagles have the flexibility to keep him in the mix while Cole and Connor Barwin remain under contract. The team is currently projected to have a combined cap hit of nearly $18MM for those two players in 2015, so adding another few million for Graham would mean committing a decent chunk of the cap to one position. Of course, Cole’s future with the team isn’t necessarily guaranteed, considering his cap number balloons to $11MM+ for 2015.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
With contending teams vying for playoff spots and fighting for higher seeds, and non-contenders perhaps taking a longer look at younger players down the stretch, we can expect teams to make plenty of minor tweaks to their 53-man rosters this week. Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- According to the league transaction wire, quarterback Chandler Harnish has been released by the Vikings, tweets Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. Harnish was under an injured designation with a foot injury.
- The Browns have made room for the addition of Andrew McDonald (noted below) by waiving linebacker Zac Diles, the club announced today (Twitter link).
- The Buccaneers have released cornerback Crezdon Butler, and will likely announce more moves on Wednesday, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link). One possible replacement for Butler could be former safety Mistral Raymond — a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) that the former Viking worked out for Tampa Bay today.
- The Raiders have plucked a player from across the bay, signing cornerback Chance Casey from off the 49ers’ practice squad, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- A day after being cut by the Colts, offensive tackle Andrew McDonald has been claimed off waivers by the Browns, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). It’s not clear yet who is coming off Cleveland’s roster to make room for the new addition.
- Cornerback Josh Thomas, who apparently lost his playbook recently, won’t be needing it back now — he was released by the Jets today, according to the team (Twitter link). New York called up safety Rontez Miles from the practice squad to take Thomas’ place on the roster.
- Offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb has been cut by the Vikings, the team announced today (Twitter link). Webb’s release comes on the heels of his missed block that led to a blocked field goal during Sunday’s loss to the Lions.
- Having already made multiple roster moves today, the Ravens completed a couple more, placing running back Lorenzo Taliaferro on the injured reserve list and signed former defensive tackle Casey Walker off the Patriots’ practice squad, the club announced in a press release. Baltimore still has an open spot on its 53-man roster.
- The Titans have swapped tight ends on their active roster, signing Matthew Mulligan and placing Brett Brackett on injured reserve, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter links). Brackett’s season comes to a premature end due to a knee issue.
- The Cardinals have placed defensive tackle Ed Stinson on injured reserve, ending his season, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). Taking Stinson’s place on the roster is wide receiver Brittan Golden, promoted from Arizona’s practice squad.
- The Falcons cleared a roster spot by placing cornerback Robert Alford on injured reserve yesterday with a wrist issue, and will fill that spot today by promoting cornerback Ricardo Allen from their practice squad, a source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The team has since confirmed the move (via Twitter).
- Agent Mike McCartney indicated today (via Twitter) that his client, offensive lineman Ryan Jensen, has received a promotion from the Ravens‘ practice squad to the team’s 53-man roster. It’s not clear yet whose spot Jensen is taking, but defensive backs Asa Jackson and Terrence Brooks are both expected to be placed on IR this week.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
We’ve already got one ongoing post designed to track today’s minor 53-man roster moves from around the league, but we’ll use this space to keep tabs on Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts. Here’s the latest:
- The Saints added guard Andrew Miller to the taxi squad while releasing offensive tackle DeMarcus Love and defensive tackle Garrison Smith, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Panthers cut running back Tauren Poole from their taxi squad yet again and replaced him by re-signing Micanor Regis, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
- A source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) that the Chiefs have cut tight end Adam Schiltz, creating a second open spot on the Kansas City practice squad.
- The Cowboys have their practice squad back up to 10 players, signing linebacker Mister Alexander to fill the final opening, says Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
- Wide receiver Travis Labhart has been placed on the Texans‘ practice squad-injured list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Having lost cornerback Chance Casey to the Raiders, the 49ers replaced him on their practice squad by signing cornerback Cameron Fuller, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
Earlier updates:
- The Ravens have filled up their practice squad by signing cornerback Quinton Pointer, the team announced today.
- Earlier today, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reported (via Twitter) that the Texans were working out quarterback Seth Lobato, but the club ended up signing another quarterback to its taxi squad. Ricky Stanzi is the signal-caller that landed with the Texans, tweets Wilson.
- The Jets have signed former Marshall linebacker Mario Harvey to their practice squad, according to the team (Twitter link).
- After cutting him over the weekend, Washington has re-signed linebacker Steve Beauharnais to the club’s practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team also added defensive tackle Isaako Aaitui to the unit, cutting linebacker Justin Jackson to accommodate the move (Twitter link).
- Having lost Zach Mettenberger and Jake Locker to injuries, the Titans added quarterback Jordan Palmer to their active roster yesterday, and have added another signal-caller to their practice squad today for emergency purposes. Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean tweets that QB Alex Tanney has signed with Tennessee’s taxi squad.
- Former Wake Forest defensive lineman Zach Thompson is signing to the Ravens‘ practice squad, taking one of the two open spots on the unit, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The 49ers have brought back a player who was part of the club’s practice squad earlier this season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve re-added tight end Xavier Grimble.
Raiders Place Sio Moore On IR
Sio Moore‘s sophomore season in Oakland has officially come to an end, with the Raiders placing the starting linebacker on the injured reserve list today to accommodate the team’s previously reported signing of cornerback Chance Casey. The club confirmed the pair of transactions in a press release.
A third-round pick in 2013, Moore is turning into one of the key contributors on the defensive side of the ball for the Raiders, racking up 99 tackles and three sacks in his 11 games this season. A hip injury sidelined him for Oakland’s Week 15 game, and the team has now elected to shut him down for the season in order to make better use of the roster spot.
Casey, who was signed off the 49ers’ practice squad, spent most of 2013 with the Raiders. Now that he’s back in the fold, the team will have an opportunity to keep him under control through the end of the season and the offseason.
Giants Sign Two Players, Place Two On IR
The exodus of Giants players to the team’s injured reserve list continued today, as linebacker Jacquian Williams and offensive lineman James Brewer became the 21st and 22nd Giants to land on IR, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. To replace the latest two roster casualties, the Giants promoted defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton from their practice squad and signed guard Adam Gettis from off the Steelers’ taxi squad, per Graziano (via Twitter).
While Brewer didn’t play a significant role for the Giants this season, Williams was one of the team’s starting linebackers, logging 571 defensive snaps on the year. Pro Football Focus’ overall grade (subscription required) for Williams was negative, but that figure was influenced in large part by a poor pass coverage rating — the linebacker was above average against the run, according to PFF. Both Brewer and Williams are suffering from concussions, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
Vacchiano adds (via Twitter) that the Giants completed their series of moves by replacing Hamilton on their practice squad with defensive back Thomas Gordon.
Texans To Sign Case Keenum
TUESDAY, 4:12pm: The Texans have officially announced the signing of Keenum, moving Fitzpatrick to injured reserve in the corresponding move.
MONDAY, 8:12am: After losing Ryan Mallett for the season last month, the Texans saw two more quarterbacks go down with injuries yesterday. With Ryan Fitzpatrick expected to be sidelined for the rest of the year, the team is bringing back signal-caller Case Keenum, signing him from off the Rams’ practice squad, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
Keenum, 26, started eight games last season for Houston and posted respectable numbers, including 1,760 passing yards and nine touchdowns to go along with just six interceptions. However, after the Texans signed Ryan Fitzpatrick, drafted Tom Savage, and acquired Mallett in a trade in the offseason, there was no room left for Keenum, who was cut at the end of the preseason. The Rams claimed Keenum off waivers, and eventually were able to move him to their taxi squad.
While Keenum is expected to take Fitzpatrick’s spot on the Houston roster, the veteran wasn’t the only Texans quarterback to suffer an injury yesterday. Savage sustained a knee injury, and some members of the organization believe it could be serious, tweets McClain. If that’s the case, the club could add another QB to join Keenum and Thad Lewis on the roster.
Draft Rumors: Peters, Williams, Ray, Peat
For the first time ever, the number of NCAA underclassmen entering the NFL draft in 2014 cracked the triple digits, establishing a new record, but that record may not last long. According to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), one source thinks it’s possible that last year’s number (102) will be “dwarfed” this year. As Getlin adds in a second tweet, the most commonly cited reason for underclassmen making the leap to the NFL early is that players are “sick of playing without market-based compensation.”
With that in mind, Getlin has updates on several potential early entrants for the 2015 draft. Let’s dive in….
- Washington defensive back Marcus Peters will enter the 2015 draft, multiple sources tell Getlin (Twitter link). Peters currently projects as an early-to-mid-round pick.
- Despite his public hedging, USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams is viewed as a virtual lock to enter the draft, sources tell Getlin (Twitter links). According to Getlin, Williams, who is considered one of NCAA’s top prospects, is believed to have already selected an agent, based – in part – on “a long-standing family relationship.”
- Missouri defensive end – and SEC sack leader – Shane Ray is seriously considering entering the draft, writes Getlin, who notes that Ray’s mother has been vetting potential agents for her son. The redshirt junior is viewed as a likely top-10 pick.
- Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat, a probable first-rounder, is currently on the fence about whether or not to leave school early, according to Getlin (Twitter link).
- Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead is “strongly” leaning toward leaving school early and entering the draft, says Gatlin. Armstead hasn’t decided anything officially yet, but his father has been meeting with agents in order to be prepared if and when his son declares his intent.
- Tevin Coleman has been meeting with agents, and while the Indiana running back hasn’t signed with anyone, the signs are pointing to him entering the draft, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
Ravens Place Jackson, Brooks On IR
TUESDAY, 1:40pm: The Ravens have officially placed Jackson on their injured reserve list, along with fellow defensive back Terrence Brooks, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team promoted offensive lineman Ryan Jensen from their practice squad, so there should be on open spot left on the 53-man roster.
MONDAY, 3:29pm: The Ravens’ secondary took yet another hit this weekend, as head coach John Harbaugh announced today that cornerback Asa Jackson will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury (Twitter link via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). According to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), Jackson suffered a PCL injury with a five-week recovery period, so Baltimore will bring in a healthy replacement as the team pushes for a playoff berth.
It’s the second major injury of the season for Jackson, who was placed on IR once already this year, with the designation to return, due to a foot issue. For the Ravens, it’s just the latest in a string of season-ending injuries for defensive backs. Jimmy Smith, Danny Gorrer, Aaron Ross, and Tramain Jacobs are among the one-time members of the team’s secondary that currently find themselves on the injured reserve list.
With Jackson heading to IR, the Ravens will be on the lookout for cornerback help, Harbaugh said today (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun). The club doesn’t currently have a defensive back on its practice squad, so signing a free agent – or poaching a corner from another team’s taxi squad – looks like the next move.
Washington Places Colt McCoy On IR
One of the three quarterbacks to start this season for Washington is headed to the injured reserve list, according to head coach Jay Gruden, who announced today that Colt McCoy‘s season is officially over (Twitter link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post). Linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat has been promoted from the team’s practice squad to the active roster to take McCoy’s spot.
McCoy, who suffered a neck injury earlier in the month, was cleared to play in Washington’s Week 15 game against the Giants, but left that contest early after aggravating the injury. In his five games (four starts) this year, McCoy posted respectable numbers, completing 71.1% of his passes for 1,057 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. The 28-year-old is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, so we’ll see if Washington attempts to re-sign him or if he hits the open market.
As for the NFC East’s cellar-dwellers, Gruden indicated today that his team doesn’t intend to add another quarterback to its roster this season, tweets Tom Schad of the Washington Times. It looks as if Robert Griffin III will get the opportunity to start Washington’s final two games of the season, with Kirk Cousins backing him up.