Pegulas Officially Approved As Bills Owners
The NFL’s owners meetings are underway in New York, and the group wasted no time in checking off one of the key items on the agenda. According to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello (via Twitter), Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula have been unanimously approved by the NFL’s other owners as the new owners of the Bills.
While there were some hiccups during the bidding process for the Bills, it’s been smooth sailing for the Pegulas since their reported $1.4 billion bid was chosen as the winner several weeks ago. After the owners of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres were approved by the league’s finance committee last month, their approval by the rest of the NFL’s team owners was viewed as a mere formality, and now it’s official.
The Pegulas, who take over ownership of the Bills from the late Ralph Wilson and his family, are now eligible to represent the team during the rest of today’s owner’s meetings.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
With practices resuming following the weekend’s games, and teams having a better of idea of how serious its players’ injuries are, Tuesdays are often a busy day for practice squad transactions, as clubs replenish their rosters and swap in players at potential positions of need. As such, we expect to update this post plenty of times throughout the day, with the latest news of practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL. Here’s the latest:
- Defensive tackle Joe Vellano, who was waived by the Patriots on Monday, has agreed to stay with New England on its practice squad, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. Vellano is the beneficiary of the new practice squad rules that allow a second-year player to be eligible despite playing in 16 games in 2013.
- Defensive back Chandler Fenner and wide receiver Julian Talley, both waived by the Giants yesterday, have been re-signed to the practice squad, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- The Eagles re-signed linebacker Brandon Hepburn to their practice squad, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter).
- The Packers signed Joe Kruger, the brother of Paul Kruger, to their practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
- Former Ravens defensive tackle A.J. Pataiali’i has been added to the Browns’ taxi squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- As noted below, cornerback Mike Harris has signed with the Lions‘ practice squad, replacing fellow defensive back Josh Victorian, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- The Jets have released cornerback LeQuan Lewis from their practice squad, signing another cornerback – Dashaun Phillips – in his place, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- One wide receiver has replaced another on the Cowboys‘ practice squad, tweets Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, as Tim Benford has been cut and LaRon Byrd has been signed.
- The Rams are down to nine players on their practice squad, having cut wide receiver Justin Veltung today, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
- The Lions have signed defensive back Mike Harris to their taxi squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Detroit had a full 10-man unit, so a corresponding cut will be necessary to finalize the move.
- Offensive tackle Ryan Miller has been cut from the Broncos‘ practice squad, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter).
- The Browns have cut long snapper Charley Hughlett from their practice squad, per agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). Hughlett was brought in to provide competition for the team’s regular long snapper, Christian Yount, but Cleveland has opted to continue on with Yount.
- The 49ers have swapped one offensive lineman for another on their practice squad, cutting tackle John Fullington in order to bring aboard guard Andrew Tiller, according to the club.
- Guard William Campbell and defensive tackle Jeremy Towns are the newest members of the Bills‘ practice squad, replacing fullback Lonnie Pryor and tight end Jamie Childers, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Three days after cutting him from their active roster, the Jaguars have re-signed tight end Mickey Shuler to their practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. To make room on the squad, wide receiver Kerry Taylor has been cut.
- Last week’s promotion of quarterback Chandler Harnish to the active roster suggested the Vikings were more confident in him than McLeod Bethel-Thompson in an emergency scenario, and the team’s moves today reflected that as well. The Vikes announced in a press release that Bethel-Thompson has been let go from the practice squad, with Harnish, wideout Donte Foster, and defensive back Pierre Warren joining the unit.
- To keep tabs on all 32 practice squad rosters, be sure to check out our complete list.
Redskins Promote Jackson Jeffcoat, Cut Two
The Redskins have cut a pair of defensive backs from their 53-man roster, according to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times, who reports (via Twitter) that cornerback Richard Crawford and strong safety Akeem Davis have been waived by the team. Edge defender Jackson Jeffcoat has been promoted to the roster using one of those two openings, Boyer adds.
Jeffcoat, an undrafted free agent out of Texas, will have an opportunity to appear in his first regular season NFL game if he remains on Washington’s roster for the team’s next game. Prior to joining the Redskins’ practice squad, Jeffcoat spent time with the Seahawks during the preseason.
In addition to the shuffling of the 53-man roster, the Redskins also cut tight end Ted Bolser from their practice squad, tweets Boyer. The team should now have two openings on its taxi squad and one on its active roster.
Broncos Auditioned Leshoure, Stephens-Howling
In the wake of Montee Ball suffering a strained groin, the Broncos took a look at several veteran running backs today, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Klis tweets that Mikel Leshoure and LaRod Stephens-Howling were among the players working out for the team, but the Broncos opted not to sign anyone.
With Ball out, the Broncos figure to hand over the biggest share of the workload to Ronnie Hillman, though C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson should also get a few reps. While the Broncos have yet to use the designation to return on their injured reserve list, Ball isn’t really a candidate for that spot, given his projected recovery timetable. As such, if the Broncos wanted to sign another running back without losing any of their current options, they’d be carrying five for the next few weeks, which may not be the best use of roster space.
Saints Sign Tom Crabtree
Two days after Jimmy Graham left New Orleans’ Sunday game against the Buccaneers, the Saints have signed free agent tight end Tom Crabtree to a contract, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). No corresponding move should be necessary, since the team recently opened up a roster spot by placing safety Jairus Byrd on injured reserve.
The signing of Crabtree isn’t necessarily a bad omen for Graham’s status. The star tight end’s shoulder injury isn’t considered serious, and the Saints are on a bye week, so Graham will have seven extra days to recover. Still, the fact that New Orleans signed a veteran tight end suggests that Graham may not be available for the club’s next practices, and Crabtree will give the team an extra body at the position.
Crabtree, who has spent most of his career with the Packers, has accumulated 22 receptions for 323 yards and five touchdowns during his four NFL seasons. A year ago, he played seven games – starting five – for the Buccaneers.
The Saints also worked out tight end Kellen Davis earlier today, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Ravens Claim Ryan Taylor Off Waivers
The Ravens have claimed tight end Ryan Taylor off waivers from Green Bay, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who reports (via Twitter) that the team cut fellow tight end Phillip Supernaw in order to make room for the incoming ex-Packers. Wilson adds (via Twitter) that the club also filled out its practice squad by adding defensive end Steven Means.
Taylor, who turns 27 next month, wasn’t been a huge part of the Packers’ passing game since being drafted in the seventh round in 2011, but he had been with the team since then and contributed on special teams, so his release was somewhat surprising. Tight end looked like an area of strength for the Ravens heading into the season, but Dennis Pitta‘s season-ending injury left the depth chart looking much thinner. Supernaw was originally added to the active roster when Pitta went down, but it’ll now be Taylor providing depth alongside Owen Daniels and Crockett Gillmore.
As for Means, the spot on the practice squad opened up for him earlier today, when the Texans signed John Simon away from the Ravens’ squad, leaving the team one player under the 10-man limit.
Bengals Claim Khairi Fortt From Saints
A day after he was cut by the Saints, linebacker Khairi Fortt has been claimed off waivers by the Bengals, according to the team (Twitter link). To make room for the incoming rookie, Cincinnati has placed linebacker Sean Porter on injured reserve with a knee injury.
The Saints’ decision to cut Fortt was an odd one, particularly because of the timing. New Orleans drafted the linebacker out of California in the fourth round back in May, and used its lone IR/designated to return spot on him at the start of the season after he suffered a leg injury. However, with Fortt just a week away from being eligible to return to practice, he was waived by the Saints, allowing him to catch on with the Bengals.
While the Saints must have some reason for parting ways with Fortt, it looks like an odd use of both a fourth-round draft pick and their IR-DTR slot. According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (via Twitter), the ex-Saint is expected to pass his physical with his new team, so it seems as if there’s a chance he’ll see the field for the Bengals within the next few weeks.
Bears Waive Isaiah Frey
3:30pm: In addition to confirming they’ve cut Frey, the Bears announced several more roster moves today (Twitter links). The team has promoted cornerback Al Louis-Jean from its practice squad to the 53-man roster, and has also cut defensive end David Bass from the roster. Additionally, linebackers DeDe Lattimore and Terrell Manning have joined the practice squad, while defensive tackle Roy Philon and wideout and returner Rashad Ross have been dropped from the unit.
12:56pm: The Bears have parted ways with their nickel back, placing Isaiah Frey on waivers today, reports Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move will leave Chicago with an open spot on its 53-man roster.
Frey, 24, has been with the Bears since being selected as a sixth-round pick in 2012’s draft, shuttling between the team’s active roster and practice squad at times. After starting this year on the taxi squad, Frey received a promotion during the season’s third week, when Charles Tillman went down with a season-ending injury. Since then, he has acted as the nickel back in Chicago, appearing in 95 defensive snaps over the last three weeks.
While Frey held his own as the Bears’ regular nickel back last season, he has struggled so far this year, allowing a quarterback rating of 133.3 on passes thrown in his direction, along with a pair of touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). I’d expect the Bears to try to bring back Frey on their practice squad, but it will be interesting to see which direction the team goes in at the nickel spot now — Sherrick McManis looks like the logical in-house candidate, assuming he’s getting close to 100% healthy.
Texans Sign John Simon, Put Sapp On IR
3:22pm: The Texans have confirmed the moves noted below in a press release, adding that fullback Toben Opurum has been cut to clear space on the practice squad for Ankrah.
8:36am: Ricky Sapp will be placed on injured reserve to make room on the Texans’ roster for Simon, according to Jayson Braddock, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is also signing outside linebacker Jason Ankrah to the practice squad.
8:13am: The Texans are set to snatch a player off the Ravens’ practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who reports (via Twitter) that Houston will sign outside linebacker John Simon to its 53-man roster. As Wilson observes (via Twitter), the move reunites Simon with Texans linebackers coach Mike Vrabel, after the two spent time together at Ohio State.
Simon, 24, was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft by the Ravens, and spent some time on the club’s active roster last season, contributing primarily on special teams. After failing to earn a spot on the 53-man roster this year, Simon re-signed to Baltimore’s practice squad, and had some incentive to do so — his $10K weekly salary was more than most taxi squad players earn, though he’ll still be in line for a nice raise now that he’s making the move to an active roster.
The Texans don’t currently have an opening on their 53-man roster, so a player will have to be cut or placed on injured reserve in order to clear room to officially sign Simon.
Cardinals Sign Drew Butler; Zastudil To IR
The Cardinals have finalized a series of roster moves today, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). In addition to signings linebacker Marcus Benard and placing linebacker Matt Shaughnessy on injured reserve with the designation to return, moves which were reported yesterday, the club also signed punter Drew Butler to the 53-man roster, placed punter Dave Zastudil on IR, and signed quarterback Dennis Dixon to the practice squad.
Zastudil, who was hampered by health issues earlier in the season, re-injured his groin during Sunday’s game in Denver, prompting the team to turn to Butler instead. Zastudil will spend the rest of season on the injured reserve list, assuming the Cards don’t release him with an injury settlement at any point.
As for Dixon, his spot on the practice squad is worth noting. With both Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton ailing, head coach Bruce Arians suggested yesterday that if his club were to add a quarterback, it would be one who knows his system. Dixon was a Steeler for several seasons back when Arians was running Pittsburgh’s offense, so the 29-year-old signal-caller fits that bill. If one or both of Palmer and Stanton can’t go this weekend, Dixon would likely be promoted to the active roster.
Butler had previously been on Arizona’s practice squad, so no one had to be cut to make room for Dixon.