Bears Re-Sign Demontre Hurst
The Bears have filled the final spot on their 53-man roster by re-signing a player that appeared in the team’s Week 1 game. According to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter), cornerback Demontre Hurst has rejoined the club’s active roster. The Bears cut running back Shaun Draughn and tight end Matthew Mulligan earlier this week, and had only filled one of those two openings, so no corresponding move is necessary to accommodate Hurst.
Hurst, 23, didn’t play on defense at all for Chicago in the club’s Week 1 game against the Bills, but saw a little action on special teams. He can play the nickel and is expected to provide secondary depth, but as Brad Biggs of the Tribune points out (via Twitter), Hurst’s re-addition to the roster may be motivated more by his special teams ability. The Oklahoma product worked out this week for the 49ers before latching back on with the Bears.
According to Campbell, Kelvin Hayden was also considered for the Bears’ open roster spot, but the veteran cornerback was wary of a cycle that could see him repeatedly released and re-signed.
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The NFL’s 2014 season is underway, and as teams deal with injuries, suspensions, and underperforming players, we can expect a significant amount of roster shuffling over the course of the year in the form of signings, cuts, and trades. There will be plenty of notable stories to track on Pro Football Rumors, and you don’t necessarily have to keep refreshing our site to keep tabs on them. There are a handful of different ways you can follow us to get the latest updates on NFL news and rumors all year.
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NFL, NFLPA Announce New PED, Drug Policies
10:55pm: Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) has the breakdown of the new substance abuse policy.
A player will enter a program after one failed test and face a two game fine for a second failed test. From there it’s a four game fine for a third failed test, a four game suspension for a fourth flunked test, a ten game suspension for a fifth violation, and a one-year ban for a sixth failed test.
9:48am: The NFL and NFLPA have released a joint statement announcing changes to the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The press release doesn’t include details on the NFL’s new substance-abuse policy, but notes that those changes are expected to be announced soon as well, once the two sides finalize their agreement.
The new agreement on performance-enhancing drugs will allow Broncos wideout Wes Welker, Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick, and Rams receiver Stedman Bailey to return to their respective teams this week. The agreement was expected to make a few more players eligible for immediate reinstatement, but those three names are the only ones mentioned in the release, so presumably other suspended players will have to wait a little longer, or serve their full suspensions. Additionally, when the substance-abuse policy changes are finalized, several more players could be reinstated.
Here are some other highlights of the new policy, per the release:
- HGH testing will be fully implemented this season.
- Appeals of positive tests in the performance enhancing drug programs (including HGH) will be heard by third-party arbitrators jointly selected and retained by the NFL and NFLPA.
- Discipline for violations of the performance enhancing drug policy (including for HGH) will be modified.
- A first violation will result in a suspension without pay of up to six games depending on the nature of the violation. Use of a diuretic or masking agent will result in a suspension without pay of two games. Use of a steroid, stimulant, HGH or other banned substance will result in a suspension without pay of four games. Evidence of an attempt to manipulate a test will result in a suspension without pay of six games.
- A second violation of the steroid policy will result in a suspension without pay of 10 games.
- A third violation will result in banishment for a minimum of two years.
- Players who test positive for banned stimulants in the offseason will no longer be suspended. Instead, the player will be referred to the substance abuse program. Players who test positive for banned stimulants during the season will continue to be suspended without pay for four games.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
We’ll round up Wednesday’s minor transactions right here, with additional moves listed at the top of the page throughout the rest of the day:
- Rams wideout Stedman Bailey has formally been reinstated to the team’s roster and practiced today, according to Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (via Twitter). Bailey, whose penalty was reduced as part of the league’s new PED policy, takes the lone opening on St. Louis’ roster.
- The Giants have officially received the roster exemption for Eric Herman that we made note of below. As Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets, the club will have until Friday afternoon to either cut Herman or someone else in order to get down to 53 players.
Earlier updates:
- The Broncos officially announced Wes Welker‘s reinstatement today, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Denver had previously been carrying just 52 players, so no exemption or corresponding cut was necessary to slide Welker back onto the 53-man roster.
- Chris Lewis-Harris‘ roster exemption has expired and the Bengals have re-added the cornerback to their active roster, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Like Denver, Cincinnati also had an open spot on their 53-man squad, so now that Lewis-Harris is back on board, the roster is once again full.
- Although his name wasn’t mentioned in the press release issued today by the NFL and NFLPA, the league’s new PED policy has allowed Giants guard Eric Herman to return early from his suspension, writes Conor Orr of NJ.com. The team has applied for a roster exemption for Herman in order to get him back on the practice field without immediately cutting anyone, and is waiting to hear back from the league.
Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
In addition to today’s transactions involving 53-man rosters, several teams are also shuffling players on and off their practice squads. Here’s the latest news:
- The Bears have filled the three openings on their practice squad by signing tight end Blake Annen, cornerback Jordan Sullen, and wide receiver Chris Williams, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- Having been cut by the Raiders earlier this week, linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu has cleared waivers and rejoined the club’s practice squad, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). With the re-addition of Filimoeatu, the team is now back up to a full 10-man squad.
- After clearing waivers, defensive tackle Matt Conrath has made the move from the Rams‘ 53-man roster back to their practice squad, says Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins have signed cornerback Rod Sweeting to their practice squad, releasing linebacker Terrell Manning from the unit to clear a spot for the new addition, tweets Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
NFC West Notes: Harbaugh, Cards, Seahawks
Within his latest 10-Point Stance column for Bleacher Report, Mike Freeman includes an item on 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, writing that there’s “definitely a chill” between Harbaugh and a significant number of players on San Francisco’s roster. Freeman didn’t go so far as it say Harbaugh has lost the team or even that there’s a rift, but suggests that many players are somewhat worn out by Harbaugh’s approach.
“We listen to him, we respect him as a man, we all want to win. But he drives us crazy,” one player told Freeman. “Right now, we’re all on autopilot.”
Considering extension talks between Harbaugh and the Niners were postponed until after the season, the situation will be one worth watching, amidst increasing speculation that this will be the coach’s last year in San Francisco. Here’s more from out of the NFC West:
- With Carson Palmer‘s health steadily improving, the Cardinals aren’t currently exploring any outside options at quarterback, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- Defensive ends Everette Brown, Israel Idonije, and Chidera Uzo-Diribe worked out for the Cardinals this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). While John Abraham is working his way back to the field, the team is likely exploring ways to bolster its pass rush.
- The Seahawks also auditioned a handful of players, according to Wilson, who tweets that tight ends Orson Charles and Weslye Saunders, as well as linebackers Todd Davis, Troy Davis, and Martez Wilson all worked out for the club.
- Former Bears cornerback Demontre Hurst tried out for the 49ers this week, tweets Wilson.
Panthers Place Greg Hardy On Exempt List
3:27pm: Adam Schefter of ESPN.com and Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links) now each have a source saying that the decision has officially been made, with Hardy heading to the exempt/commissioner’s permission list. Like Peterson, Hardy will be on leave with pay until his legal proceedings have been resolved.
1:33pm: A source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) that Hardy has not yet agreed to be placed on the exempt list. I would guess that information is coming from the defensive end’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, so perhaps all the involved parties are still working something out.
1:25pm: Hardy has agreed to go on the exempt/commissioner’s permission list, reports Cole (via Twitter). According to Person (via Twitter), the Panthers and the NFL discussed several possible options for Hardy, but it appears they landed on the same solution that the Vikings did for Peterson. While there has been no official announcement yet on Hardy, he’ll likely remain on the exempt list until his legal process plays out.
9:39am: The Panthers took a cue from the Vikings last week, deactivating Greg Hardy for Sunday’s game after the Vikings did the same thing for Adrian Peterson. And now, it appears Carolina will follow Minnesota’s lead once again. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), the Panthers are meeting with Hardy this morning and are expected to soon put him on the same exempt/commissioner’s permission list on which Peterson was placed.
Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer confirms (via Twitter) that the Panthers are in discussions with the league about placing Hardy on that exempt list. Of course, it’s worth noting that Hardy himself would have to accept the decision. The NFLPA issued a statement this morning classifying Peterson’s move to the exempt list as the running back taking “voluntarily leave” to take care of his personal and legal issues.
There’s some incentive for all involved parties to opt for this route. From the player’s perspective, he’ll still receive his full salary while he’s on the exempt list, which is preferable to being suspended without pay. From the league’s and teams’ perspectives, it allows them to remove the player from the field and the public spotlight immediately, while postponing further discipline until after the legal process plays out.
Extra Points: Green-Ellis, Rice, Bengals, Bucs
A few NFL teams are starting to see their backfields thin out a little as the season progresses, whether due to suspensions (Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson) or injuries (Mark Ingram, Jamaal Charles, Knowshon Moreno, and others). While most of those clubs have relied on in-house replacements so far, veteran free agent BenJarvus Green-Ellis has received some inquiries from teams, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
According to La Canfora (via Twitter), the former Bengal, who is coming off a preseason hip injury, continues to rehab and work toward full health. When he’s ready to play, Green-Ellis should be able to find a job, since there are plenty of potential suitors monitoring him now.
Here are a few more Wednesday odds and ends from around the NFL:
- The league issued a statement today indicating that commissioner Roger Goodell never intended to hear Rice’s suspension appeal, and that a neutral arbitrator will make the decision on Rice, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), a handful of offensive players worked out for the Bengals this week, including tight ends Richard Gordon, Michael Higgins, and David Paulson, as well as offensive linemen Martin Wallace and Travis Bond.
- Paulson was also one of several free agents to try out for the Buccaneers, says Wilson (via Twitter). Tampa Bay also worked out defensive backs Brandon Taylor and Malcolm Bronson, along with tight end Cameron Morrah.
- In addition to signing rookie Lache Seastrunk to their practice squad yesterday, the Panthers also auditioned running backs Alex Green, Alfonso Smith, and Kerwynn Williams, tweets Wilson.
NFL Finance Committee Approves Pegulas
Prospective Bills owners Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula received unanimous approval from the NFL’s finance committee, the league’s executive VP Eric Grubman announced today, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). The Pegulas and the Bills reached an agreement last week for the owners of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres to become the new owners of the city’s NFL franchise.
Being approved by the league’s finance committee was the next step for the Pegulas in the process of formally becoming the new owners of the Bills. After receiving approval today, Terry Pegula delivered a brief statement indicating that until the NFL’s 31 other owners give final approval next month, he doesn’t consider himself an NFL owner, according to Graham (via Twitter).
Still, while the other owners will be tasked with taking that vote at the league meetings on October 8, it’s viewed as a mere formality at this point. The Pegulas have been considered the best choice for the Bills throughout the process, and it would take a drastic development at this point to derail them from officially taking over ownership of the franchise next month.
NFC North Notes: Vikings, Lions, Packers
For now, the Vikings have placed Adrian Peterson on the exempt list, continuing to pay him while he stays away from the club and doesn’t count against the 53-man roster. However, sooner or later, Minnesota will have to make a more permanent decision on the running back, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com thinks terminating his contract – either later this year or next year – is the only route that really makes sense for the team.
Multiple sources who spoke to La Canfora believe the idea of a trade is a non-starter, and Peterson’s salaries and cap numbers are on the rise in coming seasons, making it unpalatable to keep him for the duration of his contract even if there were no off-field factors to consider.
Let’s check in on a few more updates from across the NFC North….
- Don’t expect the Vikings to make a move to add a running back to their roster, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. According to Marvez, the team is comfortable moving forward with Matt Asiata, Jerick McKinnon, and Joe Banyard.
- We’ve heard word of several players auditioning for the Lions in the past few days, and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds a couple more. Per Wilson (via Twitter), offensive lineman Reid Fragel and defensive back Justin Rogers auditioned for the club.
- The Packers tried out guard James Brown, defensive back Tay Glover-Wright, and defensive tackle Greg Hickman, according to Wilson (Twitter links).
- Packers linebacker and special-teams ace Andy Mulumba confirmed today on Twitter that he has suffered a torn ACL. While Green Bay has yet to make an official announcement, it appears likely that Mulumba will land on the injured reserve list, ending his season.