Minor NFL Transactions: 10/2/15
Here are today’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL, as 28 teams prepare for their Week 4 contests….
- The Rams have cut cornerback Brandon McGee, promoting safety Christian Bryant from their practice squad to take his place, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). McGee didn’t last long on the active roster, having just received a promotion from the taxi squad himself on Tuesday.
- The Bills have also promoted a player from their practice squad, announcing today that they’ve added running back Cierre Wood to the 53-man roster to provide some depth with LeSean McCoy out this weekend. Buffalo released veteran defensive lineman Andre Fluellen to make room on the roster for Wood, who will act as the club’s third running back in Week 4 behind Karlos Williams and Anthony Dixon.
- With a number of offensive linemen battling injuries, the Chargers are expected to promote G/T Michael Ola from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, tweets Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The club has yet to make the move official, and would have to remove a player from the roster.
East Notes: Bills, Giants, Welker, Pats
The Bills were one of the league’s most active teams this past offseason, bringing in players like LeSean McCoy and Matt Cassel via trades, signing Charles Clay and Percy Harvin in free agency, and locking up Jerry Hughes to a lucrative long-term contract. Still, while the team’s new additions have played a part in Buffalo’s early-season success, it’s the players in contract years that have contributed even more significantly, writes Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News.
As Dunne outlines, linebacker Nigel Bradham is among the Bills who have performed well in the early going and will be eligible for free agency after the season. And Bradham agrees that it’s “most definitely” a motivator to be playing for a new deal.
“It can keep you focused knowing you have to continue to play well,” Bradham said. “Because you want that — especially when you’ve never had an opportunity to get it. For me, I just play. That’s what I tell myself. Just play.”
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- The Giants brought wide receiver Wes Welker in for a workout this week, and head coach Tom Coughlin said the veteran free agent looked healthy and “very quick.” New York hasn’t signed Welker, but Coughlin acknowledged that there’s “always a chance” if the need arises (Twitter links via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News).
- By trading from a position of strength, the Patriots were able to add another player at a position that’s generally hard to fill, says Mike Reiss of ESPN.com in his assessment of the team’s swap of TE Michael Hoomanawanui for defensive lineman Akiem Hicks. As Reiss observes, there’s no guarantee Hoomanawanui would have even earned a post on New England’s initial 53-man roster if fullback James Develin hadn’t broken his leg.
- With the Jets and Dolphins prepared to play one another for the first time this season, George Willis of the New York Post suggests that Jets head coach Todd Bowles is already making the Dolphins regret passing him over. Bowles was Miami’s interim head coach at the end of 2011, but the team opted to hire Joe Philbin in the offseason, rather than having Bowles continue on in the role.
Workout Notes: Jets, Brown, Chargers, Lions
The Jets auditioned running back Bryce Brown on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Brown has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was unable to stick with the Bills in 2015. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a grand total of 126 yards off of 36 carries.
Here’s a rundown of other notable workouts from around the NFL..
- As we noted earlier today, the Patriots worked out former Broncos running back Montee Ball and the Steelers took a look at Terrelle Pryor.
- Former Jets defensive lineman Jordan Williams worked out for the Lions today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- Former Browns outside linebacker Mike Reilly worked out for the Chargers on Tuesday, a league source tells Wilson (on Twitter).
- With defensive tackle Will Sutton’s expected to miss a short period of time following a left biceps injury, the Bears brought in four linemen for a tryout on Tuesday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. According to an NFL source, veterans DeAngelo Tyson, Cliff Matthews, D’Anthony Smith, and Greg Scruggs were worked out. The Bears also put running back George Atkinson III, a former Notre Dame player, through a workout.
- The Jets worked out former Giants fullback Henry Hynoski today, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
- In addition to Ball, the Patriots auditioned tight end Brandon Bostick, quarterback Zac Dysert, tight end Brian Leonhardt, former Panthers running back Darrin Reaves, and tight end Konrad Reuland, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.
- Defensive end/outside linebacker Lawrence Sidbury auditioned for the Lions on Tuesday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Rams have auditioned a ton of wide receivers lately, as Wilson tweets. Issac Blakeney, Kain Colter, DaVaris Daniels, Jordan Leslie, Tyler Rutenbeck, and Corey Washington were among the wide receivers to audition for St. Louis. Nick Toon, who was also a part of those tryouts, inked a practice squad deal with St. Louis this week.
- The Panthers auditioned three punters on Tuesday, including ex-Bears punter Adam Podlesh, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Spencer Lanning and Kasey Redfern also auditioned, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets.
- The Chargers auditioned center J.D. Walton and guard Joe Looney, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports (on Twitter).
East Notes: RGIII, Patriots, Washington
Robert Griffin III hasn’t dressed for any of Washington‘s first three regular season games, but his presence “continues to loom over the franchise, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Griffin still has support within the organization, and – according to Jones – league insiders have speculated that the Washington brass could eventually force Jay Gruden to go back to RGIII if Kirk Cousins falters, even though Colt McCoy is technically the backup.
Griffin has a fifth-year option on his contract for 2016 that is currently guaranteed for injury only, so playing him would put the team at risk — if the fourth-year quarterback suffered a serious injury, the club would be on the hook for $16MM+ in ’16. Still, Jones can’t help but wonder if the former second overall pick will get one last shot in D.C.
Here’s more from across the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Mike Reiss of ESPN.com examines how linebacker Jon Bostic, acquired in a trade with the Bears, will fit in with the Patriots‘ defense, comparing the deal to the team’s 2014 acquisition of linebacker Akeem Ayers. Both Bostic and Ayers were casualties of defensive scheme changes with their old teams.
- Washington recently tried out linebackers Jayson DiManche, Mason Foster, Parys Haralson, and Carlos Fields, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- Could Matt Cassel be the Cowboys‘ backup quarterback next season behind Tony Romo? Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com tackles that question, along with a few more topics of note from out of Dallas.
- Asked today why the Eagles didn’t do more to address their offensive line this offseason, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur responded, “Those are questions for somebody else” (Twitter link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com).
- Second-round cornerback Ronald Darby and fifth-round running back Karlos Williams were viewed as risky draft picks this spring, but they’ve paid off so far for the Bills, says Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AFC Notes: Jets, Bills, Dolphins, Browns
Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick performed nicely for the Jets in leading them to a 2-0 start, completing well over 60 percent of passes and tossing four touchdowns against two interceptions. However, the 11th-year man came back to earth on Sunday in a 24-17 loss to the Eagles. He threw a whopping 58 passes and three picks while averaging a paltry 4.88 yards per attempt. Afterward, head coach Todd Bowles gave Fitzpatrick a vote of confidence, but he acknowledged that the 32-year-old is going to have to limit mistakes to stay atop the Jets’ depth chart.
“Ryan (Fitzpatrick) is our starter,” said Bowles, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini (Twitter link)
Bowles then added, “You’re not going to win a game throwing three interceptions.”
A look at a few other AFC teams, including some notable injury news:
- Although a hamstring injury has slowed Bills running back LeSean McCoy since August, head coach Rex Ryan is reluctant to give him a week off, per ESPN’s Mike Rodak (Twitter link). McCoy, whom Ryan estimates to be at 80 percent, wasn’t much of a factor in the Bills’ 41-14 thrashing of Miami on Sunday. The three-time Pro Bowler rushed for a mere 16 yards on 11 carries, though he did find the end zone for the first time this year on a 10-yard reception.
- Like McCoy, receiver Sammy Watkins – one of Buffalo’s other big-time playmakers – was limited Sunday because of injury. The second-year man caught one pass for 39 yards before leaving with a calf injury. Ryan referred to Watkins’ ailment as a “big concern” after the game, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweeted.
- While McCoy and Watkins didn’t make huge impacts Sunday, the same wasn’t true for most of their offensive cohorts in Bills uniforms. Their embarrassment of the Dolphins should lead to the end of defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle‘s tenure, opines Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Among Salguero’s reasons: The Dolphins have just one sack this year (none in the last 11-plus quarters), and tackle Ndamukong Suh has gone from a superstar in Detroit to a nonentity in Miami. That won’t cut it for a player who signed a mega-deal worth over $100MM to join the Dolphins in the offseason.
- Browns quarterback Josh McCown injured his right hand in the team’s 27-20 loss to Oakland on Sunday and subsequently had X-rays, which were negative, according to ESPN. “I don’t want to speak on it,” McCown said. “I’ll let coach (Mike Pettine) speak on it, but I feel good.”
Breer’s Latest: Incognito, Gurley, Manziel, Jets
In his latest piece for NFL.com, Albert Breer leads off by examining the performances of the seven clubs who hired new head coaches during the offseason, specifically taking a look at the Falcons and Jets, with whom Dan Quinn and Todd Bowles, respectively, have started a combined 4-0. Despite that robust start, both men were quick to deny that their teams had achieved much of anything. “I don’t know if I’d use the word ‘accomplished’,” said Quinn candidly.
“We haven’t accomplished anything,” Bowles said. “It just means we’re off to a good start. We’re trying to establish ourselves and guys are coming together. To me, it’s a long season, a very long season. No guarantees. The only guarantee is we won’t be worse than 2-14.”
Let’s dive into some more notes from Breer’s column…
- Embattled Bills guard Richie Incognito will make a homecoming of sorts this weekend when Buffalo heads to Miami to play the Dolphins, and despite his reputation, Incognito still has a positive reputation among members of Miami’s coaching staff. “Awesome guy,” one Dolphins assistant told Breer. “Would talk to everyone in the building, always worked hard, very respected … A guy you wanted on your side.”
- The Rams saw rookie running back Todd Gurley as a “generational talent,” according to Breer, which lead the club to not only select the former Georgia star with the 10th overall pick, but to display caution in terms of Gurley’s return from an ACL injury. Gurley is expected to be active for Sunday’s contest against the Steelers, and St. Louis believes that he’ll be able to perform as would any normal rookie, unencumbered by his knee ailment.
- After Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel returned from his stint in rehab, Cleveland’s coaching staff, including new offensive coordinator John DeFillipo, worked with Manziel to reshape his delivery and mechanics. Specifically, the club wanted to ensure that Manziel exhibited better footwork and demonstrated “quieter” lower body, per Breer. Manziel had a solid start against the Titans last week, but he’ll head back to the bench in Week 3 following the return of Josh McCown.
- Sam Bradford was never expected to be a running quarterback, but the complete lack of a mobile QB in Philadelphia has led to defenders ignoring the possibility of a quarterback run, allowing them to send waves of defenders into the backfield, according to Breer. However, Breer has heard that Eagles head coach Chip Kelly is not stubborn, meaning he won’t to allow subpar play — either due to play-calling or a lack of talent at offensive guard — to persist without looking for some sort of solution.
East Notes: Cassel, Bills, Brady, Eagles
After being traded to the Cowboys by the Bills, quarterback Matt Cassel is joining his fifth team in 11 NFL seasons, but as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details, he’s looking forward to the new challenge.
“I’m just coming in trying to learn a new playbook,” Cassel said. “There’s a lot to get done obviously. It was explained to me that Brandon [Weeden] is the starter, and I’m going to support him in any way I can, help the team in any capacity they want me to. At the same time, I’m going to try to learn the playbook and see how far I can move along and how quickly I can move along, so if an opportunity does come up, I’m ready to play.”
As Cassel adjusts to his new team, let’s check in on a few other items from around the NFL’s East divisions….
- Babe Laufenberg of the Dallas Morning News “loved” the Cowboys‘ trade for Cassel, since it gives the club a viable veteran backup option if Weeden struggles in Tony Romo‘s absence.
- Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News addresses the Cassel trade, the Rex Ryan/Doug Whaley relationship, and a handful of other topics in his latest Bills mailbag.
- Responding to a report that suggested a “very influential” person in the NFL is confident that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will still serve a suspension this season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says that such a belief is skewed to the point of being delusional.
- Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com takes a look back at some of Chip Kelly‘s most noteworthy offseason transactions for the Eagles, weighing in on the early impact of those moves. So far, only the club’s signing of defensive back Walter Thurmond and selection of rookie linebacker Jordan Hicks get a thumbs-up from Sheridan.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/15
Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Dolphins announced (via Twitter) that they have signed running back Jonas Gray off of the practice squad. The Dolphins first added Gray to their taxi squad earlier this month and since then he has been promoted, cut outright, and re-signed to the practice squad before finally being brought back up to the 53-man roster today. Gray emerged as a potential starter for the Patriots during his 201-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Colts during the 2014 season, but was leapfrogged on New England’s depth chart by LeGarrette Blount and others down the stretch. In early September, several running backs in New England got ahead of him in line, leading to his release.
- The Giants cut Josh Gordy from injured reserve with an injury settlement, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Bills promoted safety Jonathan Meeks to the 53-man roster, per Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter).
- The Steelers released wide receiver Tyler Murphy to make room for the returning Le’Veon Bell, as Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/23/15
Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts from across the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Joseph Fauria, RB Kerwynn Williams (Twitter links via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Buffalo Bills
- To be signed: QB Dustin Vaughan (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DE Efe Obada (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR/KR Kaelin Clay (link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press)
- Cut: WR Kendrick Ings
Houston Texans
- Signed: T Edawn Coughman; RB Daryl Richardson (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Cut: QB Zac Dysert; T Joseph Treadwell
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Sean McGrath (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle), CB Eric Patterson (via Mike Chappell of FOX59 on Twitter)
- Cut: OL David Arkin
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Damarr Aultman; LB Terrell Manning (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald)
- Cut: WR Deon Long
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: TE Connor Hamlett (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Dillon Farrell (link via Associated Press)
- Cut: TE Tevin Westbrook
Cowboys Acquire Matt Cassel From Bills
5:52pm: The Cowboys will send their 2017 fifth-round pick to the Bills in exchange for Buffalo’s 2017 seventh-round choice, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News tweets.
5:30pm: The Cowboys have acquired quarterback Matt Cassel from the Bills, according to a source who spoke with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Bills will receive a 2017 pick, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears that there will actually be a swap of picks.
Cassel, 33, was cut loose by the Bills on September 5th but his unemployment lasted less than 72 hours as he re-signed with Buffalo just days later. The veteran was first acquired by the Bills back in March in a trade with the Vikings, but didn’t initially survive the cutdown to 53 players over the weekend. The Bills kept Cassel around as veteran insurance for Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel, but they apparently feel comfortable enough to part with him at this point.
Of course, the Cowboys were motivated to acquire a veteran QB due to Tony Romo‘s injury, which will sideline him for at least seven games. Dallas will turn to Brandon Weeden as their starter in Week 3, but if he falters, Cassel could jump in and take the job. Prior to this trade, the Cowboys auditioned a number of quarterbacks including Christian Ponder, Matt Flynn, and Josh Johnson. Apparently, none of those options were satisfactory for them.
He had initially been slated to make a base salary of $4.15MM in 2015, which likely contributed to his release from Buffalo. His new deal is probably be closer to the veteran’s minimum, perhaps with some playing-time and performance bonuses attached.
In a related move, the Cowboys have also promoted quarterback Kellen Moore from the practice squad, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Moore’s promotion coupled with the Cassel acquisition gives Dallas three QBs on the depth chart.