Cedric Reed

49ers Work Out DE Cedric Reed

The 49ers are auditioning defensive end Cedric Reed today, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Reed previously spent time with the Bills and Dolphins but has yet to appear in an NFL game.

[RELATED: 49ers Tried To Trade Into Mid-First Round For Reuben Foster]

Reed was a prominent player for the University of Texas in his final two seasons on campus. Although he had 74 tackles and ten sacks as a junior followed by 69 tackles and 5.5 sacks as a senior, he went undrafted in 2014 and has been looking for steady work ever since. Reed was among the final cuts in Miami last year, so he’s certainly a guy who’s worth consideration for the 90-man roster.

In other 49ers news, we recently learned that the Niners tried to trade up to the middle of the first round to draft Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster. Fortunately for them, they were able to land Foster near the end of the first round instead. Meanwhile, the trainer for former Niner Colin Kaepernick says that the quarterback absolutely still wants to play.

Dolphins Move Roster To 53

The Dolphins have trimmed their roster to 53:

This offseason, Thomas hooked on with the Dolphins for what was to be his third stint with the team. Thomas had a path to making the 53-man roster, but his chances were hurt when the team added Arian Foster late in the offseason. In four seasons with Miami, Thomas ran for 1,480 yards off of 409 attempts, good for just 3.6 yards per carry. In 2014, he saw time in 12 games, rushing for 168 yards off of 44 carries, good for a 3.8 yard average on each try. At one point in time, Thomas was looked at as a significant piece of the Dolphins offense, but he fell out of favor in Miami and has been yo-yoed on and off the roster.

Chekwa at one point was in the mix to win a starting job with Miami. However, for one reason or another, he couldn’t make the final cut. The Dolphins now have rookie Xavien Howard back on the field and free agent addition Chris Culliver, so they have enough bodies at cornerback.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/16

Here are today’s minor moves:

  • The Dolphins have signed defensive end Cedric Reed, tweets Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The former Texas product spent last season on the Bills’ practice squad.
  • The Eagles have released offensive lineman Malcolm Bunche and wideout Deon Long, reports Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). Bunche, a 2015 undrafted free agent, spent last season on Philly’s practice squad. Long, meanwhile, was added by the Eagles in early August after having been cut by the Rams.

Earlier updates:

  • The Steelers announced that they’ve placed special teams ace Ross Ventrone on injured reserve after he was injured in the club’s first preseason game. Pittsburgh also waived/injured offensive tackle Brian Mihalik and defensive tackle Roy Philon. To take those roster spots, the Steelers signed offensive tackle Wade Hansen, defensive tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith, and cornerback Julian Whigham.
  • The Falcons‘ roster is back to 90 players after the team signed defensive back Ryan White, the club announced today.
  • The Jets have signed DL Jake Ceresna and RB Terry Williams, per Seth Walder of The New York Daily News (via Twitter). Walder adds that DL Christo Bilukidi left camp, and the team waived Anthony Kelly.
  • The Browns have signed WR Ed Eagan and have waived/injured Rannell Hall. The team also reached an injury settlement with DL Kyle Rose (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of The Akron Beacon Journal).
  • The Cardinals have released LB Zack Wagenmann with an injury settlement and have signed DT Iosia Iosia, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets. Wagenmann, whom Arizona signed as a UDFA out of Montana last season, missed his entire rookie campaign after breaking his foot twice. He set Montana’s career sacks (37.5) and tackles for loss (53) records. The Titans signed Iosia as a UDFA this season, but he was waived in May.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/30/16

Today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

  • To make for Melvin (listed below), the Dolphins have waived tight end Jake Stoneburner, the club announced. Stoneburner, who was offered a restricted free agent tender this spring, managed five receptions in 11 games for Miami last season.
  • The Bills have swapped out defensive tackles, signing Casey Walker while releasing Cedric Reed, the team announced. Walker, 26, has eight career games under his belt, having seen action with the Ravens, Patriots, and most recently, the Cowboys.
  • The Cowboys announced that they’ve agreed to terms with linebackers Darius Eubanks and Henoc Muamba. Dallas didn’t need to create any roster space because they’ve been given exemptions for linebacker Rolando McClain and defensive end Randy Gregory.
  • The Chiefs have signed defensive back Bryce Cheek, and opened up a roster spot by waiving fellow defensive back Tre Jones, the club announced.

Earlier updates:

  • Fourth-year cornerback Rashaan Melvin signed with the Dolphins, according to agent Mike McCartney (via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com, on Twitter). Melvin started two games for the Ravens in 2014 and spent 2015 with both the Ravens and Patriots, playing in eight games for the latter.
  • The Cardinals swapped out wide receivers by signing Franky Okafor and waiving Rico Richardson, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets. Okafor is a rookie UDFA out of Division II Southwestern Oklahoma State. Richardson has played in six games since coming into the league in 2014, all with the Titans.
  • The Vikings have signed defensive tackle Claudell Louis, reports Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (via Twitter). Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com notes that the team considered bringing in rookie punter Taylor Symmank for their 90th roster spot, but the team ultimately opted for undrafted defensive lineman out of Fresno State.
  • Meanwhile, the Ravens have used their final roster spot to sign punter Michael Palardy, tweets ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. The former Tennessee special teamer has also spent time with the Raiders, Rams, and Panthers.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/4/16

Now that the 2015 regular season is in the books, teams can begin signing players to reserve/futures contracts, adding those players to their 90-man offseason rosters. Generally, these players finished the season on a team’s practice squad, though some were free agents at season’s end.

Here are today’s reserve/futures deals:

Atlanta Falcons signed four players (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)

Baltimore Ravens signed seven players (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun):

  • Brennen Beyer, LB
  • Leon Brown, G
  • Nordly Capi, DE
  • Blaine Clausell, T
  • Chuck Jacobs, WR
  • Nick Perry, S
  • Harold Spears, TE

Buffalo Bills signed seven players (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)

Chicago Bears signed nine players (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune):

Cleveland Browns signed six players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Dallas Cowboys signed eight players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Denver Broncos signed four players (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9NEWS)

Detroit Lions signed five players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Jacksonville Jaguars signed nine players (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union):

Miami Dolphins signed one player (link)

  • Tyler Davis, WR

New Orleans Saints signed five players (link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune):

New York Giants signed six players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Philadelphia Eagles signed seven players (Twitter link via team):

San Diego Chargers signed six players (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)

Seattle Seahawks signed three players (Twitter link via Wilson)

  • Andrew East, LS
  • Ronnie Shields, TE
  • Phillip Sims, QB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed nine players (link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times):

  • Josh Allen, G
  • Andre Davis, WR
  • Antoine Everett, G
  • Ben Gottschalk, C
  • Gerod Holliman, S
  • Martin Ifedi, DE
  • Derrick Lott, DT
  • C.J. Roberts, CB
  • Joel Ross, CB

Tennessee Titans signed five players (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com):

  • David Fluellen, RB
  • Kevin Greene, TE
  • Nick Harwell, WR
  • Josue Matias, G
  • Will Poehls, T

Washington signs three players (link via team):

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/12/15

Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: DE Cedric Reed (Twitter link via ESPN’s Mike Rodak)

San Diego Chargers

  • Signed: OT Tyreek Burwell (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
  • Cut: RB Dreamius Smith

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: LB Nick Moody (Twitter link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta)
  • Cut: DB Brandon Dixon

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/10/15

Here are Thursday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: C Asa Jackson (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec)
  • Cut: WR Daniel Brown

Buffalo Bills

New York Giants

AFC Practice Squad Updates: 9/7/15

While many teams filled up their 10-man practice squads on Sunday, plenty of teams didn’t confirm their moves right away, or kept a few spots open on those units. On top of that, at least one club that signed 10 players to its taxi squad on Sunday has already made several changes, bringing in new players and jettisoning players who didn’t even spend 24 hours on the squad.

We’ll have updates on Monday’s AFC practice squad signings and cuts in this space, with teams listed in alphabetical order. When new moves occur, we’ll bump this post back to the top of the page. Here’s a round-up of today’s moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed (press release):

    • WR Daniel Brown
    • TE Dominique Jones
    • WR Jeremy Ross

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed (press release):
    • OLB IK Enemkpali
    • T Chris Martin
    • DE Cedric Reed
    • QB Alex Tanney

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed (press release):
    • RB Kapri Bibbs
    • TE Arthur Lynch
    • T Kyle Roberts
    • DE George Uko

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed:

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed (press release):
    • DT Hebron Fangupo
    • T Laurence Gibson
    • CB Jeremy Harris
    • DL David Irving
    • TE Ross Travis
    • FB Spencer Ware

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Signed (Twitter links):
    • OL Chris Barker
    • T Blaine Clausell
    • OL Cameron Fleming (Twitter link via Jeff Howe)
    • LB Darius Fleming
    • LB Brandon King
    • WR Nathan Palmer
    • DB Daxton Swanson
    • DT Jimmy Staten
  • Signed and subsequently released:

New York Jets

  • To be signed:

Oakland Raiders

  • Signed:
    • George Atkinson III, RB
    • Mitch Bell, G
    • SaQwan Edwards, CB
    • Shelby Harris, DE
    • Dan Kistler, T
    • Tevin McDonald, S
    • Josh Shirley, LB

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed (Twitter link via Burt Lauten + team transactions page):
    • WR Isaiah Burse
    • LB Anthony Chickillo
    • T Matt Feiler
    • CB Doran Grant
    • TE Xavier Grimble
    • OL Barrett Jones
    • RB Fitzgerald Toussaint
  • Released:
    • RB Dominique Brown
    • OL Reese Dismukes
    • LB Shayon Green
    • DE Ethan Hemer
    • OL Antonio Johnson
    • TE Harold Spears
    • WR Jarrod West

San Diego Chargers

  • Signed:
    • OL Michael Ola (link via Michael Gehlken)

Tennessee Titans

Bills Release Fred Jackson, 11 Others

9:58am: In addition to Jackson and the three other players noted below, eight other players have been cut by the Bills, getting the team’s roster count down to 77 players. Here are today’s other cuts in Buffalo, per a team release:

  • Michael Buchanan, DE
  • Justin Hamilton, DT
  • Ellis Lankster, CB
  • Kenny Ladler, S
  • Wes Miller, S
  • D.J. Morrell, G
  • Cedric Reed, DE
  • Ricky Seale, RB

9:15am: The Bills’ first series of roster cuts this week includes a bit of a shocker, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has released veteran running back Fred Jackson. While Buffalo had a crowded depth chart at the position, it was expected to be a younger back, rather than Jackson, who became a casualty of the roster crunch.Dec 14, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson (22) runs the ball during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills beat the Packers 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Jackson, who debuted with the Bills in 2007 and had been with the team since then, is the league’s oldest running back, at age 34. Despite his age, Jackson doesn’t have a ton of mileage on his legs, since he started his career late and has split carries with other backs throughout his tenure with the Bills. Over the course of his eight-year career, Jackson has compiled 5,646 rushing yards and 80 rushing touchdowns on 1,279 carries. He’s also a capable receiver out of the backfield, setting a career high in 2014 with 90 targets.

While Jackson was slowed by a hamstring injury earlier in the training camp this year, he looked good in his preseason debut this weekend, carrying the ball five times for 48 yards. But rather than playing out the final year of his contract with the Bills, Jackson will be looking for a new team. Had he remained on Buffalo’s roster, he would have been due a base salary of $2.35MM, so the team saves a little money by releasing him. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Jackson wasn’t asked to take a pay cut before he was released.

Following the Bills’ acquisition of LeSean McCoy in March, multiple reports indicated that Jackson would remain on the roster, but it seems the team had a change of heart after assessing its options this summer. With Jackson no longer in the picture, McCoy will be backed up by Karlos Williams, Boobie Dixon, and Bryce Brown.

Jackson won’t have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent, so he’ll have the chance to sign with a new team immediately. He figures to draw some interest from teams in need of a veteran back around the NFL — the Browns come to mind as one logical suitor.

The Bills figure to announce their full list of cuts down to 75 players either today or tomorrow, but some other names have started to trickle out as well. Agent Brett Tessler tweets that edge defender Andrew Hudson has been cut by the Bills, while Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the team has also waived offensive lineman Terren Jones. Last year’s fourth-round pick, cornerback Ross Cockrell, has been waived too, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Sign 12 Undrafted Free Agents

FRIDAY, 12:49pm: The Bills’ deal with Barton fell through, leaving the club with one empty roster spot, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 3:17pm: The Bills have officially announced their UDFA signings, confirming the 11 players listed below and adding defensive end Erik Williams (Bethune-Cookman) and offensive tackle Jermaine Barton (Illinois State)

SUNDAY, 11:38am: Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News provides a list of the 11 undrafted free agents who have agreed to sign with the Bills (all Twitter links). There are no quarterbacks in the group:

  • Clay Burton, TE, Florida
  • Tyson Chandler, OT, N.C. State ($7,500 signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
  • Andre Davis, WR, Southern Florida
  • Justin Hamilton, DL, Louisiana Lafayette
  • Andrew Hudson, DE, Washington
  • B.J. Larsen, LB, Utah State
  • Merrill Noel, DB, Wake Forest
  • Cedric Reed, DE, Texas
  • Spencer Roth, P, Baylor
  • A.J. Tarpley, LB, Stanford
  • Cam Thomas, CB, Western Kentucky