Chandler Harnish

Cardinals Re-Sign Lyle Sendlein

2:55pm: The Cardinals have officially re-signed Sendlein, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). The team also signed guard Nate Isles and wide receiver Travis Harvey, cutting quaterback Chandler Harnish in a corresponding move.

8:46am: The Cardinals are bringing in veteran center Lyle Sendlein for a physical today, and if everything goes according to plan, he’ll re-sign with the team, reports Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Arizona (Twitter links). According to Jurecki, the Cards don’t appear content with their current centers, so Sendlein figures to get a chance to compete for the starting job if and when his signing becomes official.

Sendlein, 31, has been the Cardinals’ starting center for most of the last center, appearing in 121 regular season games (109 starts) for the team since 2007. The veteran offensive lineman started all 16 games at the position for Arizona in each of the last two seasons. However, he was released by the club in March after grading as the NFL’s second-worst center out of 41 qualified players in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required).

Shortly after the Cards cut Sendlein, head coach Bruce Arians indicated the team wouldn’t mind bringing him back at a reduced cap figure. The longtime Arizona center had been set to earn a $3MM base salary in 2015 before he was released, so when he re-signs, it figures to be for something closer to the minimum salary.

With Sendlein out of the picture for the past few months, the Cardinals have been leaning on A.Q. Shipley and Ted Larsen at center. However, it seems as if the team isn’t comfortable, at least for now, heading into the regular season with one of those two players as its starter. Either Shipley or Larsen could still ultimately win the job, but they’ll get some additional competition from the veteran Sendlein.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Cardinals have signed quarterback Chandler Harnish, the team announced today, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Harnish, who was cut by the Colts prior to the 2014 regular season, spent some time with the Vikings throughout the year. He figures to help shoulder the load during Arizona’s offseason workouts with Carson Palmer still on the mend.
  • The Jaguars have waived fullback Bradie Ewing, leaving the team without a fullback on its roster, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Jacksonville’s primary fullback in 2014, Will Ta’ufo’ou, didn’t receive a contract tender from the team earlier in the month, making him an unrestricted free agent. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Toby Gerhart could see some time at the position in 2015.
  • Former Arena League guard Michael Huey has signed with the Chargers, per Field Yates and Eric Williams of ESPN.com (via Twitter). San Diego also removed a pair of players from its roster, cutting center Jeff Baca and defensive lineman Chas Alecxih.

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.

Minor Moves: Monday

As teams deal with Week 9 injuries and look ahead to Week 10, we can expect to see several clubs tweak the backs of their 53-man rosters and their practice squads. Here are Monday’s latest minor transactions:

  • The Dolphins have placed safety Michael Thomas on injured reserve after he suffered a significant chest injury in Sunday’s game, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). To take his place on the roster, Miami signed fellow S Jordan Kovacs off the Eagles’ practice squad, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The Fins will also add tight end Jake Stoneburner to its taxi squad, tweets Salguero.
  • Two Buccaneers players, defensive end Da’Quan Bowers and fullback Jorvorskie Lane, have been reinstated from the suspended list, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
  • The Buccaneers have waived defensive tackle Matthew Masifilo, reports Caplan (on Twitter). The 2012 undrafted free agent played in one game this season for Tampa Bay.
  • Because return man Trindon Holliday was waived/injured, and has now cleared waivers, he has reverted to the Buccaneers’ injured reserve list, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
  • More Bucs news, as the club has made several changes to its practice squad. Tampa added linebacker Denicos Allen and tight end Ted Bolser to its taxi squad, while cutting fullback Lonnie Pryor and linebacker Mister Alexander, says Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter).
  • To make room for Square (referenced below), the Chargers have cut safety Adrian Phillips, who was just signed on Saturday, per Wilson (Twitter link).
  • The Bengals announced several changes to its practice squad, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. We learned earlier today that linebacker Khairi Fortt was lost to the Jaguars, but the team also cut tight end Kevin Greene. To replace them, Cincinnati signed tight end Jake Murphy and linebacker Justin Jackson.
  • The Cardinals have re-signed defensive tackle Bruce Gaston, who was let go on Saturday, to their taxi squad, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (on Twitter).
  • The Jets have made an addition to their PS, bringing in receiver Chris Owusu, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). Owusu caught 13 balls for the Buccaneers last season.

Earlier updates:

  • Defensive end Damion Square, who was cut by the Chiefs on Saturday, has been claimed off waivers by the division-rival Chargers, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). San Diego doesn’t have an open roster spot, so the team will need to make a corresponding move for the transaction to become official.
  • The Bills have filled their lone open roster spot by claiming safety Jerome Couplin off waivers from the Lions, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • The Lions have made a few changes to their practice squad, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, who tweets that the team has added tight end Jordan Thompson, cornerback Trevin Wade, and defensive tackle Roy Philon, releasing tight end Ifeanyi Momah.
  • After working them out earlier, the Vikings have signed quarterback Pat Devlin and tight end Rashaun Allen to their taxi squad, according to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (via Twitter). To make space on the unit, the team moved quarterback Chandler Harnish to the practice squad IR list and cut tight end Ryan Otten.
  • Fullback Michael Zordich has signed with the Saints‘ practice squad, according to his agency, Tier 1 Sports Management (Twitter link).
  • The Buccaneers are set to sign tackle Matt Patchan to their practice squad, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

NFC Notes: Vikes, McDonald, Sims, Schwartz

As we wait to see whether or not Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will be available this weekend for a showdown between two of the NFC’s top teams – Dallas and Arizona – let’s check out a few Friday afternoon items from across the conference….

  • Since Vikings practice squad Chandler Harnish was injured in practice this week, the team has been on the lookout for a replacement. According to head coach Mike Zimmer, three signal-callers worked out for the club today, though he didn’t identify the players by name, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter links).
  • Tracey Kaplan of the San Jose Mercury News was among those reporting that Santa Clara County prosecutors are leaning against charging 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald with domestic violence. However, while the District Attorney’s office may be leaning that way, the DA announced today that no decision has been made yet, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
  • Players who went on the IR list with the designation to return prior to Week 1 are eligible to be activated for this weekend’s contests, and while Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that Buccaneers running back Charles Sims figures to come off IR tomorrow, Giants guard Geoff Schwartz won’t be activated for at least one more week, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Caplan adds (via Twitter) that the Bucs appear likely to promote defensive tackle Matthew Masifilo from their practice squad as well.
  • While it doesn’t appear likely to happen, head coach Ron Rivera believes Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy should be reinstated by the NFL if his trial is postponed until after the season, as ESPN.com’s David Newton details.
  • Given the multiple ACL injuries suffered by quarterback Sam Bradford and tackle Jake Long, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders whether the Rams will be able to count on either player for the 2015 season.

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.

Minor Moves: Saturday

Today’s minor moves, with recent updates added to the top of the list…

  • The Giants have signed cornerback Chandler Fenner off of their practice squad, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The team has waived linebacker Dan Fox to make room for Fenner.
  • The Patriots have promoted linebacker Ja’Gared Davis from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Davis, 24, went undrafted out of SMU in 2013. New England claimed him off waivers from the Texans on August 28. The Pats will need to make a roster move to clear a spot for Davis.

Earlier updates:

  • The Cowboys have promoted linebacker Keith Smith to take Morris Claiborne‘s spot on the roster, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
  • The Jaguars have activated wide receiver Ace Sanders and waived tight end Mickey Shuler, tweets the Florida-Times Union’s Ryan O’Halloran. The writer also tweets that Schuler could catch on with the team’s practice squad.
  • The Vikings announced that they have signed fullback Zach Line from their practice squad. To make room, the team waived quarterback Chandler Harnish.

Vikings Waive Chandler Harnish

Chandler Harnish‘s 26-hour career as a member of the Vikings has come to a close. The team announced that they have waived him, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

The Vikings promoted Harnish from the practice squad to the active roster prior to last night’s game against the Packers. With Matt Cassel out of commission and Teddy Bridgewater scratched, the Vikings were desperate for a No. 2 quarterback behind Christian Ponder.

As Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports (via Twitter) notes, Harnish made $29,117 for his one day on the Vikings’ active roster and never had to take the field. That’s a pretty sweet deal. He’s probably a good bet to return to the Vikings’ practice squad.

Minor Moves: Thursday

Here are the latest minor transactions – including practice squad signings and cuts – from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • The Bears re-signed wide receiver Rashad Ross to their practice squad, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). To make room, Chicago has released cornerback Jordan Sullen.
  • The Vikings have promoted quarterback Chandler Harnish, formerly of the Colts, from the practice squad to their 53-man roster in advance of tonight’s game in Green Bay, the team announced today. Wide receiver Rodney Smith has been cut to clear room for Harnish. The move may not bode well for the odds of Teddy Bridgewater playing against the Packers, though Minnesota has yet to rule him out.
  • The Packers are also signing a player to their roster from their practice squad before tonight’s contest, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that defensive lineman Luther Robinson is being elevated. The club had an open roster spot, so no corresponding move will be necessary.
  • The NFC North is a busy division today, as the Bears are expected to finalize a move this afternoon as well. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that the team is set to fill the 10th and final spot on its practice squad by signing guard Conor Boffeli, who was in camp with the Texans in August.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Monday

We’ll keep tabs on Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day….

  • The Colts placed Mario Harvey on injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • Defensive end Chase Vaughn has been cut from the Broncos‘ injured reserve list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Panthers have waived running back Tauren Poole, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Carolina is still short-handed at the position, but is expected to explore adding a more veteran back this week.
  • To make room for Chris Owusu, whose signing is noted below, the Jets are waiving cornerback LeQuan Lewis, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). As Cimini notes, Lewis committed two penalties on special teams in Sunday’s game.
  • The Chargers have swapped one defender for another on their practice squad, re-signing safety Adrian Phillips and cutting defensive lineman Chas Alecxih, the team announced today in a press release.
  • Defensive end Frank Alexander (Panthers), safety Jakar Hamilton (Cowboys), wideout Ace Sanders (Jaguars), and safety Reshad Jones (Dolphins) have all been reinstated from their suspensions, tweets Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange. Their respective teams won’t have to make corresponding moves immediately, since all four clubs will have roster exemptions that last until next Monday (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • The Eagles‘ beat-up offensive line will receive a little help this week, as Lane Johnson has been activated after serving his four-game suspension (Twitter link). To make room on the 53-man roster, the club has waived offensive lineman Kevin Graf.
  • After adding T.J. Graham to the roster earlier today, the Jets will sign another wideout, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who reports that former Buccaneer Chris Owusu is set to join the club (Twitter links).
  • The Colts have waived wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers on the heels of his arrest for DUI, according to a team release. Head coach Chuck Pagano confirmed to reporters, including Mike Chappell of RTV6 (Twitter link), that Rogers was cut for conduct detrimental to the team. Indianapolis also promoted safety Dewey McDonald from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, and moved Robert Mathis from the reserve/suspended list to the reserve/non-football injury list.
  • With a short week ahead of them and Teddy Bridgewater recovering from an ankle injury, the Vikings have added another quarterback to their practice quad, signing Chandler Harnish and cutting wideout Donte Foster (Twitter link).
  • Wide receiver Tommy Streeter has signed to the Jaguars‘ practice squad, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Jacksonville currently has a full 10-man unit, so someone will have to be dropped – or promoted – to make room for Streeter.
  • The Redskins have signed outside linebacker Gabe Miller to fill the final opening on their practice squad, per agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link).