NFL Workout Updates: 9/13/17
Today’s workout updates, with nearly all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:
Buffalo Bills
- QB Joel Stave; WRs Chris Brown, Marlon Brown; G Oni Omoile; T Brad Seaton; CB Makinton Dorleant (Twitter links)
Chicago Bears
- DE Praise Martin-Oguike; LBs Akeem Ayers, Chris Casher, Vontarrius Dora, Jonathan Freeny; LS Andrew East (Twitter links)
Green Bay Packers
- WR Jesse Kroll; LBs Donnie Baggs, Brooks Ellis, Christian Kuntz (Twitter links)
Indianapolis Colts
- WRs K.J. Brent, Devin Lucien, KeVonn Mabon; OTs Andreas Knappe, Javarius Leamon, Jah Reid, Brad Seaton; DEs Logan Ingle, Branden Jackson (all Twitter links)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- DT Darius Kilgo (link)
Kansas City Chiefs
- CBs Alex Carter, Josh Thornton (link)
New England Patriots
- QB Mitch Leidner; WRs Daniel Braverman, Tevaun Smith, Jahad Thomas, Bryan Walters; LS Taybor Pepper; P Austin Rehkow (link here)
New Orleans Saints
- WRs Corey Brown, Josh Huff, Seantavius Jones, Anthony Nash, Myles White; Gs Dallas Thomas, Andrew Tiller, Earl Watford, Cody Wichmann; LBs Akeem Ayers, Sio Moore; OT Eric Winston; CB Jumal Rolle; S Jordan Moore (all Twitter links here)
New York Jets
- RB Lorenzo Taliaferro; WRs Jaydon Mickens, Anthony Nash, Michael Rector; TE Scott Orndoff (link)
Philadelphia Eagles
- LBs Carl Bradford, Tre’von Johnson, Joseph Jones, Antwione Williams; Ks Marshall Koehn, Josh Lambo, Mike Nugent (Twitter links)
Tennessee Titans
- G Kaleb Johnson (link)
Washington Redskins
- RBs Jonathan Grimes, Daryl Richardson; G Greg Pyke; (link)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/13/17
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: T Givens Price, LB Scooby Wright
- Released: CB Ryan Lewis, RB James Summers
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Greg Mabin
Chicago Bears
- Signed: RB Josh Rounds
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Brian Brown
- Released: S Jameill Showers
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OT Storm Norton
- Cut: DE Pat O’Connor
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: G Darrell Greene
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: T Tyreek Burwell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Larry Pinkard
- Released: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB Jeff Richards
- Released: DE Isaac Rochell
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: C Jake Eldrenkamp
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: Antwione Williams
New England Patriots
- Signed: CB Ryan Lewis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB L.J. Fort
- Released: LB Matt Galambos
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Gabe Holmes, CB Akeem King
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/17
Today’s minor roster moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Cut: T Ulrick John
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Tanner Gentry
- Released from IR: WR Rueben Randle
Cincinnati Bengals
- Cut: DT Christian Ringo
Green Bay Packers
- Cut: CB LaDarius Gunter
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OT Cornelius Lucas
- Cut: DL Quinton Jefferson, C/G J.J Dielman
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OT Bryce Harris
- Cut: LB Adam Bighill
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: ILB Steven Johnson
- Cut: LB L.J. Fort
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/12/17
Tuesday’s practice squad moves…
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: QB Josh Woodrum
- Cut: TE Ryan Malleck
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Malachi Dupre
- Cut: WR Daikiel Shorts
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Mario Alford
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Johnathan Calvin, WR Devin Lucien
- Cut: WR Fred Brown, S Ronald Martin
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DL Rickey Hatley
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Daniel Lasco
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Max Valles
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: T Victor Salako, CB De’Vante Bausby
- Cut: CB C.J. Smith, WR Greg Ward
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Jarnor Jones
- Cut: LB Ben Boulware
Seattle Seahawks
- Cut: WR Kenny Lawler, OT Jarron Jones
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Tim Semisch, OL Cody Wichmann
- Cut: TE Jerome Cunningham, OL Steven Moore
Bears Place Jerrell Freeman On IR
The Bears made the decision to place linebacker Jerrell Freeman on IR on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
Freeman entered Chicago’s concussion protocol on Sunday while also suffering a pectoral injury. The latter would pose a bigger threat to his returning this season. The starting inside linebacker is out until at least November as a result of this transaction.
Chicago signed linebacker Jonathan Anderson off its practice squad, per Schefter.
The 31-year-old Freeman, a 2016 UFA signee who came over from the Colts, led the Bears with 110 tackles despite playing in only 12 games due to a four-game suspension for a positive PED test.
This marks the latest injury setback to a Bears linebacker corps that’s endured a few this offseason. Danny Trevathan spent the offseason recovering from a torn patellar tendon — his second serious knee injury in three years — and Pernell McPhee‘s knee troubles induced DC Vic Fangio to describe the former Raven as not being the same player he was pre-injuries.
Chicago has Nick Kwiatkoski and Christian Jones as inside linebacker options while Freeman recovers from his head injury. Kwiatkoski will be the starter while Freeman’s out, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes.
Bears To Place Kevin White On IR
Bears coach John Fox confirmed to reporters on Monday morning that Kevin White has suffered a fractured scapula. White will be placed on injured reserve, though it’s currently unclear whether he’ll be a candidate to return later in the year. 
Fox says that surgery is a possibility for White. An operation, presumably, would knock him out for the year. If White can avoid surgery, then he may be able to take advantage of the league’s newly modified IR-DTR rules. Teams can bring two players off of IR during the season each year, though players must spend a minimum of eight weeks on the sidelines.
This is yet another frustrating setback for White, who has played in just five games in three seasons thus far. White, a West Virginia product, was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Although he is immensely talented, it’s not clear if he’ll ever be able to stay healthy.
With White sidelined, the Bears are hoping that Markus Wheaton will be ready to go in Week 2. The former Steeler was not able to go in the season opener as he recovers from finger surgery. Another free agent addition, Kendall Wright, could be in line for additional targets while White is out.
Bears’ Kevin White To Have Surgery?
The Bears fear wide receiver Kevin White has a broken bone in his shoulder and will require season-ending surgery, reports Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. 
If confirmed, White’s latest injury will be simply another health-related setback for the former No. 7 overall pick. White, who missed the entirety of his rookie campaign, has appeared in only five games through two-plus NFL seasons. In 2016, White started four games and managed 19 receptions for 187 yards.
White, 25, is signed through 2018, and will fully guaranteed salaries of $1.9MM and $2.7MM over the next two years. The Bears hold a 2019 fifth-year option on White, but it will almost assuredly be declined. Not only has White not been available to post the kind of production that would make the option worthwhile, but his injury history could easily result in the option becoming fully guaranteed, an untenable outcome from the team’s perspective.
Chicago had already lost one wideout earlier this year, as Cameron Meredith went down with a torn ACL during the preseason. Markus Wheaton, Kendall Wright, Josh Bellamy, Deonte Thompson, and Tre McBride now comprise the remaining Bears’ receivers. Tanner Gentry, currently on Chicago’s practice squad, is conceivably a candidate to be promoted to the active roster.
Trubisky Surprised Bears With Offense IQ
- Mitch Trubisky‘s ability to process an NFL offense surprised the Bears, J.J. Stankevitz of CSNChicago.com notes. This led to the No. 2 overall pick — a one-year starter at North Carolina — commandeering the Bears’ backup job and prompting John Fox to declare him “ready to play” if needed Sunday.
- The Bears’ Akiem Hicks extension followed Tuitt’s by a few hours Saturday, and he will be just shy of the Steelers defensive end on the AAV spectrum.
Bears Sign Akiem Hicks To Extension
Akiem Hicks will begin his second Bears season Sunday, and it looks like the veteran defensive end will see many more Windy City openers. The Bears and Hicks agreed to a lucrative extension on Saturday, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reporting (via Twitter) it’s a four-year, $48MM contract.
Hicks will see $30MM in guaranteed money, Schefter reports. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported (on Twitter) a deal could be imminent, and within a minute, terms emerged. Hicks will now become by far the Bears’ highest-paid defender.
The Bears initially signed Hicks to a two-year, $10MM deal as a free agent last year. But Hicks’ second Chicago accord rockets him into the upper echelon of 3-4 defensive end contracts.
Only Muhammad Wilkerson, J.J. Watt and Jurrell Casey entered today making more per year than Hicks’ $12MM new-money average. The 27-year-old defender’s deal comes in comfortably ahead of the other eight-figure-per-year members — Mike Daniels, Corey Liuget and Cameron Heyward each make between $10.2-$10.6MM AAV. He and Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt — also extended today, for $12.2MM AAV — form their own tier in between these aforementioned levels.
A former third-round Saints pick in 2012, Hicks registered a career-high seven sacks last season. He was seeking $10MM per year and expressed desire to remain a Bear, entering what was set to be his contract campaign. But his camp did quite well in securing this agreement, going well north of that $10MM-AAV threshold. Hicks signed with Rosenhaus Sports earlier this summer to prepare for what turned out to be preseason negotiations.
Hicks rated as a top-flight interior defender, via Pro Football Focus, last season. The former Saint and Patriot’s deal is closer to those of higher-end 4-3 defensive tackle contracts than among players at his own position. PFR’s Connor Byrne assessed Hicks’ value this summer and mentioned deals on the Heyward/Daniels tier as Hicks’ realistic ballpark but did not discount a possibility of a pact in between those and the Jaguars-authorized contacts for Malik Jackson and Calais Campbell. Hicks’ deal falls south of Jackson and Campbell’s mammoth pacts but in front of the Giants’ Damon Harrison and Bengals Pro Bowler Geno Atkins‘ agreement.
Bears Notes: McPhee, Houston
When asked if edge rusher Pernell McPhee will ever be the player he was when the Bears originally signed him in 2015, Chicago defensive Vic Fangio gave a simple answer: “Probably not” (Twitter link via Eric Edholm of Pro Football Weekly). McPhee, who was surprisingly removed from the physically unable to perform list and placed on Chicago’s initial 53-man roster, has injured both knees during his time with the Bears. While he’s missed nine games over the past two seasons, McPhee has still been relatively effective when on the field, but may need his snaps limited going forward.
- The Bears and defender Lamarr Houston agreed to a two-week injury settlement that precipitated his release, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Technically, Chicago could re-sign Houston in five weeks (time of the settlement plus a three-week waiting period), but that seems highly unlikely. But the two-week timetable means Houston should be healthy soon, meaning he could quickly latch on with another club.