Sunday/Monday Transactions: NFC North
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC North teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions are noted below.
Additionally, as of 11:00am CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s NFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Chicago Bears:
- Waived (officially announced): Brandon Hartson, LS
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced via Twitter): Taylor Boggs, C; Ryan Groy, G; DeDe Lattimore, LB; Al Louis-Jean, CB; Rashad Ross, KR; Josh Bellamy, WR; Brandon Dunn, DT; Isaiah Frey, CB; Terrance Mitchell, CB; Roy Philon, DT; Rashad Ross, WR
Detroit Lions:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Rodney Austin, G; Emil Igwenagu, FB; Nate Ness, S; Andrew Peacock, WR; Xavier Proctor, DT; Mohammed Seisay, CB; Julian Stanford, LB; Jordan Thompson, TE; Michael Williams, OT; George Winn, RB
Green Bay Packers:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Chris Banjo, S; Kevin Dorsey, WR; Garth Gerhart, C; Alex Gillett, WR; Michael Hill, RB; Adrian Hubbard, LB; Justin Perillo, TE; Luther Robinson, DE; Jeremy Vujnovich, T, Myles White, WR
Minnesota Vikings:
- Claimed off waivers: MarQueis Gray, TE (via Tom Pelissero on Twitter); Mike Harris, OT (via Pelissero on Twitter)
- Cut: Larry Dean, LB (via Darren Wolfson on Twitter); Austin Wentworth, G (via Wolfson on Twitter)
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Joe Banyard, RB; Kain Coulter, WR; Isame Faciane, DT; Chase Ford, TE; Donte Foster, WR; Kendall James, CB; Zac Kerin, C; Mike Remmers, OL; Justin Trattou, DT
Bears To Sign Jeremy Cain
9:49 A.M.: The Bears have made the signing official, and Cain will be the long snapper for the team, reports Biggs (via Twitter).
8:54 A.M.: The Bears are in need of a long snapper, after the retirement of long-time Bear Patrick Mannelly and the release of Brandon Hartson. The team is expected to sign former Buccaneer Jeremy Cain, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
Cain had filled in for Mannelly in two games last season, and was signed by the team as an undrafted rookie in 2004 to play backup linebacker, according to Biggs (via Twitter).
Cain also served as the Jaguars’ long snapper between 2009 and 2012, play in 64 games for the team, writes Biggs (via Twitter).
Bears Notes: Tryouts, Clemons, Long Snapper
The Bears have reportedly added five players to their practice squad, but Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that the team also worked out 11 additional players today (all via Twitter):
- Wide receivers Michael Campbell, B.J. Cunningham, Eric Page, Kealoha Pilares, Conner Vernon, Maurice Williams and Devon Wylie
- Defensive backs Shelton Johnson and Isaiah Lewis
- Tight end Kevin Greene
- Quarterback Alex Tanney
There’s a chance that a couple of those players could ultimately catch on with the squad, and we’ll likely learn more once the team releases an official announcement. In the meantime, let’s check out some more notes from the Windy City…
- The Bears didn’t have any interest in safety Chris Clemons this past spring, and the Biggs tweets that it’s “uncertain” if the team would reconsider bringing in the recently-release veteran.
- The Bears let go of long snapper Brandon Hartson earlier today, and the team is now in the market for a replacement. Biggs suggests on Twitter that former 49ers long snapper Kevin McDermott could be of interest.
- Furthermore, ESPNChicago.com’s Jeff Dickerson tweets that the team worked out three long snappers today, including Jeremy Cain. Biggs adds on Twitter that the team also hosted Luke Ingram and Casey Kreiter.
Bears Cut Eben Britton, Others
4:41pm: The Bears have officially announced all their cuts, so we can add the following names to the list of players no longer on the team’s active roster:
- Josh Bellamy (WR)
- Brandon Dunn (DT)
- Kelvin Hayden (DB)
- M.D. Jennings (S) (waived with injury settlement)
- Al Louis-Jean (CB)
- Austen Lane (DE)
- Tracy Robertson (DT)
1:35pm: The Bears have also cut a duo of young defenders:
- C.J. Wilson (CB) (via Biggs on Twitter)
- Jerry Franklin (LB) (via Biggs on Twitter)
11:12am: The Bears cut down on their offensive line depth this morning, as Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune reports that Eben Britton will be released. The 26-year-old started four games for Chicago in 2013, seeing action on 235 snaps.
As Biggs notes, the only Bears backup lineman with any NFL experience is Brian De La Puente. The team appears ready to roll with rookies Charles Leno Jr. and Michael Ola.
The rest of the Bears moves are listed below:
- Taylor Boggs (C) (via Brad Biggs on Twitter)
- Marcus Trice (DB) (via Biggs on Twitter)
- Ryan Groy (OL) (via Biggs on Twitter)
- Eben Britton (OL) (via Biggs on Twitter)
- Dale Moss (WR) (via Biggs on Twitter)
- Chris Williams (WR) (via Biggs on Twitter)
- DeDe Lattimore (LB) (via Biggs on Twitter)
- Lee Pegues (DT) (via Biggs on Twitter)
NFC Notes: Mankins, Eagles, 49ers, Bears
At his introductory press conference, new Buccaneers guard Logan Mankins admitted that he has a lot of work to do (via Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald). “It’s going to be tough, we have a week before the first game and I’m going to take it in stride. I’ve got all weekend to try and get down some of the mental part of it and then all next week at practice. I’m sure the guys are going to help me as much as possible and I’m going to try my best to be up to speed with those guys, I don’t know if it will happen, but I’m shooting for it,” said the veteran. More from around the NFL:
- Having recently been cut by the Bills, quarterback Thad Lewis had an audition for the Eagles, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).
- Blaine Gabbert looked shaky in the 49ers‘ preseason finale while Josh Johnson has looked good over the last few weeks, which could prompt the club to carry three quarterbacks, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. Gabbert, who has a $2MM guaranteed salary, won’t be going anywhere, but SF might want to have Johnson in place as a failsafe.
- 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh sounds intent on keeping quarterback Johnson in addition to Gabbert, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. However, he won’t commit to putting Johnson ahead of Gabbert on the depth chart, despite the former first-round pick’s struggles.
- After giving himself a “B+” grade for his Thursday night performance, Michael Sam believes that he’ll be on an NFL roster somewhere, even if it’s not with the Rams, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “I’m very confident,” Sam said. “I’m going to sleep really well tonight and I’m very confident I’m going to be on a team, the Rams or any other team in the NFL.”
- Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times believes that Matthew Mulligan will have a spot on the Bears‘ roster as the tight end behind Martellus Bennett and Dante Rosario thanks to his blocking ability. The injury to Zach Miller opened the door for Mulligan, who is a solid blocker.
- The Bears have done their homework on long snappers and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter) hears that they worked out four long snappers last week. Currently, Brandon Hartson has the job in Chicago.
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed that he has met face-to-face with Dez Bryant, something he doesn’t do with every player who is seeking a new deal, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. “We have had good visits,” Jones said. “It’s a little different to be talking directly, for me to be talking directly with the player. I know of two that I’ve spent a lot of time directly talking with in some pretty sensitive areas when you’re talking about money. We all understand what that means. One of them Michael Irvin. He asked me to induct him into the Hall of Fame later and Emmitt Smith, he asked me to induct him into the Hall of Fame later. Troy [Aikman] always had Leigh Steinberg there, but we kind of talked straight in there together.”
Bears To Cut Lynch, Mastrud, Others
The Bears have begun to pare down their roster to the required 53-man limit in advance of tomorrow’s deadline, having already elected to release veteran offensive lineman Robert Turner, as we heard earlier today. Now, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has provided a few more names who won’t make the cut for the Bears’ regular-season roster. Here’s the list of Bears cuts so far, with any newly-reported names added to the list throughout the day:
- Armanti Edwards (WR) (via Biggs on Twitter)
- Jordan Lynch (RB) (via Biggs on Twitter)
- Jeron Mastrud (TE) (via Biggs on Twitter)
- Dennis Roland (OL) (via Biggs on Twitter, 2:46pm)
- Robert Turner (C/G)
Minor Moves: Friday
We’ll be grouping most of today’s cuts by team or division, but we’ll keep track of the stray minor moves here..
- The Titans released offensive lineman Jeff Adams, tweets Wyatt.
- The Texans cut wide receiver Travis Labhart and kicker Chris Boswell, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter).
- The Bears will cut offensive lineman Robert Turner, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Chicago signed the guard/tackle just a few weeks ago.
- The Texans released former USC safety Jawanza Starling, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
- The Titans have released defensive lineman Marcus Dixon and offensive lineman Justin McCray, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean (Twitter links). Dixon recorded a sack in the preseason finale and almost had a second one, but it wasn’t enough to stay on board.
- The Texans will release fullback Toben Opurum, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). The 23-year-old Kansas product didn’t touch the ball in Houston’s first three preseason contests and had three carries for nine yards last night against the 49ers.
- Earlier today, we learned that the Buccaneers have made four cuts.
Saints, Eagles, Bears Down To 75 Players
The Saints have officially announced their roster cuts down to 75 players, and many of the names – most notably linebacker Victor Butler – have previously been reported. However, three players’ releases had previously been unreported. According to the team (via Twitter), quarterback Logan Kilgore, linebacker Kevin Reddick, and defensive back Rod Sweeting are among the players who didn’t make the cut down to 75.
The Eagles, who were vanquished from last year’s playoffs by New Orleans, have also finalized their 75-man roster in advance of this afternoon’s deadline. Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com tweets that offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde has been waived by the team with an injury settlement. In a series of tweets, Vandervelde thanked the organization for the opportunity.
Meanwhile, a third NFC playoff contender has also trimmed its roster down to 75 players, with the Bears announcing today (via Twitter) that offensive lineman James Brown and cornerback Isaiah Frey are the latest roster casualties in Chicago.
All three teams, as well as the NFL’s other 29, will have until Saturday afternoon to further cut their rosters down to 53 active players.
Minor Moves: Monday
- The Bills will sign backup quarterback Jordan Palmer, recently cut by the Bears, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
- The Browns were awarded guards Karim Barton and Donald Hawkins on waivers from the Eagles, the team announced.
- The Chargers claimed defensive lineman Joe Kruger on waivers from the Eagles, the team announced.
- The Lions were awarded tight end Emil Igwenagu on waivers from the Eagles, per Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Bears have terminated the contract of veteran safety Craig Steltz, the team announced (via Twitter).
- The Broncos waived defensive tackle Cody Larsen, and placed receiver Jordan Norwood (ACL) on IR, the team announced (via Twitter).
- The Saints waived safety Ty Zimmerman, receiver Andy Tanner and tackle Ty Nsekhe, the team announced. Tight end Travis Beckum has also been waived, according to…Travis Beckum (Twitter link).
- The Dolphins waived/injured kicker John Potter, per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The team announced tackle Steven Baker and safety Demetrius Wright were also waived (Twitter link).
Bears Release Jordan Palmer
It appears as though Jimmy Clausen has won the Bears’ No. 2 quarterback job, as Chicago has released fellow QB Jordan Palmer, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN. The two had been competing to back up starter Jay Cutler, and Clausen has had more preseason success.
Palmer, the younger brother of Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, spent last season with the Bears as the No. 3 QB, behind Cutler and Josh McCown. A sixth-round pick in 2008, the 30-year-old Palmer has also spent time with the Bengals and the Jaguars. He has logged just 15 pass attempts in his career.
Clausen, 26, was a Panthers second-rounder in 2010 — he started 10 games during his rookie year, completing just 52.5% of his passes to go along with three touchdowns and nine interceptions. Carolina drafted Cam Newton first overall in 2011, rendering Clausen obsolete. He signed a one-year deal with Chicago in June, and has completed nearly 65% of his passes during the preseason.