AFC West Notes: Von, Broncos QBs, Chiefs, Berry
Star linebacker Von Miller is embroiled in a contract dispute with the Broncos, leading to questions as to whether he’d go so far as to sit out at least some of this season, but the Super Bowl 50 MVP may have put that notion to rest. On the possibility of skipping regular-season games this year if the franchise-tagged pass rusher and the Broncos don’t work out a long-term deal by the July 15 deadline, Miller told Netflix’s Chelsea Handler, “No, I mean .. we still have a month. I just can’t see myself with any other team. My boys — T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib, Kayvon Webster, DeMarcus Ware. All those guys, I built very, very close relationships with those guys, and I would like to continue to build that for the rest of my career.” Miller also stated that he’d like the franchise to reciprocate his desire to be a career-long Bronco (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post).
More regarding Denver and one of its division rivals:
- Another franchise player from the AFC West, Chiefs four-time Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry, is also disenchanted with his contract situation. Unsurprisingly, Berry is absent from the Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp as he tries to sort out his future, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Berry could sign his one-year, $10.8MM tender and play this season under that, or he could continue to wait for a long-term deal from the Chiefs or another team. As is the case with Miller, Berry has until July 15 to work out a multiyear accord. Otherwise, he’ll either have to play this season as a franchise player or sit out.
- First-round rookie Paxton Lynch is on the outside looking in when it comes to the Broncos’ three-man quarterback derby, according to head coach Gary Kubiak. Both Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian are well ahead of the ex-Memphis standout as of now. “I think they’re looking each in the eye throughout the course of the offseason,” Kubiak said of Sanchez and Siemian (via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com). “Who’s ahead? Who’s [No.] 1? I think those two guys are right there with each other; it’s a very competitive situation. They’re obviously ahead of the young guy. … Those two guys have been very close.”
- The Chiefs have invited four free agents – cornerbacks Trenton Cole and Chris Greenwood, and receivers Seantavius Jones and Devonte Robinson – to try out at mandatory camp, reports Paylor (Twitter link).
Workout Notes: Bills, Boykin, Little
Here are Wednesday’s workouts from around the NFL. All links go to the Twitter feed of The Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, unless noted otherwise:
- The Bills worked out wide receivers Jarrett Boykin and Greg Little (link).
- The Jets worked out tackle Cameron Bradfield, tackle Jesse Davis, tackle Sean Donnelly, guard Matthew Masifilo, defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy, and guard Craig Watts, Wilson tweets.
- The Falcons worked out linebacker Cameron Gordon, defensive back Chris Greenwood, guard Michael Huey, and defensive back Brandon McGee (link).
- The Eagles worked out defensive lineman Freddie Bishop, wide receiver Issac Blakeney, wide receiver Jeff Fuller, linebacker Cameron Gordon, offensive lineman Colin Kelly, wide receiver Eric Rogers, and defensive back Jordan Sullen (link).
- The Titans worked out defensive tackle Davon Walls (link).
- The Falcons tried out linebacker Mike Mohamed, linebacker James-Michael Johnson, and guard Shelley Smith (link).
- The Vikings worked out wide receivers Terrell Sinkfield and Eric Rogers (link).
- The Broncos tried out cornerback Chimdi Chekwa, linebacker Thomas Keiser, and linebacker Jonathan Massaquoi, Wilson tweets.
- The Browns worked out guard Jared Smith (link).
- The Browns worked out kickers Carey Spear and Zach Hocker (link).
- The Bears worked out punter Brock Miller (link).
- The Cardinals worked out defensive backs Dexter McCoil and Joel Wilkinson (link).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/10/15
Today’s practice squad moves:
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Dax Swanson (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald)
New England Patriots
- Signed: CB Rashaan Melvin (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Cut: CB Chris Greenwood (link)
Washington
- Signed: RB Mack Brown (Twitter link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Konrad Reuland (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: CB Terrance Mitchell (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of ESPN.com)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DB Tim Scott, LB Keith Smith (Twitter link via David Helman of DallasCowboys.com)
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Joseph Fauria, CB Chris Greenwood, S Brock Vereen (Twitter links via Field Yates of ESPN.com and Doug Kyed of NESN.com)
- Cut: S Dewey McDonald, S Ross Ventrone (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Ben Edwards, C Shane McDermott (link via Jordan Raanan of NJ.com)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: WR Donte Foster (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post)
Seattle Seahawks
- To be signed: WR/CB Douglas McNeil (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com)
- Cut: DL Julius Warmsley (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: DT Doug Worthington (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: G Josh Allen, LB Josh Keyes (press release via team)
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/31/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Bills announced that they have designated wide receiver Austin Willis as waived/injured.
- Defensive end Camaron Beard will re-join the Jaguars, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com tweets. Beard will take the roster spot made vacant by Monday’s Josh Scobee trade.
- The Chargers cut Forrestal Hickman, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The offensive tackle, who is listed as 6’7″ and 320 lbs, signed on with the Bolts in June.
- Toby Johnson has been released by the Titans, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online (on Twitter). The defensive tackle was signed by the Titans as an undrafted free agent on May 11, 2015.
- The Ravens placed Darryl Baldwin, Allen Reisner, Chris Greenwood, and Steven Means on IR, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Here are Wednesday’s minor roster moves from around the league, with the latest transactions added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- Cut yesterday by the Jets, defensive back Josh Thomas has already found a new home, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who tweets that the Lions have claimed Thomas off waivers. Thomas will take the roster spot vacated by LaAdrian Waddle, who was placed on injured reserve today, as noted below.
- Safety Josh Bush is receiving a promotion to the Broncos‘ active roster from the club’s practice squad, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that the club is also re-signing tight end Dominique Jones, who was let go earlier in the week. Denver, after making multiple roster moves yesterday, had two roster spots available, so no corresponding move is required to clear room.
Earlier updates:
- A pair of players will make the leap from the Jaguars‘ practice squad to their active roster, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, who tweets that quarterback Stephen Morris and safety Matt Daniels have been promoted. The Jags had one opening, and created another by placing linebacker Khairi Fortt on injured reserve with a hamstring issue.
- The Ravens are back up to 53 players on their roster after signing cornerback Chris Greenwood off the Vikings’ practice squad, tweets Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Greenwood is the latest player added to a secondary that has been decimated by injuries this season and lost Asa Jackson and Terrence Brooks in Week 15.
- The Lions are placing offensive lineman LaAdrian Waddle on the injured reserve list due to his partially torn ACL, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
- After waiving tackle J’Marcus Webb yesterday, the Vikings will fill the open roster spot by signing safety Ahmad Dixon from off their practice squad, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. The well-traveled Dixon has already spent time with the Vikes, Dolphins, and Bears since being drafted by the Cowboys in May.
- According to agent Howard Shatsky (Twitter link), his client, tight end Jerome Cunningham, has received a promotion from the Giants‘ practice squad to their active roster. The team has yet to officially confirm the call-up, but there’s an available roster spot at the moment, so it wouldn’t require a corresponding move.
- The Buccaneers, another team with an open roster spot, have signed defensive end Lawrence Sidbury as their 53rd man, the team announced today in a press release. The ex-Falcon, who was released by the Texans in August, replaces cornerback Crezdon Butler, whom the Bucs cut yesterday.
Practice Squad Updates: Monday
We rounded up the first wave of practice squad additions in a series of posts by division yesterday, which you can check out on our Transactions page. Several more teams have announced new practice squad players today, or made slight changes to their units, so we’ll round up that news right here:
6:33pm:
- The 49ers have filled out their practice squad by adding cornerback Chance Casey and running back Kendall Gaskins, the team announced in a press release.
4:37pm:
- The Browns have added wide receiver Charles Johnson and offensive lineman Karim Barton to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
- Cornerback Khalid Wooten will be the 10th man on the Titans‘ practice squad, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
4:07pm:
- The Seahawks have added defensive end Julius Warmsley and defensive back Josh Aubrey to their practice squad, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- The Redskins have finalized their practice squad by adding safety Akeem Davis and linebacker Chaz Sutton, the club announced today (Twitter link).
- Cornerback LeQuan Lewis has been added to the Jets‘ practice squad, according to the team (via Twitter).
2:46pm:
- The Rams have finalized their practice squad by adding linebacker Denicos Allen, wideout Emory Blake, safety Christian Bryant, and quarterback Garrett Gilbert, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). That means Michael Sam isn’t among the 10 players on St. Louis’ squad.
- The addition of Henry Josey to the Jaguars‘ practice squad has officially been announced by the team in a press release. We had noted below that although his signing had been previously reported, Josey wasn’t among the first list of names released by the club.
- The Ravens have announced the signing of offensive lineman Marcel Jones to their practice squad, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
1:31pm:
- The following players are now on the Browns‘ practice squad: James Brown, OL; Jacobbi McDaniel, DL; Emmanuel Ogbuehi, TE; Keith Pough, LB; Justin Staples, LB; and Patrick Lewis, C. The first five names are listed on the team’s official site, while the addition of Lewis was reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Alex Gillett‘s time on the Packers‘ practice squad didn’t last long — he was replaced today by cornerback Jumal Rolle, tweets Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
- The Buccaneers have signed safety Kimario McFadden, cornerback Derrius Brooks, and linebacker Carlos Fields to their practice squad, according to the team’s official site.
- Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune provides the last few names to be added to the Saints‘ practice squad: safety Pierre Warren, guard Antoine McClain, nose tackle Lawrence Virgil, and tight end Nic Jacobs.
- The Eagles have signed quarterback G.J. Kinne for their practice squad, per the team’s official site.
- Fullback Nikita Whitlock is the latest addition to the Cowboys‘ practice squad, the team announced today.
- The Vikings filled the final spot on their practice squad by adding cornerback Chris Greenwood, says Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Defensive end Zach Thompson is now on the Broncos‘ practice squad, according to the club.
- The Chiefs filled the final opening on their practice squad by signing defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- Wide receiver Freddie Martino and tight end Kyle Miller have joined the Falcons‘ practice squad, per the team’s official site.
- One more housekeeping note: Yesterday, running back Henry Josey and fullback Kiero Small were reported as having joined the Jaguars‘ and Browns‘ practice squads, respectively. However, when those teams announced their PS rosters, those players weren’t included. There haven’t been any reports indicating those agreements fell through, so we’ll keep an eye on both situations. For now though, we won’t be including those players in our master list of practice squad rosters, which will be published this afternoon.
Lions Release Leshoure, Roster To 53
2:50pm: The Lions have announced their remaining cuts, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. In addition to the players listed below, the following players have been let go:
- Rodney Austin, OL
- Patrick Edwards, WR
- Andre Fluellen, DL
- Emil Igwenagu, RB
- Nate Ness, S
- Andrew Peacock, WR
- Xavier Proctor, DL
- Jimmy Saddler-McQueen, DL
- Julian Stanford, LB
- Jordan Thompson, TE
1:45pm: The Lions have let go of one of Matthew Stafford‘s favorite targets, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports (via Twitter) that the team has released wideout Kris Durham.
The 26-year-old finished 2013 with career-highs in receptions (38) and yards (490). He also led all of the Lions offensive skill players in snaps, even topping All-Pro Calvin Johnson.
The Lions weren’t done there, as they released an additional six players:
- Chris Greenwood, CB (via Birkett on Twitter)
- Shamari Benton, LB (via Birkett on Twitter)
- Brandon Hepburn, LB (via Birkett on Twitter)
- Michael Egnew, TE (via Rand Getlin on Twitter)
- Michael Williams, OT (via Birkett on Twitter)
- George Winn, RB (via Birkett on Twitter)
11:40am: The Lions’ starting running back from 2012 is no longer on the roster, as the team informed Mikel Leshoure today that he’s being waived as the 53-man cutdown deadline nears, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. While the move leaves a little dead money on Detroit’s cap, the team avoids having to pay the running back his non-guaranteed base salary for 2014.
Leshoure wasn’t the only veteran among the Lions’ cuts today. Here’s the complete running list:
- Darren Keyton, C (via Birkett on Twitter)
- Mikel Leshoure, RB
- Garrett Reynolds, OL (via Pro Football Talk on Twitter)
- Mohammed Seisay, CB (via Michael Rothstein on Twitter)
- Darryl Tapp, DE (via Josh Katzenstein on Twitter)
Ross, Greenwood Accept Contract Tenders
A pair of Chris Cabott clients have signed on for the 2014 season with their respective teams, the agent tweeted tonight. Cabott confirmed that cornerbacks Brandian Ross and Chris Greenwood have extended their contracts with the Raiders and Lions respectively.
We heard earlier this week that Oakland had tendered a contract offer to Ross, while Detroit extended a tender to Greenwood. Both players had been exclusive rights free agents. Unless Cabott negotiated a longer-term deal for either client, Ross and Greenwood are likely now on those one-year contracts for 2014.
While Greenwood has yet to see much NFL playing time, Ross assumed the starting strong safety job for the Raiders in 2013. The 24-year-old notched a pair of sacks and 75 tackles, but ranked 85th among 86 qualified safeties, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
Contract Tenders: 49ers, Jaguars, Broncos
Players who have three years or less of NFL experience and no contract for 2014 continue to receive contract tenders from their current teams. For exclusive rights free agents, these tenders essentially represent the contracts they’ll be playing under in 2014, since ERFAs aren’t permitted to negotiate with any of the league’s other 31 teams. Restricted free agents, on the other hand, can accept these one-year contract offers, but will also have the freedom to negotiate with other suitors and perhaps sign an offer sheet once the free agent period begins.
Here are some of the latest ERFA and RFA contract tenders:
- The 49ers extended a contract tender worth $1.431MM to restricted free agent Demarcus Dobbs, reports Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The team also tendered ERFA linebacker Michael Wilhoite, says Pelissero.
Earlier updates:
- The Falcons tendered cornerback Robert McClain with a $1.431MM offer, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. McClain was the team’s only restricted free agent this offseason.
- The Jaguars tendered offers to wide receivers Mike Brown ($495K) and Kerry Taylor ($495K), offensive tackle Austin Pasztor ($570K), fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou ($570K), and tailback Jordan Todman ($645K), according to Pelissero (Twitter links). Todman, a former UConn notable, had only practice squad experience before making his on-field debut with the Jags in 2012. He had 256 yards and two scores on the ground with 14 catches, 116 receiving yards, and a touchdown through the air.
- The Dolphins tendered offers to wide receiver Armon Binns ($495K) and linebacker Jonathan Freeny ($570K), Pelissero tweets.
- More from Pelissero, who tweets that the Broncos have tendered offers to defensive end Mitch Unrein ($1.431M) and Brandon Marshall ($495K). Of course, that’s the Marshall who plays linebacker, not the star receiver.
- The Lions have tendered offers to kick returner Jeremy Ross ($570K), linebacker Julian Stanford ($570K), cornerback Chris Greenwood ($570K), and tight end Matt Veldman ($420K), tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter) adds that wide receiver Kris Durham was also tendered an offer. Durham had an opportunity to shine when the Lions lost Nate Burleson to injury early in the season but he wasn’t able to break out even with double coverage on Calvin Johnson.
- The Buccaneers are on the verge of tendering exclusive rights free agents Eric Page and Deveron Carr, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.