Minor Moves: Thursday
We’ll keep track of the New Year’s Day transactions right here, with the latest moves being added to the top of the post:
- The Cardinals have signed offensive tackle Cameron Bradfield to a reserve/futures deal, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Bradfield, 27, started 27 games over four seasons with the Jaguars before signing with the Falcons earlier this year.
- The Bengals have signed rookie receiver Eric Ward to their practice squad, reports Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter link). Ward, an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech, was signed by the Titans earlier this year, but released in early September. He takes the place of fellow wideout Cobi Hamilton, who was promoted to the active roster yesterday.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Playoff teams and non-playoff teams both continue to make roster moves this week, and we’ll round up today’s minor transactions below. Here’s the latest:
- The Jaguars signed wide receiver Arrelious Benn to a two-year deal, a league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Dan Duggan of NJ.com reports (via Twitter) that the team also signed safety Jeremy Deering.
- Long snapper Brandon Hartson inked a futures contract with the Chiefs, according to agent Brian McLaughlin (via Twitter). Kansas City has been busy locking up players for 2015, announcing 14 reserve deals yesterday.
- Per Oliver Thomas of PatriotsObserver.com (via Twitter), the Patriots signed three players to reserve/futures contracts today: Defensive tackle Antonio Johnson, linebacker Rufus Johnson, and running back Dion Lewis. Since New England’s season isn’t over, the team can’t yet lock up any players from its practice squad to futures deals.
- The Saints have added another player on a reserve/futures contract, signing veteran safety Kenny Phillips today, tweets Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune. A former first-round pick, Phillips worked out for New Orleans in November.
Earlier updates:
- Cornerback Roc Carmichael and guard Antoine McClain inked reserve/futures deals with the Cardinals, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link). Carmichael has spent time with the Eagles over the last two seasons, while McClain finished the 2014 campaign on the Bears’ practice squad.
- The Panthers signed guard Tyronne Green to a futures contract for 2015, the team announced today (Twitter link). Green most recently spent time with the Cowboys, having been cut by the team in July.
- The Bengals have placed wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher on the injured reserve list due to a concussion, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). While losing Sanzenbacher, who caught just nine balls this season, isn’t a significant blow for Cincinnati, the team hopes A.J. Green won’t miss this weekend’s game with a similar ailment. With the newly-opened spot on the 53-man roster, the Bengals promoted wideout Cobi Hamilton from the practice squad.
- Offensive tackle Joe Long, the brother of Rams tackle Jake Long, has been added to the Lions‘ taxi squad, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Detroit had been carrying just nine players on its unit, so no corresponding move was required to make room for Long.
- The Buccaneers have signed former Northern Colorado quarterback Seth Lobato to a reserve/futures contract for 2015, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
AFC North Links: Webb, Browns, Eifert
Lardarius Webb has battled a back injury all season, and the Ravens cornerback told Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun that he suffered nerve damage in his back during training camp, severely hampering the start of his season. However, the 29-year-old is starting to regain his old form, and his defensive coordinater believes he’ll be a force for the rest of the season.
“I actually graded the film on the plane on the way back, and then I came in and watched the film again on Monday morning and I texted him right after I got done and said, ‘That’s the best you’ve played all year. You look like you’re kind of getting back to the Lardarius that I know,'” said Dean Pees. “I think that is a very, very positive thing about him. Hey, we need him right here at the end. I was very pleased with the way he played.”
Webb echoed that sentiment:
“Yeah, I feel awesome. It was late in the season and everything, but I do feel good now. I’ve been through a long season. I started off on the back burner with a back injury. I’ve just been trying to catch up the whole time and get it right eventually. Now, I’m right.
“That’s how nerve injuries do, they take time. I had to fight through it all year with the good and the bad. It would be perfect going into the playoffs to play your best game. Hopefully, we can continue playing and win this game and go into the playoffs and keep improving on the back end. It’s been a long year, a humbling year. I’ve been through a lot of adversity since I’ve been in the NFL. That’s been my career.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the AFC’s northern division…
- Browns‘ cornerback Buster Skrine is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil wants him back, reports Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald (via Twitter). With Joe Haden playing at a Pro Bowl level and first-round pick Justin Gilbert on the roster, Skrine may be more comfortable going elsewhere to continue his career. Skrine has not talked about his next contract.
- Meanwhile, Browns coach Mike Pettine was asked if he wants Skrine on the team next season. “Yeah, he’s a Brown,” he answered (via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com). “It’s tough when you have guys that are up (for free agency). That’s the reality of business. As far as what we’re looking for, and I already talked about it, just everything from Buster from A to Z is a guy that you want on your football team.”
- Before the season, Browns safety Jim Leonhard declared 2014 his final NFL season. According to Tom Reed of Cleveland.com, the veteran is sticking by the statement. “But, no, it’s not happening. I’m very happy with my decision and I’m looking forward to that next chapter . . .I definitely want to get out and travel a little bit with the family. Outside of that, head back to Madison (Wisc.) and figure it out. I had a lot of conversations with people and we’ll see what happens, where this thing leads.”
- Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert has struggled through injuries all season, and head coach Marvin Lewis confirmed yesterday that the 24-year-old’s season is over. Eifert had left shoulder surgery earlier this month, helping repair an injury he sustained in training camp. “It’s been unfortunate for him,” Lewis said (via ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey), “but it was the best thing for him.”
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Breer’s Latest: Black Monday, Texans, Bengals
As we head to the final week of the regular season, Albert Breer of NFL.com has provided his latest notes column, synthesizing news and opinion from around the league. Lets’ dive in…
- The number of head coaches who are fired after the season figures to drop this year, writes Breer, who argues that there aren’t any “slam-dunk” candidates available. For example, the top two coordinators on the market, the Broncos’ Adam Gase and the Seahawks’ Dan Quinn, were virtual unknowns just two years ago. As such, as few as four teams could be looking for new HCs. Said one NFC executive to Breer: “If you’re Miami, do you stick with Joe Philbin, or is the guy who’s replacing Joe Philbin gonna be that big an upgrade?”
- Another reason that Black Monday might be uneventful is that clubs are placing a higher value on continuity. Young players thrive when they’re able to stay in the same scheme for some period of time — if the Dolphins had fired Philbin for example, Ryan Tannehill would be playing under his third offensive coordinator in three seasons next year. As one veteran OC told Breer, “Players are drafted by coaches and the personnel staff for a reason — they met a schematic element those guys had in mind. Most NFL coaches are good at developing people and players, but say that shift comes, then the new coach doesn’t like something about the fit with a guy,” said the OC. “There’s no benefit of the doubt anymore, because he didn’t draft him. So he’s not getting better anymore.”
- The Texans have been quietly impressed with how their season has turned out, writes Breer. Even though the club’s draft class didn’t produce much in 2014, the team was able to find veterans like Ryan Pickett, Kendrick Lewis, and Danieal Manning to fill in holes. If Houston is able to upgrade at quarterback, it could be a formidable unit in 2015.
- Bengals personnel man Duke Tobin deserves credit for finding talent in the draft, and Marvin Lewis should earn praise for developing young players, per Breer, who notes that Cincinnati is now regarded as something of a model franchise. Guard Kevin Zeitler and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, each of whom are former first-rounders who struggled early in their careers, are now playing well, a testament to the team’s vision.
- As Breer notes, there was plenty of skepticism when the Dolphins hired Dennis Hickey as general manager earlier this year. But after making a few shrewd signings in free agency, and nailing his first two draft picks — Ja’Waun James and Jarvis Landry — Hickey looks like a wise choice. He’ll probably still need the club to make the postseason in 2015 in order to keep his job, though.
Extra Points: Marks, Cutler, Ponder, Bucs
With his sack tonight, Jaguars defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks earned a fat $600K bonus, as Vito Stellino of The Florida Times-Union writes. Marks would already have earned the bonus if the league didn’t take away a sack he was credited with against Houston’s Ryan Fitzpatrick two weeks ago when the quarterback tripped and fell down and he was the first to touch him. However, he claims that he wasn’t upset about the ruling. More from around the National Football League..
- Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune looks at what might be next for Bears signal caller Jay Cutler. The Cardinals will probably bring back Carson Palmer in 2015, the Raiders have Derek Carr, and Rams tight ends coach Ron Turner would probably talk coach Jeff Fisher out of the idea. Ultimately, Biggs sees the Jets and Titans as the most likely destinations for the veteran.
- Matt Vensel of the Star-Tribune (video link) wonders if there will be a spot in the NFL for former Vikings starting quarterback Christian Ponder.
- Matt Bowen of the Chicago Tribune ran down the Bears‘ problems from top to bottom, from the front office to the locker room.
- Former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford has agreed in principle to become the new head coach of the CFL’s BC Lions, a source tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- It seems likely that Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert will be staying on injured reserve for the rest of the year, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The athletic tight end has not practiced since Week 1.
- Signing linebacker K.J. Wright to a contract extension shows the Seahawks‘ commitment to their core players, writes Terry Blount of ESPN.com.
Audition Notes: Tuesday
Wide receiver Luke Tasker, the son former Bills receiver Steve Tasker, worked out for the Packers, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The younger Tasker, also a wide receiver, currently plays for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. We’ll keep track of today’s workouts and visits here..
- The Ravens tried out defensive backs Anthony Gaitor, LeQuan Lewis, and Brandon Smith today, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (via Twitter). It was Quinton Pointer, however, who was picked to fill the practice squad opening.
- The Bengals tried out linebacker Victor Butler, according to Balzer (Twitter link). In the same link, Balzer shares that cornerback Dominique Franks worked out for the Lions, who also brought in Roc Carmichael.
- Prior to adding defensive tackle Doug Worthington to the practice squad, the Rams also tried out fellow defensive tackles David Carter and Everett Dawkins, Balzer tweets.
- The Packers also worked out cornerback Vernon Kearney, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Minor Moves: Thursday
As NFL teams around the league make minor tweaks to their 53-man rosters and practice squads, we’ll round up those transactions in this post, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Chargers signed cornerback Greg Ducre to the practice squad, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (via Twitter). Ducre, who gained a lot of fans within the Bolts organization during his time in camp, was waived by Washington just a few days ago. To make room, the Chargers waived former San Diego State University offensive lineman Bryce Quigley.
- The Saints have filled the two openings on their practice squad, signing fullback Toben Opurum and wide receiver Willie Snead, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
- After placing Morgan Moses on IR, as noted below, Washington promoted running back Chris Thompson to the active roster, then signed tackle Edawn Coughman to the practice squad (Twitter link). According to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (via Twitter), the club had been telling Thompson for weeks that he’d be promoted by the end of the season.
Earlier updates:
- The Bengals used the open spot on their practice squad to add another Geathers to the mix — defensive tackle Kwame Geathers joins the organization that also employs his brother Robert Geathers, the team announced today (Twitter link).
- Washington head coach Jay Gruden told reporters today that rookie offensive lineman Morgan Moses is being placed on injured reserve due to a Lisfranc injury suffered in practice (Twitter link). So far, the club hasn’t added a player to its 53-man roster to take Moses’ spot.
- The Seahawks have now officially signed defensive lineman David King, in a move reported yesterday, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Condotta adds that the corresponding move sees the team release linebacker Allen Bradford.
- The Saints have filled the lone opening on their 53-man roster by promoting receiver Seantavius Jones from their practice squad, a source told Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate today. Adding a wideout to the roster makes sense, considering the open spot was created by the release of Joe Morgan.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
As NFL teams get their 53-man rosters in order for Week 15’s slate of games, we’ll round up Wednesday’s minor transactions in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Seahawks have signed defensive end David King from the Bengals practice squad, tweets Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. The defensive end, who was drafted by the Eagles in the seventh round of the 2013 draft, was signed by Cincinnati in August.
Earlier updates:
- The Cowboys continue to shuffle pieces to and from their roster and practice squad, with team executive Stephen Jones indicating that defensive end Kenneth Boatright is the latest taxi squad player to receive a promotion, tweets Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Dallas now has a full 53-man squad.
- The Panthers have released quarterback Matt Blanchard from their injured reserve list, now that he’s been deemed healthy, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. As Person adds in a second tweet, Blanchard sustained a severe concussion during a preseason game and wasn’t cleared for more than two months.
- Having waived defensive back Roc Carmichael yesterday, the Eagles filled the opening on their roster today by adding another player to their secondary. The team announced (via Twitter) that it has signed safety Jerome Couplin from off the Lions‘ practice squad. Couplin originally signed with Detroit back in May as an undrafted free agent out of William and Mary.
- Like the Eagles, the Vikings have also poached a player from another club’s practice squad, plucking offensive tackle Carter Bykowski away from the 49ers, per a team release. To make room for the incoming signee, Minnesota has placed linebacker Michael Mauti on the injured reserve list.
- Washington completed a series of roster moves on Tuesday that left the team with an open spot on its 53-man roster, and the club has now signed cornerback Justin Rogers to once again max out the squad (Twitter link). Rogers was one of several players to work out for Washington earlier this week.
Extra Points: Goodell, Raiders, JPP, Browns
On the same day the NFL announced that its owners have approved a new personal conduct policy for the league, Outside the Lines reporter Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN.com has published a story suggesting commissioner Roger Goodell‘s testimony during Ray Rice‘s suspension appeal hearing was inconsistent with his public statements.
On September 10, Goodell wrote a memo to the league’s 32 owners in which he said that “on multiple occasions, we asked the proper law enforcement authorities to share with us all relevant information, including any video of the [Rice elevator] incident.” However, the 631-page transcript of Rice’s appeal hearing, a copy of which was obtained by Outside the Lines, suggests that the NFL never actually formally requested the elevator video from the one law enforcement agency that actually had it, the Atlantic City Police Department.
With Goodell and the NFL once again under scrutiny for questionable handling of investigative and disciplinary matters, let’s round up a few other notes from around the league:
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Raiders have “a much better chance” of moving to Los Angeles in 2015 than he had realized, adding that the possibility of the team relocating from Oakland to L.A. is “very legitimate.”
- While NFL teams rarely let their starting quarterbacks reach the open market, the early returns for the teams that locked their QBs up this year haven’t been good, writes Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead. The Bears (Jay Cutler), Bengals (Andy Dalton), Chiefs (Alex Smith), and 49ers (Colin Kaepernick) likely aren’t thrilled with the new deals for their respective signal-callers, considering all four teams project to finish with worse records in 2014 than 2013.
- Asked about his impending free agency, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said he’d “love to be a Giant for life,” but isn’t sure yet how things will play out (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News).
- Although Browns kicker Billy Cundiff missed another key field goal on Sunday against the Colts, head coach Mike Pettine says Cundiff remains the team’s kicker, but “he knows he has to pick it up” (Twitter link via Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald).
- Adrian Peterson is still awaiting arbitrator Harold Henderson’s decision on his suspension appeal, and the Vikings running back continues to hold out hope that he’ll be able to return the field this season, NFLPA executive George Atallah tells Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion will be represented by Athletes First agents Andrew Kessler and Dave Dunn for the 2015 NFL draft, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal.
Bengals Put Burfict On IR, Activate McCarron
The Bengals have placed linebacker Vontaze Burfict on the injured reserve list, ending his season, the team announced today (Twitter link). Taking Burfict’s place on the 53-man roster will be quarterback A.J. McCarron, whom Cincinnati activated from the reserve/non-football injury list.
Burfict, who has had concussion injuries in the past, and earlier this season, underwent a procedure on his knee, which will keep him sidelined for the rest of the year. Losing the 24-year-old will be a significant blow to the Bengals’ defense as the club looks to secure a playoff spot in the AFC. Burfict is coming off a Pro Bowl sophomore season, and is one of the leaders on the defensive side of the ball in Cincinnati, but was limited to just a handful of games in his third year after racking up 177 tackles in 2013.
As for McCarron, the rookie is extremely unlikely to play a role down the stretch for Cincinnati, but activating him will allow him to remain on the practice field with the team for the rest of the season. He’ll slide in behind Andy Dalton and Jason Campbell on the depth chart.