Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/15
Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including practice squad moves:
- The Falcons have released an injury settlement with tackle Lamar Holmes, releasing him from the reserve/PUP list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Holmes’ four-year rookie deal had been set to expire at season’s end, but since he was on track to spend all year on the PUP list due to a foot injury, his contract would’ve tolled, keeping him on Atlanta’s roster. Instead, he’ll reach the open market a little early.
- To fill the roster spot formerly held by Trent Robinson, whose release was noted below, Washington promoted linebacker Carlos Fields from its practice squad, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports. The 25-year-old Fields should serve as depth for a depleted Washington linebacking corps Monday night, with Mason Foster and Will Compton expected to start. Perry Riley remains out, and Keenan Robinson is questionable, so Fields figures to see extensive special teams time.
Earlier updates:
- Darius Jennings joins the Browns‘ active roster after the team promoted the wide receiver from their practice squad. Cleveland cut linebacker Darrian Miller to make room, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (on Twitter). A former Virginia wideout, Jennings caught on with the Browns after a minicamp tryout this May. Miller played in two games as a backup after spending nine weeks on the team’s practice squad prior to his promotion.
- The Dolphins signed defensive end Jordan Williams from their practice squad and cut tight end Brandon Williams to make room, James Walker of ESPN.com tweets. Initially signing with the Jets as a rookie UDFA this offseason, Jordan Williams signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad in October.
- The Giants waived cornerback Leon McFadden and signed linebacker James Morris to take his spot on the 53-man roster, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). A 24-year-old inside backer, Morris played in three games with the Giants this season after spending time with the Patriots in 2014.
- Washington waived/injured safety Trent Robinson, per Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Robinson was backing up Dashon Goldson and Kyshoen Jarrett previously. If Robinson clears waivers, he’ll land on Washington’s IR, per Jay Gruden (via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com, on Twitter).
- The Bills have promoted running back Michael Gillislee to the active roster, reports Joe Buscaglia of WKBW in Buffalo (via Twitter). The former fifth-round pick hasn’t played in the NFL since a three-game stint with the Dolphins in 2013. To make room on the roster, the team has waived offensive lineman Gabe Ikard. The Oklahoma product has only made three appearances this season, although Buscaglia believes his absence will lead to Ryan Groy being active for the first time.
- With the Bengals dealing with a banged up secondary, the team has promoted cornerback Troy Hill from the practice squad, reports ESPN’s Coley Harvey (via Twitter). To make room on the roster, the team waived cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris, who was injured during last week’s victory over the Rams.
North Notes: Packers, Ball, Bears, Lions
After having rounded up some Friday items out of the NFL’s West divisions earlier today, let’s turn our attention to the North divisions….
- After not getting much production from their three running backs last night, the Packers had former Bronco Montee Ball in for a workout today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Eddie Lacy has been disappointing this year, and James Starks only had 15 yards on nine carries on Thursday night, with the team giving rookie John Crockett – promoted earlier in the day from the practice squad – five carries as well. While there’s no deal at this time with Ball, Green Bay’s backfield situation could be worth keeping an eye on.
- The Packers also tried out a wide receiver today, bringing in J.J. Worton for an audition, tweets Wilson. The former UCF wideout is about a year removed from a torn ACL. Quarterback Zac Dysert auditioned for Green Bay as well, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- After publishing the first part of his conversation with George McCaskey earlier this week, Dan Pompei has part two available today, in which he talks to the Bears chairman about increasing the regular season to 18 games (McCaskey’s not in favor) and asks whether the team would be willing to give up a home game to play an international contest (McCaskey’s really not in favor).
- In addition to working out a handful of kickers this week, in case Matt Prater was unable to play on Thursday night, the Lions also took a look at wide receiver Greg Salas, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. A fourth-round pick in 2011, Salas has spent time with several teams, recording a total of 43 regular-season receptions for the Rams and Jets.
- The Browns worked out former Southern Utah punter Brock Miller, according to Wilson (Twitter link).
Browns Rumors: Pettine, QB, Haden, Hawkins
The Browns played a little better than many observers expected during Mike Pettine‘s first season as the head coach in 2014, but the team finished that season on a five-game losing streak, and have gone 2-9 so far in 2015. Taking those struggles into account, Pettine acknowledges that he and owner Jimmy Haslam figure to have a talk about his performance sooner or later, and he hopes he’ll have some positive signs to point to when that discussion happens.
“As the season winds down, [my future] could potentially come up between [Haslam and me],” Pettine said today, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m full speed ahead to getting it fixed here in Cleveland, and I know the results aren’t anywhere near where they need to be. But that doesn’t mean that we’re not making strides, we’re not getting it set up that it can be done. So, to me, it’s a belief that we can. We got five games left and we’re going to go out and wear the Cleveland logo proud and try to win football games.”
As Pettine attempts to right the ship in Cleveland, let’s check in on a few more Browns-related notes…
- Discussing the decision to start Austin Davis in Week 13, making him the Browns’ third starting quarterback in three weeks, Pettine suggested that just because Davis is atop the depth chart now, that doesn’t mean he’ll finish the year there (link via Ulrich). “I don’t want to declare, ‘Hey, this is what it is going to be from here on out,'” Pettine said. “[Davis and Johnny Manziel] are two young quarterbacks that have upside, and we want to see what that upside is. Austin is the guy for this week.”
- According to Pettine, the Browns may have some discussions about the possibility of placing cornerback Joe Haden and/or wide receiver Andrew Hawkins on injured reserve (Twitter link via Tom Withers of The Associated Press). Both Haden and Hawkins have concussions, but the team hasn’t decided yet to shut down either player for the year.
- New Browns wideout Terrelle Pryor said today that he was in the middle of a visit with the Bears this week when Cleveland called him, per Ulrich (Twitter link). Pryor was interested in a return to Cleveland since he knows the offense and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.
- The three-week practice period for Browns tight end Randall Telfer expired this week without a roster move, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. Telfer has been on the non-football injury list all season, and having missed his window to be activated, he’ll officially be out for the rest of his rookie year.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/2/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from across the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Abou Toure (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
- Cut: TE Brandon Bostick
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Chuck Jacobs, RB Terrence Magee (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Dan France (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
- Cut: OL Ronald Patrick
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Ben Malena, CB Terrance Mitchell, DE Efe Obada (Twitter link via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Denver Broncos
- Signed: TE Dan Light (link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post)
- Cut: TE Arthur Lynch
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: OT Reid Fragel (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Chris Harper (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald), DT Kelcy Quarles (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DB Dewey McDonald (Twitter link via Scott Bair CSNBayArea.com)
- Cut: S Chris Hackett
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: WR Shane Wynn (Twitter link via Eric Williams of ESPN.com)
- Cut: WR Donte Foster
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Deshon Foxx, DT Justin Hamilton, C Drew Nowak (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- Cut: WR Douglas McNeil
North Notes: Bengals, Manziel, Bears
Safety George Iloka is one of many key Bengals players who will be eligible for free agency this winter, creating some interesting decisions for the club once the season comes to an end. As Iloka tells Paul Dehner of the Cincinnati Enquirer, he thinks that he and his fellow free-agents-to-be have handled the situation well.
“The approach hasn’t been, let’s all try to play individually and get paid the highest amount we can get paid,” Iloka said. “We look at it as, man, this is our last whoo-rah. Who knows who will be back and who won’t, but we are only guaranteed this year. I feel like we have a pretty good squad, we have been together for a long time and I just feel like this is it. If there’s a shot it’s this year. I think that’s been our approach more than, oh, let’s get paid because everyone knows if you make the Super Bowl everyone’s next contract is inflated. Getting to the Super Bowl and winning is our main goal, if you do that the money thing will take care of itself.”
In Dehner’s view, Iloka is one of six Bengals players who should be top priorities for the team this offseason, along with cornerback Adam Jones, wide receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, defensive end Wallace Gilberry, and linebacker Vincent Rey.
As we wait to see how the Bengals approach their offseason, let’s round up a few more items out of the NFL’s two North divisions….
- Asked today if Johnny Manziel might want out of Cleveland, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said he’s seen “no indication of that,” adding that talks with Manziel have been good (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com).
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an interesting look at a number of players around the NFL whose performance – or simply ability to stay healthy – could make them some extra money this season, via incentives. One such player is Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who will profit greatly if he’s able to have more postseason success than he had in his first four NFL seasons.
- Bears chairman George McCaskey sat down for a Q&A with Dan Pompei, and discussed several past decisions, including multiple general manager and head coach changes, the signing of Ray McDonald, and the release of Jeremiah Ratliff.
- In a piece for The Sporting News, former Vikings general manager Jeff Diamond says that if he were still running his old club, and could’ve received anything close to fair value, he would’ve traded Adrian Peterson in the offseason. As Diamond explains, the Vikings may not have had the same on-field success this year without their star runinng back, but moving him would’ve sent a “strong message” about the team’s expectations off the field.
NFL To Allow Comp Pick Trades Starting In 2017
DECEMBER 2, 12:42pm: The NFL has voted to allow trades of compensatory draft picks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. However, the new rules will apply for picks in 2017 and beyond, rather than 2016. That avoids giving a competitive advantage to the teams that deliberately attempted to land comp picks for ’16 during last year’s free agent period.
NOVEMBER 19, 11:35am: Beginning in 2016, the NFL is expected to start allowing teams to trade compensatory draft picks for the first time, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). These selections, which begin at the end of the third round, have traditionally not been movable.
[Related: Click here for the full list of the 2016 draft picks that have already been traded.]
Compensatory draft picks are rewarded to teams that had the most significant losses in free agency the previous year, with a formula determining how the 32 available selections are divvied up. Typically, teams like the Ravens have taken advantage of the system by allowing players to walk in free agency and collecting multiple compensatory picks, often using those picks to draft inexpensive potential replacements.
Now, it appears teams like Baltimore will be able to use those picks in trades going forward. Because there are no compensatory picks until the draft begins approaching the 100th overall pick, these selections may not be centerpieces of major deals, but being able to move them will give teams extra flexibility when making moves. As I noted when I took a closer look at all the trades made in the NFL in 2015, 64 of the 69 deals completed this year included at least one draft pick.
According to projections by Over the Cap, the Browns, 49ers, Cowboys, and Patriots are all in line to potentially land four compensatory picks for 2016, the maximum allowed for a single team. The Ravens, Broncos, Seahawks, Packers, and Lions are also projected to land multiple picks, though that’s not set in stone yet.
As Brian McIntyre notes (via Twitter), there’s a case to be made that any changes to the compensatory picks should be postponed until the 2017 draft, since changes for 2016 favor teams that attempted to stockpile those selections for the coming year. However, for now, it seems the league is ready to institute those changes sooner rather than later.
Austin Davis To Start For Browns
With Josh McCown out for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone, the Browns won’t hand the reins back to Johnny Manziel — at least not yet. The team announced today in a press release that Austin Davis will get the start in Week 13 against the Bengals.
“Austin took advantage of his opportunity on Monday night. He was prepared, played well and put us in position to win,” said head coach Mike Pettine in a statement. “He’s been great in the quarterback room all season and he has earned the right to start on Sunday. We expect him to play well.”
Davis was called upon on Monday when McCown went down, with Manziel serving as the No. 3 quarterback in that game, so today’s decision doesn’t come as a real surprise. Still, it shows that the Browns are serious about disciplining the second-year signal-caller for his off-field behavior.
Manziel, who turns 23 this coming Sunday, was removed from the starting job last week after photos surfaced of him partying at a nightclub in Austin. Reports indicated that the Texas A&M product lied to the Browns about the photos, though the club never confirmed that.
At some point, particularly if Davis struggles mightily or goes down with an injury of his own, the Browns may determine that it’s worth getting a look at Manziel down the stretch, with the team well out of playoff contention. For now though, he’ll serve as Davis’ backup as the Browns prepare for Cincinnati.
Browns Place Josh McCown On IR
WEDNESDAY, 9:35am: The Browns have officially ended McCown’s season by placing him on injured reserve, the team announced today in a press release.
TUESDAY, 2:09pm: Browns quarterback Josh McCown is done for the season with a fractured collarbone, coach Mike Pettine told reporters (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). When asked about who will start the team’s upcoming game, Pettine indicated that things are still up in the air.
McCown finishes the year with fairly respectable numbers. The Browns only won one of his eight starts, but he completed 63.7% of his passes, throwing for 2,109 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. Having signed a three-year contract with Cleveland, McCown still has some guaranteed money left on his deal in 2016, so he’s a good bet to return either as the starter or backup.
Now, the question becomes whether Pettine will install Johnny Manziel or Austin Davis as the starting quarterback going forward in 2015. After Manziel was removed from the starting job, he was moved down to No. 3 on Cleveland’s depth chart behind Davis. Technically speaking, that would put Davis in line for the temporary starting role, but the organization ostensibly would want to see what they have in Manziel rather that Davis, whose ceiling is likely as a backup in the NFL.
Browns Re-Sign Terrelle Pryor
WEDNESDAY, 9:33am: The Browns have officially re-signed Pryor, who will be a wide receiver and a third quarterback for the team if and when he’s active, tweets Cabot.
TUESDAY, 4:23pm: Head coach Mike Pettine confirmed to reporters that the team is talking about signing Pryor, though there is “nothing official” on that front (Twitter link via Tony Grossi of ESPN.com). Pettine went on to say that bringing in another QB is on the table for discussion, Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal tweets.
10:49am: Nearly three months after cutting him, the Browns are bringing back Terrelle Pryor, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). According to Cabot, Pryor had been getting set to meet with the Bears today, but is now signing with the Browns instead.
Pryor, 26, made the transition from quarterback to wide receiver this offseason, and impressed the Browns’ coaching staff in the preseason. However, he ended up being the 54th man on the squad heading into the regular season — he survived the initial cutdown to 53 players before being dropped when Cleveland claimed Robert Turbin off waivers, just days before the team’s Week 1 game.
Since then, Pryor has worked out for several teams across the NFL, including the Giants, Niners, Steelers, Seahawks, Jets, and Patriots. About a month ago, agent Drew Rosenhaus expressed optimism that those auditions would eventually result in a deal, telling ESPN’s Ashley Fox, “We’re confident that it’s just a matter of time until one of these teams decides to make the move.”
As expected, the Browns are signing Pryor as a wide receiver rather than a quarterback, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Still, it’s worth noting that starting QB Josh McCown is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a possible broken collarbone in Monday’s game against the Ravens. If McCown lands on IR, Pryor could serve as an emergency third option behind Austin Davis and Johnny Manziel.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Manziel, Hardy
Here’s a look at the NFC East:
- In a radio interview, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones revealed that quarterback Johnny Manziel was rated among the top 5-6 players on the team’s board, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. Jones’ fondness for Manziel was well documented prior to the 2014 draft. The Browns demoted Manziel to the No. 3 spot on the QB depth chart earlier this season after more questions arose about his off-field behavior. However, with Josh McCown done for the season, Cleveland could conceivably turn to him as its starter rather than Austin Davis, who is penciled in as the No. 2 signal caller.
- Many have assumed that Greg Hardy‘s time with the Cowboys is up since he has only 4.5 sacks and Dallas has lost seven of the eight games he’s started. That’s not quite the case, Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN.com writes. Hardy will be a free agent at season’s end, but the defensive end is unlikely to get the long-term deal he wants thanks to his reputation. Other teams might choose to steer clear of Hardy altogether, and Taylor theorizes that could pave the way to a reunion between Hardy and the Cowboys. Taylor cautions fans not to be shocked if the Cowboys re-sign Hardy, provided that they can get him on another deal that protects them in the event of an off-the-field issue.
- On Monday, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly denied a report that he met recently with USC officials regarding their head coaching job. For his part, offensive tackle Jason Peters says that he didn’t need the reassurance from Kelly, but he did feel that some of the younger players needed to hear it, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Kelly addressed the rumors with his players first thing in morning and told them that he’ll be staying put as long as the Eagles will have him (link).