D.J. Morrell

Bills Release Fred Jackson, 11 Others

9:58am: In addition to Jackson and the three other players noted below, eight other players have been cut by the Bills, getting the team’s roster count down to 77 players. Here are today’s other cuts in Buffalo, per a team release:

  • Michael Buchanan, DE
  • Justin Hamilton, DT
  • Ellis Lankster, CB
  • Kenny Ladler, S
  • Wes Miller, S
  • D.J. Morrell, G
  • Cedric Reed, DE
  • Ricky Seale, RB

9:15am: The Bills’ first series of roster cuts this week includes a bit of a shocker, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has released veteran running back Fred Jackson. While Buffalo had a crowded depth chart at the position, it was expected to be a younger back, rather than Jackson, who became a casualty of the roster crunch.Dec 14, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson (22) runs the ball during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills beat the Packers 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Jackson, who debuted with the Bills in 2007 and had been with the team since then, is the league’s oldest running back, at age 34. Despite his age, Jackson doesn’t have a ton of mileage on his legs, since he started his career late and has split carries with other backs throughout his tenure with the Bills. Over the course of his eight-year career, Jackson has compiled 5,646 rushing yards and 80 rushing touchdowns on 1,279 carries. He’s also a capable receiver out of the backfield, setting a career high in 2014 with 90 targets.

While Jackson was slowed by a hamstring injury earlier in the training camp this year, he looked good in his preseason debut this weekend, carrying the ball five times for 48 yards. But rather than playing out the final year of his contract with the Bills, Jackson will be looking for a new team. Had he remained on Buffalo’s roster, he would have been due a base salary of $2.35MM, so the team saves a little money by releasing him. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Jackson wasn’t asked to take a pay cut before he was released.

Following the Bills’ acquisition of LeSean McCoy in March, multiple reports indicated that Jackson would remain on the roster, but it seems the team had a change of heart after assessing its options this summer. With Jackson no longer in the picture, McCoy will be backed up by Karlos Williams, Boobie Dixon, and Bryce Brown.

Jackson won’t have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent, so he’ll have the chance to sign with a new team immediately. He figures to draw some interest from teams in need of a veteran back around the NFL — the Browns come to mind as one logical suitor.

The Bills figure to announce their full list of cuts down to 75 players either today or tomorrow, but some other names have started to trickle out as well. Agent Brett Tessler tweets that edge defender Andrew Hudson has been cut by the Bills, while Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the team has also waived offensive lineman Terren Jones. Last year’s fourth-round pick, cornerback Ross Cockrell, has been waived too, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Sign 10 To Reserve/Futures Contracts

Today is the first day that teams can begin signing players who didn’t finish the regular season on an NFL roster to reserve/futures contracts for the 2015 season, and the Bills have locked up 10 such players, according to a team release.

Here’s the full list of the players to ink futures deals with the team. Of these 10 players, all but one finished the year on the Bills’ practice squad:

Defensive end Ike Igbinosun was the only player to finish the season on Buffalo’s taxi squad and not receive a futures contract from the team. Meanwhile, Holley was the only one to sign a deal after not being on the practice squad, though he spent time earlier in the season on the unit before being placed on the injured list.

For a refresher on how reserve/futures contracts work, be sure to check out our glossary entry.

Sunday/Monday Transactions: AFC East

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC East 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 AFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Buffalo Bills:

Miami Dolphins:

New England Patriots:

New York Jets:

Rams Trim Roster To 79

The Rams have lowered their roster count to 79, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The following players have been released:

  • Jarrid Bryant, CB
  • Bobby Cowan, P
  • R.J. Dill, OT
  • Jordan Harris, WR
  • Jorgen Hus, LS
  • Kadeem Jones, FB
  • Johnny Millard, LB
  • T.J. Moe, WR
  • D.J. Morrell, OT

Additionally, linebacker Pat Schiller was waived-injured. The Rams will need to make four more cuts by 3pm tomorrow.

Minor Moves: Saints, Rams, Browns, Bills

The NFL’s transactions wire is picking up as we approach the end of July, with notable players like Joel Dreessen and Larry English involved in roster moves today. Several teams have finalized a series of more under-the-radar moves as well, which we’ll round up right here:

  • The Buccaneers have signed linebacker Jeremy Grable and offensive tackle J.B. Shugarts, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter). To help make room for the duo, the Bucs released cornerback D.J. Moore.
  • Former Ravens linebacker Adrian Hamilton has signed with the Chargers, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter).
  • The Saints have signed nose tackle Tyrone Ezell and linebacker Marcus Thompson, clearing roster spots for the new additions by cutting nose tackle Moses McCray and waiving outside linebacker Cheta Ozougwu with a failed physical designation. The team has the details on its newest signees in a press release.
  • The Rams completed a series of roster moves today, signing four players – linebacker Pat Schiller, linebacker Lawrence Wilson, offensive tackle D.J. Morrell, and offensive tackle R.J. Dill – and cutting four others — offensive lineman Abasi Salimu, wideout Dionte Spencer, linebacker Caleb McSurdy, and linebacker Tavarius Wilson (Twitter links via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com).
  • A day after being cut by the Chargers, center Nick McDonald has been claimed off waivers by the Browns, tweets Brian McIntyre. Cleveland had an opening on its 90-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary to make room for the offensive lineman.
  • One linebacker has been swapped for another in Buffalo, where the Bills signed Western Kentucky product Xavius Boyd to a contract after having waived-injured Darrin Kitchens, who is dealing with a lower body injury (Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
  • The Texans have waived fullback Brad Smelley and defensive end Tim Jackson, and also signed tight end Chris Coyle, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). As ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan tweets, Jackson received the “failure to disclose physical condition” designation when he was cut.
  • That “failure to disclose physical condition” designation is rarely used, but linebacker Billy Boyko also received it when he was waived by the Panthers, according to Caplan (Twitter link).
  • Caplan also tweets that former Broncos safety Eric Hagg has officially been placed on the team’s reserve/retired list. We heard yesterday that Hagg had decided to retire.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Finley, Lions

Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com runs down the Packers‘ situation at wide receiver. Sederrick Cunningham and longtime mainstay James Jones are gone and Green Bay will be turning to rookies Davante Adams (second-round pick), Jared Abbrederis (fifth-round pick), and Jeff Janis (seventh-round pick) to support Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarrett Boykin et al. More from the NFC North..

  • Agent Blake Baratz says client Jermichael Finley is facing a choice between a $10MM no-tax disability policy or returning to football, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says that’s not entirely accurate. The former Packers tight end has gotten multiple offers from the Steelers but claims that the deal isn’t lucrative enough for him.
  • The Lions signed running back George Winn earlier today and cut guard D.J. Morrell, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Morrell, a UDFA out of Old Dominion, was praised in scouting reports for his size and work ethic.
  • ESPN.com’s Michael Wright says that the Bears‘ addition of longtime Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson should add some much-needed competition at the position during training camp. Wilson is in his mid-30s and coming off a major injury, but he also isn’t far removed from his most recent Pro Bowl season (2011), so it’s reasonable to think the former third-round pick could contribute if he’s healthy.

Lions Sign 12 UDFAs, Cut Eight Players

FRIDAY, 10:09am: The Lions have officially signed one more undrafted free agent, inking Robert Morris offensive lineman A.J. Dalton to a contract, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Dalton received a $2.5K signing bonus, per Birkett (via Twitter).

MONDAY, 3:45pm: The Lions have signed 11 undrafted free agents to contracts, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. In order to make room for the new additions, the team also cut eight players: Cornerback Nate Ness, safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, tight end Matt Veldman, kicker John Potter, wide receiver Carlin Isles, linebacker Jon Morgan, center Sherman Carter and wide receiver Cody Wilson.

While none of those players was expected to be a real contributor in Detroit this season, there are a couple notable names in the group. Isles is a rugby speedster who was considering coming to camp with the Lions, while Potter had been expected to compete for the kicking job vacated by David Akers.

Here’s the full list of the club’s UDFA signings:

  • Chad Abram, FB, Florida State ($7.5K bonus, per Dave Birkett)
  • Alex Bullard, G, Tennessee ($500 bonus)
  • Jerome Couplin, S, William and Mary ($6K bonus)
  • James Franklin, QB, Missouri ($2K bonus)
  • Justin Jackson, LB, Wake Forest ($2.5K bonus)
  • Cornelius Lucas, OT, Kansas State ($20K bonus)
  • Gabe Lynn, S, Oklahoma ($2.5K bonus)
  • Jacob Maxwell, TE, Louisiana Lafayette ($3K bonus)
  • D.J. Morrell, G, Old Dominion ($2.5K bonus)
  • Andrew Peacock, WR, Appalachian State ($2.5K bonus)
  • Mohammed Seisay, CB, Nebraska ($5K bonus)