Minor Moves: Friday
You can find Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL below, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening….
- Per a couple of tweets from the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder, the Colts have waived-injured linebacker Daniel Adongo and defensive end Jeris Pendelton. In addition, Indianapolis has signed guards Thomas Austin and Marcus Hall, and re-signed receiver Nu’Keese Richardson.
Earlier updates:
- In a series of several tweets, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun lists the players who have been waived from their teams’ respective injured reserve lists with injury settlements: offensive lineman Darius Morris (Cowboys), cornerback Brandon Burton (Colts), defensive tackle Jordan Miller (Jaguars), and wideout Danny Coale (Steelers).
- According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Colts have waived former Arena Football League offensive lineman Chad Anderson, who originally signed with the team last month.
- Despite catching a touchdown in the Bengals‘ preseason opener, wide receiver Conner Vernon was one of three players cut by the team today, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. Per Hobson, the team also waived wideout Jeremy Johnson and defensive tackle Zach Minter. The Bengals, who now have 86 players on the roster, may have interest in filling one of their open roster spots with a quarterback as Jason Campbell and A.J. McCarron work through some health issues, Hobson adds.
- The Cardinals created a third opening on their 90-man roster today, cutting linebacker Trevardo Williams just a few days after claiming him off waivers. Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com has the details.
- Wide receiver Kofi Hughes has been waived by the Texans, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The Lions swapped one defender for another today, signing defensive back Nate Ness and parting ways with linebacker Cory Greenwood to open up the necessary roster spot, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Extra Points: Burnett, Long, Adams
ESPN’s staff put together a list of each team’s starter whose job is in jeopardy. Among the most notable are 49ers running back Frank Gore, Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus and Packers safety Morgan Burnett. On Burnett, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky says, “When the Packers drafted Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the first round, the thinking was that he would start alongside Burnett. Now, there’s a chance he could start instead of Burnett. Coach Mike McCarthy likes what Micah Hyde has done at free safety, and when Burnett strained his oblique muscle this week, he put Clinton-Dix in Burnett’s strong safety spot. The Packers made a major investment in Burnett last summer with an $8.25 million signing bonus as part of a four-year extension, but he followed it with an unproductive season.”
Here’s a few miscellaneous links from around the league:
- Panthers veteran linebacker Chase Blackburn is on that list, as second-year man A.J. Klein is pushing for the starting job, but Blackburn is embracing his role as mentor, writes Scott Fowler in the Charlotte Observer.
- With the Eagles in Chicago to play the Bears tonight, Zach Berman of Philadelphia Inquirer writes about the relationship between Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long and Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, who helped Long get his career back on track during their time together at Oregon.
- The Steelers were hoping 2012 second-rounder Mike Adams would challenge for a starting tackle job, but that’s not happening, writes ESPN’s Scott Brown. Adams has been inconsistent, and “It would be charitable to put Adams among the Steelers’ best seven offensive linemen through the first 11 practices,” according to Brown. Adams started 10-of-15 games played last season, but struggled and “earned” a -4.9 overall rating from Pro Football Focus.
- Cowboys rookie safety Ahmad Dixon’s ‘Welcome to the NFL’ hit left him with a concussion, reports Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram.
- The Seahawks’ secondary has established itself as the “Legion of Boom.” The Buccaneers are trying to establish the offensive equivalent, with the trio of Vincent Jackson, first-rounder Mike Evans and second-rounder Austin Seferian-Jenkins going by the “Three Dunkateers,” writes USA Today’s Jim Corbett.
East Notes: Mallett, Pouncey, Jets, Cowboys
After Ryan Mallett’s preseason debut for the Patriots, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe thinks it’s time to stop pretending that any of the league’s 31 other teams will give up anything of value for New England’s backup signal-caller. As I wrote yesterday, the Pats seem to be showcasing Mallett this summer in the hopes of finding a trade partner, but Volin believes the 26-year-old is too much of an enigma to even warrant a fourth- or fifth-round pick in a deal.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- It hasn’t been a great year for Mike Pouncey, who is expected to miss several weeks of the regular season with a hip injury and also was involved in the Dolphins‘ bullying scandal, but he may have finally caught a break — according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins center isn’t expected to face charges for an incident at his South Beach birthday party last month. However, his brother, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, is likely to be charged with misdemeanor battery, says Beasley.
- There were no “competition-tilting developments” for Geno Smith or Michael Vick in the Jets’ first preseason game, but the fact that Vick led the team to its only touchdown drive indicates the free agent signee is continuing to push the incumbent QB, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Team executives around the NFL are upset after a TMZ video showed head of officiating Dean Blandino out for a night of partying with Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora quotes several execs voicing concerns about possible preferential treatment, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that no formal complaints have been lodged with the league office about Blandino’s and Jones’ night out.
Extra Points: McNair, Smith, Brent, Dalton
After a 10-month ordeal in which he battled two forms of cancer under an assumed name at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Texans owner Bob McNair has been given a clean bill of health by the team of doctors that treated him, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Here’s a look around the NFL as we enjoy some preseason football..
- It was originally scheduled for Friday, but 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith actually met with commissioner Roger Goodell earlier today, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Goodell is expected to discipline Smith, perhaps with a multiple-game suspension, to start the season.
- Former Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent also met with Goodell and a source tells Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com that the meeting went well. Owner Jerry Jones said earlier that he’ll create a roster spot for the defensive lineman if he’s not suspended.
- In a piece for CBSSports.com, former agent Joel Corry gives his take on Andy Dalton‘s new contract with the Bengals. Corry writes that the deal sets a new middle salary tier for quarterbacks, one that hasn’t been in place since Mark Sanchez was cut by the Jets and Matt Schaub took a paycut from his Texans deal upon joining the Raiders. The pact may also set a salary ceiling for teammate A.J. Green.
- Packers coach Mike McCarthy believes that everything is “lined up for” his team in 2014, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports. “I feel like everything’s lined up for us, with the buildings and the upgrades and everything. It’s all about progress and growth. That’s the way we run our football operations, and I feel like we’re just getting ready to have our best run, hopefully,” the coach said. Meanwhile, quarterback Aaron Rodgers is excited about their young talent at the skill positions, Jordy Nelson‘s new contract, and the addition of Julius Peppers on the defensive line.
- Bucs quarterback Mike Glennon might have been the only person in Tampa Bay who was upset to see coach Greg Schiano go, writes Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times. Schiano was absolutely convinced Glennon was not only the Bucs’ franchise quarterback of the future, but the present. Now that Schiano is out and Lovie Smith is in, Glennon has gone from starter to backup.
- The Saints traded Darren Sproles to the Eagles this offseason but they might have a clone in UDFA Derrick Strozier, writes Jarrett Bell of USA Today. It won’t be easy landing a spot in a backfield that includes veterans Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson, and Travaris Cadet, but the diminutive Strozier looks good so far.
East Notes: Vick, Pats, Giants, Murray
Not every Jets fan will agree, but coach Rex Ryan made the right call to keep rising sophomore Geno Smith as his starter over veteran free agent addition Michael Vick, opines Bob Glauber of Newsday. It doesn’t guarantee that Smith will take a significant step forward after last year’s inconsistent campaign but it also doesn’t mean that Ryan and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg can’t change their minds mid-season. More out of the AFC and NFC East..
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looked at the best and worst contracts on the Patriots‘ payroll. The best deal, he writes is the one they gave to offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer as it’s a prime example of how how to handle a good, but injury prone, player. The worst, meanwhile, belongs to Logan Mankins, who edged out the oft-injured Danny Amendola for the dubious distinction. Mankins is the better player of the two, but he ended up being paid as the top interior lineman in the league at a time when he was not the best at his position. Mankins carries a $10.5MM cap charge this year, second highest among guards in the NFL.
- The Jets are thrilled with the play of new right tackle Breno Giacomini, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “He’s great, and he’s been going like this,’’ Ryan said while making the motion of a jet taking off. “I think getting used to the offense, there are new plays, new terminology, all that kind of stuff, playing with new teammates.“
- Giants special teams coordinator Tom Quinn says the battle between kickers Josh Brown and Brandon McManus is still extremely close, writes Tom Rock of Newsday. “The thing about Josh is that he does have a strong leg,” Quinn said. “A lot of times, you have an older kicker and a young kicker and the young kicker has such a strong leg. But Brandon will really have to beat him out in all areas to win the job. And he knows that.”
- Rick Gosselin and Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News looked at several issues concerning the Cowboys, including whether running back DeMarco Murray could price the club out of re-signing him. Goesselin feels that in today’s pass-happy NFL, it’d be impossible for the 27-year-old to get too pricey for Dallas. Horn, meanwhile, isn’t so sure since owner Jerry Jones likes to dole out big deals.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
We’ll round up Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Raiders announced that they have signed journeyman safety Larry Asante and waived/injured fellow safety Shelton Johnson. Asante joins the Raiders following stops with the Browns, Buccaneers, and Colts. For his career, the 6’0″, 210-pounder has played in 17 games and totaled 12 tackles (nine solo), one interception, one pass defensed, and one forced fumble. He played in five games last season for the Colts, seeing time primarily on special teams.
- Saints defensive tackle Tyrone Ezell and linebacker Marcus Thompson have cleared waivers, tweets Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune.
- Former BYU linebacker Spencer Hadley has signed with the Raiders, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, who tweets that the club has waived-injured linebacker Marshall McFadden to make room on the roster.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) passes along a couple new roster updates, reporting that the Cowboys have waived undrafted rookies Dashaun Phillips and Joe Windsor to make room for their defensive back signings (noted below). According to Wilson, the Lions also cut Cody Wilson from their IR with an injury settlement.
Earlier updates:
- The Vikings have cut undrafted tight end A.C. Leonard, who left practice last week with a headache, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Just a day after signing him, the Seahawks have waived defensive back Trey Wolfe, replacing him with DB Michael Dobson, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Dobson participated in the club’s rookie minicamp in the spring.
- In order to make room for new signee James Shaw, whose deal was reported yesterday, the Steelers have waived-injured wide receiver Danny Coale, tweets Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
- Another signing reported yesterday, the Titans‘ addition of defensive lineman Lanier Coleman, was finalized today, with Tennessee also agreeing to terms with tight end Chase Coffman, per Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. To clear two spots on the roster for the new players, the Titans waived-injured tight end Dorin Dickerson and cut quarterback Tyler Wilson (Twitter links). Wilson was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft by the Raiders, and was signed by the Titans off Oakland’s practice squad last season.
- The Cowboys have added a pair of defensive backs to their roster to bolster a secondary that has been hit hard by injuries in training camp, signing Korey Lindsey and Johnny Thomas, tweets Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram had indicated yesterday that Dallas was eyeing those two free agents. The club will need to cut two players to make room for Lindsey and Thomas.
NFC Notes: Romo, Falcons, Packers, Patton
Bad news for the Cowboys: quarterback Tony Romo‘s recent back surgery is affecting his deep ball, writes Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram. “It’s been OK. I think the deeper the ball goes down the field, it’s a little bit more inconsistent,” quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson said. “He’s thrown all the intermediates — the fours and the seven routes and the deep outs – have been fine. It’s just the nine routes and the deep posts. Those things have been a little inconsistent. I think that’s all due to his back.” More from the NFC East..
- Tyrell Johnson‘s deal with the Falcons is a one-year, $730K deal with a cap hit of just $570K, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Johnson, 29, was a second-round draft choice by the Vikings in 2008, and started 27 games with the team. The concussion suffered by Dwight Lowery on Friday created a need in the secondary for Atlanta.
- There was some speculation about former NFL tight end Randy McMichael and the Falcons since he was at their facility today, but he confirmed via Twitter that he was just visiting there with his little league team. McMichael, 35, last appeared with the Chargers in 2012 where he made ten starts but hauled in just nine receptions.
- Packers swing tackle Don Barclay could be out for the season after suffering a torn ACL during this afternoon’s practice, a league source tells Weston Hodkiewicz of Press-Gazette Media. Barclay was carted off the practice field after falling awkwardly on his right knee. After starting all 14 games at right tackle for the Packers last season in place of an injured Bryan Bulaga, he was positioned to be the primary backup at both guard spots and right tackle.
- Quinton Patton is working to fight through the 49ers‘ logjam at wide receiver, writes Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle. Patton had some bad luck in his rookie season, suffering a broken finger in training camp and a broken foot during the season that sidelined him for ten games. He’ll be duking it out with Brandon Lloyd, rookie Bruce Ellington, and others for his place.
- LeSean McCoy‘s praise of Eagles rookie wide receiver Jordan Matthews continues, as Tim McManus of Philadelphia Magazine writes. “That rookie we got, Matthews, is looking real good. There’s been a lot of talk about this draft class being deep at wide receivers, but I’m real confident in this one being the best of the class,” McCoy said. “It’s still early, you got to go through the season and see how he does, but he looks amazing.”
NFC Notes: Brent, Wilson, Bears, Foles
Former Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent is meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell this week in the hopes of being reinstated to the league after serving a 180-day prison sentence for intoxication manslaughter. And if he’s reinstated, he’ll have a roster spot available in Dallas, according to team owner Jerry Jones (link via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
“We will, yes we will,” Jones said, when asked if the Cowboys would create an opening for Brent. “In other words, we wouldn’t have it today, but we will make a roster spot.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Even with David Wilson no longer on the roster, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin thinks his team has enough running backs, tweets Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
- As for Wilson, despite his retirement due to injury, he’ll be eligible to collect his full $998K salary for 2014 while on injured reserve, as well as half of his $1.3MM salary for 2015, writes Eben Novy-Williams of Bloomberg.
- It sounds as if the Bears will add a wide receiver to their roster soon after potential No. 3 wideout Marquess Wilson suffered a fractured clavicle this week. In his latest mailbag, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune explores the possibility of the club re-signing Earl Bennett, who was cut earlier in the offseason and was subsequently signed and released by the Browns.
- In a piece for The Sporting News, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap breaks down how Andy Dalton‘s new contract compares to other quarterback deals, suggesting that it may represent the return of the middle class market. The Dalton extension may also provide a blueprint for Nick Foles and the Eagles, according to Fitzgerald, since Philadelphia has a similar cap situation to the Bengals and Foles, like Dalton, still has a few question marks.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a look at perhaps the oddest detail of Colin Kaepernick‘s extension with the 49ers, which involves the disability policy the quarterback had to purchase as part of the deal.
La Canfora On Chiefs, 2011 Draftees, Smith
In his latest edition of training camp notes, CBS’ Jason La Canfora provided an update on negotiations between the Chiefs and Alex Smith, saying talks “are ongoing, with the dialogue maintaining on a regular basis and the team looking for creative ways to secure him for the future, according to several sources. To this point, however, they haven’t been able to bridge a few gaps, but the Chiefs are willing to cut into their considerable cap space to strike a deal, and there are no plans to stop exchanging proposals.”
La Canfora adds talks have “remained cordial” and there is mutual desire to find common ground. Common ground would seem to be a “middle-tier” deal that would place Smith’s contract somewhere between the elite passers and the lower-paid, “bridge starters” group. From the team perspective, the Chiefs don’t want to overpay for Smith in the event a younger QB is ready to vie for the job, especially given Andy Reid‘s ability to develop quarterbacks.
More tidbits from La Canfora:
- The Chiefs have revived talks with Justin Houston, who is also a priority. La Canfora does not expect a deal to get hammered out before the season, however, since the sides are far apart financially playing out the season could make the most sense for Houston.
- La Canfora publicized first-year tight end Demetrius Harris as a “deep sleeper” and potentially “the next college basketball player to make the jump to tight end.”
- Do not expect many more 2011 first-rounders to be extended for a while. This group includes Cam Newton, J.J. Watt, Robert Quinn, Cameron Jordan and Muhammad Wilkerson, among others. La Canfora quoted an agent for one prominent pass rusher, who said, “The money is going to be so high, these teams don’t really have an incentive to do it now. I’m not sure any of these guys get new deals this year. If there’s any movement going on I’m not aware of it.”
- Some agents are outraged over the Cowboys’ eight-year extension to Tyron Smith because “he essentially gave the Cowboys two contracts for the price of one, locked up until age 32.” Those agents believe Jerry Jones might have used his “father figure” relationship with the young Smith to take advantage of him in negotiations.
Minor Moves: Monday
We’ll track the day’s minor transactions right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Dolphins have waived receiver Stephen Williams, replacing him on the roster with tight end Brett Brackett (Twitter link).
- The 49ers have officially waived-injured running back Kendall Hunter, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan. Other teams will have the opportunity to claim Hunter, but the back is in the final year of his contract and will be sidelined for the season, so he figures to go on San Francisco’s IR. The Niners are expected to add a running back to replace him, notes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).
- Safety Brandon Hardin has been removed from the Jets‘ injured reserve list with a settlement, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York (Twitter link).
- The Browns have re-signed defensive back Royce Adams, who was waived by the club last month, tweets Brian McIntyre. Since the Browns cut four players today, Adams’ signing leaves the roster at 87 players.
- Wide receiver Reese Wiggins was the roster casualty for the Lions as the club made room for new waiver claim Jonathan Baldwin, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- The Buccaneers have swapped an offensive player for a defender, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed safety Mark Joyce, having waived-injured wideout David Gettis to make room on the roster.
- The Colts have signed linebacker Shawn Loiseau, the team announced today in a press release. Loiseau, who has previously spent time on the Colts’ practice squad and offseason roster, last played for the Arena Football League’s L.A. Kiss. Because Indianapolis had an opening on its 90-man roster, no corresponding move is necessary to clear room for the new addition.
- The Cowboys have signed guard Wayne Tribue and waived-injured guard Brian Clarke, a source tells Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Tribue has never appeared in an NFL regular-season game, though he has spent time with the Broncos, 49ers, and Saints. As for Clarke, he was one of the two dozen UDFAs signed by the Cowboys following the draft, receiving a $1.5K signing bonus from the team.