West Notes: Broncos, Quinn, Chiefs, 49ers
Although there was some speculation that the Broncos may face a penalty for potential violations of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement by Peyton Manning and offensive coordinator Adam Gase, the league won’t levy any punishment on the club, says Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Manning and Gase both visited the University of Alabama in April, and taking a campus visit together would’ve violated the terms of the CBA, but it was determined that the two men took their trips separately.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two West divisions….
- Now that J.J. Watt has agreed to a lucrative new contract extension, Rams defensive end Robert Quinn will be among the next high-profile defenders to keep an eye on. According to Albert Breer of NFL Network, when he spoke to Quinn about his contract situation last week, the standout pass rusher said he didn’t want to let it become a distraction and planned to stay in his lane for now. “When the opportunity approaches, I’ll take advantage of it,” Quinn said.
- Former third-round pick Brandon Taylor, who was cut by the Chargers back in June, visited the division-rival Chiefs on Monday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- According to Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, who agreed to a contract extension with the team over the weekend, getting a long-term deal done with Kansas City was always the goal — it was just a matter of finding a figure that he felt was fair and that didn’t compromise the club’s flexibility too much. B.J. Kissel of KCChiefs.com has the quotes from Smith.
- The 49ers worked out a few free agents this week, including fullback J.C. Copeland and defensive backs Rod Sweeting and Chibuikem Okoro, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
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.
Sunday Transactions: AFC West
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC West 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 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 West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Denver Broncos:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Shaquil Barrett, LB (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter), Kapri Bibbs, RB (via Wilson on Twitter); John Boyett, S (via Wilson on Twitter); Zac Dysert, QB (via Mike Klis on Twitter); Bennie Fowler, WR (via Lindsay Jones on Twitter); Nathan Palmer, WR (via Adam Caplan on Twitter); Vinston Painter, G (via Klis on Twitter); Matt Paradis, C (via Klis on Twitter); Gerell Robinson, TE (via Klis on Twitter)
Kansas City Chiefs:
- Claimed off waivers: Damion Square, DE (via Josina Anderson on Twitter)
- Cut: Richard Gordon, TE (via Terez Paylor on Twitter)
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Jordan Campbell, FB (via Paylor on Twitter); Ricky Henry, G (via Paylor on Twitter); Kona Schwenke, DL (via Paylor on Twitter); Darryl Surgent, WR (via Paylor on Twitter); Fred Williams, WR (via Paylor on Twitter); Ben Gottschalk, C; Nico Johnson, LB; Charcandrick West, RB; Jerry Franklin, LB (via Brad Biggs on Twitter).
Oakland Raiders:
- Claimed off waivers: Benson Mayowa, DL (via Tom Pelissero on Twitter)
- Cut: Kaelin Burnett, LB (via Burnett on Twitter)
- Signed to practice squad: Bojay Filimoeatu, LB (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter); Ricky Lumpkin, DT (via Damond Talbot on Twitter); Lamar Mady, G (via Talbot on Twitter); Scott Simonson, TE (via Mike Uva on Twitter)
San Diego Chargers:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Chas Alecxih, DL; Torrence Allen, WR; Greg Ducre, CB; Javontee Herndon, WR; Cordarro Law, OLB; Ryan Lindley, QB; Adrian Phillips, S; Jeremiah Sirles, T; Craig Watts, G
AFC West Links: Broncos, Dysert, Raiders
There were a lot of changes in the AFC West today, as Vincent Brown, Duke Ihenacho, Ryan Succop and Greg Little are now all seeking employment. Not much has changed in the AFC West front offices, however, as the general managers are actively trying to improve their squads.
Let’s take a look at some of the rumblings from the division…
- The Broncos auditioned young kickers this afternoon, reports the Denver Post’s Mike Klis (via Twitter). The writer adds that Andrew Furney was among the group trying out.
- Broncos general manager John Elway told reporters that the team wants to bring back Zac Dysert for their practice squad, tweets Lindsay Jones of USA Today.
- The Raiders will remain active, as Vic Tafur of The San Francisco Chronicle tweets that general manager Reggie McKenzie will be seeking help at tight end, linebacker and in the secondary.
- ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson writes that safety Brandian Ross was the Raiders “surprise cut.”
Broncos Cut Duke Ihenacho, 13 Others
Six of the Broncos’ 22 cuts to get from 75 players to 53 were reported yesterday, and now the team has confirmed those moves and filled in the blanks on the other 16. Via a press release, here are Denver’s latest transactions to get to 53 players:
Waived:
- Shaquil Barrett, LB
- Kapri Bibbs, RB
- John Boyett, S
- Zac Dysert, QB
- Bennie Fowler, WR
- Sione Fua, DT
- Duke Ihenacho, S
- Vinston Painter, G
- Nathan Palmer, WR
- Matt Paradis, C
- Gerell Robinson, TE
- Louis Young, CB
Released:
- Brian Sanford, DE
- Kevin Vickerson, DT
Placed on reserve-suspended list:
- Matt Prater, K
Placed on injured reserve:
- Kenny Anunike, DE
Broncos Start Trimming Roster Down To 53
The defending AFC champions are the latest team to begin reducing their 75-man roster to the regular-season limit of 53 players in advance of tomorrow’s 3:00pm CT deadline. Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, and Mike Klis of the Denver Post have the names that are part of the Broncos’ first wave of final cuts, so let’s round them up. The following players are no longer on Denver’s active roster:
- L.J. Fort, LB (via Wilson on Twitter)
- Jameson Konz, TE (via Klis on Twitter, 5:38pm)
- Ryan Miller, OL (via Klis on Twitter, 5:15pm)
- Cameron Morrah, TE (via Klis on Twitter, 5:38pm)
- Jerome Murphy, DB (via Getlin on Twitter)
- Jordan Sullen, DB (via Klis on Twitter)
NFC East Notes: Bryant, Cowboys, Giants
With talks starting up again between the Cowboys and Dez Bryant, Jason Fitzgerald of the National Football Post asks how much the wide receiver is worth. Bryant reportedly wants to be paid like a top five wide receiver and Dallas will have a hard time convincing agent Eugene Parker that his client should make less than Dwayne Bowe $56MM over five years, $26MM in guarantees). More out of the NFC East..
- Today’s release of quarterback Caleb Hanie by the Cowboys likely bodes well for undrafted free agent QB Dustin Vaughan, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- The Giants traded kicker Brandon McManus to the Broncos rather than cutting him outright because the rival Eagles had interest in him, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- Antrel Rolle is upset that cornerback and special teams contributor Charles James was let go by the Giants, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. When Big Blue dropped 15 players to go from 90 to 75, the release of the 23-year-old James came as a surprise to some.
Broncos Acquire Brandon McManus
4:06pm: In order for the Giants to acquire that seventh-round pick from the Broncos, McManus will need to remain Denver’s kicker after Prater is eligible to return from his suspension, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. It’s hard to imagine that happening, so I doubt a pick changes hands as a result of this deal.
Klis adds in a tweet that kicker Mitch Ewald has been cut to make room on the roster for McManus.
2:30pm: The Broncos have added some kicking insurance, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Brandon McManus has been sent to Denver by the Giants in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk first reported (via Twitter) that McManus had been traded instead of waived, as had been announced earlier today.
McManus, 23, lost the Giants’ competition to veteran kicker Brown, but he has a big leg, having reportedly made a 75-yard field goal in training camp, as well as frequently putting kickoffs 10 yards out of the end zone, per Bill Pennington of the New York Times. McManus was expected to draw interest on the waiver wire, so the Broncos – who would’ve been near the back of the priority list – prudently agreed to part with a conditional seventh-rounder, which figures to land near the very end of the 2015 draft.
Broncos kicker Matt Prater has been suspended for the first four games of the 2014 season, so McManus looks like a good bet to take over kicking duties in Denver for September. The Broncos had previously whittled their roster down to 75 players, so they’ll now have to make one more cut to make room for the former Giant.
Extra Points: HGH, Incognito, Jammer, Welker
The NFL and the NFLPA have yet to come to an agreement on how to institute HGH testing for the league’s players, but according to a new survey conducted by ESPN, most players would be willing to sign off on HGH testing in exchange for guaranteed contracts.
As Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com details, 82 current players were asked which concession they’d make if it meant earning guaranteed contracts, like those in Major League Baseball. 63% of the respondents said they’d submit to HGH testing, while the other options – an 18-games schedule (17%), free agency after five years instead of four (14%), and more offseason practices (6%) – garnered less support.
While the results of the survey are interesting, they may ultimately be moot, as the NFL is unlikely to agree to fully guaranteed contracts for any reason. Here’s more from around the NFL:
- If the Buccaneers decide not to sign free agent guard Richie Incognito, there are a couple teams that would be willing to do so, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). As Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune tweets, Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht said the team’s meeting with Incognito went well and that he remains an option, but no move is imminent.
- Veteran free agent Quentin Jammer doesn’t intend to retire this year, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN, who tweets that the longtime Chargers cornerback is hoping to play for at least another season.
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that retirement isn’t currently an option being considered by Wes Welker, and that the Broncos receiver was feeling better yesterday after sustaining a concussion in the team’s most recent preseason contest.
- A league source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link) that the Chiefs are mulling the possibility of keeping two kickers on their roster. While carrying a second kicker may not be the best use of a regular season roster spot, Kansas City has two solid options in Ryan Succop and Cairo Santos, so the team may not want to lose one for nothing.
Minor Moves: Monday
- The Bills will sign backup quarterback Jordan Palmer, recently cut by the Bears, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
- The Browns were awarded guards Karim Barton and Donald Hawkins on waivers from the Eagles, the team announced.
- The Chargers claimed defensive lineman Joe Kruger on waivers from the Eagles, the team announced.
- The Lions were awarded tight end Emil Igwenagu on waivers from the Eagles, per Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Bears have terminated the contract of veteran safety Craig Steltz, the team announced (via Twitter).
- The Broncos waived defensive tackle Cody Larsen, and placed receiver Jordan Norwood (ACL) on IR, the team announced (via Twitter).
- The Saints waived safety Ty Zimmerman, receiver Andy Tanner and tackle Ty Nsekhe, the team announced. Tight end Travis Beckum has also been waived, according to…Travis Beckum (Twitter link).
- The Dolphins waived/injured kicker John Potter, per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The team announced tackle Steven Baker and safety Demetrius Wright were also waived (Twitter link).