NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/20/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Ronald Zamort
Cleveland Browns
- Signed LB James Burgess, TE J.P. Holtz
Denver Broncos
- Signed: TE Austin Traylor
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Andrew Turzilli
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Max McCaffrey
Indianapolis Colts
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DT Cory Johnson
New York Jets
- Signed: C Kyle Friend, TE Jason Vander Laan
Philadelphia Eagles
- Cut: TE Marcel Jensen
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Al-Hajj Shabazz
- Cut: CB Brandon Dixon
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR DiAndre Campbell, CB Duke Thomas
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Malcolm Johnson
- Placed on practice squad IR: OL Robert Myers
49ers Cut Jerome Simpson, Eight Others, Place Eric Rogers On IR
The 49ers released Jerome Simpson and waived eight other players, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports (on Twitter). They also placed coveted ex-CFL wide receiver Eric Rogers on IR after he tore his ACL earlier this month.
Here are the other players San Francisco cut today:
- WR DiAndre Campbell
- RB Kendall Gaskins
- DT Darren Lake
- K John Lunsford
- ILB Wynton McManis
- G Blake Muir
- G Ian Silberman
- CB Cleveland Wallace
Originally a Bengals second-round pick in 2008, Simpson has seen action in seven seasons — with Cincinnati from 2008-11, Minnesota from 2012-13 and with the 49ers last year — but saw a suspension derail his most recent one. The 30-year-old wideout signed a two-year, $1.73MM deal with San Francisco before last season but saw a substance-abuse policy suspension shelve him for six games. Simpson, who recorded 700-yard+ seasons with the Bengals and Vikings, made just five receptions for 54 yards in 2015.
The 49ers, who have to make four cuts to get to the 75-man limit by the Tuesday-afternoon deadline, do not owe Simpson any guaranteed money.
Rogers, who chose to sign with the 49ers because of Chip Kelly‘s presence, received the most lucrative deal for a CFL refugee since Cameron Wake in 2009. He fielded offers from nearly half the league after re-establishing his stock, one that didn’t initially attract much NFL interest after signing with the Cowboys as a UDFA in 2013.
Gaskins played in nine games for the Niners last season, receiving 16 carries and gaining 38 yards as a rookie.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/7/16
Here are Thursday’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters in March:
Arizona Cardinals
- T Edawn Coughman (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Cleveland Browns
- OL Conor Boffeli (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
New Orleans Saints
- WR Shane Wynn (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune)
New York Jets
- DB Kendall James (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post)
- G Craig Watts (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
San Francisco 49ers
- WR DiAndre Campbell (Twitter link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle)
- T Colin Kelly (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com)
- DT Kaleb Ramsey (via Branch)
- DT Garrison Smith (via Branch)
Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC West
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC 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 for the Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, and Rams 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 NFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to practice squad:
- TE Brandon Bostick (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky)
- CB Robert Nelson (Twitter link via Darren Urban)
- DL Lawrence Okoye (Twitter link via Doug Kyed)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to practice squad (link via Matt Maiocco):
- WR DiAndre Campbell
- CB Marcus Cromartie
- RB Kendall Gaskins
- DT Kaleb Ramsey
- OLB Marcus Rush
- NT Garrison Smith
- QB Dylan Thompson
- OG Andrew Tiller (Twitter link via Matt Barrows)
- S Jermaine Whitehead (Twitter link via Barrows)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to practice squad:
- TE RaShaun Allen (Twitter link via Bob Condotta)
- CB Justin Coleman (Twitter link via Mike Kaye)
- OL Will Pericak (Twitter link via Condotta)
- LB Eric Pinkins (Twitter link via Condotta)
- T Terry Poole (Twitter link via Condotta)
- CB Kevin Short (Twitter link via Terez Paylor)
- WR Kevin Smith (Twitter link via Condotta)
- RB Rod Smith (Twitter link via Condotta)
- WR Kasen Williams (Twitter link via Rob Rang)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed to practice squad:
- T Isaiah Battle (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport)
- RB Malcolm Brown (link)
- S Christian Bryant (link)
- TE Justice Cunningham (Twitter link via Jim Thomas)
- S Jacob Hagen (link)
- FB Zach Laskey (link)
- DE Matt Longacre (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson)
- CB Trovon Reed (link)
- DT Louis Trinca-Pasat (Twitter link via Thomas)
- DT Doug Worthington (link)
49ers Put Kendall Hunter On IR, Set Roster
Linebacker Ahmad Brooks, facing a sexual battery charge, remains on the 49ers’ roster following the team’s cuts today. As Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group tweets, general manager Trent Baalke issued a statement saying that the club is continuing to let the legal process under the league’s personal conduct policy. According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link), the NFL has announced it has no basis for placing Brooks on the commissioner’s exempt list for now.
After announcing six cuts yesterday and then acquiring center Nick Easton from the Ravens today, the 49ers required 17 roster moves to get down to 53 players. The most notable among those 17 transactions might have been the decision to place running back Kendall Hunter on injured reserve for the second straight year. Here are the rest of the Niners’ moves, via a press release:
Cut:
- WR DiAndre Campbell
- CB Marcus Cromartie
- G/C Dillon Farrell
- RB Kendall Gaskins
- TE Xavier Grimble
- CB Leon McFadden
- LB Nick Moody
- DT Kaleb Ramsey
- OL Justin Renfrow
- DL Marcus Rush
- NT Garrison Smith
- QB Dylan Thompson
- G Andrew Tiller
- S Jermaine Whitehead
Placed on injured reserve:
- TE Rory Anderson
- RB Kendall Hunter
Reserve/suspended:
- WR Jerome Simpson
Additionally, the 49ers made a move with a player who had been removed from their active roster already, reaching an injury settlement with linebacker Desmond Bishop, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links). Bishop, who had been on San Francisco’s injured reserve list, is now a free agent and is healthy enough to contribute right away if he finds a new team.
49ers Sign Nine Undrafted Free Agents
The 49ers have announced their undrafted free agent class for 2015, and the group is very heavy on wideouts. Five of the nine UDFAs whose signings were confirmed today in a press release are receivers, per the team. Here’s the full list:
- Dres Anderson, WR, Utah ($50K guaranteed, per Brian McIntyre)
- Issac Blakeney, WR, Duke
- DiAndre Campbell, WR, Washington
- Darius Davis, WR, Henderson State
- Patrick Miller, OL, Auburn
- Marcus Rush, DL, Michigan State
- Dylan Thompson, QB, South Carolina ($5K bonus, plus $15K guaranteed salary, per Aaron Wilson)
- DeAndrew White, WR, Alabama ($32K guaranteed, per McIntyre)
- Jermaine Whitehead, S, Auburn
