NFC Notes: Panthers, Vikings, Saints, Falcons
Panthers coach Ron Rivera admits that Fletcher Cox‘s massive new deal with the Eagles doesn’t help the Panthers’ cause in trying to lock up Kawann Short, Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review writes.
“This is the hard part right now is what’s going on in the league,” Rivera said. “I think some of these contracts are unbelievable as far as what I’m seeing and hearing.”
Word is that the Panthers may not be willing to go above $15MM/year for their standout defensive tackle. Cox, meanwhile, will average nearly $17.2MM per season on his new deal with a great deal in the way of guarantees early on in the pact.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Vikings can’t seem to find the right counterpart for Harrison Smith at safety, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, who lists Michael Griffin, Andrew Sendejo, Anthony Harris, Antone Exum, and Jayron Kearse as contenders for the job. Right now, there’s no word as to whether the Vikings could look out-of-house to help bolster the group. Griffin, 31, is the most experienced of the bunch by far, and given that he excels in coverage, he might be the favorite to line up opposite Smith. “One thing I try not to do, especially in OTAs where we’re not in pads, is try to jump to some kind of conclusion of who should be the starter,” said head coach Mike Zimmer of the competition. “I’ll kind of let that play out in camp.”
- Veteran defensive end Darryl Tapp tried out for the Saints on Tuesday, as Evan Woodbery of The Times Picayune tweets.
- The Falcons are trying out wide receiver Donatella Luckett, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- UDFA tight end Ben Braunecker has a real good shot to make the Bears‘ roster, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Braunecker was seen working with Chicago’s second-team offense during OTAs.
- The Bears are trying out tight end Ryan Taylor and defensive lineman Marquise Jackson, according to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Workout Notes: 12/16/15
It’s been a busy last couple of days around the NFL, with teams still looking to fill up their squads for the rest of the season. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweeted a whole bunch of workout notes this afternoon, which we’ve compiled for you below…
Arizona Cardinals
- CB Mitchell White (link)
Atlanta Falcons
- OT Cody Booth (link)
- DE Xzavier Dickson (link)
- OG Cole Manhart (link)
Buffalo Bills
- TE Andrew Gleichert (link)
- LB James-Michael Johnson (link)
- TE Jacob Maxwell (link)
Carolina Panthers
- OG Al Bond (link)
- DT Eric Crume (link)
- CB Travell Dixon (link)
- QB Zac Dysert (link)
- TE Joseph Fauria (link)
- NT Ishmaa’ily Kitchen (link)
- C Tyler Larsen (link)
- OG Matthew Masifilo (link)
- OG Shelley Smith (link)
- S Usama Young (link)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/14/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Durell Eskridge (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: QB David Fales (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune)
Houston Texans
- Cut: WR Alan Bonner (Twitter link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: RB Joe Banyard (Twitter link)
- Cut: S Craig Loston
Miami Dolphins
- Cut: WR Damarr Aultman (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald)
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Wes Saxton (press release)
- Cut: WR Titus Davis
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: S Adrian Phillips (Twitter link via U-T San Diego’s Michael Gehlken)
- Cut: WR Donatella Luckett
Workout Notes: Bears, Broncos, Packers
Here’s a roundup of today’s auditions from around the NFL. All links go to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle on Twitter), unless noted otherwise..
- The Lions worked out nose tackle Kenrick Ellis, nose tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, and defensive end Jerel Worthy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
-
The Seahawks worked out cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Chimdi Chekwa, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
- The Bears worked out wide receivers Marcus Lucas and Nathan Palmer, guard Cole Manhart, and tackles Tyler Moore and Byron Stingily (link).
- The Broncos worked out punter Kasey Redfern (link).
- The Packers worked out running back Akeem Hunt, wide receiver Donatella Luckett, quarterback Phillip Sims, wide receiver Tyler Slavin, running back Dreamius Smith, linebacker Colton Underwood, and linebacker Matthew Wells (link).
- The Dolphins worked out wide receivers Isaiah Burse and Rannell Hall, defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel, guards Vinston Painter and Anthony Steen, defensive tackle Olsen Pierre, linebacker Mike Reilly, strong safety Brandian Ross, and defensive end Quanterus Smith (link + link).
- The Saints worked out punter Steven Clark, guard Travis Bond, punter Robert Malone, guard Jacques McClendon, and punter Brian Moorman (link).
- The Giants worked out defensive end Jake Bequette, tight end Cameron Clear, quarterback Cody Fajardo, and tight end Brian Leonhardt (link).
- The Jets worked out defensive end DeAngelo Tyson (link).
- The Bucs worked out linebacker Ronald Powell (link).
- The Titans worked out David Arkin, James Brewer, Lemuel Jeanpierre, Alex Kupper, Joe Looney, and Cody White (link).
- Defensive tackle Joe Vellano worked out for the Lions today (link).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/7/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from across the NFL:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: David Foucault OT (Twitter link)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: G/C Ryan Seymour (Twitter link), LB John Timu (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Dominique Jones, WR Julian Talley (press release)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: WR Donatella Luckett (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Cut: CB Carrington Byndom (Twitter link via Eric Williams of ESPN.com)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Rannell Hall, WR Adam Humphries (press release)
Extra Points: Jack, Johnny Football, Bucs
Two-way UCLA star Myles Jack has a $5MM insurance policy that pays out if he’s not a first-round pick, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. Jack, who is done for the season after suffering a torn meniscus, might have an easier time entering the draft this year with that financial security backing him. Prior to the injury, Jack was widely considered to be a top ten prospect. Now, his stock is very much up in the air. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- When asked if he’s still the team’s quarterback of the future, Johnny Manziel said, “From everything I’ve heard, whether it’s our GM or owner, that’s still the case [as] far as I know,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). On Wednesday, the Browns announced that Josh McCown will resume his duties as starting quarterback in Week 3 against the Raiders.
- The Buccaneers tried out cornerback Tay Glover-Wright, wide receiver Donatella Luckett, defensive back Ryan Murphy, wide receiver Evan Spencer, and safety Pierre Warren, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter) wouldn’t be surprised if cornerback Josh Gordy resurfaces with another team this year. The Giants cut the cornerback from IR with an injury settlement on Wednesday.
Chiefs Deal Kelcie McCray To Seahawks, Set Roster
The Chiefs announced 22 roster moves today, and one of them was of particular interest — according to a team release, the club sent safety Kelcie McCray to the Seahawks in a trade for an undisclosed draft pick. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com fills in the details, tweeting that Kansas City gets a fifth-rounder in the deal.
Recent reports had suggested that Seattle was seeking depth at its safety position, with Kam Chancellor still holding out and Earl Thomas returning from a serious injury. In McCray, the Seahawks get a solid backup who primarily served as a special-teamer last season for the Chiefs.
Here are Kansas City’s 21 other moves that get the tea down from a 75-man roster to just 53 players:
Cut:
- WR Da’Ron Brown
- DE Mike Catapano
- S Sanders Commings
- LB Ja’Gared Davis
- DT Hebron Fangupo
- C Garrett Frye
- DL David Irving
- LB James-Michael Johnson
- C Eric Kush
- WR Donatella Luckett
- C Daniel Munyer
- DB Deji Olatoye
- G Jarrod Pughsley
- RB Darrin Reaves
- DB Kevin Short
- T Derek Sherrod
- TE Ryan Taylor
- FB Spencer Ware
- WR Fred Williams
Placed on injured reserve:
- TE Richard Gordon
Reserve/suspended:
- CB Sean Smith
Chiefs Sign 11 Undrafted Free Agents
9:44am: The Chiefs’ official press release on their undrafted free agent signings includes one more name in addition to the 10 listed below. The team also signed former James Madison linebacker Sage Harold.
8:34am: The Chiefs have added 10 undrafted free agents to their roster, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, who provides the full list of Kansas City’s free agent additions. All 32 teams have now officially announced their UDFA signings for 2015. Here are the Chiefs’ new rookies:
- De’Vante Bausby, CB, Pittsburg State
- Kenny Cook, WR, Gardner-Webb
- Justin Cox, DB, Mississippi State ($10K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
- Andrew East, LS, Vanderbilt ($10K bonus, per Wilson)
- Garrett Frye, C, Georgia Southern
- Manasseh Garner, RB, Pittsburgh
- David Irving, DL, Iowa State ($10K bonus, per Wilson)
- Donatella Luckett, WR, Harding
- Justin March-Lillard, LB, Akron
- Charles Sweeton, T, Tennessee-Martin
Extra Points: Ryan, Hundley, Jags
While some may be questioning Rex Ryan‘s job security following the Jets loss to the Bills, the head coach is confident he’ll be sticking around. “One thing I know for a fact, unless it changes drastically, is I will be the head coach here for the next five weeks,” he told reporters after the game (via Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo on Twitter). However, Ryan did clarify that he hasn’t spoken to owner Woody Johnson (via New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta on Twitter).
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes to wrap up this Monday evening…
- Chris Sprow of ESPN.com (on Twitter) wonders if wideout Donatella Luckett of Harding could be next year’s John Brown.
- It’s looking increasingly likely that UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley will enter the 2015 draft. The fourth-year junior appeared on the Jim Rome Show, stating that there is a “really high” chance that this weekend’s game against USC was his collegiate finale (via Chase Goodbread of NFL.com).
- A trio of players cleared waivers (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter): lineman Charles Brown, cornerback Richard Crawford and linebacker Akeem Jordan.
- Gene Frenette of Jacksonville.com questions whether the Jaguars have taken steps in the right direction under coach Gus Bradley, saying it’s about time to hold the regime “accountable.”
Zach Links contributed to this post.