Frankie Williams

Minor AFC Transactions: 5/15/17

Teams are doing lots of spring cleaning today, so we’ll split the moves into two separate posts for each conference. First up, the AFC:

  • The Raiders announced the signing of safety Marcus McWilson. A Kentucky product, McWilson played in 13 games for the Wildcats in 2016, racking up 108 tackles (4.5 for loss) and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown.
  • Following suit on a busy transaction day for fringe roster cogs, the Ravens added four UDFAs to their offseason roster. Baltimore added linebacker Randy Allen (South Alabama), wide receiver Aaron Bailey (Northern Iowa), defensive back Jaylen Hill (Jacksonville State) and tackle Roubbens Joseph (Buffalo), Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
  • The Browns signed defensive backs Donte Carey and Najee Murray. Both players participated in the team’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. To make room, the team waived offensive lineman Josh Boutte.
  • The Titans signed defensive lineman Jimmy Staten, a fifth-round draft pick by Seattle in 2014. In addition to Staten, they inked defensive lineman Cameron Robbins (Northwestern), linebacker Johnny Ragin (Oregon), cornerback Trevon Hartfield (Southwestern Oklahoma State), and kicker Jordan Gay (Centre). Staten, Robbins, Ragin and Hartfield all took part in the team’s rookie minicamp. To make space, the Titans waived defensive lineman Roderick Henderson and linebacker Reshard Cliett.
  • The Jets announced the signing of linebacker Jevaris Jones and released fellow linebacker Austin Calitro.
  • The Colts signed free agent guard Blake Muir and four undrafted free agents: cornerback Dante Blackmon, safety Tyson Graham, wide receiver Al-Damion Riles, and offensive tackle Andrew Wylie. To make room for the new players, the team parted ways with center/guard Austin Blythe (a 2016 seventh-round pick) and cornerback Frankie Williams. The Colts also waived three 2017 UDFAs: wide receiver Jerome Lane, cornerback Chris Lyles, and guard Chris Muller.
  • The Bills have signed linebackers Abner Logan and Anthony Harrell while waiving safety Jeremy Tyler and linebacker Junior Sylvestre.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/23/16

Wednesday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

  • The Colts re-signed cornerback Darryl Morris and placed fellow corner Frankie Williams on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list.
  • The Bears announced that they have promoted linebacker Jonathan Anderson to the active roster. Chicago also signed Lawrence Okoye and listed him as an offensive lineman. Okoye has tried his hand as a defensive lineman in the past.
  • The Lions have signed quarterback Jake Rudock to the active roster from the practice squad.
  • The Seahawks have moved running back George Farmer from their practice squad to their active roster. A receiver at USC, Farmer shifted to cornerback after signing with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He then became a rusher entering this year, and racked up 36 yards on nine carries during the preseason.
  • The Rams have signed cornerback Steve Williams, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. This will be Williams’ second stint of 2016 with the Rams, who waived him after he was inactive for their first two games. He then joined the Chargers and started in two of five appearances, but they cut him Nov. 8.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/1/16

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • The Cardinals re-signed guard Taylor Boggs and promoted safety Christian Bryant from the practice squad. Boggs, who also has the ability to play center, has seven career games under his belt. Meanwhile, Bryant has yet to take the field this season after playing in nine games in 2015.
  • The Titans have promoted wide receiver Tre McBride from the practice squad, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. The former seventh-round pick had a pair of catches in 2015, but he found himself on the team’s practice squad to begin the season.
  • The Colts have elevated cornerback Frankie Williams to the 53-man roster from the practice squad and released tight end Chase Coffman, as ESPN.com’s Mike Wells tweets. Williams will provide depth as Vontae Davis goes through the league’s concussion protocol. The release of Coffman, meanwhile, could be a sign that tight end Dwayne Allen is getting close to returning from his ankle injury.
  • The Seahawks have swapped one defensive end for another. The team announced (via Twitter) that they’ve signed Damontre Moore to the 53-man roster, releasing Malliciah Goodman to make the necessary room. Moore, 24, has 9.5 career sacks, but he was previously cut by the Giants for violating team rules. Goodman appeared in one game for the Seahawks this season.
  • The Chiefs have promoted linebacker Terrance Smith from the practice squad to the active roster, according to his agent (on Twitter). Smith originally joined the organization as an undrafted free agent out of Florida State. Meanwhile, to make room on the roster, the team has released linebacker Sam Barrington (via Greg Auman on Twitter). Barrington has only been active for two games this season.
  • More bad news for the Chiefs on the injury front. ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that starting left guard Parker Ehinger will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. A fourth-round pick in this past year’s draft, Ehinger started four of his five games this season.

Zack Links contributed to this post.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/16

Tuesday’s practice squad transactions:

Baltimore Ravens 

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: DB Darius Hillary, WR Jordan Leslie
  • Cut: E.J. Bibbs

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: LB Quentin Gause, TE Steven Scheu (Twitter link via Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post)
  • Cut: WR Mose Frazier, LB Richard Cliett

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: LB Brandon Chubb

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: DL Royce LaFrance (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of The Advocate)

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: OL Don Cherry
  • Cut: G Darrell Greene

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: WR DeAndre Smelter
  • Cut: WR Dres Anderson

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: DT Justin Hamilton (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
  • Cut: DE Sterling Bailey

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/16

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Panthers have claimed tight end Chris Manhertz off waivers from the Saints, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. A basketball player turned tight end, Manhertz was cut loose by New Orleans late last week to make room for the promotion of a wide receiver. He’ll slot in behind Greg Olsen and Ed Dickson on the Carolina roster. To clear a spot on the 53, the Panthers waived cornerback Lou Young, per Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
  • The Broncos waived reserve guard Darrion Weems, reports Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Weems, 28, had played on roughly a third of Denver’s offensive snaps, but graded as one of the worst interior lineman in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
  • The Colts have waived cornerback Frankie Williams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Williams was promoted from the practice squad prior to Sunday night’s game against Houston.

Colts Promote Williams, Sign Carter

The Colts announced that they have promoted cornerback Frankie Williams to active roster and signed linebacker Chris Carter. To make room, linebacker Trevor Bates and tackle Jeremy Vujnovich have been let go. Frankie Williams (vertical)

Williams, a Purdue product, went undrafted this year and signed on with the Colts in May. It initially looked like he was going to make the roster, but he was dropped in early September for veteran Darryl Morris. Williams joined Indianapolis’ practice squad soon after and his persistence has finally garnered him a place on the 53-man roster. With Darius Butler and Patrick Robinson banged up, Williams will offer depth during the Colts’ Sunday night contest against the Texans.

Carter, meanwhile, was a fifth-round pick of the Steelers in the 2011 draft. He has just four NFL starts to his credit, but he could be used in a pass rush role off the bench.

Colts Sign Akeem Ayers

The Colts have signed outside linebacker Akeem Ayers, as Mike Chappell of CBS4 tweets. In related moves, the team has waived cornerback Neiko Thorpe and added cornerback Frankie Williams to the practice squad. The team has confirmed the moves via press release. Akeem Ayers (vertical)

Ayers, a second-round pick of the Titans in 2011, was cut by the Rams over the weekend. That move surprised a lot of people since Ayers started eleven games for the club last season. Los Angeles cleared his entire $3.3MM of his cap charge from the books by dropping him and they hoped to re-sign him to a cheaper deal after the 53-man cutdowns were through. Unfortunately, for L.A. the Colts have spoiled those plans.

The release of Thorpe could mean that Darius Butler will be ready to go for Week 1. The Colts, of course, are thin at CB following Vontae Davis‘ injury.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colts Sign Darryl Morris

With the Colts’ secondary battling through injury issues, the team’s front office has brought in a veteran cornerback. According to Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star (via Twitter), the Colts have signed cornerback Darryl Morris. To make room on the roster, the team has cut rookie Frankie Williams.

Darryl MorrisMorris, 25, joined the Jets this offseason after having spent the past two seasons with the Texans. The former Texas State standout played in 23 games between 2014 and 2015, compiling 46 tackles and six passes defended. The Jets were hoping that Morris would provide some depth to their aging cornerback corps, but the defensive back was ultimately cut by the team on Saturday.

Williams, an undrafted free agent out of Purdue, will now seek work elsewhere, although Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com tweets that the Colts are hoping he’ll land back on their practice squad. The team was seeking some reinforcement at cornerback, as Vontae Davis is expected to miss some time. Patrick Robinson and Darius Butler are also currently battling injuries.

Colts To Sign 21 Undrafted Free Agents

SATURDAY, 5:45pm: The Colts announced one more undrafted free agent addition on Twitter: Purdue cornerback Frankie Williams.

The Colts also announced that they’ve waived tackle Davante Harris, who was signed as an undrafted free agent earlier this week.

MONDAY, 6:16pm: The Colts announced that they have agreed to terms with 21 undrafted free agents. Here’s the complete list of the team’s newest UDFAs:

  • WR Daniel Anthrop (Purdue)
  • DE Sterling Bailey (Georgia)
  • Isiah Cage (Wisconsin-Eau Claire)
  • CB Daniel Davie (Nebraska)
  • RB Josh Ferguson (Illinois)
  • TE Darion Griswold (Arkansas State)
  • Davante Harris (Appalachian State)
  • WR Marcus Leak (Maryland)
  • LB Curt Maggitt (Tennessee)
  • Stefan McClure (California)
  • WR MeKale McKay (Arkansas)
  • TE Mike Miller (Taylor University)
  • CB Christopher Milton (Georgia Tech)
  • Adam Redmond (Harvard)
  • WR Chester Rogers (Grambling State)
  • LB Anthony Sarao (USC)
  • DE Delvon Simmons (USC)
  • WR Tevaun Smith (Iowa)
  • LB Ronald Thompson (Syracuse)
  • CB Darius White (California)
  • Andrew Williamson (Vanderbilt)