NFL Workout Updates: 9/18/17
Today’s workout update notes:
Buffalo Bills
- Ps Taylor Symmank, and Matt Wile; LS Derek Hart (Twitter links via Howard Balzer and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Carolina Panthers
- S Jack Tocho (Tuesday) (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press)
Cincinnati Bengals
- QBs Jerod Evans and Wes Lunt; RB Kelvin Taylor; WRs C.J. Board and Moritz Boehringer; TEs Taylor McNamara and Wes Saxton; DE Pat O’Connor; CBs Alex Carter and Josh Thornton (Twitter links via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com, and Howard Balzer)
Detroit Lions
- LB Tre’Von Johnson (Twitter link via Balzer)
Green Bay Packers
- OL Fahn Cooper, Givens Price, and Brandon Thomas (Twitter link via Pelissero)
Houston Texans
- TE Alex Ellis (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Indianapolis Colts
- TEs Sam Cotton, Alex Ellis, Scott Orndoff, Josiah Price, Steven Scheu, Robert Tonyan (Twitter link via Balzer)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Jaydon Mickens; DBs Robert Blanton, Marqueston Huff, and Robenson Therezie (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)
New England Patriots
- WRs River Cracraft, Kenny Lawler, and Nelson Spruce; DE Jonathan Woodard; DB Robert Nelson (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New Orleans Saints
- CB Bradley Sylve (Tuesday) (Twitter link via Wilson)
Seattle Seahawks
- LB Joseph Jones; S Tyvis Powell (Twitter link via Balzer)
Packers Down 2 Starting Tackles Vs. Falcons
- Green Bay will be playing without both starting tackles tonight in Atlanta. Longtime Packers starters David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga will miss the Falcons tilt, the team announced. Bulaga missed last week’s game due to an ankle injury suffered during preseason play. A hamstring malady will shelve Bakhtiari. Kyle Murphy and Justin McCray will start, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. A fourth-year UDFA, McCray has yet to play in an NFL game.
NFL Workout Updates: 9/13/17
Today’s workout updates, with nearly all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:
Buffalo Bills
- QB Joel Stave; WRs Chris Brown, Marlon Brown; G Oni Omoile; T Brad Seaton; CB Makinton Dorleant (Twitter links)
Chicago Bears
- DE Praise Martin-Oguike; LBs Akeem Ayers, Chris Casher, Vontarrius Dora, Jonathan Freeny; LS Andrew East (Twitter links)
Green Bay Packers
- WR Jesse Kroll; LBs Donnie Baggs, Brooks Ellis, Christian Kuntz (Twitter links)
Indianapolis Colts
- WRs K.J. Brent, Devin Lucien, KeVonn Mabon; OTs Andreas Knappe, Javarius Leamon, Jah Reid, Brad Seaton; DEs Logan Ingle, Branden Jackson (all Twitter links)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- DT Darius Kilgo (link)
Kansas City Chiefs
- CBs Alex Carter, Josh Thornton (link)
New England Patriots
- QB Mitch Leidner; WRs Daniel Braverman, Tevaun Smith, Jahad Thomas, Bryan Walters; LS Taybor Pepper; P Austin Rehkow (link here)
New Orleans Saints
- WRs Corey Brown, Josh Huff, Seantavius Jones, Anthony Nash, Myles White; Gs Dallas Thomas, Andrew Tiller, Earl Watford, Cody Wichmann; LBs Akeem Ayers, Sio Moore; OT Eric Winston; CB Jumal Rolle; S Jordan Moore (all Twitter links here)
New York Jets
- RB Lorenzo Taliaferro; WRs Jaydon Mickens, Anthony Nash, Michael Rector; TE Scott Orndoff (link)
Philadelphia Eagles
- LBs Carl Bradford, Tre’von Johnson, Joseph Jones, Antwione Williams; Ks Marshall Koehn, Josh Lambo, Mike Nugent (Twitter links)
Tennessee Titans
- G Kaleb Johnson (link)
Washington Redskins
- RBs Jonathan Grimes, Daryl Richardson; G Greg Pyke; (link)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/13/17
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: T Givens Price, LB Scooby Wright
- Released: CB Ryan Lewis, RB James Summers
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Greg Mabin
Chicago Bears
- Signed: RB Josh Rounds
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Brian Brown
- Released: S Jameill Showers
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OT Storm Norton
- Cut: DE Pat O’Connor
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: G Darrell Greene
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: T Tyreek Burwell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Larry Pinkard
- Released: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB Jeff Richards
- Released: DE Isaac Rochell
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: C Jake Eldrenkamp
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: Antwione Williams
New England Patriots
- Signed: CB Ryan Lewis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB L.J. Fort
- Released: LB Matt Galambos
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Gabe Holmes, CB Akeem King
Panthers Claim CB Ladarius Gunter
Former Packers cornerback Ladarius Gunter was claimed off waivers by the Panthers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In a corresponding move, the Panthers are releasing kicker Harrison Butker. 
Gunter had the most defensive snaps of any Packers cornerback in 2016. He was productive early on, but he slowed down towards the end of the season and slipped down the depth chart over the summer. He was on the field for only two snaps in Green Bay’s season opener.
The release of Butker means that Graham Gano will be sticking with the team. Earlier this month, the Panthers were receiving calls of trade interest in Gano, leading to speculation that they could move him for a draft pick and stick with Butker. That won’t be the case as the Georgia Tech product is now subject to waivers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/13/17
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Released from IR: RB Brandon Wilds
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted to active roster: OL Adam Pankey
Houston Texans
- Promoted to active roster: TE Evan Baylis
- Waived: WR Andy Jones
Minnesota Vikings
- Released from IR: TE Bucky Hodges
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: T John Theus
Tennessee Titans
- Released from IR: RB Joe Bacci, DL Jimmy Staten
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/17
Today’s minor roster moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Cut: T Ulrick John
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Tanner Gentry
- Released from IR: WR Rueben Randle
Cincinnati Bengals
- Cut: DT Christian Ringo
Green Bay Packers
- Cut: CB LaDarius Gunter
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OT Cornelius Lucas
- Cut: DL Quinton Jefferson, C/G J.J Dielman
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OT Bryce Harris
- Cut: LB Adam Bighill
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: ILB Steven Johnson
- Cut: LB L.J. Fort
Packers To Release Ricky Jean-Francois
The Packers evidently have not preferred the work Ricky Jean-Francois gave them during his 2017 stay in Green Bay. The team released the veteran defensive lineman, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Jean-Francois played only six snaps Sunday against the Seahawks. The Packers signed Jean-Francois to a one-year, $2MM deal and gave the veteran defensive end a $250K signing bonus. The 30-year-old interior defender is a vested veteran and will become a free agent.
Green Bay becomes the second franchise to release Jean-Francois this year, with Washington doing the same during the offseason. He caught on with the Packers, who had reportedly eyed him for years, after visiting the Bears and Seahawks.
The Packers were without rookie third-rounder Montravius Adams, sidelined with a foot injury, in Week 1. This could be an indication the Auburn product will be ready to play soon. Jean-Francois served as a backup last week behind Mike Daniels and Dean Lowry.
Jean-Francois began his ninth NFL season on Sunday, doing so with a fourth team. The former 49ers, Colts and Redskins cog vacillated between starter and backup status throughout his career. He started seven games for the Redskins last season.
NFL Workout Updates: 9/8/17
Today’s NFL workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter unless otherwise noted:
Atlanta Falcons
- QBs Garrett Grayson and Mitch Leidner (link)
Carolina Panthers
- T Korren Kirven (link)
Detroit Lions
- QB Joel Stave; WR Malachi Dupre; OTs Landon Lechler and Givens Price; DT Taylor Harris; S James Sample (Twitter links)
Green Bay Packers
- G Darrell Greene; OTs Cornelius Lucas and Jeremiah Poutasi; DE Jhaustin Thomas (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- RB Kenjon Barner (link)
Kansas City Chiefs
- DB Akeem King (link)
New England Patriots
- WR Gabe Marks; TE Ryan O’Malley (Twitter links via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Jets
- RB Cyrus Gray; TE Nick Truesdell; C Erik Austell; G Brandon Thomas; WRs K.J. Brent, Bug Howard, and Domonique Young; TE Robert Tonyan; DE Tyrone Holmes; DT Caraun Reid; LB Vontarrius Dora; CBs Elie Bouka, Jarnor Jones, Damian Swann, and Robert Nelson; S Trey Caldwell and K.J. Dillon (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Philadelphia Eagles
- DBs De’Vante Bausby, Elie Bouka, Trey Caldwell, and Jarnor Jones (link)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- DE Jonathan Woodard; CBs Chris Humes and Sammy Seamster (link)
Tennessee Titans
- DB JaCorey Shepherd (link)
Packers Notes: Brooks, Dial
- Ahmad Brooks‘ one-year deal with the Packers has a base value of $3.5MM and includes a $1.75MM signing bonus and a $1MM base salary, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The veteran pass rusher can also earn $750K in gameday active roster bonuses, plus $1.5MM in sack-based incentives, although those are considered not-likely-to-be-earned, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That means the sack threshold Brooks must reach is greater than six, the total he hit in 2017. Now 33 years old, Brooks will serve in a rotational edge defender capacity for Green Bay.
- Another 49ers castoff — defensive lineman Quinton Dial — also recently agreed to a one-year pact with the Packers, and his deal will pay him one dollar more than the veteran’s minimum ($775,001), reports Silverstein (Twitter link). By adding that single dollar, Green Bay has kept open the possibility of extending Dial in-season. Had Dial simply signed for the minimum, the Packers wouldn’t have had the right to give him a new contract until after the new league year opens in the spring.
