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Minor NFL Transactions: 12/8/15

December 8th, 2015 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll track all of Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • The Dolphins have re-signed tight end Brandon Williams to their active roster, waiving safety Jordan Kovacs in a corresponding move, the team announced today (Twitter links). Miami also opened up another roster spot by placing defensive tackle Robert Thomas on the injured reserve list.
  • Jets defensive end Mike Catapano has landed on IR due to a foot injury, with safety Ronald Martin getting the promotion from the practice squad to take his spot on the roster, the Jets announced today (via Twitter).
  • The Chiefs are signing offensive lineman Jarrod Pughsley from their practice squad to their 53-man roster, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. The corresponding move to make room for Pughsley isn’t yet known.
  • The Falcons have released defensive tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli from their injured reserve list, the team announced today (via Twitter). He’ll become a free agent if he clears waivers.

Earlier updates:

  • In the wake of Nick Boyle‘s suspension, and with Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams both battling injuries, the Ravens have added two tight ends to their roster. According to a press release, the club has promoted Konrad Reuland from its practice squad and signed veteran free agent Richard Gordon. Boyle was moved to the reserve/suspended list and cornerback Cassius Vaughn was cut to create space on the roster.
  • The Bills have also made a change at the tight end position, promoting Nick O’Leary from the practice squad and cutting veteran Matthew Mulligan, the team announced today. Mulligan had played a role this season for the Bills as a blocker and special-teamer, making the move a little surprising. Joe Buscaglia of WKBW wonders (via Twitter) if another team – perhaps the Ravens? – showed interest in O’Leary, prompting Buffalo to protect him.
  • The Eagles have signed outside linebacker Steven Means from the Texans‘ practice squad, the club announced today (via Twitter). Means will take over the roster spot vacated by Miles Austin, who was released on Monday.
  • With a Thursday night showdown against Arizona around the corner, the Vikings have made a handful of roster moves, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed safety Shaun Prater and elevated safety Anthony Harris from the practice squad. To make room for the incoming defensive backs, Minnesota placed safety Antone Exum on injured reserve and waived defensive end Justin Trattou.
  • The Colts are adding some depth at the linebacker spot by promoting linebacker Amarlo Herrera to their active roster, a source tells Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). Jerrell Freeman and Nate Irving are banged up for Indianapolis.
  • The Browns have re-signed offensive lineman Darrian Miller to their 53-man roster just three days after cutting him, placing fullback Malcolm Johnson on injured reserve in a corresponding move, per a team release.

Colts Place Nate Irving On IR

December 8th, 2015 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have confirmed the previously-reported promotion of tight end Amarlo Herrera to the 53-man roster, and that move is just one a handful of transactions completed by the team today. According to a press release, the club has also signed free agent cornerback Jalil Brown, placing linebacker Nate Irving on injured reserve and cutting cornerback Josh Thomas to create the necessary space on the roster.

Irving, 27, is perhaps the most notable player included in this series of moves, though he hadn’t carved out a significant role for the Colts this season. After starting eight games and recording 46 tackles for the Broncos in 2014, Irving started just twice for Indianapolis this season, compiling 13 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. The former third-round pick inked a three-year contract with the Colts, but the team could create $2.25MM in cap savings by releasing him this offseason, which looks like a possibility.

Brown, meanwhile, has been off and on the Colts’ roster over the last couple seasons, having started three games for the team earlier this year. He takes the roster spot vacated by the little-used Thomas, who was inactive during his last game with Indianapolis.

Cole’s Latest: Coughlin, Pagano, Chargers, Rams

December 7th, 2015 at 4:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we rounded up several items related to head coaches whose jobs may be in jeopardy as the season nears an end. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has provided a few updates on that topic as well, discussing a couple of the coaches we mentioned earlier, as well as a couple others. Here’s the latest:

  • The Giants aren’t likely to fire head coach Tom Coughlin before the end of the season, but they certainly could consider at after the season if they miss the playoffs, says Cole (video link). However, Cole cautions that the franchise has very specific qualifications in mind for its head coach, including a proven ability to deal with the pressure and attention that comes with working in New York. If the Giants don’t have strong potential candidates in mind that fit that bill, they may think twice about letting go of Coughlin.
  • The Colts’ defense allowed the Steelers to put up 45 points on Sunday, just over a year after letting Pittsburgh score 51 on them. That sort of repeat performance is a bad sign and could spark major changes for the team, according to Cole (video link). Although Cole suggests that Chuck Pagano is back on the hot seat, I’d expect the club to wait and see how the season finishes before making any decisions there — a playoff berth and a postseason win or two would make it a tough call. If Indianapolis misses the playoffs, it’s much harder to imagine Pagano keeping his job.
  • While Chargers head coach Mike McCoy and Rams head coach Jeff Fisher are both on the hot seat in their respective cities, there’s a scenario in which one or both coaches could keep their jobs for another year or two. As Cole explains (video link), the transition period if either of those franchises moves to Los Angeles in 2016 will be a rocky one, with the new L.A. team(s) playing in a temporary stadium for a couple seasons. As such, those clubs may be more inclined to hang onto their current coaches, perhaps putting off a change in a year or two and then making a new hire as excitement for that new stadium starts to build. I’m not sure I buy that theory, for a number of reasons, and Cole himself acknowledges that it’s one possible outcome, but perhaps not the most likely one.

East Notes: Kelly, McDaniels, Coughlin

December 6th, 2015 at 11:02am CST by Rory Parks

Just a week after Eagles head coach Chip Kelly was said to be “despondent” and “mulling all options” on the heels of back-t0-back blowout losses, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the head coach is likely to return to the Philadelphia sidelines in 2016. Owner Jeffrey Lurie remains a staunch Kelly supporter, even though he is aware of some dissension in the locker room, and per La Canfora, Lurie “did not hand Kelly total control to the roster a few months ago to consider launching a new search for a coach and GM now.” Although it is not inconceivable that Kelly could return to the college ranks in 2016, those vacancies are filling up quickly and team officials would be shocked if Kelly left the Eagles before completing his fourth season with the club.

  • Although Kelly surely appreciates Lurie’s loyalty, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if Kelly himself is too loyal to under-performing players. During Kelly’s tenure with the Eagles, he has never released or benched a player for poor performance, and McLane thinks certain members of the club may have become complacent.
  • Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is once again a hot head coaching candidate, and La Canfora writes that he is open to speaking with teams this offseason. Of course, given McDaniels’ disastrous stint in Denver, he would only go to a team that has a strong organizational structure from ownership down, since another failed tenure would likely spell the end of his head coaching opportunities. Many clubs are enamored with McDaniels’ offensive mind and ability to extract a great deal of production from an offense that has to continually reinvent itself, and McDaniels is viewed as the closest thing to a Belichick clone to emerge from the Belichick coaching tree.
  • If McDaniels is to leave the Patriots, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe sees the Lions as the most likely landing spot, given that the team has a good young quarterback in place and ownership that has shown patience in the past. The Titans have been viewed as a fit, and they may be, but their ownership situation is unstable, and Volin does not believe McDaniels would disrespect New England by going to a team like the Dolphins or Colts that has a history of bad blood with the Patriots.
  • Giants head coach Tom Coughlin may be on the hot seat, but as Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News writes, Coughlin typically thrives with his back to the wall. Of course, the team had a chance to take a commanding lead in the NFC East last week and failed to do so, which means that the Giants’ string of four straight seasons without a playoff berth is in danger of continuing. If that happens, Coughlin’s two Super Bowl rings and respect from team ownership may not be enough to save him.

Workout Notes: Steelers, Broncos, Bears

December 2nd, 2015 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers, who have been leaning heavily on DeAngelo Williams since Le’Veon Bell went down for the year, worked out former Rams and Jets running back Daryl Richardson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). It doesn’t appear Pittsburgh will sign Richardson at this point, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the free agent market, considering Jordan Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint – Williams’ current backups – have combined for just four carries this season.

Here are more workout notes from Wilson:

  • The Broncos had a huge group of players in for tryouts this week, and Wilson (Twitter links) has the full list:
    • FB Ray Agnew
    • TE Brandon Barden
    • DT Alex Bienemann
    • TE Cameron Clear
    • WR Jace Davis
    • WR Antwan Goodley
    • WR R.J. Harris
    • C Alex Hill
    • T Cameron Jefferson
    • WR Jordan Leslie
    • QB Seth Lobato
    • WR Levi Norwood
    • QB Bryn Renner
    • T Jack Rummells
    • WR Demetrius Wilson
  • Tight end Rob Housler was part of the Bears‘ latest workout group, which also featured tight end Nick Kasa and wide receiver Marcus Lucas, according to Wilson (Twitter link). Chicago’s starting tight end, Martellus Bennett, is expected to return to action this weekend, so I wouldn’t expect the team to add another player at the position.
  • The Cardinals auditioned linebackers Josh Francis, Quayshawn Nealy, Markus Pierce-Brewster, and Mike Reilly, along with cornerback Jalil Brown, tweets Wilson.
  • In addition to working out offensive tackle Pierce Burton, who signed to the team’s practice squad, the Colts also took a look at defensive end Nordly Capi and defensive back Terrance Mitchell, says Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Raiders tried out safety Dewey McDonald, tweets Wilson. McDonald was signed by the Patriots last week, but only lasted two days on New England’s roster.

Practice Squad Updates: 12/1/15

December 1st, 2015 at 4:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s practice squad updates from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: LB Brian Blechen (Twitter link via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer)

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Signed: WR Austin Hill (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

St. Louis Rams

Workout Notes: Raiders, Colts, Packers

December 1st, 2015 at 2:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s workouts from around the league:

Extra Points: McCoy, Hue Jackson, CJ2K

November 30th, 2015 at 9:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Chargers head coach Mike McCoy says he’s not concerned about job security, as ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams writes.

“I’m taking this job one day at a time like I do every day,” McCoy said. “I just keep plugging away every day and put great plans in, week in and week out. And I take it one day at a time here.”

The Chargers are 21-22 under McCoy, and 1-1 in the postseason. The Bolts have struggled of late, losing 11 of their past 15 dating back to last season. McCoy has one year left on his deal beyond 2015 and it’s far from a certainty that he’ll get to coach through the end of that contract.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Coaching Notes: USC, Payton, Fisher, Fins

November 30th, 2015 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

It wasn’t an NFL coaching job, but the USC head coaching position was expected to have an impact on the NFL, since a number of the school’s potential candidates were current coaches or coordinators around the league. However, the Trojans announced today (via Twitter) that interim coach Clay Helton will become the team’s permanent head coach going forward, meaning that Chip Kelly and other coaches around the NFL can be crossed off the list.

It sounds like USC did reach out to Kelly to gauge his interest before deciding to move forward with Helton though. According to FootballScoop.com (Twitter link), USC officials met with Kelly last week, but the Eagles head coach prefers to remain in the NFL. Similarly, USC checked in on Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, who told the Trojans he’s not leaving Oakland, tweets Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News.

Here are a few more coaching-related items from around the league:

  • Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com believes that the Saints should “go ahead and start sniffing around” for teams that may be interested in giving up a draft pick or two for head coach Sean Payton, since this winter looks like a good time for an overhaul. La Canfora identifies the Browns, Colts, Dolphins, and Titans as teams that might have interest in Payton, and suggests that the draft pick return could be “substantial.”
  • Having lost four games in a row, Jeff Fisher‘s Rams are in a downward spiral, and Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com believes it’s time for the team to make coaching change at season’s end.
  • Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) hears that the decision to fire offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was made by Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell, who had “shown signs of displeasure” with the offense during the club’s last few games.
  • The Giants could have taken a commanding lead in the weak NFC East division with a win over Washington on Sunday, but the fact that the team couldn’t get it done puts head coach Tom Coughlin on the hot seat, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
  • Several weeks ago, with his team scuffling along at 2-5, head coach Bill O’Brien didn’t exactly look safe in Houston. Four wins later though, Texans owner Bob McNair is giving O’Brien credit for the team’s success, telling Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, “I think he’s doing a fine job.”

Colts Place Ahmad Bradshaw On IR

November 30th, 2015 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

A third consecutive season for running back Ahmad Bradshaw had ended with the Colts placing him on injured reserve, as the team announced today in a press release. With Bradshaw’s season over due to a wrist injury, the Colts have re-signed running back Zurlon Tipton to their 53-man roster.

Bradshaw, 29, saw his 2013 season end early because of a neck injury, and was placed on IR in 2014 after breaking his leg. This year, he didn’t join the Colts until mid-October, but just a few weeks later, he’s heading back to IR. In limited action in Indianapolis this season, the veteran back ran for 85 yards on 31 carries, adding 64 more yards and three touchdowns on 10 receptions.

Because he was on a one-year contract with the Colts, Bradshaw will be eligible for free agency this winter, and may have played his last snap for the team. Of course, having signed multiple contracts with Indianapolis in the past, the Marshall product could return in 2016, but his growing injury history figures to make the club wary of another reunion.

Tipton, meanwhile, was cut last week when the Colts claimed Boom Herron off waivers. Now, he’ll rejoin a backfield that features Herron and Frank Gore, and will likely be third on the depth chart heading into Week 13.

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