NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/18/15
Here are today’s practice squad signings, cuts, and other notes from around the NFL:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Kelcy Quarles (press release via team)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Increased salary: DL Caushaud Lyons (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com)
- Earning $25,588 per week
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: QB Brad Sorensen (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Increased salary: RB Mike James (Twitter link via Yates)
- Earning $34,412 per week
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/15
As teams prepare for Week 15’s slate of games, let’s round up the latest minor transactions from around the league….
- A day after he was cut by the Patriots, wide receiver Damaris Johnson has been claimed off waivers by the Titans, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Johnson, who previously played in the AFC South with the Texans, had inked a two-year contract with New England, so Tennessee picks up the 2016 year on that deal as well.
- The Chargers have claimed offensive lineman Jeff Linkenbach off waivers from the Dolphins, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). The team cut quarterback Brad Sorensen, whom it signed on Saturday as a result of Philip Rivers‘ illness, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The timing of today’s waiver claims is worth noting, since San Diego will play Miami just three days from now, while Tennessee will face New England.
- The Colts made a change to their 53-man roster today, cutting outside linebacker Daniel Adongo and replacing him by promoting cornerback Tay Glover-Wright from their practice squad, per a team release. Adongo’s release comes just a week after police were called to his house, but Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star hears from a source that the case is closed and no further action is expected. It’s not clear if today’s move was motivated by that incident.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/15
Let’s round up Wednesday’s minor 53-man roster moves from around the NFL:
- To make room for Mostert (see below), the Browns waived wideout Darius Jennings, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The writer expects Jennings to return to the team’s practice squad.
- After having claimed Davis (see below), the Colts released linebacker Edwin Jackson, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- Following a busy day of transactions, the Patriots signed defensive lineman Ishmaa’ily Kitchen (via Wilson on Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- The Colts have filled the 53rd spot on their roster by claiming safety and special-teamer Akeem Davis off waivers from the Seahawks (Twitter link via Kevin Bowen of Colts.com).
- The Dolphins have elevated quarterback Logan Thomas from their practice squad to their active roster, cutting veteran offensive lineman Jeff Linkenbach to accommodate the move, the team announced today (via Twitter). Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the move was motivated by a desire to protect Thomas from the Bengals, who attempted to sign him off Miami’s practice squad.
- The Bengals have officially announced a move that was reported yesterday, confirming (via Twitter) that they’ve promoted quarterback Keith Wenning from their practice squad. Wenning will provide some insurance at the position while Andy Dalton remains on the shelf.
- Former Colts cornerback Tony Carter is signing with the Saints, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network. Meanwhile, Kristian Garic of WWL 870AM reports (via Twitter) that running back and kick returner Marcus Murphy will be placed on IR by New Orleans due to an ankle injury, so that may be the corresponding move for Carter’s signing.
- A day after he was cut by the Ravens, RB/KR Raheem Mostert has been claimed off waivers by the division-rival Browns, according to agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). It’s been an eventful season for Mostert, who was signed by the Dolphins off the Eagles’ practice squad, then claimed off waivers from Miami by Baltimore.
- The Titans have officially placed injured running back Dexter McCluster on IR, using the open roster spot to sign safety Josh Aubrey from their practice squad, tweets Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com.
- The Chargers have filled their two open roster spots by bringing back a pair of familiar faces, re-signing safety Adrian Phillips and quarterback Brad Sorensen, according to a team release.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/16/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL, with the latest moves added to the list throughout the day:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G Eric Herman (Twitter link via team)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: WR Michael Bennett (Twitter link via team)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: RB LaDarius Perkins (press release via team), LB Amarlo Herrera (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Kevin Snyder (link via Dan Duggan of NJ.com)
- Cut: WR Austin Hill, DT Kelcy Quarles (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of NESN.com)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Shane Wynn (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Mike Lee (Twitter link via team)
- Cut: S Craig Bills (failed physical)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: S Matt Daniels, CB Keith Lewis (press release via team)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR B.J. Daniels, DT Justin Hamilton (Twitter links via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Nick Harwell, QB Mike Kafka (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com)
Washington
- Signed: TE Ray Hamilton (Twitter link via Mike Jones of The Washington Post)
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)
QB Rumors: Luck, Hoyer, Dalton, Cousins
The race for the AFC South title will take another interesting twist this week, as the starting quarterbacks for the division’s top teams have both been ruled out for Week 15. The Texans announced today that Brian Hoyer won’t play due to a concussion, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle details, while Colts head coach Chuck Pagano told reporters that Andrew Luck won’t play, though Matt Hasselbeck should (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
The two current leaders in the AFC South are, of course, scheduled to play each other this Sunday, so one of the two 6-7 clubs will almost certainly get back to .500. But they’ll have to attempt to do so without their starting QBs.
Here are a few more updates on quarterback situations around the NFL:
- Bengals players expect quarterback Andy Dalton to be sidelined for about four to six weeks, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. If he can heal quickly and return in four weeks, that would put Dalton on track to potentially start a game on Wild Card weekend for Cincinnati.
- With Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins nearing the end of his rookie contract, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes a look at what a contract extension for Cousins might look like. As Corry observes, a Nick Foles-type deal could work for both sides, but Cousins should be in no rush to sign an extension if he finishes the season strong, since making Washington have to consider using its franchise tag would give him plenty of leverage.
- Cousins is one of a handful of potential free agent quarterbacks that Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks discuss in a piece for NFL.com, and the duo agrees that Washington should do all it can to hang onto the fourth-year signal-caller. Jeremiah and Brooks also examine Eagles QB Sam Bradford, Blaine Gabbert of the 49ers, and Broncos QB Brock Osweiler, among others.
- Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Jay Cutler are among the players whose teams – the Saints, Broncos, and Bears respectively – will face some tough cap decisions this offseason, writes Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. Each case is a little different, but restructured contracts, trades, or cuts could be in play, as Robinson details.
Practice Squad Updates: 12/15/15
Here are today’s practice squad signings and cuts from across the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Curtis Grant, WR R.J. Harris, WR Jordan Leslie, DE Dontay Moch (press release)
- Cut: WR Devon Wylie
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: T Marcel Jones (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Blake Annen (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DL Toby Johnson, WR/TE Marcus Lucas (Twitter link via team)
Dallas Cowboys
- Cut: LB Darius Eubanks (Twitter link via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Kendall James (press release)
- Cut: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on PS-IR: RB Josh Robinson (press release)
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Montee Ball (story), WR DeAndre Carter (link via Tom Curran of CSNNE.com)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Craig Bills (Twitter link via team)
- Cut: CB Mike Lee
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: LB Matthew Wells
Washington
- Cut: RB Christine Michael (press release)
Colts Release Todd Herremans
It wasn’t long ago that veteran guard Todd Herremans was one of the Colts’ more notable signings of the offseason, having been expected to bring some stability to the offensive line. Nine months later, Indianapolis has released Herremans with three weeks left in the regular season, the team announced today in a press release.
Herremans, a former Eagle, signed a one-year, $2.25MM deal with the Colts in March that could be worth up to $3.5MM. However, he lost his starting job in Indianapolis after just two weeks, and was made inactive for multiple games since then. The 33-year-old, who has started 126 games during his 11-year NFL career, will become an unrestricted free agent if and when he clears waivers.
The Colts also made two more 53-man roster moves today, announcing that they’ve signed free agent outside linebacker Andy Studebaker and waived inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera. Studebaker is expected to be a special-teams contributor.
Latest On Colts’ QBs
It’s not often that two sub-.500 teams square off in December with first place in their division at stake, but that will be the case Sunday when the Colts and Texans – both 6-7 – meet in Indianapolis in a crucial AFC South showdown. Making this matchup even more unusual is that each club could have a backup quarterback at the helm. Thanks to a concussion, the Texans will likely be without No. 1 man Brian Hoyer, meaning they’ll turn to T.J. Yates. On the other side, it’s currently unknown which of the three Colts QBs will be under center.
Andrew Luck – who has been out since early November with a lacerated spleen – is hoping to return this week, though Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star writes that his status is in doubt. Luck has multiple hurdles to jump before he can make his much-anticipated comeback, as Holder notes: Team doctors have to clear him twice – once to return to practice, again to actually suit up in a game. Given that Luck’s injury is internal, the Colts aren’t going to force him back into the lineup prematurely and put his health at greater risk. For his part, Luck acknowledges that his conditioning is in need of work after missing so much time.
“Throwing felt great,” he said Monday, according to Holder. “Conditioning-wise, it’s a process. When you take time off, it takes a little more time to get back into it.”
As if Luck’s injury situation isn’t frustrating enough for the Colts, reserve Matt Hasselbeck is also banged up. The 40-year-old’s left arm is in a sling thanks to a rib injury he suffered in Sunday’s 51-16 loss to Jacksonville, and head coach Chuck Pagano said Hasselbeck is dealing with spasms associated with the injury. Pagano added that Hasselbeck will try to return to practice on Thursday, and expressed optimism regarding his status for the Houston game.
“I fully anticipate him being available for us,” Pagano said.
If the worst happens for Indy and both Luck and Hasselbeck aren’t ready by Sunday, the Colts will turn to third-stringer Charlie Whitehurst with their season at stake.
Latest On Colts QB Andrew Luck
Recently, Colts owner Jim Irsay indicated that Andrew Luck could return from his lacerated kidney injury this week against the Texans. As it turns out, there’s still uncertainty over when or if Luck will return this season, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Further complicating matters for the Colts is the status of Matt Hasselbeck. The aging QB was seen leaving the stadium on Sunday night with his left arm in a sling and his status going forward is also shaky. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that all of Hasselbeck’s injuries are of the soft tissue variety and it is believed that he has not suffered any fractures.
It’s been a rough season so far for Luck, who was sidelined a shoulder injury earlier in the year and reportedly played with broken ribs leading up to his November kidney injury. The former first overall pick has only won two of his seven starts, having completed just 55.3% of his passes, with 12 interceptions and a career-low 6.4 yards per attempt.