Minor Moves: Monday
We’ll keep tabs on Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day….
- The Colts placed Mario Harvey on injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- Defensive end Chase Vaughn has been cut from the Broncos‘ injured reserve list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Panthers have waived running back Tauren Poole, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Carolina is still short-handed at the position, but is expected to explore adding a more veteran back this week.
- To make room for Chris Owusu, whose signing is noted below, the Jets are waiving cornerback LeQuan Lewis, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). As Cimini notes, Lewis committed two penalties on special teams in Sunday’s game.
- The Chargers have swapped one defender for another on their practice squad, re-signing safety Adrian Phillips and cutting defensive lineman Chas Alecxih, the team announced today in a press release.
- Defensive end Frank Alexander (Panthers), safety Jakar Hamilton (Cowboys), wideout Ace Sanders (Jaguars), and safety Reshad Jones (Dolphins) have all been reinstated from their suspensions, tweets Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange. Their respective teams won’t have to make corresponding moves immediately, since all four clubs will have roster exemptions that last until next Monday (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- The Eagles‘ beat-up offensive line will receive a little help this week, as Lane Johnson has been activated after serving his four-game suspension (Twitter link). To make room on the 53-man roster, the club has waived offensive lineman Kevin Graf.
- After adding T.J. Graham to the roster earlier today, the Jets will sign another wideout, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who reports that former Buccaneer Chris Owusu is set to join the club (Twitter links).
- The Colts have waived wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers on the heels of his arrest for DUI, according to a team release. Head coach Chuck Pagano confirmed to reporters, including Mike Chappell of RTV6 (Twitter link), that Rogers was cut for conduct detrimental to the team. Indianapolis also promoted safety Dewey McDonald from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, and moved Robert Mathis from the reserve/suspended list to the reserve/non-football injury list.
- With a short week ahead of them and Teddy Bridgewater recovering from an ankle injury, the Vikings have added another quarterback to their practice quad, signing Chandler Harnish and cutting wideout Donte Foster (Twitter link).
- Wide receiver Tommy Streeter has signed to the Jaguars‘ practice squad, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Jacksonville currently has a full 10-man unit, so someone will have to be dropped – or promoted – to make room for Streeter.
- The Redskins have signed outside linebacker Gabe Miller to fill the final opening on their practice squad, per agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link).
Jags Cut Winston Guy, Promote Craig Loston
The Jaguars have parted ways with the player that entered the season as one of their starting safeties, announcing today in a press release that Winston Guy has been placed on waivers. The team has signed safety Craig Loston off its practice squad to fill Guy’s spot on the 53-man roster.
Guy, 24, appeared in 14 games for the Jaguars last season and started two. The former Seattle sixth-round pick broke camp as a starter in Jacksonville’s secondary, but was lit up during the first three games of the season and was benched in advance of Week 4. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), only one of 77 qualified safeties has been worse so far this season than Guy, who has allowed a QB rating of 149.1 on passes thrown into his coverage.
While Loston will provide depth in the secondary with Guy no longer in the mix, he’s unlikely to play a major role. Josh Evans and Jonathan Cyprien appear poised to move forward as the team’s two starting safeties.
With Loston no longer on the practice squad, it clears room for the team to add wideout Tommy Streeter, whose signing to the taxi squad had previously been reported.
AFC Links: Talib, Ravens, Pouncey
Patriots safety Devin McCourty has a playful rivalry with his brother, Titans cornerback Jason McCourty. Therefore, as the Patriots prepare to take on the Chiefs, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Patriots’ All-Pro defender is looking to top his brother’s production against quarterback Alex Smith. In the Titans’ first game of the season, McCourty picked off Smith twice.
When asked if he’d somehow outdo Jason, Devin sounded optimistic (via Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald). “I hope so,” he said. “You’ve got to tell Alex Smith to throw me the ball.”
Devin acknowledged that he has watched some of his brother’s interceptions to get a read on opposing quarterbacks:
“I always watch every interception a quarterback throws just to get an idea, see if there is a similarity of where it happens and different formations and what they like. I always try to see the turnover opportunities out there as far as throwing the ball, especially if it’s downfield.”
Let’s see what else is happening around the AFC…
- The NFL was not impressed by Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib‘s late, fourth quarter hit against the Seahawks. According to Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com, the league has fined Talib $8,268.
- Ravens defensive back Jimmy Smith has been assigned an October 7th court date in regards to his misdemeanor disorderly conduct case, according to Baltimore County police spokesman Shawn Vinson (via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun). Smith is subject to a maximum punishment of 60 days in jail.
- Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com says the the Jaguars‘ biggest free agent disappointment is linebacker Dekoda Watson. The former Buccaneers draft pick has already had a pair of surgeries and couldn’t earn the starting spot once he returned.
- However, DiRocco writes that he liked the majority of the Jaguars‘ offseason moves and still hasn’t soured on many of them. Instead, he criticizes the team for failing to sign center Alex Mack.
- Dolphins center Mike Pouncey was hoping to make his season debut in London against the Raiders, but ESPN.com’s James Walker warns that it’s unlikely. Instead, Walker says it’s more likely that the former Pro-Bowler will make his debut in two weeks following the team’s bye.
Minor Moves: Friday
We’ll track Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, as teams gear up for Week 4’s games. The latest moves will be added to the top of the list throughout the day….
- The Patriots have replaced offensive lineman Chris Martin on their practice squad, re-adding defensive tackle Ben Bass to take his place, as Phil Perry of CSNNE.com writes.
- Giants cornerback Jayron Hosley has been reinstated from suspension following the Giants’ fourth game of the season last night, tweets Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange. The team will receive a roster exemption for Hosley, meaning New York will have until Monday to decide whether to cut the cornerback or someone else in order to get down to 53 players.
Earlier updates:
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Ravens have cut defensive tackle A.J. Pataiali’i from their practice squad. With Fitzgerald Toussaint and Deonte Thompson returning to the squad after being waived from the active roster, the team is now carrying the maximum 10 players.
- Safety Chris Prosinski, who was recently placed on injured reserve by the Jaguars, has been removed from the team’s IR list with an injury settlement, tweets John Oesher of Jaguars.com. I touched on how injury settlements work earlier today in my PFR Glossary post explaining the injured reserve list.
AFC Notes: Harrison, Tannehill, Texans, Jags
The Steelers brought back veteran linebacker James Harrison this week after suffering a rash of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but while the sight of Harrison in black and gold will look familiar, we shouldn’t expect him to play a major role immediately. Harrison started all 87 games he played for Pittsburgh from 2007 to 2012, but former Bucs GM Mark Domenik thinks it’s unrealistic to expect significant contributions from the linebacker at age 36.
“I think you could see him play five to 10 snaps [in Week 4] in that limited pass-rush role,” Dominik said, according to Scott Brown of ESPN.com. “I think at the end of the day you’ll be lucky if James Harrison become a 20- to 25-snap guy. He knows what to do in the system, and that’s the No. 1 thing, it’s just that can he get his body to do it? That’s going to take a little bit of time.”
Here’s more from out of the AFC:
- After being ambiguous earlier this week when he was asked about Ryan Tannehill‘s job security as the Dolphins‘ No. 1 quarterback, head coach Joe Philbin has expressed remorse about having created a distraction and given his starting signal-caller a vote of confidence, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. As I noted earlier in the week, Tannehill will be extension-eligible starting this offseason and the Dolphins will also have to decide on his fifth-year option in the spring, so 2014 is a big year for the young QB.
- We had already heard about the Texans auditioning a handful of punters this week in case Shane Lechler is unable to play this week, but Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) adds a couple more names to the list of players the team tried out. According to Wilson, Houston also took a look at long snappers Brandon Hartson and Chris Maikranz.
- The Jaguars auditioned linebacker L.J. Fort this week, tweets Wilson. Fort, waived by the Broncos during the preseason, also worked out for the Titans earlier in September.
- Cornerback Vernon Kearney, who was cut by the Chiefs a month ago, was among the defensive backs who worked out for the Jets this week, per Wilson (via Twitter).
Poll: Which Team Will Stay Winless Longest?
On Wednesday, PFR readers voted the Bengals the most likely team to be the last unbeaten club standing in the NFL this season. The league’s three 3-0 squads haven’t necessarily looked dominant, and face tough schedules in the next few weeks, which could ensure that no team remains undefeated for long.
On the other hand, the league’s three 0-3 teams have struggled immensely in the early going. The Jaguars started off the season by jumping out to a 17-0 lead against the Eagles, but have since been outscored by an incredible 119-27 margin, including 34-0 in the second half of that game in Philadelphia. The Raiders have played tighter games, but also faced three opponents (Jets, Texans, Patriots) that have looked shaky in their other contests. As for the Buccaneers, they’re coming off a 56-14 defeat that was even worse than the final score suggests, after having dropped home games to Derek Anderson and Austin Davis in the season’s first two weeks.
At this point, all three winless clubs have turned to new quarterbacks, with the Jaguars (Blake Bortles) and Raiders (Derek Carr) giving their rookies a chance under center, while Mike Glennon prepares to take over for the injured Josh McCown in Tampa Bay. While there’s some optimism that these young signal-callers could help turn their respective teams’ seasons around, the jury’s still very much out on that.
Over the next few weeks, the Bucs will play in Pittsburgh and New Orleans before hosting the Ravens and then taking a Week 7 bye; the Jaguars alternate road and home games against the Chargers, Steelers, Titans, and Browns; and the Raiders play in London against the Dolphins before returning stateside for their bye and then home games against the Chargers and Cardinals.
What do you think? Which of these last-place teams will take the longest to win its first game? And are any of them in real danger of a winless season?
Which team will remain winless the longest?
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Jacksonville Jaguars 37% (159)
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35% (149)
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Oakland Raiders 28% (122)
Total votes: 430
Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
Here’s the latest practice squad news from around the NFL..
- The Jaguars have re-signed two players to their practice squad in receiver Kerry Taylor and tight end Marcel Jensen, reports John Oehser of the O-Zone (via Twitter). The team has waived tight end Michael Egnew and linebacker Marcus Whitfield to make room for the new additions.
- The Cardinals have re-signed punter Drew Butler to the practice squad, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). They have released defensive tackle Christian Tupou to make room for Butler.
- The Jets are continuing to upgrade their cornerback position, signing LeQuan Lewis to the 53-man roster from their practice squad, reports Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Another cornerback, Marcus Williams, took Lewis’ spot on the practice squad, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates:
- The 49ers re-signed tight end Asante Cleveland to the practice squad, according to CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Barrows (on Twitter).
- The Saints signed center Alex Parsons to their practice squad and released guard Antoine McClain to make room, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate (on Twitter).
- The Giants announced that they have added former Raiders wide receiver Juron Criner to their practice squad, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter). To make room, they have released fellow wide receiver L’Damian Washington.
- The Buccaneers have filled their practice squad openings by adding fullback/tight end Ian Thompson, linebacker Shayne Skov, and defensive end T.J. Fatinkun, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter). Skov was expected to sign with Tampa Bay following a successful workout.
- The Titans announced on Twitter that they have added quarterback Brad Sorensen to their practice squad and released cornerback Ri’Shard Anderson to make room.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
We’re tracking Tuesday’s minor 53-man roster transactions around the NFL in a separate post, but we’ll use this spot to keep tabs on Tuesday’s practice squad moves. Here’s the latest:
- The Texans have signed punter Chris Boswell to their practice squad, according to James Palmer of CSNHouston.com (on Twitter).
- The Packers have signed offensive lineman Josh Walker to the practice squad, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The team released center Josh Allen to make room on the roster.
- The Chargers signed D.J. Adams and former University of Oregon tight end David Paulson to the practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Saints signed fullback/tight end Orson Charles to their practice squad, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- The Bears have re-signed Josh Bellamy to their practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- The Browns signed wide reciever Lee Doss to their practice squad, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. The move fills the vacancy left by Charles Johnson leaving the Browns’ taxi squad for the Vikings.
- Brandon Smith had a successful tryout for the Jets and they’re expected to sign him to their practice squad, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- Defensive back Josh Victorian has filled the final opening on the Lions‘ practice squad, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- The Redskins have finalized the addition of center Tevita Stevens to their practice squad, and also announced that offensive lineman Braxston Cave has been cut (Twitter link). That leaves the club with nine players on its taxi squad still.
- The Panthers have filled the final opening on their practice squad by bringing aboard wide receiver Willie Snead, according to David Newton of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Snead was cut by the Browns at the end of the preseason.
- After working out for the club earlier today, tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi has signed with the Ravens‘ practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Ogbuehi takes the spot vacated by Phillip Supernaw, who has been promoted to the team’s active roster.
- Offensive lineman Reid Fragel, who was on Indianapolis’ practice squad earlier this season, has signed with the Falcons‘ taxi squad, replacing tackle Terren Jones on the unit, per a team release.
- As part of the flurry of transactions they made today, the Jaguars added fullback Eric Kettani to their practice squad, filling the 10th and final spot, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- The Colts have removed defensive end Nnamdi Obukwelu from their practice squad with an injury settlement, the club announced today in a press release. Linebacker Trevardo Williams takes Obukwelu’s place on the squad.
- With outside linebacker Cordarro Law set to join the Chargers‘ 53-man roster, another outside linebacker – rookie Colton Underwood – will take Law’s spot on San Diego’s practice squad, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Teams around the NFL are shuffling players on and off their 53-man rosters today, and we’ll track all those minor, back-of-the-roster transactions right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Chargers waived/injured cornerback Marcus Cromartie, according to Eric Williams of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Titans have agreed to terms on a contract with tight end Chase Coffman, waiving wideout T.J. Graham to create space on the roster, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- With Dennis Pitta out for the year and heading to injured reserve, the Ravens have promoted tight end Phillip Supernaw from the practice squad to their active roster, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union has the full details on the Jaguars‘ transactions (via Twitter). In addition to the two previously-reported signings – noted below – the team also added tight end Nic Jacobs, who had been on the Saints’ practice squad. To make room for the three incoming players, the club cut tight end Marcel Jensen and wideout Kerry Taylor, and waived-injured safety Chris Prosinski.
- Having cut linebacker Keith Smith from their 53-man roster yesterday, the Cowboys have an open spot, and will use it to bring back defensive end Lavar Edwards, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Smith had been added to the roster in Edwards’ place for this past Sunday’s game due to the absence of injured linebacker Justin Durant.
- Defensive tackle Deandre Coleman has been signed off the Jaguars‘ practice squad by the Dolphins, according to a tweet from Miami’s official account. The Dolphins cut safety Brandian Ross in a corresponding move.
- Linebacker Jeremiah George, who had been on the Jets‘ practice squad, tweeted today that he’s now a Jaguar. The move has yet to be announced by the club, but it appears George will be added to Jacksonville’s 53-man roster. Having also reportedly agreed to a deal with Sherrod Martin, the Jags will have to remove two players from their active roster to finalize the signings.
Jaguars To Re-Sign Sherrod Martin
The Jaguars have struck a deal to bring back safety Sherrod Martin, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Although Wilson classifies the signing as having been completed, Jacksonville will need to cut a player to make room on the 53-man roster for Martin, so the team has yet to officially announce the move.
Martin, who will turn 30 next month, was a second-round pick by the Panthers in 2009, spending the first four seasons of his NFL seasons in Carolina. During that stretch, the Troy alum appeared in 59 games, starting 36, and accumulated 184 tackles to go along with seven interceptions and four forced fumbles. Having signed a futures contract with the Jaguars at the end of the 2013 season, Martin spent the offseason and preseason with the club before being cut when rosters were trimmed from 75 players to 53.
The Jaguars had been in need of some added depth at the safety position after cutting Craig Loston over the weekend and seeing Chris Prosinski suffer an elbow/triceps injury during Sunday’s game against the Colts. Loston is now back on the team’s practice squad, while Prosinski is expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks.