Minor Moves: Monday
We’ll keep tabs of today’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Dolphins have signed Marcus Thigpen to their practice squad, writes Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel. Thigpen spent one week on the Patriots’ practice squad beore being cut last week. Thigpen, a former CFL standout, contributed 1,910 kickoff return yards, 580 punt return yards, and scored three touchdowns for the Dolphins in the past two seasons.
- The Redskins will sign center Tevita Stevens to their practice squad tomorrow, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones, who injured his wrist last night, has been placed on Pittsburgh’s injured reserve list with the designation to return, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). The designation means that Jones will be sidelined for at least the next eight weeks of game action.
- In advance of tonight’s game against the Jets, the Bears have waived wide receiver Josh Bellamy and promoted linebacker Terrell Manning from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- Linebacker Keith Smith has been cut by the Cowboys, the team officially announced today (via Twitter). For now, the club has an opening on its 53-man roster.
- The Ravens are filling the 10th and final opening on their practice squad by re-adding defensive tackle A.J. Pataiali’i, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- After being cut from the team’s active roster before this weekend’s contest against the Colts, safety Craig Loston has rejoined the Jaguars‘ practice squad, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson is set to join the Vikings‘ practice squad, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). When the move becomes official, Minnesota will need to cut or promote someone off the practice squad to clear a spot for Bethel-Thompson.
- The Buccaneers have removed Rashaan Melvin from their injured reserve list with a settlement, says Wilson (via Twitter).
Florida Notes: Tannehill, Dolphins, Jaguars
Matt Moore is one of the highest-paid backup quarterbacks in the league, and the Dolphins may be reaching a point where they’re not just paying him to sit on the bench. According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, after another poor performance from Ryan Tannehill on Sunday, the club is mulling the possibility of changing quarterbacks. As Salguero notes, head coach Joe Philbin was evasive when asked about Tannehill’s job security today, and while a change isn’t necessarily imminent, the team is at least considering it.
If Tannehill were to lose his job, it wouldn’t bode well for his next contract. After this season, the Dolphins will have to make a decision on the signal-caller’s fifth-year option for 2016, and could even sign him to an extension if they so choose. While that option would almost certainly be exercised if Tannehill has a big 2014, it’s not looking good at the moment for him.
Here’s more on Tannehill, along with a couple more items on the NFL’s Florida teams….
- Predictably, Tannehill was one of the three players Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap named in his weekly look at players whose potential future earnings have taken a hit based on their recent performances.
- While the Dolphins haven’t looked great on the offensive side of the ball over the last two weeks, the defense hasn’t been any better, and according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, Miami players are getting frustrated. One source tells Beasley that many of the defenders are “beyond furious, irate” with defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle‘s game plans and play calls.
- Assuming Blake Bortles stays healthy and remains the No. 1 quarterback in Jacksonville, the Jaguars will receive a $1.25MM credit on their cap, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Those savings would be a result of Chad Henne not reaching the playing-time incentives on his deal with the club.
Bridgewater, Bortles In Line To Start
Two quarterbacks chosen at opposite ends of the first round this offseason got their first opportunities at some live game action this Sunday. The Vikings traded back into the tail end of the first round to select Teddy Bridgewater, but did not give him the starting job many fans and pundits believed he earned coming out of the preseason.
Today, Matt Cassel was forced out of the matchup against the Saints with a broken foot. Bridgewater came into the game and failed to ignite the offense. Completing 12 of his 20 passes for 150 yards, he was able to survive, but not thrive, in his NFL debut. Considering the success that Matt Ryan and Brian Hoyer had against what looked to be an overrated Saints’ defense, Bridgewater came up short. Without Cassel for the immediate future, the team will have to play Bridgewater whether they want to or not, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
The Vikings struggled on offense the last two weeks without Adrian Peterson, but rolled to a huge blowout victory over the Rams with their starting running back in week one. With Peterson tied up in his child abuse case, he will not be back with the team for a significant amount of time if at all. Bridgewater will get his first start this Sunday at home against the Falcons.
Blake Bortles was selected third overall, and like his counterpart in Minnesota, the Jaguars took a patient approach with him. The plan was to use his rookie season to leave him on the bench and groom him to take over the team in 2015. That plan was accelerated during the blowout loss to the Colts.
Chad Henne completed only four of seven passes for 33 yards in the first half, before being replaced by Bortles. The fans in Jacksonville have been waiting to see their future play, and now that he has, the sense is that they will not go back to Henne, writes Michael DiRocco of ESPN.
Bortles completed 14 of 24 passes for 223 yards, and added two touchdowns to go with two interceptions in garbage time of the 44-17 defeat. He should have a difficult assignment should he get his first start next week on the road against the Chargers, a difficult place for a team with a rookie quarterback to look to lead his team to the first win of the season.
Minor Moves: Saturday
We’ll keep tabs on all of Saturday’s NFL transactions here, with the latest moves at the top…
- The Lions have cut veteran wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The move opened up room for practice squad cornerback Mohammed Seisay, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Raiders have signed linebacker Bojay Filomeatu from their practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- The 49ers have promoted tight end Asante Cleveland to their active roster, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). The team released quarterback Josh Johnson to make room.
- The Dolphins have signed safety Brandian Ross from their practice squad to the active roster, reports James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). They released defensive lineman Bruce Gaston to make room.
- The Ravens have cut wide receiver Deonte Thompson, and signed running back Fitzgerald Toussaint from their practice squad, according to the team’s official Twitter page.
Earlier updates:
- The Vikings announced that they have signed wide receiver Charles Johnson from the Browns practice squad. Johnson will take Adrian Peterson‘s spot on the roster.
- The Lions will sign cornerback Mohammed Seisay from their practice squad, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer tweets that the Panthers have promoted running back Darrin Reaves from their practice squad to take Greg Hardy‘s roster spot.
- The Cowboys announced (via Twitter) that the team has waived defensive end Lavar Edwards and signed linebacker Keith Smith from the practice squad. Edwards, a former fourth-round pick, was acquired from the Titans in late August. He’s only played 15 snaps in two games this season. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com tweets that the release does not void the trade with Tennessee, noting that the Cowboys have to give up a seventh-rounder if Edwards stays on the roster for ten games. However, Archer also notes that Edwards will likely be back.
- The Jaguars have signed wide receiver Kerry Taylor from their practice squad, the team announced. To make room, the team waived rookie safety Craig Loston. Taylor has 22 career receptions for 229 yards and one touchdown. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that Taylor is injury-insurance for wideouts Cecil Shorts and Allen Hurns.
AFC Mailbags: Jaguars, Ravens, Colts, Raiders
It’s Saturday, and that means a fresh batch of ESPN.com NFL mailbags. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from the AFC…
- The Jaguars have rookie Telvin Smith waiting in the wings, but Michael DiRocco thinks the team still needs an upgrade at linebacker.
- Looking forward to next year’s draft, DiRocco opines that the Jaguars should focus on drafting a pass rusher. The writer suggests Randy Gregory (Nebraska), Shane Ray (Missouri), and Shilique Calhoun (Michigan State).
- Even with wideout Steve Smith‘s presence, Jamison Hensley says it would be “shocking” if the Ravens don’t extend Torrey Smith.
- Mike Wells would be surprised if the Colts signed defensive end Michael Sam from the Cowboys practice squad. To thrive in the team’s defense, the writer says that Sam would need to learn to play outside linebacker.
- If the Raiders lose to the Patriots this weekend, coach Dennis Allen will certainly be feeling some pressure, writes Bill Williamson.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
We’ll round up Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts right here, with the latest news added to the top of the list throughout the day….
- The Chiefs have signed fullback Jordan Campbell and tight end Justin Jones to the practice squad, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). To make room, they have released cornerback Robert Steeples.
- The Cowboys announced (via Twitter) that they have released cornerback Jemea Thomas from the p-squad and re-signed fullback Nikita Whitlock.
- Running back Edwin Baker has replaced cornerback Trevin Wade on the Saints‘ practice squad, tweets Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- Defensive end James Davidson, who was in camp with the Bengals, is set to fill the 10th and final spot on the Giants‘ practice squad, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Rams have removed linebacker Kevin Reddick from their practice squad, says Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
- The Chiefs have cut tight end Adam Schiltz from their practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- Besides confirming the previously reported re-signing of linebacker Darius Fleming to their practice squad, the Patriots also announced several more moves today. Offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann and defensive lineman Kona Schwenke are now part of the club’s 10-man unit, while defensive lineman Cam Henderson and running back Marcus Thigpen have been cut.
- The Browns have signed linebacker Allen Bradford to their practice squad, cutting wideout Ifeanyi Momah, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Safety Josh Aubrey has taken the place of wide receiver Travis Labhart on the Texans‘ practice squad, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link).
- The Redskins announced today (via Twitter) they’ve signed defensive lineman Hebron Fangupo to their practice squad, cutting another defensive lineman, Dennis Hopkins, to clear an opening.
- Defensive tackle Roy Philon has re-signed with the Bears‘ practice squad, leaving the team with three openings on the taxi squad, the team confirmed (via Twitter).
- The Panthers have signed former Redskins’ sixth-round running back Lache Seastrunk to their practice squad, the team announced today (Twitter link).
- Offensive lineman Emmett Cleary has joined the Bengals‘ practice squad, replacing tight end Ryan Otten on the unit, according to the club (via Twitter).
- The Colts have swapped one guard for another on their practice squad, dropping Josh Walker and signing David Arkin, the team announced in a press release.
- After promoting tight end Marcel Jensen to their 53-man roster, the Jaguars have filled the 10th and final spot on their practice squad by adding offensive tackle Cody Booth, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- Fullback Zach Line, waived from the 53-man roster over the weekend, has joined the Vikings‘ practice squad, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
- The 49ers made several changes to their practice squad last night. In addition to confirming the signing of tight end Xavier Grimble, which was previously reported, the club also signed cornerback Leon McFadden, dropping linebacker Shayne Skov and defensive back Chance Casey to make room, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter).
Jags Cut Cameron Bradfield; Lewis To IR-DTR
1:29pm: In addition to waiving Bradfield, the Jaguars have also placed tight end Marcedes Lewis on injured reserve with the designation to return, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com. The moves opened up two spots on the club’s 53-man roster, which Jacksonville filled by signing wideout Tavarres King from the Panthers’ practice squad and promoting tight end Marcel Jensen from the Jags’ own practice squad (Twitter link).
12:48pm: A week after their offensive line allowed Chad Henne to be sacked 10 times by the Redskins, the Jaguars are making some changes. According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter), the team has cut starting right tackle Cameron Bradfield.
Bradfield, who turned 27 on Sunday, didn’t have a great birthday — according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he was responsible for two of the 10 sacks on Henne, and also allowed three additional quarterback pressures. The -5.1 grade for the game, on top of Week 1’s -2.5 mark, made him one of the league’s worst tackles through two weeks, per PFF. Unfortunately, that’s nothing new for the Grand Valley State product. His -29.1 mark in 2013 made him a bottom-five tackle in the NFL, out of 76 qualified players at the position.
The Jaguars inked Bradfield to a two-year contract extension in March, so they’ll be on the hook for a little dead money as a result of the move. However, that contract didn’t include a signing bonus, so the effect on the club’s 2015 cap will be limited. Sam Young and Austin Pasztor are among the in-house candidates to replace Bradfield at right tackle, and the team will also have an open roster spot to add another player, though it remains to be seen if that will be another lineman.
Minor Moves: Monday
We’ll round up Monday’s minor transactions right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- Two days after promoting him to their 53-man roster, the Lions have waived safety Nate Ness, says Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ness was placed back on the practice squad this evening, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter).
- The Bears announced that they have signed sixth-round rookie quarterback David Fales to their practice squad and re-signed fullback Tony Fiammetta to the active roster, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
- The 49ers are set to sign Xavier Grimble to their practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- The Buccaneers have finalized a little roster shuffling, promoting linebacker Brandon Magee to their 53-man roster and signing linebacker Ka’Lial Glaud to take his place on the practice squad. To create an opening for Magee, the club has waived-injured cornerback Rashaan Melvin (Twitter link via Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com).
- Defensive tackle Matt Conrath has been cut by the Rams, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). No corresponding move has been reported yet, but the team could be opening up a roster spot for wideout Stedman Bailey, who appears poised to be reinstated.
- Bengals cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris, who is returning from a suspension this week, has joined the team’s roster, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Cincinnati gets a two-day exemption for Lewis-Harris, though by our count the club had an opening on its 53-man roster anyway.
- Linebacker Darius Fleming (Patriots) and defensive end Chris Smith (Jaguars) have passed through waivers and re-signed with their respective clubs’ practice squads, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald and Caplan, respectively (Twitter links).
- The Giants have removed defensive end Jordan Stanton from their practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- The Ravens have signed cornerback Lou Young to fill the 10th and final spot on their practice squad, according to a team release.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
More Injury Updates: Monday
We passed along one round of Monday injury updates earlier today, and since then we’ve learned that the Bears will be placing Charles Tillman on their injured reserve list with a season-ending triceps injury. There are still plenty of items to round up this afternoon though, so let’s dive right in….
- Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis sustained a high ankle sprain yesterday and is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action, the team announced today (Twitter link). That recovery timeline could make Lewis a candidate for the injured reserve list with the designation to return.
- Jamaal Charles also appears to have suffered a high ankle sprain, though Chiefs head coach Andy Reid indicated today that it “doesn’t look to be a real severe one,” according to B.J. Kissel of KCChiefs.com (via Twitter). The timetable for Charles’ return isn’t yet clear, but it looks like Knile Davis will probably get the nod for Kansas City in Week 3.
- Per Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network (Twitter link), Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said today that it’s too early to predict a return date for Robert Griffin III, but Gruden expects the signal-caller to return this season and says he isn’t an IR candidate.
- Rams wideout Tavon Austin has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and is expected to miss a couple weeks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- Dolphins guard Shelley Smith will also be sidelined for two to four weeks due to a grade two knee sprain, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
AFC Links: Gordon, Patriots, Moreno, Bortles
If Josh Gordon is allowed to play this season (as expected), he will then only be under contract through 2015, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (Twitter link). Had Gordon’s suspension been upheld, and he had been forced to sit out the entire year, his contract would have tolled, meaning the Browns would have controlled his rights through the 2016 season. Instead, Gordon will earn $1.068MM in 2015 and then hit free agency unless an extension is worked out. If his 2014 ban is reduced to ten games as reported, he will earn 7/17 of that salary (~$440K) in base salary this season. Here’s more from around the AFC.
- Defensive lineman Kona Schwenke, who was waived from the Chiefs’ practice squad on Thursday, worked out for the Patriots today, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter). At 6’4″, 303 pounds, the 22-year-old Schweneke has the size required to play in New England’s multiple defensive fronts.
- Patriots offensive lineman Ryan Wendell has $200K in gameday active roster bonuses included in his contract — he’s already been ruled out for tomorrow’s game, meaning he will miss out on $12,500K, per Reiss (on Twitter).
- In a piece for Athlon Sports, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News examines 10 offseason moves that look regrettable following Week 1. Atop the scribe’s list is the Broncos’ decision to let Knowshon Moreno defect to the Dolphins. Moreno reportedly didn’t receive interest from any other team besides Miami, so it’s hard to quibble with Denver’s lack of interest in retaining the veteran running back. Still, Moreno did perform well on Sunday, rushing for 134 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots.
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union wonders when the Jaguars should transition to rookie quarterback Blake Bortles, arguing that it should be after Jacksonville wins it first game, so that the pressure on Bortles isn’t as extreme.