Jemea Thomas

Workout Notes: Patriots, Texans, Bucs, Eagles

Earlier today we learned that the Patriots worked out wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. As it turns out, they also auditioned two other players: running back Isaiah Pead and tight end Nick Kasa (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter).

Pead, 26 in December, was once expected to become a leading rusher for the Rams as the heir apparent to Steven Jackson. Things never worked out that way for the 2012 second-round pick, but he did spent three years and change with the club, playing in 27 games with one start. This year, Pead appeared in just two games and notched two carries for three yards before he was released.

Here’s a rundown of today’s workouts and auditions from around the NFL..

Titans Cut Nine Players

The Titans are down to 65 players, following the team’s latest round of roster cuts. That means that the club will have to make 12 more roster moves in advance of tomorrow afternoon’s deadline in order to get down to 53 players.

Here are the players who were cut by Tennessee today, via a press release:

  • DL Isaako Aaitui
  • CB Ri’Shard Anderson
  • FB Zach Boren
  • LB Kaelin Burnett
  • C Gabe Ikard
  • WR Josh Stewart
  • LB Andy Studebaker
  • DB Jemea Thomas
  • DB Khalid Wooten

In addition to cutting those nine players, the Titans also removed a 10th player from their roster by trading veteran guard Andy Levitre to the Falcons earlier in the day. In a piece for TitansOnline.com, Jim Wyatt explained why the team moved on from Levitre.

Titans Sign Jemea Thomas, Cut Brandon Ghee

The Titans have made a change in their secondary, waiving veteran cornerback Brandon Ghee and signing rookie cornerback Jemea Thomas off the Rams’ practice squad to fill the newly-created opening on their roster, according to the club (via Twitter).

Ghee, 27, saw time in 10 games last season for the Bengals and registered five pass deflections and four tackles. The former third-round pick saw the field in just 23 contests for Cincinnati over the course of his career before spending time with the Chargers this past offseason and then landing with the Titans in October.

In six contests for Tennessee, Ghee made four tackles and grabbed his first career interception. However, he had a subpar game on Sunday against the Texans, allowing 74 yards and a touchdown on passes thrown into his coverage, despite playing just eight defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

As for Thomas, the Georgia Tech product has already bounced around the league a little since being drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of May’s draft. Thomas was cut by New England during the preseason, caught on with the Cowboys’ practice squad, then spent most of the season with St. Louis, either on the Rams’ 53-man roster or taxi squad.

Rams Promote Washington, Sign Williams

2:54pm: The Rams have made a few more moves, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Williams has indeed been added to the active roster, with cornerback Jemea Thomas waived to make room. Additionally, the team has cut wideout Kadron Boone from its practice squad and added offensive lineman Travis Bond.

12:04pm: The Rams have promoted offensive lineman Brandon Washington to the active roster, a league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). In addition to that, the Rams have added wide receiver Emory Blake, offensive tackle Steven Baker, and tight end Justice Cunningham to the practice squad, as Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets.

Washington was one of the final cuts made before the 53-man deadline in late August and was added to the taxi squad soon after. The 6’3″, 320 pound lineman has one game of NFL experience on his resume.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Rams appear poised to continue with just four wide receivers on the active roster. Earlier today, Wagoner tweeted that if and when the Rams add a wide receiver to the active roster, it will be former Dolphins WR Damian Williams. St. Louis recently lost Brian Quick, who was placed on IR, for the year as he was in the midst of a breakout campaign.

Minor Moves: Saturday

Here are today’s minor transactions, with the latest updates at the top of the list:

  • The Raiders are set to activate cornerback D.J. Hayden, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The No. 12 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, Hayden played in eight games as a rookie and started two. The club has filled their other remaining vacancy by signing defensive end Denico Autry to the active roster, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Rams placed Brandon McGee on the injured reserve with a foot injury while replacing him with Jemea Thomas from the practice squad, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. McGee hasn’t played since Week 2.
  • The Dolphins announced (on Twitter) that they have waived wide receiver Damian Williams to make space for Jordan.
  • The Dolphins are moving defensive end Dion Jordan to the active roster today, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. There’s no word yet on a corresponding move, but they’ll have to cut someone to make space. Jordan was recently reinstated from his six-game suspension.
  • The Cardinals signed wide receiver Solomon Patton to their practice squad while cutting fellow WR Jalen Saunders, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.
  • The Ravens waived tight end Ryan Taylor and promoted fellow tight end Phillip Supernaw from the practice squad, tweets Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.
  • The Lions announced that they have suspended defensive tackle C.J. Mosley for two weeks for conduct detrimental to the team and subsquently sent him home from London earlier today. To fill his spot, Detroit has signed safety Jerome Couplin from the practice squad, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter).
  • In addition to center Daniel Kilgore, the 49ers have also placed cornerback Chris Cook on the injured reserve. The team has signed safety Bubba Ventrone to fill one of the two roster spots.
  • The Jaguars have cut wide receiver Tavarres King and signed cornerback Peyton Thompson, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. The writer adds that the move was made as insurance in case injured cornerback Dwayne Gratz can’t play this weekend.
  • Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot tweets that center Nick McDonald was activated from the Browns‘ non-football injury list. To make room on the roster, the team waived tight end Gerell Robinson.

Minor Moves: Friday

Here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including teams adjustments to the backs of their 53-man rosters and to their practice squads:

  • The Giants have waived offensive lineman Eric Herman, tweets Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com. Herman was reinstated from suspension this week, with the team receiving a two-day roster exemption for him. The Giants have elected to cut him rather than place him on the 53-man roster, but if he clears waivers, he’s a candidate for the practice squad.
  • The Lions are set to promote defensive back Mohammed Seisay from their practice squad to their active roster, says Justin Rogers of MLive.com (via Twitter). The club will have to remove a player from its 53-man roster to make it official though, so the move hasn’t yet been finalized. According to Rogers (via Twitter), the team is still mulling that corresponding move, with the IR a possibility for a couple players.
  • Linebacker Terrell Manning has joined the Bears‘ practice squad, replacing wide receiver Greg Herd on the unit, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
  • The Rams have signed cornerback Jemea Thomas to their practice squad, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). To make room, wide receiver and returner Justin Veltung has been cut by the club (Twitter link).
  • Defensive end Shelby Harris has rejoined the Raiders‘ practice squad after clearing waivers, tweets Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. The team will have to cut a player to open up a spot for Harris.

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).

Minor Moves: Tuesday

Here are the latest minor transactions from around the NFL:

5:17pm:

  • The Browns have cut offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann with a failed physical designation, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). That clears a roster spot for Vinston Painter, whose signing was noted below.
  • The following players have been removed from their teams’ respective IR lists with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (all Twitter links): Ryan McKee (Chiefs), Larry Asante (Raiders), Greg Jenkins (Raiders), and Eric Ward (Titans). C.J. Davis (Seahawks) has also been removed from IR with a settlement, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

4:44pm:

  • The Jets have signed linebacker Jeremiah George and wideout Quincy Enunwa to their practice squad, the team announced today (via Twitter). New York selected the duo in the fifth and sixth rounds of this year’s draft, respectively.

4:13pm:

  • The Panthers have signed former Jets wideout Stephen Hill to their practice squad, cutting linebacker D.J. Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link). According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Redskins will also interested in bringing Hill in for a workout, but Carolina offered him a deal.
  • The Cardinals have added wideout Kevin Cone, defensive tackle Christian Tupou, and running back Dominique Williams to their practice squad, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
  • Tight end Jerome Cunningham has signed with the Giants‘ practice squad, according to agent Howard Shatsky (via Twitter).
  • The Chargers filled their practice squad by adding running back Marion Grice, who cleared waivers after being cut yesterday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Cowboys have also filled their 10-man squad, adding offensive lineman John Wetzel and defensive back Jemea Thomas, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Presumably, one of the 10 players on the unit will be cut tomorrow if the team intends to bring Michael Sam aboard.
  • A.J. Jefferson of the Seahawks and Justice Cunningham of the Rams have both been removed from injured reserve lists with settlements, according to Caplan and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter links).

3:28pm:

  • According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter), the Browns are signing offensive lineman Vinston Painter off the Broncos‘ practice squad, which will open up a spot on the 10-man unit for long snapper Kevin McDermott, whose signing was noted below. Cleveland will need to make a corresponding roster move to clear room for Painter.
  • The Redskins made a series of changes to their practice squad today, signing offensive lineman Braxston Cave and linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat. Linebacker Chaz Sutton and offensive lineman Tevita Stevens were cut.
  • Offensive lineman Matt Patchan has been removed from the Buccaneers‘ injured reserve list with a settlement, says Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).

1:23pm:

  • A number of teams have filled their 10-man practice squads by adding a player. The Jaguars signed tight end Marcel Jensen, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter); the Bills signed tight end D.J. Tialavea, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com; the Bengals signed wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (via Twitter); and the Browns officially announced the signing of fullback Kiero Small, which had been previously reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • A pair of clubs also swapped in one player for another on their practice squads. The Dolphins signed defensive end Gerald Rivers and dropped defensive end D’Aundre Reed, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). And the Vikings signed offensive lineman Austin Wentworth to their squad to replace cornerback Kendall James, the team announced (via Twitter).
  • The Broncos are also making an addition to their practice squad, in long snapper Kevin McDermott, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter). But Denver already had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait to hear about the corresponding move.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) provide the respective details for Ray McDonald‘s contract restructure with the 49ers and Glover Quin‘s reworked deal with the Lions.
  • The Buccaneers intend to open up a roster spot by placing running back Charles Sims on their injured reserve list with the designation to return, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Teams can begin to use that IR spot as of 3:00pm central time today.
  • Cornerback Bobby Felder has been removed from the Bills‘ injured reserve list after reaching a settlement with the team, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550.

Minor Moves: Monday

We’ll keep track of today’s minor transactions here, with any updates being added to the top of the post:

  • After cutting one linebacker earlier today, the Jets have signed another, adding A.J. Edds, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Edds, 26, was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 draft by the Patriots. To clear a roster spot, New York released cornerback Ellis Lankster.

Earlier Updates:

  • The Seahawks have swapped out a pair of receivers by signing Bryan Walters while waiving Phil Bates, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Walters, 26, had been waived Saturday as Seattle trimmed their roster to 53, but he’s now back with the team.
  • The Cowboys officially announced the signing of linebacker Korey Toomer, and in order to clear a roster spot, waived safety Jemea Thomas, tweets Brian McIntyre. Dallas claimed Thomas, a 2014 sixth-round pick, off waivers from New England just five days ago.
  • Receiver Kyle Williams was released from the Chiefs’ injured reserve list with an injury settlement, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Williams, whose most notable playing time came with the 49ers, suffered a shoulder injury in Kansas City’s final preseason game.
  • The Jets claimed receiver Walter Powell off waivers from the Cardinals, tweets Symmetry Reps, his agency. To make room for Powell, the Jets cut Jeremiah George, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
  • The Patriots were awarded safety Don Jones off waivers from the Dolphins, reports Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). Jones was in the news during the offseason after making inflammatory comments about Michael Sam. New England waived guard Chris Barker to clear a roster spot.
  • The Raiders have placed linebacker Kaelin Burnett on injured reserve, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN; the 24-year-old Nevada product had been dealing with a knee injury.
  • The following players were released from their teams’ respective IR lists with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (series of Twitter links): offensive tackle Matt Patchan (Buccaneers); cornerback Justin Green, defensive tackle Zach Minter, and defensive back Johnny Thomas (Cowboys); linebacker Tim Fugger (Jets); defensive tackle Michael Brooks and linebacker Horace Miller (Seahawks).

Minor Moves: Wednesday

A day after 2014’s deadline for rosters to be reduced from 90 players to 75, the transactions wire isn’t nearly as busy today, but things will undoubtedly pick up soon, with the deadline for 53-man rosters just three days away. In the meantime, here are a few of Wednesday’s minor moves from around the league:

  • Running back Demitrius Bronson was one of the Seahawks‘ roster casualties earlier this week, but with Christine Michael nursing a hamstring injury, Seattle has re-signed Bronson for the team’s final preseason game this week, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links). Center Greg Van Roten has been cut to clear space on the roster.
  • The Cowboys claimed defensive back Jemea Thomas off waivers from the Patriots today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Georgia Tech product was a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft. As Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets, Dallas waived wideout Tim Benford to open up a roster spot.
  • Cornerback Danny Gorrer has been released off the Buccaneers‘ injured reserve list with a settlement, says Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).