Jeremy Butler

Bills Cut QB T.J. Yates From IR

The Bills released T.J. Yates from IR today, according to the NFL’s transactions wire. The quarterback will be free to sign with any team once he recovers from his concussion. "<strong

Yates and starter Tyrod Taylor were both knocked out of action with concussions in August, but only Taylor was able to recover in time for the season opener. The Bills could have brought Yates off of IR after eight weeks, but it appears that Buffalo is comfortable with their current trio of Taylor, rookie Nathan Peterman, and recent addition Joe Webb.

Yates, 30, has only seven regular season starts on his resume. He does, however, have two playoff starts to his credit thanks to his time with the Texans.

With Yates out of the picture, the Bills have only two players on IR: wide receiver Jeremy Butler and tight end Keith Towbridge.

Bills Cut 30 Players, Reach 53-Man Limit

The Bills have reached the 53-man max in advance of the deadline. Here’s the full rundown of their moves, courtesy of the team.

Released:

Released with injury settlement:

Waived/Injured:

Placed on IR:

Reserve/Suspended:

Bills To Sign WR Jeremy Butler

Former Chargers receiver Jeremy Butler is signing a one-year deal today with the Bills, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. "<strong

Butler was non-tendered by Los Angeles last week. Butler appeared in four games last season for the Bolts and caught only two passes for eleven yards. In between his time with the Ravens and Chargers, he had a brief stint with the Jets.

The 25-year-old (26 in April) appeared in eight games in 2015, collecting 31 catches for 363 yards. Extrapolated to a full season, those are some pretty solid numbers. That’s likely the kind of playing time and production he’s shooting for in 2017 with Buffalo. The Bills now have a quality receiver to help support star Sammy Watkins. The rest of the WR depth chart isn’t exactly star studded. Philly Brown (newly signed), Dezmin Lewis, Walt Powell, and Kolby Listenbee are the team’s other receivers under contract.

Butler’s departure still leaves the Chargers with Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, and Travis Benjamin as their three best wide receivers. Butler would have slotted no higher than the team’s WR4 had he re-signed.

Free Agency Rumors: Steelers, Cards, Bills

The latest free agent news:

  • Cornerback Davon House will visit with the Steelers on Monday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). House was let go by Jacksonville earlier this month. Green Bay reportedly reached out to him about a reunion, but we haven’t heard much on that front in recent days.
  • Steelers free agent linebacker Jarvis Jones is visiting today with the Cardinals, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Steelers remain interested, however, and the two sides are still in discussions. We had Jones ranked as one of the fifteen best edge defenders heading into the opening of free agency last week. The former first-round pick hasn’t justified his high selection in the draft, but he has been pretty solid against the run.
  • The Bills are holding free agent visits with former Green Bay linebacker Jayrone Elliott and former Bolts wide receiver Jeremy Butler, according to a team announcement. Both players were non-tendered by their respective former clubs. Butler appeared in four games last season and caught two passes for eleven yards. In eleven games with Green Bay last year, Elliott had one sack and 12 total tackles.
  • The Broncos have interest in Saints free agent defensive end Kasim Edebali, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. Edebali could provide depth and special teams experience for Denver. He was non-tendered by New Orleans last week.
  • Cardinals free agent outside linebacker Alex Okafor is visiting the Saints today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Okafor played through a painful torn bicep injury last season.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/7/17

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted and exclusive rights free agents. All RFA tenders listed are original round/right of first refusal (worth $1.797MM), and all links go to Twitter:

RFAs:

Tendered:

Non-Tendered:

ERFAs:

Tendered:

Non-Tendered:

Chargers Claim WR Jeremy Butler

The Chargers announced today that they’ve claimed wide receiver Jeremy Butler off waivers from the Jets. In order to create a roster spot, San Diego has waived fellow pass-catcher Isaiah Burse.Jeremy Butler (vertical)

[RELATED: San Diego Chargers Depth Chart]

Reports last week indicated that the Chargers were open to adding a wide receiver to their roster, and while the club still may be willing to engage in trade talks, they’ve brought Butler aboard without sacrificing assets. Of course, Butler clearly isn’t a superb offensive weapon and will likely spend most of his time on special teams, but he gives San Diego some depth while it awaits the results of tests on Travis Benjamin‘s PCL injury (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).

Butler, 25, joined the Jets this offseason following two seasons with the Ravens. The former undrafted free agent has yet to see the field in 2016, but he was relatively productive in Baltimore last season. Butler appeared in eight games in 2015, collecting 31 catches for 363 yards.

Burse, who was just promoted from the practice squad over the weekend, has 13 games of NFL experience under his belt — he played in one contest with the Chargers last season, and spent 12 games on Denver’s roster the year prior. He’s never caught an NFL pass, and has mostly contributed as a special teams player. Burse was the Broncos’ primary punt returner in 2014, averaging 7.3 yards per return on 29 chances.

Jets Activate Breno Giacomini, Waive Jeremy Butler

The Jets could be receiving some offensive line reinforcement as soon as this weekend. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), the Jets have activated right tackle Breno Giacomini from the physically unable to perform list. To make room on the roster, the team has waived wideout Jeremy Butler.

Breno Giacomini (vertical)Giacomini will be a welcome addition to an offensive line that has been middle-of-the-road this season in regards to sacks and rushing yards. The 31-year-old joined the Jets in 2014, and he proceeded to start all 32 games over the previous two seasons. The tackle, who has also spent time with the Seahawks and Packers, has made 73 career appearances (65 starts). It’s uncertain whether Giacomini will immediately replace starters Ryan Clady or Ben Ijalana, although it’s worth noting that center Nick Mangold in doubtful for this weekend’s game.

Butler, 25, joined the Jets this offseason following two seasons with the Ravens. The former undrafted free agent has yet to see the field this year, but he was relatively productive in Baltimore last season. The Tennessee-Martin product appeared in eight games in 2015, collecting 31 catches for 363 yards. The wideout also had a brief stint with the Buccaneers, and Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times wonders (via Twitter) if the team may give Butler a second look.

Jets Claim WR Jeremy Butler

The Jets have claimed wide receiver Jeremy Butler off waivers from the Buccaneers, as Mike Florio of PFT tweets. The Bucs were likely hoping to re-sign Butler to their practice squad. The Jets have confirmed the move. To make room, the Jets will release fellow wide receiver Jeremy Ross. "<strong

The Buccaneers promoted Butler to the active roster last week. Then, over the weekend, he was dropped to make room for linebacker Cameron Lynch on the active roster. The former undrafted free agent previously spent time with the Ravens, where he collected 31 receptions for 363 yards in eight games last season.

The Jets were without both Eric Decker and Jalin Marshall in Week 5 and there’s still no concrete return date for either player. Now, Butler joins the depth chart behind healthy receivers Brandon Marshall, Quincy Enunwa, Bobby Anderson, Charone Peake.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Buccaneers Promote Cameron Lynch, Waive Jeremy Butler

As the Buccaneers prepare for their Monday night matchup against the Panthers, they’ve made a minor roster move. According to Roy Cummings of WFLA News Channel 8 in Tampa Bay (via Twitter), the Bucs have promoted linebacker Cameron Lynch to the active roster. To make room on the roster, the team has waived wideout Jeremy Butler.

Cameron LynchLynch, a 2015 undrafted free agent out of Syracuse, spent last season with the Rams. The linebacker contributed mostly on special teams, collecting four tackles in 16 games. The 23-year-old was cut during the Rams’ final roster cuts, and he landed on the Buccaneers’ practice squad in mid-September. Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times notes (via Twitter) that the Bucs decided against promoting a defensive lineman, an indication that one of Robert Ayers, Noah Spence, or Clinton McDonald should be able to play on Monday.

The Buccaneers promoted Butler to the active roster earlier this week. The former undrafted free agent previously spent time with the Ravens, where he collected 31 receptions for 363 yards in eight games last season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/4/16

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Bills have released tight end Jim Dray and promoted fellow tight end Gerald Christian from the practice squad, the club announced today. Dray, 29, is a seven-year veteran who inked a one-year deal with Buffalo over the offseason. Though he’s posted 56 career receptions, Dray didn’t garner a single target with the Bills.
  • The Browns announced that they have promoted tight end Connor Hamlett from the practice squad while waiving safety Don Jones. Jones had been a key special teams cog for Cleveland, but he hadn’t received a single defensive snap thus far.
  • The Lions waived tight end Orson Charles, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Detroit signed another tight end — veteran Clay Harbor — earlier today, so Charles is no longer need on the roster.
  • The Colts announced that they have promoted rookie linebacker Trevor Bates from the practice squad to the active roster. With veteran Sio Moore out of the picture after being cut earlier today, it’s possible that Bates could carve out a role.
  • The Buccaneers promoted wide receiver Jeremy Butler to the active roster. In eight games with Baltimore last season, Butler posted 31 receptions for 363 yards.