Jordan Hill

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/17

Today’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

  • Waived: DE Caleb Kidder
  • Waived/injured: TE Matt Lengel

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC Notes: Rams, Eagles, Cards, Saints

Connor Barwin‘s decision to sign with the Rams last week came thanks in part to the presence of new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the edge rusher told the Associated Press. “Wade did a lot for me in the two years I was with Houston,” said Barwin, who played under Phillips as a Texan from 2011-12. “He taught me so much about being a pro, enjoying being around the game every single day, and he really elevated my game as a pass rusher.” Barwin only hit free agency in the first place because the Eagles released him, which came after he rejected a pay cut. While the 30-year-old said in December he’d be open to reducing his $7.5MM salary for 2017 to remain with the Eagles, their offer was “far below” what he thought he’d get on the market, per the AP. Ultimately, the Rams gave Barwin a one-year deal worth a max of $6.5MM.

More from the NFC:

  • Cardinals general manager Steve Keim likes North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky, according to the Arizona Republic’s Dan Bickley, who writes that the executive is facing a dilemma entering the draft. The Cardinals need a long-term answer under center, meaning choosing Trubisky or another signal-caller with the 13th overall pick is a possibility. However, using a first-rounder on a player who won’t help in 2017 isn’t going to benefit a team whose window could be closing as starting QB Carson Palmer, top wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and head coach Bruce Arians near the end of the line. At the same time, though, Keim doesn’t want to be left without a potential successor to the soon-to-be 38-year-old Palmer if he retires after next season. That might end up being the case if Keim doesn’t grab a quarterback in the early rounds.
  • The Eagles have picked up two established receivers in Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith this offseason, but Paul Domowitch of Philly.com could still envision the team selecting a wideout in Round 1 of the draft. Jeffery and Smith might not be Eagles beyond next season, for one, while Jordan Matthews is on track to hit free agency next March. So, while Philadelphia’s receiving corps looks like a strength right now, it lacks long-term certainty.
  • The Saints converted left tackle Terron Armstead‘s $5MM roster bonus to a signing bonus, thereby creating $4MM in cap room for 2017, reports Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). The move doesn’t come without a penalty, though, as the Saints will add $1MM in cap charges in each season from from 2018-21 – the final four years of Armstead’s contract.
  • Defensive tackle Jordan Hill‘s contract with the Lions is a minimum salary benefit deal worth $775K, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. The pact comes with $45K in guarantees, a $40K signing bonus, and another $40K if he makes the Lions’ 53-man roster.

Lions Sign DT Jordan Hill

The Lions announced that they have signed defensive Jordan Hill. Terms of the 26-year-old’s deal are not yet known.Jordan Hill (vertical)

Hill spent the first few years of his career with the Seahawks but was released from their IR in October. He later hooked on with the Redskins but was waived before he could ever take the field for D.C. The Jaguars quickly scooped him up and he wound up seeing time in four games for Jacksonville.

Hill had 5.5 sacks for the Seahawks in 2014 but he has yet to replicate that kind of production. For what it’s worth, Hill did get a solid 74.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2015.

The Lions are projected to start veteran Haloti Ngata and rising sophomore A’Shawn Robinson at the defensive tackle spots. Hill will hope to join free agent pickup Akeem Spence and the newly re-signed Khyri Thornton in support.

Jaguars Move Marcedes Lewis To IR

Marcedes Lewis‘ 11th NFL season will conclude early after the Jaguars placed the veteran tight end on IR Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The former first-round pick sustained a calf injury against the Lions, bringing his season to a close after 10 games. Jacksonville claimed defensive tackle Jordan Hill off waivers from the Redskins to fill Lewis’ roster spot, Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk reports.

This will be just the second time in Lewis’ career he’s failed to play in 11 games during a season. Only in 2014 did he fall short of reaching the double-figure threshold for games played, with an ankle injury shelving him for eight games that season. The following offseason, the Jags signed Julius Thomas, leading many to believe the longest-tenured tight end in franchise history would be cut. But Lewis restructured his contract and has tacked on two more seasons to his stay in north Florida.

The 32-year-old tight end actually increased his reception total from a 2015 season in which he played 16 games, hauling in 20 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown this fall. Although, the 8.5 yards per catch is the lowest of Lewis’ career.

A 12th Lewis season in Jacksonville would cost the Jags $4.25MM. With Thomas set to earn $8.3MM, it shouldn’t be considered a lock Lewis will be back, even though the auxiliary tight end is signed through 2018.

Washington became the second team to cut Hill, doing so on Saturday after the Seahawks jettisoned the former rotational defensive lineman from its IR list earlier this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/19/16

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • On a day that featured more impactful Steelers transactions, the team promoted running back Daryl Richardson from its practice squad, Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. Richardson’s being promoted to compensate for DeAngelo Williams‘ second straight absence with a knee injury. The former Rams contributor has taken two handoffs this season, now Richardson’s fifth, gaining seven yards.
  • Once given a chance to win a starting inside linebacker job with the Packers, Carl Bradford will return to Green Bay’s active roster after logging extensive time on its practice squad, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. The third-year linebacker will replace tight end Justin Perillo, whom the team cut as it prepares for the likely return of Jared Cook. A former fourth-round pick in 2014, Bradford has yet to play in a regular-season game.
  • To make room for their addition of long snapper Rick Lovato, the Redskins cut defensive tackle Jordan Hill, John Keim of ESPN.com reports. Washington signed Hill, a former regular rotation player in Seattle, earlier this month after the Seahawks cut him from their IR list.
  • The Bears promoted defensive lineman Jimmy Staten from their practice squad and cut cornerback De’Vante Bausby, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Sun-Times reports (on Twitter). Like Hill, Staten is a former Seahawks draft choice, arriving in Seattle via fifth-round pick in 2014. A product of Division II Pittsburg State, Bausby has a seven-tackle game to his credit during his rookie season, making seven stops against the Packers last month.
  • The Giants promoted interior offensive lineman Shane McDermott off their practice squad and waived linebacker Deontae Skinner, James Kratch of NJ.com tweets. A guard/center, McDermott could be insurance for interior-line backup Adam Gettis, Kratch notes, for a Giants team that recently lost Justin Pugh and Brett Jones. McDermott has yet to play in an NFL game. Skinner hasn’t played in one since 2014, when he played in seven and started in one for the Patriots.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/8/16

The Redskins have signed defensive lineman Jordan Hill, who was one of several players to audition for the Jets on Monday. The ex-Seahawk is going to the NFC East instead, though, and will reunite with former Seattle executive/current Redskins general manager Scot McCoughlan. The Seahawks selected Hill in the third round of the 2013 draft, and he went on to appear in 27 of their regular-season games and record seven sacks (5.5 in 2014) before they released him from injured reserve last month.

More minor moves from Tuesday:

  • The Texans have promoted offensive lineman Josh Walker to their active roster, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Walker went undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State in 2014 and spent the first two years of his career with the Colts and Packers. He suited up for 13 of Green Bay’s games last year, though the team cut him in September. Walker then signed with Houston’s practice squad last month.
  • The Colts waived rookie wide receiver Tevaun Smith, an undrafted free agent from Iowa. Smith was on the Colts’ active roster for two games.
  • The Chargers have waived cornerback Steve Williams, thus ending his second stint with the team. Williams, a 2013 fifth-round pick from Cal, appeared in 27 games with the Bolts over his first two seasons. He spent the early portion of this year with the Rams, who waived him Sept. 23, and then rejoined the Chargers last month. To take Williams’ roster spot, the Bolts will sign wideout Geremy Davis of the Giants’ practice squad, reports Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
  • The Bears have cut offensive lineman Cornelius Edison, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Edison, who had been with Chicago since last year, could end up re-signing with its practice squad, according to Biggs.
  • The Packers have waived defensive end Tyler Kuder from injured reserve, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The undrafted rookie from Idaho State went on IR on Sept. 3.

Jets Work Out DT Sammie Lee Hill

The Jets auditioned defensive tackles Sammie Lee Hill, Jordan Hill, and Lawrence Virgil, as well as offensive tackle Arturo Uzdavinis today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Sammie Lee Hill (Vertical)

[RELATED: Jets, Broncos Discussed Sheldon Richardson]

Sammie Lee Hill, who will turn 30 years old tomorrow, served a four-game suspension as a free agent earlier this season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Injuries limited Hill to only 10 games (five starts) with the Titans in 2015, and Tennessee expressed no interest in re-signing him during free agency. No other clubs were knocking down Hill’s door, either, as his only known visit came with the Seahawks in March.

Jordan Hill, meanwhile, was released off Seattle’s injured reserve list earlier this season. Hill, 25, was a key reserve during the 2014 campaign, posting 5.5 sacks, and was a part-time player (10 appearances) last season as well. He’s worked out for several teams since being cut loose by the Seahawks, including the Falcons, Bengals, Redskins, and Colts.

Bengals Work Out Reece, Gilberry, Others

Since hitting the free agent market, Marcel Reece has yet to find a taker to give him a second chance. But several teams have been interested, with the Bengals being the latest after working out the veteran fullback today, Doug Kyed of NESN.com tweets.

The Bengals worked out Reece, along with their former defensive end Wallace Gilberry, defensive tackle Jordan Hill and tight end Justice Cunningham, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter links).

Cut by the Raiders on the heels of his PED suspension ending in September, the eighth-year fullback worked out for the Patriots and Jets over the past five weeks but has not played this season. The 31-year-old Reece made the Pro Bowl from 2012-14 and was a consistent outlet option for Derek Carr and previous Raiders passers during his time in Oakland.

Cincinnati does not employ a traditional fullback presently but does house four tight ends.

Gilberry signed a one-year deal with the Lions this offseason but was cut last month. The 31-year-old pass-rusher played for the Bengals from 2012-15, starting in 19 games for the team and recording 16.5 of his 35.5 career sacks with Cincinnati. He’s played in four games this season, starting one.

NFL Workout Updates: 11/1/16

Tuesday is workout day in the NFL, and today was no different. Due to the sheer volume of today’s auditions, we’ll split up the reports by conference:

AFC

NFC

Workout Notes: Bears, Pack, Chiefs, Pats

The Redskins worked out six free agents – including defensive tackle Jordan Hill – on Monday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Also among their tryouts: Running back Isaiah Pead; quarterback Josh Woodrum; receivers Matt Hazel and Mekale McKay; and defensive end Sterling Bailey. and Hill was a backup from 2013-15 in Seattle, where he appeared in 27 regular-season games and recorded seven sacks (5.5 in 2014).

More workouts from Monday:

  • Cornerbacks Darryl Morris, Shaun Prater, Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Melvin White auditioned for the Bears, tweets Caplan. Chicago is on the hunt for defensive back help after getting torched by the Packers on Thursday Night Football.
  • The Packers worked out six receivers – Mario Alford, Dez Stewart, Harvey Binford, Da’Ron Brown, Marcus Johnson and Wendall Williamsaccording to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Stewart ended up signing with their practice squad. Guard Josh Walker and quarterback Keith Wenning were also among Green Bay’s tryouts Monday. Walker was previously with the Packers, who waived/injured him in training camp.
  • Receiver Cayleb Jones tried out for the Chiefs, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 6’3″, 205-pound receiver spent training camp with Philadelphia.
  • The Patriots auditioned safety Shamiel Gary, per Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link). The ex-Dolphin was with the Patriots for a brief period in 2014.
  • The Cowboys took a look at defensive tackles Montori Hughes and Casey Walker, reports Caplan (Twitter link). The team doesn’t plan to sign either of them, however, according to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram (via Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.