Julian Vandervelde

Extra Points: Vandervelde, T. Jackson, Rosen

Free agent offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde has generated interest from three NFL teams, a source tells PFR (Twitter link). The 28-year-old Vandervelde has spent the duration of his career with the Eagles, but he’s bounced on-and-off the active roster, appearing in just 17 games over five seasons. In 2015 alone, Vandervelde, who can play both guard and center, had three separate stints with Philadelphia. The former Iowa Hawkeye also had a workout with the Seahawks earlier this year.

Let’s take a look at a few more items from around the league:

  • Former Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to a report from TMZ Sports. Jackson was arrested last week for allegedly pointing a gun at his wife and threatening to kill her — he reportedly asked for a public defender because he didn’t have the funds to pay for a lawyer. Seattle has apparently moved on, as the club tried to claim Connor Shaw off waivers from the Browns and is still in the process of finding a No. 2 quarterback.
  • Looking (far) ahead to the 2018 draft, UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is expected to be one of the first players off the board, and NFL clubs are already looking into him, reports Albert Breer of NFL.com. While Bruins head coach Jim Mora Jr. is unsurprisingly a major supporter of Rosen (“His potential is unlimited”), some NFL scouts think that Rosen might need to exhibit more maturity over the next two years.
  • Franchise-tagged players have until July 15 to agree to long-term deals with their respective clubs, leading Mark Maske of the Washington Post to placed odds on the likelihood that on Von Miller, Kirk Cousins, and Muhammad Wilkerson will ink new contracts in the next week or so. PFR’s Sam Robinson posed a similar question last night, asking PFR readers which of the franchisees would sign new pacts with their teams before next Thursday.
  • As anyone who was watching Amazon’s All or Nothing witnessed, the Cardinals cut defensive end Lawrence Okoye last season after he parked in the wrong parking spot (link via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com). Of course, had Okoye been a more high-profile player, the parking issue likely would gone unpunished — instead, the incident was used by head coach Bruce Arians as a way to teach his players to become detail-oriented.

Workout Updates: 1/21/16

Thursday’s workout news from around the NFL:

  • A pair of Montreal Alouettes cornerbacks auditioned for the Cowboys this week (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Facebook): Mitchell White (brother of Giants wideout Myles White) and Mycal Swaim (brother of Cowboys tight end Geoff Swaim). White had previously worked out for the Cardinals, while Swaim spent time in Buccaneers training camp.
  • The Seahawks auditioned four players today (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter): linebackers Curtis Grant and Zach Thompson and offensive linemen Ian Joseph and Julian Vandervelde.
  • The Browns tried out kicker Kyle Brindza, tweets ESPN’s Field Yates. The 23-year-old has spent time with the Buccaneers and Lions.
  • Yates also notes that running back Isaiah Pead visited the Vikings. The former second-round pick has compiled 78 rushing yards on 19 career attempts.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/30/15

Here are Monday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Seahawks promoted defensive tackle A.J. Francis from the practice squad, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Patriots have released wide receiver Chris Harper following Sunday night’s muffed punt, as Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com tweets.
  • The Cowboys waived running back Trey Williams, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Giants are signing guard Adam Gettis off of the Raiders‘ practice squad, a person with knowledge of the situation told Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants are short on offensive lineman, so Gettis will help provide the Giants with some much-needed depth.

Earlier updates:

  • In advance of Monday night’s game against the Browns, the Ravens have promoted guard Kaleb Johnson and wide receiver Daniel Brown from their practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. To make room, Baltimore cut wide receiver Chuck Jacobs and placed tight end Chase Ford on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Johnson, in particular, could play a role tonight, since the club doesn’t have many healthy offensive linemen left on the roster.
  • The Bills are releasing linebacker A.J. Tarpley, according to Sal Capaccio of WGR550 (Twitter link). Tarpley, who recorded his first career NFL sack on Sunday, looks like a candidate to join the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers. Per Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link), Buffalo also placed defensive end Alex Carrington on injured reserve, officially ending his season after he tore his quad tendon.
  • The Eagles have signed interior offensive lineman Barrett Jones off the Bears‘ practice squad, waiving offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde in the corresponding move (Twitter link). Given the history between the Eagles and Vandervelde, who has now been cut four times by the club since the start of September, it may just be a matter of time until he finds himself back with Philadelphia.
  • The Buccaneers have signed linebacker Adarius Glanton from the Panthers‘ practice squad, waiving safety Kimario McFadden, according to a press release from the team. With Kwon Alexander facing a four-game suspension and Bruce Carter having left Sunday’s game to be evaluated for a concussion, linebacker depth was a priority for Tampa Bay.
  • The Bengals waived linebacker Sean Porter from the physically unable to perform list today, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Porter returned to practice for Cincinnati earlier this month, but the team apparently determined there was no place for him on the 53-man roster.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/15

Here are today’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL, with any additional moves listed at the top of the page throughout the day:

Earlier updates:

  • The Vikings have activated cornerback Josh Robinson from the physically unable to perform list, waiving tight end Chase Ford in a corresponding roster move, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. As Tomasson writes, Ford – who has been with Minnesota since 2012 – took the news well, pointing out that it’s “part of the game” and it’s not his first time being cut.
  • Having cut quarterback Kellen Moore, the Cowboys added linebacker Mark Nzeocha to their active roster, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). Nzeocha, who began the season on the non-football injury list, will help add depth to a group of linebackers that has been affected by injuries.
  • The Cardinals have waived-injured cornerback Cariel Brooks, elevating cornerback Robert Nelson from their practice squad to fill the empty roster spot, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link). Brooks, who is dealing with an ankle issue, played exclusively on special teams during his limited action this season, so Nelson isn’t expected to have a major role either.
  • After placing him on the injured reserve list last weekend, Washington has now removed outside linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat from the roster entirely with an injury settlement, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/15

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL..

  • The Dolphins released RB/KR Raheem Mostert off their roster, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter links). Mostert led the entire NFL in yardage this preseason while with the Eagles. If he passes through waivers, Tessler adds that he’ll be added to Miami’s taxi squad.
  • The Texans signed defensive tackle Brandon Dunn to active roster off the Bears‘ practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). In a related move, the Texans cut wide receiver Chandler Worthy from active roster (Twitter links). If Worthy clears waivers, Houston would like to sign him to the taxi squad.
  • The Saints re-signed wide receiver Joe Morgan, as Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune tweets. To make room, the defensive backs waived defensive back Don Jones (link).
  • The Eagles (via Twitter) announced that they signed offensive lineman Tanner Hawkinson off the 49ers‘ practice squad and released center/guard Julian Vandervelde.
  • The Chiefs signed running back Darrin Reaves to their practice squad, as Adam Teicher of ESPN.com writes. The former Panthers tailback was in camp with Kansas City this past offseason.
  • The Steelers released kicker Garrett Hartley off of IR, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Lions released cornerback Chris Owens off of the IR, Caplan tweets.
  • The Cowboys waived wide receiver Vince Mayle, Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. The Washington State product was moved from the practice squad to the active roster last week to give Dallas additional depth at the position.
  • The Bears waived quarterback David Fales, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
  • The Cardinals placed defensive back Chris Clemons on injured reserve, Wilson tweets.
  • The Dolphins cut Damarr Aultman, Wilson tweets.
  • The Colts cut Jalil Brown from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Wilson tweets.
  • The Seahawks waived UDFA running back Rod Smith and quarterback B.J. Daniels, Caplan tweets.
  • The Lions waived linebacker Kevin Snyder from the IR, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets.

Eagles Place Andrew Gardner On IR

During the first few weeks of the 2015 season, particularly after the Eagles lost their first two games, much of the criticism in Philadelphia focused on the team’s decision to move on from starting guards Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans in the offseason. Now, one of the two players that replaced those veteran guards will be sidelined for the rest of the season, according to the Eagles, who announced today that they’ve placed guard Andrew Gardner on the injured reserve list.

Gardner, 29, signed by the Eagles prior to the 2014 season to serve as a backup, but proved to be a very valuable addition, as he went on to appear in every regular season game, including eight starts. Philadelphia had an open competition for the starting right guard job this summer, and Gardner came away with the gig.

Gardner impressed the Eagles enough that he also earned a new contract earlier this month, extending a deal that would have expired at season’s end. The extension locked him up through the 2018 season, giving him a $500K signing bonus. Unfortunately, just a few games into the new deal, he sustained a foot injury that figures to sideline him until 2016.

With Gardner now on IR, the Eagles have once again brought back veteran offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde, who has been on and off the club’s roster since being drafted in 2011. Vandervelde figures to provide some depth on the interior of the line, while Matt Tobin looks like the top candidate to slide into Gardner’s right guard position.

Eagles Re-Sign Najee Goode

After seeing a pair of inside linebackers go down with injuries on Sunday against the Cowboys, the Eagles have brought back one who was with them in the past, announcing today that they’ve re-signed Najee Goode. The club cut offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde to create room on the roster for Goode.

Goode, 25, was originally a fifth-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2012, but he has seen most of his NFL action for the Eagles, appearing in 14 games for the club in 2013. The West Virginia product was among the last players let go by Philadelphia before the 2015 season began, as he was waived during the team’s cutdown to 53 players.

While Mychal Kendricks‘ injury isn’t believed to be serious, it appears Kiko Alonso could be sidelined for a significant period after suffering a partial tear of his left ACL on Sunday. Alonso is getting a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews today and the Eagles figure to determine a course of action and a recovery timetable for him after that.

In the meantime, Goode should help provide depth on the inside for Philadelphia’s linebacking corps.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/15

We’ll keep track of today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves here…

  • According to Steve Corkan of RaiderBeat.com (Twitter link), the Raiders have promoted safety Tevin McDonald from their practice squad, giving the team some extra depth with Nate Allen sidelined and Charles Woodson also ailing.
  • The Patriots have added some depth at linebacker and on special teams by re-signing veteran LB Dekoda Watson, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Watson was with the Pats in camp before being cut at the end of August.
  • With the 53rd and final spot on their roster, the Buccaneers have re-signed linebacker Orie Lemon, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter). Like Watson with the Pats, Lemon was with Tampa Bay in camp before being waived near the end of the preseason.

Earlier updates:

  • The Eagles have signed defensive lineman Brandon Bair to a one-year extension through 2016, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Bair, who will receive a $100K signing bonus, a $50K workout bonus, and a $675K base salary, mostly makes his mark on special teams and appeared in all 16 games for the Eagles last season.
  • On Wednesday morning, the Eagles signed center/guard Julian Vandervelde to the team’s 53-man roster, according to a team announcement. A fifth-round pick in 2011, Vandervelde has bounced around between the Eagles’ active roster and practice squad over the past four seasons. His ability to play both guard and center has made Vandervelde a valuable piece of the offensive line depth, as he appeared in 14 games in 2013.
  • The Jets announced that they released defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson (hamstring) off of the IR, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
  • The Texans are signing KR-WR Chandler Worthy to the active roster from the practice squad, according to sources who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Houston is now at the 53-man limit again after previously placing Ryan Griffin on IR-DTR.

Eagles Reduce Roster To 52 Players

Their decision to cut Tim Tebow will make the biggest headlines today, but the Eagles have made many more roster moves, and have not only reduced their roster to the maximum 53 — they’ve gone one further, getting down to 52 players.

As Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, there’s a good chance that 53rd spot will be filled in the coming days with a quarterback. After having cut Tebow and traded Matt Barkley, the club is carrying just two signal-callers, and wouldn’t mind adding some insurance for the oft-injured Sam Bradford.

Here are the rest of the Eagles’ cuts, per a press release:

  • WR Rasheed Bailey
  • G Brett Boyko
  • G Malcolm Bunche
  • CB Randall Evans
  • TE Andrew Gleichert
  • LB Najee Goode
  • WR Jeff Maehl
  • WR Freddie Martino
  • DE Brian Mihalik
  • G John Moffitt
  • RB Raheem Mostert
  • WR Quron Pratt
  • S Chris Prosinski
  • DE Travis Raciti
  • S Ed Reynolds
  • LB Deontae Skinner
  • P Kip Smith
  • TE Eric Tomlinson
  • C/G Julian Vandervelde
  • LB Diaheem Watkins
  • CB Jaylen Watkins

Extra Points: Eagles, Raiders, 49ers, Colts

Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis spoke Sunday on the statuses of two of the team’s injured linebackers, Kiko Alonso and DeMeco Ryans.

Regarding Alonso, who suffered a concussion Tuesday and has missed four practices: “Kiko’s fine,” said Davis, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’ve been coaching linebackers my whole career. It’s just part of that position, when it sneaks up on you nowadays, we have great protocol. It’s not an issue. Kiko’s doing great. He won’t miss a beat.”

Davis was more guarded when discussing Ryans, who is recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon for the second time in his nine-year career.

 “DeMeco is a pro all the way through and is taking strides ahead of where most people would be, but he still has a little ways to go,” Davis said.
Ryans has participated in all seven of the Eagles’ training camp practices, but next Sunday’s preseason opener against the Colts will be a much bigger litmus test.
“Any time you’re coming back from injury, you have to get in the game to see where you are,” said Ryans, who got hurt last November. “Go to the ground, tackle somebody, stand up, make sure everything is still intact. And mentally, I think that’s the last hurdle, going out and getting back in a game.”
More on Philly and the rest of the NFL:
  • The Eagles’ right guard situation could take some time to sort out, writes Jeff McLane of the Inquirer. The team has a vacancy there after cutting three-time Pro Bowl left guard Evan Mathis and replacing him with former RG Allen Barbre. John Moffitt, Matt Tobin, Andrew Gardner and Julian Vandervelde are competing for the job.
  • 49ers defensive coordinator Eric Mangini is using his linebackers’ flexibility to his advantage as he tries to find a way to fill the void left by Aldon Smith, whom the team cut earlier this week because of off-field issues. “A guy like Aldon is not a guy that you just can replace,” Mangini said, per ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “He’s got a unique skill set. But one of the things that we focused on defensively is building flexibility, in terms of what we can play, and then building flexibility with who’s going to play there.” The lion’s share of reps at Smith’s former spot have gone to Corey Lemonier and Eli Harold, writes Gutierrez.
  • The Raiders could have the biggest interior defensive line in the NFL when Dan Williams and Justin Ellis, who combine to weigh 665 pounds, line up side by side. The two have been paired together often in camp, writes Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com. “To be able to have those guys in the front, we feel like you shouldn’t run the ball on us,” safety Charles Woodson said. “If they put those guys up there, we should be a very stout defense. That’s what we’re counting on.”
  • Colts head coach Chuck Pagano is bullish about the team’s secondary, which helped the defense finish a respectable 12th overall against the pass in 2014. “I think we have an excellent group. We got playmakers and smart guys that communicate well and play well together. I’m excited for that group,” Pagano said, according to USA Today.