AFC Notes: Gordon, Leshoure, Brown, Reed
Amid reports that Josh Gordon‘s suspension could possibly be reduced pending a new drug policy agreement, the Browns receiver has found new employment that has nothing to do with the NFL. According to Josina Anderson of ESPN (via TwitLonger), Gordon has accepted a position with the Sarchione Auto Group in northeast Ohio. He’ll act as both an on-floor salesman and as head of the group’s local outreach projects. While it’s nice to hear that the troubled 23-year-old has found some form of structure, I’m sure Gordon is hoping he can return to the field before 2015. Let’s look at some more news from the AFC.
- The Lions released 2011 second-rounder Mikel Leshoure over the weekend, but the 24-year-old running back could soon find a new team, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free-Press reports (on Twitter) that Leshoure has scheduled a visit with the Colts. Given Trent Richardson‘s 2013 struggles and Ahmad Bradshaw‘s injury history, Indianapolis would do well to add a player with Leshoure’s pedigree.
- After the league announced Andre Brown‘s eight-game suspension today, our Luke Adams wondered if the Texans had known the ban was coming, and if that knowledge precipitated the running back’s release earlier this month. According to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Houston was aware of Brown’s impending suspension — in fact, the Texans thought he might be suspended for even longer than a half-season.
- Texans linebacker Brooks Reed, entering the final year of his contract, worked out with teammate J.J. Watt during the offseason, and he’s hoping the extra effort will lead to a new deal with the club, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. “Yeah, I better get 20 sacks,” said Reed, laughing. “It’s my last year, and I expect — as do my coaches — to improve on the years I’ve had here. I put a lot into the offseason. I trained very hard. Hopefully, it’ll work out for the best.”
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap breaks down the full details of Alex Smith‘s contract extension with the Chiefs.
- The Raiders have reached a $1.25MM settlement with 90 cheerleaders who argued that the team violated labor laws by refusing to pay minimum wage and failing to pay for business expenses, according to Robin Abcarian of the Los Angeles Times.
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.
Chiefs Sign Alex Smith To Four-Year Extension
TUESDAY, 4:42pm: Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) has the specific details on Smith’s new deal, which includes an $18MM signing bonus and $19MM in fully guaranteed money. The additional $26MM in reported guarantees will become fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2015 league year.
SUNDAY, 6:30pm: The Chiefs have officially announced the extension. General manager John Dorsey also released a statement:
“It was a priority of ours to get this deal done and keep Alex in a Chiefs uniform long-term. Alex is a proven leader on and off the field. He is a special individual with a lot of ability, and we are fortunate to have him here.
“John and his staff along with Tom and his group have worked hard to get this deal done. They’ve done a nice job,” Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said. “Alex is a smart, talented football player that has adapted well to our offensive scheme. He also, obviously, has had a tremendous amount of success as a quarterback in this league. We as a team are very happy to have Alex as our quarterback moving forward.”
5:47pm: Alex Smith will be the Chiefs quarterback for the foreseeable future, as Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a new deal. A league source tells Paylor that the deal is a four-year extension worth $68MM, with $45MM in guarantees. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms the report, tweeting that the Chiefs are finalizing a deal worth about $17MM per season. ProFootballTalk.com reports (via Twitter) that the deal is worth $30MM guaranteed at the time of the signing, with another $15MM vesting next March.
Smith was entering the final year of his contract and was set to earn $7.5MM in 2014. There had been whispers over the past month that the two sides were negotiating, but a report in mid-August suggested that an extension wasn’t close. Smith addressed the rumors twice, stating earlier in the month that he wanted to “play out” his next contract. Last week, the quarterback stated that he didn’t want negotiations to bleed into the regular season.
Smith had a tumultuous career with the 49ers after being selected first-overall in the 2005 draft. However, once Jim Harbaugh took over as coach, Smith showed the potential that had previously warranted such a high draft pick. Smith had success in his final two seasons in San Francisco, but he was shipped to Kansas City following the 2012 season for a second-rounder and another conditional draft choice.
The 30-year-old had arguably his best season in 2013, earning himself his first Pro-Bowl birth. Smith threw for 3,313 yards, connecting on 23 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Smith also confirmed that he could perform in the postseason, as he threw four touchdowns in the Chiefs 44-45 loss to the Colts.
However, ProFootballFocus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) weren’t as high on Smith’s 2013 season. He ranked as the 20th-best quarterback in the league, coming in just ahead of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Sam Bradford. In fact, Smith rated as a below-average passing quarterback but elite as a running quarterback, which shouldn’t be too surprising since Smith ran for a career-high 431 yards last season.
PFR’s Zach Links took a look at Smith’s extension candidacy in May, predicting that he could receive a contract similar to that of Tony Romo or Jay Cutler. Ultimately, Zach concluded that $18MM per year would be reasonable for a player of Smith’s caliber.
Chiefs Sign Kurt Coleman
4:08pm: The Chiefs have officially announced the signing of Coleman, moving linebacker Joe Mays to the injured reserve list with a designation to return, according to a team release.
9:53am: The Chiefs have reached an agreement to sign free agent safety Kurt Coleman, according to agent Blake Baratz (via Twitter). Coleman had hit the open market after being released by the Vikings over the weekend when the team went from 75 players to 53.
Coleman, 26, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Eagles, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2010 draft. Although he was the team’s starter at free safety in 2011 and 2012, he ranked 85th out of 88 total qualified safeties in ’12, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Those grades may have contributed to the team reducing Coleman’s role in 2013, a season in which he played just 74 defensive snaps. However, he still played a significant role on special teams, racking up nine tackles in kick and punt coverage.
Coleman, who also visited the Jets and Colts this offseason before signing with the Vikings, will join a Chiefs secondary that includes standout strong safety Eric Berry. However, the team has some question marks at the other safety spot, with Husain Abdullah looking like the probable starter, replacing the departed Kendrick Lewis.
In order to fit Coleman on the 53-man roster, Kansas City will need to make a corresponding move.
West Notes: Broncos, Quinn, Chiefs, 49ers
Although there was some speculation that the Broncos may face a penalty for potential violations of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement by Peyton Manning and offensive coordinator Adam Gase, the league won’t levy any punishment on the club, says Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Manning and Gase both visited the University of Alabama in April, and taking a campus visit together would’ve violated the terms of the CBA, but it was determined that the two men took their trips separately.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two West divisions….
- Now that J.J. Watt has agreed to a lucrative new contract extension, Rams defensive end Robert Quinn will be among the next high-profile defenders to keep an eye on. According to Albert Breer of NFL Network, when he spoke to Quinn about his contract situation last week, the standout pass rusher said he didn’t want to let it become a distraction and planned to stay in his lane for now. “When the opportunity approaches, I’ll take advantage of it,” Quinn said.
- Former third-round pick Brandon Taylor, who was cut by the Chargers back in June, visited the division-rival Chiefs on Monday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- According to Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, who agreed to a contract extension with the team over the weekend, getting a long-term deal done with Kansas City was always the goal — it was just a matter of finding a figure that he felt was fair and that didn’t compromise the club’s flexibility too much. B.J. Kissel of KCChiefs.com has the quotes from Smith.
- The 49ers worked out a few free agents this week, including fullback J.C. Copeland and defensive backs Rod Sweeting and Chibuikem Okoro, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
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).
Practice Squad Updates: Monday
We rounded up the first wave of practice squad additions in a series of posts by division yesterday, which you can check out on our Transactions page. Several more teams have announced new practice squad players today, or made slight changes to their units, so we’ll round up that news right here:
6:33pm:
- The 49ers have filled out their practice squad by adding cornerback Chance Casey and running back Kendall Gaskins, the team announced in a press release.
4:37pm:
- The Browns have added wide receiver Charles Johnson and offensive lineman Karim Barton to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
- Cornerback Khalid Wooten will be the 10th man on the Titans‘ practice squad, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
4:07pm:
- The Seahawks have added defensive end Julius Warmsley and defensive back Josh Aubrey to their practice squad, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- The Redskins have finalized their practice squad by adding safety Akeem Davis and linebacker Chaz Sutton, the club announced today (Twitter link).
- Cornerback LeQuan Lewis has been added to the Jets‘ practice squad, according to the team (via Twitter).
2:46pm:
- The Rams have finalized their practice squad by adding linebacker Denicos Allen, wideout Emory Blake, safety Christian Bryant, and quarterback Garrett Gilbert, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). That means Michael Sam isn’t among the 10 players on St. Louis’ squad.
- The addition of Henry Josey to the Jaguars‘ practice squad has officially been announced by the team in a press release. We had noted below that although his signing had been previously reported, Josey wasn’t among the first list of names released by the club.
- The Ravens have announced the signing of offensive lineman Marcel Jones to their practice squad, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
1:31pm:
- The following players are now on the Browns‘ practice squad: James Brown, OL; Jacobbi McDaniel, DL; Emmanuel Ogbuehi, TE; Keith Pough, LB; Justin Staples, LB; and Patrick Lewis, C. The first five names are listed on the team’s official site, while the addition of Lewis was reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Alex Gillett‘s time on the Packers‘ practice squad didn’t last long — he was replaced today by cornerback Jumal Rolle, tweets Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
- The Buccaneers have signed safety Kimario McFadden, cornerback Derrius Brooks, and linebacker Carlos Fields to their practice squad, according to the team’s official site.
- Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune provides the last few names to be added to the Saints‘ practice squad: safety Pierre Warren, guard Antoine McClain, nose tackle Lawrence Virgil, and tight end Nic Jacobs.
- The Eagles have signed quarterback G.J. Kinne for their practice squad, per the team’s official site.
- Fullback Nikita Whitlock is the latest addition to the Cowboys‘ practice squad, the team announced today.
- The Vikings filled the final spot on their practice squad by adding cornerback Chris Greenwood, says Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Defensive end Zach Thompson is now on the Broncos‘ practice squad, according to the club.
- The Chiefs filled the final opening on their practice squad by signing defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- Wide receiver Freddie Martino and tight end Kyle Miller have joined the Falcons‘ practice squad, per the team’s official site.
- One more housekeeping note: Yesterday, running back Henry Josey and fullback Kiero Small were reported as having joined the Jaguars‘ and Browns‘ practice squads, respectively. However, when those teams announced their PS rosters, those players weren’t included. There haven’t been any reports indicating those agreements fell through, so we’ll keep an eye on both situations. For now though, we won’t be including those players in our master list of practice squad rosters, which will be published this afternoon.
AFC Links: Manning, Mallett, Houston, Clary
Danieal Manning was cut by the Bengals yesterday, but he caught on with a familiar team this afternoon. The former All-Pro safety signed with the Texans, the team he played with the past three seasons. The 32-year-old talked about his return to Houston (all via tweets from Mark Berman of KRIV):
“Rick (Smith) kept his word, that if I ever have an opportunity to come back, he’ll talk to me about it. He did and we came back…It feels really good. I’m excited. I’m thankful. I’m grateful. This business is really funny… It seems like I took a little short vacation. This just feels right coming back home.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of the AFC…
- The Houston Chronicle’s Brian T. Smith has more details on the Texans–Patriots trade (via Twitter): New England will receive a conditional seventh-rounder than could improve to a sixth-round pick based on Ryan Mallett‘s snap count.
- Alex Smith‘s new extension will allow the Chiefs to franchise linebacker Justin Houston if the sides don’t come to an agreement, notes Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- Chargers guard Jeromey Clary underwent hip surgery about a week ago, and Michael Gehlkin of U-T San Diego writes that the 30-year-old could miss the entire season.
Sunday Transactions: AFC West
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC West teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions are noted below.
Additionally, as of 11:00am today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s AFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Denver Broncos:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Shaquil Barrett, LB (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter), Kapri Bibbs, RB (via Wilson on Twitter); John Boyett, S (via Wilson on Twitter); Zac Dysert, QB (via Mike Klis on Twitter); Bennie Fowler, WR (via Lindsay Jones on Twitter); Nathan Palmer, WR (via Adam Caplan on Twitter); Vinston Painter, G (via Klis on Twitter); Matt Paradis, C (via Klis on Twitter); Gerell Robinson, TE (via Klis on Twitter)
Kansas City Chiefs:
- Claimed off waivers: Damion Square, DE (via Josina Anderson on Twitter)
- Cut: Richard Gordon, TE (via Terez Paylor on Twitter)
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Jordan Campbell, FB (via Paylor on Twitter); Ricky Henry, G (via Paylor on Twitter); Kona Schwenke, DL (via Paylor on Twitter); Darryl Surgent, WR (via Paylor on Twitter); Fred Williams, WR (via Paylor on Twitter); Ben Gottschalk, C; Nico Johnson, LB; Charcandrick West, RB; Jerry Franklin, LB (via Brad Biggs on Twitter).
Oakland Raiders:
- Claimed off waivers: Benson Mayowa, DL (via Tom Pelissero on Twitter)
- Cut: Kaelin Burnett, LB (via Burnett on Twitter)
- Signed to practice squad: Bojay Filimoeatu, LB (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter); Ricky Lumpkin, DT (via Damond Talbot on Twitter); Lamar Mady, G (via Talbot on Twitter); Scott Simonson, TE (via Mike Uva on Twitter)
San Diego Chargers:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Chas Alecxih, DL; Torrence Allen, WR; Greg Ducre, CB; Javontee Herndon, WR; Cordarro Law, OLB; Ryan Lindley, QB; Adrian Phillips, S; Jeremiah Sirles, T; Craig Watts, G
Chiefs Announce Cuts, Down To 53 Players
The Chiefs have announced 22 roster moves, taking their player count from 75 to the required 53-man limit. Via a press release, here’s the full list of players who were removed from the team’s active roster:
Cut:
- Jonathon Amaya, S
- Malcolm Bronson, S
- Jordan Campbell, FB
- Dominique Hamilton, DL
- Mark Harrison, WR
- Ricky Henry, G
- Alonzo Highsmith, LB
- Nico Johnson, LB
- Kyle Love, DT
- Justin Rogers, CB
- Kona Schwenke, DL
- Ryan Succop, K
- DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB
- Devan Walker, LB
- J’Marcus Webb, T
- Charcandrick West, RB
- Fred Williams , WR
Placed on injured reserve:
- Tyler Bray, QB
- Kyle Williams, WR
Placed on reserve/non-football injury list:
- Mike Catapano, DE
Placed on reserve/suspended list:
- Dwayne Bowe, WR
- Donald Stephenson, OL