Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/15
Here’s a rundown of Wednesday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Kevin White (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Jayson DiManche, DB De’Ante Saunders (press release)
- Cut: TE Brian Leonhardt
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OT Donald Hawkins (Twitter link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: G Craig Watts (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Harold Spears, DL Julius Warmsley (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times)
- Cut: DT Robert Thomas
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OLB J.R. Tavai, TE Kevin Greene (press release)
East Notes: Cameron, Washington, Bills
Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron wants a bigger role in the team’s offense, but he won’t demand it either, as Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald writes. Cameron came to Miami as a free agent this offseason and signed a two-year, $15MM pact with $5MM fully guaranteed. However, midway through his first season in Miami, he has just 20 catches and 263 receiving yards with 43 total targets. When asked if he’s gone to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor to demand a bigger role, he didn’t offer up a direct answer.
“All I know is, not that I do what I’m told, but in football, you’re asked to do different things and your role may change,” Cameron said. “Some weeks they throw you the ball. Some weeks they don’t. It’s one of those things that you’ve got to be mentally prepared for. It’s a tough adjustment, but I’ve been in the NFL long enough. It’s about being a pro and being professional about the role you’re given.”
Cameron is under contract through 2016 and his cap number jumps from $4.6MM this year to $9.5MM next year. However, the Dolphins would be on the hook for just $2MM of that if they cut him.
Here’s more out of the AFC and NFC East:
- Washington tried out running backs Cyrus Gray and Storm Johnson, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Gray, who turns 26 in a little over a week, appeared in 35 games with the Chiefs from 2012 through 2014. Johnson, 23, had some hype in his rookie season but never took control of the running game as some expected him to. The former seventh-round pick was dropped by the Jags on Sept. 5th.
- The Bills tried out defensive backs Jonathan Dowling and Phillip Thomas over the weekend, Wilson tweets.
- Linebacker Jasper Brinkley could prove to be a key signing as the Giants make their playoff push, James Kratch of The Star-Ledger writes. Brinkley fell to the Giants when the Cowboys cut him at the end of training camp, despite having given him a two-year, $2MM guaranteed deal in the offseason. Brinkley got off to a slow start, but he had a strong showing against the Bucs over the weekend.
Dolphins Cut Jonas Gray, Sign Sam Brenner
The Dolphins have added some additional offensive line depth to their roster, re-signing center Sam Brenner to the active squad, the team announced today (via Twitter). In order to make room for Brennet, the club has released running back Jonas Gray.
Gray, 25, wasn’t a huge part of Miami’s ground attack this season, but earned 31 carries for 122 yards, along with six receptions for another 72 yards. With rookie Jay Ajayi coming off IR-DTR in Week 9 and looking good, Gray no longer had a real place on the Dolphins’ 53-man roster, making him expendable.
Because he’ll have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent, Gray won’t be able to sign with any team right away. But it’s possible his old team – the Patriots – will have some interest in bringing him back, now that Dion Lewis is set to miss the rest of the season due to a torn ACL.
Since they’re 8-0, the Patriots will be at or near the bottom of the league’s waiver order, but Gray has been cut already this year and didn’t attract much interest around the NFL, so it’s possible he’d make it to New England. If he goes unclaimed and the Pats don’t want to re-sign him, Gray could end up back on Miami’s practice squad, where he spent some time earlier in the season.
East Notes: Bradford, Randle, Fitzpatrick
One report claimed that the Eagles offered Sam Bradford a four-year, $72MM deal before the start of the season. When asked about that story today, Philly’s starting quarterback shot it down.
“That offer must have gotten lost in the mail,” Bradford said, according to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. “I never saw that one. … I think those thoughts are a long way down the road. Obviously we have a big game against Dallas this week. Last week was more about stepping away and getting my mind right and getting ready for this week.”
Here’s more from the East divisions:
- Talent was never the question with Joseph Randle and some within the Cowboys organization felt that his running style was actually a better fit for the team than DeMarco Murray‘s, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. No one was foolish enough to suggest he would challenge Murray’s franchise record of 1,845 yards from last season, but they certainly hoped things would work out better than this. Randle was released by Dallas on Tuesday.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the starter for the Jets on Sunday, coach Todd Bowles told reporters, including Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter).
- Rex Ryan told reporters, including Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter), that he tried to hire Dan Campbell at one point while he was the head coach of the Jets. However, he says that the Dolphins wouldn’t allow the Jets to interview Campbell, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Campbell, who began the year as the team’s tight ends coach, is now serving as Miami’s interim coach. At the midway point, it seems possible that he could keep the job beyond 2015.
AFC Notes: D. Brown, Pats, Whisenhunt
Chargers running back Donald Brown had been viewed as a potential trade candidate heading into this week, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), teams had been calling about the veteran back. However, with Branden Oliver nursing an injury, Brown figures to remain in San Diego, per Rapoport.
Here are a few more items from around the AFC, with the trade deadline just hours away:
- The Patriots are welcoming back two players – linebacker Dane Fletcher and defensive tackle Chris Jones – to practice today after they spent the first eight weeks of the season on the PUP list, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter links). New England will now have three weeks to either activate Fletcher and Jones or to rule them out for the rest of the season. The Pats had a league-high three players on PUP to start the year, with Fletcher and Jones joining wideout Brandon LaFell.
- While most reports have pegged the value of Ken Whisenhunt‘s five-year contract with the Titans at $5MM annually, ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets that it’s actually worth closer to $30MM, or $6MM per year. Tennessee parted ways with Whisenhunt today despite the fact that he had more than three years remaining on that deal, so the club still owes him a significant chunk of money.
- Although Le’Veon Bell‘s knee injury has ended his 2015 season, his ACL remains intact, and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said today that his running back should be ready for the start of the 2016 campaign (Twitter link via Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review).
- Dolphins rookie running back Jay Ajayi is hoping to be activated this week after spending eight weeks on IR with the designation to return, as James Walker of ESPN.com writes.
Practice Squad Updates: 11/2/15
Here are Monday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Shamiel Gary, LB Terrell Manning (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Cut: CB Trovon Reed
Houston Texans
- Signed: RB Akeem Hunt (via Wilson)
San Francisco 49ers
- To be signed: RB Jarryd Hayne (via Wilson on Twitter)
Update On IR-DTR Players
We’re now through eight weeks of the NFL season, which means we’re approaching the year’s halfway point. It also means that players who were placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to the regular season are eligible to be activated and play in their respective teams’ next games.
Players placed on IR with the designation to return are eligible to begin practicing after six weeks, and can return to game action after eight weeks, so there are some IR-DTR players who have begun practicing already, and some of them could be activated for Week 9. Not every player will be healthy enough to return immediately now that they’ve become eligible to do so, but we should see at least a handful of the 10 players who have been on IR-DTR all year be activated to 53-man rosters in the coming days.
Here’s a breakdown of the 10 IR-DTR players eligible to be activated for Week 9:
- Jay Ajayi, RB (Dolphins): Ajayi recently said that he’s back to full health, though the Dolphins may have a decision to make in their backfield if they decide to activate the rookie runner.
- Alex Carter, CB (Lions): Carter is on track to begin practicing after the Lions’ Week 9 bye, and likely won’t be activated right away.
- David Cobb, RB (Titans): Cobb is expected to be activated this week, and at least one Titans beat reporter believes the rookie is capable of earning a high percentage of the team’s carries.
- Demar Dotson, T (Buccaneers): When he began practicing, Dotson admitted his injured knee wasn’t where he wanted it to be, but it sounds like he’s made enough progress to be activated this week.
- Charles Gaines, CB (Browns): Gaines returned to practice when he was eligible to do so, and sounds like he’s eager to get back on Cleveland’s roster. If the Browns want him active for Week 9, they’ll have to make a move soon, since the team plays on Thursday this week.
- Dee Milliner, CB (Jets): Head coach Todd Bowles said last week that he believes Milliner will be ready to play as soon as he becomes eligible, though he cautioned that the team will need to find room on the active roster.
- Maurkice Pouncey, C (Steelers): There has been some speculation that Pouncey could be sidelined for the entire season, but head coach Mike Tomlin still expects his veteran center back this year. That likely won’t happen for a few more weeks though, since the initial diagnosis put Pouncey on track to be out until at least Week 12.
- Bryan Stork, C (Patriots): The Patriots’ offensive line has been hit hard by injuries this season, so having to decide between Stork and David Andrews at center will be a welcome problem for the team. Stork appears on track to return in Week 9.
- John Sullivan, C (Vikings): After suffering a setback and undergoing another surgical procedure, Sullivan won’t be back anytime soon, and may not play at all this season.
- Brent Urban, DE (Ravens): Asked two weeks ago about Urban, head coach John Harbaugh said that the defensive end wasn’t practicing, adding that his recovery would probably take “a few more weeks.”
While these 10 players are the only ones on IR-DTR eligible to return in Week 9, there are 12 more who will gain eligibility in the coming weeks. The full list can be found right here.
Among those 12 other IR-DTR players, the most notable name is Tony Romo, who can’t play until Week 11. The Cowboys quarterback is eligible to begin practicing this week, but Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that won’t happen quite yet. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Romo is still on track to return to the field when he’s eligible for game action, but it makes sense to keep getting Matt Cassel first-team practice reps in the meantime.
AFC Notes: S. Smith, Jets, Wright, Wake
After Steve Smith Sr. suffered a torn Achilles during Sunday’s win over the Chargers, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was among those quick to express hope that the standout receiver will reconsider his plans to retire, telling reporters, “I have a feeling Steve Smith will be back.” As Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com details, Harbaugh wasn’t the only one in the Ravens’ locker room conveying that sentiment.
“I’ll definitely be whispering in his ear, hopefully to get him back out there,” running back Justin Forsett said.
While Smith announced before the season that 2015 would be his last year in the NFL, there are doubts that he’d want to go out this way. If he does decide to play one more year in 2016, the Ravens “would certainly welcome him back,” writes Hensley.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- If the Jets decide to add an outside quarterback to add depth after Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith got banged up on Sunday, don’t expect them to consider adding Ryan Mallett, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Titans wide receiver Kendall Wright suffered a sprained MCL on Sunday, a source tells Schefter (Twitter link). However, the injury doesn’t sound nearly as serious as the MCL tear suffered by Le’Veon Bell on Sunday, which means Wright’s season shouldn’t be in jeopardy.
- Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald examines a few options the Dolphins have with Cameron Wake, as the team decides whether or not to retain the veteran defensive end – who is recovering from a torn Achilles – for the 2016 season.
- Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter links) identifies Chargers running back Donald Brown as a potential trade candidate in advance of tomorrow’s deadline. As Gehlken notes, Brown is buried on San Diego’s depth chart, and drew serious interest from another team when he was briefly cut by the Chargers earlier this year.
Extra Points: Luck, Trades, Draft, Browns
Andrew Luck‘s difficult navigation through his fourth season’s caused ripples throughout the Colts‘ organization, and Jay Glazer of Fox Sports shed some light on why, noting that Luck’s been playing with multiple fractured ribs. Luck already missed two games with a shoulder injury. This further explains some of Luck’s struggles (56 percent completion rate, 11-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio) while giving opponents some ammunition, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
As the early games get going, here’s some additional information from around the league.
- The Browns are putting more names on the trading block, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, by adding 2013 first-rounder Barkevious Mingo to a list that already included Joe Thomas, Alex Mack and Paul Kruger. Mingo has not lived up to his draft position, No. 6 overall, with seven career sacks — none this season. But as a young edge-rusher, he’d be able to warrant a return. Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith writes the Browns would be willing, most likely, to part with Mingo for even a low-level haul. Cabot reports Mingo would be open to a move at this point.
- The NFL has no plans to revisit its three-year waiting period for prospects to enter the draft despite what LSU coach Les Miles said about the rule’s flaws. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk argues against the rule’s merits.
- With the trade deadline set for 3 p.m. CT, CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry offers six trades that would make sense, with Calvin Johnson-to-Carolina the splashiest of the list. The former agent has the Lions sending Megatron to the Panthers for a second-rounder, while Corry also suggests Kelechi Osemele-to-Seattle for a fourth-rounder and the Chiefs sending Tamba Hali to the Giants for a sixth. Both of those talents are on expiring contracts.
- Jonas Gray or Damien Williams could be on their way out of Miami, with Dolphins rookie Jay Ajayi due to be activated off IR-DTR, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/31/15
Here are today’s minor moves:
- The Dolphins placed Cameron Wake on season-ending injured reserve after the star pass-rusher tore his Achilles’ tendon against the Patriots on Thursday night, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. The four-time Pro Bowler will be 34 next season.
- In addition, the Dolphins pilfered one of their AFC rivals’ practice squad players in signing tackle Ulrick John from the Colts‘ 10-man taxi unit, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). A seventh-round pick of Indianapolis’ last year, John’s been with the Colts since last season but hasn’t received any game action. Miami’s now dealing with the loss of starting right tackle Ja’Wuan James for several weeks, creating the need for an extra man at the position.
- The Raiders promoted linebacker Korey Toomer to their 53-man roster and cut defensive end Shelby Harris, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). A fifth-round pick of the Seahawks’ in 2012, Toomer played in eight games with the Rams and Cowboys last season. Per the Associated Press’ Josh Dubow (via Twitter), Toomer has 139 career special teams snaps and no defensive plays on his resume.
- With J.T. Thomas out for Sunday’s Week 8 game and Jon Beason questionable, the Giants signed linebacker James Morris off their practice squad and cut cornerback Brandon McGee, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports (on Twitter). The 24-year-old Morris spent time with the Patriots last year prior to landing on the Giants’ practice squad. He’s yet to suit up in a game.
- The Titans made a repeat transaction in signing wide receiver Rico Richardson from their practice squad and cutting tight end Chase Coffman to make room, Jim Wyatt of Titans Online tweets. Cut earlier this week in favor of Coffman, Richardson will be needed for depth purposes for a second straight Sunday, with Harry Douglas out again with a rib injury, Wyatt reports (on Twitter).