Minor NFL Transactions: 12/14/15
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
- The Buccaneers will sign free agent defensive tackle Da’Quan Bowers on Tuesday and waive D-lineman Josh Shirley, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports (via Twitter). Bowers spent 2011-14 in Tampa and totaled seven sacks after it used a second-round pick on him. Shirley, a rookie, joined the Bucs in October. He subsequently appeared in five games.
- The Dolphins signed defensive tackle Deandre Coleman and placed tight end Brandon Williams on injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Coleman, undrafted out of Cal in 2014, appeared in one game as a rookie. Williams suited up four times for the Dolphins this year before breaking his left foot.
- The Vikings signed defensive end Justin Trattou and waived safety Shaun Prater, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Trattou has had multiple stints with the Vikings since entering the league in 2011. He appeared in two games with them earlier this season and intercepted a pass. Prater, who had been with the Vikings since 2013, garnered one appearance this year.
- The Browns cut center Gabe Ikard, per Wilson (on Twitter). Ikard, a 25-year-old snapper, joined the Browns earlier this month.
- The Chiefs removed safety Sanders Commings from injured reserve and reached a settlement with him, Wilson tweets. Commings’ last appearance with the Chiefs was in 2013.
- The Chargers waived quarterback Brad Sorensen, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN (Twitter link). Sorensen, whom the Chargers chose in the seventh round of the 2013 draft, has never attempted a regular-season pass.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/8/15
Here are today’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Terrance Parks (Twitter link via team)
- Cut: CB T.J. Heath
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Harold Spears (press release via team)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: QB Matt Blanchard (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
- Cut: QB Justin Worley
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Chris Lewis-Harris (Twitter link via Coley Harvey of ESPN.com)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Connor Hamlett, DB Tim Scott (press release via team)
- Cut: DB Kendall James
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Cameron Jefferson (press release via team)
- Cut: T Antonio Johnson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Jamel Johnson (Twitter link via Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com), RB Ross Scheuerman (Twitter link via the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson)
- Cut: DB Kyle Sebetic
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Tony Washington (Twitter link via Wilson)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Edwin Jackson (press release via team)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Sean Porter (Twitter link via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Terrance Plummer (press release via team)
New England Patriots
- Cut: TE Joseph Fauria (Twitter link via ESPN’s Mike Reiss)
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Leon McFadden and OT Jake Rodgers (Twitter link via James Kratch of NJ Advance Media)
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Brandon Bostick (Twitter link via team)
Seattle Seahawks
- To be signed: WR Antwan Goodley (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com)
- Cut: WR DeShon Foxx (Twitter link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta)
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/8/15
We’ll track all of Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Dolphins have re-signed tight end Brandon Williams to their active roster, waiving safety Jordan Kovacs in a corresponding move, the team announced today (Twitter links). Miami also opened up another roster spot by placing defensive tackle Robert Thomas on the injured reserve list.
- Jets defensive end Mike Catapano has landed on IR due to a foot injury, with safety Ronald Martin getting the promotion from the practice squad to take his spot on the roster, the Jets announced today (via Twitter).
- The Chiefs are signing offensive lineman Jarrod Pughsley from their practice squad to their 53-man roster, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. The corresponding move to make room for Pughsley isn’t yet known.
- The Falcons have released defensive tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli from their injured reserve list, the team announced today (via Twitter). He’ll become a free agent if he clears waivers.
Earlier updates:
- In the wake of Nick Boyle‘s suspension, and with Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams both battling injuries, the Ravens have added two tight ends to their roster. According to a press release, the club has promoted Konrad Reuland from its practice squad and signed veteran free agent Richard Gordon. Boyle was moved to the reserve/suspended list and cornerback Cassius Vaughn was cut to create space on the roster.
- The Bills have also made a change at the tight end position, promoting Nick O’Leary from the practice squad and cutting veteran Matthew Mulligan, the team announced today. Mulligan had played a role this season for the Bills as a blocker and special-teamer, making the move a little surprising. Joe Buscaglia of WKBW wonders (via Twitter) if another team – perhaps the Ravens? – showed interest in O’Leary, prompting Buffalo to protect him.
- The Eagles have signed outside linebacker Steven Means from the Texans‘ practice squad, the club announced today (via Twitter). Means will take over the roster spot vacated by Miles Austin, who was released on Monday.
- With a Thursday night showdown against Arizona around the corner, the Vikings have made a handful of roster moves, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed safety Shaun Prater and elevated safety Anthony Harris from the practice squad. To make room for the incoming defensive backs, Minnesota placed safety Antone Exum on injured reserve and waived defensive end Justin Trattou.
- The Colts are adding some depth at the linebacker spot by promoting linebacker Amarlo Herrera to their active roster, a source tells Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). Jerrell Freeman and Nate Irving are banged up for Indianapolis.
- The Browns have re-signed offensive lineman Darrian Miller to their 53-man roster just three days after cutting him, placing fullback Malcolm Johnson on injured reserve in a corresponding move, per a team release.
NFC Rumors: Murray, Vikings, Lewis, White
With the Eagles potentially set to be tied for the NFC East lead if the Cowboys win tonight, let’s take a look at some news coming out of Philadelphia, as well as several other NFC cities.
- As the Eagles gave DeMarco Murray only eight carries against the Patriots, Chip Kelly denied a demotion took place, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The eight carries matched a season low for the defending rushing champion, who is averaging 3.5 yards per carry after gaining 4.7 per tote last season. Kelly attributed Murray’s reduced usage (14 snaps) to the game’s strange flow that featured three Eagles non-offensive touchdowns. The obvious counter to that was Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner both out-touching Murray and each averaging north of four yards per rush. Berman writes Ryan Mathews‘ return could further siphon Murray’s workloads, which have been much smaller than 2014. Murray has just 163 carries.
- None of the four safeties on the Vikings‘ active roster practiced Monday, and Antone Exum could miss multiple games with a fractured rib and a sprained AC joint, Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. Exum’s started the past two games in Andrew Sendejo‘s stead.
- After Adrian Peterson characterized the Vikings as being “outplayed and outcoached” in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Seahawks, Mike Zimmer took a hard-headed stance when addressing media. “I don’t really worry about other people’s opinions. I only worry about what I think,” the Vikings’ second-year coach told media (including Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). Zimmer did say Peterson should have received more than eight carries, however.
- John Fox said rookie wideout Kevin White‘s shin has sufficiently healed, and the team will now look to get him in football shape, Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times reports (on Twitter). The Bears‘ first-rounder has yet to be cleared to play, however.
- Shelved on the PUP list due to a torn ACL he sustained last November while at Georgia Tech, 49ers rookie wide receiver DeAndre Smelter will not play this season, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. Smelter reverts to the non-football injury/reserve list. The fourth-round pick will not practice with the team during the season’s remainder.
- On injured reserve after an injury-restricted campaign, Keenan Lewis underwent hip surgery today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Saints‘ top corner is under contract through the 2017 season.
North Notes: Bengals, Manziel, Bears
Safety George Iloka is one of many key Bengals players who will be eligible for free agency this winter, creating some interesting decisions for the club once the season comes to an end. As Iloka tells Paul Dehner of the Cincinnati Enquirer, he thinks that he and his fellow free-agents-to-be have handled the situation well.
“The approach hasn’t been, let’s all try to play individually and get paid the highest amount we can get paid,” Iloka said. “We look at it as, man, this is our last whoo-rah. Who knows who will be back and who won’t, but we are only guaranteed this year. I feel like we have a pretty good squad, we have been together for a long time and I just feel like this is it. If there’s a shot it’s this year. I think that’s been our approach more than, oh, let’s get paid because everyone knows if you make the Super Bowl everyone’s next contract is inflated. Getting to the Super Bowl and winning is our main goal, if you do that the money thing will take care of itself.”
In Dehner’s view, Iloka is one of six Bengals players who should be top priorities for the team this offseason, along with cornerback Adam Jones, wide receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, defensive end Wallace Gilberry, and linebacker Vincent Rey.
As we wait to see how the Bengals approach their offseason, let’s round up a few more items out of the NFL’s two North divisions….
- Asked today if Johnny Manziel might want out of Cleveland, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said he’s seen “no indication of that,” adding that talks with Manziel have been good (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com).
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an interesting look at a number of players around the NFL whose performance – or simply ability to stay healthy – could make them some extra money this season, via incentives. One such player is Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who will profit greatly if he’s able to have more postseason success than he had in his first four NFL seasons.
- Bears chairman George McCaskey sat down for a Q&A with Dan Pompei, and discussed several past decisions, including multiple general manager and head coach changes, the signing of Ray McDonald, and the release of Jeremiah Ratliff.
- In a piece for The Sporting News, former Vikings general manager Jeff Diamond says that if he were still running his old club, and could’ve received anything close to fair value, he would’ve traded Adrian Peterson in the offseason. As Diamond explains, the Vikings may not have had the same on-field success this year without their star runinng back, but moving him would’ve sent a “strong message” about the team’s expectations off the field.
Practice Squad Updates: 12/1/15
Today’s practice squad updates from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S D.J. Swearinger (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB A.J. Tarpley (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW)
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Brian Blechen (Twitter link via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OT Pierce Burton (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4)
- Cut: OT John Wetzel
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Mike Hull and DT Deandre Coleman (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S John Lowdermilk (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of The Star-Tribune)
- Cut: LB Terrance Plummer
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Austin Hill (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Julian Stanford (Twitter link)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Colton Underwood, DB Chris Hackett (Twitter link via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Rajion Neal (Twitter link)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Jamie Childers (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com)
- Cut: LB Kevin Snyder
Seattle Seahawks
- Cut: WR Tyler Slavin, DL Julius Warmsley (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: TE Justice Cunningham (Twitter link via Howard Balzer of USA Today)
- Cut: LB Matthew Wells
NFC Notes: Vikings, Lions, 49ers
When the Vikings acquired Mike Wallace from Miami in the offseason, they were getting one of the NFL’s most accomplished wideouts over the previous half-decade. Wallace had accumulated 60-plus catches and 800 or more yards in five straight seasons, also totaling an impressive 41 touchdowns during that span. That version of Wallace hasn’t shown up in Minnesota, however, as the 29-year-old has just 28 receptions, 318 yards and a mere one score in 10 games. Thanks to his lack of productivity, Wallace has set the stage for his release in the offseason, writes Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. If the Vikings cut Wallace after the season, they’ll save $11.5MM on their salary cap in both 2016 and ’17.
More on the Vikings and two of their NFC counterparts:
- The Vikings are about to endure an 18-day stretch that could define their season, opines Mark Craig of the Star Tribune. At 7-3, it would seem the Vikings are in line for a playoff spot at the moment, but they’ve gone 0-2 against plus-.500 teams this year and face three postseason contenders in consecutive weeks. “It seems like every time we play these big-time games, we don’t show up,” stated cornerback Captain Munnerlyn. “So we got to fix that. We got to fix that right now.” If the Vikings don’t fix it with the 6-4 Falcons, 5-5 Seahawks and 8-2 Cardinals looming, they could go from the driver’s seat of the NFC North to 7-6 in a hurry.
- By hiring longtime general manager Ernie Accorsi as a consultant to help them find a new GM, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press submits that the Lions are handling their search properly. Next up, Birkett believes the team needs to clarify an ownership succession plan to assure candidates that the franchise is stable.
- 49ers center Daniel Kilgore remains on the team’s PUP list this weekend, having not been added to the 53-man roster today. However, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee tweets, San Francisco will have one more week to potentially activate Kilgore, who has practiced for the last two weeks.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: Berger, Bucs, Alexander, Eagles
With starting center John Sullivan sidelined all year for the Vikings, veteran offensive lineman Joe Berger – rated by Pro Football Focus as one of the league’s top centers – has been invaluable for the team, writes Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. Minnesota prioritized re-signing Berger in the offseason, and he was happy to return to the Vikings, even in a backup role.
Having played every offensive snap for the club this season, Berger is on track to earn an extra $400K in incentives if he continues that pace, and barring an injury, there’s no reason to believe he won’t. Sullivan suffered a setback and underwent another surgical procedure in October, and isn’t expected to return this season, so the center job looks like Berger’s for at least the rest of the year.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Although he’s facing a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander looks likely to play in Sunday’s game against the Colts. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times notes that the NFL officially notified the team of Alexander’s suspension on Wednesday, giving him five days to appeal the ban, which he’s expected to do. By the time the appeal process plays out, Alexander may end up serving the penalty over the final four games of the regular season, assuming the suspension is upheld.
- Buccaneers running back Doug Martin made comments this week suggesting he doesn’t like the idea that he’s having an excellent season because he’s in a contract year. However, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, teams may be wary of a repeat of DeMarco Murray‘s situation, so if Tampa Bay doesn’t franchise Martin or make a competitive offer, “the warning to everyone else will be implied.” For what it’s worth, the Bucs have indicated they want to retain the running back beyond the 2015 season.
- If the Eagles decide to replace head coach Chip Kelly before the 2016 season, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News would be surprised if a new coach could come in and immediately transform the club into a playoff team. Of course, that just means that Kelly the general manager should be getting at least as much criticism as Kelly the coach, since he was responsible for many of the roster decisions that have depleted the club’s talent.
- After consecutive 10-6 seasons, Kelly didn’t suddenly becoming a bad coach, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who points out that there are Super Bowl-winning coaches that succeeded after flaming out in their previous head coaching jobs. Like Bowen though, McLane questions Kelly as a general manager, writing that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie will have to decide if replacing Kelly as GM and/or head coach is the answer.
Sunday Roundup: Sanchez, Cousins, Graham
Just like Brock Osweiler in Denver, Mark Sanchez has the opportunity to secure a full-time starting job with the Eagles, and his audition starts today. As Sam Bradford continues to deal with a concussion and shoulder injury, Sanchez will get the start against the Buccaneers this afternoon, and per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Kevin Patra) he will also start Thanksgiving Day against the Lions. Since the Eagles did not sign Bradford to an extension this offseason, it will be easy for Philadelphia to move on from him if it so chooses, and it would not be a surprise if Sanchez took hold of the job for the remainder of 2015. What happens beyond that, though, is anyone’s guess.
Now let’s take a look at some links from around the league:
- Washington has had preliminary contract talks with Kirk Cousins, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). However, as former NFL agent Joel Corry tweets, there is no reason for Cousins to sign an extension anytime soon, as the rewards for not doing so outweigh the risks.
- Rapoport tweets that the Cowboys‘ support for embattled DE Greg Hardy is waning. Hardy was late for practice last Thursday and late for a team meeting last Saturday, and it is unclear how much longer he can test the team’s patience. Of course, it would be strange if tardiness is the reason Dallas ultimately chooses to part ways with Hardy.
- Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald looks back at what went right for the Dolphins this offseason and what they should have done differently.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com details the reasons for Jimmy Graham‘s disappointing 2015 season and likens his tenure with the Seahawks to Randy Moss‘ time in Oakland. Fitzgerald believes that Graham’s statistical output is artificially low because of the offense he plays in, and although there are risks if a team should choose to pursue Graham in the offseason, the potential rewards outweigh those concerns.
- In a separate piece, Fitzgerald explores why Nick Foles‘ benching does not mean he will be leaving the Rams next year.
- Matt Vensel of The Star Tribune examines how the Vikings have successfully navigated the draft and deftly handled difficult personnel decisions to assemble one of the league’s best defenses.
- Likewise, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle discusses how the Texans‘ youth movement on defense is giving the club hope for the future.
- Although it does not come as much of surprise, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that teams hoping to lure Alabama head coach Nick Saban back to the professional ranks are facing very steep odds, and La Canfora details why Saban will stay right where he is.
- Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reviews the performance of the 2015 draft class to date, observing that, with a few notable exceptions, the class has largely been a disappointment.
- Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com explores some potential impacts of the NFL’s decision to make compensatory draft picks tradeable.
Latest On Lions’ GM Search
The Lions announced on Thursday that they’ve established an advisory board to lead the search for a new general manager, while continuing to consult with the league’s career development advisory panel. That panel has met twice already and will meet twice more before the end of the season, but Tom Pelissero of USA Today has already learned the identities of five of the leading candidates.
According to Pelissero, some of the early frontrunners are Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard, Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta, Vikings assistant GM George Paton, Jaguars director of player personnel Chris Polian, and Packers director of player personnel Eliot Wolf. All five executives have been linked to the job in one fashion or another, though many have speculated that the Lions will not be able to lure Wolf away from Green Bay, where he is thought to be the heir apparent to the GM job. Ballard and DeCosta, two highly-respected NFL execs, were on last year’s list cultivated by the panel. The Jets used the panel last year to make their hire of Mike Maccagnan, who was then the Texans’ director of college scouting.
On Thursday afternoon, the Lions hired Rod Wood as the team’s new president, taking over the position previously held by Tom Lewand. Wood, of course, will be an integral part of the team’s advisory board to find its next GM. That group also includes owner Martha Firestone Ford and the team’s board of directors and vice chairmen, all of whom are members of the Ford family.