NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/30/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DE/OLB Xzavier Dickson (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G Leon Brown (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Manasseh Garner, S Phillip Thomas (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Daryl Richardson (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DE Michael McAdoo (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Signed: CB Brandon McGee (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Robert Nelson (Twitter link via Wilson)
New England Patriots
- Signed: FB Joey Iosefa (link via Doug Kyed of NESN.com)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: FB Toben Opurum (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune)
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Glenn Carson, CB T.J. Heath (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of NJ.com)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: CB Richard Crawford (Twitter link via Wilson)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Justin Hamilton (Twitter link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Gerod Holliman, CB C.J. Roberts, CB Joel Ross (press release via team)
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/30/15
Here are Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, as teams get their rosters set for Week 17:
- The Colts made a pair of tight end transactions, placing Dwayne Allen (calf) on season-ending injured reserve and promoting Erik Swoope from their practice squad, per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). A fourth-year man, Allen made 16 catches in 13 games for the Colts this season. He hasn’t been able to match the production he put up as a rookie in 2011 in terms of receptions (45) and yardage (521), but he did amass a career-best eight touchdowns last season.
- The Patriots waived cornerback Troy Hill, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss (Twitter link). The Pats claimed Hill off waivers from Cincinnati last week. In addition, they signed defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- The 49ers have been awarded tight end Je’Ron Hamm off waivers, a day after he was cut by Washington, according to a Niners release. San Francisco moved running back Shaun Draughn to injured reserve to accommodate the waiver claim — Draughn joins fellow RBs Reggie Bush and Carlos Hyde on the Niners’ IR.
- The Bills created two roster spots on Tuesday by placing Charles Clay and Ron Brooks on injured reserve, and filled those spots today with a pair of practice squad cornerbacks. As Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets, head coach Rex Ryan confirmed that Buffalo elevated Merrill Noel and Sammy Seamster from the team’s taxi squad.
- The Chargers also added secondary depth today, signing safety Brandian Ross and cornerback Cassius Vaughn to their active roster, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). The club has now added three defensive backs to its 53-man squad this week.
- After placing Dez Bryant and two other players on injured reserve today, the Cowboys have promoted wide receivers Rodney Smith and Vince Mayle from their practice squad, and also signed cornerback Josh Thomas, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link).
- The Broncos are signing guard Robert Myers off the Ravens‘ practice squad to fill the 53rd spot on their roster, reports Mike Klis of 9News. That roster opening was created on Tuesday when Denver cut safety Shaun Prater.
- According to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link), offensive lineman Braxston Cave has been promoted from the Lions‘ practice squad to their active roster, taking the spot vacated by cornerback Bill Bentley, who was cut on Tuesday.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 12/29/15
Tuesdays are generally the busiest day of the week during the NFL regular season for transactions, and on the last Tuesday of the 2015 campaign, that’s especially true. After rounding up several minor moves from around the league earlier today, we’ve got plenty more to pass along now. Here’s the latest:
AFC:
- After re-signing him three weeks ago, the Chargers confirmed today that they have released wide receiver Vincent Brown. The 26-year-old was active for just one game and caught only one pass, for 22 yards.
- The Ravens have placed wide receiver Marlon Brown on season-ending injured reserve due to a back injury, replacing him on the roster with defensive back Sheldon Price, the team announced today (via Twitter). Brown, the 20th player Baltimore has placed on IR this year, is eligible for restricted free agency, and he may not be tendered a contract this winter, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Broncos have cut safety Shaun Prater, who was inactive on Monday, the team announced in a press release. Prater was signed as insurance after David Bruton was placed on IR, but with T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart back in action, his services weren’t required.
- The Patriots have filled their roster by signing linebacker and special-teamer Dekoda Watson, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s the third contract signed with New England this year by Watson, who has been off and on the Pats’ roster.
- The Texans have officially confirmed the previously-reported transaction that sent cornerback Charles James to IR, elevating safety Corey Moore to the active roster from the practice squad to replace James, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- The Raiders have signed safety Dewey McDonald from off their practice squad, according to the team. McDonald has also spent time with the Colts and Patriots this season.
NFC:
- The Buccaneers are ending Major Wright‘s season, placing the safety on injured reserve prior to Week 17, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL Network. In a corresponding move, Tampa Bay is elevating tight end Tevin Westbrook from its practice squad to the 53-man roster, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link).
- Washington has made a change at the back of its 53-man roster, announcing that tight end Je’Ron Hamm has been waived to make room for cornerback Jeremy Harris, who received a promotion from the practice squad.
- The Lions have once again waived cornerback Bill Bentley, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Bentley, a third-round pick by Detroit in 2012, was cut by the team in the summer before re-signing last month.
- The Saints are promoting tight end Rashaun Allen to their 53-man roster from the practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson. As Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link) observes, a corresponding move will be required to make the signing official, which could mean moving tight end Josh Hill to IR.
- Wilson also passes along details on a couple players who have been cut from their respective teams’ injured reserve lists, reporting (via Twitter) that the Cardinals have cut defensive back Cariel Brooks with an injury settlement, while the Packers have released defensive end Jermauria Rasco from their IR.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/29/15
Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The Patriots announced that they have released running back Joey Iosefa. Iosefa lasted only two weeks on the club’s active roster. He saw 14 carries against the Titans in Week 15 and ran for only 51 yards. His spot has ostensibly been usurped by the recently-added Steven Jackson.
- The Giants announced that they have placed 2014 fifth-rounder Devon Kennard on injured reserve. Kennard, who also missed four games last season, has 58 tackles to his credit for Big Blue.
- The Steelers placed fullback Roosevelt Nix on injured reserve, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The Steelers also announced that they have promoted linebacker L.J. Fort to the active roster.
- The Bills placed Marcus Easley on IR, as Wilson tweets. Back in March of 2015, the special teamer inked a four-year pact worth $7MM with the Bills. A sizable chunk of that money – $2.2MM – was guaranteed.
- Texans cornerback Charles James will be placed on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending foot injury, Wilson tweets.
- The Chargers announced that they have claimed tight end Asante Cleveland off waivers from the Patriots.
East Notes: Coughlin, Grimes, Eagles, Pats
Asked after Sunday night’s embarrassing loss to the Vikings about his job security, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin insisted that he’s not worried about it, and that it’ll “take care of itself,” according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
While Coughlin claims he’s not concerned about his future with the Giants, he probably should be, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who adds that the “walls are closing in” on the team’s longtime head coach. Graziano adds that there was a strange vibe in New York’s locker room after Sunday’s game, suggesting that players seem somewhat resigned to Coughlin’s potential fate, despite the fact that most of those players still strongly support and respect the coach.
As we wait to see what the next couple weeks hold for the Giants and Coughlin, let’s check in on some other notes out of the NFL’s East divisions….
- As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes, members of the Dolphins‘ front office, including Mike Tannenbaum, aren’t thrilled with the attention that Brent Grimes‘ wife, Miko Grimes, brings to the organization. After being arrested before a game earlier this season, she has recently been critical of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, as well as certain local media members. Although her outspoken nature may not significantly impact Grimes’ future in Miami, it’s fair to wonder if it’ll be taken into consideration if the club explores the possibility of cutting the cornerback or asking him to take a pay cut.
- After Jason Peters removed himself from Saturday’s game against Washington, reports surfaced that the Eagles’ veteran tackle didn’t want to risk further injury for a team that wasn’t headed to the playoffs. Confirming that story, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News explores what it might mean for Peters and Chip Kelly in 2016.
- The Patriots took another injury hit on Sunday when starting tackle Sebastian Vollmer went down with a sprained ankle, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Vollmer has an MRI scheduled for Monday.
- The fact that the usually-effusive Jerry Jones wasn’t even willing to talk to reporters following the Cowboys‘ latest loss is a reflection of how bad things have gotten in Dallas this season, says Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. It’ll be interesting to see whether the frustrating year results in major offseason changes, or if the Joneses will simply count on Tony Romo‘s return to reverse the team’s fortunes in 2016.
East Notes: Jets, Patriots, Bills, Cowboys
As the Jets’ defeat of the Patriots shakes up the AFC playoff picture, let’s look at some of the news coming out of the Eastern divisions as Week 16 shifts to its night games.
- Jets players were stunned the Patriots opted to kick to start overtime, Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com reports. “My face lit up, like ‘You really want to kick the ball?’ I don’t know, but I am glad they did choose to kick,” Calvin Pryor told media, including Hannable. Bill Belichick made the same decision two years ago against the Broncos, a game that featured several overtime punts before a Patriots victory. However, receiving teams don’t have an overwhelming percentage edge since the new OT rules were implemented for the regular season. Just 50.7% of receiving teams have won in extra periods since 2012.
- The player who verbalized New England’s decision to kick, Matt Slater, could not retract his call regarding which direction the Patriots wanted to defend, per the NFL rulebook. But a post-regulation conversation between Belichick and referee Clete Blakeman may have set this mistake in motion, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com writes. Belichick told Blakeman before the coin toss he intended to have his team kick, and Blakeman worded that into his question to Slater, asking “You want to kick?” Once Slater responded, “We want to kick, that way,” Blakeman could only, by rule, follow his first command as teams that win the toss are not permitted to choose both the action that starts overtime or a half and the direction.
- Bill Polian‘s recent critique of the current offensive front’s status was a point of contention among the Bills‘ line, Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News reports. The Hall of Fame ex-Bills GM referred to the Bills’ line as “aging and unathletic,” and the line mates, most notably 29-year-old Eric Wood and 32-year-old Richie Incognito, made it known that upset them. “We were chirping about it a little bit,” Incognito told media, including Dunne. “A lot of text messages back and forth. You know, we noticed it. We’re professionals. And for a guy like Bill Polian — who’s had a lot of success in Buffalo and is a Hall of Fame (executive) — to talk bad about our group like that, it puts a little (expletive) in our grit.” Despite not having LeSean McCoy‘s services, the Bills rushed for 236 yards on 40 carries in their defeat of the Cowboys.
- Should Jerry Jones decide to fire Jason Garrett after this disastrous season, he’d have to pay up to do so, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. The Cowboys‘ coach is finishing out the first season of a five-year, $30MM contract he signed. An about-face on Garrett’s future in Dallas would cost the Cowboys up to $24MM. Garrett’s passive style in terms of deferring credit works well with the attention-hungry Jones, Florio offers.
- Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis demurred when asked about his job security, responding, “That’s for other men to decide,” according to Paul Domowitch of Philly.com. Davis’ unit has ceded 216 points the past six games. Domowitch notes Chip Kelly’s vote of confidence about Davis’ future doesn’t mean too much considering Andy Reid gave Sean McDermott the same sentiment before firing him five seasons ago. The Philadelphia writer adds Davis is the likely scapegoat for Kelly’s first-year struggles assembling a quality roster.
Patriots Waive Leonard Hankerson
4:10pm: Chris Harper will again claim a spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster, doing so in Hankerson’s stead, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets.
With Julian Edelman slapped with a doubtful designation again and Danny Amendola questionable after a Week 15 injury, the Patriots needed a receiver with better knowledge of their system than Hankerson currently possesses, Volin points out (on Twitter).
The 22-year-old wideout played in three games for the Pats in November, the latest of which featuring an ill-timed fumble that contributed to his release and eventual return to the practice squad.
10:15am: NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Hankerson is expected to rejoin the Patriots next week, assuming the wideout passes through waivers. Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com believes the Patriots may have just wanted a wideout who was a bit more familiar with the offensive system for this weekend’s contest against the Jets (Twitter link).
9:15am: Leonard Hankerson‘s stay in New England proved to be a short one, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reports that the Patriots will waive the wideout this afternoon. The five-year veteran joined the Patriots last week after being cut from the Falcons injured reserve list. The 26-year-old was active for the team’s victory over the Titans, but he didn’t earn a single target in the contest.
In eight games for the Falcons this season, Hankerson compiled 26 catches for 327 yards and three touchdowns. The receiver’s best season came in 2012 with Washington, when he caught 38 passes for 543 yards and three touchdowns.
Hankerson will now be subject to waivers, just like he was last week. Since the Patriots managed to acquire the player despite being towards the end of the waiver order, Florio doesn’t expect the receiver to find another job this season.
Patriots Sign Steven Jackson
SATURDAY, 1:59pm: Jackson’s deal does not include a signing bonus or any guaranteed money, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports, and the 12th-year veteran will make just more than $114K for two regular-season games with the Patriots. Additional compensation will come Jackson’s way if he remains on New England’s playoff roster.
Jackson’s contract falls under the Minimum Salary Benefit guidelines, Howe notes, meaning the ex-Ram and Falcon runner will occupy just more than $68K of the Pats’ salary cap.
TUESDAY, 11:48am: The Patriots have made the move official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Jackson. To make room on the roster, New England cut defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, less than a week after signing him.
MONDAY, 10:07am: After featuring a three-headed rushing attack on Sunday that included Brandon Bolden, James White, and Joey Iosefa, the Patriots will add a veteran to the mix, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the club will sign free agent running back Steven Jackson.
While Jackson had an excellent run in St. Louis, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in eight straight seasons and earning three Pro Bowl nods, he appeared to have lost a step during his two years with the Falcons. In 27 games with Atlanta, Jackson ran for 1,250 yards on 347 carries, an average of 3.6 yards per attempt. He was cut by the Falcons in February and there had been no reports of him working out for NFL teams since then, until he met with the Patriots last week.
With LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis lost for the year, the Patriots have been playing shorthanded in the backfield — White has played well, but is generally a pass-catching back, leaving Bolden and Iosefa to handle most of the carries. Iosefa hadn’t appeared in an NFL game prior to yesterday’s contest against the Titans, and Bolden is more of a special-teamer than a feature back, so Jackson will add some veteran depth to the roster.
According to Anderson (via Twitter), Jackson will be signing a one-year deal with the Pats, so he’s simply being viewed as a short-term option. The move may not bode well for Montee Ball‘s chances of reaching the active roster in the coming weeks — Ball remains on New England’s practice squad for now.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/25/15
Christmas isn’t the most exciting day for big roster decisions, but here are the transactions that filtered through today, with updates added to the top as the night progresses:
- The Patriots have claimed defensive back Troy Hill off waivers from the Bengals, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The team waived tight end Asante Cleveland to make room for Hill.
- The Giants have placed two players on season-ending IR today, in defensive tackle Markus Kuhn and linebacker James Morris, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (via Twitter). They then signed tight end Matt LaCosse and defensive end Brad Bars off the practice squad to take their spots (via Twitter).
Breer’s Latest: GM Candidates, Dolphins, Cutler
Albert Breer’s usual Friday column at NFL.com has arrived one day early this week, in advance of Christmas Day. Breer’s Week 16 notebook focuses on general manager candidates around the league, with one current GM suggesting that the most important thing for a team is for its GM and coach to be on the same page.
“That is the most important thing,” the veteran GM said. “And it is for multiple reasons. The coach and GM have to share a vision. And once you start that relationship, you have to have clearly defined roles. If it’s that [the coach] is coaching and I’m bringing [players] in, once I start to veer and step over that line, everything becomes blurred and dysfunction follows.”
After detailing the importance of the rapport between a coach and GM, Breer identifies a number of potential candidates for jobs that will open up this offseason, examining front office executives who are on the rise and on the cusp of getting their first big shot (such as Chris Ballard of the Chiefs, Nick Caserio of the Patriots, and Brian Gaine of the Texans), as well as those that deserve a second chance at a GM position (like Mark Dominik, Jeff Ireland, and Scott Pioli).
Here are a few more highlights from Breer’s piece:
- The Dolphins have begun to vet possible candidates for their head coaching job, and the team is taking a closer look at the 2006 and 2009 coaching cycles to help identify important characteristics for those candidates. Those were the two years that former Jets executive Mike Tannenbaum hired new coaches – Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan – so the current Dolphins exec is very familiar with what he and his former team looked for at the time, and what they may have missed in other candidates. The overarching idea for Miami is to break away from the group-think mentality that may keep the club from considering a strong option.
- While it may have seemed unlikely a year ago, it now looks like a lock that the Bears will keep Jay Cutler on their roster for 2016, whether or not offensive coordinator Adam Gase remains in Chicago. Cutler’s partially guaranteed salary for next season will become fully guaranteed on St. Patrick’s Day, so the club figures to finalize its decision by then.
- A source tells Breer that the NFL expects to decide before the Super Bowl whether or not a 2016 regular season game will take place in Mexico. The league’s charge to make it happen has “slowed a bit,” according to Breer, who notes that there are several issues still to overcome to make Azteca Stadium game-ready.
- In Breer’s view, the Packers did well to lock up Mike Daniels to a four-year extension rather than having to consider using the franchise tag on him. As a defensive end in a 3-4 system, Daniels isn’t quite as valuable as elite 4-3 DE pass rushers, but his franchise salary would be the same as those players. Teams like the Jets (this year) and Eagles (next year) will face similar dilemmas for Muhammad Wilkerson and Fletcher Cox, respectively.