Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
We’ll keep tabs on today’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the league right here:
- After waiting for him to clear waivers, the Ravens have officially signed tight end Phillip Supernaw back to their practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- The Seahawks have signed defensive end Ryan Robinson to their taxi squad and are now back to the maximum 10 players, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).
- Having lost tackle Nick Becton off their practice squad when he signed with the Saints, the Giants have filled his spot by adding safety Kyle Sebetic, who was in camp with the team this summer.
Earlier updates:
- The Patriots have re-signed wideout Jonathan Krause to their taxi squad, dropping defensive lineman Kona Schwenke from the unit to clear a spot, the team announced today in a press release.
- Running back Michael Hill has been released from the Packers‘ practice squad, replaced by guard Jordan McCray, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Heading into today with one open spot on their practice squad, the Buccaneers created another opening by cutting defensive end George Uko, then filled those spots by signing defensive tackle Matthew Masifilo and cornerback Quinton Pointer, tweets Scott Smith of Buccaners.com.
- The Steelers have added safety Jordan Dangerfield to their practice squad, releasing defensive end Ethan Hemer, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Pittsburgh safeties Troy Polamalu and Shamarko Thomas are both dealing with injuries, so Dangerfield could be a candidate for promotion this weekend depending on the status of those players.
- Defensive tackle Loni Fangupo has joined the Chiefs‘ practice squad, according to his representatives at ARN Sports (Twitter link).
East Notes: Pryor, Jets, Patriots, Pierre-Paul
Earlier today, Washington became the latest team to have free agent quarterback Terrelle Pryor in for a workout, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. The club now has a fully healthy group of signal-callers in Robert Griffin III, Colt McCoy, and Kirk Cousins, so it appears to be an unlikely landing spot for Pryor. Running backs Tim Hightower and Jeff Demps were also among the free agents whom Washington auditioned today, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The club worked out nine more players, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk provides a full list: tight end Chase Dixon, tight end D.C. Jefferson, safety Ahmad Black, defensive tackle Lanier Coleman, tackle Chris Faulk, tight end Tyler George, defensive end Donte Paige-Moss, defensive tackle Justin Renfrow, and safety Nickoe Whitley. Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions.
- The Jets’ plan to rely on second-year player Dee Milliner, rookie Dexter McDougle, and mediocre free agent Dimitri Patterson as their primary corners was flawed from the beginning, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Milliner and McDougle both suffered serious injuries, while Patterson went AWOL during the preseason and was released.
- The Jets worked out linebacker Shayne Skov today, tweets Costello. Skov, a 2014 undrafted free agent, has worked out for the Chargers and Texans in recent days after spending time with the 49ers and Buccaneers earlier this year.
- The Patriots also brought in several players for tryouts today, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who identifies kickers Dave Teggart and Zach Hocker, long snappers Charley Hughlett and Patrick Scales, punter Cody Mandell, and quarterback Garrett Gilbert as having auditioned for New England.
- Responding to a reader’s Twitter question, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger gave defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul a 55% chance of returning to the Giants next season. Pierre-Paul is having a solid season as he approaches free agency — though he has only 3.5 sacks, he’s graded as the league’s third-best 4-3 defensive end among 54 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF’s metrics rate the 25-year-old as the best run defender at his position by far; his +17.1 grade against the run is nearly double that of Derek Wolfe, the No. 2 finisher.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
AFC Notes: Jaguars, Bills, Pats, Texans
Through nine weeks, there aren’t many teams in the AFC that can truly be considered out of the postseason hunt. Besides the Titans, Jaguars, Jets, and Raiders, none of whom have more than two wins, no AFC club is more than two games out of first place in its division. That group also includes an impressive 11 teams over .500, which should make for a pretty interesting second half as contenders jockey for position.
Here are a few Tuesday items from across the AFC:
- With the Jaguars prepared to play the Cowboys in England this weekend, Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union takes a look at the team’s relationship to London and how it will affect the franchise going forward. “Some people view London as a threat to the Jaguars,” said Jaguars president Mark Lamping. “I view it the exact opposite. London is going to be one of the things that protects Jacksonville as an NFL market. It stabilizes a franchise that was unstable a few years ago.”
- Cornerback Brandon Smith, who has fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered earlier this year, worked out for the Bills this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Smith has previously spent time with both the Bills and Jets.
- Long snapper Tyler Ott, who was with the Patriots in training camp, was among the specialists to try out for New England today, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- As first reported by Jayson Braddock (via Twitter), Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson suffered a sprained MCL and is expected to be sidelined for three or four weeks. If Houston looks to promote a player from the practice squad for depth purposes, cornerback Charles James looks like the top candidate.
- Browns general manager Ray Farmer spoke to reporters today, but the GM’s comments about Brian Hoyer‘s and Johnny Manziel‘s futures in Cleveland weren’t too revealing. Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com has a few details and quotes from Farmer.
AFC Notes: Mallett, Clowney, Broncos, Ravens
The Texans lost 31-21 to an Eagles’ team that was led on offense by backup quarterback Mark Sanchez. In Houston, their own backup quarterback made waves after the game, tweeting a message that stirred up unrest among Texans’ fans, according to Ultimate Texans.
“I’m staying focused for when the time comes…seize the opportunity #justwaiting,” wrote Mallett.
The Texans are 4-5 and Ryan Fitzpatrick has been underwhelming as the starting quarterback, leaving Mallet and rookie Tom Savage as options for the team going forward.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- The Texans are growing frustrated with Jadeveon Clowney‘s absence from the field, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). He had missed a number of weeks with a knee injury, and as he is getting healthier, he missed today’s matchup against the Eagles with an illness. The team wants him to be more mature in dealing with his injuries, according to Rapoport (via Twitter).
- The Broncos and Patriots both had themes for their offseasons, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The Broncos wanted to get tougher on defense, and the Patriots were focused on becoming more physical in the secondary. Those themes dictated the moves each team made all offseason.
- The Ravens are making the most of their free agent acquisitions, with many of their unappreciated signings coming up big for the team through the first half of the season, writes Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Running back Justin Forsett, receiver Steve Smith, and tight end Owen Daniels have all contributed big numbers to the offense so far this year.
Minor Moves: Friday
As teams prepare to set their rosters for the weekend, the backs of 53-man rosters and practice squads will be tweaked. We’ll cover those minor transactions from around the NFL for Friday right here, with the latest updates added to the top of the list:
- Wideout Marcus Thigpen will slide into one of several open spots on the Buccaneers‘ 53-man roster, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), who hears from a source that Thigpen is being promoted from the club’s practice squad.
- After cutting him from the active roster earlier in the week, the Panthers have re-signed running back Darrin Reaves to their practice squad, cutting running back Tauren Poole from the unit, according to the team (Twitter link). Carolina also signed former UNC linebacker Kevin Reddick to fill out the squad.
Earlier updates:
- The Patriots have re-added linebacker Deontae Skinner to their practice squad after he cleared waivers, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Skinner, an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, had been on the active roster, but was cut to make room for new signee Alan Branch. Wideout Jonathan Krause has been released from the practice squad to make room for Skinner.
East Notes: Talib, Patriots, Jets, Hall
With the AFC East-leading Patriots set to host the AFC West-leading Broncos this weekend, it’s the latest chapter in the ongoing Tom Brady/Peyton Manning rivalry, but there are a few other subplots at play. One of them involves Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib, who was a Patriot last year, but signed a huge deal with the Broncos in the offseason and will be playing on the other side of the rivalry this time around. Here’s a round-up of East-related links, including a note on Talib:
- Speaking to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, Talib says he “relished” his time in New England and came close to re-signing with the Patriots last spring. “It was a negotiation, and it came down to the language of the contracts,” Talib said. “I just went with what I feel was best with me and my family. I can’t remember the logistics and everything. It wasn’t bad at all. The offer wasn’t bad.”
- In advance of Sunday’s showdown, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com takes a look at the differences between how the Patriots and Broncos built their current rosters.
- With the 2015 free agent market for quarterbacks not likely to yield any long-term solutions, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News explores the Jets‘ potential options for signal-callers in next year’s draft.
- After tearing his Achilles tendon last month and undergoing surgery to repair it, Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall tore it again and will have to go back under the knife, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Although Hall is still expected to be ready for training camp in 2015, the re-injury will make his recovery more challenging, and it raises some questions about his future in Washington, according to Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com.
AFC East Links: Patriots, Idzik, Orton
Linebacker Jonathan Casillas was acquired by the Patriots earlier this week, and the 27-year-old is doing everything in his power to play this weekend. It isn’t easy switching teams midseason, and the six-year veteran realizes that he has a lot of catching up to do (via Lee Schechter of ESPNBoston.com):
“I feel like I’m cramming for a final in college,” Casillas said. “I’m happy to be here and blessed to have this opportunity to play for a great organization.
“This is my fourth [defensive] coordinator in four years since Gregg [Williams], so five [defensive] coordinators in five years, and that’s the tough part — learning all of these different defensive schemes — not really transitioning city to city because a city is a city. I can get acclimated to my surrounding place. My job learning the Xs and Os about what I’m going to do every day and the verbiage and the communication, that’s the difficult part.”
Casillas was also asked how he felt being traded from the last-place Buccaneers to the place-first Patriots:
“Do I really have to answer that question?”
Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC East…
- Recently released linebacker Deontae Skinner has cleared waivers and is expected to re-sign with the Patriots, tweets the Boston Globe’s Shalise Manza Young. The rookie was released by New England yesterday following the signing of Alan Branch.
- ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss reacts to the Patriots handling of the trade deadline, writing that Raiders defensive end Justin Tuck could have helped, but the price was likely too high. Reiss notes that he never bought into the Vincent Jackson/Doug Martin rumors.
- Jets supporters seemingly haven’t been too thrilled with the work of general manager John Idzik, and some fans have created a website called firejohnidzik.com (via John Healy of the New York Daily News).
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines the Bills options for handling Kyle Orton‘s contract should the quarterback lead the team to the playoffs. The veteran currently has $5.4MM base salary for next season (with a $7MM cap hit), but he has the opportunity to void his contract immediately following the Super Bowl. If Orton decides to stick around, Rodak believes the team’s two options are to either extend him to a long-term contract or offer him a more lucrative, one-year deal.
Practice Squad Updates: Thursday
We’ll track today’s practice squad signings and cuts, in this space. Here’s the latest:
- According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link), the Seahawks‘ practice squad is full again at 10 players after the team signed tight end Brett Brackett and wide receiver Chris Matthews, cutting tight end Rashaun Allen to make room.
- The Patriots have formally confirmed the signing of offensive lineman Chris Barker to their practice squad, a move which was reported yesterday. To make room for Barker, New England has cut defensive lineman Ben Bass.
Earlier updates:
- The Browns have signed former Seahawks wideout Phil Bates to their practice squad, cutting defensive back Marcus Cromartie to make room, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Danny O’Neil of 710 ESPN in Seattle first reported yesterday (via Twitter) that Bates, who was cut this week by Seattle, had cleared waivers and was headed to Cleveland.
- After waiving him earlier this week to sign veteran safety Charles Godfrey, the Falcons have re-signed safety Sean Baker to their practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. Baker, who was on Atlanta’s taxi squad for nearly all of September, takes the spot vacated by safety Kimario McFadden, who has been cut.
AFC East Notes: Smith, Branch, Marino, Bills
The Jets have moved on from Geno Smith as the undisputed starter, but they need to close the book on the struggling quarterback altogether, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He writes that putting Smith back in the game this season will only cloud the quarterback situation further, and that the team needs to draft a new signal-caller in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
- Defensive tackle Alan Branch is – finally – a member of the Patriots. Christopher Price of WEEI.com looked at what the former Seahawks notable can bring to New England.
- Dolphins‘ Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino has been privately tutoring the team’s current quarterbacks, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Ryan Tannehill and backup Matt Moore are both getting personal attention from the all-time great passer.
- The Bills have been great on the road in 2014, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Even receiver Mike Williams, who has had his troubles with the organization, has bought in. “It’s more of the family atmosphere with us. On the road, we’ve all got to stay together. All the trips, you’ve got to be with your team,” said Williams. “I think that got us a lot closer. On the road, we hang with each other more, we in the hotel with each other, we go out to new places and chill with each other. I think us just being together more on the road is showing up.”
Zach Links contrributed to this post.
Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
Today’s practice squad moves:
- One cornerback has replaced another on the Chargers‘ practice squad, as the team announced today that it has signed Kendall James and parted ways with Aaron Hester.
- Offensive lineman Chris Barker, who was cut when the Patriots acquired Jonathan Casillas, has cleared waivers and will rejoin the club’s practice squad, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. The Pats will have to make a corresponding move to make room for Barker.
- One last update from Charean Williams (Twitter link) on Jeff Baca: the Cowboys have indeed signed the offensive lineman to their practice squad, releasing guard Rishaw Johnson to do so.
Earlier updates:
- After being cut by the Rams to accommodate the addition of safety Mark Barron, quarterback Case Keenum has cleared waivers and re-signed with the team’s practice squad, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Linebacker Justin Anderson is signing with the Giants‘ practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team had been carrying just nine players on its squad, so no corresponding move was necessary to clear room for Anderson, who spent time with the Giants during the preseason.
- The Seahawks appear to have filled one of their practice squad openings by adding offensive lineman Keavon Milton, says Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
- Charean Williams had issued an addendum to her earlier report, tweeting that apparently Baca hasn’t signed with the Cowboys after all. Instead, the team has replaced Davis with another linebacker, Will Smith.
- The Cowboys have signed offensive lineman Jeff Baca to the taxi squad, replacing linebacker Troy Davis, according to Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
- Quarterback Mike Kafka has been signed to the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). Kafka, 27, was released by the Bucs on Monday. He did not take a snap with the Bucs during his short stint on the active roster and his only NFL experience came in 2011 with the Eagles where he appeared in four games.