NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/6/16
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: QB Aaron Murray, QB Zac Dysert (team announcement)
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Nick Williams (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), DL Joe Vellano (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com)
- Cut: DT Joey Mbu (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: QB David Fales (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com), G Jarell Broxton (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Carlos Fields, DB Damian Parms (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Jeremiah George, T Keavon Milton (Twitter link via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News)
- Cut: DE Ryan Russell, LB Deon King
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Brandon Dunn, OL Joseph Cheek (link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: ILB Ramik Wilson, G Jordan Devey, CB Julian Wilson, CB Terrance Mitchell (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)
- Cut: LB Tyrell Adams, C Daniel Munyer, S Shak Randolph, S Brock Vereen (link via Paylor)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Carter Bykowski (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press)
- Cut: CB Tre Roberson
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Mike Hilton (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of NESN), S Vinnie Sunseri (Twitter link via Kyed)
New York Jets
- Signed: RB/KR Raheem Mostert (Twitter link via agent Brett Tessler), CB Dexter McDougle, S Ronald Martin, and RB Dominique Williams (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY)
New Orleans Saints
- Cut: LB Tony Steward (Twitter link via Herbie Teope of NOLA.com)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL Takoby Cofield
Tennessee Titans:
- Signed: WR Tre McBride (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com)
- Cut: WR Ben Roberts
Saints To Sign Sterling Moore
After working him out earlier today, the Saints have agreed to sign cornerback Sterling Moore, according to Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com (Twitter links). Per Katzenstein, it’s a one-year deal.
[RELATED: Saints Visit With Jahri Evans]
New Orleans released another veteran corner who excels in the slot just hours ago, as they cut Cortland Finnegan, so Moore-for-Finnegan is essentially a one-for-one switch. And the Saints need all the help they can get in the back end, as after ranking as a historically poor defense in 2015, the club doesn’t have much depth in the secondary. Delvin Breaux had a nice season last year, but fellow starter P.J. Williams has never played in a NFL game. Moore, then, will add some experience while contributing in sub package situations.
Moore, 26, starting nine games at nickel for the Buccaneers in 2015. In total, Moore racked up 45 tackles, six pass breakups, an interception and three forced fumbles. Moore first broke into the league as a UDFA out of SMU in 2011 with the Raiders. However, he did not see regular burn until the 2014 season. In 2014, Moore ranked 22nd out of 108 qualified cornerbacks during his time at the position, per Pro Football Focus. Last year, Moore placed 64th out of 111 qualified corners, per PFF (sub. req’d).
After signing with the Bills over the offseason, Moore was released at final cutdowns.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jahri Evans Visits Saints
Veteran guard Jahri Evans visited with the only club with which he’s ever seen regular season action, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link) that Evans had a meeting with the Saints today.
[RELATED: Saints Audition Reuben Randle]
The 33-year-old Evans was released by the Seahawks over the weekend after losing out in a battle to become one of the club’s starting guards. New Orleans had previously cut him earlier this offseason, given that the team is considering moving former first-round pick Andrus Peat to left guard, Evans could make sense on the right side. Seattle signed Evans for the minimum salary benefit with $80K guaranteed, so he should be pretty cheap if the Saints are interested in a reunion.
Evans appeared in and started 153 games with the Saints from 2006-15. The 316-pounder racked up four first-team All-Pro nods in New Orleans, but he only logged 11 appearances last year as a result of arthroscopic knee surgery. However, Evans’ performance during an abbreviated campaign earned him plaudits from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 27th among 81 qualifying guards.
Saints Audition Rueben Randle, Others
The Saints auditioned a small army’s worth of players today. Among the notable players to work out for New Orleans were wide receivers Rueben Randle, Greg Little, and Andre Caldwell (Twitter links via Nick Underhill of The Advocate). 
Offensive lineman Khalif Barnes, long snapper Aaron Brewer, long snapper Andrew East, long snapper Thomas Gafford, offensive tackle Bryce Harris, tight end Nic Jacobs, tight end Jake Stoneburner, guard/center Mike Liedtke, cornerback Sterling Moore, cornerback Darrin Walls, cornerback B.W. Webb, and wide receiver Nate Washington also auditioned for the Saints. Liedtke’s visit “went well” and “there’s a good chance something may happen soon,” according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link).
Randle, 25, joined the Eagles this offseason after averaging 56 receptions, 782 yards, and six touchdowns over the past three seasons with the Giants. However, he was cut loose before the 75-man deadline. Randle is known to be a talented receiver but there were serious questions about his work ethic while he was in East Rutherford.
Caldwell, 31, appeared in 14 games for the Broncos last season, catching 10 passes (22 targets) for 72 yards. While he wasn’t one of the primary targets in Denver, he did also have two touchdowns on the year. In the spring he signed on with Detroit and before he was cut by the Lions in August, it was said that he suffered a “season-ending” hand injury. It seems that Caldwell’s injury might not be as bad as once feared.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints Cut Kai Forbath
The Saints have cut kicker Kai Forbath, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The writing was on the wall for Forbath after the team signed fellow kicker Wil Lutz earlier today. 
The Saints signed Forbath in October of 2015 after the Redskins released him a month earlier. Forbath went on to make 9-of-13 field goal attempts — including a 57-yarder — and 33-of-34 extra points. In March, the Saints re-upped him. Now, he’s on the open market once again.
Forbath was locked in what was said to be a tight kicking battle with Connor Barth all summer. Barth was cut days ago, but the team has decided to overhaul the position entirely for reasons that are not quite clear.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints Release Cortland Finnegan
Cortland Finnegan‘s time with the Saints did not last long. The cornerback was released this afternoon, as Mike Florio of PFT tweets. 
[RELATED: Saints Sign K Wil Lutz To Active Roster]
The 32-year-old Finnegan announced his retirement in March 2015, but he returned to football in November when he signed with the Panthers. Finnegan wound up playing in five regular-season games and all three of the NFC champions’ playoff contests, including Super Bowl 50. The veteran, who recorded 18 tackles, failed to add to his career interception total (18) for the second straight year.
The Saints are slated to start Delvin Breaux and P.J. Williams at cornerback, as shown on Roster Resource. Finnegan was expected to provide depth behind both players this offseason, but he apparently didn’t do enough over the last month to make the Week 1 roster.
Finnegan’s deal with the Saints called for him to earn a $985K base salary with a $50K signing bonus and a $650K cap hit due to the minimum salary benefit. New Orleans is now only on the hook for the $50K bonus.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints Sign K Wil Lutz To Active Roster
Could the Saints be making a change at kicker? One day after agreeing to add kicker Wil Lutz to their taxi squad, the Saints are instead signing him to the 53-man roster, according to agent John Perla Jr. (on Twitter). 
Just a few days ago, the Saints cut fellow kicker Connor Barth, which seemingly meant that Forbath had won the kicking competition. The Saints were fond of Barth too and coach Sean Payton acknowledged that the team had a tough time deciding between them. It seems unlikely that the Saints would carry two kickers, so one has to wonder if Forbath could be injured.
Lutz had a tryout with the Saints on Monday, Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune tweets. He made all of his short kicks and while he nailed a few tries from the high 50s, he did miss two attempts from 50+. Lutz was let go by the Ravens when the team cut down to 75. The UDFA out of Georgia State connected on 27 of his 39 field goal tries in college and made 98.1% of his extra point attempts.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Drew Brees Seeking $100MM Deal
The Saints and quarterback Drew Brees have restarted contract extension talks over the past week and will make a push to reach a deal before Sunday’s opener, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Brees, who has made it known that he doesn’t want to discuss his contract during the season, is seeking a four-year, $100MM pact, according to La Canfora (Twitter links).
Brees’ asking price is a lofty one for a 37-year-old, especially considering no other NFLer averages $25MM per annum. However, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer hasn’t shown serious signs of aging to this point. Brees, a 16th-year man, is coming off his eighth straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes. He also eclipsed the 4,800-yard mark for the fifth consecutive year.
If the Saints and Brees aren’t able to find common ground by Sunday, the odds of this being his final season in New Orleans would seem to increase significantly. Applying the franchise tag to Brees next offseason would cost the Saints $43.2MM, which is certainly an unpalatable figure. As of now, Brees is set to count a quarterback-leading $30MM against the Saints’ cap and rake in $19.75MM – the second-highest base salary for a signal-caller – to conclude the five-year, $100MM contract he inked with the Saints in 2012. That deal made Brees the highest-paid player in league history, but several others have since passed him.
During his 10-year run in New Orleans, the ex-Charger has missed just two games, led the Saints to a 94-64 regular-season record, five playoff appearances, and a Super Bowl title to cap off the 2009-10 campaign. Along the way, Brees has thrown 348 touchdowns, recorded three 5,000-yard seasons, made eight Pro Bowls, and established himself as the Saints’ all-time best player.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints Waive Ashaad Mabry
- The Saints waived defensive tackle Ashaad Mabry, tweets Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate. Mabry also made the Saints initial roster in 2015, but was waived days later. The former UTSA standout spent last season on New Orleans’ practice squad.
[SOURCE LINK]
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/5/16
Here are Monday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Nick Williams (via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
Buffalo Bills
- Cut: FB Dan Vitale (via the team’s website)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: C Cornelius Edison, DB Demontre Hurst (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Trey Caldwell, P Michael Palardy, RB Terrell Watson (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com)
- Cut: OL Kaleb Johnson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DB Julian Wilson (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Isaiah Johnson, WR Paul McRoberts, TE Bryce Williams (via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Taveze Calhoun, WR Jordan Williams, K Will Lutz (Twitter links via Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate; Instagram link via Lutz)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB C.J. Smith, WR Paul Turner (Twitter link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com)
- Cut: Quentin Gause
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Justin Hamilton (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)