Minor NFL Transactions: 9/2/15
Here are today’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Falcons have made a change on offense, signing offensive lineman Eric Lefeld and waiving wide receiver Bernard Reedy, the team announced today in a press release. Reedy, who joined the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2014, spent last season on the team’s practice squad.
- After cutting their roster down to 74 players on Tuesday, the Jaguars have filled the lone opening by re-signing tight end Connor Hamlett, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links). O’Halloran adds that the club also reached an injury settlement with wide receiver Greg Jenkins, so he has been removed from the injured reserve list.
- The Giants also left an open spot on their 75-man roster following Tuesday’s cuts, and they’re using that spot to re-sign kicker Chris Boswell, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). As Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter), Josh Brown has been dealing with a leg injury, so Boswell will handle the job in New York’s final preseason game on Thursday night.
- The Ravens released linebacker Steven Means (groin) with an injury settlement, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets.
East Notes: Cassel, Bills, Giants, Cowboys
After having let go of one veteran offensive player earlier this week, the Bills may part ways with another before the season begins — albeit one that has only been on the roster for several months, rather than several years. According to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (Twitter links), there’s an expectation among multiple NFL personnel people that Buffalo will cut quarterback Matt Cassel and go with E.J. Manuel as Tyrod Taylor‘s backup.
As Carucci notes, Cassel is a costly bench player, with a cap hit of nearly $5MM for 2015, and the Bills need all the cap space they can get in order to extend star defensive lineman Marcell Dareus. Fred Jackson‘s cap number likely played a significant part in his Monday release as well.
Speaking of Jackson, we heard this morning that the decision to cut the veteran running back appears to have been made by general manager Doug Whaley, and Carucci points out that Manuel has “strong support” from Whaley. It may be worth keeping an eye on these sorts of roster decisions in Buffalo this year to see how the relationship between Rex Ryan and Whaley evolves, and how much influence each of them has over personnel decisions.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Adam Caplan of ESPN.com has the details on Stevie Brown‘s new contract with the Giants, tweeting that the safety will earn the minimum salary and will get a $40K bonus if he’s on the team’s Week 1 roster.
- Given the Giants‘ problems at the safety position this summer, the decision not to re-sign veteran defensive back Antrel Rolle back in March looks especially bad now, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- With the Cowboys‘ roster now down to 75 players, Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at some position battles across the roster, predicting which players might hit the waiver wire when the club cuts down to 53.
Giants Waive Robert Malone, Others
The Giants made a score of moves at the 3pm CT deadline for 75-man rosters. The Giants’ cuts include Brandon Mosley, Eric Herman, Robert Malone, and Jordan Stanton, as Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger tweets. The Giants also released running back Akeem Hunt, offensive lineman Michael Bamiro, wide receiver Juron Criner, fullback Justin Halley, offensive lineman Derrick Johnson, defensive tackle Jummy Staten, and tight end Will Tye, as James Kratch of NJ Advance Media tweets.
Bennett Jackson and Josh Gordy have also been placed on season-ending IR, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets.
The release of Malone means that Steve Weatherford has won the battle for the punter job. Safety Nat Berhe is noticeably absent from the IR list and that means his status for 2015 is still up in the air.
Giants Re-Sign Stevie Brown
MONDAY, 10:56am: The Giants have officially re-signed Brown, the team announced today (Twitter link). Linebacker Victor Butler was cut to create space on the roster, tweets Raanan.
SUNDAY, 9:30am: After it was first reported yesterday that Brown would work out for the Giants, we heard that he would not work out for any teams, as he had multiple offers in hand, and that Big Blue fans should not count on a reunion between Brown and the safety-starved squad. Now, though, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that Brown is expected to sign with the Giants. Raanan cites two individuals with knowledge of the situation who wished to remain anonymous since the deal has not been finalized.
SATURDAY, 1:41pm: A reunion between the Giants and now-free agent safety Stevie Brown makes plenty of sense now that Brown’s former employer is the most safety-starved team in the league and Brown needs a job.
The Giants will bring in Brown, whom they decided not to re-sign this offseason after the 2010 seventh-rounder played three seasons for the team from 2012-14, for a visit early next week, according to the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano.
Released by the Texans on Friday, Brown has several teams pursuing him, according to Vacchiano. Of course, that information comes from Brown’s agent, so that may be a market-stirring maneuver. Nevertheless, with Big Blue having lost Mykkele Thompson, Bennett Jackson and Justin Currie for the season and Nat Berhe for possibly a substantial portion of it after he underwent surgery Saturday, Brown’s release came at an ideal time for the Giants.
Brown signed a one-year, $3MM contract this offseason with the Texans, but the team released him early since the coaching staff determined he wouldn’t make Houston’s 53-man roster and wanted to give him a head start in finding a landing spot. The 28-year-old’s signature NFL span remains his eight-interception 2012 slate with the Giants, but a torn ACL a year later and a substandard season in 2014 upon returning from that injury led Big Blue to allow him to leave in free agency and seek younger replacements.
With those younger talents dropping at a rapid pace, with second-rounder Landon Collins also recovering from a sprained MCL that’s not expected to keep him out of debuting in Week 1, scrap-heap free agents Brandon Merriweather and Jeromy Miles are Big Blue’s healthy bodies at the position.
With Brown entering just his sixth year and reportedly healthy, this potential NFC East reunion is a lot more plausible than Chris Cooley‘s recent push at returning to Washington.
AFC East Notes: Fitzpatrick, Brady, Branch
Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News certainly doesn’t believe Ryan Fitzpatrick is the Jets‘ long-awaited savior at quarterback, but given Fitzpatrick’s performance in the team’s preseason win over the Giants on Saturday night, along with the Jets’ corps of talented wideouts and loaded defense, Mehta does think the Harvard grad could keep Gang Green in playoff contention all season.
Now for some more links from the AFC East:
- Judge Richard Berman is set to meet with NFL and NFLPA reps in court again today regarding the Tom Brady case, and a source in the Patriots quarterback’s camp tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (TwitLonger link) that, barring a settlement, a decision is expected by week’s end. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Giants owner John Mara is attending today’s hearing.
- Ben Volin of The Boston Globe wonders if the Patriots regret signing Alan Branch to a two-year deal worth as much as $6.6MM this offseason. Branch played well for New England in 2014, but he skipped the team’s offseason workout program this year and arrived to training camp overweight and out of shape. Branch has a history of similar behavior, and since the Pats have some defensive line depth and only gave Branch $700K in guaranteed money, it would not be hard for the team to move on.
- Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald would not be surprised if the Dolphins made the somewhat unorthodox decision to try and sign kicker Andrew Franks to the team’s practice squad. Salguero notes that Franks has tremendous upside. (Twitter link).
- The Dolphins have their starting lineup mostly set as the regular season approaches, but the one exception is who will start at corner opposite Brent Grimes, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Jamar Taylor was the leader before injuring his quadriceps, and Brice McCain hasn’t locked up the spot in his absence. Beasley writes that the great pressure the defense has gotten on the quarterback has made it difficult to evaluate the cornerback depth chart with the starting unit.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Cobb, Pouncey, Okung
A week after losing Pro Bowl receiver Jordy Nelson to a season-ending ACL injury, the Packers are hoping fellow Pro Bowl wideout Randall Cobb doesn’t join him on the shelf. Cobb suffered a right shoulder injury during the Packers’ game Saturday against Philadelphia. The severity of the ailment is currently unknown, but one injury that has been ruled out is a broken collarbone, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeted. A serious injury to Cobb would be a devastating blow to the Packers, given that their receiving corps already lost Nelson. He and Cobb combined for a whopping 189 catches (25 of which were touchdowns) and nearly 3,000 yards last year.
More from around the NFL:
- Dolphins center Mike Pouncey hurt his left knee during Saturday’s game against Atlanta and will have to undergo an MRI on Sunday. Pouncey, who is wearing a brace, vows not to miss any regular-season time, Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports (Twitter link). Head coach Joe Philbin also expressed optimism regarding Pouncey’s injury. “We think he’ll be OK,” he said, per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
- Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung will probably use the five-year, $66MM extension Washington signed Trent Williams to earlier today as a benchmark for his next deal, according to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (via Twitter). Okung, who’s in a contract year, was the sixth overall selection in the 2010 draft, going two picks after Williams. Okung has since made 59 starts and one Pro Bowl, while Williams has made 70 and three, respectively.
- Don’t count on a reunion between the Giants and free agent safety Stevie Brown, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The Giants are scheduled to work out Brown, but he has interest from “a number of teams,” according to his agent. Brown spent 2012-14 with the Giants before a brief stint in Houston this year.
- The Colts scratched running back Vick Ballard from Saturday’s game in St. Louis. That doesn’t bode well for his chances of making the roster, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Ballard has battled serious injuries over the past couple years and has played in just one game since 2012 as a result.
- Lions running back Joique Bell, who underwent knee surgery in January, is unsure if he’ll play Week 1. “I’m not going to say I’m ready to go out there and take every play and run every down, right now, but you never know how I’ll feel in two weeks,” Bell said, according to Justin Rogers of MLive.com. The fourth-year man is coming off his most productive season (1,182 total yards, eight touchdowns).
- Patriots fullback James Develin suffered a broken tibia in Friday’s loss to Carolina, and ESPN’s Mike Reiss tweeted that the hope is recovery from surgery will take six to eight weeks. However, David Chao – the former team doctor for the Chargers – responded that it could actually take Develin six to eight months to return (Twitter link).
NFC Notes: Griffin, Brown, Panthers
Although it’s at least distracted the NFL lexicon from the drama surrounding its quarterback situation in signing Trent Williams to a record extension, Washington‘s issues with the player Williams primarily protects remain.
According to the NFL Network’s Jeff Darlington (on Twitter), Robert Griffin III does not believe he sustained a concussion last week.
This comes after NFL independent neurologist, Robert N. Kurtzke, reversed an initial ruling deeming Griffin unfit to play and leading to Jay Gruden ruling him out of tonight’s preseason game. Thursday, Washington announced Griffin was cleared to resume work. Now, the fourth-year quarterback’s timeline has been delayed by “one to two” weeks until further re-evaluation occurs.
Darlington also notes (Twitter link) that sources dispute Washington’s depiction of when Kurtzke examined Griffin before tweeting the former Heisman Trophy winner’s camp does not believe the team is using the concussion as an excuse to bench him.
Despite the team picking up Griffin’s fifth-year option, this marriage is on the verge of careening into chaos before the signal-caller begins Year 4.
Here is some other news from the NFC.
- Washington doesn’t have many options regarding Griffin after picking up his 2016 option, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap. The NFL economics expert offers that if Griffin was serious about leaving Washington he’d negotiate an Aldon Smith-type contract loaded with incentives instead of a flat $16.15MM due next year. But even in this seemingly toxic environment, would leaving $16MM+ on the table with the odds he’ll ever earn that in a season again dwindling be a prudent move? Should Griffin be open to negotiating here, Fitzgerald sees the Bills or Jets discussing a trade for the embattled quarterback, who will make $3.7MM this season.
- Contrary to what we heard earlier regarding Stevie Brown‘s potential reunion with the Giants, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets the recently released safety won’t work out for any team, as he has multiple offers in hand. Conflicting reports aside, the Giants figure to be a likely landing spot for the sixth-year defensive back.
- Entering last season as the Packers’ No. 3 receiver, Jarrett Boykin may be on the verge of being cut in Carolina, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Panthers coaches seem to prefer Brenton Bersin, an undrafted free agent in 2012 who made 13 receptions for 151 yards last season in Carolina, over Boykin. The Panthers signed Boykin to a one-year deal in May.
NFC Notes: Dill, Brown, Bell, Saints
Backup Cowboys offensive tackle R.J. Dill has been suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the policy on performance-enhancing substances, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram passed on a statement from Dill regarding the suspension (via Twitter). “My doctor suggested that I undergo testosterone replacement therapy, and I accepted the recommended treatment.”
Charles Robinson of Yahoo! notes that needing testosterone replacement for a 24-year-old professional athlete like Dill would be a rarity (via Twitter).
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- The Texans just released Stevie Brown, and the Giants could be interested in bringing him back, given their current situation at safety, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN (via Twitter). Graziano adds that injury concerns led to the Giants passing on him in the spring, but as they have been saddled with injuries at safety (via Twitter).
- Speaking of injured Giants safety, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com is skeptical the Giants will keep Nat Berhe on the roster this season if he will miss the first four games of the season, maybe more (via Twitter). It could be way more, as surgery could end his season.
- Buccaneers’ fifth-round pick Kenny Bell will sit out of tomorrow’s preseason game against the Browns with a hamstring injury, and could miss the rest of the preseason, writes Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. If he does miss the rest of the preseason, it could effect whether or not he makes the 53-man roster come Week 1.
- As the regular season comes closer, the Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com opens his mailbag to discuss what the final roster will look like after the team is forced to cut it down first to 75 players and then 53 before Week 1. He is skeptical the Saints will keep more than four or five receivers, leaving Seantavious Jones and Willie Snead IV on the outside looking in. He also opines on which running back and defensive linemen on the bubble will find their way onto the roster for the regular season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Broncos have signed tight end Dan Light, who played college football at Fordham University in New York, writes Andrew Mason of DenverBroncos.com. The team has waived Solomon Patton to clear room on the roster.
- The Steelers have cut injured skill position player Ross Scheurman, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Scheurman played running back in college but might have also had value as a slot receiver, before injuring his Achilles during a drill in training camp early this month.
- Tackle Quinterrius Eatmon has been cut by the Oakland Raiders, per Wilson (via Twitter). Eatmon was a rookie free agent out of the University of South Florida.
- The Giants have reached an injury settlement with linebacker Tony Johnson, according to James Kratch of NJ Advance Media (via Twitter). Johnson was waived/injured earlier this week after suffering a knee injury.
- The Texans have released safety Stevie Brown, reports Tania Ganguli of ESPN (via Twitter). The former Giant gained notoriety with an eight-interception campaign in 2012, but hadn’t picked off a pass before or since.
East Notes: Eli, Hester, Kendricks, Cowboys
Let’s round up a few Friday odds and ends from out of the NFL’s two East divisions….
- In a Q&A with Justin Terranova of the New York Post, former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason addressed Eli Manning‘s contract situation, suggesting that he believes Manning and the Giants will ultimately get an extension done. Still, Esiason acknowledges that if the club postpones talks until after the season and misses the playoffs again, the idea of retooling the roster – starting with the quarterback – may have to at least be considered.
- Wide receiver and kick returner Devin Hester is heading into the second season of his three-year contract with Atlanta. However, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com details, Hester nearly landed with the Dolphins rather than the Falcons when he hit free agency in 2014.
- Comparing Mychal Kendricks‘ new contract to past deals signed by Sean Lee (Cowboys) and Donald Butler (Chargers), Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap suggests that the Eagles‘ pact is the strongest of the three, from a team’s perspective.
- Brian Costello of the New York Post examines the unique journey to the 2015 Jets taken by safety Rontez Miles, who is battling for a roster spot on this year’s squad.
- The Cowboys have some tough calls to make on their defensive line, which could be the deepest position group on the team, as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News discusses in a chat with readers.