NFC Notes: Panthers, Lions, Saints, Giants
As we wait to see whether the Eagles can take sole possession of the top spot in the NFC with a win tomorrow in San Francisco, let’s round up some notes from around the conference….
- Offensive lineman Garry Williams landed on injured reserve for the third time in four years today, and while it’s an unfortunate break for both Williams and the Panthers, the team protected itself against injury in its one-year extension for the veteran, according to Brian McIntyre (Twitter links). Williams’ base salary drops from $650K to $373K on IR, and he’ll miss out on nearly $100K in per-game roster bonuses.
- While Kyle Meinke of MLive.com initially scoffed at the notion that injured linebacker Stephen Tulloch may have placed his last game with the Lions, he notes that the team could save more than $3MM by cutting the linebacker in the offseason, which is money that could be put toward re-signing Ndamukong Suh or another player. Meinke isn’t advocating for Tulloch’s release and doesn’t necessarily view it as likely, but the combination of the 29-year-old’s ACL injury and cap figures make it a possibility.
- Mike Triplett’s latest Saints mailbag at ESPN.com deals primarily with questions about Drew Brees‘ potential longevity as he enters his late-30s, and whether it’s realistic to expect New Orleans to be a Super Bowl contender as long as Brees has one of the league’s largest contracts.
- Meanwhile, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com fields Giants-related questions in his Saturday mailbag, including one on how the team might balance the workload for free agent signee Rashad Jennings and rookie Andre Williams going forward.
Minor Moves: Friday
We’ll track Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, as teams gear up for Week 4’s games. The latest moves will be added to the top of the list throughout the day….
- The Patriots have replaced offensive lineman Chris Martin on their practice squad, re-adding defensive tackle Ben Bass to take his place, as Phil Perry of CSNNE.com writes.
- Giants cornerback Jayron Hosley has been reinstated from suspension following the Giants’ fourth game of the season last night, tweets Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange. The team will receive a roster exemption for Hosley, meaning New York will have until Monday to decide whether to cut the cornerback or someone else in order to get down to 53 players.
Earlier updates:
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Ravens have cut defensive tackle A.J. Pataiali’i from their practice squad. With Fitzgerald Toussaint and Deonte Thompson returning to the squad after being waived from the active roster, the team is now carrying the maximum 10 players.
- Safety Chris Prosinski, who was recently placed on injured reserve by the Jaguars, has been removed from the team’s IR list with an injury settlement, tweets John Oesher of Jaguars.com. I touched on how injury settlements work earlier today in my PFR Glossary post explaining the injured reserve list.
Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
Here’s the latest practice squad news from around the NFL..
- The Jaguars have re-signed two players to their practice squad in receiver Kerry Taylor and tight end Marcel Jensen, reports John Oehser of the O-Zone (via Twitter). The team has waived tight end Michael Egnew and linebacker Marcus Whitfield to make room for the new additions.
- The Cardinals have re-signed punter Drew Butler to the practice squad, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). They have released defensive tackle Christian Tupou to make room for Butler.
- The Jets are continuing to upgrade their cornerback position, signing LeQuan Lewis to the 53-man roster from their practice squad, reports Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Another cornerback, Marcus Williams, took Lewis’ spot on the practice squad, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates:
- The 49ers re-signed tight end Asante Cleveland to the practice squad, according to CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Barrows (on Twitter).
- The Saints signed center Alex Parsons to their practice squad and released guard Antoine McClain to make room, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate (on Twitter).
- The Giants announced that they have added former Raiders wide receiver Juron Criner to their practice squad, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter). To make room, they have released fellow wide receiver L’Damian Washington.
- The Buccaneers have filled their practice squad openings by adding fullback/tight end Ian Thompson, linebacker Shayne Skov, and defensive end T.J. Fatinkun, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter). Skov was expected to sign with Tampa Bay following a successful workout.
- The Titans announced on Twitter that they have added quarterback Brad Sorensen to their practice squad and released cornerback Ri’Shard Anderson to make room.
Workout Notes: Cox, Beauharnais, Stanzi
The Eagles didn’t bring in any offensive linemen for workouts today or Monday, a league source tells Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News (on Twitter). Plenty of teams are busy auditioning players, however. We did a roundup of workout news earlier today and we have a whole ‘nother batch right here..
- Defensive back Derek Cox and linebacker Steve Beauharnais are among the busiest free agents in the NFL, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cox tried out for the Saints while Beauharnais worked out for the Buccaneers, a source tells Yates.
- The Lions worked out defensive backs Chance Casey, T.J. Heath, Aaron Hester, and Kendall James, and wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com.
- The Giants worked out quarterback Ricky Stanzi, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). The Giants also worked out safeties Bacarri Rambo, Corey Lynch and Jerron McMillian and wide receiver Juron Criner, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter).
- The Packers took a look at linebacker Nate Askew, running back Stephen Houston, running back Cameron White, and tackle Michael Philipp, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Guard Josh Walker was also part of today’s tryouts and he wound up getting signed to Green Bay’s practice squad.
- Nose tackle Ryan Pickett tried out for the Texans, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. The veteran started 16 games for Green Bay last season.
Workout Notes: Chargers, Texans, Lions, Jets
The Chargers are on the lookout for a running back after losing Danny Woodhead to a season-ending injury, and it looks like the team is close to adding one. A number of free agents auditioned for the club today, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter), while Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) identifies D.J. Adams as one of the participants. Adams, who was most recently with the Cowboys, spent a month with the Chargers earlier in the offseason.
As we wait to see which player takes Woodhead’s roster spot in San Diego, let’s round up a few more updates on workouts around the league….
- As first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Texans took a look at a handful of free agent punters today in case Shane Lechler misses any time. Lechler is day to day with a hip flexor, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), who also has the list of players who worked out for the club. According to McClain, the Texans brought in Mat McBriar, Zoltan Mesko, Brian Moorman, and Kasey Redfern.
- Wilson reports (via Twitter) that veteran linebacker Pat Angerer auditioned today for the Lions, who are eyeing linebacker help after losing Stephen Tulloch for the season. Angerer has worked out for the Jets, Saints, and Rams since being released at the end of August by the Falcons.
- Safety Jamarca Sanford, who was placed on injured reserve and then cut by the Vikings earlier this month, worked out today for the Jets, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Giants tried out about six players today, including safety Jawanza Starling, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
NFC Mailbags: Cardinals, Panthers, Giants
We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier today, so now let’s see what the NFC writers have to say…
- Josh Weinfuss writes that the Cardinals need another player to contribute at defensive end, but he also notes that acquiring an upgrade at the position would be difficult.
- David Newton puts Greg Hardy‘s chances of returning to the Panthers after the season at 50-50, saying it will all come down to the jury trial.
- The Panthers will be looking to extend Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly this offseason, and David Newton “almost guarantees” that the team will restructure Charles Johnson‘s contract.
- Dan Graziano believes that the Giants have a two-year plan, with hopes that they’ll see offensive improvements by 2015. As a result, the writer thinks coach Tom Coughlin will be around for at least two more seasons.
NFC Notes: Jordan, Vikings, Buccaneers
Dolphins’ defensive end Dion Jordan has been reinstated and suspended again, due to a separate failed drug test. The team is still supporting Jordan, although there was a report that they shopped the former first-round pick this offseason, in order to gauge his trade value.
One team that inquired as to Jordan’s availability was the Eagles, and Jordan’s former college coach Chip Kelly. The Eagles were interested in acquiring Jordan via trade, and called up the Dolphins’ front office shortly after Dennis Hickey accepted the job of general manager, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
The Dolphins had no interest in trading Jordan at that time, but Salguero wonders if the recent suspensions have created a missed opportunity for Hickey to get out from a bad investment.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- After losing Adrian Peterson to the Commissioner’s exemption list, and releasing Jerome Simpson, the Vikings have two open roster spots to fill, reports Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. The team is considering bringing back fullback Zach Line back to the active roster from the practice squad. The team will most likely not fill that spot in time for their matchup against the Saints this weekend, but will look into it sometime next week.
- After the embarrassing Thursday Night Football loss to the Falcons, which put the Buccaneers at 0-3, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com examined how the team has constructed its roster over the past few years. The team has spent a lot of money in free agency in recent years, and although a few of those signings have failed to work out, Fitzgerald argues that the timing of their spending sprees were misguided, noting that it is better to draft a young core and add to it. The Buccaneers tried to buy their young core and skip the first step.
- In order to loosen up his team in the days leading up to the week three battle against the Texans, head coach Tom Coughlin is allowing the Giants‘ players to play music during warmups, writes George Willis of the New York Post. The music was suggested by the player’s leadership council.
Minor Moves: Friday
Here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including teams adjustments to the backs of their 53-man rosters and to their practice squads:
- The Giants have waived offensive lineman Eric Herman, tweets Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com. Herman was reinstated from suspension this week, with the team receiving a two-day roster exemption for him. The Giants have elected to cut him rather than place him on the 53-man roster, but if he clears waivers, he’s a candidate for the practice squad.
- The Lions are set to promote defensive back Mohammed Seisay from their practice squad to their active roster, says Justin Rogers of MLive.com (via Twitter). The club will have to remove a player from its 53-man roster to make it official though, so the move hasn’t yet been finalized. According to Rogers (via Twitter), the team is still mulling that corresponding move, with the IR a possibility for a couple players.
- Linebacker Terrell Manning has joined the Bears‘ practice squad, replacing wide receiver Greg Herd on the unit, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- The Rams have signed cornerback Jemea Thomas to their practice squad, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). To make room, wide receiver and returner Justin Veltung has been cut by the club (Twitter link).
- Defensive end Shelby Harris has rejoined the Raiders‘ practice squad after clearing waivers, tweets Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. The team will have to cut a player to open up a spot for Harris.
East Notes: Giants, Thomas, Bills, Cowboys
Preston Parker was “begging for money” in September, as coach Tom Coughlin says, but he’ll now get a chance to start for the Giants on Sunday, writes Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News. Parker caught 40 passes for the Bucs in 2011 but hasn’t been heard from since. Now, with rookie Odell Beckham Jr. on the mend and preseason star Corey Washington still being brought up to speed, Parker has his chance to shine. More from the AFC and NFC East..
- Daniel Thomas will be no higher than third on the depth chart this Sunday after re-signing with the Dolphins, but he’s okay with that, as Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald writes. “I haven’t been here in two weeks, and these guys have been practicing every day,” Thomas said. “It’s only right. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
- The Pegulas have sold Five Star Athlete Management, the NFL player agency run by Todd France and Brian Ayrault, tweets Tim Graham of The Buffalo News. Owning a player agency and the Bills at the same time, as you might imagine, would be a conflict of interest. Meanwhile, when the owners approve the Pegulas on October 8th, they’ll make their $1.4 billion payment in cash, according to Graham (link).
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News about Rolando McClain‘s contract status and what the Cowboys can do to keep him in the fold long-term. McClain has quit on the game of football before and Sherrington cautions that the club should see what they have in the linebacker before locking themselves in beyond this season. If things work out, however, he could see Dallas wanting to keep him in the middle.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
We’ll round up Wednesday’s minor transactions right here, with additional moves listed at the top of the page throughout the rest of the day:
- Rams wideout Stedman Bailey has formally been reinstated to the team’s roster and practiced today, according to Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (via Twitter). Bailey, whose penalty was reduced as part of the league’s new PED policy, takes the lone opening on St. Louis’ roster.
- The Giants have officially received the roster exemption for Eric Herman that we made note of below. As Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets, the club will have until Friday afternoon to either cut Herman or someone else in order to get down to 53 players.
Earlier updates:
- The Broncos officially announced Wes Welker‘s reinstatement today, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Denver had previously been carrying just 52 players, so no exemption or corresponding cut was necessary to slide Welker back onto the 53-man roster.
- Chris Lewis-Harris‘ roster exemption has expired and the Bengals have re-added the cornerback to their active roster, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Like Denver, Cincinnati also had an open spot on their 53-man squad, so now that Lewis-Harris is back on board, the roster is once again full.
- Although his name wasn’t mentioned in the press release issued today by the NFL and NFLPA, the league’s new PED policy has allowed Giants guard Eric Herman to return early from his suspension, writes Conor Orr of NJ.com. The team has applied for a roster exemption for Herman in order to get him back on the practice field without immediately cutting anyone, and is waiting to hear back from the league.