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.
Bucs Place Akeem Spence On IR
Akeem Spence‘s third season will end with a trip to injured reserve, with the Buccaneers shelving one of their starting defensive tackles, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter).
The third-year starter alongside Gerald McCoy had been ruled out for Sunday’s game due to an ankle injury. Running back Mike James will take Spence’s place on the 53-man roster.
Spence began the season on the PUP list with a back malady, but returned to play in eight games this season (seven starts). The 2013 fourth-rounder notched 11 tackles and his fifth career sack this season.
A starter for five games last year and 14 as a rookie, Spence will enter his contract year next season on the heels of a down campaign. Pro Football Focus rated the 24-year-old interior defender 92nd in that category this season, behind both McCoy and teammate Clinton McDonald, who was placed on IR earlier this season.
Tony McDaniel and Henry Melton will see more time in Tampa Bay’s remaining two games as a result.
James has played 19 games, all of which coming in the 2013-14 slates. His most extensive NFL work came as a rookie in ’13, when he took over for an injured Doug Martin and rushed for 295 yards (4.9 per carry). James also caught 10 passes for 43 yards before going down for the year himself.
The 24-year-old ex-sixth-round pick didn’t factor in much last season, gaining just 37 yards in 11 games.
49ers Send Alex Boone To IR, Sign Jarryd Hayne
The 49ers placed fourth-year starter Alex Boone on injured reserve and signed Jarryd Hayne from their practice squad, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports (on Twitter).
Boone missed last week’s game with a knee injury but has started 59 games since starting his career at right guard at the outset of the 2012 season.
The 28-year-old former undrafted free agent will enter unrestricted free agency this offseason.
Boone will enter that courting period, however, on the heels of an ineffective season, according to Pro Football Focus, which rates the 49ers’ starting left guard 40th among guards this season. The Ohio State product was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2012.
Hayne returns to the active roster after spending the past two months on San Francisco’s practice squad. The 27-year-old ex-rugby standout’s played six games this season, mostly as a special-teamer,
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.
Extra Points: Texans, Browns, Prospects
Some assorted notes from around the NFL and NCAA…
- B.J. Daniels‘ contract with the Texans is worth $660K over two seasons, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The quarterback will earn $60K this season and $600K in 2016.
- Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer expects Browns center Alex Mack to explore free agency this offseason, and the writer believes the veteran will receive some interest from other clubs. Due to the disappointment of first-round pick Cameron Erving, Pluto still thinks Cleveland could spend to keep their Pro Bowl lineman.
- The Florida Gators will have a number of talented players to replace heading into 2016. Coach Jim McElwain confirmed underclassmen running back Kelvin Taylor, receiver Demarcus Robinson, and defensive end Alex McCalister will all enter the NFL Draft. All this is in addition to cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, who is expected to be a top-10 pick this offseason.
- Maryland defensive end Quinton Jefferson has also declared his intentions to enter the NFL Draft, according to the Baltimore Sun. He made the announcement via his Twitter account. He joins his opposite bookend Yannick Ngakoue in leaving the Terrapins early for the pros.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: Giants, Peppers, Munnerlyn
Some assorted notes from around the NFC…
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post estimates that the Giants will have around $48MM in cap room this offseason. The team can clear up additional room by parting ways with several players, including Will Beatty, Jon Beason and Geoff Schwartz. Still, former sports agent Joel Corry told Schwartz that it will be tough for the organization to completely revamp their roster in a single offseason. “It’s hard to remake a team that way,’’ Corry said. “Usually it doesn’t work out for you. You’re better off building through the draft if you can, but the Giants have so many deficiencies they’re gonna have to dip their toe into free agency, I would think.’’
- Meanwhile, Schwartz reiterates that the Giants aren’t expect to part ways with general manager Jerry Reese.
- At 36-year-old, Packers linebacker Julius Peppers still feels great, and the veteran told ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky that he plans on playing next season. “I feel great now,” Peppers said Thursday. “If I was making the decision today, yeah, of course I can play another year. But we’ll see. We’ll see when the time comes.”
- Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn isn’t a big fan of cold weather, and he admitted that he didn’t know his team would be moving to the open TCF Bank Stadium for 2014 and 2015. “I didn’t know that we were playing outside until after I signed,” he told Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com. “Seriously, I didn’t know. … It was known then, but I didn’t know. I hate cold weather.”
AFC Notes: Tipton, Wood, Mularkey
Before you call it a night on this Christmas, here are a few other stories circulating regarding AFC teams.
- The Colts waived running back Zurlon Tipton earlier this week, and unfortunately he has already found his way back into the news after being arrested for allegedly firing an assault rifle early this morning, according to Jill Disis of IndyStar.com. He was charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, and released on bond. Tipton played most of the past two years with the Colts, including 18 carries and a touchdown during the team’s three playoff games last season.
- The Bills have had some problems in the locker room this season, specifically with Mario Williams and the defensive line criticizing Rex Ryan’s new gameplan and scheme defensively. However, center Eric Wood is disappointed the entire team hasn’t bought in, and despite all the losing, believes the team is moving in the right direction, writes Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News.“It’s tough,” Wood said. “But I’m by no means giving up on it. I feel like we had enough talent this year to make the playoffs and make a run at this thing. I think going into next year, I have a ton of confidence.”
- Titans interim head coach Mike Mularkey hasn’t had a ton of success since taking over in Tennessee, but he isn’t worried about coaching for a job in 2016, writes Teresa M. Walker of the Associated Press. “Days are so full of things, I have to get ready for the games, and I don’t have a lot of time to sit and ponder and wonder,” Mularkey said. “Again, I’m trying to get this team to win these last two games. Whatever happens at the end happens. We’ll see then.”
NFC West Notes: Hayne, Brown, Fauria
The 49ers and Rams don’t have much to play for other than pride during the last two weeks of the NFL season, but both teams still have plenty to learn about their roster before the offseason. Here are a few players that could have a lot riding on Week 16 and 17 for the bottom two teams in the division.
- With Shaun Draughn set to miss this Sunday’s action with injury, America’s favorite former rugby star Jarryd Hayne could be on track to get promoted from the practice squad back to the 49ers active roster, writes Cam Inman of MercuryNews.com. He would be the third running back, but getting called up depends if he would be one of the 46 players to dress for the game.
- 49ers rookie offensive tackle Trent Brown saw his first significant action last week, playing the fourth quarter at right tackle after guard Marcus Martin suffered a concussion. Erik Pears had been filling in for Anthony Davis at right tackle, but slid over with the injury opening up room for Brown to play. He did a good job against Carlos Dunlap, and is set to start this Sunday, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. More importantly, at close to 6’9″ and nearly 350 pounds, the physical specimen could potentially go from undrafted free agent to the future at right tackle in San Francisco if his work ethic can catch up to his natural gifts.
- Tight end Joseph Fauria visited with the Rams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Fauria most recently was on the Patriots’ practice squad, but is best remembered for his 2013 season, when he caught 18 passes but seven of them went for scores with Matthew Stafford and the Lions.
NFC North Notes: Greenway, Johnson, Jeffery
Luke Adams took a look at some top stories from around the NFC North earlier today, but a few more notes come across the wire worth sharing.
- Before the season, Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway wasn’t sure whether or not 2015 would be his last season. Now he is sure of his decision, but he hasn’t told any teammates or reporters, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “I’ve told a bunch of people but not (a reporter) or anybody else that’s in this locker room,” said the 10-year veteran. “I’ve decided, but you guys (the media) don’t know yet.”
- Tomasson also looked at the future of Charles Johnson in Minnesota. Johnson was a key receiver down the stretch last season, but has lost his starting spot to rookie Stefon Diggs and has only nine catches this season. Next year will be the last year of his rookie contract, and with a decreased workload he might find a better situation elsewhere if the Vikings release him this offseason.
- Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery will miss his sixth game of the season this week against the Buccaneers, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. He has only 54 catches for 807 yards this season, after going over 85 and 1,000 each of the past two seasons. He will be heading into free agency this offseason, seeking to be paid like a top-NFL wideout. However, a big money contract or even the franchise tag would be a lot to pay for a receiver who has struggled with injury and consistency.
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).