Falcons Cut Hankerson, Place Moore On IR
3:54pm: The Falcons have made Hankerson’s release official, and have confirmed two more roster moves, announcing in a press release that they’ve moved safety William Moore to IR and promoted guard Ben Garland from the practice squad.
Moore, a former Pro Bowler, had been a starting safety for Atlanta once again this year, racking up 51 tackles and two interceptions in 11 games.
12:05pm: The Falcons are cutting wide receiver Leonard Hankerson from their injured reserve list, according to Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. The move will allow other teams to place a claim on Hankerson — if he clears waivers, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
Hankerson, who turns 27 next month, totaled 26 receptions for 327 yards and three touchdowns in his first season with the Falcons. He was placed on injured reserve earlier this month after aggravating a hamstring injury, and it seemed at the time that he had played his last game in Atlanta, since his contract was set to expire at season’s end.
The fact that the Falcons are releasing Hankerson from IR without an injury settlement suggests that he should be healthy going forward, so we could see him draw interest from a contending team short on wide receivers down the stretch.
Panthers Sign Robert McClain; Benwikere To IR
The Panthers have begun to address their depth issues in the secondary, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed free agent cornerback Robert McClain. In a corresponding roster move, the club placed corner Bene Benwikere on the injured reserve list due to a broken leg.
Five years ago, McClain began his career with the Panthers after being selected in the seventh round of the 2010 draft by the team, so it’s a homecoming of sorts for the 27-year-old. McClain last played for the Falcons, starting 15 of 47 games for Atlanta from the 2012 to 2014 seasons. A year ago, he compiled 59 tackles to go along with two interceptions and a sack.
While McClain will provide some veteran depth in the Panthers’ defensive backfield, another move may be coming later this week for Carolina. Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review hears from multiple sources that cornerback Charles Tillman has been dealing with a partially torn ACL, adding that an IR stint seems likely for the veteran.
Voth and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer both indicate that the team is expected to promote cornerback Lou Young from the practice squad to take Tillman’s place on the roster, assuming the veteran’s knee doesn’t show signs of improvement this week.
Seahawks Sign Bryce Brown, Put Rawls On IR
TUESDAY, 3:39pm: The Seahawks have officially announced the signing of Brown, sending Rawls to the injured reserve list in a corresponding move, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
MONDAY, 12:01pm: In the wake of Thomas Rawls‘ season-ending injury, the Seahawks are set to sign running back Bryce Brown, as Rob Rang of CBS tweets. This now marks the third stint on the Seahawks’ roster this season for Brown.
Brown, 24, has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was bounced by the Bills late in the offseason and it took him until today to find a new home. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a whopping 126 yards off of 36 carries. Since getting cut loose by Buffalo, Brown has worked out for numerous teams and has had a few trips through Seattle.
Brown, a seventh-round pick out of Kansas State in 2012, rushed for a career-best 564 yards and 4 touchdowns as a rookie with the Eagles, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. He didn’t make a dent in his previous two stints with the Seahawks in 2015, but he could see a larger role now that Rawls is done for the season and Marshawn Lynch‘s recovery timetable remains up in the air.
Patriots To Place Dominique Easley On IR
One of the key members of the Patriots’ defensive line rotation is headed to the injured reserve list, according to Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. Curran reports (via Twitter) that the team is placing defensive tackle Dominique Easley on IR, ending his season.
Easley, 23, has been plagued by injuries since being selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. After recovering from an ankle injury, Easley went down with another leg injury on Sunday against the Texans, and it appears his latest ailment is a season-ender.
Easley’s numbers as a second-year player were modest – 15 tackles and two sacks – but he has been one of the Patriots’ more effective defensive linemen in his part-time role. Pro Football Focus ranks Easley 26th out of 128 qualified interior defenders this season, which easily places him first among New England players at the position.
Colts Release Todd Herremans
It wasn’t long ago that veteran guard Todd Herremans was one of the Colts’ more notable signings of the offseason, having been expected to bring some stability to the offensive line. Nine months later, Indianapolis has released Herremans with three weeks left in the regular season, the team announced today in a press release.
Herremans, a former Eagle, signed a one-year, $2.25MM deal with the Colts in March that could be worth up to $3.5MM. However, he lost his starting job in Indianapolis after just two weeks, and was made inactive for multiple games since then. The 33-year-old, who has started 126 games during his 11-year NFL career, will become an unrestricted free agent if and when he clears waivers.
The Colts also made two more 53-man roster moves today, announcing that they’ve signed free agent outside linebacker Andy Studebaker and waived inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera. Studebaker is expected to be a special-teams contributor.
Bears’ Kevin White Won’t Play This Season
DECEMBER 15, 3:05pm: The Bears made it official today, announcing (via Twitter) that White will remain on the PUP list for the rest of the 2015 season, postponing his NFL debut to 2016.
DECEMBER 11, 10:35am: According to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter links), the Bears are still mulling over their final decision on White, and will likely announce it on Tuesday. It’s not clear whether that decision simply involves activating him vs. leaving him on PUP, or if Jahns is suggesting there’s still a chance he could play this season. The Sun-Times scribe follows up by saying that White’s long-term health “remains of utmost importance” for Chicago, which suggests the rookie remains very unlikely to see the field this year.
8:56am: After being drafted seventh overall in the spring, wide receiver Kevin White won’t make his NFL debut during his rookie season with the Bears, reports Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. According to Wiederer, there’s a possibility Chicago will activate White to the 53-man roster from the physically unable to perform list before Tuesday’s deadline, but even if that were to happen, the first-year wideout wouldn’t play in a game.
White, 22, was the second receiver off the board in the 2015 NFL draft, behind Amari Cooper, and is one of a handful of first-year wideouts that has struggled to make an impact this season. Besides White, Breshad Perriman of the Ravens has also been unable to play this year due to injury, while DeVante Parker (Dolphins), Nelson Agholor (Eagles), and Phillip Dorsett (Colts) have combined for a total of just 38 receptions.
Even though White won’t play this season, he has made good progress in recovering from the stress fracture in his leg, according to Wiederer. This is my speculation, but if White were a veteran player, or if the Bears were in position for a playoff spot, the team would likely be more inclined to have him suit up this season. As is, it makes more sense for Chicago to protect its top pick, ensuring that he’s back to 100% health for the 2016 season.
The most likely scenario for White over the season’s final four weeks is that he remains on the PUP list, continuing to work on his recovery off to the side with the Bears’ trainer and strength and conditioning coaches.
Browns Sign Daryl Richardson; Hartline To IR
The Browns have made a pair of roster moves, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed running back Daryl Richardson, placing wide receiver Brian Hartline on the injured reserve list in a corresponding move. Hartline’s 2015 season is now officially over.
Since being cut by the Jets prior to the regular season, Richardson has spent some time on the Texans’ practice squad, and has had workouts for the Steelers, Patriots, and Raiders. The 25-year-old broke into the league with the Rams in 2012 and had a promising rookie season, racking up 475 rushing yards on 98 attempts, and adding another 163 yards on 24 receptions. He struggled in his second year, however, and hasn’t had a regular-season touch since 2013.
By signing with the Browns, Richardson will join a backfield that is coming off an extremely productive game on Sunday — both Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson picked up big chunks of yardage against San Francisco, so it seems unlikely that Richardson will step into a major role in the offense.
As for Hartline, the veteran wideout suffered a broken collarbone during Sunday’s win over the 49ers. According to the Browns, he underwent successful surgery today. The local product, who played his college ball att Ohio State, finished his first season in Cleveland with 46 catches, 523 yards, and a pair of touchdowns.
Patriots Sign Montee Ball To Practice Squad
With LeGarrette Blount banged up, the Patriots have added some insurance at running back by signing former Bronco Montee Ball to their practice squad, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Depending on Blount’s status, Ball could be a candidate for promotion this week or later in the season.
A Heisman finalist while at Wisconsin in 2011, Ball was selected by Denver in the 2013 draft, and was expected to be inserted as the starting running back in the Broncos’ high-powered offense. Over the course of two seasons though, Ball was never able to secure the No. 1 role in Denver’s backfield, losing the job to Knowshon Moreno in ’13 and C.J. Anderson in ’14. All told, Ball saw less than 200 carries during his time with the Broncos, and totaled less than 800 yards on the ground.
Since being cut by the Broncos in September, Ball has been out of work, though he had multiple tryouts, including one for the Pats. Most recently, the 25-year-old auditioned for the Packers earlier this month, and according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Green Bay was unimpressed with his physical conditioning.
AFC Notes: Bradham, Broncos, Dolphins
Bills linebacker Nigel Bradham is one of three starters for the team whose contract will expire at season’s end. While Bradham was a better fit under Jim Schwartz‘s defensive scheme in 2014 than he has been for Rex Ryan and Dennis Thurman this year, the veteran linebacker would still like to return to Buffalo next season, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com details.
“Yeah, I will always envision [being in Buffalo next season],” Bradham said today. “I’m here now, so I’m hoping that I’ll be here next year. But it’s one of those things where you never know. I just look forward to being here.”
Here’s more from across the AFC:
- Despite an up-and-down first year in Buffalo, Bills head coach Rex Ryan is almost certainly safe. However, GM Doug Whaley‘s job security is less certain, writes Rodak in a separate ESPN.com piece.
- Former third overall pick Trent Richardson is among the players working out for the Broncos today, according to Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). However, Klis adds that the players auditioning for Denver today are only being considered for future contracts, not for this season.
- The Dolphins have invested big money into their defense, but the unit still looks like one in need of an overhaul, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Middle linebacker, safety, and cornerback are among the positions Miami needs to address this offseason, in Salguero’s view.
- It’s true that some NFL team owners oppose the Raiders moving to Los Angeles, tweets Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego. That’s why, in Acee’s estimation, it’s foolish to think that Chargers owner Dean Spanos would never team up with Rams owner Stan Kroenke.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Jaguars Sign Jonas Gray
1:03pm: The Jaguars have officially signed Gray, cutting wide receiver Rashad Lawrence to create an opening for the running back, per a team release.
9:21am: Former Patriots running back Jonas Gray is moving from one Florida team’s roster to another, as the Jaguars are signing Gray from off the Dolphins’ practice squad, agent Sean Stellato tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Gray, 25, was on Miami’s active roster for several games earlier this season, earning 31 carries for 122 yards, along with six receptions for another 72 yards. The Notre Dame product emerged as a potential starter for the Pats last season during his 201-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Colts, but was leapfrogged on the club’s depth chart by LeGarrette Blount and others down the stretch, ultimately leading to his release.
For the Jaguars, Gray provides some insurance in the backfield as starter T.J. Yeldon deals with a knee injury. If Yeldon is unable to play, Denard Robinson figures to see the bulk of the carries for Jacksonville, and Joe Banyard may be in the mix as well, but Gray could get some touches down the stretch.