Extra Points: Browns, Hardy, Texans, Steelers
Columbus, Ohio officials and Browns executives are working towards an agreement that would make the city the home to the organization’s training camp, reports Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. The team had it’s largest turnout for a practice in nearly a decade at Ohio Stadium on Friday, as about 50,000 fans packed the venue. This expectedly made Browns owner Jimmy Haslam very enthused.
“It’s not there yet, but I think we’re getting closer,” Haslam said. “(I) had dinner with (Ohio State athletic director) Gene Smith (Thursday) night and that was positive.
“Columbus has been great to deal with. I think it has been good for our guys to get away from Berea for a couple days. A little different scenario. And to play in front of 45, 50 thousand people is fun whether you’re a veteran or a young person. So, it has been a great two days at Ohio State and the city of Columbus has been great to work with.”
Reed had reported earlier in the week that Columbus was seeking a five- to ten-year agreement from the organization, with a plan to build a facility backed by public and private money. Such a venue wouldn’t be ready until 2017, but Reed notes that the team could still practice in a temporary home until then.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the league…
- Even with Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy seeing his suspension reduced last month, Rand Getlin of the NFL Network tweets that the NFLPA is still considering whether they should seek “further reduction” in court.
- Following Arian Foster‘s injury, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the Texans are hoping to add another running back. The team’s current core includes Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes, Chris Polk and Kenny Hilliard.
- Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says the Steelers are trying to determine whether former fourth-round pick Landry Jones can be Ben Roethlisberger‘s long-term backup. The former Oklahoma standout will get his chance during Sunday’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, where he’s expected to play most of the game. “He has had his moments before, but none more definitive than this in this part of his career,” said quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner. “He is getting a whole lot of work with (first string), the (second string) and now is the time to let this all come together.”
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/15
We rounded up several minor transactions from around the league earlier today, but teams have been busy since then, so we’ve got many more moves to recap. Here’s the latest:
- The Cowboys have signed offensive tackle Cody Clay after a workout, reports Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The team waive/injured linebacker Will Smith, who was unavailable due to a groin injury.
- Isaiah Pead and the Rams have agreed a new deal for the final year of his contract on July 30th, reports Howard Balzer of FoxSportsMidwest.com (via Twitter). His base salary was reduced from $940,650 to $585,000 for 2015 (via Twitter).
- Veteran tight end Alex Smith – not to be confused with the quarterback of the same name – has signed with the Saints, who waived rookie tight end Jack Tabb with an injury designation, tweets Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- The Steelers have placed defensive end Clifton Geathers on their injured reserve list, signing free agent defensive tackle Joe Okafor to take his place, the team announced today (via Twitter). As a veteran player, Geathers didn’t have to pass through waivers before landing on IR.
- In addition to confirming the previously-reported signing of running back Michael Ford, the Falcons also made a few more moves. As Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter), the club signed tight end D.J. Tialavea, waived wide receiver Freddie Martino, and waived/injured tight Beau Gardner, who injured his knee.
- Safety Robert Smith, waived yesterday by the Colts, has been claimed by the Seahawks, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Seattle cut safety Ty Zimmerman to clear room on the roster.
- The Titans have made a change at the fullback position, signing Zach Boren and waiving undrafted rookie Connor Neighbors with an injury designation, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online (Twitter link).
- The Giants have signed rookie safety Justin Halley, waiving receiver Chris Harper with an injured designation to create an opening on the roster, per Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
- The Patriots have reached an injury settlement with defensive lineman Vince Taylor, removing him from their injured reserve list, tweets Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/15
Here are Friday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- With Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman both nursing injuries, the Falcons have bolstered their backfield depth by signing running back Michael Ford, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The LSU product spent some time with the Bears in 2013.
- Offensive lineman Ben Heenan has been waived by the Colts after suffering an MCL injury, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. The team reached an injury settlement with Heenan, so he won’t go on the IR if the clears waivers. To replace Heenan, the Colts signed free agent guard Kitt O’Brien.
- The Chargers have swapped one offensive lineman for another at the back of their roster, waiving rookie Ben Beckwith with an injury designation, and signing undrafted free agent Melvin Meggs, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
- Earlier this week, the Texans released offensive lineman Will Yeatman with an injury settlement. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the settlement was worth just over $68K.
- Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that wide receiver Eli Rogers has been placed on the Steelers‘ injured reserve list after going unclaimed on waivers.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/16
We rounded up some of the minor signings and moves in the NFL earlier today. Below, we’ll round up the very latest..
- The Bills are signing former Eastern Michigan running back Bronson Hill, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Hill should provide Buffalo with more depth as they get set to install a run-heavy offense. To make room, the Bills cut defensive end Erik Williams, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Colts were awarded cornerback Tevin Mitchel off waivers from Washington and waived safety Robert Smith to make room for him, Wilson tweets.
- The Steelers waived-injured Rob Blanchflower and claimed tight end Ray Hamilton off waivers from the Cowboys, Wilson tweets.
- The Patriots announced today that they have signed offensive lineman Mark Asper and tight end Mason Brodine. To make room, offensive lineman Harland Gunn has been let go. Asper, 29, originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick by the Bills in 2012.
- The Cardinals waived/injured guard John Fullington (knee) and released tight end Ted Bolser, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets.
- The 49ers have waived/injured offensive lineman Ben Gottschalk, Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group tweets.
- The Saints waived defensive end Glenn Foster with a failed physical designation, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. To fill his spot, New Orleans inked undrafted rookie cornerback Travis Manning.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/15
Today’s minor NFL moves and signings..
- The Eagles signed rookie free agent linebacker Diaheem Watkins, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets.
- The Seahawks announced that they have signed linebacker Dakorey Johnson, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. Johnson takes the place of linebacker Alex Singleton, who was cut loose earlier today.
- The Bears have waived/injured tight end Brian Vogler with a foot injury, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
- The 49ers agreed to terms with wide receiver Nigel King, as Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com tweets.
Earlier Updates:
- The Rams waived wide receiver Devon Wylie, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Falcons waived cornerback Michael Lee and signed nose tackle Derrick Hopkins, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Buccaneers announced (on Twitter) that they have waived long snapper Courtland Clavette.
- The Panthers signed cornerback T.J. Heath and defensive tackle Kenny Horsley, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. To make room, Carolina released punter Matt Wile.
- Washington announced the signings of cornerbacks Bryan McCann and DreQuan Hoskey. McCann, who first entered the league as UDFA with the Cowboys in 2010, has made multiple stops around the NFL. Hoskey, a Virginia product, was in rookie minicamp this summer and made a strong impression on coaches. Washington also cut Phillip Thomas and waived/injured Tevin Mitchel, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Steelers signed undrafted rookie wide receiver Kenzel Doe of Wisconsin and waived-injured undrafted rookie receiver Eli Rogers, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets.
- The Ravens signed defensive tackle Micajah Reynolds and waived defensive tackle Casey Walker, who just came off the PUP list on Monday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Bears are signing USC tight end Kevin Greene, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Golson, Boykin
Here’s a look at the AFC North..
- Steelers rookie cornerback Senquez Golson may require season-ending shoulder surgery, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Golson’s injury might explain the Steelers’ pursuit and acquisition of cornerback Brandon Boykin over the weekend. The second-round pick out of Ole Miss opened up camp on the PUP list and now it appears that his NFL debut may have to wait until 2016.
- Boykin should give the Steelers additional options in the secondary, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Boykin not only is a viable candidate to contribute at corner, he also might be a Week 1 starter. Boykin played in all 48 games since being drafted by the Eagles in 2012, but he became expendable when they signed Byron Maxwell to a lucrative deal in the offseason, signed veteran Walter Thurmond, and drafted three cornerbacks.
- Browns receivers coach Joker Phillips says Terrelle Pryor, who is making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver, has made a good first impression on coaches. “It’s hard to say right now,” Phillips said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. “I’m not going to put that kind of pressure on him or myself. I can tell you this, he’s very, very — and I’ll say it two times — very, very talented. There’s no question about that. The guy’s talented, and talent wins ball games. Now, we’ve got to challenge that talent with the techniques that we have and give him a chance to be successful out wide.”
AFC North Notes: Elam, Lundy, Johnson, Bryant
Let’s take a look at some injury notes from around the AFC North on this first Sunday of training camp:
- Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun writes that Ravens safety Matt Elam may have torn his biceps and will undergo an MRI today. It is feared that the injury may be season-ending (via Twitter). “I’m sure it’s very disappointing for him,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “He’s very serious in great shape and then has a freak injury.”
- In addition to Elam, early signs could mean the Ravens’ secondary may be in injury peril again, with cornerbacks Tray Walker and Rashaan Melvin both hurting their hamstrings, writes Clifton Brown of CSN Mid-Atlantic (via Twitter).
- Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that Browns head coach Mike Pettine said he will talk with GM Ray Farmer later today to discuss adding a running back or two. After rookie Luke Lundy left practice with an injury today, the team is down to Isaiah Crowell and Shaun Draughn as its only healthy backs. Duke Johnson and Terrance West have already gone down, and Pat MaManamon of ESPN details a few other players who have suffered injuries in camp so far.
- Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson was carted off the practice field with a knee injury, but head coach Marvin Lewis said he doesn’t believe the injury is major, according to Sirius XM NFL Radio (via Twitter). Albert Breer of NFL Network reports that the early word is that he suffered a torn MCL, which would likely cost him time early in the season (via Twitter).
- Not to be left out, the Steelers are also dealing with an injury to a key contributor in second-year receiver Martavis Bryant, who had a procedure to fix an infection with his elbow, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN (via Twitter). Luckily for Steeler nation, he is only expected to miss a few days.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/2015
Here are Sunday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
- The Patriots have claimed offensive lineman Harland Gunn off waivers from the Falcons, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Gunn, 25, played in 10 games for Atlanta last season, starting one.
- Cornerback Justin Green has decided to retire from the NFL, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). The Cowboys acquired Green from the Patriots last year, but he never suited up for Dallas. The 24-year-old had been back with New England until they cut him yesterday.
- The Broncos announced that they’ve signed tackle Charles Sweeton while waiving injured tackle Connor Rains. Rains injured his foot during the first day of Denver’s camp.
- The Chiefs have made a switch a running back, signing Darrin Reaves and waiving LaVance Taylor, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Reaves appeared in six games for the Panthers last season, starting one.
- The Jets have filled an open spot on their roster, signing receiver Jarrod West, an undrafted rookie out of Syracuse, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets that the Steelers have signed RB Jawon Chisholm placed RB Ross Scheuerman on the waived/injured list in a corresponding move. The team also cut TE Michael Egnew to make room for the newly-acquired Brandon Boykin.
- The Panthers have signed WR Paul Browning to take the roster spot of Stephen Hill, who has been put on the team’s waived/injured list with a torn ACL (via Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer).
- John McClain of The Houston Chronicle tweets that the Texans, who are in desperate need of defensive line depth, have signed veteran NT Chris Neild.
- The Giants have added rookie DE Brad Bars and second-year wide receiver Derrick Johnson, per James Kratch of NJ.com.
Steelers Acquire Brandon Boykin From Eagles
SUNDAY, 10:49am: Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that the conditional fifth-round pick will become a fourth-rounder if Boykin plays 60% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps.
McLane’s colleague at the Inquirer, Zach Berman, tweets that the Eagles also received a trade offer for Nolan Carroll, but the team viewed Boykin as more expendable.
SATURDAY, 7:02pm: The Eagles have sent cornerback Brandon Boykin to Pittsburgh, trading him for a conditional 2016 fifth-round pick, the Steelers announced today (Twitter link). According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), that pick could become a fourth-rounder, depending on how much Boykin plays this season.
Boykin, who turned 25 on Thursday, had played in all 48 of the Eagles’ regular-season games since Philadelphia selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. However, he only started six of those games, and said a couple months ago that he would welcome the opportunity to start outside, suggesting that the chance to compete for a starting job would be a priority when he reaches free agency.
It’s not clear yet whether Boykin will get the chance to start in Pittsburgh — William Gay figures to be the team’s top cornerback, but Cortez Allen struggled last year after signing a long-term extension. Still, I expect both players will see the field more often than Boykin. Antwon Blake and rookie Senquez Golson will also be in the mix for the Steelers, though Golson is still recovering from a shoulder injury.
From the Eagles’ perspective, Boykin had been a player the team considered moving for months, according to multiple reports. The signing of Byron Maxwell in March ensured Boykin would continue to play a complementary role in Philadelphia, and after the club added three more corners in the draft, he became even more expendable.
The Eagles did well do get a pick as high as a fourth-rounder for Boykin, since he wasn’t expected to be a major contributor in 2015 and is entering the final year of his contract. Tthe Georgia product will count for $1.542MM against the Steelers’ cap this year before becoming eligible for free agency in the winter.
North Notes: Browns, H. Smith, Steelers
The 2015 season will likely be a redshirt year for rookie cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said on Wednesday, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. At one point, Ekpre-Olomu, who continues to recover from a serious knee injury, was viewed as a potential first-round pick, but Cleveland snagged him in the seventh round in May following his torn ACL and disclocated knee. The Browns will have to wait until the end of training camp to move the Oregon alum to injured reserve if they want to avoid the risk of losing him on waivers.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:
- “Nothing is going on” between Harrison Smith and the Vikings on the contract front, according to the safety himself, who tells Mark Craig of the Star Tribune that he and the club will likely discuss an extension after the 2015 season. Smith says he’s “not a fan” of the fifth-year option, which allowed Minnesota to lock him up through 2016. However, the 26-year-old tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he fully expects to remain with the Vikings in the long term.
- The Steelers should add Michael Vick to their training camp roster, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who writes that Ben Roethlisberger‘s backups have been “dreadful” in the spring and the early days of camp.
- Former Packers executive Andrew Brandt takes a look at the annual opening of Green Bay’s books, explaining in a piece for TheMMQB.com what the numbers mean for the team and for the NFL.
- Lions defensive ends Corey Wootton, Phillip Hunt, and Kerry Hyder are on the roster bubble as training camp gets underway, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.