Minor Moves: Friday Night
As our transactions log shows, it’s been a busy day for roster moves around the NFL, and tomorrow will be even more hectic, as teams cut their rosters down to 53 active players in advance of the 3:00pm CT deadline. As we look forward to what should be a fun Saturday, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from Friday’s transactions wire….
- Kicker John Potter (Dolphins) and defensive back Devin Smith (Steelers) have been removed from their team’s respective injured lists with injury settlements, tweets Wilson.
- Two Raiders have posted the news of their own waiving via social media: DE Jack Crawford (via Instagram) and TE Jake Murphy (via Twitter) each indicated they had been cut by Oakland.
Earlier Updates:
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links), the Cowboys waived a pair of players today, parting ways with wide receiver Jamar Newsome and running back D.J. Adams.
- The Dolphins began trimming their roster from 75 players to 53 today, informing tight end Kyle Miller that he’s being cut, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Packers tackle Aaron Adams has suffered a torn ACL and MCL, and will be placed on injured reserve, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Adams would have been in contention for a spot at the back end of the 53-man roster had he remained healthy.
- The Lions and 49ers both freed up some cap space by restructuring the contracts of safety Glover Quin and defensive lineman Ray McDonald, respectively, per reports by Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com and Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). We don’t have the specific details yet on either move, but they were likely simple restructures, converting a portion of the players’ base salaries into signing bonuses.
- The following players were cut off their respective teams’ injured reserve lists with injury settlements, according to reports from John Oesher of Jaguars.com, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (all Twitter links): Defensive end David Carter (Jaguars), linebacker Jamar Chaney (Broncos), and safety DeJon Gomes (Lions).
Steelers Claim B.W. Webb Off Waivers
A day after he was cut by the Cowboys, second-year cornerback B.W. Webb has been claimed off waivers by the Steelers, the team announced today (Twitter link). Linebacker Jordan Zumwalt was placed on Pittsburgh’s injured reserve list in order to clear an opening on the roster for Webb.
A fourth-round pick a year ago, Webb was a part-timer in the Cowboys’ secondary during his rookie season, appearing in 185 total defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In addition to recording 12 tackles and one pass defended on defense, the 24-year-old also contributed in kick and punt coverage, logging four special teams tackles. He was waived by the Cowboys when they signed Phillip Tanner this week.
Although Webb had been dealing with a hip flexor earlier this summer, he’s healthy now, though it’s not clear what the Steelers’ plan for him is. If Webb doesn’t earn a spot on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster, he’d be eligible for practice squad duty.
AFC North Notes: Burfict, Rice, Burleson, Steelers
Vontaze Burfict is barely into his second NFL contract, but he wants the Bengals to know that he already has deal No. 3 on his mind, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. “I told Troy [Blackburn] I’ll be back in 2016,” Burfict said. “Obviously they trust me, and like I’ve said, I want to be a leader of the defense. We have great things to come for the next three years while I’m here.” If Burfict continues to perform at a high level, that next contract will be hefty, whether it comes from Cincinnati or someone else. More AFC North news:
- If Ravens running back Ray Rice were to have another domestic violence incident, it’s unclear whether he would face a lifetime ban under the league’s new policy, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Of course, the policy was put in place after (and in response to) Rice’s incident this offseason.
- With an impressive route and catch last night, veteran Nate Burleson may have sewn up his spot on the Browns‘ roster, writes Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
- It is possible the Steelers could carry as many as six wide receivers, though it is not likely, which means the players who don’t make the cut will probably be former Penn State teammates Justin Brown and Derrick Moye, writes Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Darrius Heyward-Bey projects to be Pittsburgh’s fifth and final receiver.
- After the way Isaiah Crowell ran against the Bears, the Browns will probably have to give him a roster spot since they’d never get him back on the practice squad, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.
North Notes: Ponder, Browns, Lions, Blount
Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder has fallen behind Matt Cassel and rookie Teddy Bridgewater on the depth chart, leading to some speculation that he could be trade bait for another team in search of an experienced backup QB. Still, the former first-round pick doesn’t feel as though tomorrow night’s game is an audition, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “I just want to go out and have a good game, not for an audition for another team or anything, but for myself and this team,” Ponder said. “Right now, my thoughts are securing a spot on this roster.”
- With the cutdown to a 53 man roster looming, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal looks at who’s safe, who’s on the bubble, and who is a long shot to make the cut for the Browns. Wide receivers Nate Burleson and Charles Johnson are on the bubble, but no matter who survives Saturday’s cuts, Ulrich expects the team to scope out the waiver wire and perhaps trades to bolster their WR core.
- The Lions axed coach Jim Schwartz, but there are plenty in Detroit who are still grateful for what he did during his tenure there, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “I know I’m going to get a hold of him prior to the game and just show gratitude and thank him for the opportunity of bringing me in,” linebacker Tahir Whitehead said. “Because I haven’t had the opportunity to do that since he left.” Schwartz is now the defensive coordinator for the Bills.
- Steelers free agent addition LeGarrette Blount is refusing to talk about his incident last week and says that he’s focused solely on football, writes Ralph N. Paul of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Steelers Notes: Villanueva, Jones, Moore
Will the Steelers snap out of their funk in 2014? Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review looks at it from both sides. The Steelers have done well in their last two drafts and they’ve gotten younger in an effort to catch up to the rest of the league. Conversely, Robinson is worried about the receiving core beyond Antonio Brown. Here’s more on the Steelers..
- The Steelers worked out defensive end Alejandro Villanueva earlier today, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The former U.S. Army Ranger was recently waived by the Eagles.
- Steelers quarterback Landry Jones will be playing to secure a roster spot when Pittsburgh takes the field on Thursday night, writes Steve Reed of The Associated Press. Coach Mike Tomlin says he needs to see consistent play out of Jones before deciding on whether the team will carry a third quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger and Bruce Gradkowski. On the other sideline, Joe Webb will be starting for the Panthers. His job is believed to be more secure, however.
- The Steelers have lots of new faces at wide receiver that Roethlisberger will have to get used to, writes Ralph Paulk Jr. of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Second-year receiver Markus Wheaton will be lined up opposite incumbent star Brown while free agent signees Lance Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey, and rookie Martavis Bryant will be there in support.
Steelers Cut 15 Players
3:25pm: The Steelers have made their remaining six cuts, and Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link) has the list of players who are no longer on the team’s active roster:
- Brian Arnfelt, DL
- Chris Elkins, OL
- Hebron Fangupo, DL
- Luke Ingram, LS
- Emmanuel McCray, OL
- Tauren Poole, RB
7:52am: The Steelers have become the latest team to make a series of roster cuts in advance of today’s 75-man deadline. According to the club’s PR rep Burt Lauten (via Twitter), the Steelers parted ways with nine players this morning, meaning they’ll still need to make an additional six cuts by this afternoon. Here are the players no longer with the team:
- Jordan Dangerfield, DB
- C.J. Goodwin, WR
- Jordan Hall, RB
- Miguel Maysonet, RB
- Kashif Moore, WR
- Devin Smith, DB
- Vic So’oto, LB
- Lew Toler, DB
- Eric Waters, TE
AFC Links: Keisel, Dolphins, Ravens, Atkins
Brett Keisel is excited to return to the Steelers, and the defensive end isn’t concerned about his role for this upcoming season. Instead, he’s focused on helping the team, particularly the rookies.
“To be back and to be able to hope to help lead some of these guys and help these guys turn into pros and accountable pros, I’m excited about it,” Keisel told Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
“I’ve felt since about March, when I decided I still wanted to play football, that something would happen. I hoped it would be here, and for a long time … nothing happened, nothing happened. It was kind of weird like, ‘What am I going to do now?'”
So, after having started in each of his 110 games since 2006, will the veteran welcome a reduced role?
“We really didn’t get into that too much. They just said, ‘We want you back.'”
Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC…
- As Dolphins running back Knowshon Moreno continues to get healthy, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald believes the player will climb up the depth chart. That could leave some of his teammates, including Daniel Thomas, on the outside looking in. However, the prospect of being cut is far from the 26-year-old’s mind. “I don’t really worry about it,” Thomas said. “I’ll just let whatever happens, happens and just go with it. It’s all I can do.”
- Considering the injuries in the Ravens secondary, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun says that the team “probably can’t afford to cut any corners” until the starters return to practice.
- Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins is expected to make his preseason debut on Sunday. After recovering from an ACL injury, some could be worried that the Pro-Bowler has lost some explosiveness. That does not include head coach Marvin Lewis, who told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com that “Geno looks like Geno.”
North Notes: Manziel, Spence, Bears, Holmes
Let’s take a look at the latest from the NFL’s two North divisions as Ndamukong Suh continues his reign of terror…
- Speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Browns head coach Mike Pettine didn’t dismiss the possibility of using Johnny Manziel in specified packages in relief of starting quarterback Brian Hoyer. “That is on the table,” said Pettine. “I don’t know if that’s anything that we want to commit to just now, ’cause I think Brian, because of the competition, is a little behind, with the chemistry and continuity in working with that first group. I think that is something that we can potentially look at down the road.” (Link via Jason Butt of the National Football Post).
- 2012 third-round Steelers linebacker Sean Spence, who had been working his way back from a career-threatening knee injury suffered two years ago, re-injured his PCL in Thursday’s preseason game, writes Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Nothing official has been announced yet, but the 24-year-old’s NFL tenure might be over.
- Among the teams that didn’t qualify for the 2013 playoffs, the Bears trailed only the Cardinals in total DVOA. Field Yates of ESPN Insider (subscription required) explains why that level of base talent, combined with a revamped defensive line and developing second- and third-level defenders, could make Chicago a force this season.
- Despite only being signed less than a week ago, Santonio Holmes has impressed the Bears’ coaching staff, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
- The Bears’ free safety competition is “wide open,” tweets Matt Bowen of Bleacher Report. Rookie Brock Vereen and free agent signee M.D. Jennings are the primary contenders.
Isaac Redman To Retire Due To Injury
Veteran running back Isaac Redman announced today via Twitter that a spinal cord injury has ended his NFL career. According to the former Steeler, a handful of teams have called to inquire about his status, but orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins has advised him not to continue playing football.
“Last season I tried my best through a neck injury but I just wasn’t myself on the field,” Redman explained in his statement. “After being released I went [to] Cali to see Dr. Watkins. After two MRIs and a cat scan, he then told me I had suffered a career-ending injury to my spinal cord. … I would like to thank all my fans for the tremendous support throughout my career.”
Redman, 29, spent five seasons with the Steelers, enjoying his best year with the team in 2011. During that season, the Bowie State product ran for 479 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. For his career, Redman accumulated 1,148 rushing yards, 408 receiving yards, and seven total TDs.
Extra Points: Manziel, Sam, Gilbert, Crabtree
There are story lines abound in the NFL, but which division is the league’s most compelling? NFL.com asked a roundtable of analysts that very question and there’s a wide range of answers. Charley Casserly likes the sardine-packed NFC West. Bucky Brooks likes the electrifying offenses of the NFC East. Dave Dameshek, meanwhile, picks the AFC North simply for Browns quarterbacks Johnny Manziel. More from around the league..
- if Michael Sam can show some versatility over the next two games and an ability to hang on special teams, he can make the Rams‘ final cut on August 30th, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports. “Michael Sam has shown enough rushing the passer – and that’s what he is, he’s a DPR, he’s a designated pass rusher – that he can get off and beat a tackle on the upfield shoulder. He can spin and come underneath,” former Rams vice president of player personnel Tony Softli said. “He’s got to prove he can do it on special teams, and I think that’s going to be his (way) to make this team.”
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a closer look at the contract extension the Steelers gave to Marcus Gilbert. Despite what others have said, the average annual value of the five new years ($6MM) isn’t too high in Fitzgerald’s estimation.
- In a piece for the Sporting News, Fitzgerald looks at ways the 49ers and Michael Crabtree can come to terms on a deal in the next two weeks.
- CFL commissioner Mark Cohon will not return for a third term when his contract expires next year, according to The Associated Press. Cohon, whose contract ends in April, wants to give the board of governors time to find a successor. The 48-year-old commissioner says this is the “right time” to leave.
- The NFL needs to have a developmental league like the NBA, writes Andrew Brandt of The MMQB. In the next two weeks, many players will lose their jobs, and it would make sense for them to have a place to go. NFL Europe didn’t pan out as planned, but a league with teams in Florida, Texas or, Southern California would have players ready to hit the ground running nearby.