HEADLINES

Asante Cleveland

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC East

September 6th, 2015 at 5:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, and Jets are noted below.

Additionally, as of 11:00am today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Claimed off waivers:
  • Cut:
  • Signed to practice squad:

New York Jets

  • Signed:
  • Claimed off waivers:
  • Cut:
  • Signed to practice squad (press release):
    • LB Deion Barnes
    • FB Julian Howsare
    • LB Taiwan Jones
    • CB Keon Lyn
    • WR Walter Powell
    • TE Wes Saxton
    • T Wesley Johnson (Twitter link via Adam Caplan)
    • DL Jordan Williams

Patriots Jettison 11 Players

September 5th, 2015 at 5:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reggie Wayne indeed appears among the contingent of cut Patriots, per the team’s official website, but the team’s wide receiver depth chart took another hit, at least from an experience standpoint amid the moves the Super Bowl champions made Saturday.

Brandon LaFell will begin the season on the PUP list, meaning the earliest the veteran can debut Oct. 25 at the earliest. A foot injury kept the starting wide receiver out of training camp, and it likely leaves New England to once again rely on the underwhelming Danny Amendola in the starting lineup.

The Patriots also waived Jonas Gray, he of the four-touchdown performance last season before an alarm clock-related practice absence halted the runner’s momentum.

They cut tight end Asante Cleveland and wideout Jalen Saunders, both of whom they traded for recently, notes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).

The rest of New England’s cuts are as follows:

  • Justin Coleman, DB
  • Xzavier Dickson, LB
  • Darius Fleming, LB
  • Brandon King, S
  • Robert McClain, CB
  • Zach Moore, DL
  • Daxton Swanson, DB

More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/15

August 18th, 2015 at 6:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we rounded minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the league. Here’s the latest batch..

  • The Giants announced that they have claimed defensive tackle Jimmy Staten off waivers from the Seahawks and waived rookie defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News tweets.
  • The Jets announced that they have acquired tight end Arthur Lynch off waivers from the Dolphins. Lynch was the fifth-round pick (No. 155 overall) of Miami in the 2014 draft out of Georgia. He had 56 career receptions for 907 yards and eight touchdowns for the Bulldogs and was an All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection as a redshirt senior.
  • The Raiders announced that they have signed free agent receiver Devon Wylie. Wylie, originally drafted by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, appeared in six games during his rookie campaign, recording six receptions for 53 yards.
  • Offensive tackle Chris Martin, who was waived by the Dolphins recently, was awarded to Patriots, Wilson tweets. Martin, who is 6’5″ and 305 pounds, has had two prior stints with the Patriots.
  • The Patriots cut tight end Logan Stokes, Wilson tweets.
  • The Saints will sign defensive tackle David Hunter, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press (on Twitter). Hunter joins New Orleans after DT Austin Brown went down with an injury.
  • The Lions released David Ausberry with an injury settlement, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
  • The Lions waived/injured center Darren Keyton, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com tweets.

Pats Acquire Asante Cleveland From 49ers

August 18th, 2015 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

11:21am: The 49ers got a player from the Patriots in the deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who tweets that offensive lineman Jordan Devey is headed to San Francisco in the swap.

11:07am: The Patriots, always on the lookout for tight ends, have added a new one from the 49ers, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who reports that San Francisco has traded Asante Cleveland to New England. The return for the Niners isn’t known, but it’s hard to imagine the team getting more than a late-round pick, perhaps one that’s contingent on Cleveland making the Pats’ roster.

Maiocco reported earlier today (via Twitter) that the 49ers had been getting calls from teams interesting in trading for a tight end, with those clubs targeting Cleveland and Derek Carrier in particular. Even after moving Cleveland, the Niners may decide to trade another tight end, since the team is still carrying seven players at the position.

With Rob Gronkowski and Scott Chandler heading a depth chart that already featured six tight ends prior to the acquisition of Cleveland, the Patriots have no shortage of players at the position either. However, we’ve seen the New England offense put a strong emphasis on tight end play in recent years, so it makes sense that the club would want to stockpile as much talent and upside there as possible. In Cleveland, the Pats are getting a player who spent time on the 49ers’ roster and practice squad last year, and has yet to record his first NFL catch.

Meanwhile, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears from a source that the Patriots are cutting linebacker L.J. Fort today. We’ll have to wait for the official announcement on both transactions, but it looks as if Fort’s release could be the corresponding move for the acquisition of Cleveland.

49ers Announce Series Of Roster Moves

November 27th, 2014 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

With tonight’s crucial divisional showdown against the Seahawks looming, the 49ers have made multiple changes to their 53-man roster, the team announced today in a press release. Tight end Garrett Celek has been activated from the physically unable to perform list, while tight end Asante Cleveland has been promoted to the active roster. To accommodate the additions, the club has waived linebacker Chase Thomas and placed tight end Derek Carrier on the injured reserve list.

Multiple injuries at the tight end position necessitated the Niners’ latest additions — besides Carrier, who had been sidelined with a foot injury and will now miss the rest of the season, tight end Vance McDonald is also banged up, dealing with a back ailment. Having been on the PUP list since August, it’s the first time Celek has been on the active roster this season, and the second game for Cleveland, who was briefly promoted in September before returning to the taxi squad.

As for Thomas, the 25-year-old was signed off the practice squad earlier this month and saw action in the Niners’ last three games. He looks like a candidate to return to the practice squad, assuming he clears waivers.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

September 24th, 2014 at 8:03pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

49ers Re-Sign Josh Johnson

September 23rd, 2014 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers have re-added a quarterback to their roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve re-signed Josh Johnson to a one-year contract. To make room on the 53-man roster for Johnson, the club has waived tight end Asante Cleveland, meaning the team completed the opposite series of moves it made three days ago, when Cleveland was signed and Johnson was cut.

Johnson, who saw most of his NFL playing time in Tampa Bay from 2009 to 2011, currently sits third on the 49ers’ depth chart behind Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert. However, given how Gabbert looked in the preseason, there’s a real possibility that Johnson could see the field if anything were to happen to Kaepernick this year.

Cleveland will likely land back on the Niners’ practice squad if he clears waivers, but for now, with Vernon Davis on the mend, the rookie tight end isn’t needed on the active roster.

Minor Moves: Saturday

September 20th, 2014 at 4:53pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ll keep tabs on all of Saturday’s NFL transactions here, with the latest moves at the top…

  • The Lions have cut veteran wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The move opened up room for practice squad cornerback Mohammed Seisay, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
  • The Raiders have signed linebacker Bojay Filomeatu from their practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • The 49ers have promoted tight end Asante Cleveland to their active roster, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). The team released quarterback Josh Johnson to make room.
  • The Dolphins have signed safety Brandian Ross from their practice squad to the active roster, reports James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). They released defensive lineman Bruce Gaston to make room.
  • The Ravens have cut wide receiver Deonte Thompson, and signed running back Fitzgerald Toussaint from their practice squad, according to the team’s official Twitter page.

Earlier updates:

  • The Vikings announced that they have signed wide receiver Charles Johnson from the Browns practice squad. Johnson will take Adrian Peterson‘s spot on the roster.
  • The Lions will sign cornerback Mohammed Seisay from their practice squad, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
  • Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer tweets that the Panthers have promoted running back Darrin Reaves from their practice squad to take Greg Hardy‘s roster spot.
  • The Cowboys announced (via Twitter) that the team has waived defensive end Lavar Edwards and signed linebacker Keith Smith from the practice squad. Edwards, a former fourth-round pick, was acquired from the Titans in late August. He’s only played 15 snaps in two games this season. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com tweets that the release does not void the trade with Tennessee, noting that the Cowboys have to give up a seventh-rounder if Edwards stays on the roster for ten games. However, Archer also notes that Edwards will likely be back.
  • The Jaguars have signed wide receiver Kerry Taylor from their practice squad, the team announced. To make room, the team waived rookie safety Craig Loston. Taylor has 22 career receptions for 229 yards and one touchdown. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that Taylor is injury-insurance for wideouts Cecil Shorts and Allen Hurns.

Sunday Transactions: NFC West

August 31st, 2014 at 6:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC West teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions are noted below.

Additionally, as of 11:00am CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s NFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Arizona Cardinals:

San Francisco 49ers:

Seattle Seahawks:

  • Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Jimmy Staten, DT (Staten on Twitter), RaShaun Allen, TE; Demitrius Bronson, RB; B.J. Daniels, QB; Nate Isles, OT; Chris Matthews, WR; Terrance Parks, S; Steven Terrell, S.

St. Louis Rams:

49ers Trim Roster Down To 53

August 30th, 2014 at 5:45pm CST by Luke Adams

5:45pm: The 49ers have officially set their 53-man roster, announcing the moves in a press release. Earlier, we learned that the team cut ways with 13 players, and we now have the other six players that have been released:

Released:

Placed on injured reserve:

It was previously reported that Tukuafu was released, but it appears that the former Oregon Duck will stick around on the team’s IR.

1:47pm: The 49ers are whittling their roster down to 53 players, and have cut the following players so far, according to various reports: