NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/1/18
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Baltimore Ravens
- QB Josh Woodrum
- RB John Crockett
- FB Ricky Ortiz
- OT Steven Moore
Buffalo Bills
- WR Rod Streater
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
- LB Carl Bradford
- K Jon Brown
- LB Connor Harris
- OT Javarius Leamon
- OG Oni Omoile
- TE Scott Orndoff
- CB Sojourn Shelton
- SS Robenson Therezie
- WR Kermit Whitfield
Cleveland Browns
- WR C.J. Board
- LB Austin Calitro
- DB Trevon Hartfield
- WR Bug Howard
- RB Josh Rounds
- OL Victor Salako
- DB B.W. Webb
- WR Kasen Williams
Denver Broncos
- DT Paul Boyette
- WR River Cracraft
- WR Jordan Leslie
- DE Stansly Maponga
- DB Jordan Moore
- TE Brian Parker
- WR Tim Patrick
- OT Jeremiah Poutasi
- LB Marcus Rush
- DE Jhaustin Thomas
Detroit Lions
- CB Adairius Barnes
- TE Brandon Barnes
- DE Alex Barrett
- WR Dontez Ford
- DT Toby Johnson
- C Leo Koloamatangi
- S Rolan Milligan
- T Dan Skipper
- QB Alek Torgersen
- DE Jeremiah Valoaga
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Mo Alie-Cox
- WR Dres Anderson
- DT Johnathan Calvin
- WR Kolby Listenbee
- LB Arthur Miley
- LB Josh Perry
- QB Phillip Walker
- G Isaiah Williams
New York Giants
- OL Ethan Cooper
- WR Amba Etta-Tawo
- K Marshall Koehn
- DB Jeremiah McKinnon
- P Austin Rehkow
- DB Tim Scott
- WR Canaan Severin
- DT Kristjan Sokoli
- DE Jordan Williams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- WR Jake Lampman
Washington Redskins
- OL Alex Balducci
- DL Tavaris Barnes
- TE Chris Bazile
- RB Kenny Hilliard
- OL Cameron Jefferson
- OL John Kling
- LB Alex McCalister
- LB Cassanova McKinzy
- DL Ondre Pipkins
- DB James Sample
- S Orion Stewart
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/17
Here are today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Released: S Trae Elston
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB B.W. Webb
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: S Corey Moore
Here are today’s practice squad updates:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: K Jonathan Brown
Houston Texans
- Signed: OG Erik Austell
- Released: OG Dorian Johnson
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/17
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Bronson Hill
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Brittan Golden
Buffalo Bills
- Designated to return from injured reserve: S Colt Anderson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB B.W. Webb
- Placed on injured reserve: DB Derrick Kindred
Denver Broncos
- Promoted to active roster: CB Michael Hunter
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Shane Ray (story)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed off Broncos‘ practice squad: OL Dillon Day
- Waived: FB Joe Kerridge
New York Giants
- Activated from injured reserve: DE Romeo Okwara
- Waived: LB Jeremy Cash
New York Jets
- Waived from injured reserve: LB Edmond Robinson
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: LB Kache Palacio
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted to active roster: LB Nigel Harris, DT Channing Ward
Washington Redskins
- Promoted to active roster: S Fish Smithson
- Placed on injured reserve: S Montae Nicholson
NFL Workout Updates: 10/10/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Arizona Cardinals
- DT Mike Purcell; CBs Trevin Wade, B.W. Webb (link)
Buffalo Bills
- DBs Lonnie Ballentine, Antone Exum (link via Adam Caplan)
Detroit Lions
- DT Will Sutton (link via Caplan)
Green Bay Packers
- WR Tevaun Smith; G Cameron Hunt; DL Sean Daniels; DBs Charlie Miller, Ahmad Thomas (link via Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com)
Houston Texans
- QB Connor Shaw; WRs Rivers Cracraft, Paul Turner; T Steven Moore; DBs J.R. Nelson, Marcus Sayles (link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
- RB Lamar Atkins; FB Glenn Gronkowski; C Taylor Boggs; DBs Anthony Cioffi, K.J. Dillon (link)
Oakland Raiders
- DEs Sterling Bailey, Patrick Gamble, Jaye Howard; DT Toby Johnson (link)
Seattle Seahawks
- T Andrew Lauderdale; LB Josh Forrest (link)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- LBs Johnathan Calvin, Jayrone Elliott; DE Cashaud Lyons (link)
Texans Audition LB Jonathan Freeny
The Texans worked out free agent linebacker Jonathan Freeny on Tuesday, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Freeny, a five-year NFL veteran, started his career as a special teams player in Miami, but his most notable time came with the Patriots from 2015-16. During that time, Freeny appeared in 18 games and started 11 contests before going down with a shoulder injury last October.
Despite agreeing to a two-year extension prior to last season, Freeny was released during final cutdowns earlier this month. He’s generated interest around the NFL, however, as the Giants and Bears have also worked out Freeny over the past several weeks.
On the hunt for linebacker depth following Brian Cushing‘s 10-game PED suspension, the Texans also auditioned former Vikings linebacker Audie Cole today. Houston is currently starting Benardrick McKinney and second-round rookie Zach Cunningham at inside linebacker, while Brian Peters and undrafted rookie Dylan Cole are the club’s backups.
The Texans also took at look at linebacker Josh Mauga and cornerbacks Johnthan Banks, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Josh Thornton, Corey White, and B.W. Webb, as Wilson writes in a separate piece.
Bills Work Out John Greco
The Bills worked out a handful of notable names as they gear up for Week 2. Their audition included guards John Greco and Tim Lelito, cornerback B.W. Webb, and wide receivers James Wright and Stephen Hill, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). 
Greco’s six-year tenure with the Browns came to an end prior to this year’s 53-man deadline. After entering the league as a third-round pick of the Rams in 2008, he became a regular for Cleveland in 2011. He started in 66 of 85 appearances with the Browns and finished out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 18 ranked guard last year. Unfortunately, he was not on the field for the Browns’ sole win of 2016 – he was shut down in November due to injury.
Lelito graded out as the No. 49 guard in the league last season for his work with the Saints, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF gave him a solid mark for his pass blocking with a less impressive score on running plays. He hooked on with the Titans in March, but he was let go after a disappointing preseason.
Hill, 26, was a bust for the Jets after being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft. He has not seen live action since the 2013 season.
Workout Notes: Patriots, Jets, Bills
The Patriots auditioned some players of note this week, including linebacker Akeem Ayers, quarterback Thad Lewis, and wide receiver Jeremy Ross (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).
Ayers has some history with New England after playing on their 2014 Super Bowl championship team. Last year, Ayers appeared in all 16 games for Indianapolis and recorded two sacks.
Linebackers Nicholas Grigsby and Antwione Williams also showed their stuff for the Pats.
Here’s a look at Wednesday’s other workouts from around the NFL:
- The Jets worked out former Maryland cornerback Alvin Hill, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Canadian defensive tackle Stefan Charles worked out for the Giants on Tuesday, John Kryk of The Toronto Sun tweets.
- The Cardinals worked out wide receivers Donteea Dye, Cobi Hamilton, and Rashad Ross, as Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com tweets.
- The Bills auditioned defensive backs Ironhead Gallon, Lee Hightower, Rickey Jefferson, Marcus McWilson, Orion Stewart, and Jack Tocho, linebackers Kenneth Olugbode, defensive tackle Marcus Hardison, running back Connor Harris, and tackle De’Ondre Wesley, according to Balzer (via Twitter links).
- The Buccaneers auditioned quarterback Trevor Knight, wide receivers C.J. Board and Jake Lampman, and tackles Justin Murray and Avery Young, Balzer tweets.
- The Packers took a look at running back Jacob Huesman, Balzer tweets.
- The Colts auditioned linebacker Travis Feeney and defensive backs Jordan Moore, Taurean Nixon, Ezra Robinson, and Deron Washington, Balzer tweets.
- The Giants auditioned defensive backs B.W. Webb Brandon Dixon, and Jeremiah McKinnon, Balzer tweets.
Bears Make Cuts, Reach 53
The Bears took time to announce their 53-man roster, but they got it done before the deadline. Here’s how:
Released:
- DB Johnthan Banks
- OL Taylor Boggs
- DL John Jenkins
- LB Dan Skuta
- DB B.W. Webb
- DL C.J. Wilson
Officially Placed On IR:
- RB Ka’Deem Carey
- LB Lamarr Houston
- WR Cameron Meredith
- OL Jordan Morgan
- DB Chris Prosinski
Waived:
- LB Jonathan Anderson
- WR Daniel Braverman
- DL Rashaad Coward
- WR Titus Davis
- WR Tanner Gentry
- OL Brandon Greene
- DB DeAndre Houston-Carson
- WR Alton Howard
- LB Isaiah Irving
- DB Harold Jones-Quartey
- OL Dieugot Joseph
- OL Mitchell Kirsch
- OL Will Poehls
- TE MyCole Pruitt
- DB Rashaad Reynolds
- OL Cyril Richardson
- RB Josh Rounds
- FB Freddie Stevenson
- LB John Timu
Waived/Injured:
- QB Connor Shaw
Bears Sign B.W. Webb
The Bears have agreed to sign free agent cornerback B.W. Webb, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The club has since confirmed the transaction, and added that it’s a one-year deal.
Webb, 27, met with Chicago, Buffalo, and Cleveland this week, and has opted to sign on in the Windy City. General manager Ryan Pace & Co. have been aggressive in attempting to fix a poor pass defense this offseason, and the club had already added defensive backs Prince Amukamara, Marcus Cooper, and Quintin Demps over the past month. Webb now joins a secondary that also includes former first-round pick Kyle Fuller, Tracy Porter, Cre’Von LeBlanc, and others.
Webb has bounced around during his NFL career, spending time with the Cowboys, Steelers, Titans, and Saints. He’s appeared in 49 games during that span, but didn’t start his first contest until last year. In 13 games (seven starts), Webb played on 56% of New Orleans’ defensive snaps, and racked up one interception, 11 passes defensed, and 27 tackles.
B.W. Webb To Visit Browns, Bears
B.W. Webb spent his first four NFL seasons with four different teams, so the cornerback is accustomed to visiting different parts of the country. He’s continuing this trend this week as a UFA.
After paying a visit to Buffalo today to meet with Bills brass, Webb is scheduled to make trips to meet with the Browns and Bears, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Webb’s set to be in Cleveland on Tuesday and Chicago on Wednesday, barring an earlier deal changing the itinerary.
Webb has suited up for the Cowboys, Steelers, Titans and Saints the past four seasons, with his most significant usage coming in New Orleans. He started seven games last season on a Saints team stricken with cornerback maladies.
The Bears have retooled at corner this offseason in signing Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper. They still have Kyle Fuller, Tracy Porter and Cre’Von LeBlanc as well. Cleveland does not have the same depth outside. Jamar Taylor did well to rebound after a shaky stretch in Miami and was rewarded with an extension. He and Joe Haden remain the Browns’ top two corners. Behind them, though, are second-year player Briean Boddy-Calhoun and Trey Caldwell.