NFL Workout Updates: 10/3/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Arizona Cardinals
- OTs Javarius Leamon and Storm Norton; LB Carl Bradford (link)
Baltimore Ravens
- QB Stephen Morris (link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com); TEs Evan Baylis and Henry Krieger-Coble; CBs Dante Blackmon (link); DB Bennett Jackson (link via Dan Duggan of NJ.com)
Buffalo Bills
- RBs Jalen Simmons and Brandon Wilds (link)
Cleveland Browns
- RBs Josh Rounds and Kelvin Taylor; TEs Evan Baylis, Alex Ellis, Anthony Firkser, and Henry Krieger-Coble (link)
Houston Texans
- RBs Kapri Bibbs and Troymaine Pope; LBs Josh Forrest and Michael Mauti; DBs Charlie Miller, Ed Reynolds, and Andrew Williamson (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Gabe Holmes; OL Anthony Fabiano, Gino Gradkowski, G Cole Toner (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- QB Sefo Liufau; WRs Dres Anderson and Nelson Spruce; DT Woodrow Hamilton (link)
Los Angeles Rams
- P Brock Miller (link)
Miami Dolphins
- WRs Jordan Payton and Jordan Williams; OLs Willie Beavers and Jake Rodgers (link)
New Orleans Saints
- TEs Jim Dray, Gavin Escobar, and Brian Parker; OL Andrew Gardner; DT John Hughes (link)
New York Jets
- WR Tavarres King; DT Ed Stinson; S Mykkele Thompson (link)
San Francisco 49ers
- TE Cooper Helfet (link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- DBs Jordan Dangerfield and Harold Jones-Quartey (link)
Tennessee Titans
- WRs Chris Harper, Anthony Nash, Tim Patrick, and Keenan Reynolds (link)
Washington Redskins
- QB Garrett Grayson (link via Pelissero); WRs Amba Etta-Tawo, Kalif Raymond, and Nelson Spruce; OTs Reid Fragel, Javarius Leamon, and Victor Salako (link)
Giants Down To 75
The Giants announced 12 transactions, bringing them under the roster limit of 75 players. Here’s the full rundown.
[RELATED: Giants Sign Will Beatty]
Waived:
- S Cooper Taylor
- OT Byron Stingily
- DB Bennett Jackson
- RB Marshaun Coprich
- WR K.J. Maye
- WR Kadron Boone
- CB Joe Powell
- OL Shane McDermott
- DT Davon Coleman
- DT Greg Milhouse
- DE Mike Rose
Waived/Injured:
- TE Ryan Malleck
Only two of the players cut today – Taylor and Stingily – have NFL regular season experience. Taylor, a 2013 fifth-round draft choice, has played in 16 games for the Giants in his career, including six last season. Stingily, who is done for the year thanks to a concussion, played in 20 games with nine starts for Tennessee and Pittsburgh from 2012-15.
ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/4/16
Earlier today, we rounded up the latest decisions on restricted free agent tenders. Now, we’ll shift our focus to the day’s exclusive-rights free agent tenders, for players with fewer than three years of NFL experience. here’s the latest:
- The Dolphins tendered ERFA offers to six players today, including defensive back Michael Thomas, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter links). The other players to get tenders were safety Shamiel Gary, wide receiver Matt Hazel, offensive lineman Ulrick John, cornerback Tyler Patmon, and tight end Jake Stoneburner.
- Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), the Dolphins didn’t tender ERFA tight end Brandon Williams. That leaves defensive tackle Robert Thomas as the only one of Miami’s eight ERFAs whose situation wasn’t reported on today.
- The 49ers have tendered offensive lineman Jordan Devey, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- Washington has tendered offers to all three of its exclusive-rights free agents, according to John Keim of ESPN.com, who reports that linebacker Will Compton, running back Chris Thompson, and punter Tress Way will be retained.
- The Giants have tendered a contract offer to ERFA punter Brad Wing, tweets Pelissero. They’ve done the same with running back Orleans Darkwa, tight ends Jerome Cunningham and Will Tye, safety Bennett Jackson, receiver Myles White and offensive lineman Adam Gettis, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Wideout Marcus Harris did not receiver a tender and is now an unrestricted free agent, Vacchiano adds.
- The Chiefs have issued ERFA tenders to defensive linemen David King and tackle Nick Williams, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star, who tweets (links: 1, 2) that running back Charcandrick West and safety Daniel Sorensen also received tenders.
Giants Waive Robert Malone, Others
The Giants made a score of moves at the 3pm CT deadline for 75-man rosters. The Giants’ cuts include Brandon Mosley, Eric Herman, Robert Malone, and Jordan Stanton, as Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger tweets. The Giants also released running back Akeem Hunt, offensive lineman Michael Bamiro, wide receiver Juron Criner, fullback Justin Halley, offensive lineman Derrick Johnson, defensive tackle Jummy Staten, and tight end Will Tye, as James Kratch of NJ Advance Media tweets.
Bennett Jackson and Josh Gordy have also been placed on season-ending IR, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets.
The release of Malone means that Steve Weatherford has won the battle for the punter job. Safety Nat Berhe is noticeably absent from the IR list and that means his status for 2015 is still up in the air.
East Notes: Rice, Cassel, Giants
The Bills signed Nickell Robey to an extension this morning and may now direct their attention to a long-term deal with Marcell Dareus, but one transaction that the team is not contemplating is a reunion between head coach Rex Ryan and embattled running back Ray Rice. Per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, Ryan reiterated, “We don’t have any interest [in Rice] and we never went into great detail about it because of the type of depth that we have at running back.” Those comments were made despite a recent hamstring injury to Fred Jackson and Bryce Brown‘s continued fumbling woes.
Now let’s have a look at some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Although the Bills‘ quarterback competition is far from over, The Associated Press reports that Matt Cassel will “probably” start the team’s first preseason game against Carolina this week. All three competitors–Cassel, E.J. Manuel, and Tyrod Taylor–have had mixed results in camp, and no one has separated themselves from the pack as of yet. We heard just last month that Cassel was in danger of being released, and while that may still be the case, he will at least have the first chance to lead Buffalo’s offense in game action in 2015.
- The top of the Jets‘ depth chart at wide receiver has remained intact, but as Brian Costello of The New York Post writes, recent injuries to players like Chris Owusu, DeVier Posey, and Devin Smith have really tested the team’s depth. Of course, there is not much by way of free agent talent available at this point, though Reggie Wayne and Wes Welker are both ostensibly looking for jobs.
- In his latest mailbag, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes that Bennett Jackson, the Giants‘ sixth-round pick in the 2014 draft, has enjoyed a terrific camp thus far, and he has put himself in position to not only make the 53-man roster, but to earn one of the starting safety spots.
- In the same piece, Graziano writes that Marshall Newhouse, whom the Giants originally signed to be a backup, is New York’s undisputed starting right tackle at the moment.
- Hank Kurz, Jr. of The Associated Press writes that Jamison Crowder, Washington‘s diminutive rookie receiver, is making a splash in training camp, but John Keim of ESPN.com says Crowder has not yet passed Andre Roberts and Ryan Grant on the team’s depth chart. Keim does concede, though, that Crowder has been outperforming Roberts and Grant and it could be a matter of time before he seizes hold of Washington’s No. 3 receiver job.
NFC Notes: Lions, Giants, Panthers
Lions safety James Ihedigbo is seeking a new contract, and the 31-year-old will not be attending his team’s voluntary workouts as he presumably negotiates a new deal.
While Ihedigbo isn’t breaking any rules by not attending, that doesn’t mean he isn’t drawing the ire of his coach. On Friday, Jim Caldwell talked to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about his desire to have a full team at workouts.
“What I try to do is to make certain that they understand that, in our business, it’s unique. They have things that they have to look at from their vantage point, what they think is best. My business is to make certain we’ve got the best team we possibly can. So my interest is getting him here, and getting him here pronto, right?
“I’d like to have every guy here. But the fact of the matter is it doesn’t always happen that way. Guys got to look at things. He’s been around long enough and make his own determination and make his own decisions in that regard. But he’s not mandated to be here at this point in time, so we’ll see when he is mandated, what happens.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of the NFC…
- Birkett wonders if undrafted rookie quarterback Anthony Boone could make the Lions roster. While the Duke product would have to leapfrog veterans Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore for the backup gig, one of his former coaches is confident he’ll make the leap. “Anthony’s real smart,” David Cutcliffe said. “He’s going to pick the system up quickly. And I told Anthony: Odds are, you’re probably a backup quarterback, which means you’ve got to be able to know the system and perform well without a lot of snaps, period. That’s the National Football League. And I think he’s capable of being that. I really, really do.”
- After missing most of last season with an injured knee, Giants defensive back Bennett Jackson is looking forward to competing for a roster spot. It appears that his coaching staff appreciates the player’s versatility, as Newsday’s Tom Rock writes that the cornerback has been asked to play safety in 2015. “I didn’t ask any questions,” Jackson said. “I was all for it.”
- Panthers second round pick Devin Funchess tweaked a hamstring and was carted off the field yesterday, reports ESPN.com’s David Newton (via Twitter). The severity of the injury is not yet known.
Sunday/Monday Transactions: NFC East
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC 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 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 East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Dallas Cowboys:
- Signed to 53-man roster (officially announced): Korey Toomer, LB (via Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
- Claimed off waivers: Donald Hawkins, G (via Todd Archer on Twitter)
- Cut: John Wetzel, OT (via Archer on Twitter); Ahmad Dixon, S (via Charean Williams)
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Micah Pellerin, CB (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter); Ryan Williams, RB (via Archer on Twitter); Tim Benford, WR; Kenneth Boatright, DE; Ronald Patrick, C; Keith Smith, LB; Will Smith, LB.
New York Giants:
- Signed to practice squad (officially annoucned):Nick Becton, OT; Michael Cox, RB; Chandler Fenner, CB; Dan Fox, LB; Bennett Jackson, CB; Jordan Stanton, DE; Julian Talley, WR. The team has also added offensive lineman Mark Asper, reports Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter), though the team has yet to officially announce the signing.
Philadelphia Eagles:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Emmanuel Acho, LB; Josh Andrews, OL; Kevin Graf, OT; Wade Keliikipi, DT; Will Murphy, WR; Quron Pratt, WR; Ed Reynolds, S; Matthew Tucker, RB. The team has also signed wide receiver Teddy Williams, reports Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter), though the team has not officially announced the signing.
Washington Redskins:
- Claimed off waivers (officially announced): Duke Ihenacho, S
- Cut (officially announced): Akeem Davis, S
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Ted Bolser, TE; Richard Crawford, CB; Chase Minnifield, CB; Tevita Stevens, OL; Phillip Thomas, S ; Robert Thomas, DT; Chris Thompson, RB; Nick Williams, WR
Giants Bring Roster To 53
After making several moves earlier today, the Giants have finalized their roster by cutting the following players, according to a press release:
Waived-injured:
- Rogers Gaines (OT)
Contract terminated:
- Kellen Davis (TE)
Waived:
- OT Mark Asper
- RB Michael Cox
- DB Chandler Fenner
- LB Dan Fox
- RB Kendall Gaskins
- DB Thomas Gordon
- OT Adam Gress
- DB Bennett Jackson
- G Jamaal Johnson-Webb
- LB Terrell Manning
- DT Kelcie Quarles
- DE Jordan Stanton
- WR Julian Talley
Giants Cut Curtis Painter, 10 Others
1:10pm: Since the initial post, the Giants have made additional moves, including placing wideout Mario Manningham on injured reserve.
Cut:
- Adam Gress (OL) (via Vacchiano on Twitter)
- Jordan Stanton (DE) (via Vacchiano on Twitter)
- Kendall Gaskins (RB) (via Vacchiano on Twitter)
- Thomas Gordon (DB) (via Jordan Raanan on Twitter)
Placed on injured reserve:
- Mario Manningham (WR) (via Rand Getlin on Twitter)
- Trindon Holliday (WR) (via Rand Getlin on Twitter)
9:00am: The Giants have started to trim their team down to 53 players, and one of the first roster victims is quarterback Curtis Painter. According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter), the team has decided to carry only two quarterbacks heading into the regular season. We’ll keep track of all the Giants’ cuts here:
- Curtis Painter (QB) (via Jordan Raanan on Twitter)
- Israel Idonije (DE) (via ProFootballTalk.com on Twitter)
- Kelcy Quarles (DT) (via Conor Orr on Twitter)
- John Conner (FB) (via Ralph Vacchiano on Twitter)
- Bennett Jackson (CB) (via Orr on Twitter)
- Dan Fox (LB) (via Orr on Twitter)
- Jamaal Johnson-Webb (OL) (via Vacchiano on Twitter)
NFC Links: Graham, Davis, Giants
It’s been more than a week since the beginning of Jimmy Graham‘s hearing over his franchise tag designation. Those who are antsy for a solution may have to wait a bit longer – sources tell ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio that a ruling isn’t expected until next week. Even then, the losing party will likely appeal the decision. The entire process could stretch beyond July 15, the deadline for inking a long-term deal.
Additionally, we learned some more interesting information about the hearing. Florio reports that Saints head coach Sean Payton testified against Graham, but the specifics weren’t known. We can likely assume one thing, however – if Graham loses his case, Payton’s going to have some difficulty convincing his tight end to participate in “wide receiver drills” during training camp.
Let’s see what else is happening around the NFC…
- Graham’s quarterback, Drew Brees, weighed in on the subject on a SportsCenter conversation with reporter Ed Werder (about 1:15 into the video): “Of course as the quarterback, this is my guy. Jimmy’s my guy and I want what’s best for him. I want what’s best for the team. Certainly, there’s a way that everybody can be happy coming out of this deal.”
- 49ers tight end Vernon Davis signed a five-year, $37MM extension in 2010 and he’s now playing at a higher level. Davis ultimately decided to hold out because it’s “all about getting paid what you deserve,” he writes in SI.com’s Monday Morning Quarterback.
- NJ.com’ s Conor Orr ranked the Giants cornerback depth based on playing time, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano revealed some interesting notes in his analysis. Graziano opines that Orr’s top-five (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Prince Amukamara, Walter Thurmond, Zackary Bowman and Trumaine McBride, respectively) are safe while Charles James and Bennett Jackson will likely fight for the final spot. Graziano adds that it will get even more interesting once Jayron Hosley returns from suspension.