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:
October 6th, 2017 at 9:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson
As had been expected, Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota will be a gametime decision in Week 5, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Mariota is day-to-day with a strained hamstring, and backup Matt Cassel will start against the Dolphins if Mariota is unable to play. Tennessee signed veteran signal-caller Brandon Weeden earlier this week, passing over other free agent options such as Colin Kaepernick.
Here’s more from around the league:
The Lions haven’t decided whether they’ll activate defensive Armonty Bryant — who is returning from a four-game suspension — before Sunday’s contest against the Panthers, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Detroit has a roster exemption for Bryant, and it must either add him to the 53-man roster or release by Monday. Given how thin they are along the defensive line (Kerry Hyder is out for the year, Khyri Thornton is still banned), Bryant seems likely to claim a roster spot by next week at the latest.
Before signing with the Bears’ practice squad on Friday, defensive end Howard Jones worked out for the Colts, tweets veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer. Jones, 27, had drawn a good deal of interest since being non-tendered by the Buccaneers earlier this year, as he’d also met with the Titans and Jets. Still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in November of 2016, Jones wasn’t a major contributor in eight games last season before going down, but he did manage five sacks in a rotational role for Tampa Bay in 2015.
Speaking of workouts, the Giants auditioned a large group of free agents today, reports Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. New York focused on front five as it worked out the following players: offensive linemen Kareem Are, Willie Beavers, Ethan Cooper,Kaleb Johnson, Cameron Jefferson, Storm Norton, Jeremiah Poutasi, Cyril Richardson, Kristjan Sokoli, and Zach Voytek, plus defensive tackle Greg Milhouse.
The Buccaneers will be without defensive end for two-to-four weeks Ryan Russell after he suffered a shoulder injury against the Patriots, per Rapoport (Twitter link). Russell, 25, has managed four tackles on 110 defensive snaps as a rotational end this season. If Tampa Bay is looking for depth, the club could potentially promote Channing Ward from its practice squad.
The Bills have announced the signings of eight free agents. Cornerback Marcus Cromartie headlines a group that also includes offensive linemen Cameron Jefferson and Jordan Mudge, defensive end Jake Metz, defensive back Bradley Sylve, and linebackers Jacob Lindsey, Junior Sylvestre and Eddie Yarbrough.
Cromartie, who worked out for the Bills on Friday, only appeared in 21 games and made one start with the 49ers during his first three NFL seasons, but the 25-year-old could find more playing time as part of a largely untested Buffalo secondary. Thanks to the departures of Stephon Gilmore and Nickell Robey-Coleman, the club is lacking at corner aside from No. 1 man Ronald Darby, with Cromartie joining the likes of Kevon Seymour, Leonard Johnson and Marcus Roberson behind him. There’s not much at safety other than Micah Hyde, either, as the Bills jettisoned Corey Graham and Aaron Williams earlier this offseason.
Another name of interest among these pickups is Metz, if only for where he played last season. Metz, 26, was with the Eagles for less than a week last summer, and he then went on to spend the year with the Qingdao Clipper of the China Arena Football League. The 2014 undrafted free agent from Shippensburg previously played arena football in the United States from 2014-15.
February 10th, 2016 at 6:13pm CST by Zachary Links
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:
The Broncos signed nine practice squad players to reserve-futures contracts, as Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post writes. Receiver Jordan Taylor, running back Kapri Bibbs, safety RyanMurphy, guard Dillon Day, tackles Cameron Jefferson and Kyle Roberts, tight end Nick Kasa, defensive end George Uko, and linebacker Zaire Anderson all have new deals with Denver. Taylor served as as Peyton Manning‘s personal practice receiver in 2015 when he rehabbed from his foot injury. Murphy was sent packing during Super Bowl week after being involved, but not arrested in a prostitution sting in San Jose. In a related move, Northern Colorado receiver Jace Davis was waived.
On Wednesday, the Eaglesannounced that linebacker Najee Goode has been signed to a new one-year contract. Originally a fifth-round draft pick of Tampa Bay in 2012, Goode was claimed off of waivers by the Eagles in September 2013. After a pectoral injury suffered in the 2014 opener against Jacksonville put him on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season, Goode returned to form in 2015.
The Saints have re-signed fullback Austin Johnson, as Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune writes. Johnson, 26, was an exclusive-rights free agent. In his three years with the Saints, Johnson has bounced between the active roster and the taxi squad. Johnson has played in 17 games in the last two seasons, rushing 12 times for 31 yards and catches seven passes for 45 yards. He is also a frequent contributor on special teams. As Woodbery notes, Johnson will likely compete with fullback Toben Opurum for a roster spot in 2016. Besides the two fullbacks, New Orleans already has four other tailbacks under contract for 2016, not counting free agents Khiry Robinson (RFA), Tim Hightower, Travaris Cadet, and Kendall Hunter.