NFC Workout Notes: Seahawks, Bucs, Lions
We rounded up the latest workout news from the AFC earlier. Now for the NFC (courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Caplan, unless otherwise noted):
- Before he signed with the Kansas City on Tuesday, defensive end Kendall Reyes visited the Seahawks (Twitter link). He spent just under two weeks on the open market after the Redskins released him Oct. 5.
- Tight ends Mitchell Henry, Casey Pierce and Eric Wallace tried out for the Buccaneers (Twitter link). Wallace played college basketball at Ohio State and DePaul, and then spent three years playing Australian Rules Football. He was previously with the Panthers, who will work him out Wednesday, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
- Defensive back Jeremiah McKinnon worked out for the Panthers on Tuesday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- Former LSU linebacker Lamar Louis recently visited the Saints, according to Nick Underhill of The Advocate (on Twitter).
- The Lions took a look at linebackers Brandon Chubb, Raphael Kirby and Reggie Northrup (Twitter link). Chubb impressed the team enough to earn a place on its practice squad.
- Defensive backs Charles Gaines and Demetrius McCray worked out for the Rams last week, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter).
Packers Bring Roster Down To 53
The Packers have announced the cuts that will bring their roster down to 53. The club has made the following moves:
Cut:
- G Josh Sitton (story)
- TE Casey Pierce (Twitter link via Michael Cohen of the Journal-Sentinel)
- DL Brian Price (Twitter link via Cohen)
- FB Alstevis Squirewell (Twitter link via Ryan Wood of the Press-Gazette)
- OL Lucas Patrick
- RB Brandon Ross (Twitter link via Cohen)
- ILB Carl Bradford (Twitter link via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- OLB Reggie Gilbert (Twitter link via Ryan Wood of Green Bay Press-Gazette)
- CB Robertson Daniel (Twitter link via Wood)
- WR Herb Waters (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
- TE Kennard Backman (waived/injured; Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- LB Sam Barrington (Twitter link via Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
- WR Geronimo Allison
- LB Beniquez Brown
- CB Warren Gatewood
- LS Rick Lovato
- S Jermaine Whitehead
- QB Marquise Williams
Placed On IR:
- C Kyle Steuck
- DT Tyler Kuder
Reserve/Suspended:
- DT Mike Pennel
- CB Demetri Goodson
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/9/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Jets announced that they have claimed tight end Jerome Cunningham and waived running back/kick returner Dri Archer. Cunningham played in nine games for New Jersey’s other team in 2015, catching the first eight passes of his NFL career. Cunningham, a three-year starter at Southern Connecticut State, has managed to stay local since entering the NFL in 2014.
- The Jets also signed cornerback Bryson Keeton and waived tight end Adrien Robinson (link). Keeton, a 6’2” defensive back, played two seasons at Montana State and defended a total of 21 passes over the last two years.
- The Chiefs claimed guard Jordan Devey off waivers from the 49ers, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Devey unexpectedly made his way into the Niners’ starting lineup to open the 2015 season. Although he was replaced down the stretch, the 28-year-old made nine starts and played nearly 400 offensive snaps for San Francisco in 2015.
- The Buccaneers signed three tryout players (link): Texas Tech linebacker Micah Awe, Kansas State defensive tackle Travis Britz, and Louisville tackle Kelby Johnson. The team also welcomed back wide receiver Andre Davis. To make room, UDFAs tight end Tim Brown (West Chester), linebacker Tyson Coleman (Oregon), and defensive tackle Jontavius Morris (Western Kentucky).
- Kutztown wide receiver Anthony Kelly, signed last week by Buccaneers as undrafted free agent, is no longer with team due to an issue with his knee, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
- The Vikings (Twitter link) announced the signing of cornerback Tre Roberson and wide receiver Troy Stoudermire. Kentucky State cornerback Eric Rawls, announced as a UDFA signee last week, did not end up inking his deal, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). The team’s roster is now at 90.
- The Cardinals signed running back Elijhaa Penny (Idaho) and wide receiver Chris Hubert (Fayetteville St.) while cutting running back Jared Baker and outside linebacker Mike Reilly (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).
- Washington released safety Tevin Carter (link).
- The Texans signed former New Mexico outside linebacker Ryan Langford following a successful tryout, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Packers cut former Rice wide receiver Dennis Parks, Wilson tweets.
- The Chiefs cut offensive lineman Mike Liedtke, according to freelance reporter Jenna Laine (on Twitter).
- The Vikings signed running back C.J. Ham out of Augustana University, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. The deal should become finalized on Tuesday.
- The Packers signed tight end Casey Pierce, defensive tackle Demetris Anderson, running back Brandon Burks, fullback Alstevis Squirewell, and guard Cory Tucker and released defensive tackle Josh Boyd, defensive tackle William Campbell, tight end David Grinnage, and tackle Jeremy Vujnovich.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/16
Here are Wednesday’s minor transactions from across the NFL:
- The Cardinals have formally waived four players, including former Australian Rules Football player Joel Wilkinson, the club announced today. Along with Wilkerson, who had been attempting to break into the NFL as a cornerback, center Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, cornerback Kevin White, and cornerback Tyrequek Zimmerman were also cut by Arizona.
- The Broncos announced today in a press release that they’ve cut veteran tight end Richard Gordon, a little over two months after re-signing him to a new contract. It’s the third time Denver has released Gordon since last October.
- The Seahawks have parted ways with five players from their 90-roster, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com, who writes that offensive lineman Drew Nowak, running back Cameron Marshall, tight end Ronnie Shields, defensive end Josh Shirley and wide receiver Tyler Slavin have been cut. Nowak is probably the most notable name in the group, having started seven games at center last year for Seattle.
- The Lions have waived center Braxston Cave and tight end Casey Pierce, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. Cave’s was likely bumped by the team’s selection of Graham Glasgow in the draft. Pierce, meanwhile, was a practice squad tight end who had been expected to compete for the No. 3 tight end spot in Detroit.
- Clearing room for their undrafted free agent class, the Rams have waived cornerback Eric Patterson, tweets Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. A Ball State product, Patterson saw the field briefly last season for the Rams and Colts.
- The Lions waived tight end Jordan Thompson with a failed physical designation, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. The Ohio product was once expected to be the team’s next long-snapper.
- The Chiefs cut wide receiver Fred Williams, as Wilson tweets. Williams, 28, has been on and off of KC’s taxi squad since September of 2014. In January, the Chiefs signed Williams to a future/reserve deal.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/4/16
Now that the 2015 regular season is in the books, teams can begin signing players to reserve/futures contracts, adding those players to their 90-man offseason rosters. Generally, these players finished the season on a team’s practice squad, though some were free agents at season’s end.
Here are today’s reserve/futures deals:
Atlanta Falcons signed four players (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
- Matt Simms, QB
- C.J. Goodwin, WR
- Gus Johnson, RB
- Collin Rahrig, G
Baltimore Ravens signed seven players (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun):
- Brennen Beyer, LB
- Leon Brown, G
- Nordly Capi, DE
- Blaine Clausell, T
- Chuck Jacobs, WR
- Nick Perry, S
- Harold Spears, TE
Buffalo Bills signed seven players (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
- Cyril Richardson, G
- Phillip Thomas, S
- Blake Annen, TE
- Jacob Maxwell, TE
- Cedric Reed, DE
- Jonathan Dowling, S
- Ronald Patrick, C
Chicago Bears signed nine players (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune):
- De’Vante Bausby, CB
- Matt Blanchard, QB
- Cornelius Edison, C
- Paul Lasike, RB
- Marcus Lucas, WR/TE
- Danny Mason, LB
- Nathan Palmer, WR
- Gannon Sinclair, TE
- Martin Wallace, G/T
Cleveland Browns signed six players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- Sean Baker, DB
- Dan France, OT
- Garth Gerhart, C
- Connor Hamlett, TE
- Tim Scott, DB
- Dylan Wynn, DE
Dallas Cowboys signed eight players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- Donte Foster, WR
- Mike McAdoo, DE
- Brandon McGee, DB
- Derek Akunne, LB
- Buddy Jackson, DB
- Ben Malena, RB
- Efe Obada, DE
- Keith Smith, LB
Denver Broncos signed four players (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9NEWS)
- Cyrus Gray, RB
- Jace Davis, WR
- B.J. Lowery, DB
- DeVier Posey, WR
Detroit Lions signed five players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- Khaseem Greene, LB
- Casey Pierce, TE
- Ryan Spadola, WR
- Corey Washington, WR
- Tyrus Thompson, OT
Jacksonville Jaguars signed nine players (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union):
- Rasheed Bailey, WR
- Kadeem Edwards, OL
- Shaq Evans, WRt
- Ben Koyack, TE
- Rashad Lawrence, WR
- Sean Porter, LB
- Chris Reed, G
- Rashaad Reynolds, CB
- Earl Wolff, S
Miami Dolphins signed one player (link)
- Tyler Davis, WR
New Orleans Saints signed five players (link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune):
- Reggie Bell, WR
- Alden Darby, S
- Brandon Dixon, CB
- Cyril Lemon, G
- Bryan Witzmann, T
New York Giants signed six players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- Tavarres King, WR
- G.J. Kinne, QB
- Shane McDermott, C
- Leon McFadden, CB
- Tom Obarski, K
- Jake Rodgers, OT
Philadelphia Eagles signed seven players (Twitter link via team):
- Brett Boyko, G
- Malcolm Bunche, G
- Brandon Hepburn, LB
- Freddie Martino, WR
- Kevin Monangai, RB
- Travis Raciti, DE
- Deontae Skinner, LB
San Diego Chargers signed six players (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
- Richard Crawford, DB
- Brad Sorensen, QB
- Tim Semisch, TE
- Chuka Ndulue, DT
- Isaiah Burse, WR
- Ben Gardner, DE
Seattle Seahawks signed three players (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Andrew East, LS
- Ronnie Shields, TE
- Phillip Sims, QB
Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed nine players (link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times):
- Josh Allen, G
- Andre Davis, WR
- Antoine Everett, G
- Ben Gottschalk, C
- Gerod Holliman, S
- Martin Ifedi, DE
- Derrick Lott, DT
- C.J. Roberts, CB
- Joel Ross, CB
Tennessee Titans signed five players (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com):
- David Fluellen, RB
- Kevin Greene, TE
- Nick Harwell, WR
- Josue Matias, G
- Will Poehls, T
Washington signs three players (link via team):
- Christo Bilukidi, DL
- Desmond Bishop, LB
- Jerrell Powe, DL
Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC North
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC North 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 Bears, Lions, Packers, and Vikings 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 NFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Chicago Bears
- Claimed off waivers:
- G Patrick Omameh (link via Pro Football Talk)
- DB Harold Jones-Quartey (link via Pro Football Talk)
- Cut:
- S Sherrod Martin (Twitter link via Brad Biggs)
- T Jordan Mills (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk)
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Jonathan Anderson (Twitter link via Biggs)
- RB Paul Lasike (Twitter link via Kevin Fishbain)
- TE Gannon Sinclair (Twitter link via Biggs)
- WR Ify Umodu (Twitter link via Biggs)
- DT Terry Williams (Twitter link via Biggs)
Detroit Lions
- Signed to practice squad:
- C Braxton Cave (link via Tim Twentyman)
- DT Kerry Hyder (link via Tim Twentyman)
- CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport)
- S Isaiah Johnson (link via Tim Twentyman)
- WR Andrew Peacock (link via Tim Twentyman)
- TE Casey Pierce (link via Tim Twentyman)
- DE Larry Webster (link via Tim Twentyman)
- RB George Winn (link via Tim Twentyman)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed to practice squad:
- WR Jared Abrederis (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky)
- LB Carl Bradford (Twitter link via Ryan Wood)
- TE Justin Perillo (Twitter link via Tony Pauline)
- G Matt Rotheram (Twitter link via Demovsky)
- LB James Vaughters (Twitter link via Tom Silverstein)
- T Jeremy Vujnovich (Twitter link via Demovsky)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed to practice squad:
- DE B.J. DuBose (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson)
- G Isame Faciane (Twitter link via Tomasson)
- WR Isaac Fruechte (Twitter link via Tomasson)
- S Anthony Harris (Twitter link via Tomasson)
- DE Zach Moore (Twitter link via Jeff Howe)
- LB Brian Peters (Twitter link via Tomasson)
- FB Blake Renaud (Twitter link via Tomasson)
- LB Brandon Watts (Twitter link via Tomasson)
- RB Dominique Williams (Twitter link via Tomasson)
- G David Yankey (Twitter link via Tomasson)
Lions Reach 53-Man Roster
The Lions slashed their roster to the 53-man regular-season limit and included a couple of notable names in their cuts.
Veteran defensive lineman Corey Wootton did not make the roster after joining the Lions this offseason. The 28-year-old made 22 starts for the Bears in 2012-13 before serving as a Vikings backup last season.
To make room for Zach Zenner and Tim Wright, respectively, Detroit waived George Winn and Joseph Fauria. After releasing former Boise State star Kellen Moore, the Lions also will go into a season with just two quarterbacks for the first time since 2009.
The remainder of Detroit’s cuts are as follows:
- Al Bond, OL
- Crezdon Butler, DB
- Braxston Cave, OL
- Jermelle Cudjo, DL
- Kerry Hyder, DL
- Emil Igwenagu, RB
- Isaiah Johnson, DB
- Joe Madsen, OL
- Nate Ness, DB
- Casey Pierce, TE
- Xavier Proctor, OL
- Jeremy Ross, WR
- Greg Salas, WR (placed on IR)
- Julian Stanford, LB
- Brian Suite, DB
- Larry Webster, DL
- Torrian Wilson, OL
- Jerel Worthy, DL
Lions Sign 12 Undrafted FAs
The Lions have officially signed 12 undrafted free agents, formally announcing the latest additions to their roster today. As Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com points out in his round-up, players like Joseph Fauria, LaAdrian Waddle, and Cornelius Lucas have joined the club as UDFAs in recent years and stuck around, so there may be a couple diamonds in the rough in 2015’s class.
Here’s the full list, with bonus info – via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press – noted in parentheses:
- Al Bond, G, Memphis ($6K bonus)
- Anthony Boone, QB, Duke ($3K bonus)
- Kyle Brindza, K, Notre Dame ($7.5K bonus)
- Isaiah Johnson, S, Georgia Tech ($12K bonus)
- Vernon Johnson, WR, Texas A&M Commerce ($10K bonus)
- Desmond Lawrence, WR, North Carolina A&T
- Casey Pierce, TE, Kent State ($7K bonus)
- Kevin Snyder, LB, Rutgers ($1K bonus)
- Brian Suite, S, Utah State ($2.5K bonus)
- Rasheed Williams, RB, Alfred State ($2.5K bonus)
- Torrian Wilson, OL, UCF ($11K bonus)
- Zach Zenner, RB, South Dakota State ($5K bonus)
