Dan Vitale

NFL Workout Updates: 10/17/18

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Washington Redskins

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/18

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

  • Released via injury settlement: FB Dan Vitale

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/12/18

Today’s minor moves will be posted here:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Waived: WR J.J. Jones

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

  • Waived off injured reserve: OT Cole Gardner

Browns Re-Sign WR Josh Gordon

The Browns announced that they have officially re-signed exclusive rights free agent Josh Gordon. In addition to the star wide receiver, the Browns have also formally re-upped wide receiver Matt Hazel, offensive lineman Austin Reiter, and fullback Danny Vitale. All four players are set to take part in the team’s offseason program, which started on Monday morning. 

Gordon should have been an unrestricted free agent by now, but multiple suspensions caused his contract to toll. As a result, Gordon did not have any options this offseason and the Browns had full control over his rights.

Gordon, 26, appeared in five games for Cleveland in 2017. In that time, he posted 18 receptions for 335 yards and one touchdown. This year, he’ll play alongside Corey Coleman and the newly-acquired Jarvis Landry. If Gordon is able to stay on track, he could thrive as a deep threat in the Browns’ revamped offense.

Gordon first joined the Browns as a second-round pick in the 2012 supplemental draft. All in all, he has appeared in 40 games and recorded 179 receptions for 3,089 yards and 15 touchdowns. In 2013, he led the league with 1,646 receiving yards.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/18

Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions, with the list being updated throughout the day. All links go to Twitter unless otherwise noted:

RFAs

Tendered at original round level ($1.907MM):

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

Browns Place Joel Bitonio On IR

The Browns have placed left guard Joel Bitonio on injured reserve with a mid-foot sprain, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. To take his place on the roster, fullback Dan Vitale has been signed off of the Buccaneers’ practice squad (link). Joel Bitonio (vertical)

Bitonio’s injury is likely season-ending, though the new IR rules could technically allow for him to return. If Bitonio was to come back, he would not be eligible to play for another eight weeks.

Last year, Bitonio was placed on IR in December when an ankle injury forced him out of action. He was rated as the No. 33 guard in the NFL by Pro Football Focus when he was shut down last year. This year, through five games, PFF rated him as the ninth-best guard in the league (tied with Mike Iupati of the Cardinals). In 2016, he earned an overall grade of 83.3 with roughly even scores for his pass blocking and run blocking.

Vitale was a sixth-round pick of the Bucs this year. At Northwestern, Vitale racked up 135 catches for 1,427 receiving yards from 2012-15. He only carries the ball six times in college.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/9/16

Here are Friday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: OL Chase Farris (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein)
  • Cut: RB George Winn

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: LB Earl Okine (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
  • Cut: DB Julian Wilson

New Orleans Saints

  • Cut: CB Taveze Calhoun (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: TE Dan Vitale (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
  • Retired: WR Evan Spencer

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/5/16

Here are Monday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: CB Trey Caldwell, P Michael Palardy, RB Terrell Watson (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com)
  • Cut: OL Kaleb Johnson

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: DB Julian Wilson (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: CB C.J. Smith, WR Paul Turner (Twitter link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com)
  • Cut: Quentin Gause

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: DT Justin Hamilton (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC East

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 BillsDolphins, Patriots, and Jets are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. 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 (all links go to Twitter unless noted otherwise):

Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Buccaneers Down To 53 Man Roster

The Buccaneers have trimmed down to 53 with more than 24 hours to go before the deadline. According to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, the following players have been dropped from the roster: "<strong

Among the cuts, Vitale’s is one of the most surprising. The Bucs are planning on carrying five tight ends, yet the sixth-round pick out of Northwestern apparently did not show enough to make the cut. The Bucs will have Cameron Brate, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Luke Stocker, Brandon Myers, and UDFA Alan Cross on the roster to open up the season instead. Myers and Cross were both considered to be on the bubble somewhat, but they have impressed Dirk Koetter & Co. to the point where they are going to carry five tight ends and bounce a sixth-round pick in order to keep both of them. Myers was inactive for the Bucs’ final five games of 2015 as a healthy scratch.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.