NFL Workout Updates: 12/21/17
Today’s workout updates, with all Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle and veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer:
Arizona Cardinals
- WRs Harvey Binford, Rashad Ross, Brandon Zylstra; DBs Jonathon Mincy, Kacy Rodgers (link)
Cincinnati Bengals
- OL Gabe Ikard, Max Rich, Austin Shepherd, Jerry Ugokwe (link)
Cleveland Browns
- RB Kelvin Taylor; DT Jimmy Staten; LB Max Bullough; CBs Makinton Dorleant, Demetrius McCray, Sheldon Price; DBs James Sample, Earl Wolff (link)
Dallas Cowboys
- WRs K.D. Cannon, Dezmin Lewis, Tevaun Smith; LBs Tyrell Adams, Arthur Miley; DBs Jeremy Boykins, Marcus Cromartie, Marqueston Huff, Ezra Robinson (link)
Denver Broncos
- TE Gavin Escobar; DTs Paul Boyette, Will Sutton; LBs Houston Bates, Jayrone Elliott, Connor Harris, Marcus Rush; DBs Rickey Jefferson, Jordan Moore, J.R. Nelson, D’Joun Smith, Malik Smith (link)
Detroit Lions
- CB Jarnor Jones (link via Balzer)
Houston Texans
- DE Kasim Edebali; DT Rickey Hatley; DB Tracy Howard (link)
Kansas City Chiefs
- TE Marcus Lucas (link)
New Orleans Saints
- WR Diontae Spencer (link)
New York Giants
- QB Brandon Burge; WR Nick Demski; OL Freddie Burden; DBs Malik Golden, Ed Reynolds (link)
New York Jets
- G Greg Pyke (link via Balzer)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB James Summers (link)
San Francisco 49ers
- TE Brandon Barnes; OL Erik Austell; DT Euclid Cummings; LB Chris Casher; CB Shaq Richardson (link)
Seattle Seahawks
- RBs Kalif Phillips, Jalen Simmons (link)
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/17
Here are the today’s minor moves.
- With a ruptured Achilles’ tendon set to end Eric Berry‘s season, the Chiefs officially placed the eighth-year safety on IR Saturday. The team also signed offensive lineman Jordan Devey and safety Steven Terrell. Both Devey and Terrell went to training camp with Kansas City. The Chiefs cut both last weekend. Terrell started in five games as Earl Thomas‘ replacement with the Seahawks last season.
- The Colts cut safety Earl Wolff with an injury settlement, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. A 2013 fifth-round Eagles pick, Wolff hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2014. The Redskins signed Wolff to a reserve/futures deal in January but waived him earlier this month.
- To fill Matt Jones‘ roster spot, the Colts promoted guard Adam Redmond from their practice squad. Redmond signed with the Colts as a UDFA in 2016. He’ll join Deyshawn Bond as a center option for the team, which will be without starter Ryan Kelly to start the season.
- For now, the Broncos won’t go with a two-Peko setup on their defensive line. They waived defensive tackle Kyle Peko, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post tweets. The Broncos signed Domata Peko to be their starting nose tackle and have until Sunday afternoon to replace his cousin on the roster in advance of their Monday-night game. Kyle Peko missed time this summer because of an injury.
- The Lions signed offensive lineman Storm Norton off their practice squad and waived linebacker Nick Bellore, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. Rothstein adds this news could mean tackle Corey Robinson — brought off the PUP list last week — may not be ready to play in Week 1. Robinson missed the preseason with an injury.
- The Saints released outside linebacker Bryan Braman off IR with an injury settlement, Caplan reports (on Twitter).
Colts Down To 53
The Colts made major news on Saturday when they shipped wide receiver Phillip Dorsett to the Patriots in exchange for quarterback Jacoby Brissett. After that, they had the daunting task of bringing their bloated preseason roster down to the 53-man max in time for the deadline. Here’s the complete rundown.
Waived:
- CB Dante Blackmon
- DT Josh Boyd
- WR Marvin Bracy
- WR Fred Brown
- T Fahn Cooper
- S Tyson Graham Jr.
- S Lee Hightower
- WR Bug Howard
- TE Henry Krieger-Coble
- WR Justice Liggins
- RB De’Mard Llorens
- DT T.Y. McGill
- WR JoJo Natson
- DT David Parry
- RB Troymaine Pope
- G Adam Redmond
- WR Brian Riley
- ILB Darnell Sankey
- WR Valdez Showers
- OLB Garrett Sickels
- DE Jhaustin Thomas
- T Arturo Uzdavinis
- G Terran Vaughn
- QB Phillip Walker
- S Andrew Williamson
- T Andrew Wylie
Waived/Injured:
Released:
- OLB Akeem Ayers (story)
- OLB Lavar Edwards
- RB Daryl Richardson
- ILB Sean Spence (story)
- CB Corey White
Placed On IR:
- CB Chris Culliver
- ILB Edwin Jackson
- S Earl Wolff
PUP List:
Richardson, who once had a prominent role with the Rams, joined the Colts on Aug. 29 and was viewed as a longshot to make the final cut.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/17
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LS Taybor Pepper
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LS Jeff Overbaugh
- Waived/injured: Patrick Scales
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: P Will Monday
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: OL Gabe Ikard
Denver Broncos
- Waived/injured: DL Jimmy Bean
Detroit Lions
- Released: WR Keshawn Martin, TE Tim Wright
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: LS Derek Hart, WR Colby Pearson, RB William Stanback
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Earl Wolff
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Akeem Dent
- Waived from IR: CB Ezra Robinson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: LB Josh Mauga
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: K Travis Coons
New England Patriots
- Signed: DL Michael Bart, LB Christian Kuntz, LB Nick Usher
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Audie Cole
- Placed on IR: TE Clay Harbor
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Daniel Gray
- Placed on IR: OL Adam Gettis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Mehdi Abdesmad, DL Hendrick Ekpe
- Waived: RB Blake Sims
- Placed on IR: Justin Trattou
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/17
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived/injured: TE Keith Towbridge
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Alton Howard
- Waived: K Andy Phillips
Houston Texans
- Waived: TE Zach Conque
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DT Maurice Swain
- Waived: LB Reshard Cliett
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Mike Estes, WR Cameron Posey
- Waived/injured: TE Asante Cleveland
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived/injured: WR Bradley Marquez
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: DE Arthur Miley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Jake McGee
- Waived/injured: TE Scott Orndoff
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Darrell Brown
- Waived: S Jordan Simone
Washington Redskins
- Signed: S Tim Scott
- Waived: S Josh Evans, S Earl Wolff
- Waived from IR: DB Lou Young
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/5/17
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Aaron Dobson
- P Richie Leone
Atlanta Falcons
- WR Anthony Dable
Carolina Panthers
Jacksonville Jaguars
- S Elijah Shumate
New York Jets
- LS Zach Triner
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- G Jarvis Harrison
- WR Derel Walker
Washington Redskins
NFL Workout Updates: 12/19/16
The Falcons worked out several safeties today, including veteran Dashon Goldson, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Goldson has already spent time with Atlanta this season, appearing in four games for the club earlier in the year. The Falcons also took at look defensive backs Earl Wolff and Floyd Raven as they seek to replace Kemal Ishmael, who was placed on IR last week.
Here’s more from the workout circuit:
- Veteran linebacker Joplo Bartu met with the Dolphins today, per Caplan (Twitter link). Bartu has been in the league since 2013, and has 48 games of experience — including 28 starts — under his belt during time with Atlanta and Jacksonville. However, the 26-year-old Bartu hasn’t started a contest since 2014.
- The Bears worked out a slew of players on Monday, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links). Chicago met with the following players today: defensive ends Jeoffrey Pagan and Mike Rose; linebackers Taiwan Jones and Frank Beltre; and defensive backs V’Angelo Bentley, Forrest Hightower, Dwayne Hollis, Rashaad Reynolds, and Mitchell White.
- The Seahawks visited with free agent running back George Winn, tweets Caplan. Winn, who has bounced on and off the Lions and Giants practice squads this season, could add depth on a Seattle roster that has already lost C.J. Prosise and Troymaine Pope for the year.
- Running back Terrell Watson tried out for the Eagles today, according to Caplan (Twitter link). Philadelphia recently placed RB Wendell Smallwood on injured reserve, meaning Watson — a former Bengals and Browns preseason star — could be a fit.
Panthers Work Out Dee Milliner, Earl Wolff
With their secondary in need of a boost, the Panthers worked out cornerback Dee Milliner and safety Earl Wolff on Wednesday, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). There’s no word on whether the team is interested in signing either.
Milliner is the more notable of the two, having gone ninth overall to the Jets in the 2013 draft. The former Alabama star battled injuries and performance issues in New York, though, and tallied just 21 appearances and 14 starts in three years before the club released him from IR on Sept. 28. Between then and his tryout with the Panthers, Milliner hadn’t logged any reported auditions with other teams.
Wolff, a North Carolina native and former NC State standout, hasn’t seen action since 2014 as a member of the Eagles. He spent the offseason with the Jaguars, who removed him from IR with an injury settlement Sept. 7, and worked out for the Chiefs last week. The 26-year-old has 18 starts and seven appearances, all with the Eagles from 2013-14, on his resume.
While it might not come in the form of either Milliner or Wolff, the disappointing Panthers could clearly use defensive backfield upgrades. The team ranks just 19th in DVOA against the pass, 21st in quarterback rating against (94.8) and 25th in yards per attempt allowed (7.8). Things could get worse, too, as 3-6 Carolina will face a slew of talented quarterbacks to conclude the season. Matchups against Drew Brees (Saints), Derek Carr (Raiders), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Matt Ryan (Falcons) and Jameis Winston (Buccaneers) loom for the defending NFC champions, whose playoff hopes are slipping away.
Workout Notes: Pack, Vikes, Chiefs, Giants
In addition to the previously reported Joique Bell, the running back-needy Packers worked out fellow rushers James Wilder Jr. and Brandon Wegher on Tuesday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Defensive end Arthur Miley and defensive back Brandon Dixon also tried out.
More of the latest workouts (courtesy of Howard Balzer, unless otherwise noted):
- Along with Randy Bullock and Kai Forbath, the Vikings hosted kickers Travis Coons, Zach Hocker, Marshall Koehn and Aldrick Rosas (Twitter link). For now, though, the team is sticking with the embattled Blair Walsh.
- Veteran running back Isaiah Pead headlined Chiefs auditions (Twitter link). Quarterback Joel Stave, wide receiver Dres Anderson, linebackers Amarlo Herrera and Dwayne Norman, and safeties Jimmy Hall and Earl Wolff were also on hand. Kansas City signed Stave to its practice squad.
- The Giants tried out 13 players (Twitter links): offensive linemen Cyril Richardson and Michael Bowie; quarterback Sean Renfree; wide receivers Da’Ron Brown and Kevin Norwood (practice squad); tight end Kyle Carter; defensive end Jordan Williams; linebackers Reshard Cliett and Austin Jacques; and defensive backs Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Sam Brown and Jacob Huesman.
- The Bears worked out quarterbacks Dustin Vaughan and Josh Woodrum, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- The Redskins took a look at defensive backs Durell Eskridge, Lee Hightower and Shak Randolph (Twitter link). Hightower joined their practice squad.
- The Lions tried out tight end Kennard Backman, who suited up for seven games with NFC North rival Green Bay last year (Twitter link).
- Guard Kyle Muir and two safeties – Rolan Milligan and Ryan Murphy – worked out for the Falcons (Twitter link). Muir signed with their taxi squad.
- The Ravens auditioned offensive tackles Rob Crisp and Arturo Uzdavinis (via Twitter).
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/16
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Colts waived quarterback Stephen Morris and signed cornerback Rashaan Melvin, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Melvin was cut loose by Miami a few days ago as they dropped down to a 53-man roster. Melvin started two games for the Ravens in 2014 and spent 2015 with both the Ravens and Patriots, playing in eight games for the latter.
- The Buccaneers waived/injured running back Mike James, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). A former sixth-round pick, James spent three seasons with the Bucs, with his most notable work coming as a rookie in relief of Doug Martin. James rushed for 295 yards before himself going down with a season-ending injury. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry during that 2013 season.
- The Jaguars removed safety Earl Wolff from their IR with an injury settlement, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. A fifth-round Eagles pick in 2013, Wolff started six games for Philadelphia that season, deflecting five passes and grabbing his only career interception. Wolff reached a settlement with the Eagles prior to the 2015 season before the Jags signed him to a reserve/futures contract in January.