NFC Notes: Packers, Vikings, Bucs, Cardinals
Davante Adams remarkably scored two touchdowns for the Packers just 10 days after taking a violent hit from Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan, and it’s clear that Adams is in line to become Green Bay’s No. 1 wideout at some point, opines Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Of course, that would first entail the Packers extending the 24-year-old Adams, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next spring. While Green Bay could hypothetically deploy the franchise tag on Adams, the club is unlikely to invest $16MM+ on a single pass-catcher given the investment it already has is Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. A new deal for Adams, who managed 997 yards and 12 touchdowns a season ago, could potentially top $10MM annually.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Vikings‘ head trainer says quarterback Sam Bradford is not dealing with a new injury to his knee, but does have “wear and tear” on his left knee, which has undergone two ACL operations, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Bradford returned Monday night following a three-week absence, but couldn’t make it through the first half before experiencing an issue with his knee. Minnesota didn’t offer any timeline on Bradford’s return, meaning Case Keenum (and possibly the returning Teddy Bridgewater) will be under center for the time being.
- Stevan Ridley, who spent four days on the Vikings‘ roster last week, is staying in the Minneapolis area as there is a possibility he’ll be re-signed to the club’s active roster, Tomasson reports in a separate piece. The Vikings are currently carrying only Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon at running back, although fullback C.J. Ham can also handle tailback duties. Ridley, 28, handled only three carries during the 2016 campaign.
- The Buccaneers selected Patrick Murray as their new kicker on Monday, but the club reportedly prefers former Chief Cairo Santos among the available free agents, according to Roy Cummings of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). Santos was in Tampa Bay yesterday to take a physical, but he’s roughly two weeks away from full health. The Buccaneers, then, could theoretically give Murray something of a two-week tryout before circling back to Santos if Murray fails. Murray, Santos, Andrew Franks, Josh Lambo, and Mike Nugent were all in consideration to replace the struggling Nick Folk as Tampa’s kicker.
- Before signing Justin Drescher to replace the injured Aaron Brewer, the Cardinals worked out four other long snappers, tweets veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer. Andrew East, Colin Holba, Jeff Overbaugh, and Drew Williams all auditioned for Arizona before the Cardinals went with Drescher. General manager Steve Keim & Co. appear to have gone with experience, as Drescher was the only member of the group who had appeared in an NFL game. Drescher, 29, played in 16 games per season for the Saints from 2011-16.
Saints Want To Rescind Jon Dorenbos Trade
The Saints will attempt to rescind the trade that sent long snapper Jon Dorenbos from Philadelphia to New Orleans given the news that Dorenbos will require heart surgery, head coach Sean Payton told reporters, including Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link). Because Dorenbos’ aortic aneurysm is a pre-existing condition, the Saints should be able to recoup the 2019 seventh-round pick they dealt to the Eagles.
To be clear, Dorenbos’ health is clearly the most important issue at hand, and the re-acquiring of a draft pick isn’t at the top of the Saints’ itinerary at the moment given Dorenbos’ impending surgery. As Katzenstein tweets, Payton didn’t bring up the effects on the original trade and was merely answering a question from the media.
Nevertheless, New Orleans will need to replace Dorenbos on the field. Free agent long snapper Jeff Overbaugh will work out for the club today, joining a group of snappers that will audition for the Saints on Friday, reports Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link). Justin Drescher, whom the Saints cut after acquiring Dorenbos, could also be an option, although that’s entirely speculative. Drescher was released with an injury settlement, so New Orleans might not have the right to re-sign him just yet.
For what it’s worth, Dorenbos has been dealing with a heart murmur for at least five years, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), who adds the Eagles were “monitoring” the condition.
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 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 NFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Chicago Bears
- Claimed:
- LS Andrew DePaola
- WR Tre McBride
- RB Taquan Mizzell
- Cut:
- TE Ben Braunecker
- RB Jeremy Langford
- LS Jeff Overbaugh
Detroit Lions
- Claimed:
- G Zac Kerin
- T Brian Mihalik
- Cut:
- T Cornelius Lucas
- G Brandon Thomas
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Thurston Armbrister
- CB Adairius Barnes
- WR Jace Billingsley
- WR Dontez Ford
- C Leo Koloamatangi
- DT Derrick Lott
- S Rolan Milligan
- T Storm Norton
- DE Pat O’Connor
- TE Cole Wick
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed:
- DE Chris Odom
- Placed on IR:
- OL Don Barclay
- Signed to practice squad:
- G Kofi Amichia
- CB Donatello Brown
- QB Joe Callahan
- WR Michael Clark
- LB Reggie Gilbert
- DT Izaah Lunsford
- LB Derrick Mathews
- G/T Adam Pankey
- S Jermaine Whitehead
- WR DeAngelo Yancey
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed:
- TE Blake Bell
- Waived/injured:
- TE Bucky Hodges
- Signed to practice squad:
- DT Dylan Bradley
- TE Kyle Carter
- RB Bronson Hill
- WR Cayleb Jones
- LB Elijah Lee
- DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
- CB Horace Richardson
- QB Kyle Sloter
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: 5/4/17
Today’s minor moves:
- Defensive tackle Dominique Easley signed his restricted free agent tender with the Rams today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Easley was tendered at the original round level, which means he’ll earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $1.797MM for 2017. Because Easley is a former first-round pick, any club that signed him to an offer sheet would have had to be willing to sacrifice a first-round pick. Clearly, no team was interested in such a move, so Easley will return to Los Angeles next year before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2018.
- The Seahawks have waived running back Kelvin Taylor, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Taylor, 23, was selected by San Francisco in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. During his rookie campaign, Taylor spent time on the practice squads of both the Seahawks and the 49ers, and was on Seattle’s active roster for one week in December. The Florida alum is the son of former NFL running back Fred Taylor.
- The Vikings announced that they’ve waived defensive end Sterling Bailey and offensive tackle Marquis Lucas. Bailey, 24, went undrafted in 2016 and has already been with the Colts and Seahawks in addition to the Vikings. Lucas was also originally a UDFA who signed with Buffalo after last year’s draft before ending the season on Minnesota’a practice squad. Neither Bailey nor Lucas has appeared in an NFL contest.
- The Broncos have waived defensive end Iosia Iosia, wide receiver Mekale McKay, and long snapper Jeff Overbaugh, tweets Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. None of the three have any NFL experience, as both McKay and Overbaugh were signed to futures deals in January, while Iosia latched onto the Broncos’ practice squad at the end of last season.
- After signing 21 undrafted free agents earlier this week, the Falcons have added another UDFA in Miami linebacker Jermaine Grace, the club announced today. Grace didn’t see the field in 2016, as he was dismissed from the Hurricanes squad following an investigation into Grace’s link to a luxury car rental agency.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/2/17
Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2017 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters.
Baltimore Ravens
- WR Kenny Bell
- OL Jarell Broxton
- RB Stephen Houston
- OL Jarrod Pughsley
- OL Matt Skura
- QB Dustin Vaughan
Carolina Panthers
- T Blaine Clausell
- DT Eric Crume
- WR Keyarris Garrett
- CB Tyler Patmon
- RB Jalen Simmons
- TE Scott Simonson
- T Pearce Slater
- T Tyrus Thompson
- TE Eric Wallace
Workout Notes: Pats, Chiefs, Broncos, Jets
Now that cutdowns are completed, teams have begun auditioning players that are still on the free agent market, either in an effort to upgrade their current roster or to update their emergency free agent lists. Let’s take a look at the workouts that have been reported today:
- Over the last day or so, the Patriots have auditioned offensive tackle Clay DeBord, tight end Nic Jacobs, wide receiver Mitch Mathews, wide receiver K.J. Maye, defensive back Tyler Patmon, and running back David Cobb, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- The Chiefs also worked out Cobb, and also took a look at running back Zac Brooks, who was waived by the Seahawks this week, tweets Howard Balzer. Kansas City also worked out offensive lineman Anthony Fabiano, defensive lineman David Moala, guard Ian Silberman, and defensive end Quanterus Smith, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- The Broncos auditioned wide receiver/return specialist Brandon Tate, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tate was released by the Bengals last week after several years with the club.
- The Jets worked out cornerbacks Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Patmon, as well as guard Kristjan Sokoli and tight end Brian Leonardt, report Yates and Balzer (Twitter links). Per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, New York also looked at tight ends Nic Jacobs and Steven Scheu.
- Long snapper Brett Goode worked out for the Packers today, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Goode, who had been with Green Bay since 2008, is expected to sign tomorrow if he checks out medically. The Packers don’t currently have a long snapper on their roster.
- The Seahawks also auditioned long snappers, according to Balzer (Twitter link), who says Seattle looked at Tyler Ott, John DePalma, Reid Ferguson, and Jeff Overbaugh.
- Tight end RaShaun Allen took a visit with the Steelers, per Wilson (Twitter link).
Rams Make Several Roster Moves, Down To 75
The Rams are down to the 75-man roster limit. Here’s the full slate of transactions made by Los Angeles, per a club announcement.
Waived:
- K Taylor Bertolet
- TE Benson Browne
- DB Michael Caputo
- LB Zach Colvin
- C/G Brian Folkerts
- LB Darreon Herring
- S Jordan Lomax
- LS Jeff Overbaugh
- WR David Richards
- TE Jake Stoneburner
- OT Jordan Swindle
- QB Dylan Thompson
Waived/Injured:
- FB Zach Laskey
- WR Marquez North
If Laskey and North clear waivers, they’ll revert to the Rams’ IR list.
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter links) first reported most of these moves.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/13/16
Today’s minor moves:
- Cornerbacks Isaiah Frey and Dax Swanson signed with the Cowboys, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Both players tried out for Dallas last week and apparently made a good impression.
- The Bills have signed offensive lineman Chris Martin to a one-year contract, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). Martin, 26, has been a member of seven NFL teams and spent time on the Bills’ practice squad last season.
- After being waived by the Cowboys, cornerback Terrance Mitchell will latch on with the other NFL club in Texas, as the Texans have claimed him off waivers, reports Mark Berman of FOX26 (Twitter link).
- The Lions waived wide receiver Austin Willis and signed defensive back Keith Lewis today, as Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press tweets.
- The Chargers cut safety Matt Daniels from injured reserve, per Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). the two sides presumably reached an injury settlement.
- The Chiefs have signed former Akron defensive back Bryce Cheek (Akron) while the Rams have inked former San Diego State long snapper Jeff Overbaugh (San Diego State), Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports tweets.
- Tight end Michael Williams (Patriots), cornerback Brandon McGee (Cowboys), and receiver Corey Washington (Lions) all reverted to injured reserve after clearing waivers, according to Balzer (Twitter link).
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/11/16
Today’s minor moves, which we’ll keep updated throughout the day:
- After suffering a torn ACL and MCL, Louis Trinca-Pasat has been waived-injured by the Lions, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The undrafted defensive tackle didn’t see the field in 2015.
- The Rams have signed long snapper Jeff Overbaugh, tweets Wilson. The former San Diego State standout had been attending OTAs on a tryout basis.