Workout Notes: Bears, Broncos, Packers
Here’s a roundup of today’s auditions from around the NFL. All links go to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle on Twitter), unless noted otherwise..
- The Lions worked out nose tackle Kenrick Ellis, nose tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, and defensive end Jerel Worthy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
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The Seahawks worked out cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Chimdi Chekwa, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
- The Bears worked out wide receivers Marcus Lucas and Nathan Palmer, guard Cole Manhart, and tackles Tyler Moore and Byron Stingily (link).
- The Broncos worked out punter Kasey Redfern (link).
- The Packers worked out running back Akeem Hunt, wide receiver Donatella Luckett, quarterback Phillip Sims, wide receiver Tyler Slavin, running back Dreamius Smith, linebacker Colton Underwood, and linebacker Matthew Wells (link).
- The Dolphins worked out wide receivers Isaiah Burse and Rannell Hall, defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel, guards Vinston Painter and Anthony Steen, defensive tackle Olsen Pierre, linebacker Mike Reilly, strong safety Brandian Ross, and defensive end Quanterus Smith (link + link).
- The Saints worked out punter Steven Clark, guard Travis Bond, punter Robert Malone, guard Jacques McClendon, and punter Brian Moorman (link).
- The Giants worked out defensive end Jake Bequette, tight end Cameron Clear, quarterback Cody Fajardo, and tight end Brian Leonhardt (link).
- The Jets worked out defensive end DeAngelo Tyson (link).
- The Bucs worked out linebacker Ronald Powell (link).
- The Titans worked out David Arkin, James Brewer, Lemuel Jeanpierre, Alex Kupper, Joe Looney, and Cody White (link).
- Defensive tackle Joe Vellano worked out for the Lions today (link).
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
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/15
Today’s minor moves and signings in the NFL..
- Cowboys linebackers Justin Anderson and guard Reshod Fortenberry were waived/injured, Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram tweets. Linebackers Jonathan Brown and Ka’Lial Glaud were signed.
- The Patriots have agreed to bring back second-year linebacker Cameron Gordon to address some depth concerns, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. The Patriots also announced that they have claimed guard Harland Gunn off waivers from the Falcons.
- The Chiefs announced that they have signed former Missouri wide receiver L’Damian Washington.
- The Patriots waived-injured Kevin Hughes and cut Vince Taylor with a failed physical designation, Wilson tweets.
- The Packers announced that they have signed wide receiver Ed Williams.
- The Cowboys waived-injured Justin Jackson, who tore his ACL over the weekend, Wilson tweets.
- The Broncos signed wideout Corbin Louks, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. Louks, who was cut by the Chiefs in May, will fill the roster spot previously filled by Kyle Williams, who has hit the IR.
- The Chargers signed former Packers defensive tackle Luther Robinson, Wilson tweets.
- The Browns announced that they have signed running backs Timothy Flanders and Jalen Parmele and waived wide receiver Kevin Cone and defensive back Brandon Stephens, Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal tweets.
- The Bills have signed free agent cornerback Merrill Noel, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter). Noel was released by Buffalo back in June.
Earlier Updates:
- The Chiefs waived backup defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, as Blair Kerkhoff of The Kansas City Star tweets. Worthy signed a futures deal with KC back in December. Worthy, a 2012 second-round pick out of Michigan State, tore his ACL in the final game of the 2012 season and played only 12 snaps in 2013. Worthy was traded from the Packers to the Pats in August of 2014 but he did not get on the field last season.
- The Eagles signed rookie free agent wide receiver Mike Johnson, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The Delaware product participated in the Eagles rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis and, apparently, he impressed the right people.
- Linebacker/defensive end Austen Lane, who had stints with the Jaguars, Lions, and Bears, took to Twitter to announce his retirement.
Chiefs Sign 14 To Futures Contracts
The Chiefs announced the signings of 14 players to futures contracts earlier today. Here’s the full rundown, courtesy of Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star:
- Brandon Barden, TE
- Armon Binns, WR
- JoJo Dickson, LB
- Hebron Fangupo, DT
- Curtis Feigt, OT
- Ricky Henry, G
- Jorgen Hus, C
- Deji Olatoye, CB
- Jarrod Pughsley, G
- Adam Schiltz, TE
- Derek Sherrod, OT
- Spencer Ware, RB
- Fred Williams, WR
- Jerel Worthy, DL
All of the players came from KC’s practice squad, with the exception of Hus, Sherrod, Feigt, and Ware. Defensive tackle Loni Fangupo and wide receiver Corbin Louks were the lone members of the taxi squad that were not signed to futures deals.
More Minor Moves: Saturday
Our first post featuring the minor moves of the day filled up pretty quickly, so here is a second place to see some of Saturday’s later day transactions. As always, if there are any more moves, this post will be updated at the top.
- The Saints have promoted running back Edwin Baker from the practice squad to the active roster, reports Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. The team released Tom Crabtree to make room.
- The Raiders have signed defensive end Denico Autry, and also activated former first-round pick D.J. Hayden, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
- The Chiefs have re-signed defensive lineman Jerel Worthy to the practice squad, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
We’re keeping tabs on today’s minor moves that affect 53-man rosters right here, but we’ll use the space below to track transactions involving teams’ practice squads:
- The Chiefs signed guard Jarrod Pughsley to the taxi squad to take the place of the released Jerel Worthy, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star.
- Linebacker Shaq Barrett cleared waivers and is expected to be re-signed to the Broncos‘ practice squad soon, tweets Mike Klis of The Denver Post.
- The Colts announced that they have signed running back Jeff Demps and tight end Konrad Reuland to the practice squad while releasing quarterback Dominique Davis and wide receiver Chandler Jones to make room. Demps, a 2012 Summer Olympics silver medalist, was recently
- The Saints have signed offensive tackle Demarcus Love to their practice squad, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, while Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets that the club cut center Alex Parsons from the unit.
- Caplan also notes (via Twitter) that the Chiefs have cut defensive lineman Jerel Worthy from their taxi squad.
- A pair of receivers have joined the Rams‘ practice squad, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who tweets that Kadron Boone and Devon Wylie have signed with the team. Thomas adds (via Twitter) that the club also replaced one linebacker with another, cutting Denicos Allen and signing Korey Toomer.
Earlier updates:
- The Panthers have announced a pair of practice squad additions, confirming (via Twitter) that they’ve signed safety Robert Lester and offensive tackle Martin Wallace using their two open spots.
- The Jaguars have signed cornerback Lou Young to their practice squad, filling the 10th and final opening on the unit, the club announced today (Twitter link).
- The Cowboys have released edge defender Michael Sam from their practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. Although Sam spent several weeks on Dallas’ taxi squad, he never got the opportunity for a promotion to the 53-man unit, and figures to draw some attention around the NFL as he looks for a new job. Using the two openings on their practice squad, the Cowboys added linebacker Troy Davis and defensive tackle Ken Bishop, according to the team.
Chiefs Announce Series Of Roster Moves
The Chiefs officially finalized a series of roster moves today, according to a team release. Besides confirming the signing of defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson, and the additions of wideout Armon Binns and tight end Adam Schiltz to their practice squad, which had been previously reported, the Chiefs also announced the following moves:
Added to 53-man roster:
- Dwayne Bowe, WR (activated from reserve-suspended list)
- Jerry Franklin, LB (promoted from practice squad)
Removed from 53-man roster:
- Mike DeVito, DE (placed on injured reserve)
- Derrick Johnson, LB (placed on injured reserve)
- Daniel Sorensen, S (waived)
Signed to practice squad:
- Curtis Feigt, T
- Robert Steeples, CB
- Jerel Worthy, DT
Removed from practice squad:
- Jordan Campbell, FB
- Hebron Fangupo, DT
- Ben Gottschalk, C
- Darryl Surgent, WR
FA Workouts: Kickers, Seahawks, Chiefs, Bills
A pair of veteran kickers, David Akers and Rob Bironas, have been working out together in Tennessee and hope to continue their NFL careers this season, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While there are no openings at the position around the league for now, it’s probably just a matter of time until a kicker gets hurt or loses his job after missing a few field goals, and Akers and Bironas look like two of the most reliable options available. I expect we’ll see them on NFL rosters at some point this season.
Here’s more on free agents looking for new teams:
- On the lookout for some help at cornerback after placing Jeremy Lane on injured reserve, the Seahawks worked out Mike Harris and Keith Lewis today, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- The Chiefs will also be looking for some reinforcements on defense after seeing two key players go down with major Achilles injuries on Sunday. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that defensive end Jerel Worthy, who was recently cut by the Patriots, was among the players auditioning for Kansas City today.
- Defensive end James Davidson, a UTEP alum who was in camp with the Bengals, is working out for the Bills today, according to Caplan (via Twitter).
- Caplan also provides an update (via Twitter) on ex-Eagles wideout Arrelious Benn, who isn’t trying out for any teams yet, but received a six-week injury settlement from Philadelphia and hopes to be ready to return to action even earlier than that.
Patriots Notes: FA Tryouts, Worthy, Mallett
The Patriots were busy today trimming their roster down to 53 players. However, the team was still actively scouting the free agent market, and ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss reports that 12 players were actually in for tryouts:
- Armon Binns, WR
- Omar Brown, S
- Deveron Carr, CB
- Jermelle Cudjo, DT
- Hebron Fangupo, DT
- Cam Henderson, DE
- Aaron Hester, CB
- Rashad Lawrence, WR
- Jeff Matthews, QB
- Kevin Reddick, LB
- Jerome Smith, RB
- McLeod Bethel-Thompson, QB
Let’s check out some more notes out of New England…
- Since Jerel Worthy failed to make the Patriots roster, the team doesn’t owe the Packers a draft pick, explains ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. The Patriots acquired Worthy from the Packers earlier this month for a conditional seventh-rounder.
- The Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe tweets that the Cowboys could be a landing spot for quarterback Ryan Mallett. The writer also suggests that the Texans and Rams could get involved.
- The Patriots won’t be provided with any additional cap relief since Isaac Sopoaga failed to make the Cardinals roster, tweets Howe.
- Following the release of Danny Aiken, the Patriots don’t have a long snapper on the roster. As the Boston Globe’s Shalise Manza Young notes (via Twitter), if the team doesn’t carry a long snapper, it would be the first time they’ve gone without one during Bill Belichick‘s tenure.
Patriots Cut Boyce, Worthy, Others
4:03pm: The Pats have announced three more cuts, in a press release:
- Danny Aiken, LS
- Jeremy Gallon, WR
- Jonas Gray, RB
The team’s official website now lists the team’s active roster at 55 players, so we’ll have to wait and see if there are another pair of announcements today. Presumably, the last two players removed from the roster will be Brandon Browner and Brian Tyms, who will be placed on the reserve-suspended list.
1:50pm: The Patriots continue to make moves, as they’ve cut three more players:
- James Morris (LB) (via Young on Twitter): Placed on injured reserve
- Eathyn Manumaleuna (DL) (via Young on Twitter)
- Chris Martin (OL) (via Young on Twitter)
11:42am: The Patriots have released 14 players this afternoon, including a player they acquired only two weeks and a fourth-rounder from 2013. The list is below:
- Shamiel Gary (DB) (via Jeff Howe on Twitter)
- Jon Halapio (OL) (via Howe on Twitter)
- Josh Boyce (WR) (via Mike Reiss on Twitter)
- Dax Swanson (DB) (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter)
- Jake Bequette (LB) (via Shalise Manza Young on Twitter)
- Steve Beauharnais (LB) (via Shalise Manza Young on Twitter)
- Steve Maneri (TE) (via Young on Twitter)
- Jerel Worthy (DE) (via Young on Twitter)
- Taylor McCuller (LB/FB) (via Young on Twitter)
- Roy Finch (RB) (via Young on Twitter)
- L.T. Tuipulotu (DT) (via Doug Kyed on Twitter)
- Kanorris Davis (S) (via Zuri Berry on Twitter)
- Ja’Gared Davis (OLB) (via Zuri Berry on Twitter)
- Braxston Cave (OL) (via Young on Twitter)