HEADLINES

Joe Morgan

Workout Notes: Friday

December 19th, 2014 at 1:42pm CST by Rob DiRe

Here is a list of the players working out with clubs, hoping to join a roster for the season’s home stretch:

  • The Jaguars worked three players, including former second-round pick Arrelious Benn, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team also worked out Tim McCornett and Chidera Uzo-Diribe.
  • The Raiders worked out former Saints’ receiver Joe Morgan earlier this week, but have also looked at Vernon Kearney and Marvin McNutt, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Dolphins tried out kicker Dustin Hopkins, reports Wilson (via Twitter)
  • The Falcons have worked out Lavelle Westbrooks, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Chiefs worked out Travis Chappalear, writes Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Vikings worked out two players, Jordan McCray and Greg Van Roten, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Lions brought in Dejon Gomes for a workout, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Steelers brought Ronald Patrick in for a visit, writes Wilson (via Twitter).
  • Wilson doesn’t get to have all the fun, as Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that the Broncos have worked out two defensive backs on Wednesday (via Twitter). They brought in Delvin Breaux and Jalil Carter, who played in the Canadian Football League.

Workout Notes: Wednesday

December 17th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s workouts, auditions, visits, pow-wows, get togethers, tryouts, and pop-ins..

  • The Raiders worked out former Saints wide receiver Joe Morgan, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Saints worked out offensive lineman Will Simmons and Andre Miller, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • The Buccaneers worked out linebacker Brandon Denmark, safety M.D. Jennings, and defensive back Jocquel Skinner , Wilson tweets. The Bucs also tried out defensive end Lawrence Sidbury, who wound up being signed to the active roster, and defensive back Varmah Sonie, who has joined their taxi squad.
  • Defensive end Sammy Brown visited the Buccaneers, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
  • The Seahawks worked out former Memphis defensive linemen Johnnie Farms, Marcus Forston, Rufus Johnson, Zach Minter, Brandon Moore, Will Pericak, Andru Pulu, and Jared Wheeler, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Cardinals tried out defensive end Shawn Lemon, wide receiver Jalil Carter, and defensive back Delvin Breaux, according to Wilson (on Twitter).

Saints To Waive Joe Morgan

December 9th, 2014 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Mired in a disappointing 5-8 season that somehow still sees them tied for the NFC South lead, the Saints are making some changes, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that wide receiver Joe Morgan has been informed he’s being waived. In a second tweet, Rapoport adds that things sound “very tense” in New Orleans today, with more than 10 players called individually into Sean Payton’s office for review.

Morgan, who has only played for the Saints since entering the league in 2011, has displayed big-play ability in his limited action — he has averaged 33.6 yards per catch on 14 career receptions, and 34.0 yards per carry on two career rushes. However, he has also been plagued by off-field issues. Earlier this season, he served a suspension that was handed out by the team rather than the league.

Morgan will have to pass through waivers before he becomes a free agent, so if another team decides to take on what’s left of his contract, we should find out tomorrow.

Saints Sign Brian Leonard, Cut Two

November 12th, 2014 at 4:19pm CST by Luke Adams

4:19pm: Linebacker Todd Davis has also been waived by the Saints, tweets Triplett. That should make room for Morgan and leave the team with the standard 53 players.

1:38pm: The Saints have placed rookie safety Vinnie Sunseri on injured reserve, tweets Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. While that could be the corresponding move for Leonard’s signing, the team will have to subtract one more player from its roster to also accommodate the return of suspended receiver Joe Morgan, whose roster exemption expires today.

11:29am: After working out for the team yesterday, free agent running back Brian Leonard appears set to sign with the Saints. Agent Mike McCartney announced today, via Twitter, that he’s “excited” for his client to join the club.

A seven-year veteran, Leonard has appeared in 87 games for the Rams, Bengals, and Buccaneers since being selected in the second round of the 2007 draft. Last season in Tampa Bay, the veteran back carried the ball 47 times for 182 yards, adding 29 receptions for 179 yards.

Running backs Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson have been out of the Saints’ lineup in recent weeks, and while the two backs were thought to be on the road to recovery, the addition of Leonard suggests they aren’t ready to return to the field quite yet. Backup running back Edwin Baker also left Sunday’s game with a concussion, further thinning out New Orleans’ backfield.

The Saints will need to make a corresponding roster move to make the signing of Leonard official.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

November 11th, 2014 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday is typically the busiest day of the week during the NFL season for transactions, so we’ll round up several of the day’s less notable 53-man roster changes in this space, adding the latest moves to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • After placing defensive tackle Brandon Mebane on injured reserve, ending his season, the Seahawks signed tight end Rashaun Allen to take his spot on the 53-man roster, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Allen had been on the Vikings’ practice squad.
  • The Saints have reinstated wide receiver Joe Morgan from his suspension and have a roster exemption for him that expires tomorrow, tweets Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange.

Earlier updates:

  • A week after claiming him off waivers, the Bills have let go of safety Jerome Couplin, the team announced today in a press release. As Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets, the team could replace Couplin with a defensive end, since Jarius Wynn wasn’t able to practice today.
  • Linebacker Zac Diles has been cut by the Texans, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Diles had been signed when Houston was dealing with several injuries at the linebacker position, and it seems he’s no longer needed now that the club is getting a little healthier.
  • The Buccaneers have placed rookie guard Kadeem Edwards on their injured reserve list due to a season-ending foot injury, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter). The team has yet to announce an addition to the roster, so for now there’s an open spot on the squad.
  • The Chiefs have signed tight end Phillip Supernaw to their active roster from the Ravens’ practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Demetrius Harris broke his foot during the team’s Sunday win over Buffalo, and Anthony Fasano was banged up as well, so more depth at the tight end position was necessary.
  • In addition to signing Supernaw, the Chiefs also announced several more roster moves, promoting running back Charcandrick West from their practice squad and placing Harris and running back Cyrus Gray on injured reserve.
  • The Browns have reversed a roster move they made a few weeks ago, re-signing fullback Ray Agnew to their active roster and waiving fullback Kiero Small (Twitter link). The team had previously promoted Small to replace Agnew, who was the starting fullback earlier this season.

NFC Notes: Bryant, Hardy, Morgan

November 7th, 2014 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After checking in on a pair of AFC divisions earlier today, let’s head over to the other conference and round up a few NFC items….

  • Now that he’s represented by Roc Nation, Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has changed his stance on discussing a contract extension during the season, indicating earlier this week that he’d be willing to enter in-season negotiations “if it’s right.” Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at what the “right” deal for Bryant would entail.
  • With an eye toward players like Bryant, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com points out (at The Sporting News) that the market for wide receivers may be trending down after a handful of recent big-money deals have failed to pay big early dividends. That’s not to say that Bryant and other big-name receivers won’t sign big contracts this offseason, but Fitzgerald expects more difficult negotiations than in the past.
  • While his chances of playing this season look increasingly slim, Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy told James Walker of ESPN.com that he still hopes to return to the field this season. Hardy agreed to be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list until his legal case was resolved, and his trial has now been postponed until January.
  • Saints head coach Sean Payton confirmed yesterday that the suspension that receiver Joe Morgan is serving came from the team and not the league, and it won’t end Morgan’s season (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune).
  • Former Norfolk State wideout Roderick Bell had a tryout with Washington on Thursday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

Minor Moves: Tuesday

October 28th, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

While we’re tracking today’s practice squad signings and cuts in one post, and we’ve made note of more significant transactions in their own posts, we’ll use this space to round up the day’s minor moves relating to teams’ 53-man rosters:

  • The Giants are signing cornerback Mike Harris off of the Lions’ practice squad to their active roster, reports Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter). As Twentyman notes, Detroit didn’t have space on its active roster to promote Harris.
  • The Seahawks have opened up a pair of roster spots by cutting wide receiver Phil Bates and tight end Brett Brackett, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • One defender has replaced another in Houston, where the Texans have signed linebacker Zac Diles and released cornerback Elbert Mack, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
  • According to Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter), cornerback Marcus Williams has been promoted to the Jets‘ active roster from their practice squad, replacing A.J. Edds, whose release is discussed below.

Earlier updates:

  • The Raiders have waived linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu, the team announced today (via Twitter). The move leaves an open spot on Oakland’s 53-man roster, which the team has yet to fill.
  • The Rams have confirmed they’ve placed tackle Jake Long on injured reserve, making room for linebacker Korey Toomer, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. The signing of Toomer is noted below.
  • Defensive end Greg Latta has been cut from the Broncos‘ injured reserve list, tweets Aaron Wilson.
  • The Saints placed wide receiver Joe Morgan on the reserve/suspended list today, re-signing tight end Tom Crabtree to replace him on the 53-man roster, tweets Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. As Triplett notes, head coach Sean Payton didn’t specify the reason for Morgan’s suspension, but it’s the latest obstacle for a player who looks increasingly unlikely to stick in New Orleans beyond this season.
  • The Bills have put safety Kenny Ladler on injured reserve with an arm injury, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Ladler signed with the team in May as an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt, started the season on the practice squad, and had been promoted to the active roster earlier this month.
  • Linebacker Korey Toomer has been promoted from the Rams‘ practice squad to their active roster, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). It’s not clear yet what the corresponding move is, but Jake Long and Brian Quick are both expected to be placed on injured reserve any day now.
  • Over at The National Football Post, Wilson has the details on another roster move, writing that the Jets have cut linebacker A.J. Edds. Primarily a special teams contributor, Edds had also been serving at a backup at all three linebacker spots.

Saints Re-Sign Joe Morgan

March 18th, 2014 at 5:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints announced that they have re-signed Joe Morgan, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. The wide receiver gets a brand new one-year deal.

New Orleans non-tendered Morgan as a restricted free agent earlier this offseason. While financial terms of the deal are not known, the new pact is presumably for less than the one-year tender would have been. Morgan, who turns 26 towards the end of March, didn’t see the gridiron in 2013. However, in the year prior, Morgan had ten receptions for an eye-popping 379 yards and three touchdowns.

AFC West Rumors: Allen, Howard, Saffold

March 11th, 2014 at 9:31pm CST by Rob DiRe

Jared Allen‘s first visit of his free agency will be with the Broncos, which was first reported by Ian Rapaport of NFL.com (Dan Hanzus of NFL.com credited him with the report). Allen could be a perfect fit for a team in need of a pass rusher, unless they somehow find a way to attract an even bigger name in free agency.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC West:

  • Austin Howard is visiting with the Raiders, as reported by Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The much improved right tackle failed to come to an agreement to stay with the Jets, and could play opposite the Raiders’ new presumed left tackle Rodger Saffold (unless Saffold is a very expensive guard).
  • While the Raiders have already retained one running back, they may still be looking to add depth to their backfield. Ian Rapaport of NFL.com reports that the team also has an interest former Giant tailback Andre Brown (via Twitter).
  • Kavell Conner is visiting with the Chargers, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The former Colts linebacker was a starter for much of his first three seasons in Indianapolis, but did not start a single game in 2013.
  • Wide receiver Joe Morgan, who was non-tendered as a restricted free agent recently by the Saints, is visiting the Chiefs, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
  • The Chiefs are interested in veteran inside linebacker Joe Mays, who coach Andy Reid selected in the sixth round of the 2008 draft, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.

Contract Tenders: Monday

March 10th, 2014 at 5:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys punter Chris Jones signed his exclusive rights tender of $645K, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. The move locks down Dallas’ punter situation but eats up about $150K of the ~$2MM salary cap space the club had to work with. Jones averaged 45 yards per punt in his first full season with the Cowboys. The latest contract tenders from around the NFL..

  • Restricted free agent tackle Byron Bell has received a second-round tender worth $2.187MM from the Panthers, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). The club also tendered exclusive rights free agent Chris Scott, tweets ESPN.com’s David Newton.
  • The Chargers have only two exclusive rights free agents in linebacker Bront Bird and guard Stephen Schilling and they won’t be tendering either one, tweets Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.
  • Jets linebacker Nick Bellore got the low restricted free agent tender, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). Bellore led Gang Green in special teams kickoff tackles last season.
  • The Ravens won’t extend an RFA tender to wide receiver Tandon Doss, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team could still bring Doss back on a smaller deal though.
  • Lions wide receiver Kris Durham confirmed via Twitter that he inked his tender with the club. Durham, a fourth-round pick in 2011, became a more significant part of the Lions’ offense in 2013, racking up 38 receptions, 490 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns while starting 13 games. He didn’t perform well based on Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), which ranked him 109th out of 111 qualified receivers, but he’s still just 25 years old, and may not be relied upon for quite as large a role in 2014 if the team adds a receiver or two.
  • Joe Morgan and Jed Collins won’t receive RFA tenders from the Saints, but the club still has interest in re-signing the two free agents, says Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune.
  • The Rams won’t tender tight end Mike McNeill, who was eligible for restricted free agency, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • Linebacker Justin Hickman has signed his ERFA tender from the Colts, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.