Keith Pough

Minor Moves: Friday

Here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Browns have cut outside linebacker Keith Pough, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Pough had been cut with an injured designation last month, so today’s move removes him from the roster entirely.
  • Having signed him to their roster in April, the Giants have waived/injured linebacker Ryan Jones less than two months later, per Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
  • After being waived with an injury designation by the Raiders yesterday, linebacker Jacoby Hale has reverted to the team’s IR list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Earlier updates:

  • Offensive lineman Jon Halapio, drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round in 2014, has signed with the Cardinals, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link). To make room for the guard, the Cards parted ways with another offensive lineman, tackle Tavon Rooks.
  • As expected, sixth-round wide receiver Bud Sasser, who wasn’t cleared physically due to a heart condition, went unclaimed on waivers and has been placed on the Rams‘ non-football illness list, tweets Howard Balzer of TheSportsXchange. For what it’s worth, Sasser’s agent, Scott Thiel, tells David Morrison of the Columbia Daily Tribune that doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota said the young wideout is “at little to no risk,” and should be able to play football. For now though, he’ll remain on St. Louis’ NFI list.
  • The Cowboys have waived former Fresno State linebacker Kyle Knox, just a few days after signing him, tweets Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. According to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link), the club will add another linebacker to its roster next week.
  • The Dolphins have waived linebacker Jake Knott, the team announced today (via Twitter). The 24-year-old, who played his college ball at Iowa State, has had stints with the Eagles and Dolphins over the last couple seasons.

Minor Moves: Wednesday

Today’s minor moves..

  • The Ravens cut Trey DePriest and re-signed linebacker Andrew Bose, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun writes. Both players were UDFAs from this year’s class. DePriest, who got a $5K signing bonus from Baltimore earlier this month, was a starter at Alabama who registered 87 total tackles and five tackles for loss last season. Bose, meanwhile, tried out at the Ravens’ rookie minicamp and was a roster casualty after the signing of veteran cornerback Kyle Arrington.
  • The Raiders signed linebacker Horace Miller and wide receiver Milton Williams III, according to Wilson (on Twitter). The Panthers waived Miller in April.
  • Browns linebacker Keith Pough reverted to the team’s injured reserve after going unclaimed off waivers, Wilson tweets. Cowboys wide receiver Chris Boyd (link) and Colts defensive back Josh Mitchell (link) also went back to their team’s respective IRs after going unclaimed.
  • The Raiders cut Travell Dixon and Austin Hill, Wilson tweets. Oakland signed Hill after the wide receiver did not pass a physical to sign with Seahawks.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the top of the list throughout the evening:

  • The Colts announced a series of roster moves today, adding free agent cornerback Chance Casey and undrafted guard Will Corbin. In a corresponding transaction, the club waived-injured cornerback Joshua Mitchell, who will revert to IR if he clears waivers. Casey saw some regular season action over the last two years with the Raiders, and also spent time with the Niners.
  • Undrafted rookie free agent Zach D’Orazio signed with the Patriots today, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The former Akron wideout informed Cleveland broadcaster John Telich (Twitter link) yesterday that he’d be signing with New England.
  • The Browns have waived a pair of players who spent time on the team’s practice squad in 2014, according to a team release. Linebacker Keith Pough and defensive lineman Calvin Barnett were both cut, with Pough receiving an injury designation (hamstring).
  • Defensive lineman Daryl Waud, who signed with Washington last week following a tryout, has been waived with a left squad designation, the club announced today (Twitter link). Waud is expected to join the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts after clearing waivers.

Browns Sign Seven Players To Reserve Deals

The Browns have signed seven players to reserve/futures contracts, the club announced today, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). Here’s the full list of players to sign with Cleveland:

Six of those seven players finished the season on the Browns’ practice squad, while Barnett spent time with the unit back in September. Offensive tackle Braxston Cave was the only player to finish the year on Cleveland’s taxi squad who didn’t have a futures contract announced today.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

Already today, we’ve passed along word on practice squad signings and cuts made by the Buccaneers and Lions. Here are the rest of Tuesday’s practice squad transactions from around the NFL, with the latest updates added to the list throughout the day:

  • According to the NFL transaction report, the Chargers added cornerback Richard Crawford to their practice squad, according to Eric Williams of ESPN.com (on Twitter). San Diego waived Crawford from the active roster late last week.
  • The Colts have signed defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles to their practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Quarles, 22, was released by the Colts yesterday to make room for linebacker Victor Butler. The Colts’ practice squad is currently full, so another move should be on the way.
  • Although he auditioned for the Cardinals today, running back Kapri Bibbs will return to Denver and be added to the Broncos‘ practice squad, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
  • Linebacker Keith Pough, who was released to make room for Josh Gordon the Browns‘ roster, has been re-signed to the club’s practice squad, replacing wide receiver L’Damian Washington, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Cardinals released tackle Kelvin Palmer from their practice squad today, creating an opening on the unit, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • The Texans cut a tackle of their own, removing Chris Martin from their taxi squad, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
  • After being released from the Falcons‘ active roster, receiver Freddie Martino cleared waivers and joined the team’s practice squad, replacing wideout Ryan Spadola, per ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • Former Patriots linebacker Ja’Gared Davis has signed with the Chiefs‘ practice squad, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Kansas City had been carrying nine players on its squad, so Davis fills that 10th and final spot, and no corresponding move is necessary.
  • In addition to confirming the addition of wide receiver and return man Griff Whalen to their practice squad, the Colts announced today that they’ve signed Jeff Demps to the unit, releasing running back Michael Hill to make room. Demps, a former Olympic sprinter, is also listed as a running back by Indianapolis.
  • You can find the up-to-date list of all 32 practice squad rosters right here.

Browns To Activate Josh Gordon

Ten games into the NFL season, the Browns will finally get arguably their best player back, as the team has activated Josh Gordon in time for this weekend’s matchup against the Falcons, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN (via Twitter).

The team has waived linebacker Keith Pough in order to make room for Gordon.

The Browns may be getting their All-Pro wide receiver at the perfect time. The team jumped out to a 6-4 start in their first ten games, putting them a half game out of the lead in the AFC North, which has turned out to be one of the most competitive divisions in football. With the Bengals and Steelers at a virtual tie for the division lead at 6-3-1 and 7-4, the Browns are lurking close behind in a tie with the Ravens.

The Browns have two divisional games left, and will have an opportunity to position themselves well in terms of tiebreakers by winning both games. Aside from the AFC North games, they have a reasonably easy slate left, with the Falcons, Panthers, Bills, and Colts left on the schedule.

Gordon will certainly have a chance to make an impact the rest of the season. Last season, despite missing the first two games due to suspension, he was able to rack up a league leading 1,646 receiving yards. While it is difficult to predict that Gordon will return in midseason form right away, his presence on the field will only give Brian Hoyer more weaponry as the team makes their improbable run to the playoffs.

Browns Place Phil Taylor On Injured Reserve

1:51pm: The Browns have promoted linebacker Keith Pough from their practice squad to replace Taylor on the roster, tweets Cabot.

12:19pm: The Browns have placed defensive lineman Phil Taylor on injured reserve with a knee issue, head coach Mike Pettine confirmed today to reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). Taylor, who previously underwent a scope on his troublesome right knee, will undergo more surgery next week that’s unrelated to the initial procedure.

In 2013, Taylor was a starter on defense for Cleveland, but only played 555 defensive snaps, serving primarily as a run stopper. While he wasn’t a full-time player, Taylor’s performance against the run still placed him a solid 26th among 69 qualified defensive tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). The 26-year-old played just 133 snaps this year before being sidelined with a knee injury, and Cleveland’s run defense has struggled in his absence — Football Outside ranks the unit 30th in DVOA.

The Browns exercised their fifth-year option on Taylor for 2015, so the former first-round pick is under contract with the team for a base salary of $5.477MM. That salary isn’t yet guaranteed, however, so if the team is concerned about Taylor’s recovery or his cap hit, he could be released this winter.

While Cleveland has yet to announce a corresponding roster move, a practice squad promotion for Sunday’s game could happen later today or tomorrow.

Practice Squad Updates: Monday

We rounded up the first wave of practice squad additions in a series of posts by division yesterday, which you can check out on our Transactions page. Several more teams have announced new practice squad players today, or made slight changes to their units, so we’ll round up that news right here:

6:33pm:

  • The 49ers have filled out their practice squad by adding cornerback Chance Casey and running back Kendall Gaskins, the team announced in a press release.

4:37pm:

  • The Browns have added wide receiver Charles Johnson and offensive lineman Karim Barton to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
  • Cornerback Khalid Wooten will be the 10th man on the Titans‘ practice squad, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.

4:07pm:

  • The Seahawks have added defensive end Julius Warmsley and defensive back Josh Aubrey to their practice squad, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
  • The Redskins have finalized their practice squad by adding safety Akeem Davis and linebacker Chaz Sutton, the club announced today (Twitter link).
  • Cornerback LeQuan Lewis has been added to the Jets‘ practice squad, according to the team (via Twitter).

2:46pm:

  • The Rams have finalized their practice squad by adding linebacker Denicos Allen, wideout Emory Blake, safety Christian Bryant, and quarterback Garrett Gilbert, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). That means Michael Sam isn’t among the 10 players on St. Louis’ squad.
  • The addition of Henry Josey to the Jaguars‘ practice squad has officially been announced by the team in a press release. We had noted below that although his signing had been previously reported, Josey wasn’t among the first list of names released by the club.
  • The Ravens have announced the signing of offensive lineman Marcel Jones to their practice squad, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.

1:31pm:

  • The following players are now on the Browns‘ practice squad: James Brown, OL; Jacobbi McDaniel, DL; Emmanuel Ogbuehi, TE; Keith Pough, LB; Justin Staples, LB; and Patrick Lewis, C. The first five names are listed on the team’s official site, while the addition of Lewis was reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Alex Gillett‘s time on the Packers‘ practice squad didn’t last long — he was replaced today by cornerback Jumal Rolle, tweets Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
  • The Buccaneers have signed safety Kimario McFadden, cornerback Derrius Brooks, and linebacker Carlos Fields to their practice squad, according to the team’s official site.
  • Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune provides the last few names to be added to the Saints‘ practice squad: safety Pierre Warren, guard Antoine McClain, nose tackle Lawrence Virgil, and tight end Nic Jacobs.
  • The Eagles have signed quarterback G.J. Kinne for their practice squad, per the team’s official site.
  • Fullback Nikita Whitlock is the latest addition to the Cowboys‘ practice squad, the team announced today.
  • The Vikings filled the final spot on their practice squad by adding cornerback Chris Greenwood, says Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
  • Defensive end Zach Thompson is now on the Broncos‘ practice squad, according to the club.
  • The Chiefs filled the final opening on their practice squad by signing defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
  • Wide receiver Freddie Martino and tight end Kyle Miller have joined the Falcons‘ practice squad, per the team’s official site.
  • One more housekeeping note: Yesterday, running back Henry Josey and fullback Kiero Small were reported as having joined the Jaguars‘ and Browns‘ practice squads, respectively. However, when those teams announced their PS rosters, those players weren’t included. There haven’t been any reports indicating those agreements fell through, so we’ll keep an eye on both situations. For now though, we won’t be including those players in our master list of practice squad rosters, which will be published this afternoon.

Browns Cut Anthony Armstrong, 13 More Players

The Browns have terminated the contract of veteran wide receiver Anthony Armstrong, the team announced in a press release. Armstrong, 31, was signed in March — the fact that he couldn’t make a depleted WR corps in Cleveland doesn’t bode well for his NFL future. The Browns also waived 13 players, meaning their roster count sits at 76:

Minor Moves: Tuesday

Here are the NFL’s minor transactions for Tuesday, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening:

  • The Bears waived linebacker Conor O’Neill to make room for the addition of Greg Herd, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
  • The Browns reached an injury settlement with James Oboh, Wilson tweets.
  • The Broncos waived defensive end Hall Davis with a left squad designation, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Denver signed Davis to a reserve/futures contract in February.
  • The Vikings waived Lestar Jean from injured reserve, tweets Wilson. The wideout has ten career receptions for 186 yards and one touchdown.
  • Running back Kendall Hunter will spend the season on the 49ers’ injured reserve list after he cleared waivers on Tuesday, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
  • The Dolphins announced that they have signed kicker Danny Hrapmann and waived linebacker Ryan Rau, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Hrapmann was one of at least three kickers Miami auditioned recently.
  • The Bears added wide receiver Greg Herd today, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Chicago must make a corresponding roster move for Herd, who had short stints with the Cowboys and Seahawks after entering the NFL in 2013.

Earlier updates:

  • The Colts agreed to sign former Eagles outside linebacker Phillip Hunt, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room for Hunt, the Colts dropped wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson, who signed with the club just two days ago.
  • The Browns announced that they have signed tight end Martell Webb, linebacker Keith Pough, and wide receiver Tim Smith, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Originally signed by Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent in 2011, Webb has spent time on the practice squads of the Jets (2011), Bucs (2011), Colts (2012), Titans (2012), and Lions (2013).
  • The Browns waived defensive back Darwin Cook, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
  • The Titans will sign Lanier Coleman, a defensive lineman who has spent time with the Jets and Packers, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Tennessee has a full 90-man roster, so the team will need to cut someone to make it official.
  • The Saints have signed former second-round tight end Richard Quinn, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). In a separate tweet, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com adds a few more Saints moves courtesy of Yates: New Orleans also signed wideout Tobais Palmer, waiving receiver Steve Hull (injured designation), defensive tackle Tyrone Ezell, and linebacker Marcus Thompson.
  • As first reported by NFL Draft Diamonds, the Browns have reached a deal to sign tight end Kyle Auffray, writes Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk. Cleveland entered the day with four open roster spots, so there’s plenty of room for Auffray, who spent some time with the Patriots in the spring.
  • The Buccaneers completed a series of roster moves today, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed defensive ends Ryne Giddins and James Ruffin, and waived-injured linebacker Jeremy Grable and safety Mycal Swaim.
  • The Steelers are set to sign wide receiver James Shaw, who previously played for the Arena League’s Pittsburgh Power, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Pittsburgh has a full 90-man roster, so the club will need to make a corresponding roster move to make room for the latest signee.
  • Jermaine Cunningham, who tore his Achilles tendon during training camp, has been waived-injured by the Jets, who signed offensive lineman Bruce Campbell to fill Cunningham’s roster spot, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York (Twitter link). Campbell attended the team’s minicamp back in June on a tryout basis.
  • Armed with an open spot on their 90-man roster, the Broncos have signed former Browns defensive end Brian Sanford, as Mike Klis of the Denver Post details. Sanford, who turns 27 next month, has been active for 13 career regular-season contests for Cleveland and Oakland.
  • The Seahawks have waived-injured safety Dion Bailey and signed defensive back Trey Wolfe to replace him, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.