Panthers Make Cuts, Down To 74
The Panthers have made some roster moves on Tuesday and they are now under the 75-man limit with about four hours to go. Cornerback Leonard Johnson has been placed on the PUP list while the following players have been released:
- P Mike Scifres
- DE Rakim Cox
- S Trenton Robinson
- WR LaRon Byrd
Scifres became a likely roster casualty yesterday when the Panthers acquired fellow punter Andy Lee from the Browns. Scifres has been dealing with a knee injury this offseason, putting his status in question for the coming season.
Robinson joined Carolina on a one-year deal in March. The safety started a career-high seven games in 2015 before his season was cut short due to a hamstring injury. In December, Washington waived Robinson and later released him from IR with an injury settlement. In total, Robinson has played in 38 career games and recorded 88 tackles, two interceptions, and four passes defensed for the 49ers and Washington.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/20/16
We’ll track the day’s latest minor moves below:
- The Panthers have swapped out a few players at the back of their roster, signing receivers Tobias Palmer and LaRon Byrd while waiving tight ends Andrew Bonnet and Jake McGee, tweets Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. The 26-year-old Byrd is the most notable of the foursome, as he’s spent time on the rosters of seven different NFL clubs (most recently the Redskins’).
- The Browns have signed former Rice receiver Dennis Parks, and placed kicker Jaden Oberkrom on the reserved/retired list, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Cleveland just claimed the undrafted rookie Oberkrom off waivers from the Jaguars on Wednesday, so the TCU product must have quickly decided to not pursue an NFL career.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Edelman, Bills, Archer
Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman recently underwent left foot surgery but is on track to return for training camp, sources tell Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Edelman recently was spotted in New York City with a protective boot on his foot and riding around on a motorized device after having undergoing a “cleanup procedure” (link). 
Last year, Edelman missed roughly half of the regular season due to his foot injury. In nine games, the 29-year-old caught 61 passes for 692 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Here’s more out of the AFC East:
- The Patriots worked out wide receiver LaRon Byrd on Wednesday, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Byrd has had previous stints with Arizona, Dallas, Cleveland, and Miami. Washington released Byrd earlier this month.
- Joe Buscaglia of WKBW looked at how running back Dri Archer could fit in with the Bills. Buffalo already has LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams at tailback with two other promising young players behind them, so he feels that Archer’s best chance at cracking the roster would be to make it as a kickoff/punt returner. In 2015, the Bills were one of the worst teams in the league when it came to returning the ball on special teams, so Archer’s speed could provide a big boost in that area.
- A phone call from Bill Belichick sealed the deal for undrafted running back D.J. Foster to sign with the Patriots, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. “I was talking to a few teams at the time, but when I got the chance to talk to Coach Belichick, I kind of took a step back and talked to my family, figuring out what’s right for me in my life as a young adult,” the former Arizona State athlete said. “I thought it was the best decision for me.” Foster was a hybrid receiver/tailback in college but so far the Patriots have been utilizing him as a running back in practice. For his part, Foster says that he isn’t bummed out about going undrafted and says he’s excited about the opportunity that he has in New England.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/2/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Patriots released cornerback Rashaan Melvin and linebacker James Vaughters, according to Christopher Price of WEEI (on Twitter).
- The Seahawks have signed quarterback Jake Heaps, as ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia writes. The signing of the 25-year-old now gives Seattle three QBs on the roster.
- The Browns released linebacker Scott Solomon, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Solomon was a restricted free agent this offseason, one that Cleveland re-signed less than a month ago. Solomon was slated to earn $1.671MM in 2016.
- The Lions announced the signing of linebacker Zaviar Gooden. Gooden joins the Lions after spending the 2013-14 seasons with Tennessee, where he appeared in 24 games (three starts).
- The Eagles (on Twitter) announced the release of safety Jerome Couplin. Ditto for wide receiver Freddie Martino (link).
- Washington announced that defensive linemen Christo Bilukidi, Anthony Johnson, and Kamal Johnson, linebackers Desmond Bishop and Derrick Mathews, wide receiver LaRon Byrd, and cornerback Al Louis-Jean have all been released.
- The Broncos cut safety Ryan Murphy and punter Will Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Murphy has the unfortunate distinction of having been sent home from the Super Bowl.
- The Bears cut defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith, Wilson tweets.
- The Cardinals cut cornerback Kevin White and center Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, Wilson tweets.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/9/15
Today’s practice squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Sammy Seamster (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News)
- Cut: WR Titus Davis
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Garth Gerhart (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
Washington
- Signed: WR LaRon Byrd, LB Carlos Fields & DL Anthony Johnson (via team on Twitter)
- Cut: WR Corey Washington
AFC Notes: Colts, Harvin, Jets, Browns
The 3-5 Colts, losers of three straight games and one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams, are a strong bet to drop their fourth consecutive contest this Sunday when they match up with the 7-0 Broncos. Their season has also gone poorly away from the field, as speculation regarding the statuses of beleaguered general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano has abounded and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton lost his job earlier this week.
Indy’s players – specifically team leaders Robert Mathis and D’Qwell Jackson – are cognizant of the organization’s off-field turmoil and called a meeting among themselves last week in an effort to galvanize each other. At the meeting, the players encouraged one another to ignore distractions coming from the front office and coaching staff, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star reports. One issue players are unhappy with centers on the front office – not the coaching staff – making certain lineup decisions, a dysfunctional action that takes a significant amount of power from Pagano & Co.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Bills receiver Percy Harvin could end up on injured reserve with a knee injury, general manager Doug Whaley told The Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci (Twitter link). Harvin’s knee “flared up,” Whaley said (via Twitter). The seventh-year man has 19 catches on 30 targets this year. He has been out of the Bills’ lineup with injuries since mid-October.
- Jets cornerback Dee Milliner is back to full health after undergoing wrist surgery during the summer, but the team is unlikely to activate him from short-term injured reserve for this weekend’s game against the Jaguars, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini (Twitter link). On why Milliner won’t be in the lineup, head coach Todd Bowles said (via Howie Kussoy of the New York Post), “It’s just a numbers thing.” If the Jets don’t activate Milliner by Tuesday, they’ll have to place him on season-ending IR.
- Browns head coach Mike Pettine said cornerback Charles Gaines, who had been on short-term IR because of a hamstring injury, is likely to start playing soon (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). Gaines, a sixth-round rookie out of Louisville, hasn’t appeared in an NFL game yet.
- The Jets worked out two free agent receivers – LaRon Byrd and Damarr Aultman – on Friday, according to Cimini (Twitter link). Byrd is the only of the two who has seen action in the league, though it was for just four games back in 2012. He has one career catch.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/3/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves from across the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR C.J. Goodwin (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
- Cut: WR LaRon Byrd (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post)
Baltimore Ravens
- To be signed: Chuck Jacobs (via The Baltimore Sun)
Buffalo Bills
- Cut: RB Miguel Maysonet (Twitter link via team)
Denver Broncos
- Signed: S Ryan Murphy (link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post)
- Cut: DT Deandre Coleman
Houston Texans
- Cut: RB Daryl Richardson (via Wilson)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Ben Heenan (Twitter link via team)
- Cut: G David Arkin
New Orleans Saints
- Cut: DB Sammy Seamster (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune)
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Matt LaCosse (Twitter link via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post), S Cooper Taylor (Twitter link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE Shelby Harris (Twitter link via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: RB Dreamius Smith (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune), OLB Ryan Mueller (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Chris Davis (press release via team)
- Removed: DL Kaleb Ramsey (suspended four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances)
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: TE Rashaun Allen (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cut: LB Julian Stanford (press release via team)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/16/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR LaRon Byrd (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter)
- Cut: T Pierce Burton
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: T Tony Hills (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter)
- Cut: QB Bryn Renner
Dallas Cowboys
- To be signed: C/G Ronald Patrick , T Darrion Weems (via Josina Anderson on Twitter + Wilson on Twitter)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: T Jordan Mills (press release)
Houston Texans
- To be signed: T Joe Treadwell (via Wilson on Twitter)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB Jonas Gray, C Sam Brenner, QB Logan Thomas, DE Emmanuel Dieke (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter + Twitter link via James Walker)
- Cut: DT DeAndre Coleman, WR Uzoma Nwachukwu (Twitter link via Adam Beasley)
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Eric Martin (via Mike Reiss on Twitter)
- Cut: LB Alex Singleton and DL Jimmy Staten
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: TE Cameron Brate, S Alden Darby, WR Seantavius Jones, FB Toben Opurum, T Bryan Witzmann (via Mike Triplett on Twitter)
New York Giants
- To be signed: LB James Morris, G Vinston Painter (via James Kratch on Twitter)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: WR DeAndre Carter (via Vic Tafur on Twitter)
- Cut: LB Josh Shirley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Connor Hamlett (via press release)
- Cut: DE Brian Mihalik
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Isaiah Frey, DT Derrick Lott (via Greg Auman on Twitter)
Washington
- Signed: LB Houston Bates (via John Keim on Twitter)
Dolphins Cut 11 Players
The Dolphins have cut 11 players as we move closer to the Tuesday deadline to get down to a 75-man roster, announcing their cuts in a pair of tweets:
- Calvin Barnett, DT
- Bryant Browning, OG
- LaRon Byrd, WR
- Kevin Cone, WR
- Ray Drew, DE
- Tyler McDonald, WR
- Kendall Montgomery, DE
- Gerell Robinson, TE
- Sammy Seamster, CB
- Phillip Thomas, S
- J.D. Walton, C/G
By Tuesday they will have to be under the limit of 75 players according to NFL rules.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL. As always, any additional moves will be added to the top:
- The Chiefs have waived tight end Sean McGrath, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). McGrath retired last year, but was reinstated and officially waived by the team.
- The Giants have waived cornerback Josh Victorian, according to Caplan (via Twitter). The team has also cut defensive end Paul Hazel, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates:
- The Packers have taken a flyer on developmental quarterback Matt Blanchard of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Blanchard joins Scott Tolzien on the depth chart behind Aaron Rodgers.
- The Giants have added two players, signing defensive back Josh Gordy and linebacker Ryan Jones, writes Michael Eisen of Giants.com. Gordy has played in 59 games since signing with the Jaguars as an undrafted rookie in 2010, and Jones was signed by the Ravens last June but was waived after a foot injury.
- The Saints have signed center Mike Golic Jr., according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Golic also spent time with the team last offseason.
- The Dolphins have re-signed wide receiver LaRon Byrd, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).