XFL Draft Day 1 Fallout
The XFL’s two-day draft began Tuesday. In addition to certain quarterbacks being assigned to teams, several notable players went off the board in the rebooting league’s selection event.
The league divided its draft into sections. Skill-position players (and other quarterbacks) went in one portion of the draft, with offensive linemen going second and then select defenders in another section. Connor Cook was the first quarterback to go in the non-allocation portion of the draft, being selected by the Houston franchise at No. 2 overall.
Here are some recent NFL skill-position players taken:
- RB Christine Michael (No. 6 overall, St. Louis)
- WR Tommylee Lewis (No. 13, Dallas)
- WR Sammie Coates (No. 18, Houston)
- RB Cameron Artis-Payne (No. 20, Dallas)
- TE Jace Amaro (No. 26, Seattle)
- WR Keenan Reynolds (No. 39, Seattle)
- RB Matt Jones (No. 54, St. Louis)
- RB Lance Dunbar (No. 61, Dallas)
- QB Tyree Jackson (No. 65, Washington)
- RB Andre Williams (No. 66, Houston)
Here are the notable offensive linemen selected in that section of the draft:
- T Isaiah Battle (No. 2, Seattle)
- T Matt McCants (No. 3, St. Louis)
- T Kyle Murphy (No. 8, Washington)
- T Cyrus Kouandjio (No. 11, New York)
Lastly, some front-seven names of note came off in that part of this event:
- LB Ben Heeney (No. 7, New York)
- LB Hau’oli Kikaha (No. 8, Dallas)
- DT Sealver Siliga (No. 9, Dallas)
- LB Terence Garvin (No. 15, St. Louis)
- DL Tenny Palepoi (No. 30, Seattle)
- DE Jacquies Smith (No. 45, Seattle)
- LB Steven Johnson (No. 46, Seattle)
For a full team-by-team breakdown, Sporting News cataloged the first parts of this event.
Bears Trim Roster To 53
The Bears have reduced their roster to 53 players by making the following transactions:
Waived:
- T Dejon Allen
- DT Abdullah Anderson
- LB Jonathan Anderson (injured)
- WR Demarcus Ayers
- LS Tanner Carew
- DB Rashard Fant (injured)
- DB John Franklin
- WR Tanner Gentry
- DB Doran Grant
- G Brandon Greene
- LB Ro’Derrick Hoskins
- WR Garrett Johnson
- WR Malachi Jones
- DB Michael Joseph
- DB Cre’von LeBlanc
- DB Jonathon Mincy
- RB Taquan Mizzell
- G Jordan Morgan
- RB Ryan Nall
- DE Elijah Norris
- DB Nick Orr
- G Will Pericak
- TE Colin Thompson
- LB John Timu
- DT Cavon Walker
- P Ryan Winslow
- LB Josh Woods
Released:
- QB Tyler Bray
- RB Knile Davis
- LB Kasim Edebali
- WR Bennie Fowler
- DT John Jenkins
- T Matt McCants
- DE Nicholas Williams
Placed on injured reserve:
- WR Marlon Brown
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/5/18
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: OT Matt McCants
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: OT Michael Dunn
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/18
Today’s minor moves (so far):
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT Siupeli Anau, WR C.J. Duncan, LB Airius Moore, OL Greg Pyke
- Waived: CB Elijah Battle, LB Mike Needham, OL Austin Olsen, WR Jonah Trinnaman
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DE Da’Sean Downey
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: FB Zach Olstad
- Waived/Injured: RB Aaron Green
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Bug Howard, C Kyle Friend, T/G Quinterrius Eatmon, DE Karter Schult
- Waived/Injured: CB Zack Sanchez
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Matt Fleming, DB John Franklin, DB Tyrin Holloway, OL Jeremi Hall, OL Matt McCants
- Waived: OL Travis Averill, OL Cameron Lee, LB Howard Jones, LB Nyles Morgan
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DT Chris Okoye, C Brand Lundblade, S Tyrice Beverette
- Waived: LB Oni Omoile, TE Scott Orndoff, CB Robenson Therezie
Cleveland Browns
- Signed DB Tigie Sankoh, QB Brogan Roback
Denver Broncos
- Waived: NT Lowell Lotulelei (Lotulelei is retiring, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic, on Twitter)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Deontez Alexander, TE Marcus Lucas, CB Josh Okonye
- Waived: WR Kyle Lewis
- Waived/Injured: TE Brandon Barnes
Houston Texans
- Placed on Reserve-Retired list: K.J. Malone
- Signed: T Kendell Calhoun, DE Nick Thurman
- Waived: WR Montay Crockett
- Waived/failure to disclose physical condition designation: DE Jalen Wilkerson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OT Jared Machorro
- Waived: C Anthony Fabiano
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE Zach Conque, LB Manase Hungalu, OL Brandon Smith
- Waived: OL Avery Gennesy
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: QB Luis Perez
New England Patriots
- Signed: P Corey Bojorquez
- Waived/NFI: WR Darren Andrews
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OT Michael Ola
- Waived: LB Adam Bighill, OL Daronte Bouldin, S Rickey Jefferson, Bradley Sylve
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: S Dallin Leavitt, LS Drew Scott
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR/KR Tim Wilson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: G/T R.J. Prince
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Clayton Wilson
Washington Redskins
- Signed: C Casey Dunn, LB Vontae Diggs, WR Darvin Kidsy
- Waived: WR Mikah Holder, C Sean Welsh
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/17
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LS Justin Drescher
- Placed on injured reserve: LS Aaron Brewer
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted to active roster: DT Taniela Tupou
Cleveland Browns
- Released from IR: T Matt McCants
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers: CB Marcus Williams
- Released: CB Johnthan Banks, T Jah Reid
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR: CB Josh Johnson
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Gabe Martin
New York Giants
- Promoted to active roster: WR Ed Eagan
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: CB Demetrius McCray
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: CB Asa Jackson
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/17
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Tank Carder (torn ACL), OL Matt McCants
- Waived/injured: S Justin Currie
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Derrick Lott
- Placed on IR: DT Jordan Hill
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from IR: CB Charles Gaines
New England Patriots
- Waived: DE Caleb Kidder
- Waived/injured: TE Matt Lengel
New York Giants
- Claimed off waviers: CB Tay Glover-Wright
- Waived from IR: DE Evan Schwan, WR Kevin Snead
New York Jets
- Waived/injured: DT Anthony Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: C Ruben Carter, WR Justin Thomas
- Waived/injured: CB Greg Ducre
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived from IR: TE Marcus Lucas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived from IR: DB Maurice Fleming
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/27/17
Monday’s minor moves:
- The Bills have claimed defensive end Scott Crichton off waivers from the Vikings, tweets ESPN’s Field Yates. The Vikings used a third-round pick (No. 72) on Crichton in 2014, but he has failed to live up to that selection thus far. The 25-year-old spent 2016 on injured reserve after combining for five tackles in 21 appearances over his first two seasons.
- The Seahawks have re-signed linebacker Dewey McDonald, an exclusive rights free agent, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). The three-year veteran is coming off his first season as a member of the Seahawks, with whom he logged a personal-best 14 appearances and played 63.3 percent of special teams snaps.
- The Browns have announced the signing of offensive tackle Matt McCants. The five-year vet is already a journeyman at the age of 25, as he’s now on his fifth team. McCants set career highs in games (13) and starts (three) in 2013 with the Raiders, but he hasn’t started in any of his 15 appearances since.
Seahawks Sign Oday Aboushi
A Seahawks-themed Friday continues: The team has signed free agent guard Oday Aboushi to a one-year contract, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
The 25-year-old has started in 18 of 26 appearances since the Jets used a fifth-round pick on him in 2013. He was with Gang Green through the 2014 campaign before ending up in Houston, which claimed him off waivers from the Jets in September 2015. Aboushi served a one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy that year. He appeared in just four games last year and made three starts.
Aboushi, whom PFR’s Zach Links ranked as the seventh-best interior lineman on the market before Friday’s deal, follows Luke Joeckel as the second O-lineman the Seahawks have picked up in this year’s free agent class. The team also visited with tackles Ryan Clady and, per Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com, Matt McCants on Friday. Aboushi figures to serve as depth behind starting guards Germain Ifedi and Mark Glowinski.
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Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bears Put Adams On IR, Claim McCants
Mike Adams served as a swing tackle during his first season in Chicago, but that campaign will end early after the Bears placed the edge blocker on IR, Brad Biggs reports (on Twitter).
To replace him on the 53-man roster, the Bears claimed tackle Matt McCants off waivers from the Browns.
The Bears initially signed Adams, a former Steelers second-round pick whom Pittsburgh cut this offseason, in August and used him in 11 games. He made one start, which was the 21st of his five-year career.
Adams was playing on a one-year deal for just $760K this season. He missed all of the ’15 season with a back injury. It’s again a back injury that will shelve the 26-year-old Adams to close this year as well, which could again limit teams’ interest come free agency.
McCants will now serve as a backup to Charles Leno and Bobby Massie. The Browns waived him Saturday to officially bring Robert Griffin III back on the active roster. A Raider for three years who took a pay cut from 1.67MM to $675K in September but still was waived off Oakland’s roster later this season. The 27-year-old lineman played in two games for the Raiders this season but did not appear in one with the Browns.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/9/2016
Today’s minor moves:
- Having already signaled that he would start this weekend, the Browns announced that they’ve officially activated quarterback Robert Griffin III from injured reserve and waived offensive lineman Matt McCants.
- As expected, the Saints have officially placed tight end Josh Hill on injured reserve, according to Joel Erickson of the Advocate (Twitter link). The move will clear a roster spot for recently-signed linebacker Travis Feeney.
- The Seahawks have waived linebacker Jordan Tripp from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Seattle had just placed Tripp, who appeared in seven games this year (one start), on IR last week to make room for fellow linebacker Mike Morgan.
- The Panthers announced that they’ve signed linebacker Ben Jacobs, who takes the roster spot vacated by cornerback Robert McClain this morning. Jacobs, 28, has experience with Carolina, as he appeared in 32 games with the club over from 2014-15, acting as a special teamer.