HEADLINES

Michael Palardy

Panthers Sign Mike Scifres

June 7th, 2016 at 5:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Veteran punter Mike Scifres has found a new NFL home, as he’s agreed to a contract with the Panthers, the club announced. Carolina has waived fellow punter Michael Palardy in a corresponding move.Mike Scifres (Vertical)

Scifres sat on the free agent market for a little over a month before landing a new deal, having been released by the Chargers at the end of April. The 35-year-old had been with the Chargers since 2004, having spent his entire 13-year career with San Diego, but after the Chargers selected punter Drew Kaser in the sixth round of this year’s draft, Scifres’ release appeared imminent. Scifres suffered a down year in 2015, ranking just 29th in net punting average, but he has a track record of consistency, and should be the favorite for the to handle the Panthers’ punting duties.

“What I did for 13 years in San Diego I still feel that I’m capable of doing here,” Scifres said. “I still feel I can play. Going into the draft, I knew there was a possibility I would end up getting released by San Diego. This is a new chapter, and it’s about the player I can be for this team.”

“I was extremely excited when I got the call, because this was a situation that I had followed, knowing some of the players and coaches and seeing (former Panthers punter) Brad Nortman go to Jacksonville,” Scifres said. “This was a definitely a team I wanted to play for.”

Palardy, 23, was signed to the Panthers’ roster in April. He spent time with the Raiders in 2014, and has spent the better part of two years working out for various NFL teams, but he has yet to actually see game action.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Goff, Rams, Hardy, Cowboys

May 8th, 2016 at 4:14pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re only a few days into rookie minicamp, but it sounds like Jared Goff might be setting himself up for the Rams‘ starting job already.

“He’s doing a great job picking up our offense,” coach Jeff Fisher told the team’s website. “We’ve given him a lot more information than we did at the private workout and then that we did here at our meeting, and he’s handled it without any problem. And that’s the impressive thing…I passed him last night walking to the room and he was leaving the meeting room at 10 o’clock. He’s that kind of guy. He’ll spend the time. It’s important to him.”

Here’s more from the NFC:

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/4/16

April 4th, 2016 at 4:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league:

  • The Giants have agreed to sign offensive lineman Ryan Seymour, as Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News tweets. Seymour, a veteran of five NFL teams over three seasons, was non-tendered by New Orleans in March.


Earlier Updates:

  • The Lions have agreed to sign former Cincinnati defensive end Wallace Gilberry, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The one-year deal is worth up to $1.75MM.
  • The Cowboys will re-sign defensive lineman Jack Crawford, as David Moore of the Dallas Morning News tweets. It’s a one-year deal, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes.
  • The Jaguars announced that they have claimed tackle Tanner Hawkinson off waivers from the Eagles. Hawkinson, a 2013 fifth-round pick of Cincinnati, did any snaps last year for Philadelphia despite being active for two contests.
  • The 49ers announced on Monday that offensive lineman Jordan Devey has signed a one-year exclusive rights tender. The Niners acquired Devey from New England in August of last year and he went on to appear in 15 games with nine starts.
  • The Panthers have signed punter Michael Palardy, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • Former Pittsburgh H-back Will Johnson has agreed to sign with the Giants on a two-year deal, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler writes. Johnson can line up as a tight end, fullback, or running back and is also a special teams contributor. Johnson was reportedly looking to sign with a team that would give him more carries, so it’s possible that he will be a bigger part of the offense in New York than he was in Pittsburgh.
  • The Lions have signed veteran tight end Matthew Mulligan, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Workout Notes: 12/16/15

December 16th, 2015 at 7:02pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s been a busy last couple of days around the NFL, with teams still looking to fill up their squads for the rest of the season. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweeted a whole bunch of workout notes this afternoon, which we’ve compiled for you below…

Arizona Cardinals

  • CB Mitchell White (link)

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Read more

AFC Rumors: Smith, Browns, Broncos, Bengals

October 17th, 2015 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Neither Geno Smith nor Robert Griffin factor into Sunday’s game plans, but NFL personnel eye the Jets‘ potential quarterback washout as the player with the better chance of salvaging his career despite Griffin’s superior on-field sample thus far, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports.

“They’re the same guy,” a personnel director told Mehta. “Both are slightly delusional about their abilities. In five years, RG3 will be some type of ambassador for Baylor. Geno will be a backup quarterback.”

Statistically, Smith hasn’t produced close to a standout stretch like Griffin delivered in his rookie of the year campaign, but the injured Jets quarterback doesn’t have quite the toxic circumstances Washington’s embattled backup currently does.

As a result of this, Mehta hears Washington will jettison Griffin before his $16MM fifth-year option kicks in for next season. Should Washington cut RG3 before the start of the 2016 league year, it would not be on the hook for that escalator.

Despite not entering the league with the profile RG3 did or having yet to complete 60% of his passes in a season, Smith, in the view of scouts surveyed, profiles as a player still capable of an ascent, albeit with a lowered ceiling.

“They did him a disservice by forcing him to play (right away),” an NFC front office executive told The Daily News. “The talent is there, but the mental makeup isn’t. A year under (Ryan Fitzpatrick) should help… Geno may end up being the starter with the Jets.”

Here is some other news from AFC facilities as Week 6 Sunday looms.

  • In light of his latest alcohol-related trouble this week, Browns backup Johnny Manziel should re-enter rehab, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com writes. With the police report indicating Manziel was swerving to avoid traffic and hit speeds of 90 mph after admitting drinking earlier in the day Monday, Cabot writes there are enough warning signs from this incident to put a halt on the second-year quarterback’s career again. The longtime Cleveland scribe also notes the Browns should consider the domestic violence allegations of Manziel’s girlfriend, even though police deemed the woman’s story too inconsistent to charge Manziel, in light of offensive line coach Andy Moeller being fired for DV accusations despite not being charged.
  • Browns OC John DeFilippo wants Brian Hartline to play a bigger part of the offense after catching just two passes the past two games, per Terry Pluto of cleveland.com. The recently signed free agent recorded 96 receiving yards against the Raiders but hasn’t exceeded 20 in the other four contests.
  • Both Vontaze Burfict and linebacker Sean Porter may not be ready to return when they are eligible to be removed from the PUP list prior to the Bengals‘ Nov. 1 game against the Steelers, reports Jake Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. League sources told the paper Porter isn’t in Cincinnati’s plans as of now as he recovers from a torn ACL while indicating Burfict could need more time to re-emerge successfully from microfracture surgery.
  • After the Broncos cut tight end Richard Gordon in order to promote running back Kapri Bibbs from the practice squad, the coaching staff asked Gordon to stay in town, as there’s a good chance Denver re-signs him next week, Mike Klis of 9News reports. With third-stringer Juwan Thompson hampered by a hamstring injury, the Broncos had a need for an extra tailback this week.
  • The Colts worked out second-year punter Michael Palardy, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Palardy spent time with the Raiders last year but did not punt in a game.

 

Workout Updates: 10/16/15

October 16th, 2015 at 5:02pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve passed along a few of the more notable updates from the last few days on workouts and free agent visits, including the Giants trying out wide receivers like Terrelle Pryor and the Cowboys bringing in running back LaMike James. However, there are plenty more tryout updates from this week to round up, and we’ve got them all below. All links point to the Twitter account of Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, unless otherwise indicated.

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

  • Devin Gardner, WR (link)
  • Josh Harper, WR

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo, LB (link)

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Workout Notes: Patriots, Texans, Bucs, Eagles

October 12th, 2015 at 6:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today we learned that the Patriots worked out wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. As it turns out, they also auditioned two other players: running back Isaiah Pead and tight end Nick Kasa (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter).

Pead, 26 in December, was once expected to become a leading rusher for the Rams as the heir apparent to Steven Jackson. Things never worked out that way for the 2012 second-round pick, but he did spent three years and change with the club, playing in 27 games with one start. This year, Pead appeared in just two games and notched two carries for three yards before he was released.

Here’s a rundown of today’s workouts and auditions from around the NFL..

NFC North Notes: Zenner, Ford, Palardy, Richardson

October 9th, 2015 at 7:19pm CST by Rob DiRe

Lions running back Zach Zenner had two huge carries on Monday night against the Seahawks, and has made a compelling case to take some of Joique Bell‘s playing time, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Bell has missed time with knee and ankle injuries, and but was only averaging 1.1 yards per carry on 20 attempts so far this season. Zenner only has four carries on the season, but could see an increased workload going forward.

  • The Ford family has owned the Lions for years, and Bill has served as the team’s vice chairman for over 20 years. However, he admitted that it is actually his mother Martha who has been running the organization since William Clay Ford passed away in March, according to Aaron McMann of MLive.com. “She’s in charge. She absolutely is,” Bill said. “Since my father passed away over a year ago, my mother is in charge and she makes all the decisions.”
  • The Bears worked out punter Michael Palardy today at Halas Hall, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). The rookie was previously with the Rams.
  • Packers safety Sean Richardson will miss the rest of the season with a neck injury, which could be career threatening according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Rams Cut Damian Williams, Others

September 1st, 2015 at 11:21am CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 11:21am: The Rams are now down to 75 players, having waived two more players today. Linebacker Keshaun Malone and defensive tackle Doug Worthington are the latest roster casualties in St. Louis, per a team release.

MONDAY, 7:06pm: The Rams announced that they have cut a number of players today to trim down their roster, including former third round pick Damian Williams. The full list is below:

Released:

  • Damian Williams, WR

Waived:

  • Steven Baker, OT
  • Travis Bond, OL
  • Imoan Claiborne, CB
  • Jay Hughes, S
  • Tyler Ott, LS
  • Michael Palardy, K/P
  • Tyler Slavin, WR
  • David Wang, C

Waived/Injured:

  • Brad Smelley, TE
  • Korey Toomer, LB

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Claiborne is a “practice squad candidate,” according to Nick Wagoner of the Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). Still, the Rams have other UDFAs gunning for 53-man roster spots. The Rams now have 77 players on their roster in advance of the 75-man deadline.

Minor Moves: Wednesday

December 24th, 2014 at 6:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As teams prepare for the final weekend of the 2014 regular season, we’ll round up Wednesday’s minor roster moves in this space, with the latest transactions added to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • The Raiders announced a series of roster moves. The team placed tight end Brian Leonhardt on the IR and activated defensive end Shelby Harris to take his place. The Raiders also added kicker/punter Michael Palardy to the practice squad.

Earlier updates:

  • Filling the final open spot on their 53-man roster, the Vikings have signed running back Henry Josey from off of the Jaguars’ practice squad, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Josey, who has spent the entire season on Jacksonville’s practice squad, will replace veteran back Ben Tate, whom the Vikings released yesterday.
  • Long snapper Charley Hughlett has signed a three-year contract with the Browns, according to his agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). While Tessler indicates that the signing is official, the team has yet to formally announce it, and will need to make a corresponding move to make room for Hughlett. Johnny Manziel could be headed to IR, but the team also reportedly intends to activate defensive lineman John Hughes, so a second move will be required.
Load More Posts