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Mo Alie-Cox

Colts Cut Austin Howard, Reach 53-Man Roster

September 1st, 2018 at 3:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts are at the 53-man roster max after making a bundle of transactions, including the release of offensive tackle Austin Howard.

[RELATED: Colts Cut John Simon]

The Colts invested $1.3MM guaranteed in Howard, but he was medically cleared until late July and struggled in camp and during the preseason. The Colts dangled him in trade talks this week, but there were no takers for him.

Despite his issues this summer, Howard had a solid 2017 with the Ravens and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 36 offensive tackle. If healthy, he could draw interest from other teams.

The Colts also placed defensive end Chris McCain, linebacker Jeremiah George, defensive end Anthony Johnson, and tight end Ross Travis on injured reserve.

Here’s a look at the rest of the Colts’ moves:

Waived:

Last year, Bond ascended to the starting center job when Ryan Kelly broke his foot late in training camp. Unfortunately, a torn quad landed him on IR in October. This year, he’ll be looking for work elsewhere.

Alie-Cox was a former basketball player looking to transition to tight end. Although Antonio Gates and others have successfully made the jump, Alie-Cox has yet to find similar success.

In addition to the aforementioned moves, the Colts also waived the following players with an injury designation. If they clear waivers, then they revert to the Colts’ Injured Reserve list:

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/1/18

January 1st, 2018 at 7:17pm CST by Micah Powell

Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:

Baltimore Ravens

  • QB Josh Woodrum
  • RB John Crockett
  • FB Ricky Ortiz
  • OT Steven Moore

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

  • LB Carl Bradford
  • K Jon Brown
  • LB Connor Harris
  • OT Javarius Leamon
  • OG Oni Omoile
  • TE Scott Orndoff
  • CB Sojourn Shelton
  • SS Robenson Therezie
  • WR Kermit Whitfield

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

  • TE Mo Alie-Cox
  • WR Dres Anderson
  • DT Johnathan Calvin
  • WR Kolby Listenbee
  • LB Arthur Miley
  • LB Josh Perry
  • QB Phillip Walker
  • G Isaiah Williams

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

 

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/17

August 11th, 2017 at 9:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • The Vikings placed Bishop Sankey on IR, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Minnesota signed the former Titans second-round pick to a reserve/futures contract in January, but an MRI Friday revealed Sankey tore an ACL. He will miss the season. Sankey hasn’t played in a game since 2015.
  • Cut by both the 49ers and Jets in August, Bruce Ellington caught on with a third team this month. The Texans agreed to terms with the wide receiver/return specialist, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports. The Jets waived Ellington with an injury designation, but a Friday workout with the Texans provided a green light for the franchise to sign him. The Texans are currently reeling at wideout. In addition to Will Fuller‘s absence, Braxton Miller and DeAndrew White aren’t practicing. Ellington missed all of last season with a torn hamstring.
  • The Jaguars signed veteran running back Jonathan Grimes and waived running back Tyler Gaffney with an injury designation, the team announced. Grimes is a five-year NFL veteran whose most notable work came as a backup for the Texans from 2012-16. He gained 455 yards from scrimmage in 2015, the final year Arian Foster suffered a severe injury.
  • Defensive end Keionta Davis agreed to terms with the Patriots, who cut cornerback Dwayne Thomas to make room, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. A rookie out of Chattanooga, Davis was invited to the Combine but wasn’t drafted or signed after the draft.
  • The Chargers re-signed tight end Matt Weiser, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). A University of Buffalo alum, Weiser spent time with the Bolts during their final San Diego camp last summer but was cut just before the season.
  • The Colts reached injury settlements with tight end (and former VCU basketball standout) Mo Alie-Cox and wideout Harvey Binford, Wilson tweets.
  • Mykkele Thompson‘s time as a Giants secondary cog could be coming to a close. After Big Blue cut Thompson — a fifth-round pick in 2015 — on Thursday, he cleared waivers. NJ.com’s Dan Duggan expects an injury settlement to follow (Twitter link). Duggan notes this Thompson is battling a minor quadriceps injury.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/17

August 6th, 2017 at 7:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s a list of today’s minor moves:

  • A day after the Dolphins cut him, tackle Terry Poole landed with the Texans via waiver claim, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets. Poole was initially a Seahawks fourth-round pick but hasn’t yet played in an NFL game.
  • The Saints worked out their longtime long snapper Justin Drescher this week and reached an agreement to bring him back on Sunday, Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate reports. Sean Payton had been frustrated by the long snapping during camp recently, and the team made the decision to release veteran Thomas Gafford and Chase Dominguez on Sunday. Drescher returns to the Saints after spending the past seven seasons in New Orleans. The team did not re-sign the 29-year-old specialist after his contract expired following last season.
  • Former VCU basketball player Mo Alie-Cox cleared waivers and will revert to the Colts‘ IR list, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
  • The Titans have signed RB Brandon Radcliff, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). They waived/injured Victor Ochi to make room, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com tweets. Ochi tore his ACL on Friday.
  • The Steelers have signed cornerback JaCorey Shepherd and cut defensive end Nelson Adams. Originally a sixth-round Eagles selection in 2015, Shepherd followed Chip Kelly to San Francisco and played in 11 games for the 49ers last season.

Colts Waive/Injured Mo Alie-Cox

August 5th, 2017 at 10:03am CST by Ben Levine

Mo Alie-Cox‘s dream of switching from the hardwood to the gridiron took a bit of a hit on Saturday, as the Colts announced that they have waived-injured the former Virginia Commonwealth University forward. The team has signed tight end Steven Wroblewski to take the open roster spot. If Alie-Cox passes through waivers, he’ll land on the Colts injured reserve.

Mo Alie-Cox (vertical)The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Alie-Cox played four seasons on VCU’s basketball team, but he decided to pursue an NFL career following graduation. Considering his height, the player was signed as a tight end, although he allowed teams to audition him at a variety of different positions during his spring workout. He ultimately decided to sign with the Colts in April.

His lack of football experience predictably made him a project, so it might not necessarily be a bad thing if Alie-Cox slips through waivers and has a “red shirt year” on the IR. On the flip side, an assortment of teams had interest in the prospect, including the Buccaneers, Seahawks, Jets, Eagles, and Chargers (via Zak Keefer of IndyStar.com). There’s always a chance one of these teams is willing to take the gamble and claim the 23-year-old.

Wroblewski, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Southern Utah, spent time with the Cardinals earlier this offseason. In 21 games between 2015 and 2016, the tight end hauled in 63 catches for 770 yards and three touchdowns. Wroblewski will presumably replace Alie-Cox’s spot on the depth chart behind Jack Doyle, Erik Swoope, and Brandon Williams.

AFC South Notes: Texans, QBs, Colts, Alie-Cox

April 21st, 2017 at 6:09pm CST by Zachary Links

While the quarterback dominoes could fall before the Texans‘ No. 25 selection window opens, GM Rick Smith does not feel obligated to take a quarterback in Round 1. Of course, it’s not like the veteran decision-maker would say his team has to have a quarterback by a certain point, it is notable Smith said he would be fine with Tom Savage as a Week 1 starter.

“I think he’s proven that he can play at a high level in the offense,” Smith said, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. “He’s been injured, so he hasn’t had an extended amount of time to do that, but I am comfortable with that.”

Smith confirmed Houston plans to add a third quarterback going into training camp but didn’t say said passer has to be added through the draft. Although, the 12th-year GM did call this maligned crop of quarterbacks a “good class.” Smith echoed what Bill O’Brien said earlier this offseason, noting the difficulties modern rookies face when taking the reins in Year 1.

“It’s rare that you can get a guy that can come in and play at a high level at the position early,” Smith said, via Barshop. “But it’s certainly possible.”

The Texans brought in Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes, the latter of whom O’Brien is quite fond of, for visits earlier this week. Both could well be off the board by the time the Texans pick, which could place the team — in the event it doesn’t trade up — with Savage as its Week 1 starter. Potential Day 2 prospect Brad Kaaya also visited this week. The Texans had mild interest in Jay Cutler, but O’Brien prefers Savage to him.

Here’s more from the AFC South.

  • Colts GM Chris Ballard is borrowing a page from “The Cubs Way,” a book about how Theo Epstein reshaped baseball in Chicago. One key similarity between the two decision-makers is their emphasis on young talent. “It takes time to build a team,” Ballard said (via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells). “… Do we have work in front of us? Yes, we do. But it takes time. And the biggest thing that I want to make sure that we’re emphasizing is that competition and they have to earn it. It doesn’t matter where you come from and how we build it or where, from first-round pick to undrafted free agent to street free agent, guy that was cut at the 53-[man roster], future signing.”
  • On a conference call with reporters, new Colts addition Mo Alie-Cox said that the Buccaneers, Chargers, and Seahawks were among the teams that also made offers (Twitter links via Stephen Holder of the Indy Star). The former VCU basketball player added that he picked the Colts in part because coach Chuck Pagano reminded him of (former VCU coach) Shaka Smart. Some teams thought Alie-Cox could play defensive end, but he’ll be a tight end with the Colts.
  • Texans GM Rick Smith said he has not talked to Vince Wilfork since last season, but his “expectation is that Vince is not playing anymore,” Barshop tweets. Wilfork retired after 13 seasons in the league after the Texans’ loss to the Patriots in January.
  • Both Harry Douglas and Da’Norris Searcy accepted paycuts from the Titans this week.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report.

Colts To Sign Basketball’s Mo Alie-Cox

April 20th, 2017 at 2:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Mo Alie-Cox is going from the hardwood to the gridiron. The Colts have reached agreement on a contract with the former Virginia Commonwealth University forward, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Mo Alie-Cox (vertical)

Based on what we’ve been hearing, Alie-Cox is most likely to pursue a career as a tight end. However, given his athleticism and size, he could theoretically play other positions. When auditioning for teams earlier this spring, Alie-Cox’s camp allowed clubs to work him out at various drills for different spots on the field.

Regardless of where he lines up, it’s safe to assume that he will be regarded as more of a project player than immediate help for the 2017 season. The Colts are a bit thinner at tight end after trading Dwayne Allen to the Patriots, but the VCU hoopster obviously can’t be expected to fill his shoes. The Colts now have four tight ends in total with starter Jack Doyle, Erik Swoope, and Brandon Williams also in the mix.

Nearly every team watched Alie-Cox work out before today’s deal with the Colts. On Tuesday, he met with the Seahawks and left without a deal, so they might be the most disappointed runner-up of the bunch.

NFC West Rumors: Hawks, Sherman, 49ers

April 18th, 2017 at 4:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Richard Sherman doesn’t plan to attend the start of Seahawks workouts today, he is expected to report before OTAs, meaning he’ll be in attendance in early or mid May, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Sherman, of course, reportedly asked for a trade, and Seattle is now attempting to oblige him. After originally setting an ask of a first-round pick and another player, the Seahawks have reduced the Sherman price to a 2017 first-round pick and a conditional mid-round pick in 2018.

Here’s more from Seattle and the rest of the NFC West:

  • Before inking Seahawks restricted free agent Garry Gilliam to a one-year, $2.2MM deal, the 49ers approached Gilliam with two- and three-year offers, both of which were rejected, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. By agreeing to a one-year commitment, Gilliam affords himself the possibility of reaching unrestricted free agency in 2018. Seattle had the option of matching San Francisco’s offer sheet, and though the Seahawks had five days to make a decision, they used just over 12 hours to turn down the terms. Gilliam will earn $1.4MM in guarantees under his new 49ers pact, while his RFA tender with Seattle would have paid him $1.797MM in non-guaranteed base salary.
  • Defensive end Dion Jordan‘s one-year contract with the Seahawks is worth only $615K, per Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. The deal comes with a $25K workout bonus, but doesn’t contain any guarantees, meaning Seattle can move on without any dead money incurring on its salary cap. Additionally, Jordan agreed to a split salary: if he gets injured, the Seahawks will owe him only $378K. If Jordan does succeed this season, Seattle can keep him for 2018 as a restricted free agent. Because he entered the league as first-round pick, the Seahawks could use the original round tender to retain Jordan without worrying about another club signing him to an offer sheet.
  • Collegiate basketball player and aspiring tight end Mo Alie-Cox is scheduled to meet with the Seahawks today, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who adds Alie-Cox has a visit lined up with the Colts on Monday. 30 NFL clubs attended a recent Alie-Cox audition, and teams are now hoping to sign the 6’7″ hoopster to play offense. Alie-Cox is not eligible for the draft, and is able to sign an NFL contract immediately.

AFC East Notes: Bills, QBs, Fins, Alie-Cox

April 12th, 2017 at 5:13pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills have shown significant interest in prospective first-round quarterbacks of late, but it could be a ploy to trade down from the 10th overall pick, suggests Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. By publicly meeting with signal-callers, including North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer, the Bills might be trying to coax a QB-needy team into moving up to No. 10. Head coach Sean McDermott acknowledged that possibility Wednesday, telling WKSE-FM in Buffalo (via Mike Rodak of ESPN): “We’ll take a look at those [quarterbacks], but it doesn’t mean we’re taking a quarterback. Maybe these last three or four trips were just kind of all a smokescreen, right? It’s kind of like hiding your presents from your kids. You kind of put them in different spots and see, right? We’ll just see.” However, the Bills didn’t want the news of their meetings with QBs to leak, according to Greg Gabriel of 670theScore. Further, the fact that owner Terry Pegula has been on hand for workouts with QBs implies the Bills, despite having Tyrod Taylor, view the position as a major need, posits Gabriel (Twitter links).

More on Buffalo and one of its division rivals:

  • Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey visited the Bills on Wednesday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Having lost Stephon Gilmore and Nickell Robey-Coleman this offseason, Buffalo is in dire need of corners. PFR’s Dallas Robinson currently has Humphrey going 13th overall, right in the vicinity of the Bills’ selection.
  • The Dolphins were among 30 teams in attendance for former Virginia Commonwealth University basketball player Mo Alie-Cox‘s workout Tuesday, but just one of three to meet with him afterward, per the Richmond Times Dispatch (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). As a free agent, Alie-Cox could sign anywhere immediately, and he’s hoping to follow in the footsteps of ex-college basketball players who became successful NFL tight ends.
  • If Tennesee defensive end Derek Barnett is on the board for the Dolphins’ first-round pick, No. 22, they’ll seriously consider selecting him, writes Jackson. Barnett may end up going in the top 10, though, which would take Miami out of the running if it stays put.
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