Nate Stupar

RFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/16

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted free agents. We’ll round up those decisions here:

Tendered

Non-Tendered

Minor Moves: Tuesday

Today’s minor moves..

  • The Toronto Argonauts of the CFL announced that they have signed running back Bernard Scott. Scott spent the bulk of his NFL career with the Bengals but also spent a couple of games with the Ravens in 2013. Over parts of five years in the league, Scott ran the ball 259 times for 1,049 yards and four touchdowns.
  • The Falcons announced that they have signed linebacker Nate Stupar to a contract extension. The specials teams ace, originally selected by the Raiders in the seventh round of the 2012 draft, was claimed off waivers by the Falcons in August of lsat year. In 2014, he appeared in 15 games and finished the season ranked second on the team with nine (seven solo) special teams tackles. Stupar had been eligible for exclusive rights free agency, and will receive a minimum salary for 2015.
  • The Jaguars signed first-year kicker Jason Myers from Marist College, as John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets. Myers connected on 24 of 38 field goal attempts in his collegiate career and also saw some time as a punter. In 2014, Myers spent some time in the Arena Football League.
  • The Colts signed free agent defensive end Earl Okine, according to team Assistant Director of Communications Matt Conti (via Twitter). Okine, a University of Florida product, signed with the Texans 2013 and has also had stints in the CFL, AFL, and FXFL.

Sunday Transactions: NFC South

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC South teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions are noted below.

Additionally, as of 11:00am CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s NFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Atlanta Falcons:

Carolina Panthers:

New Orleans Saints:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Jaguars Cut Roster To 53 Players

SATURDAY, 4:52pm: As Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union notes (via Twitter), the following players were cut by the Jags today:

Since Ace Sanders is headed for the reserve-suspended list, the team was able to keep guard Tyler Shatley – who was reported below as having been cut – on its 53-man roster, tweets Oehser.

FRIDAY, 4:01pm: In addition to confirming the cuts noted below, the Jaguars have announced a slew of additional roster moves. Via John Oehser of Jaguars.com, here’s the full list, which reduces the team’s active roster count to 57 players:

Cut:

  • Cody Booth, OT
  • Chad Bumphis, WR
  • Deandre Coleman, DL
  • Ricky Havili-Heimuli, DT
  • Craig Loston, S
  • Drew Nowak, G
  • Kasey Redfern, K/P
  • Gerald Rivers, DE
  • Tyler Shatley, G
  • D.J. Tialavea, TE
  • Marcus Whitfield, LB

Waived-injured:

Place on injured reserve:

3:33pm: The Jaguars have started the process of reducing the number of players on their active roster from 75 to 53, as they look to finalize their regular-season roster in time for tomorrow’s deadline. Here are Jacksonville’s Friday cuts, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:

AFC Notes: Jaguars, Ravens, Browns

Paul Posluszny is one of the few constants in Jacksonville. Unfortunately, losing is another. But, that’s not his fault, as he’s played in all but one game in three seasons with the team and is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance.

But, as The Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran writes, there is uncertainty aside from Posluszny in the Jaguars linebacker room. Projected starters Dekoda Watson and Geno Hayes have been battling injuries, and backups LaRoy Reynolds and Telvin Smith are mostly untested.

O’Halloran remarks that linebackers coach Robert Saleh, defensive coordinator Bob Babish and coach Gus Bradley will focus on the group intently, and he assumes that the aforementioned five linebackers are safe, which leaves a single roster spot for J.T. Thomas, John Lotulelei, Nate Stupar, Allen Bradford and Marcus Whitfield.

More notes from the AFC:

  • The future of Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith is not likely to be affected after his arrest for disorderly conduct, CSNBaltimore.com’s Clifton Brown reports. The team has already exercised Smith’s fifth-year option and plans to sign him to a long-term deal.
  • Joining the Seahawks, Broncos and Ravens, the Browns will use a live animal as its mascot, according to Cleveland.com’s Tom Reed. Swagger, a bullmastiff, will lead the team onto the field before games.