Minor NFL Transactions: 4/14/16
Raiders restricted free agent Neiko Thorpe signed his tender today, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The 26-year-old defensive back had a career season in 2015, compiling career-highs in tackles (40), passes defended (six), and interceptions (one) while starting two of his 14 games.
The rest of today’s minor moves:
- The Patriots re-signed running back Tyler Gaffney, as Wilson tweets. .Gaffney was injured throughout his two seasons with New England
- The Seahawks have signed ERFA cornerback DeShawn Shead, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Colts announced that restricted free agent tight end Jack Doyle has signed his qualifying offer. Doyle has spent the last three seasons with the Colts after being claimed off waivers from Tennessee in September 2013. The Western Kentucky product has played in 47 career games (seven starts) and caught 35 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns.
- Washington announced the waiving of outside linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat, as Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com tweets.
- The Broncos cut tight end Nick Kasa with a non-football injury designation, Wilson tweets.
- The Giants signed ERFA punter Brad Wing, Wilson tweets.
- The Broncos signed exclusive-rights free agent center Matt Paradis, as Wilson tweets.
- The Patriots have waived linebacker/special teamer Eric Martin, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/10/16
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The Broncos signed nine practice squad players to reserve-futures contracts, as Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post writes. Receiver Jordan Taylor, running back Kapri Bibbs, safety Ryan Murphy, guard Dillon Day, tackles Cameron Jefferson and Kyle Roberts, tight end Nick Kasa, defensive end George Uko, and linebacker Zaire Anderson all have new deals with Denver. Taylor served as as Peyton Manning‘s personal practice receiver in 2015 when he rehabbed from his foot injury. Murphy was sent packing during Super Bowl week after being involved, but not arrested in a prostitution sting in San Jose. In a related move, Northern Colorado receiver Jace Davis was waived.
- On Wednesday, the Eagles announced that linebacker Najee Goode has been signed to a new one-year contract. Originally a fifth-round draft pick of Tampa Bay in 2012, Goode was claimed off of waivers by the Eagles in September 2013. After a pectoral injury suffered in the 2014 opener against Jacksonville put him on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season, Goode returned to form in 2015.
- The Saints have re-signed fullback Austin Johnson, as Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune writes. Johnson, 26, was an exclusive-rights free agent. In his three years with the Saints, Johnson has bounced between the active roster and the taxi squad. Johnson has played in 17 games in the last two seasons, rushing 12 times for 31 yards and catches seven passes for 45 yards. He is also a frequent contributor on special teams. As Woodbery notes, Johnson will likely compete with fullback Toben Opurum for a roster spot in 2016. Besides the two fullbacks, New Orleans already has four other tailbacks under contract for 2016, not counting free agents Khiry Robinson (RFA), Tim Hightower, Travaris Cadet, and Kendall Hunter.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/25/16
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including reserve/futures signings and practice squad moves:
- Having been eliminated from the postseason, the Patriots began signing their practice squad players to reserve/futures contracts today. Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the following players inked futures deals with New England:
- Chris Barker, G
- DeAndre Carter, WR
- Joey Iosefa, FB
- Rashaan Melvin, CB
- Keavon Milton, OL
- Cedric Thompson, S
- Brock Vereen, S
- The Broncos have the flexibility to continue to make changes to their practice squad since they’re still alive in the playoffs, and apparently did so today by releasing tight end Dan Light from their 10-man unit. Light himself tweeted word of the move this afternoon. To replace Light on their practice squad, the Broncos signed fellow TE Nick Kasa, according to Mike Klis of 9News (via Twitter).
Workout Notes: Broncos, Moore, Thomas
Earlier today, we learned that former first-round pick Phil Taylor is auditioning for the Vikings. However, he’s not the only notable player to show his stuff for an NFL team this week. Here’s the full rundown:
- The Broncos auditioned wide receivers DeVier Posey, Greg Little, and Denarius Moore plus running back Daniel Thomas, according to PFT (on Twitter). Moore didn’t have a single reception during his time with the Bills this year and he was cut loose in late November. He worked out for the Packers on December 1st, but nothing came of that tryout.
- The Broncos also worked out tight end/fullback Manasseh Garner today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Tight end Nick Kasa and quarterback Ryan Lindley also showed their stuff for the Broncos, as Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Panthers worked out former Chiefs first-round pick wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Panthers also auditioned wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Baldwin, the 26th overall pick of the 2011 draft, has 44 career receptions for 607 yards, mostly with the Chiefs.
- The Cardinals will work out Edmonton Eskimos corner Aaron Grymes today, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Grymes was a CFL All-Star this past season, intercepting four passes and even returned one for a touchdown. In three seasons with the Eskimos, Grymes has eight interceptions total.
Workout Notes: Steelers, Broncos, Bears
The Steelers, who have been leaning heavily on DeAngelo Williams since Le’Veon Bell went down for the year, worked out former Rams and Jets running back Daryl Richardson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). It doesn’t appear Pittsburgh will sign Richardson at this point, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the free agent market, considering Jordan Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint – Williams’ current backups – have combined for just four carries this season.
Here are more workout notes from Wilson:
- The Broncos had a huge group of players in for tryouts this week, and Wilson (Twitter links) has the full list:
- FB Ray Agnew
- TE Brandon Barden
- DT Alex Bienemann
- TE Cameron Clear
- WR Jace Davis
- WR Antwan Goodley
- WR R.J. Harris
- C Alex Hill
- T Cameron Jefferson
- WR Jordan Leslie
- QB Seth Lobato
- WR Levi Norwood
- QB Bryn Renner
- T Jack Rummells
- WR Demetrius Wilson
- Tight end Rob Housler was part of the Bears‘ latest workout group, which also featured tight end Nick Kasa and wide receiver Marcus Lucas, according to Wilson (Twitter link). Chicago’s starting tight end, Martellus Bennett, is expected to return to action this weekend, so I wouldn’t expect the team to add another player at the position.
- The Cardinals auditioned linebackers Josh Francis, Quayshawn Nealy, Markus Pierce-Brewster, and Mike Reilly, along with cornerback Jalil Brown, tweets Wilson.
- In addition to working out offensive tackle Pierce Burton, who signed to the team’s practice squad, the Colts also took a look at defensive end Nordly Capi and defensive back Terrance Mitchell, says Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Raiders tried out safety Dewey McDonald, tweets Wilson. McDonald was signed by the Patriots last week, but only lasted two days on New England’s roster.
Workout Notes: Titans, Brown, Johnson, Dixon
Just over seven months after he announced his retirement from the NFL, cornerback Cortland Finnegan had a workout today with the Patriots. Finnegan, 31, was one of the league’s worst cornerbacks in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. PFF ranked Finnegan 109th out of 110 qualified corners, with a grade of -19.7 in just seven games. As such, it came as a bit of a surprise when Miami inked the former Ram to a two-year, $11MM deal in 2014. He might not be worthy of that kind of pay, but he could make for an intriguing depth option for the Pats or another team.
Here’s a rundown of today’s other workouts from around the NFL, with all links going to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post on Twitter, unless noted otherwise..
- The Titans worked out running backs Bryce Brown, Storm Johnson, George Arkinson and quarterback Michael German (link).
- Safety Ahmad Dixon worked out for the Bengals today, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Falcons worked out linebackers Emmanuel Acho, Carlos Fields, Khaseem Greene, and Ronald Powell (link).
- The Panthers tried out Nate Askew, Chykie Brown, Bradley Fletcher, Connor Hamlett, Douglas McNeil, Bear Pascoe, and cornerback Cassius Vaughn (Twitter links).
- The Bears worked out defensive backs Ri’Shard Anderson, Robert McClain, Brandian Ross, and Pierre Warren (link).
- The Broncos worked out Harold Spears, Paul Browning, DaVaris Daniels, Sage Harold, John Lowdermilk, Andrew McDonald, and Ryan Murphy (Twitter links).
- The Lions worked out Desmond Martin and Corey Washington (link).
- The Colts worked out Carrington Byndom and Jeromy Miles (link).
- The Dolphins worked out defensive backs Garry Peters and Kevin White (link).
- The Jaguars worked out wide receivers Jordan Leslie, Uzoma Nwachukwu, and L’Damian Washington (link).
- The Vikings worked out defensive lineman Chigbo Anunoby (link).
- The Patriots worked out center Jared Smith (link).
- The Jets worked out Greg Scruggs and Marcus Lucas (link).
- The Seahawks worked out Darius Eubanks, Danny Gorrer, Damaris Johnson, Nick Kasa, Horace Miller, Dontay Moch, Tyler Slavin, Matthew Wells (link). They also hosted Harold Spears and Dax Swanson (link).
- Washington worked out Tommy Streeter, Nick Harwell, Anthony Johnson, Toby Johnson, Ronald Powell, Kelcy Quarles, and Julius Warmsley (link).
Workout Notes: Patriots, Texans, Bucs, Eagles
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..
- The Texans gave former Notre Dame wide receiver DaVaris Daniels a tryout, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
- Washington worked out defensive backs Aaron Hester and Ri’Shard Anderson, Wilson tweets.
- The Buccaneers tried out cornerbacks Dax Swanson, Jemea Thomas, and Robert Steeples, punters Spencer Roth and Michael Palardy, cornerback Keon Lyn, and kicker/punter Jordan Gay, Wilson tweets.
- The Eagles tried out tight end Cameron Clear, center Brian Folkerts, tight end Richard Gordon, and outside linebacker Gerald Rivers, Wilson tweets.
- The Texans tried out wide receivers Josh Lenz, DaVaris Daniels and Corey Washington, Wilson tweets. Daniels recently worked out for the Bears but was not signed.
Workout Notes: 9/23/15
Teams around the NFL are bringing in players for workouts, surveying the free agent landscape for possible practice squad additions or 53-man roster players, either for the near future or down the road. Here are a few of the latest auditions from across the league, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (all links go to Twitter):
AFC:
- Former Broncos cornerback Tony Carter had a workout with the Ravens, who have liked him for a while. Of course, up until very recently, Carter was under contract with Denver.
- In addition to Matt Huffer, whose workout was reported yesterday, offensive linemen Kevin Graf, Antonio Johnson, and Travis Bond, along with defensive ends Matt Conrath and Xzavier Dickson, were among the players who auditioned for the Broncos this week.
- We already heard that the Jets brought in multiple receivers this week for workouts, and we can add a few more names to that list: DaVaris Daniels, Titus Davis, and Josh Lenz got a look from New York.
- It was a linebacker-heavy workout group this week in Jacksonville, as the Jaguars auditioned Jeff Luc, Alex Singleton, and Jordan Tripp, in addition to Jayson DiManche, whose workout was previously reported.
- We can add tight end Nick Kasa, guard Joe Looney, wide receiver Marcus Lucas, ex-Niners tackle Sean Hooey, and former Titans tackle Byron Stingily to the list of players who tried out for the Dolphins this week. We learned yesterday that tight end Adrien Robinson also visited the team.
- The lengthy roster of players who auditioned this week for the Titans: cornerbacks Robert McClain, Robert Steeples, Shaun Prater, and Carrington Byndom; safeties Jean Fanor and Robert Lester; and wide receiver Nick Toon.
NFC:
- The Panthers brought in several defensive backs for tryouts, taking a look at Richard Crawford, Ras-I Dowling, and Tajh Hasson.
- Wide receiver Deonte Thompson turned an audition with the Bears into a practice squad spot this week, but he wasn’t the only player to work out for the team. The club also brought in wide receiver DeVier Posey, quarterback Alex Tanney, and QB Justin Worley.
- The Lions were eyeing veteran defensive backs this week, with ex-Giants safety Stevie Brown, longtime Panthers safety Charles Godfrey, and former Raiders DB Brandian Ross all coming in for auditions. The club also worked out tight end Mickey Shuler.
- Defensive tackle Deandre Coleman, cut from the Dolphins’ practice squad last week, and former Broncos defensive end Quanterus Smith both worked out for the Seahawks this week.
- After being removed from the Patriots’ injured reserve list last week, wide receiver Jonathan Krause tried out for the Eagles.
- Washington auditioned two linebackers who hit the open market within the last few weeks, bringing in ex-Bengal Nico Johnson and former Seahawk Alex Singleton. It’s been a busy week for Singleton, who also worked out for the Jaguars, as noted above.
- The Packers took a look this week at tight end Blake Annen, defensive tackle Justin Hamilton, CFL linebacker Henoc Muamba, and linebacker Josh Shirley.
East Notes: JPP, Giants, DeflateGate
Here’s a look at the latest out of the East Divisions..
- The New York Daily News has obtained pictures of Jason Pierre-Paul‘s injured hand and the photos indicate that his condition could be worse than his camp has been letting on. The Giants defensive end is missing an index finger and his middle finger is heavily bandaged. Perhaps the most notable part of the photo is that JPP is without a good chunk of his thumb. Previously, JPP’s people said that missing a piece from his thumb, but that it was just the tip of the digit.
- This week, the Giants auditioned LB Khairi Fortt, DT Kwame Geathers, LB Adrian Hubbard, TE Nick Kasa, WR Josh Lenz, TE Jake Murphy, and LB Jordan Tripp, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants also worked out LB James Morris and G Vinston Painter before signing them to the practice squad.
- In an interview with WEEI, Peter King said that even with everything that has happened between Roger Goodell and the Patriots, he doesn’t think that Robert Kraft wants the commissioner fired because of the business man that he is.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Raiders waived tight end Nick Kasa with a failed physical designation, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). Oakland also bid farewell to cornerback Jansen Watson, defensive tackle Kona Scwhenke, linebacker Justin Jackson, and linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu, according to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter).
- The Chargers added tight end depth by claiming Kyle Miller off waivers from the Falcons, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. Before landing in Atlanta, spent time with the Colts in 2012. To make room on the roster, the Bolts have waived defensive end Damik Scafe.
- The Seahawks waived five players today, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Seattle cut ties with Justin Renfrow, Mike Taylor, Julius Warmsley, Jared Wheeler, and Mike Zimmer. Taylor was waived with a failed physical designation.
- The Dolphins announced (via Twitter) that they have waived defensive back T.J. Heath, kicker Zach Hocker, and defensive back Lowell Rose.