HEADLINES

Nick Williams (WR)

RFA/ERFA Signings: 4/18/16

April 18th, 2016 at 6:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ll round the latest news on restricted and exclusive-rights free agents here…

Falcons Extend DiMarco, Matthews

February 26th, 2015 at 7:40am CST by Dallas Robinson

THURSDAY, 7:40am: Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com passes along contract details for Matthews and DiMarco, noting that both players signed two-year deals with minimum salaries in each season. DiMarco’s new pact includes a $75K signing bonus.

TUESDAY, 1:45pm: The Falcons have gotten a jump on free agency by agreeing to contract extensions with two role players, fullback Patrick DiMarco and defensive end Cliff Matthews, the club announced in a press release. Both players signed multi-year deals, adds D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta also announced that it has signed free agent receiver Nick Williams.

DiMarco, 25, has been with the Falcons since 2013, having previously spent time with the Chiefs and Chargers. During his two years in Atlanta, he’s started 14 games, catching 17 passes for 111 yards and one score. DiMarco saw 214 snaps last season, but graded out negatively according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He’s currently the only fullback on the Falcons’ roster.

Matthews saw even fewer snaps than DiMarco in 2014 (116), but he was an important factor on special teams, where he added three tackles. Like DiMarco, Matthews is a South Carolina alum — the latter was originally selected by Atlanta in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. Earlier today, we heard the Falcons were still evaluating which players fit their new scheme before making any transactions, so it seems like they’ve determined Matthews could mesh with new head coach Dan Quinn’s unit.

Williams, meanwhile, went undrafted in 2013 out of UConn, and went on to sign with Washington. He played in five games during his rookie season, acting as both a receiver and return man. His value in Atlanta will likely come on special teams duty.

Minor Moves: Cardinals, Falcons

February 25th, 2015 at 7:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Tonight’s minor moves..

  • Former Chiefs defensive back Damond Smith has signed with the Cardinals, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Smith was with KC before being removed from the Chiefs’ injured reserve with an injury settlement in September. The 23-year-old previously played for the British Columbia Lions of the CFL.
  • Former UConn wide receiver Nick Williams has signed with the Falcons, according to Zac Boyer of The Washington Times (on Twitter). Williams first joined Washington as an undrafted free agent in 2013.

South Notes: Texans, Panthers, Workouts

November 26th, 2014 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The South is the only divisional region not represented in this week’s Thanksgiving action, but that doesn’t mean there’s not news coming out of the divisions. Here’s the latest from around the AFC and NFC South:

  • With Ryan Mallett out for the year, the Texans didn’t get much of an opportunity to see if he might be the team’s quarterback of the future. As such, the club is unlikely to count on him for 2015, and may be back to the drawing board when it comes to finding a QB. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report examines the Texans’ “quarterback purgatory,” while John McClain of the Houston Chronicle writes that finding a big-time signal-caller should be atop the team’s offseason to-do list.
  • The Panthers lost multiple offensive linemen during the offseason and have seen even more fall to injuries since the season got underway. As the team assesses its options for the rest of this year, a team source tells Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer that addressing the tackle positions in either free agency or the draft will be a top priority this coming offseason.
  • In addition to working out Terrance Parks, whom they signed to their practice squad, the Texans also auditioned safeties M.D. Jennings and DeJon Gomes, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • According to Wilson (via Twitter), the Colts auditioned several pass-catchers this week, including tight end Michael Flacco and wideouts Jace Davis and Nick Williams. The club also brought in offensive lineman Kitt O’Brien for a tryout.
  • The Buccaneers signed a pair of tight ends earlier this week, and took a look at at least one more before making their decision, per Wilson, who tweets that the team worked out veteran free agent Tom Crabtree.

NFC Notes: Murray, Harbaugh, House

October 10th, 2014 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL’s leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, told Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com today that he’s happy his camp has opened extension talks with the Cowboys, though he acknowledged it’s not something he’s focused on at this point. While Murray’s hot start in the final year of his rookie contract has made him a logical extension candidate, Joel Corry of the National Football Post notes that even in a career year, the running back may not receive a huge offer from the Cowboys. The team also has to address other potential free agents like wideout Dez Bryant, and if Murray’s workload continues at its current pace, the club could have concerns about his future production, particularly given his past durability issues.

As we wait to see if negotiations between Murray and the Cowboys move forward, let’s take a look at a few more notes from around the NFC….

  • In the view of ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, it would be an upset if Jim Harbaugh is still coaching the 49ers in 2015. While Schefter isn’t entirely ruling out the possibility, he says he “wouldn’t count on it right now.”
  • Davon House‘s name is a little ways down on the Packers‘ depth chart, but the cornerback could be setting himself up for a nice payday in the offseason based on his performance, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Pass-Gazette. So far, the team has yet to talk to House’s agent about an extension. “If I continue what I’ve been doing, good things are to come, here or somewhere else,” House said. “Hopefully here.”
  • Top draft pick Marcus Smith is itching to get on the field more, but Eagles coach Chip Kelly says he won’t rush things with the young linebacker, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We don’t look at a guy and say, ‘Hey, he’s this, we have to force him in,’ ” Kelly said. “I think you’d lose the rest of the guys on your team if you say, ‘Why are you playing this guy? Just because we drafted him high.’ He has to prove that he deserves playing time.”
  • Wide receiver Nick Williams, who was released from Washington’s practice squad about a month ago, tried out this week for the Falcons, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

September 9th, 2014 at 9:24pm CST by Luke Adams

With Week 2 of the NFL season underway, teams have begun to again modify their 10-man practice squads. We’ll have Tuesday’s updates right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Eagles signed linebacker Brandon Hepburn and offensive lineman Tyler Hoover to the practice squad, writes Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, they released linebacker Colton Underwood, who was signed to the practice squad last week.
  • Running back Chris Rainey and cornerback Teddy Williams have joined the Cardinals‘ practice squad, taking the spots of receiver Kevin Cone and running back Dominique Williams, who was placed on the PS-injured list, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.
  • The Redskins have made a couple more changes to their practice squad. According to Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch (via Twitter), former Virginia Tech defensive tackle Derrick Hopkins has been added, while Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that cornerback Richard Crawford has been cut.
  • In order to make room for the previously-reported practice squad addition of wideout Greg Herd, the Bears have terminated the contract of defensive tackle Roy Philon, the team announced today (via Twitter).
  • Linebacker Josh Kaddu has filled the final opening on the Vikings‘ practice squad, the club announced (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • Tight end Michael Egnew, a former third-round pick, has signed to the Jaguars’ practice squad, replacing offensive tackle Cody Booth, the club announced today in a press release. Tight end Reggie Jordan was also removed from Jacksonville’s injured reserve list.
  • The Chiefs will sign tight end Adam Schiltz to their practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). We heard yesterday that wideout Armon Binns would also join Kansas City’s practice squad, so the club will have to cut two players from the unit to make the additions official.
  • With an opening on their practice squad, the Broncos have filled it by signing tight end Dominique Jones, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
  • The Redskins have cut wide receiver Nick Williams from their practice squad, a source tells Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (Twitter link).

Sunday/Monday Transactions: NFC East

September 1st, 2014 at 10:20am CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC East 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 East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Dallas Cowboys:

New York Giants:

Philadelphia Eagles:

Washington Redskins:

Redskins Trim Roster To 53

August 30th, 2014 at 4:54pm CST by Ben Levine

4:54pm: The Redskins have finalized their roster, announcing the following moves via press release:

Waived:

Placed on injured reserve:

Placed on reserve/physically unable to perform list:

8:41am: We learned yesterday that the Redskins let go of eight players, and the team has continued to make cuts this morning. While none of the moves have been announced officially, here is a running list of the team’s reported cuts:

NFC Mailbags: Giants, Redskins, Packers, Rams

July 19th, 2014 at 5:06pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening up their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s check out some interesting tidbits from the NFC…