Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Detroit Lions
Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Today’s minor roster moves:
Arizona Cardinals
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Green Bay Packers
Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC West 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 for the Cardinals, Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks are noted below.
Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. 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 West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
The Seahawks made some moves to get down to 53, including the release of last year’s backup quarterback. Here’s the full rundown:
Waived:
Waived/Injured:
Released:
Boykin has lost the backup QB job to Austin Davis and that’s not a huge surprise after Davis’ performance in the preseason. Coach Pete Carroll indicated recently that he would have liked to keep three signal callers, but it just wasn’t realistic.
“It’s a good idea if you can do it,” Carroll said. “They’re so important. It just depends on the rest of the roster.”
Today’s minor moves:
The Seahawks have placed linebacker Mike Morgan on injured reserve with a sports hernia, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Head coach Pete Carroll said Morgan will have surgery and will miss four-to-six weeks, so it’s possible that he could return off IR later in the year (link). To fill Seattle’s empty roster spot, the club will promote linebacker Jordan Tripp from the practice squad (link).
[RELATED: Seattle Seahawks Depth Chart]
Morgan, 28, is a starting linebacker in the Seahawks’ 4-3 scheme, but given that the club is the nickel the majority of the time, Morgan has only played on roughly a third of Seattle’s defensive snaps this season. A six-year NFL veteran, Morgan has spent his entire career with the Hawks and has appeared in 71 games, but he’s only started four contests. According to Carroll (link), backups Cassius Marsh and Kevin Pierre-Louis will fill in during Morgan’s absence.
In other Seahawks news, reserve defensive end Quinton Jefferson had hand surgery and will be out a few weeks (Twitter link via Condotta), while the club has waived offensive tackle Terry Poole off IR, per Condotta.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Seahawks are the latest NFL team to announce a series of draft pick signings and undrafted free agent additions, indicating in a press release that nine of their 10 draftees have been locked up, and 13 rookie free agents have joined the roster.
We heard earlier today that first-round offensive lineman Germain Ifedi had agreed to terms with his new club, and the Seahawks had also secured second-round defensive tackle Jarran Reed, third-round tight end Nick Vannett, third-round offensive lineman Rees Odhiambo, and fifth-round running back Alex Collins at that point. Seattle has since signed the following four draft picks as well, leaving only seventh-round running back Zac Brooks unsigned:
To supplement their draft class, the Seahawks have signed the following 13 UDFAs:
Having just traded up with the Dolphins to acquire the No. 147 selection, the Patriots have now sent that pick to the Seahawks. Sending Miami picks Nos. 196, 204, and 250, New England will now receive No. 225 this year and picks up Seattle’s fourth-round choice in 2017, Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com tweets.
With the pick, the Seahawks chose Maryland defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson.
Jefferson is the second defensive tackle Seattle has selected during draft weekend, with the Seahawks bolstering their front in Round 2 in the form of Alabama interior cog Jarran Reed, a player whom some draft experts tabbed as a first-round talent.
The Seahawks boast some depth inside, but haven’t invested highly in the position. They re-signed Ahtyba Rubin to a three-year deal earlier this offseason and added Sealver Siliga from the Patriots. 2013 third-rounder Jordan Hill rounds out the group that’s been bolstered this weekend. It’s the only position on the Seahawks’ defense that hasn’t received a significant financial commitment, with defensive end, inside and outside linebacker, corner and safety housing players on lucrative second contracts.
Agent Adisa Bakari, frustrated that the Bills haven’t extended one of his clients – quarterback Tyrod Taylor – propped up the signal-caller Thursday and took shots at other facets of the club (Twitter link). Bakari told SiriusXM NFL Radio that the Bills missed the playoffs last season because of a poor showing by their defense and a lack of discipline, not Taylor – whose performance Bakari referred to as “exceptional.” Bakari isn’t wrong – the Bills had a below-average defense and led the league in penalties in 2015, and Taylor was terrific statistically during his 14-game debut as a starter – but Buffalo doesn’t seem convinced he’s its long-term solution. Taylor is entering a contract year and the Bills have explored several QB prospects as the draft nears, so his chances of staying in their uniform for the long haul don’t look great at the moment.
More from the AFC…
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
The Titans, who hold the top pick in this year’s draft, have scheduled a visit with Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, writes Chase Goodbread of NFL.com. Most expect the Titans to take Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil first overall, but they’re nonetheless doing their homework on Ramsey. Should Ramsey get past the Titans, he’ll have a potential suitor in the Cowboys, who pick fourth and have already met with him, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL.com.
More draft news. . .
Zach Links contributed to this report.