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Workout Notes: Patriots, Texans, Bucs, Eagles

October 12th, 2015 at 6:22pm CST by Zachary Links

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..

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/15

September 14th, 2015 at 8:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves…

  • The Packers have removed wide receiver Larry Pinkard from their IR with an injury settlement, and the Chiefs have done the same with tight end Richard Gordon, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

  • Not long after claiming him off waivers from the Bears, the Cowboys have cut offensive tackle Jordan Mills, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), taking Mills’ spot on the roster is another offensive tackle, Charles Brown, who worked out for Dallas last week.
  • The Bears have made a change on defense, re-signing outside linebacker Sam Acho and placing defensive end Cornelius Washington on injured reserve, according to Caplan (Twitter links). Acho was cut by Chicago on Saturday with a non-football illness designation, but it didn’t take him long to make his way back to the roster.
  • The Saints are signing safety Kenny Phillips, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Phillips was with New Orleans all summer before being released last week as a late cut. After free safety Rafael Bush suffered a chest injury on Sunday, Phillips will help provide New Orleans with additional depth.
  • The Saints have also re-signed two players they cut on Saturday, adding running back Tim Hightower and offensive lineman Mike McGlynn back to their roster, tweets Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune. New Orleans waived fullback Toben Opurum and wide receiver Seantavius Jones to accommodate the returning players.
  • In a reversal of the team’s weekend transactions, Washington signed defensive end Frank Kearse and cut linebacker Houston Bates, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes.
  • The Jets have officially activated backup offensive lineman Oday Aboushi from their reserve/suspended list after he missed Week 1 due to a substance abuse violation, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. For now, the Jets have a roster exemption for Aboushi, but they’ll have to decide this week whether to cut him or to move him to their 53-man roster, removing someone else.
  • According to Caplan (Twitter links), the Raiders have released safety Brandian Ross off their injured reserve list, and the Lions have done the same with wide receiver Greg Salas, giving him an injury settlement.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Chiefs Deal Kelcie McCray To Seahawks, Set Roster

September 5th, 2015 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chiefs announced 22 roster moves today, and one of them was of particular interest — according to a team release, the club sent safety Kelcie McCray to the Seahawks in a trade for an undisclosed draft pick. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com fills in the details, tweeting that Kansas City gets a fifth-rounder in the deal.

Recent reports had suggested that Seattle was seeking depth at its safety position, with Kam Chancellor still holding out and Earl Thomas returning from a serious injury. In McCray, the Seahawks get a solid backup who primarily served as a special-teamer last season for the Chiefs.

Here are Kansas City’s 21 other moves that get the tea down from a 75-man roster to just 53 players:

Cut:

  • WR Da’Ron Brown
  • DE Mike Catapano
  • S Sanders Commings
  • LB Ja’Gared Davis
  • DT Hebron Fangupo
  • C Garrett Frye
  • DL David Irving
  • LB James-Michael Johnson
  • C Eric Kush
  • WR Donatella Luckett
  • C Daniel Munyer
  • DB Deji Olatoye
  • G Jarrod Pughsley
  • RB Darrin Reaves
  • DB Kevin Short
  • T Derek Sherrod
  • TE Ryan Taylor
  • FB Spencer Ware
  • WR Fred Williams

Placed on injured reserve:

  • TE Richard Gordon

Reserve/suspended:

  • CB Sean Smith

Chiefs Re-Sign Jason Avant, Two Others

March 13th, 2015 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chiefs have re-signed three players who finished the 2014 season with the team, according to a press release. The club announced that wide receiver Jason Avant, tight end Richard Gordon, and safety Kelcie McCray will all be returning to Kansas City.

Avant, who turns 32 next month, joined the Chiefs late last season after being cut by the Panthers, and grabbed 13 balls for 152 yards in his five games with the club. He’ll reunite with Jeremy Maclin, his old Eagles teammate, under Andy Reid in Kansas City this season.

Gordon also joined the Chiefs late in the season, playing 17 offensive snaps for the team over the last two weeks of the year. He also saw a little time on special teams, though not nearly as much as McCray, who logged nine tackles in kick and punt coverage for the Chiefs.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

December 2nd, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today’s minor 53-man roster moves from around the NFL, with the latest transactions added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Chiefs have replaced one tight end with another, signing Richard Gordon to their roster and waiving Phillip Supernaw to accommodate the move, per a team release. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun first tweeted the news that Supernaw was being released.
  • The Colts have agreed to terms with free agent offensive tackle Andrew McDonald, cutting tight end Weslye Saunders in the corresponding move, tweets Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. The release of Saunders suggests that tight end Dwayne Allen, out with an ankle injury, should be ready to go next week against the Browns.
  • Defensive tackle Kwame Geathers, who had been on the Chargers‘ injured reserve list since the preseason, has been deemed healthy and was cut from IR, according to Wilson (via Twitter).

Minor Moves: Wednesday

November 26th, 2014 at 7:02pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to tracking Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts, we’ll also be keeping tabs on minor transactions involving teams’ 53-man rosters. Here’s the latest:

  • The Saints have promoted defensive tackle Lawrence Virgil to the 53-man roster in the wake of Brodrick Bunkley‘s injury, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate (via Twitter).
  • A day after being cut by the Buccaneers, wide receiver and kick returner Marcus Thigpen has been claimed off waivers by the Bills, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, adding that Buffalo has released defensive end Bryan Johnson in the corresponding move (Twitter links). Presumably the Bills are eyeing Thigpen as a return specialist, despite the fact that he muffed a couple punts in recent weeks for the Bucs.
  • After injuring his foot more than a month ago, tight end David Ausberry has finally been moved to the injured reserve list by the Raiders, with the team promoting defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin from the practice squad to take Ausberry’s place on the roster. Oakland announced the pair of transactions today in a press release.

Earlier updates:

  • The Bears have placed veteran offensive lineman Brian De La Puente on their injured reserve list due to an ankle injury, the team announced today (Twitter link). The former Saint played both center and guard for Chicago this season, earning more than 500 overall snaps. He’ll be replaced on the 53-man roster by defensive tackle Brandon Dunn, who was promoted from the practice squad.
  • Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (Twitter link) confirms that the Cowboys have indeed placed Jack Crawford on season-ending IR, as was speculated below.
  • The Titans have plucked a player from their head coach’s old team, signing outside linebacker Kaelin Burnett from off the Cardinals‘ practice squad, the club announced today (via Twitter). Tight end Richard Gordon has been cut from Tennessee’s active roster to make room for Burnett.
  • In advance of tomorrow’s game against the Eagles, the Cowboys will call up linebacker Keith Smith from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas. Archer doesn’t have the corresponding move for us yet, but speculates that defensive end Jack Crawford could be placed on injured reserve due to a broken thumb.
  • Defensive lineman Nick Williams has signed with the Chiefs, taking the active roster spot vacated by Eric Berry, who is on the non-football illness list.

Titans Sign Richard Gordon

October 22nd, 2014 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

In addition to finalizing the trade that sent linebacker Akeem Ayers to the Patriots this morning, the Titans have also completed a handful of other roster moves. The team announced today (via Twitter) that it has added tight end Richard Gordon to its 53-man roster, and signed linebacker Nate Askew and wideout Derek Moye to its practice squad.

Gordon, 27, has spent time with the Raiders, Chiefs, and Steelers, catching four passes for 14 yards and a touchdown during his three-year NFL career. The majority of his contributions have come on special teams, where he has accumulated 19 tackles in kick and punt coverage, per Pro Football Focus. Although he takes the roster spot vacated by Ayers, Gordon is essentially a replacement for tight end Brett Brackett, who was waived by Tennessee earlier this week.

Askew and Moye, meanwhile, take the two open spots on the Titans’ practice squad, so no corresponding cuts are necessary to make room for them.

North Notes: Hoyer, Rice, Lions, Packers

October 16th, 2014 at 8:31pm CST by Zachary Links

No team in the league has gotten more production out of less talent than this year’s Browns, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Starting quarterback Brian Hoyer, who continues to delay the full-time arrival of Johnny Manziel, was an undrafted free agent. Backup running back Isaiah Corwell was also a UDFA and the same goes for the team’s three top wide receivers Andrew Hawkins, Miles Austin, and Taylor Gabriel. The Browns will look to go to 4-2 when they take on the Jaguars on Sunday. More from the North divisions..

  • A source tells Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press that a neutral arbiter is expected to make a decision early next week on whether Roger Goodell should testify in the Ray Rice case. The NFLPA, of course, is going to bat for the former Ravens running back on his indefinite suspension.
  • The Lions tried out tight ends Kellen Davis and Richard Gordon today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter, via Michael Rothstein). Detroit worked out a number of players on Tuesday, but none at the tight end position.
  • The Packers had former Mississippi State safety Nickoe Whitley in for a visit, but he didn’t work out for them, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Whitley signed with the Browns this year after going undrafted. The Packers were among the teams who scoped out Whitley at his school’s pro day, so they have some level of familiarity with him.

AFC Notes: Irsay, Titans, Chiefs, Wright

October 9th, 2014 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos and Patriots were widely regarded before the season as the frontrunners to come out of the AFC this season, and while both teams are off to decent starts, it’s the 4-1 Chargers that currently sit atop the conference. Not only has Philip Rivers led San Diego to a league-best record, but the team’s +70 point differential is the NFL’s best by a wide margin — the Broncos and Pats have a combined +45 margin between them.

As we look forward to see if the Chargers can continue their winning ways against the 0-4 Raiders this weekend, let’s round up a few notes from around the AFC….

  • Colts owner Jim Irsay will be back working – and presumably tweeting – later this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Irsay’s six-game suspension ends tomorrow, following the team’s appearance on Thursday Night Football.
  • The Titans took a look at a handful of tight ends this week, working out Richard Gordon, Matthew Mulligan, Steve Maneri, and Jeron Mastrud, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Caplan adds that the club also auditioned quarterback Ricky Stanzi.
  • The Chiefs had several players in for workouts this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), who lists the following free agents as having tried out for Kansas City: Tight ends Brandon Barden and Michael Flacco, linebackers Brandon Copeland and Carlos Fields, wideout Jamar Howard, and long snappers Jorgen Hus and Tyler Ott.
  • Tight end Tim Wright, who was acquired by the Patriots via trade prior to the regular season, is starting to get comfortable within New England’s offensive system, as Howard Ulman of The Associated Press writes.

Extra Points: Green-Ellis, Rice, Bengals, Bucs

September 17th, 2014 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

A few NFL teams are starting to see their backfields thin out a little as the season progresses, whether due to suspensions (Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson) or injuries (Mark Ingram, Jamaal Charles, Knowshon Moreno, and others). While most of those clubs have relied on in-house replacements so far, veteran free agent BenJarvus Green-Ellis has received some inquiries from teams, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).

According to La Canfora (via Twitter), the former Bengal, who is coming off a preseason hip injury, continues to rehab and work toward full health. When he’s ready to play, Green-Ellis should be able to find a job, since there are plenty of potential suitors monitoring him now.

Here are a few more Wednesday odds and ends from around the NFL:

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