Ryan Groy

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/30/20

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: K Sam Koch

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Ryan Groy; Groy remains on IR

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

COVID-19 Latest: Groy, Titans, Super Bowl

The Chargers became the latest team to close their facility because of COVID-19. Center Ryan Groy tested positive for the coronavirus, leading the Bolts to shut down in-person activities Thursday (Twitter links via ESPN’s Adam Schefter and The Athletic’s Daniel Popper). The Chargers announced they received notice of the positive test Wednesday night and have identified close contacts.

This marks the Chargers’ first positive test since the start of training camp, though Anthony Lynn said he contracted the virus in the offseason. Lynn said he has not heard from the NFL regarding a rescheduling of Sunday’s Chargers-Broncos game. Groy, however, will not make the trip to Denver. The ex-Bill has started the past three games for a Bolts team that has dealt with a litany of injuries up front. Mike Pouncey will not play this season, and 2020 acquisitions Trai Turner and Bryan Bulaga have played all of eight snaps together, with the former missing all but one game and the latter being sidelined for three.

Here is the latest from the COVID-19 front:

  • Super Bowl LV will present an atypical visual compared to the 54 prior Super Bowls. The NFL is planning its signature event to feature Raymond James Stadium at 20% capacity. This will mean approximately 15,000 fans will be present at the Tampa venue. Fans will be arranged in pods at least six feet apart, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Additionally, the NFL is not planning to move Super Bowl LV off its Feb. 7 date — even if a Week 18 makeup window is necessary. The league would eliminate the extra week between the conference championship games and Super Bowl LV in that event.
  • The NFL did not come down especially hard on the Titans for violating COVID-19 protocols, with Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reporting the league levied a $350K fine. No Titans coaches or staffers will face individual discipline, but the team will incur increased punishment if further violations occur. The Titans, whose outbreak led to 24 positive cases and multiple changes to the NFL schedule, violated mask protocols at their facility and held unsanctioned practices while they were barred from entering their building.
  • While Monday’s Giants-Buccaneers game remains on as scheduled, both teams experienced COVID-19 issues Thursday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/20

Here are Saturday’s minor moves. Many of these roster decisions involve practice squad promotions. Under the new CBA, teams are permitted to promote two P-squad players without corresponding roster moves per week. Teams can carry 55 players on their rosters for game days and can have up to 48 active.

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Promoted: RB Nathan Cottrell, TE Ben Ellefson

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Nate Brooks

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Chargers Re-Sign OL Ryan Groy

The Chargers announced that they’ve re-signed offensive lineman Ryan Groy, who appeared in nine games for the club in 2019.

Groy, 29, has served mostly as a backup during his six-year NFL career, but that could prove to be a critical role on Los Angeles’ roster in 2020. Chargers center Maurkice Pouncey missed most of the 2019 campaign with a neck injury, and while he was recently medically cleared, there’s always a chance Groy could be asked to fill in at the pivot. New right guard Trai Turner, meanwhile, has missed three games in each of the past three years, so there could be ample opportunity for Groy to play.

An undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin in 2014, Groy has appeared in 65 games and made 17 starts throughout his NFL tenure. After spending his rookie campaign with the Bears, Groy played for the Bills for four years before joining the Chargers last October.

Chargers Place C Mike Pouncey On IR

That’s a wrap on Mike Pouncey‘s season. On Wednesday, the Bolts placed the center on injured reserve, per a club announcement. 

Pouncey, a four-time Pro Bowler, exited the Chargers’ loss early on Sunday with a neck injury that required surgery. That will rule him out for the year and, potentially, could impact his ability to play beyond 2019.

The Chargers moved Dan Feeney from left guard to center to replace Pouncey, and plugged Forrest Lamp into Feeney’s spot. That’ll likely be the game plan going forward, but the club has yet to announce anything on that front.

To help fill the void, the Chargers signed center/guard Ryan Groy. Groy spent the last four seasons with the Bills and spent this past offseason with the Saints. He has 55 career appearances, including 17 starts, to his credit, with most of his time spent at center.

It’s another bad blow for the Bolts, who have already placed safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips on IR this year. On the offensive line, they’ve been without left tackle Russell Okung.

Pouncey‘s recent one-year, $9MM extension with the Chargers takes him through the 2020 season and guarantees him $5MM in new money.

NFL Workout Updates: 9/3/19

Here are today’s workout updates, all courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter) unless otherwise noted. The Saints had several recognizable players in for workouts.

Arizona Cardinals (Twitter link via veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer)

Carolina Panthers (Twitter link via Balzer)

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Brandon Hitner

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Redskins (Twitter link via Balzer)

Saints Sign Ryan Groy, Release Derek Newton

The Saints signed center Ryan Groy and safety Terrell Williams, according to a team announcement. In related moves, the club released guard Mike Herndon wide receiver Micah Wright, and tackle Derek Newton

Groy, 29 in September, spent the last four years with the Bills and made 14 starts over the last three seasons. The Bills kept him from joining the Rams by matching his offer sheet a couple of years ago, but they did not make a strong push to retain him this time around.

Newton, meanwhile, is being bumped to make room for new arrival Marshall Newhouse. The longtime starter for the Texans hasn’t been the same since he tore both patellar tendons in a 2016 game against the Broncos. He tried to rekindle his career with the Saints, but he leaves the team after suiting up for just one game.

Saints To Sign Marshall Newhouse

The Saints are set to sign offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter). Newhouse auditioned alongside fellow tackle Adam Bisnowaty and center/guard Ryan Groy on Tuesday and made a strong impression on the team. Caplan adds that the Saints could still sign one more offensive lineman, so the door could still be open for Bisnowaty or Groy in New Orleans. 

The Bills shipped Newhouse to the Panthers in September for a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick. He went on to appear in eleven games for the Saints, but started in only two of those contests. That marked a big change from 2017, when he started in all 14 of his contests for the Raiders. Over the course of his eight-year career, Newhouse has started in 72 games for the Packers, Bengals, Giants, Raiders, Bills, and Panthers.

The Saints project to start Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk at the tackle spots with support from veteran Jermon Bushrod. Newhouse probably has decent odds to make the cut following Wednesday’s release of Derek Newton.

Bills Match Rams’ Offer Sheet For Ryan Groy

The Bills are matching the offer sheet for offensive lineman Ryan Groy, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). The Rams signed him to an offer sheet earlier this week, but they’ll have to look elsewhere for a center.

Groy will now remain in Buffalo on a two-year deal worth $5MM with $3.5MM guaranteed. The Bills rolled the dice a little by giving Groy an original-round tender – which called for zero draft compensation if the former undrafted free agent was signed away – but everything worked out alright for the Bills. They have retained their the interior lineman at a reasonable price.

The Rams cut former starting center Tim Barnes earlier this month and they were hoping to make Groy his replacement.

Rams Sign Bills C Ryan Groy To Offer Sheet

The Rams made a move late tonight to potentially add a starting center, signing Bills RFA Ryan Groy to an offer sheet, Mike Rodak and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com report. It’s a two-year offer sheet worth $5MM with $3.5MM guaranteed on March 21st, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Groy inked the deal, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The ball is now in Buffalo’s court.

The Bills gave Groy and original-round tender and would not be entitled to draft compensation if they elect not to match since Groy was undrafted. Buffalo has five days to match the offer sheet. Groy was drawing interest as an RFA last week from teams who believe he could start at center or guard for them.

Groy would be expected to become the Rams’ starting center, a status he does not presently occupy with the Bills. Currently, the Rams house fourth-year player Demetrius Rhaney as their only pure center.

Eric Wood is the Bills’ starting center, although after a season-ending injury in November, Wood ceded his starting spot to Groy for the Bills’ final seven games last season. He’d previously started just three in his three-year career. Wood, though, is entering a contract year and will turn 31 on Saturday. Groy will turn 27 in September.

The Bills saw an RFA decision last year come back to bite them in allowing Chris Hogan to sign with the Patriots. Groy did grade out better than Wood in the opinion of Pro Football Focus last season, but Wood has started 104 games for the Bills since 2009 and made the Pro Bowl in 2015. So, it will be interesting to see how the Bills proceed here since Groy, too, is entering a contract year.