NFL Workout Updates: 10/4/16
We’re a quarter of the way through the regular season, and clubs are constantly updating their emergency lists of players. Let’s take a look at the latest reported auditions and visits, which we’ve divided by conference due to today’s sheer volume:
AFC
- The Raiders took a look at linebackers Danny Lansanah and Tyrell Adams, according to Caplan (Twitter link). Oakland eventually settled on Perry Riley as its new linebacker.
- Before he signed with the Browns’ practice squad, offensive lineman Mike Liedtke worked out for the Ravens and was scheduled to audition for the Jaguars, according to his agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). Baltimore also tried out veteran safety Shamiel Gary today, per Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Gary has also been linked to the Giants in recent days.
- The Ravens didn’t stop there, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter link): Baltimore also worked out defensive backs Jeron Johnson and Ryan Murphy, linebackers Jamari Lattimore and Andy Mulumba, and guard Ian Silberman.
- Former Liberty quarterback Josh Woodrum, former Tampa Bay wide receiver Kenny Bell, and long snapper Jon Akemon all worked out with the Chiefs today, according to NFL Draft Diamonds (on Twitter).
- The Titans auditioned defenseive tackle Trevon Coley, wide receivers Donteea Dye and Wendall Williams, and defensive end Farrington Huguenin, tweets Balzer.
NFC
- The Falcons auditioned linebacker Jayson DiManche, kicker Mike Meyer, and punter Michael Palardy, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Palardy, for his part, ended up signing with Atlanta’s practice squad, which could be an indication that active roster punter Matt Bosher is banged up.
- Perhaps bracing for a Lane Johnson suspension, the Eagles today worked out former Washington offensive lineman Josh LeRibeus, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. LeRibeus started 11 games for the Redskins in 2015, but still couldn’t make it past final cutdowns. Philadelphia also looked at guard Matt Rotheram and tackle Pearce Slater, per Balzer (Twitter link).
- The Lions worked out offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds and DL/T Brian Mihalik today, per Caplan (Twitter link).
- Former Denver defensive lineman David Moala worked out for the Panthers today, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Carolina also auditioned DT Bruce Gaston and DE Chris McCain, per Balzer (Twitter link).
- Safety Trae Elston and Shakiel Randolph tried out for the Buccaneers today, as Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets.
- Tight ends Rory Anderson, Joel Ruiz, and De’Runnya Wilson all worked out for the Bears today, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- In addition to defensive end Sterling Bailey, whom the Seahawks signed to their practice squad, Seattle tried out defensive end Jeoffrey Pagan, linebacker Deion Barnes, and defensive tackle Greg Milhouse, reports Balzer (Twitter link).
- The Cardinals met with free agent tight end Brian Leonhardt, according to Balzer (Twitter link).
Practice Squad Updates: 9/22/16
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Cleveland Browns
- Cut: P Michael Palardy
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: C Shane McDermott
- Cut: C Jake Brendel (Twitter link via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News)
Denver Broncos
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: WR Isaiah Burse
- Cut: WR Jonathan Krause (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC West
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC 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 Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, and Chargers 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 AFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day. All links go to Twitter unless otherwise noted:
Denver Broncos
- Signed to practice squad:
- RB Juwan Thompson (Link via Cameron Wolfe)
- CB Taurean Nixon
- DL Vontarrius Dora
- OL Justin Murray
- WR Mose Frazier
- S Ryan Murphy
- TE Henry Krieger-Coble
- C Dillon Day
- DL Kyle Kragen (Link via Mike Klis)
- WR Kalif Raymond (Link via Klis)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Claimed:
- LB Sam Barrington (Twitter link via Mike Florio of PFT)
- T Bryan Witzmann
- Waived:
- LB Ramik Wilson (Link via Adam Schefter)
- G Jordan Devey (Link via Terez A. Paylor)
- Signed to practice squad:
- WR Frankie Hammond (link via Aaron Wilson)
- ILB Terrance Smith (link via Terez A. Paylor)
- OL Jarrod Pughsley (link via Paylor)
- DL David King (Link via Paylor)
- S Shak Randolph (Link via Paylor)
- C Daniel Munyer (Link via Paylor)
- LB Tyrell Adams (Link via Paylor)
- WR Seantavius Jones (Link via Paylor)
- RB Darrin Reaves (Link via Paylor)
- S Brock Vereen (Link via Paylor)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed to practice squad:
- TE Ryan O’Malley (Link via Aaron Wilson)
- WR Jaydon Mickens (Link via Lars Hanson)
- OL Oni Omoile (Link via Zack Spears)
- WR K.J. Brent (Official announcement)
- CB Kenneth Durden (Official announcement)
- DL Branden Jackson (Official announcement)
- OG Denver Kirkland (Official announcement)
- LB Korey Toomer (Official announcement)
San Diego Chargers
- Claimed:
- DB Pierre Desir (Link via NFL Draft Diamonds)
- DT Caraun Reid (Link via Mike Florio of PFT)
- RB Andre Williams (story)
- Waived:
- CB Steve Williams (Link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com)
- LB Chris Landrum
- TE Asante Cleveland
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Ben Gardner (link via Michael Gehlken)
- CB Trevor Williams (link via Michael Gehlken)
- WR Dom Williams (link via Michael Gehlken)
- S Adrian McDonald (link via Michael Gehlken)
- OT Austin Shepherd (link via Michael Gehlken)
- DT Kaleb Eulls
- TE Jake McGee (link via Gehlkin)
- WR Jonathan Krause (link via Gehlkin)
- LB Chris Landrum (link via Gehlkin)
- TE Asante Cleveland (link via Gehlkin)
Broncos Cut Players To Get To 53
The Broncos are making their way to 53. Here’s the list of cuts: 
- CB John Tidwell (via Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post on Twitter)
- DT Kyle Peko (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post)
- WR/KR Kalif Raymond (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9NEWS)
- ILB Dwayne Norman (link via Klis)
- CB Taurean Nixon
- DL Eddie Yarbrough (Twitter link via Troy Renck of Denver7)
- RB/FB Juwan Thompson (Twitter link via Klis)
- DL Lars Koht (Twitter link via Klis)
- WR Mose Frazier (Twitter link via Klis)
- OLB Vontarrius Dora
- OLB Sadat Sulleyman (Twitter link via Renck)
- OT Lars Hanson
- OT Justin Murray (Twitter link via Klis)
- DL Henry Melton (story)
- G Robert Myers (via Wolfe on Twitter)
- S Ryan Murphy (Twitter link via Klis)
Thompson, an undrafted free agent, clawed his way on to the 53-man roster in each of the last two season. Unfortunately, he was not able to make the final cut this year thanks to the numbers crunch in the backfield and his lingering injuries. In 2014, the Duke product ran for 272 yards off of 54 carries with three rushing touchdowns. He also added four catches for 25 yards. Last season, Thompson appeared in 15 regular season games but carried the ball only 18 times for 48 yards while adding six catches for 51 yards. Andy Janovich will likely serve as Denver’s fullback with Thompson gone.
Peko got the highest bonus of any undrafted rookie free agent this year so it is a mild surprise to see him cut. The defensive tackle and other players on today’s cut list should find their way to Denver’s taxi squad.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Lions waived wide receiver Damian Copeland and signed fellow wide receiver Alex Chisum, as Justin Rogers of The Detroit News tweets.
- The Saints have signed long snapper Chris Highland, according to a source who spoke with Nick Underhill of The Advocate (on Twitter).
- The Broncos have waived defensive end Kenny Anunike as he continues to be dogged by knee troubles, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets. In a related move, the Broncos have signed safety Ryan Murphy. Murphy spent last season on the Broncos’ practice squad and was famously sent home from the Super Bowl. Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post (on Twitter) hears that Anunike passed his physical before being waived.
- The Buccaneers signed offensive lineman Kelvin Palmer, as Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets.
- The Jets announced that they have signed wide receiver Anthony Kelly and defensive lineman Christo Bilukidi, waived/injured defensive lineman Julien Obioha, and placed wide receiver Chris King on the reserve/did not report list.
- The Browns signed defensive lineman Chigbo Anunoby and waived fellow defensive lineman Kyle Rose, as Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter).
- The Steelers removed Quinton Schooley from their injured reserve with an injury settlement, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Chargers announced that they have signed wide receiver Rico Richardson and defensive tackle Zamir Carlis. To make room, they waived offensive lineman Mike McQueen and punter Kasey Redfern. With Redfern out of the way, it appears that Drew Kaser has won the team’s punting competition.
- The Redskins waived linebacker Steven Daniels with an injury designation, as John Keim of ESPN.com tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/2/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Patriots released cornerback Rashaan Melvin and linebacker James Vaughters, according to Christopher Price of WEEI (on Twitter).
- The Seahawks have signed quarterback Jake Heaps, as ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia writes. The signing of the 25-year-old now gives Seattle three QBs on the roster.
- The Browns released linebacker Scott Solomon, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Solomon was a restricted free agent this offseason, one that Cleveland re-signed less than a month ago. Solomon was slated to earn $1.671MM in 2016.
- The Lions announced the signing of linebacker Zaviar Gooden. Gooden joins the Lions after spending the 2013-14 seasons with Tennessee, where he appeared in 24 games (three starts).
- The Eagles (on Twitter) announced the release of safety Jerome Couplin. Ditto for wide receiver Freddie Martino (link).
- Washington announced that defensive linemen Christo Bilukidi, Anthony Johnson, and Kamal Johnson, linebackers Desmond Bishop and Derrick Mathews, wide receiver LaRon Byrd, and cornerback Al Louis-Jean have all been released.
- The Broncos cut safety Ryan Murphy and punter Will Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Murphy has the unfortunate distinction of having been sent home from the Super Bowl.
- The Bears cut defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith, Wilson tweets.
- The Cardinals cut cornerback Kevin White and center Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, Wilson 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.
Broncos Notes: Murphy, Manning, HGH
Well, this isn’t how you want to make the news on Super Bowl week. Broncos practice squad safety Ryan Murphy was involved by San Jose police in a prostitution sting, according to CBS Bay Area. Sources say that police detained a suspected prostitute in Santa Clara County and she told law enforcement that she had to go to a car to retrieve some property. Murphy was inside of that car with his brother. The safety was ultimately released by police but his brother was cited for his involvement.
The Broncos have responded by sending Murphy home to Denver, as Lindsay Jones of USA Today tweets.
Here’s more on the Broncos as they get ready for Sunday:
- A report earlier this week indicated that Peyton Manning told close friends that he is going to retire after Super Bowl 50. However, the quarterback denies that’s the case, as Mike Klis of 9NEWS writes. “I mean, close friends that I’m supposedly telling, I’d like to meet them,” Manning said. “The close friends that I have — and I do have close friends, but I don’t think any of them are close to anybody who works for the NFL Network.”
- After the AFC Championship game, boom mics picked up Manning telling coach Bill Belichick that SB50 could be his “last rodeo.” Manning says that comment isn’t as telling as the media is making it out to be. “I may play against these guys 10 more times. Brady’s going to play till he’s 70, Belichick is going to coach till he’s 90. Maybe I hit the fountain of youth in the next couple of months and play another 10 years. Who knows? But in case it was the last time I played against them in the championship,’’ Manning said, (emphasis ours, via Klis).
- Manning sat down with CBS’ Bill Cowher (Twitter link) to address the allegations of HGH use made against him late last year. In the clip, Manning says that he “welcomes” the NFL’s investigation and termed the allegations as being “complete junk.”
- Defensive end Malik Jackson sounds like a player who knows that Sunday is his last game with the team (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post). “I can make myself a lot more money if I go out there and do what I know how to do and do what I’ve been doing,“
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/3/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves from across the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR C.J. Goodwin (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
- Cut: WR LaRon Byrd (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post)
Baltimore Ravens
- To be signed: Chuck Jacobs (via The Baltimore Sun)
Buffalo Bills
- Cut: RB Miguel Maysonet (Twitter link via team)
Denver Broncos
- Signed: S Ryan Murphy (link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post)
- Cut: DT Deandre Coleman
Houston Texans
- Cut: RB Daryl Richardson (via Wilson)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Ben Heenan (Twitter link via team)
- Cut: G David Arkin
New Orleans Saints
- Cut: DB Sammy Seamster (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune)
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Matt LaCosse (Twitter link via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post), S Cooper Taylor (Twitter link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE Shelby Harris (Twitter link via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: RB Dreamius Smith (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune), OLB Ryan Mueller (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Chris Davis (press release via team)
- Removed: DL Kaleb Ramsey (suspended four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances)
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: TE Rashaun Allen (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cut: LB Julian Stanford (press release via team)
North Notes: Ratliff, Schwartz, Bengals
In the wake of the Bears‘ release of defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff, details have trickled out about the circumstances surrounding the veteran’s departure, and they don’t paint Ratliff in a particularly positive light. According to Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, coaches considered Ratliff one of the team’s best defensive lineman, if not the best, but team officials determined that he wasn’t in a condition to work when he arrived at Halas Hall on Wednesday. When the Bears sent Ratliff home from the facility, an argument took place.
Per the Tribune’s sources, Ratliff came back to Halas Hall twice and had an “intense vocal altercation” with GM Ryan Pace before he was sent home again. Lake Forest police were ultimately summoned as a safety measure, and Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets that the club still operated “at a heightened state of security” on Thursday, a day after the incident took place.
Even at age 34, Ratliff can still be effective on the field, but his latest off-field run-in will surely make any team think twice before signing him. Here’s more from out of the NFL’s North divisions:
- When asked if he wants to re-sign with Cleveland, Browns right tackle Mitchell Schwartz said, “That’s kind of out of my control. We’ll see what happens,” as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal tweets. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) opined that Schwartz is in line for a major payday this offseason.
- Cornerback Al Louis-Jean, who appeared in nine games for Chicago during his rookie season in 2014, is working out for the Browns today, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Louis-Jean was waived by the Bears in August.
- Speaking of workouts, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along word on several players auditioning for the Bengals, tweeting that Cincinnati took a look at safeties Ahmad Dixon and Ryan Murphy, wide receivers Devin Gardner and Deontay Greenberry, linebackers Quayshawn Nealy and Ronald Powell, and center Reese Dismukes.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
