Workout Notes: 9/23/15
Teams around the NFL are bringing in players for workouts, surveying the free agent landscape for possible practice squad additions or 53-man roster players, either for the near future or down the road. Here are a few of the latest auditions from across the league, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (all links go to Twitter):
AFC:
- Former Broncos cornerback Tony Carter had a workout with the Ravens, who have liked him for a while. Of course, up until very recently, Carter was under contract with Denver.
- In addition to Matt Huffer, whose workout was reported yesterday, offensive linemen Kevin Graf, Antonio Johnson, and Travis Bond, along with defensive ends Matt Conrath and Xzavier Dickson, were among the players who auditioned for the Broncos this week.
- We already heard that the Jets brought in multiple receivers this week for workouts, and we can add a few more names to that list: DaVaris Daniels, Titus Davis, and Josh Lenz got a look from New York.
- It was a linebacker-heavy workout group this week in Jacksonville, as the Jaguars auditioned Jeff Luc, Alex Singleton, and Jordan Tripp, in addition to Jayson DiManche, whose workout was previously reported.
- We can add tight end Nick Kasa, guard Joe Looney, wide receiver Marcus Lucas, ex-Niners tackle Sean Hooey, and former Titans tackle Byron Stingily to the list of players who tried out for the Dolphins this week. We learned yesterday that tight end Adrien Robinson also visited the team.
- The lengthy roster of players who auditioned this week for the Titans: cornerbacks Robert McClain, Robert Steeples, Shaun Prater, and Carrington Byndom; safeties Jean Fanor and Robert Lester; and wide receiver Nick Toon.
NFC:
- The Panthers brought in several defensive backs for tryouts, taking a look at Richard Crawford, Ras-I Dowling, and Tajh Hasson.
- Wide receiver Deonte Thompson turned an audition with the Bears into a practice squad spot this week, but he wasn’t the only player to work out for the team. The club also brought in wide receiver DeVier Posey, quarterback Alex Tanney, and QB Justin Worley.
- The Lions were eyeing veteran defensive backs this week, with ex-Giants safety Stevie Brown, longtime Panthers safety Charles Godfrey, and former Raiders DB Brandian Ross all coming in for auditions. The club also worked out tight end Mickey Shuler.
- Defensive tackle Deandre Coleman, cut from the Dolphins’ practice squad last week, and former Broncos defensive end Quanterus Smith both worked out for the Seahawks this week.
- After being removed from the Patriots’ injured reserve list last week, wide receiver Jonathan Krause tried out for the Eagles.
- Washington auditioned two linebackers who hit the open market within the last few weeks, bringing in ex-Bengal Nico Johnson and former Seahawk Alex Singleton. It’s been a busy week for Singleton, who also worked out for the Jaguars, as noted above.
- The Packers took a look this week at tight end Blake Annen, defensive tackle Justin Hamilton, CFL linebacker Henoc Muamba, and linebacker Josh Shirley.
49ers Trim Roster To 75 Players
The 49ers have reduced their roster count to 75 players in advance of tomorrow’s deadline, announcing a series of transactions today in a press release.
The club placed offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore on the reserve/PUP list and receiver DeAndre Smelter on the reserve/NFI list, meaning both players will be sidelined for at least six weeks. Additionally, wideout Dres Anderson and linebacker Desmond Bishop were placed on injured reserve, which will end their respective seasons, barring an eventual injury settlement.
The 49ers also waived the following players:
- K Corey Acosta
- LB Steve Beauharnais
- CB Mylan Hicks
- T Sean Hooey
- WR Mario Hull
- WR Chuck Jacobs
- WR Nigel King
- LB Shawn Lemon
- FB Trey Millard
- DL Lawrence Okoye
Minor Moves: Friday
Here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
- The Lions claimed quarterback Garrett Gilbert from the Patriots earlier today, reports Howard Balzer of LockerDome.com (via Twitter). The team released quarterback Anthony Boone, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
- The Seahawks have signed wide receiver Kasen Williams, according to John Boyle of Seahawks.com (via Twitter). The team waived linebacker Mister Alexander to make room for Williams, who announced the signing on his Instagram account.
- Wide receiver Zach D’Orazio was waived by the Patriots, and passed through waivers unclaimed, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- While the Buccaneers might have landed recently released tight end Tim Wright, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports is interested to see the full list of teams who put in waiver claims for him (via Twitter). He adds that the Jets were one team that did.
- In order for the Buccaneers to make room for Wright on the roster, the team has waived tight end Taylor Sloat, according to Jenna Laine of SportsTalkFlorida.com (via Twitter).
- The Jets have signed former USC Trojan and Saints offensive tackle Charles Brown after they wrapped up their full-squad minicamp, reports Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com. The team cut offensive tackle Sean Hooey to make room for the former second-round pick.
- Hooey wouldn’t be unemployed for very long, as the 49ers claimed him off waivers from the Jets, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
Minor Moves: Thursday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Jets announced (via Twitter) that they have released tackle Sean Hooey. Hooey, a former member of the Rams, stands at 6’9″ and 300+ pounds.
- The Giants announced that the have added rookie linebacker Tony Johnson while dropping fellow rookie linebacker Ryan Jones. Johnson, who played two seasons at Louisiana Tech after transferring from a community college, played in 12 games as a senior and finished third on the team with 69 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
- The Patriots announced that they have signed three rookie free agents in linebacker D.J. Lynch (Bowling Green), tight end Jimmay Mundine (Kansas) and tight end Logan Stokes (Louisiana State). To make room, wide receiver Zach D’Orazio has been let go.
Steelers Re-Sign Brad Wing
The Steelers have locked up punter Brad Wing for another season, signing him to a one-year contract extension, the team announced today in a press release. After spending his first full NFL season in Pittsburgh in 2014, Wing had been eligible for exclusive rights free agency, meaning he could only sign with the Steelers, unless the team let him go.
Wing, who turns 24 next week, punted 61 times, recording 43.7 yards per punt and a net average of 38.6 yards. Pro Football Focus wasn’t overly high on the LSU’s performance, ranking him 28th out of the league’s 32 regular punters, with a -7.6 grade (subscription required).
Because he was only an exclusive rights free agent, Wing is unlikely to receive more than the minimum salary, which will be $510K for a player with his experience. There may also be a signing bonus in the deal, but it would be very modest.
Here are Friday’s other minor moves from around the NFL, with any additional minor transactions added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Cowboys have signed defensive end Lavar Edwards and safety Keelan Johnson to reserve/futures contracts, as Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News writes. Edwards spent time on the Cowboys’ active roster and practice squad this season, while Johnson, who is scheduled to be sentenced next month for an aggravated assault charge, last played for the Eagles in 2013.
- Defensive end Sam Montgomery has signed a new deal with the Bengals, according to the NFL’s transaction wire. Montgomery spent the entire 2014 season on Cincinnati’s practice squad after being waived by the team at the end of the preseason.
Earlier updates:
- The Jets‘ first free agent signing under new GM Mike Maccagnan is offensive tackle Sean Hooey, who inked a reserve/futures deal, according to the team (Twitter link). Hooey was cut by the Rams at the end of the 2014 preseason, and briefly landed on the team’s practice squad before being released from that unit as well.
Rams Sign Mike Remmers
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here..
- The Rams signed tackle/guard Mike Remmers to their practice squad, agent Brett Tessler tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Vikings let Remmers go on Wednesday to make room for Ahmad Dixon. To make room for Remmers, the Rams have released offensive tackle Sean Hooey, tweets Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
Sunday Transactions: NFC West
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 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 West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals:
- Claimed off waivers (officially announced): Thomas Keiser, LB
- Cut (officially announced): Walter Powell, WR
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Jonathan Brown, LB; Brittan Golden, WR; Andre Hardy, TE; Jimmy Legree, CB; Kelvin Palmer, T; Anthony Steen, C/G; Anthony Gaitor (via Jenna Laine on Twitter)
San Francisco 49ers:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Carter Bykowski, OT; Asante Cleveland, TE; John Fullington, OT (via Eric Branch on Twitter); Lance Lewis, WR; Lawrence Okoye, DE; Mike Purcell, DT; Shayne Skov, LB; Chase Thomas, LB
Seattle Seahawks:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Jimmy Staten, DT (Staten on Twitter), RaShaun Allen, TE; Demitrius Bronson, RB; B.J. Daniels, QB; Nate Isles, OT; Chris Matthews, WR; Terrance Parks, S; Steven Terrell, S.
St. Louis Rams:
- Signed to practice squad: Matt Conrath, DT (via Jim Thomas on Twitter); Sean Hooey, OT (via Jim Thomas on Twitter); Justin Veltung, WR (via Thomas on Twitter); Brandon Washington, G (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter); Kevin Reddick, LB (via Doug Kyed on Twitter); Matt Daniels, S (via Thomas on Twitter)
Rams Start Trimming Roster Down To 53
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has been tweeting out the details on the Rams’ first wave of final cuts this afternoon, as the team has now parted ways with five players from its 75-man roster. Here, via Thomas, are the players cut by St. Louis so far, with any further cuts added to the list throughout the day:
- Emory Blake (WR) (via Thomas on Twitter, 8:04pm)
- Travis Bond (G) (via Thomas on Twitter, 8:04pm)
- Kourtnei Brown (DE) (via Tom Pelissero on Twitter, 4:46pm)
- Avery Cunningham (S)
- Garrett Gilbert (QB) (via Pelissero on Twitter, 4:46pm)
- Deantre Harlan (DT) (via Pelissero on Twitter, 4:46pm)
- Aaron Hill (LB) (via Thomas on Twitter, 10:13pm)
- Sean Hooey (OL)
- Etienne Sabino (LB) (via Thomas on Twitter, 7:24pm)
- Brad Smelley (TE)
- Phillip Steward (LB)
- Mitchell Van Dyk (OL)
- Justin Veltung (WR) (via Thomas on Twitter, 10:13pm)
- Darren Woodard (CB) (via Thomas on Twitter, 8:04pm)