HEADLINES

Sean Porter

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/30/15

November 30th, 2015 at 7:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Seahawks promoted defensive tackle A.J. Francis from the practice squad, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Patriots have released wide receiver Chris Harper following Sunday night’s muffed punt, as Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com tweets.
  • The Cowboys waived running back Trey Williams, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Giants are signing guard Adam Gettis off of the Raiders‘ practice squad, a person with knowledge of the situation told Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants are short on offensive lineman, so Gettis will help provide the Giants with some much-needed depth.

Earlier updates:

  • In advance of Monday night’s game against the Browns, the Ravens have promoted guard Kaleb Johnson and wide receiver Daniel Brown from their practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. To make room, Baltimore cut wide receiver Chuck Jacobs and placed tight end Chase Ford on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Johnson, in particular, could play a role tonight, since the club doesn’t have many healthy offensive linemen left on the roster.
  • The Bills are releasing linebacker A.J. Tarpley, according to Sal Capaccio of WGR550 (Twitter link). Tarpley, who recorded his first career NFL sack on Sunday, looks like a candidate to join the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers. Per Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link), Buffalo also placed defensive end Alex Carrington on injured reserve, officially ending his season after he tore his quad tendon.
  • The Eagles have signed interior offensive lineman Barrett Jones off the Bears‘ practice squad, waiving offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde in the corresponding move (Twitter link). Given the history between the Eagles and Vandervelde, who has now been cut four times by the club since the start of September, it may just be a matter of time until he finds himself back with Philadelphia.
  • The Buccaneers have signed linebacker Adarius Glanton from the Panthers‘ practice squad, waiving safety Kimario McFadden, according to a press release from the team. With Kwon Alexander facing a four-game suspension and Bruce Carter having left Sunday’s game to be evaluated for a concussion, linebacker depth was a priority for Tampa Bay.
  • The Bengals waived linebacker Sean Porter from the physically unable to perform list today, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Porter returned to practice for Cincinnati earlier this month, but the team apparently determined there was no place for him on the 53-man roster.

North Notes: Joe Thomas, Bengals, Peterson

November 10th, 2015 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re a full week removed from the trade deadline, but whispers about the blockbuster deal that didn’t get done on that day – Joe Thomas to the Broncos – continue to linger. For his part, Thomas today denied a weekend report suggesting he and/or his agent asked the Browns to explore the trade market for a possible deal.

“I’m not sure where that report came from, but I can say in no uncertain terms that I never asked the Browns for a trade, that I never talked to them about wanting to be traded, (nor) did any of my representatives talk to the Browns about wanting to be traded,” Thomas said today, per Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. “From what I understand about how things went, the Browns were contacted by the Broncos and that’s where the trade came from.”

That weekend report also indicated that Thomas wanted the Broncos to guarantee his 2016 and 2017 salaries before agreeing to a deal, which the Browns star tackle also denied.

“The other thing I’m going to be very firm and make no qualms about is myself was never involved in any contract discussions with the Denver Broncos, my agent was never involved in any contract discussions, there was never any guaranteed money discussed,” Thomas said. “I was off the grid this weekend, so I was a little surprised to see (the report).”

Let’s round up a few more Tuesday notes from across the NFL’s North divisions….

  • The Browns will add running back Glenn Winston and cornerback Charles Gaines to their active roster at some point this week, according to head coach Mike Pettine (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). Having cut linebacker Jayson DiManche and defensive back De’Ante Saunders yesterday, Cleveland shouldn’t need to make any other roster moves to accommodate the returning players.
  • A pair of Bengals players that opened the year on reserve lists returned to practice for the team today, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. As Harvey notes, Cincinnati will now have a three-week window to decide whether or not to activate offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi (non-football injury list) and linebacker Sean Porter (physically unable to perform list).
  • As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com observes (via Twitter), Adrian Peterson needs at least 1,350 rushing yards and a Vikings playoff berth to keep his 2016 roster bonus from dropping by $2MM. While those may have seemed like tall orders before the season, Peterson – the league’s leading rusher – is currently on pace to exceed 1,500 yards, and Minnesota is tied for first place in the NFC North.

PUP, NFI Players Soon Eligible To Practice

October 19th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the Giants and Eagles, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many clubs could be welcoming injured players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to the practice field.

Of course, just because those players are able to return to practice doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player currently on the PUP list could return to the field for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest.

The rules for NFI players are similar to those for PUP players. If a player on either reserve list doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, his 2015 season will officially be over.

Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list who can begin practicing as soon as this Tuesday:

And here are the players currently on their teams’ non-football injury or illness lists, who are also eligible to begin practicing this Tuesday:

  • Arizona Cardinals: WR Damond Powell
  • Buffalo Bills: CB Leodis McKelvin
  • Cincinnati Bengals: T Cedric Ogbuehi
  • Cleveland Browns: DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, TE Randall Telfer, RB Glenn Winston
  • Dallas Cowboys: LB Mark Nzeocha
  • Houston Texans: T David Quessenberry
  • Kansas City Chiefs: QB Tyler Bray
  • San Francisco 49ers: WR DeAndre Smelter
  • Seattle Seahawks: DT Jesse Williams

In addition to monitoring players on the PUP and NFI lists, it’s worth keeping an eye on players who have been placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this IR-DTR spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.

That means that a player who was placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing on Tuesday, though he won’t be eligible to return to game action until Week 9. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after Week 1 will have to wait until next Tuesday – October 27 – to return to practice, while other IR-DTR players will have to wait until November to practice.

Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as Tuesday:

AFC Rumors: Smith, Browns, Broncos, Bengals

October 17th, 2015 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Neither Geno Smith nor Robert Griffin factor into Sunday’s game plans, but NFL personnel eye the Jets‘ potential quarterback washout as the player with the better chance of salvaging his career despite Griffin’s superior on-field sample thus far, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports.

“They’re the same guy,” a personnel director told Mehta. “Both are slightly delusional about their abilities. In five years, RG3 will be some type of ambassador for Baylor. Geno will be a backup quarterback.”

Statistically, Smith hasn’t produced close to a standout stretch like Griffin delivered in his rookie of the year campaign, but the injured Jets quarterback doesn’t have quite the toxic circumstances Washington’s embattled backup currently does.

As a result of this, Mehta hears Washington will jettison Griffin before his $16MM fifth-year option kicks in for next season. Should Washington cut RG3 before the start of the 2016 league year, it would not be on the hook for that escalator.

Despite not entering the league with the profile RG3 did or having yet to complete 60% of his passes in a season, Smith, in the view of scouts surveyed, profiles as a player still capable of an ascent, albeit with a lowered ceiling.

“They did him a disservice by forcing him to play (right away),” an NFC front office executive told The Daily News. “The talent is there, but the mental makeup isn’t. A year under (Ryan Fitzpatrick) should help… Geno may end up being the starter with the Jets.”

Here is some other news from AFC facilities as Week 6 Sunday looms.

  • In light of his latest alcohol-related trouble this week, Browns backup Johnny Manziel should re-enter rehab, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com writes. With the police report indicating Manziel was swerving to avoid traffic and hit speeds of 90 mph after admitting drinking earlier in the day Monday, Cabot writes there are enough warning signs from this incident to put a halt on the second-year quarterback’s career again. The longtime Cleveland scribe also notes the Browns should consider the domestic violence allegations of Manziel’s girlfriend, even though police deemed the woman’s story too inconsistent to charge Manziel, in light of offensive line coach Andy Moeller being fired for DV accusations despite not being charged.
  • Browns OC John DeFilippo wants Brian Hartline to play a bigger part of the offense after catching just two passes the past two games, per Terry Pluto of cleveland.com. The recently signed free agent recorded 96 receiving yards against the Raiders but hasn’t exceeded 20 in the other four contests.
  • Both Vontaze Burfict and linebacker Sean Porter may not be ready to return when they are eligible to be removed from the PUP list prior to the Bengals‘ Nov. 1 game against the Steelers, reports Jake Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. League sources told the paper Porter isn’t in Cincinnati’s plans as of now as he recovers from a torn ACL while indicating Burfict could need more time to re-emerge successfully from microfracture surgery.
  • After the Broncos cut tight end Richard Gordon in order to promote running back Kapri Bibbs from the practice squad, the coaching staff asked Gordon to stay in town, as there’s a good chance Denver re-signs him next week, Mike Klis of 9News reports. With third-stringer Juwan Thompson hampered by a hamstring injury, the Broncos had a need for an extra tailback this week.
  • The Colts worked out second-year punter Michael Palardy, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Palardy spent time with the Raiders last year but did not punt in a game.

 

Ravens, Bengals Cut Down To 75 Players

September 1st, 2015 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

Two AFC North rivals, the Ravens and the Bengals, have reduced their rosters to 75 players in advance of this afternoon’s deadline, the teams announced today.

The Ravens confirmed in a press release that they’ve officially placed Dennis Pitta on the reserve/PUP list, a move we heard weeks ago was coming. The club waived offensive lineman De’Ondre Wesley to get down to 75 players on the active roster, and also cut tackle Darryl Baldwin, who had been on the reserve/NFI list.

As for the Bengals, their roster had been at 78 players after they cut Denarius Moore and eight other players on Monday. Cincinnati’s final three roster moves, according to the team (via Twitter), were placing offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi on the reserve/NFI list, placing linebacker Sean Porter on the reserve/PUP list, and waiving wide receiver Onterio McCalebb with an injury designation.

Ogbuehi and Porter will now have to sit out at least the first six weeks of the regular season, while McCalebb will land on the Bengals’ IR list if and when he clears waivers.

Bengals Claim Khairi Fortt From Saints

October 7th, 2014 at 3:41pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after he was cut by the Saints, linebacker Khairi Fortt has been claimed off waivers by the Bengals, according to the team (Twitter link). To make room for the incoming rookie, Cincinnati has placed linebacker Sean Porter on injured reserve with a knee injury.

The Saints’ decision to cut Fortt was an odd one, particularly because of the timing. New Orleans drafted the linebacker out of California in the fourth round back in May, and used its lone IR/designated to return spot on him at the start of the season after he suffered a leg injury. However, with Fortt just a week away from being eligible to return to practice, he was waived by the Saints, allowing him to catch on with the Bengals.

While the Saints must have some reason for parting ways with Fortt, it looks like an odd use of both a fourth-round draft pick and their IR-DTR slot. According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (via Twitter), the ex-Saint is expected to pass his physical with his new team, so it seems as if there’s a chance he’ll see the field for the Bengals within the next few weeks.