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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/15

September 29th, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed: WR Shaq Evans (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Signed: S Ronald Martin (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com)
  • Cut: CB Keon Lyn

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Diego Chargers

St. Louis Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: DT Derrick Lott (press release)
  • Cut: CB Imoan Claiborne

Washington:

  • Signed: C Austin Reiter (Twitter link via Zac Boyer of the Washington Times)

Workout Notes: 9/12/15

September 12th, 2015 at 8:51am CST by Ben Levine

The Chiefs worked out former seventh-round pick Cam Johnson, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The linebacker spent the previous three seasons with the Colts, compiling five tackles in 13 appearances. A 49ers draft pick in 2012, Johnson was waived by Indy last week.

Let’s check out some more audition notes from around the league. All links are via Wilson, unless noted otherwise…

  • The Jaguars worked out wideout Shaq Evans and quarterbacks Shane Carden and McLeod Bethel-Thompson. Carden, an undrafted rookie, inked a deal with the Bears following the draft. Meanwhile, Bethel-Thompson, an undrafted rookie in 2011, is still looking to make his NFL debut (Twitter link).
  • The Packers auditioned a group of players: receivers Issac Blakeney, Titus Davis, and Marcus Lucas, defensive ends Nordly Capi and Derrick Lott, linebacker Jeff Luc, and quarterback Donovan Porterie (Twitter link).

Workout Notes: 9/9/15

September 9th, 2015 at 8:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Falcons center Joe Hawley is visiting the Buccaneers today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Hawley could be a fit with Tampa Bay as he has a history with offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter from their time together in Atlanta. Hawley, 27 in October, was on his way to returning from the ACL surgery that ended his 2014 season prematurely when he was cut loose by the Falcons earlier this week.

Here are more of the latest workouts and free agent meetings (All links are from Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle via Twitter, unless noted otherwise)..

  • The Vikings auditioned defensive backs Ri’Shard Anderson and C.J. Roberts, tight end Brian Leonhardt, and linebacker Jordan Tripp, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • The Cowboys tried out offensive tackle Charles Brown today, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Current Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith backed up Brown when both players attended USC.
  • The Titans worked out safety Shaquille Richardson (link).
  • Keavon Milton visited the Panthers (link). The offensive lineman spent time on the Seahawks’ taxi squad in 2014 before being promoted to the 53-man roster in December.
  • Former Arena Football League wide receiver Lonnie Outlaw visited the Lions (link).
  • The Buccaneers worked out linebacker Julian Stanford and linebacker Tyrell Adams (link).
  • The Giants auditioned safety Shiloh Keo, linebacker Nico Johnson, cornerback Tramain Jacobs, ex-Jets wide receiver Shaq Evans, safety Durell Eskridge, and cornerback Dwight Bentley (link). The Giants also tried out Joe Looney, Nick Moody, Henoc Muamba, Quayshawn Nealy, Xavier Proctor, and Alameda Ta’amu (link).
  • The Colts tried out offensive lineman Travis Bond, wide receiver Marquez Clark, linebacker Edwin Jackson, and defensive tackle Derrick Lott (link).
  • The Jaguars tried out Rasheed Bailey, Matt Blanchard, and Cody Fajardo (link).

Jets Trim Roster To 53 Players

September 5th, 2015 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jets have officially announced the cuts and other roster moves that will get their squad down to 53 players today. We’ve already heard about several of the moves — quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Josh Johnson, along with veteran defenders Jason Babin and Joe Mays, have been cut, and Stevan Ridley has been moved to the reserve/PUP list.

Here are the rest of the Jets’ moves to reduce their roster to 53, via a team release:

Cut:

  • WR Shaq Evans
  • WR Chris Owusu
  • WR Walter Powell
  • TE Arthur Lynch
  • TE Wes Saxton
  • RB Daryl Richardson
  • FB Julian Howsare
  • OL Charles Brown
  • OL Wesley Johnson
  • DL Ronald Talley
  • DL Jordan Williams
  • LB Deion Barnes
  • LB Taiwan Jones
  • CB Keon Lyn
  • S Durell Eskridge

Reserve/suspended:

  • OL Oday Aboushi
  • DL Sheldon Richardson

Poll: Which Rookie WR Will Have Best Season?

August 21st, 2014 at 6:22pm CST by Zachary Links

They say there are some things you can’t teach in sports. One of them is size. Another is the ability to make a jaw-dropping one-handed catch after tripping just one second prior. Bills rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins is lacking in the first department but he’s got the latter down pat.

With top-level speed, excellent agility, and soft hands, Watkins was almost universally regarded as the top WR talent in the 2014 class. So, he’s a lock to win this poll, right? Maybe not. Second-year quarterback EJ Manuel boasts a strong arm but he’s far from elite and one has to wonder how many quality balls he can deliver to Manuel. The Clemson product is also working through a rib injury which could possibly hamper him to start the season.

Moving further down the draft board, there are plenty of other wide receivers with an opportunity to make a name for themselves in year one. The Panthers overhauled their entire receiving corps this offseason and many are expecting big things out of FSU’s Kelvin Benjamin. In New Orleans, many are skeptical of what the once solid Marques Colston can do and the hype around Brandin Cooks is reaching a fever pitch. And, without DeSean Jackson, Jordan Matthews could see a lot of balls thrown his way in Philadelphia. Beyond those guys, there are even more promising WR’s from this year’s receiver-heavy draft. Who among them will have the best 2014 season?

Minor Moves: Tuesday

August 19th, 2014 at 8:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL, with additional transactions added to the top of the list throughout the afternoon and evening:

  • The Colts added guard Andre Cureton, an undrafted free agent who was let go by the Cowboys last week, per Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). He takes the roster spot of kicker Cody Parkey, who was waived.
  • Chargers defensive end Damik Scafe has been placed on injured reserve, ending his season, reports Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter).
  • Linebacker Dom DeCicco has cleared waivers and reverted back to the Vikings’ injured reserve, tweets Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
  • Receiver Shaq Evans, one of the Jets’ three fourth-round picks, has been placed on injured reserve, and will miss his rookie year after suffering a shoulder injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Players with no NFL experience have to pass through waivers before being placed on IR at this point, so it’s unclear if the Jets will actually make this move official until September.

Earlier updates:

  • Defensive lineman Jibreel Black (Buccaneers) and quarterback Pat Devlin (Dolphins) have been removed from their respective teams’ injured reserve lists with injury settlements, according to ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, respectively (Twitter links).
  • Nothing is official yet, but ex-Bears receiver and returner Eric Weems, who was just cut this weekend, is set to sign with the Titans, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Weems had been released by Chicago when the team signed Santonio Holmes.
  • Although linebacker Jason Phillips was said to be recovered from the ACL injury that sidelined him for the 2013 season, he was cut by the Eagles today, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Philadelphia’s first transaction since June, the move was made because the special teams ace wasn’t going to make the team and the Eagles wanted to give him a chance to catch on elsewhere, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News.
  • Tight end Colt Lyerla, who suffered a knee injury during training camp, has been waived-injured by the Packers, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Per Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin (Twitter link), Green Bay intends to place Lyerla on injured reserve for the season if he clears waivers.
  • It appears the Bills may be getting an early start on next week’s roster cutdowns. The team has opened a couple roster spots by waiving offensive lineman Edawn Coughman and wide receiver Kevin Elliott, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (Twitter links). No corresponding signings to fill the two openings have been announced yet.

AFC East Notes: Revis, Jets, Dolphins

August 5th, 2014 at 8:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, it was reported that the Patriots are interested in extending cornerback Darrelle Revis, even though he has yet to appear in a preseason game for New England. Given the big money thrown around for CBs so far this offseason, Revis may be inclined to hit the open market in March instead. Still, it’s conceivable that Revis could opt for financial security over the potential of a larger payday. More on Revis and other notes out of the AFC East..

  • It would be interesting if the Patriots actually do pick up Darrelle Revis‘ $12MM option in April, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. Such a move would work like a franchise tag and keep the elite corner off the open market. Revis has a $12MM option bonus in April and $7.5MM base salary in 2015. His cap number would be $25MM, but the Pats could renegotiate that after April.
  • Rookie wide receiver Shaq Evans, one of three fourth-round picks by the Jets, could be lost for the season after suffering a shoulder injury Thursday in practice, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Coach Rex Ryan called it a significant injury, indicating Evans might end up on season-ending injured reserve. “That shoulder looks pretty bad,” Ryan said. “We’ll see how that goes, but it doesn’t look good right now. We talked to him about it, too. He had the other shoulder [injury] before. But this one seems to be bothering him a lot more. This looks like a severe injury.”
  • After trying out for the Ravens on Saturday, tight end/tackle Steve Maneri tried out for the Dolphins today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The 6’6″, 275 pound tight end saw four games of action last season for the Bears. He was in camp with the Bucs this offseason before getting cut on May 13th.

East Notes: Garoppolo, Flowers, Cowboys

June 17th, 2014 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Patriots rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo continues to hear people talk about him as the heir apparent to Tom Brady, but he’s only focused on improving day-to-day, writes Howard Ulman of the Associated Press. “Each day is different and you have to be consistently good, not occasionally great,” he said today. “You have to come out here and do your best every single day and let the coaches see what you can do.”

  • Jets coach Rex Ryan didn’t rule out former Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers, but as of this afternoon, the Jets haven’t reached out, a source tells Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
  • David Moore of the Dallas News explains why Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is taking a wait-and-see approach to Kyle Orton and Josh Brent. The Cowboys want Orton to be with the team this year but the veteran has said that he wants to retire. As for Brent, there has been widespread speculation that he could rejoin the team now that he is out of prison, but Jones says that rehabilitation has to be his top focus.
  • Jets rookie Shaq Evans is worried that his development could be stunted by a “silly” NFL rule, writes Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. The UCLA product is limited to just one mini-camp until his class graduates, even though he is no longer enrolled. “I really don’t understand it,” Evans said. “If I’m not in school, it shouldn’t matter. It’s ridiculous. I hope the league changes it, because it definitely sets players back. It’s a silly, silly, stupid rule.“

Jets Notes: Amaro, Pryor, Boyd, Saunders

May 17th, 2014 at 7:07pm CST by Peter Sowards

Jace Amaro, the consensus All-American tight end from Texas Tech whom the Jets took with their second-round pick, caught 106 passes in 13 games his junior season. Extrapolate that to 16 games — a full regular season in the NFL — and that’s over 130 receptions.

Now, college football is not pro football, but that doesn’t stop Amaro from setting his goals high, saying he hopes to catch 100 balls on a consistent basis, reports Kimberley A. Martin of newsday.com.

One player Amaro hopes to pattern his game after is Tony Gonzalez. “He’s kind of old-school, but he did some great things, too, and I definitely feel like I’d like to [model] his game,” Amaro said. “That’s someone I’d love to ultimately be. He’s supposedly the greatest tight end ever to play the game and that’s somewhere I want to be, too.”

Amaro and the team agreed to terms on a four-year contract yesterday.

More links below on the goings-on from Gang Green…

  • Coach Rex Ryan is going to love his new safety, Calvin Pryor. Nicknamed “The Louisville Slugger,” Martin writes that Pryor doesn’t wear a mouthpiece so he can better talk trash to opponents, and that he hopes to walk the walk on that talk with big hits and loud play, similar to Seattle’s Kam Chancellor and Tampa Bay’s Dashon Goldson.
  • Pryor joined the New York Post’s Steve Serby for a Sunday Q&A, touching on Pryor’s twitter narratives and his desire to prove the doubters wrong.
  • Working out of the shotgun nearly every snap of his college career, Jets quarterback Tajh Boyd focused on proper footwork in rookie minicamp, Martin notes.
  • With a host of new receiving threats acquired — Eric Decker and David Nelson through free agency, and Jalen Saunders, Shaq Evans and Quincy Enunwa through the draft — Ryan called the group much better from top to bottom than at any point last season, said Martin.
  • On that note, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that the receivers have had a case of the dropsies in rookie camp.

Draft Signings: 49ers, Jets, Johnson, Boyd

May 15th, 2014 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

There have been a flood of draft signings so far today, and you can get caught up on the earlier ones with our previous roundups. We’ll be keeping track of signings from rounds 3-7 in these posts while dedicating individual posts to players taken in the top two rounds. The latest signings..

  • The Texans have agreed to sign sixth-round fullback Jay Prosch (Auburn), according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter).
  • The 49ers have agreed to terms on a deal with fourth-round pick cornerback Dontae Johnson, a source tells Adam Caplan of NFL.com (on Twitter). The corner is known mainly for his speed and versatility and can play pretty much any position in the secondary.
  • The Jets have signed sixth-round pick Tajh Boyd to a four-year deal, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Clemson quarterback will look to hook on as the club’s third option behind incumbent Geno Smith and free agent pickup Michael Vick.
  • The Jets also signed fourth-round wide receiver Shaq Evans, tweets Caplan. The 6’1”, 213-pound UCLA product boasts solid hands, route running abilities, and overall instincts.