Stephen Morris

Texans Waive QB Stephen Morris

The Texans have waived quarterback Stephen Morris, according to a team announcement. The move will make room for the signing of Nick Rose

Morris, who turns 27 in less than two weeks, became the fourth quarterback on Houston’s roster when he was signed in May. He was hoping to make a case for being the team’s No. 3 QB, but he has lost out to backups Brandon Weeden and Joe Webb for a place behind starter Deshaun Watson.

Initially, it seemed as though Morris had a chance at making the team since Weeden’s one-year deal has just $230K in guaranteed cash while Webb’s only guarantee is his $90K signing bonus. However, it didn’t work out that way.

Morris has been with six different teams – the Jaguars, Eagles, Colts, Redskins, Seahawks, and Texans – since entering the league as a UDFA in 2014. While his jersey collection is extensive, he has yet to throw an NFL pass.

Texans Claim QB Stephen Morris

Stephen Morris wasn’t out of work for long. After being waived by the Seahawks over the weekend, the Texans claimed the quarterback on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets

Morris, 26 in August, becomes the fourth quarterback on Houston’s roster. He’ll provide the Texans with the fourth camp arm that they need, but he may also have a real shot at making the final cut as he goes against Brandon Weeden and Joe Webb for a backup spot behind starter Deshaun Watson.

Weeden’s one-year deal has just $230K in guaranteed cash while Webb’s only guarantee is his $90K signing bonus. If Morris outperforms either player, they won’t have second thoughts about keeping him over either veteran.

Morris has been with five different teams – the Jaguars, Eagles, Colts, Redskins, and Seahawks – since entering the league as a UDFA in 2014. He has yet to thrown an NFL pass, but that could change with club No. 6.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/11/2018

Here are today’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

  • Waived: DL Matthew Godin

New York Giants

  • Waived: OT Laurence Gibson

Oakland Raiders

  • Waived: P Colby Wadman

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Redskins

  • Retired: OL Sean Welsh

Seahawks Sign QB Stephen Morris

The Seahawks have signed quarterback Stephen Morris, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Morris has signed contracts with multiple teams but has yet to play in an NFL game. 

Morris, a University of Miami product, first entered the league as a UDFA with the Jaguars. Since then, he has inked deals with the Eagles, Colts, and Redskins. Morris spent time on the taxi squads of the Jaguars, Eagles, and Colts and spent one game on the Colts’ active roster after Andrew Luck suffered a concussion.

The signing comes on the heels of their last-minute decision to cancel a workout with Colin Kaepernick. The Seahawks are reportedly skittish about signing Kaepernick without knowing whether he plans to kneel for the national anthem this season.

Still, the Seahawks have not closed the door on signing Kaepernick and sources say they would like to meet at him at a later date when he has formulated a plan for his social activism. Morris’ deal is likely non-guaranteed, so it is probably not a barrier to a future deal with Kaep.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/9/18

Here are today’s minor moves.

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: OL Joseph Cheek
  • Signed: OL Larson Graham
  • Signed: OL Parker Collins

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/2/18

Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • WR Jake Kumerow
  • WR Colby Pearson
  • TE Robert Tonyan
  • LS Zach Triner
  • WR DeAngelo Yancey

Read more

Browns Work Out Roberto Aguayo

The Browns are kicking the tires on some notable names as the season winds down. Kicker Roberto Aguayo and tight end Gavin Escobar were among the players to audition for Cleveland on Monday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Roberto Aguayo (Vertical)

Last year, the Bucs traded up to select Aguayo in the second-round. It was a perplexing move at the time and it backfired even quicker than anyone could have imagined. Prior to this season, the Buccaneers waived the kicker.

You never feel good when you shatter someone’s dream,” GM Jason Licht said at the time. “That is always tough, especially someone you had such high hopes for. You don’t have good feelings about that. It is a little bit of a sense of, I don’t want to say relief, but we’ve ripped off the band-aid, and we move on. We’re moving forward.”

Luckily for the Bucs, the Bears claimed Aguayo and took on the remainder of his contract. He never saw live action in Chicago, however, and the Bears quickly waived him. This time around, there were no takers for his $400K+ salary guarantee. He went on to have a stint on the Panthers’ practice squad, but that too was short lived.

Escobar, also a former second-round draft pick, never blossomed into the downfield threat the Cowboys hoped he’d be. The tight end worked out for roughly one-third of the league’s teams this year and had a cup of coffee with Baltimore before being put back on to the free agent pile. He appeared in two games for the Ravens, but did not record a reception.

In Escobar’s four seasons with Dallas, he started just seven games. His had at least 100 receiving yards in his first two seasons, but combined for just 12 receptions, 94 yards, and two touchdowns in 2015 and 2016.

Quarterback Stephen Morris, punter Jeff Locke, and four other players also worked out for the Browns.

NFL Workout Updates: 12/5/17

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

New Orleans Saints

  • LB Davis Tull (link via Nick Underhill of the Advocate)

Washington Redskins

NFL Workout Updates: 10/3/17

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

  • P Brock Miller (link)

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC South

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC South 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 Texans, Colts, Jaguars, and Titans 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 South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans