Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC South
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC 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 Falcons, Panthers, Saints, and Buccaneers are noted below.
Additionally, as of 11:00am 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 South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Atlanta Falcons
- Claimed off waivers:
- T Bryce Harris (press release)
- Signed to practice squad:
- RB Mike Gillislee (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson)
- TE Marcel Jensen (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure)
- LB Stanlsy Maponga (Twitter link via McClure)
- DT Joey Mbu (Twitter link via Tony Pauline)
Carolina Panthers
- Signed to practice squad:
- DT Chas Alecxih (press release)
- WR Brenton Bertsin (Twitter link via Wilson)
- LB Brian Blechen (press release)
- WR Carrington Byndom (press release)
- WR Damiere Byrd (press release)
- DE Rakim Cox (Twitter link via Joseph Person)
- T David Foucalt (press release)
- LB Adarius Glanton (press release)
- TE Scott Simonson (Twitter link via Wilson)
- CB Lou Young (press release)
New Orleans Saints
- Claimed off waivers:
- DE Obum Gwacham (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport)
- LB Michael Mauti (Twitter link via Rapoport)
- Cut:
- DT Ashaad Mabry (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery)
- S Kenny Phillips (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo)
- Signed to practice squad:
- WR R.J. Harris (Twitter link via Katherine Terrell)
- OL Sean Hickey (Twitter link via Stephen Bailey)
- WR Seantavius Jones (Link via Woodbery)
- G Cyril Lemon (Twitter link via Wilson)
- TE Chris Manhertz (Twitter link via Woodebery)
- FB Toben Opurum
- CB Sammy Seamster (Twitter link via Wilson)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Claimed off waivers:
- LB Kourtnei Brown (Twitter link via Rapoport)
- LB Jeremiah George (Twitter link via Rapoport)
- QB Ryan Griffin (Twitter link via Rapoport)
- LB James-Michael Johnson (Twitter link via Adam Caplan)
- C Eric Kush (Twitter link via Rapoport)
- Cut (press release):
- TE Cameron Brate
- G Kadeem Edwards
- T Reid Fragel
- WR Rannell Hall
- LB Jason Williams
- Signed to practice squad:
- DB Jude Adjei-Barimah (link via Greg Auman)
- CB Imoan Claiborne (link via Auman)
- WR Kaelin Clay (Twitter link via Auman)
- WR Donteea Dye (link via Auman)
- LB Howard Jones (Twitter link via Wilson)
- LB Josh Keyes (link via Auman)
Saints Slim Down Roster To 53
One season and two training camps proved sufficient for the Saints to determine whether Stanley Jean-Baptiste was capable of making an impact for them.
They determined the 2014 second-round pick wasn’t good enough for their roster, notes Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. Jean-Baptiste only played eight snaps last year and as a result of this move, Brandin Cooks is the only player remaining on the team from last year’s draft class.
The Saints instead kept 2014 undrafted free agent Brian Dixon, who played 166 snaps as a rookie, among their seven-cornerback contingent.
New Orleans did not keep veteran receiver Josh Morgan, either, and will go with a mostly young receiving stable, excepting Marques Colston.
Jairus Byrd also avoided having to start the season on the PUP list, per Terrell.
The Saints’ other cuts are as follows:
- Justin Anderson, LB
- Edwin Baker, RB
- Nick Becton, OL
- Orson Charles, TE
- Henry Coley, LB
- Jerry Franklin, LB
- Mike Golic Jr., OL
- Ryan Griffin, QB
- Bryce Harris, T
- Sean Hickey, OL
- Seantavius Jones, WR
- Dustin Hopkins, K
- Cyril Lemon, OL
- Chris Manhertz, TE
- Joseph Morgan, WR
- Toben Opurum, FB
- Sammy Seamster, CB
- Alex Smith, TE
- Pierre Warren, S
Reserve/Futures Contracts: Monday
Teams have been announcing their reserve/futures deals all day long, but not every club has made those pacts official. Here are the odds and ends from today as we await the full slate:
49ers
- Garrison Smith, DL (via agent David Canter on Twitter)
- Chris Martin, OL (via agent Brett Tessler on Twitter)
Bears
- Conor Boffeli, G
- Jonathan Brown, LB
- Rashad Lawrence, WR
- Jacob Maxwell, TE
- Jason Weaver, T (all via Adam Hoge of WGN on Twitter)
Broncos
- Jeremy Kelley, WR
- Curtis Marsh, CB
- Chase Vaughn, DE
- Kyle Williams, WR (all via Troy Renck of the Denver Post on Twitter)
Buccaneeers
- Matthew Masifilo, DT (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times on Twitter)
- Shelton Johnson, S (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times on Twitter)
Eagles
- Josh Andrews, OL (via Tessler on Twitter)
Falcons
- Brandan Bishop, S (via agent David Canter on Twitter)
Saints
- Toben Opurum, FB
- Willie Snead, WR (via Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune on Twitter)
Washington
- Lakendrick Ross, DL (via ESPN 980 on Twitter)
Minor Moves: Thursday
As NFL teams around the league make minor tweaks to their 53-man rosters and practice squads, we’ll round up those transactions in this post, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Chargers signed cornerback Greg Ducre to the practice squad, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (via Twitter). Ducre, who gained a lot of fans within the Bolts organization during his time in camp, was waived by Washington just a few days ago. To make room, the Chargers waived former San Diego State University offensive lineman Bryce Quigley.
- The Saints have filled the two openings on their practice squad, signing fullback Toben Opurum and wide receiver Willie Snead, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
- After placing Morgan Moses on IR, as noted below, Washington promoted running back Chris Thompson to the active roster, then signed tackle Edawn Coughman to the practice squad (Twitter link). According to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (via Twitter), the club had been telling Thompson for weeks that he’d be promoted by the end of the season.
Earlier updates:
- The Bengals used the open spot on their practice squad to add another Geathers to the mix — defensive tackle Kwame Geathers joins the organization that also employs his brother Robert Geathers, the team announced today (Twitter link).
- Washington head coach Jay Gruden told reporters today that rookie offensive lineman Morgan Moses is being placed on injured reserve due to a Lisfranc injury suffered in practice (Twitter link). So far, the club hasn’t added a player to its 53-man roster to take Moses’ spot.
- The Seahawks have now officially signed defensive lineman David King, in a move reported yesterday, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Condotta adds that the corresponding move sees the team release linebacker Allen Bradford.
- The Saints have filled the lone opening on their 53-man roster by promoting receiver Seantavius Jones from their practice squad, a source told Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate today. Adding a wideout to the roster makes sense, considering the open spot was created by the release of Joe Morgan.
Workout Notes: Thursday
The Panthers, still somehow right in the thick of things in the NFC South race, took advantage of their bye week to bring in a number of players for auditions yesterday. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Carolina worked out the following players: Austin Pettis (WR), Uzoma Nwachukwu (WR), Zach Bauman (RB), Toben Opurum (RB), Brad Sorensen (QB), M.D. Jennings (DB), Kimario McFadden (DB), Anthony Walters (DB), and Lou Young (DB). Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds one more name to the list, tweeting that wide receiver Michael Preston also visited the team.
Wilson has details on several more tryouts for free agent players this week, so let’s round up his updates (all links go to Twitter):
- The Seahawks have their eye on potential additions at linebacker, having worked out free agents Denicos Allen, Uani Unga, and Chris Carter.
- We heard previously that Washington brought in former Packers first-round pick Derek Sherrod, but he wasn’t the only offensive lineman to try out for the team this week. The club also auditioned linemen Michael Bamiro, Edawn Coughman, and Jordan McCray.
- The Texans brought in three defensive linemen for auditions, taking a look at Joe Kruger, Kona Schwenke, and Ben Bass.
- In addition to defensive end Scott Solomon, who ultimately signed to the team’s practice squad, a handful of players tried out for the Browns this week, including tight end Kevin Greene, linebacker Garrett McIntyre, tight end James Oboh, and linebacker Jamaal Westerman.
- A pair of defensive linemen, Rufus Johnson and Leon Mackey, worked out for the Jets.
Workout Notes: Bengals, Saints, Lions, Bucs
As teams around the league assess themselves during the early part of the week, we’ll learn about the latest tryouts as clubs try to remake the back ends of their rosters. We’ll keep track of today’s audition notes here:
- The Bears worked out several players today: linebacker Jonathan Brown (link via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post), running back Mikel Leshoure (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune), and safety Mistral Raymond (Biggs on Twitter). Leshoure, 22, is the biggest name here — the 2011 second-round pick rushed for almost 800 yards and nine touchdowns with the Lions in 2012.
Earlier updates:
- The Bengals worked out tight end Michael Egnew, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Egnew, a third-round pick in 2012, has spent time with the Dolphins, Lions, and Jaguars. Cincinnati also brought in defensive back Josh Victorian, who was dropped from the Lions’ practice squad in early October, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- With fullback Austin Johnson nursing a knee injury, the Saints auditioned fellow FBs Michael Zordich and Ray Agnew, per Caplan (on Twitter). New Orleans also tried out ex-Washington safety Bacarri Rambo, who started three games last season, tweets Caplan. Wilson passes along a few more names (on Twitter), noting that the club brought in defensive backs Malcolm Bronson, Stan McKay, and Brandon Taylor, and running back Toben Opurum.
- The Lions worked out cornerbacks Trevin Wade and Robert Steeples, says Wilson (Twitter link). The duo worked out for the Panthers a few weeks ago.
- The Buccaneers auditioned linebacker Jeremy Grable, per Wilson (via Twitter). Grable was on Tampa Bay’s roster over the summer.
- Offensive lineman Maurice Hurt is one of 15 players whom Washington is trying out today, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). We should learn the names of the other participants shortly.
Texans Sign John Simon, Put Sapp On IR
3:22pm: The Texans have confirmed the moves noted below in a press release, adding that fullback Toben Opurum has been cut to clear space on the practice squad for Ankrah.
8:36am: Ricky Sapp will be placed on injured reserve to make room on the Texans’ roster for Simon, according to Jayson Braddock, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is also signing outside linebacker Jason Ankrah to the practice squad.
8:13am: The Texans are set to snatch a player off the Ravens’ practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who reports (via Twitter) that Houston will sign outside linebacker John Simon to its 53-man roster. As Wilson observes (via Twitter), the move reunites Simon with Texans linebackers coach Mike Vrabel, after the two spent time together at Ohio State.
Simon, 24, was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft by the Ravens, and spent some time on the club’s active roster last season, contributing primarily on special teams. After failing to earn a spot on the 53-man roster this year, Simon re-signed to Baltimore’s practice squad, and had some incentive to do so — his $10K weekly salary was more than most taxi squad players earn, though he’ll still be in line for a nice raise now that he’s making the move to an active roster.
The Texans don’t currently have an opening on their 53-man roster, so a player will have to be cut or placed on injured reserve in order to clear room to officially sign Simon.
Sunday 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 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 AFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Houston Texans:
- Acquired via trade: Ryan Mallett, QB (link)
- Signed: Danieal Manning, S (link)
- Claimed off waivers: Jeff Adams, T (via Mike Garafolo on Twitter), Damaris Johnson, WR (via Les Bowen on Twitter); Darryl Morris, CB (via Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
- Cut (officially announced): Chris Clemons, S (link); Case Keenum, QB (via Tania Ganguli on Twitter); Anthony McClung, WR (released with injury settlement, via Aaron Wilson on Twitter); Mike Thomas, WR (via Rapoport on Twitter); Josh Victorian, CB (via Wilson on Twitter)
- Placed on injured reserve: Will Yeatman (via James Palmer on Twitter)
- Signed to practice squad: Travis Labhart, WR (via David Nuno on Twitter); Keith Browner, DE; Max Bullough, ILB; Anthony Denham, TE; Matt Feiler, OT; James Ferentz, C; Alex Kupper OG; EZ Nwachukwu, WR; Toben Opurum, FB; Marcus Williams, CB.
Indianapolis Colts:
- Claimed off waivers: A.Q. Shipley, C (via Adam Caplan on Twitter)
- Cut: Thomas Austin, C (via Caplan on Twitter)
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Tyler Hoover, T; Andrew Jackson, ILB; Ryan Lankford, WR; Josh Lenz, WR; Jeff Mathews, QB; Dewey McDonald, S; Nnamdi Obukwelu, DT; Sheldon Price, CB; Erik Swoope, TE; Josh Walker, G
Jacksonville Jaguars:
- Claimed off waivers: Mickey Shuler, TE (via Ryan O’Halloran on Twitter)
- Cut: Marcel Jensen, TE (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter)
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Cody Booth, T; DeAndre Coleman, DT; Henry Josey, RB (via Adam Caplan on Twitter); Craig Loston, S; Stephen Morris, QB; Kerry Taylor, WR; Tony Washington, WR; Marcus Whitfield, LB. The team has also added cornerback Peyton Thompson, reports Michael DiRocco (via Twitter), although the team has not officially announced the signing.
Tennessee Titans:
- Claimed off waivers: Kris Durham, WR (via team release); T.J. Graham, WR (via Adam Caplan on Twitter); Brandon Harris, CB (via team release)
- Cut: Michael Preston, WR (via Jim Wyatt on Twitter); Steve Vallos, C (via team release); Khalid Wooten, DB (via team release); Patrick Bailey, LB (via Jim Wyatt on Twitter)
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Antonio Andrews, RB (via John Glennon on Twitter); Chigbo Anunoby, DL (via team release); Brandon Copeland, LB (via Wyatt on Twitter); Justin McCray, OL (via team release); Will Poehls, T (via Wyatt on Twitter); Rico Richardson, WR (via Wyatt on Twitter); Ri’Shard Anderson, CB (via Wyatt on Twitter); Dontay Moch, LB; Orson Charles, TE (via Wyatt on Twitter).
Texans Release Eight Players
The Texans have released tight end Zach Potter, according to Dave Zangaro of CSNHouston.com (on Twitter). Earlier today, Houston released wide receiver Travis Labhart, kicker Chris Boswell, fullback Toben Opurum, and former USC safety Jawanza Starling. Here’s your running list of the players released in Houston today:
- Chris Boswell (K)
- Quentin Groves (LB) (via Rand Getlin on Twitter, 3:47pm)
- Brandon Harris (CB) (via James Palmer on Twitter, 9:51pm)
- Travis Labhart (WR)
- Chris McAllister (LB) (via Getlin on Twitter, 10:12pm)
- Toben Opurum (FB)
- Zach Potter (TE)
- Jawanza Starling (S)
Minor Moves: Friday
We’ll be grouping most of today’s cuts by team or division, but we’ll keep track of the stray minor moves here..
- The Titans released offensive lineman Jeff Adams, tweets Wyatt.
- The Texans cut wide receiver Travis Labhart and kicker Chris Boswell, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter).
- The Bears will cut offensive lineman Robert Turner, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Chicago signed the guard/tackle just a few weeks ago.
- The Texans released former USC safety Jawanza Starling, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
- The Titans have released defensive lineman Marcus Dixon and offensive lineman Justin McCray, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean (Twitter links). Dixon recorded a sack in the preseason finale and almost had a second one, but it wasn’t enough to stay on board.
- The Texans will release fullback Toben Opurum, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). The 23-year-old Kansas product didn’t touch the ball in Houston’s first three preseason contests and had three carries for nine yards last night against the 49ers.
- Earlier today, we learned that the Buccaneers have made four cuts.
