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Trevor Bates

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/5/17

September 5th, 2017 at 8:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: CB Tony McRae, C Matt Skura

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: LB Eric Lee
  • Released: S B.T. Sanders, CB Marcus Sayles

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: FB Alex Armah

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

  • Signed: LB LaTroy Lewis

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed: CB Raysean Pringle

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: TE Johnny Mundt, CB Kevin Peterson
  • Released: OL Michael Dunn, DL Louis Trinca-Pasat

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: CB Kenneth Durden

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC East

September 3rd, 2017 at 4:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC East 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 Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, and Jets 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 East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Patriots Reach 53-Man Max

September 2nd, 2017 at 8:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots made a massive amount of cuts on Saturday to reach the 53-man limit. Most of the cuts were expected, but there were a few surprises in the bunch.

Released:

Waived:

Karras was widely projected to be the team’s top backup on the interior line, so his release comes as a surprise. The 24-year-old was drafted by the Pats in the sixth round of the 2016 draft and played in all 16 regular season games last year. He also appeared in all three playoff games as a reserve.

O’Shaughnessy, acquired via trade in April, was competing for the third tight end spot. The 6-foot-4, 245-pounder has played in 23 NFL games with six starts.

Patriots Sign Nine To Reserve/Futures Contracts

February 7th, 2017 at 6:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Patriots coach Bill Belichick started a “no days off!” chant during today’s victory parade, and that sentiment was confirmed hours later when the team announced that they had signed the majority of their practice squad to reserve/futures contracts (via Patriots.com):

Rob Housler (Vertical)The team also inked tight end Rob Housler to a contract. The team didn’t sign fullback Glenn Gronkowski or wideout DeAndrew White, although that could change in the coming days or weeks.

Housler is probably the most notable name on the list, as the tight end has five NFL seasons under his belt. The former third-round pick was actually a staple in the Cardinals lineup from 2011 through 2014, averaging nearly 14 games a season. The tight end was especially productive in 2012 and 2013, combining for 84 receptions, 871 yards, and one touchdown in 28 games. Since then, the tight end bounced between the Bears and Browns before sitting out the entire 2016 campaign.

Otherwise, Kilgo has the most experience having played in 18 games for the Broncos between 2015 and 2016. Douglas (16 games, six starts), Barker (five games), Hamilton (three games), and Bates (one game) have also seen the field for at least one NFL game. Both Gaffney and Lucien proved to be intriguing prospects for the Patriots during this past preseason.

AFC Notes: Draft, Kelce, Jets, Patriots

December 17th, 2016 at 9:14am CST by Ben Levine

The Browns and Titans have done an admirable job of setting themselves up well for the upcoming draft, writes ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. Cleveland acquired three extra draft picks this season, and they’re guaranteed to have at least two picks in each of the first four rounds. Despite the fact that the 2017 draft is expected to feature weak quarterback offerings, Seifert believes the Browns could still select a signal-caller with one of their many picks.

Meanwhile, the Titans have the Rams’ first-round and third-round picks in this year’s draft, and the presence of Marcus Mariota means they won’t have to reach for a quarterback. In total, the team will have eight picks, including five in the first three rounds.

Let’s check out some other notes from the AFC…

  • Travis Kelce is having a career season, but the Chiefs‘ tight end can’t help but wonder whether he’d be a bigger star in a larger market. “I talk to my manager about that a lot and it is what it is,” Kelce said on PFT Live (via ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio). “I mean it kind of played a part in terms of branching out into the TV world for me. It’s one of those things where you just kind of, you come out of the draft, you just want to be as marketable as possible I think. That’s one of the things about the NFL is that you have small-market teams, big-market teams. I feel like the bigger market teams do kind of have an advantage in terms of off-the-field money. I think when you have big-time businesses around that want to be part of the sports community and the athletic community it’s a huge advantage in the bigger markets. So without a doubt.”
  • The drafting of another quarterback would just confirm that the Jets are “clueless,” writes ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. By selecting a quarterback, general manager Mike Maccagnan would be acknowledging that he blew the Christian Hackenberg pick, and Cimini adds that it’s way too early to give up on the rookie. The writer does note that the Panthers followed a similar path in 2011, when they bailed on former second-rounder Jimmy Clausen in favor of rookie Cam Newton. Of course, as Cimini points out, there’s no Cam Newton-type talent in this year’s draft.
  • Patriots practice squad linebacker Trevor Bates saw his salary increased to $18K a week, reports ESPN’s Mike Reiss (via Twitter). For reference, minimum salary for practice squad players is $6.9K a week. The University of Maine product was a seventh-round pick in this past year’s draft, but he was cut by the Colts in mid-October.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/7/16

November 7th, 2016 at 5:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Houston Texans

  • Signed: TE RaShaun Allen

New England Patriots

San Diego Chargers

NFL Workout Updates: 11/1/16

November 1st, 2016 at 8:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Tuesday is workout day in the NFL, and today was no different. Due to the sheer volume of today’s auditions, we’ll split up the reports by conference:

AFC

NFC

Patriots Work Out LB Jasper Brinkley

October 25th, 2016 at 8:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots worked out a trio of linebackers today, auditioning Jasper Brinkley, Randell Johnson, and Trevor Bates, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Jasper Brinkley (Vertical)

[RELATED: Patriots Acquire Kyle Van Noy]

None of the linebackers agreed to a contract with New England, and that’s likely because the Patriots filled their linebacker vacancy by acquiring former second-rounder Kyle Van Noy from the Lions. The Pats are looking for help along the front seven given that Jamie Collins (hip) and Shea McClellin (concussion) are coming off injury, though both played on Sunday.

Brinkley, 31, re-signed with the Giants this offseason after having spent the 2015 season in New York. The veteran had another solid campaign last year, compiling 67 tackles and one sack. The linebacker has only missed a pair of games since the start of 2012.

Colts Promote Williams, Sign Carter

October 13th, 2016 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts announced that they have promoted cornerback Frankie Williams to active roster and signed linebacker Chris Carter. To make room, linebacker Trevor Bates and tackle Jeremy Vujnovich have been let go. Frankie Williams (vertical)

Williams, a Purdue product, went undrafted this year and signed on with the Colts in May. It initially looked like he was going to make the roster, but he was dropped in early September for veteran Darryl Morris. Williams joined Indianapolis’ practice squad soon after and his persistence has finally garnered him a place on the 53-man roster. With Darius Butler and Patrick Robinson banged up, Williams will offer depth during the Colts’ Sunday night contest against the Texans.

Carter, meanwhile, was a fifth-round pick of the Steelers in the 2011 draft. He has just four NFL starts to his credit, but he could be used in a pass rush role off the bench.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/4/16

October 4th, 2016 at 5:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Bills have released tight end Jim Dray and promoted fellow tight end Gerald Christian from the practice squad, the club announced today. Dray, 29, is a seven-year veteran who inked a one-year deal with Buffalo over the offseason. Though he’s posted 56 career receptions, Dray didn’t garner a single target with the Bills.
  • The Browns announced that they have promoted tight end Connor Hamlett from the practice squad while waiving safety Don Jones. Jones had been a key special teams cog for Cleveland, but he hadn’t received a single defensive snap thus far.
  • The Lions waived tight end Orson Charles, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Detroit signed another tight end — veteran Clay Harbor — earlier today, so Charles is no longer need on the roster.
  • The Colts announced that they have promoted rookie linebacker Trevor Bates from the practice squad to the active roster. With veteran Sio Moore out of the picture after being cut earlier today, it’s possible that Bates could carve out a role.
  • The Buccaneers promoted wide receiver Jeremy Butler to the active roster. In eight games with Baltimore last season, Butler posted 31 receptions for 363 yards.
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