HEADLINES

Tyler Gaffney

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.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/16

November 11th, 2016 at 6:25pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Friday’s minor NFL moves:

  • A day after cutting Tyler Gaffney, the Patriots are re-signing the running back and will place him on their practice squad, reports Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link). PFR’s Zach Links suggested Thursday that the Pats were likely to re-sign Gaffney, who lost his roster spot with the activation of fellow rusher Dion Lewis from the PUP list.
  • The Packers have added tight end Beau Sandland to their practice squad and cut running back Brandon Burks, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Sandland went to Carolina in the seventh round of this year’s draft, but the Panthers waived him from their practice squad Wednesday. Burks has been in and out of the Green Bay organization since it signed him in May as an undrafted free agent from Troy.
  • The Jets waived wide receiver Titus Davis from their reserve/left squad list, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Davis, who spent time with four different teams after going undrafted in 2015, retired in August.

Patriots Release RB Tyler Gaffney

November 10th, 2016 at 3:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have released running back Tyler Gaffney, according to Doug Kyed of NESN.com (on Twitter). This could be a sign of good things to come for New England as Gaffney’s release is likely paving the way for a Dion Lewis return. Tyler Gaffney

Gaffney, 25, was a sixth-round pick in the 2014 draft, but various injuries have held him back over the last few years. The Patriots claimed Gaffney off waivers from the Panthers during his rookie season, and stashed him on injured reserve in each of the next two years. After being waived with an injury settlement in September, Gaffney signed on with New England’s practice squad in mid-October. Although he was bumped to the 53-man roster recently, he still hasn’t seen the NFL field.

Gaffney was expected to serve as a depth option behind LeGarrette Blount, James White, Brandon Bolden, and D.J. Foster. Now, he’s out of the picture altogether as Lewis gears up for his highly-anticipated return. Given his injury history, it seems likely that New England could sneak him through waivers and stash him on the practice squad again.

Patriots Promote RB Tyler Gaffney

October 29th, 2016 at 4:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots have promoted running back Tyler Gaffney from the practice squad to the active roster, the club announced today. Because it had already had an empty roster spot, New England did not need to make a corresponding transaction.Tyler Gaffney

[RELATED: Dion Lewis Returns To Practice]

Gaffney, 25, was a sixth-round pick in the 2014 draft, but various injuries have left him unable to appear in a single game during his career. The Patriots claimed Gaffney off waivers from the Panthers during his rookie season, and stashed him on injured reserve in each of the next two years. After being waived with an injury settlement in September, Gaffney signed on with New England’s practice squad in mid-October.

If he’s active on Sunday against the Bills, Gaffney will serve as a depth option behind LeGarrette Blount, James White, Brandon Bolden, and D.J. Foster, while also likely playing on special teams. Gaffney’s roster spot could be in danger if and when Dion Lewis returns from the PUP list — Lewis returned to practice earlier this week, meaning the Patriots have a three-week window during which they can activate Lewis.

Given that Gaffney went unsigned for more than a month earlier this year, the Patriots likely believe they can pass him through waivers and place him back on the taxi squad if Lewis comes back soon, as Doug Kyed of NESN tweets.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/17/16

October 17th, 2016 at 7:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad moves:

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AFC East Rumors: Roman, Dolphins, Patriots

September 17th, 2016 at 7:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Greg Roman‘s early-season dismissal has generated consistent fallout since the Bills and their OC parted ways on Friday. The latest comes from Bills sources who are glad the firing occurred.

“I haven’t talked to anybody that isn’t excited about the move,” a Bills source told Tom Pelissero of USA Today.

According to the sources, Bills players believed their offense lacked an identity, even as the team raced to the top of the NFL in rushing in 2015. They saw an offense that would change randomly from week to week instead of building on what was working, per Pelissero, leaving the team prone to three-and-outs when big plays didn’t occur.

Here’s the latest from the AFC East.

  • The Dolphins did not appear to like DeVante Parker‘s approach to healing a troublesome hamstring this offseason, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. The second-year wideout’s nutritional habits were less than ideal, per Salguero, who adds the projected starter perhaps wasn’t doing enough in practice to prepare his muscles for game speed. Parker missed Week 1 with a hamstring injury.
  • Similarly, the team has soured somewhat on Jay Ajayi. The second-year ball-carrier was a healthy scratch against the Seahawks and, per Salguero, did not like being deployed in Miami’s fourth preseason game. Another undetermined Ajayi action at the Dolphins’ facility helped lead to Adam Gase leaving him off the travel list for Seattle, Salguero reports, and Gase wanted to send him a professionalism-fueled message. The first-year coach told media Ajayi showed more maturity since the benching, but the 2015 fifth-round pick who was the starter before Arian Foster‘s arrival delivered the same response to nine questions Friday in a two-minute interview, Salguero reports.
  • The Patriots paid out varying injury settlements to defensive lineman Frank Kearse, running back Tyler Gaffney and linebacker Kevin Snyder, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports. Kearse received $201K for what amounts to eight weeks of pay, with Gaffney’s Pats divorce netting the running back $117K, or six weeks’ salary, Volin reports. Snyder’s was just $25K (one week). The trio released from the Pats’ IR cannot sign with another team until their settlements pay out.
  • Former New England executive Michael Lombardi has indeed resurfaced in the media, accepting a position with Fox Sports. On a Friday appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast, the former Pats front office staffer and Browns GM categorized Jimmy Garoppolo as a superior deep-ball thrower to Tom Brady. “[Garoppolo] does things really well and in the right scheme, in the right system, he can be really effective. He throws the ball vertically down the field better than [Brady] does,” Lombardi told Simmons (via Doug Kyed of NESN.com). “And he can make throws all over the field. He can move around.” Kyed points out the 39-year-old Brady ranks 36th of 45 qualified quarterbacks with at least 100 deep attempts since 2012.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/16

September 9th, 2016 at 4:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Friday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

  • The Chargers have reached injury settlements with wide receiver Rasheed Bailey and linebacker Shaq Petteway, per Adam Caplan of ESPN and Wilson (on Twitter). San Diego claimed Bailey on Aug. 18 after the Jaguars cut him, but the Bolts ultimately waived/injured him last weekend. The 6-foot-1, 209-pound Bailey went undrafted out of Delaware Valley a year ago and spent time with the Eagles, though he didn’t garner any regular-season experience with either them or the Jags. Petteway signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent from West Virginia on April 30.
  • The Patriots have waived running back Tyler Gaffney with an injury settlement, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link). Gaffney, who hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since the Panthers took him in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, injured his foot in New England’s Sept. 1 preseason finale. He spent the first two years of his career on the Patriots’ injured reserve list with knee issues.
  • The Buccaneers have placed receiver Evan Spencer on the reserved/retired list, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. The Redskins used a sixth-rounder on Spencer a year ago, but he ended up spending most of the season on the Bucs’ practice squad. He was active for Tampa Bay’s regular-season finale and was slated to be on its practice squad to start 2016.
  • The Colts have removed cornerback Tevin Mitchel and defensive end Ron Thompson from IR with injury settlements, tweets Wilson. Mitchell, whom Washington drafted in the sixth round last year, didn’t see any action as a rookie. Thompson signed with Indy earlier this year as an undrafted free agent from Syracuse.

Patriots Cut Aaron Dobson, Move To 53

September 3rd, 2016 at 5:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have announced the cuts that bring them down to 53, including the waiving of Aaron Dobson.
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Dobson, 25, is a former second-round pick, but he hasn’t done much since joining New England in 2013. In three seasons with the club, the Marshall product has only posted 53 receptions for less than 700 yards. Most of that production came during his rookie season, as Dobson has put up only 16 catches during the past two years. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Dobson was set to earn about $872K in base salary.

Here’s the list of Patriots cuts so far today:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Cowboys, Goff, Bills, Jets, Pats

April 15th, 2016 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

The blockbuster Rams/Titans trade involving the first overall pick will have an impact on several of the teams picking after Los Angeles, and the owner of one of those clubs acknowledged as much. As Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes, the Cowboys, who pick at No. 4, may have to prepare for a different set of players to be available in the wake of the trade.

“Well, I don’t want to make any assumptions, but yeah, it does impact because that kind of movement up ahead of you in a lot of different ways it took a lot of the consideration out of the marketplace,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “If you think draft picks are consideration, then it is. It certainly made a difference below that No. 1 pick as to what might be available trading or in terms of making a decision with a player. It took two commodities out. It took picks, it took a player.”

As Archer details in a separate story, the Cowboys’ brass is headed to the Bay Area for a private workout with Cal quarterback Jared Goff, who may or may not be available at No. 4 — it’s possible Goff could be the Rams’ target at No. 1, but if L.A. opts for Carson Wentz and the Browns don’t select a quarterback, Goff would likely be on the board when Dallas picks. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Cowboys prefer to target their QB of the future or a top defensive player.

Here are a few more Friday morning updates from out of the NFL’s East divisions:

  • The Bills continue to eye defensive prospects, having brought in Georgia pass rusher Leonard Floyd for a visit, per Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News. Floyd, a probable first-round pick, arrived in Buffalo on Thursday and will continue his visit with the team on Friday.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter) has the details on wide receiver/kick returner Jeremy Ross‘ one-year deal with the Jets. The minimum salary pact has a total value of $840K, with a $50K signing bonus plus a $30K roster bonus if Ross is on the 53-man roster.
  • Mike Reiss of ESPN.com explains why the Patriots waived running back Tyler Gaffney earlier this week, only to sign him back to their roster three days later.
  • East Carolina tight end Bryce Williams says he had a workout with the Patriots, as Tyler Dunne tweets. The Pats, of course, already have Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett at tight end.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/14/16

April 14th, 2016 at 6:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Raiders restricted free agent Neiko Thorpe signed his tender today, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The 26-year-old defensive back had a career season in 2015, compiling career-highs in tackles (40), passes defended (six), and interceptions (one) while starting two of his 14 games.

The rest of today’s minor moves:

  • The Patriots re-signed running back Tyler Gaffney, as Wilson tweets. .Gaffney was injured throughout his two seasons with New England
  • The Seahawks have signed ERFA cornerback DeShawn Shead, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Colts announced that restricted free agent tight end Jack Doyle has signed his qualifying offer. Doyle has spent the last three seasons with the Colts after being claimed off waivers from Tennessee in September 2013. The Western Kentucky product has played in 47 career games (seven starts) and caught 35 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns.
  • Washington announced the waiving of outside linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat, as Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com tweets.
  • The Broncos cut tight end Nick Kasa with a non-football injury designation, Wilson tweets.
  • The Giants signed ERFA punter Brad Wing, Wilson tweets.
  • The Broncos signed exclusive-rights free agent center Matt Paradis, as Wilson tweets.
  • The Patriots have waived linebacker/special teamer Eric Martin, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com tweets.