Minor Moves: Tuesday
Teams around the NFL are shuffling players on and off their 53-man rosters today, and we’ll track all those minor, back-of-the-roster transactions right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Chargers waived/injured cornerback Marcus Cromartie, according to Eric Williams of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Titans have agreed to terms on a contract with tight end Chase Coffman, waiving wideout T.J. Graham to create space on the roster, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- With Dennis Pitta out for the year and heading to injured reserve, the Ravens have promoted tight end Phillip Supernaw from the practice squad to their active roster, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union has the full details on the Jaguars‘ transactions (via Twitter). In addition to the two previously-reported signings – noted below – the team also added tight end Nic Jacobs, who had been on the Saints’ practice squad. To make room for the three incoming players, the club cut tight end Marcel Jensen and wideout Kerry Taylor, and waived-injured safety Chris Prosinski.
- Having cut linebacker Keith Smith from their 53-man roster yesterday, the Cowboys have an open spot, and will use it to bring back defensive end Lavar Edwards, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Smith had been added to the roster in Edwards’ place for this past Sunday’s game due to the absence of injured linebacker Justin Durant.
- Defensive tackle Deandre Coleman has been signed off the Jaguars‘ practice squad by the Dolphins, according to a tweet from Miami’s official account. The Dolphins cut safety Brandian Ross in a corresponding move.
- Linebacker Jeremiah George, who had been on the Jets‘ practice squad, tweeted today that he’s now a Jaguar. The move has yet to be announced by the club, but it appears George will be added to Jacksonville’s 53-man roster. Having also reportedly agreed to a deal with Sherrod Martin, the Jags will have to remove two players from their active roster to finalize the signings.
Chargers Sign Shaun Draughn, Kevin Reddick
The Chargers announced that they have signed running back Shaun Draughn and inside linebacker Kevin Reddick to their 53-man roster, tweets Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.
San Diego coach Mike McCoy made no secret of the fact that the club would look to sign a running back in the wake of Danny Woodhead‘s season-ending injury. In Draughn, the Chargers have added a veteran running back with four seasons of NFL experience. The 26-year-old (27 in December) enjoyed his best season with the Chiefs in 2012, rushing for 233 yards off of 59 carries with 24 catches for 158 yards. Draughn also found paydirt twice in 2012 – his only NFL touchdowns.
It was a quick turnaround for Reddick, who was dropped from the Rams’ practice squad just last week. The 24-year-old, who was in camp with the Saints over the offseason and had a tryout for the Pats, appeared in all 16 of New Orleans’ game last season. Working primarily on special teams, Reddick had 13 tackles and one forced fumble. Kavell Conner is expected to have an increased role on defense in the wake of Manti Te’o‘s foot injury, so Reddick will presumably help fill the gap on special teams.
To make room on the roster, the Bolts have released defensive end Lawrence Guy, tweets Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego.
Workout Notes: Chargers, Texans, Lions, Jets
The Chargers are on the lookout for a running back after losing Danny Woodhead to a season-ending injury, and it looks like the team is close to adding one. A number of free agents auditioned for the club today, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter), while Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) identifies D.J. Adams as one of the participants. Adams, who was most recently with the Cowboys, spent a month with the Chargers earlier in the offseason.
As we wait to see which player takes Woodhead’s roster spot in San Diego, let’s round up a few more updates on workouts around the league….
- As first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Texans took a look at a handful of free agent punters today in case Shane Lechler misses any time. Lechler is day to day with a hip flexor, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), who also has the list of players who worked out for the club. According to McClain, the Texans brought in Mat McBriar, Zoltan Mesko, Brian Moorman, and Kasey Redfern.
- Wilson reports (via Twitter) that veteran linebacker Pat Angerer auditioned today for the Lions, who are eyeing linebacker help after losing Stephen Tulloch for the season. Angerer has worked out for the Jets, Saints, and Rams since being released at the end of August by the Falcons.
- Safety Jamarca Sanford, who was placed on injured reserve and then cut by the Vikings earlier this month, worked out today for the Jets, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Giants tried out about six players today, including safety Jawanza Starling, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
AFC Notes: Ravens, Jets, Pats, Chargers
A year ago, the Patriots began the 2013 season by winning their first four games, the Broncos came out of the gates by winning six consecutive contests, and the Chiefs started 9-0 before being dealt their first loss. In 2014, however, we’re through just three weeks and only one AFC team remains unbeaten.
The 3-0 Bengals have the conference’s best point differential by far at +47, and with a bye week coming up, their loss column will remain unblemished for at least one more week. Starting in Week 5 though, the Bengals will play games against the Patriots, Panthers, Colts, and Ravens, meaning there’s a good chance their winning streak will be halted well before they have the opportunity to match last year’s Chiefs’ start.
As we look forward to seeing how long the Bengals can continue their winning ways, let’s round up a few items from around the AFC….
- With Dennis Pitta having been ruled out for the season after undergoing hip sugery, the Ravens are eyeing potential replacements at tight end. Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the team is working out free agents Emmanuel Ogbuehi, Jake Murphy, Matthew Mulligan, and Kellen Davis today.
- Former Bills cornerback Brandon Smith is trying out for the Jets today, following the club’s Monday Night loss to the Bears, reports Wilson at the National Football Post. According to Wilson, Smith, who has recovered from a broken fibula suffered in training camp, is receiving some interest from multiple NFL clubs.
- The Patriots worked out running back Rajion Neal, wide receiver Kevin Cone, defensive end Steven Means, and linebacker D.J. Smith, tweets Wilson.
- Wide receiver and return man Marcus Thigpen agreed to join the Dolphins’ practice squad yesterday, but also recently worked out for the Colts, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- With the help of his colleague Adam Caplan, ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams explores some possible free agent options at running back for the Chargers in the wake of injuries to Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead.
Chargers To Promote Cordarro Law
With two open roster spots to fill after placing Danny Woodhead and Melvin Ingram on IR, the Chargers will promote a player who has spent the season on their practice squad. According to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, linebacker Cordarro Law will be added to the team’s 53-man roster.
Law, 25, drew NFL interest last winter after a standout 2013 season with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, in which the outside linebacker racked up 14 sacks. Before he signed with the Chargers, the Jaguars, Patriots, and Ravens were among the teams who auditioned Law or at least had some interest in him, according to various reports. The former Southern Miss standout went undrafted in 2012 and was picked up by the Seahawks before being cut and heading north to the CFL.
For San Diego, Law will help reinforce a linebacking corps that has been depleted by injuries in recent weeks. Ingram is on injured reserved with the designation to return, meaning he won’t be eligible to return to game action for another seven weeks. According to Gehklen, Manti Te’o is also expected to miss significant time after suffering a foot fracture during Sunday’s game against the Bills. Te’o likely won’t land on injured reserve, but figures to miss multiple contests.
Once the Law promotion becomes official, the Chargers will still have one opening on their 53-man roster to fill. Presumably, that spot is earmarked for a running back.
Chargers Looking To Sign Running Back
In the wake of Danny Woodhead‘s season-ending injury, the Chargers will waste little time in adding another tailback. Head coach Mike McCoy says that the sooner the his team can add a third healthy running back to roster, the better, tweets Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. He added that he wants to finalize his decision in the next 24 hours.
Woodhead suffered a high ankle sprain and a fracture fibula during Sunday’s game against the Bills and needs surgery to fix the damage. Few would have expected the Bolts to be in the market for an RB in September since they entered the year with a talented three-headed backfield of Ryan Mathews, Woodhead, and Donald Brown. Mathews, of course, is out with an MCL sprain and while he’ll be back, it won’t be for at least a few weeks.
Running back Marion Grice was a candidate to be called up from the the taxi squad for that role, but the Chargers will definitely be going out-of-house for their third halfback now that the ASU product has signed with the Cardinals. Since the team was carrying just 52 players at the time of Woodhead’s injury, there are currently two openings on the 53-man roster.
Danny Woodhead Out For Season
MONDAY, 3:42pm: Chargers head coach Mike McCoy confirmed today that Woodhead will be out for the season, and is being placed on injured reserve (Twitter link via Eric Williams of ESPN.com). Since the team had already been carrying just 52 players, there are now two openings on the 53-man roster.
SUNDAY, 5:28pm: Chargers running back Danny Woodhead suffered a high ankle sprain and a fracture fibula during today’s game against the Bills, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (via Twitter). According to Marvez, Woodhead will likely undergo season-ending surgery to repair the damage.
While San Diego entered the season with a wealth of talent at the running back position, including Woodhead, Ryan Mathews, and Donald Brown, the team’s backfield has taken a hit in recent weeks. In addition to seeing Woodhead go down this week, the Chargers also had Mathews suffer an MCL sprain, which is expected to sideline him for multiple games.
We’ll have to wait for an official announcement from the club on Woodhead’s status, which figures to come on Monday, but it looks like the injured reserve list is a strong possibility for the former Patriot. The Chargers just used their IR spot with the designation to return yesterday on linebacker Melvin Ingram, so that won’t be an option for Woodhead.
If the Chargers decide to replace Woodhead on their 53-man roster with another running back, Marion Grice is a candidate. Grice is currently the only back on the team’s practice squad.
Extra Points: Davis, Brown, Williams
Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has been adamant that Shaun Hill will be the starting quarterback when healthy, but with Austin Davis delivering strong performances the last two weeks, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com believes the long time coach needs to reconsider. With the team approaching their bye week, Wagoner thinks some reflection will make it clear the Davis is the superior choice going forward.
Here are some other notes from around the NFL as the third Sunday of football wraps up:
- Where some questioned the Chargers‘ decision to sign Donald Brown to a three-year contract, they put the former Colt to work as he came up big in their victory over the Bills today, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. The team already had Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead, so adding Brown only crowded the backfield. Now that Mathews is gone for at least another month, and Woodhead possibly done for the season, Brown could be a key piece in the team’s offense going forward.
- Eagles‘ cornerback Cary Williams was critical of the coaching staff after the game today, despite pulling in the victory over the Redskins. He spoke about being overworked in practice and mentioned that many players were tired on game day, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). “A lot of guys had no legs,” said Williams. “We got to start taking care of our guys throughout the week in order for us to be more productive and have more energy on Sundays.”
- The Chiefs are struggling to find reliable pass catchers on their offense, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com suggests that if they can find a decent player they should make a move to try to acquire him (via Twitter). Mid-season trades are unusual and often do not bring in great production, but Fitzgerald must see this situation as exceptionally barren.
- Bills‘ fans are excited about their new ownership group, and the next move is to get a new stadium. Jerry Zremski of BuffaloNews.com outlines how the Bills could pay for a new home field.
Injury Updates: Sunday
The NFL is almost through another week of football, and the injuries are piling up yet again. An unfortunate reality of the league is that no team will leave healthy from week to week.
Zach Links and Luke Adams have already discussed some of the bigger names to go down. Matt Cassel‘s foot injury paved the way for Vikings‘ first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater‘s NFL debut. Dennis Pitta left the Ravens‘ win with a dislocated hip, and Chargers‘ tailback Danny Woodhead could miss the rest of the season with a high ankle sprain and fractured fibula.
Here are some other injury notes from around the NFL:
- In addition to Cassel, the Vikings‘ lost a number of starters to injury late in their loss to the Saints: linebacker Chad Greenway left the game with a rib injury, tight end Kyle Rudolph with a groin injury, guard Brandon Fusco with a pectoral injury, and Josh Robinson with a hamstring issue, writes Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com.
- Saints‘ center Jonathan Goodwin left the game with a left leg injury, writes Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com.
- Redskins‘ cornerback DeAngelo Hall is feared to have a torn achilles tendon, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post. He will have an MRI tomorrow.
- Lions‘ linebacker Stephen Tulloch injured his left knee during the victory over the Packers, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tulloch, who has never missed a game in his nine-year career, suffered the injury during a celebration of a sack on Aaron Rodgers.
- Rod Streater and Tyvon Branch both suffered injuries for the Raiders in their 16-9 loss to the Patriots, reports Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Head coach Dennis Allen confirmed that Streater suffered a foot fracture, and Branch had a similar injury.
- The Cowboys beat the Rams today, but may have lost defensive tackle Henry Melton to a groin injury, writes Brandon George of DallasNews.com. Melton missed all of the preseason while recovering from a groin injury.
West Notes: McKenzie, Broncos, Woodhead
As the early afternoon games get underway, let’s have a look at some items from the league’s west divisions:
- With the sale of the Bills for $1.4 billion to be voted on by team owners within the next few weeks, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that there is a growing sense that the Raiders could fetch at least $2 billion and wonders if owner Mark Davis would sell.
- Citing a team source, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Raiders appear willing to let head coach Dennis Allen “coach his way out” of the team’s early struggles, at least until late in the season.
- Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that Raiders‘ GM Reggie McKenzie is in no danger of losing his job.
- David Migoya of the Denver Post writes that the NFL has said it will not allow the Broncos‘ search for a new owner to go on indefinitely, so the Pat Bowlen Trust will have to determine within the next two years which of Bowlen’s seven children will step into his shoes. If that does not happen, the team will have to be sold.
- Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com describes how the Chargers will go about replacing Ryan Mathews, who will be sidelined for an extended period of time with an MCL knee strain. Although Donald Brown and Danny Woodhead were expected to share the majority of the workload, Woodhead’s injury today (he was carted off the field, per a tweet from La Canfora) means that undrafted rookie free agent Branden Oliver could be seeing action sooner than anticipated.
- Kent Somers of AZCentral.com describes how the Cardinals’ depth is being tested to an extreme degree in 2014 and how the team has overcome early-season adversity thus far.