Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
As usual, plenty of practice squad players are on the move again this week, being signed, cut, or promoted as teams prepare for Week 11 games. Here are Wednesday’s latest practice squad additions and subtractions:
- Per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter), linebacker D.J. Smith has joined the Browns‘ practice squad, replacing fellow linebacker Allen Bradford, who was signed by the Seahawks’ active roster today.
- A day after being cut by the Jaguars, cornerback Peyton Thompson has cleared waivers and re-signed with the team’s practice squad, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- The Ravens have replaced tight end Phillip Supernaw, who signed with the Chiefs earlier this week, with tight end Konrad Reuland, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- The Seahawks have added fullback Stanley Havili to their practice squad, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- After promoting linebacker Max Bullough to their active roster, the Texans got their practice squad back up to the maximum 10 players by signing former Central Florida tackle Chris Martin, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The Buccaneers have filled the two openings on their practice squad by signing linebacker Jeremy Grable and offensive lineman Jeremiah Warren, both of whom have previously been with the team, tweets Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.
- Another club with two openings on its taxi squad has also filled them — the Bears announced today (via Twitter) that wide receiver B.J. Cunningham and guard Antoine McClain have signed with the team.
- The Cardinals have swapped out an offensive player for a defender, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com, who tweets that the team has signed cornerback Darren Woodard to its practice squad to replace running back Zach Bauman.
- After seeing tight end Rashaun Allen signed off their practice squad by the Seahawks, the Vikings have filled the newly-created vacancy by re-adding tight end Ryan Otten, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Minor Moves: Wednesday
As teams make minor adjustments to the backs of their 53-man rosters, we’ll keep tabs on today’s minor moves right here, with the latest transactions added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Texans have maxed out their active roster at 53 players once again, promoting linebacker Max Bullough from their practice squad to fill their final opening, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Bullough represents a replacement for veteran linebacker Zac Diles, who was cut by the team yesterday.
Earlier updates:
- On the heels of waiving safety Jerome Couplin yesterday, the Bills have made a corresponding roster move, announcing in a press release that they’ve promoted defensive end Bryan Johnson from their practice squad to their active roster. The addition of Johnson may signal that injured defensive end Jarius Wynn won’t be able to play in tomorrow night’s game against the Dolphins.
- The Buccaneers have filled their open roster spot by promoting cornerback C.J. Wilson from the practice squad, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link). The team created that opening yesterday by sending rookie guard Kadeem Edwards to the injured reserve list.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
In addition to tweaking their 53-man rosters in preparation for Week 11’s games, teams around the NFL are also making changes to their practice squads. Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts:
- The Browns signed defensive lineman Jamie Meder to their taxi squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter). Meder, an Ohio native, was recently cut from the Ravens’ practice squad.
- Brian McIntyre (on Twitter) has the goods on the Seahawks‘ latest taxi squad moves. Seattle has signed defensive end Ryan Robinson and running back Cierre Wood while placing running back Demitrius Bronson and defensive tackle Julius Warmsley on the IR. Linebacker L.J. Fort, who was being looked at as a possible fullback option, has been released.
- The Giants released safety Kyle Sebetic from the practice squad, tweets Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger.
- The Packers have re-signed wideout Alex Gillett to their taxi squad, releasing Jordan McCray in a corresponding move, a source tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Confirming a Monday report, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com tweets that center Darren Keyton has formally been added to the Lions‘ practice squad, replacing linebacker Jerrell Harris.
Earlier updates:
- After placing linebacker Patrick Willis on injured reserve today, the 49ers signed another linebacker, Shayne Skov, to their practice squad, the team announced (via Twitter). Skov, who spent the summer with the Niners, was cut from the Buccaneers’ taxi squad last month.
- Looking to add depth at the tight end position, the Chiefs not only added Phillip Supernaw to their active roster today, but also signed tight end Adam Schiltz to their practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Schiltz takes the spot vacated by running back Charcandrick West, who was promoted to the 53-man roster today.
- The Browns have released defensive lineman Jacobbi McDaniel from their practice squad, leaving an opening on the unit, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link).
- Linebacker Denicos Allen has been cut from the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
- Amidst a flurry of other roster moves, the Jaguars released cornerback Lou Young from their practice squad today, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Tuesday is typically the busiest day of the week during the NFL season for transactions, so we’ll round up several of the day’s less notable 53-man roster changes in this space, adding the latest moves to the top of the list throughout the day:
- After placing defensive tackle Brandon Mebane on injured reserve, ending his season, the Seahawks signed tight end Rashaun Allen to take his spot on the 53-man roster, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Allen had been on the Vikings’ practice squad.
- The Saints have reinstated wide receiver Joe Morgan from his suspension and have a roster exemption for him that expires tomorrow, tweets Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange.
Earlier updates:
- A week after claiming him off waivers, the Bills have let go of safety Jerome Couplin, the team announced today in a press release. As Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets, the team could replace Couplin with a defensive end, since Jarius Wynn wasn’t able to practice today.
- Linebacker Zac Diles has been cut by the Texans, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Diles had been signed when Houston was dealing with several injuries at the linebacker position, and it seems he’s no longer needed now that the club is getting a little healthier.
- The Buccaneers have placed rookie guard Kadeem Edwards on their injured reserve list due to a season-ending foot injury, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter). The team has yet to announce an addition to the roster, so for now there’s an open spot on the squad.
- The Chiefs have signed tight end Phillip Supernaw to their active roster from the Ravens’ practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Demetrius Harris broke his foot during the team’s Sunday win over Buffalo, and Anthony Fasano was banged up as well, so more depth at the tight end position was necessary.
- In addition to signing Supernaw, the Chiefs also announced several more roster moves, promoting running back Charcandrick West from their practice squad and placing Harris and running back Cyrus Gray on injured reserve.
- The Browns have reversed a roster move they made a few weeks ago, re-signing fullback Ray Agnew to their active roster and waiving fullback Kiero Small (Twitter link). The team had previously promoted Small to replace Agnew, who was the starting fullback earlier this season.
Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
We’ll keep tabs on today’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the league right here:
- After waiting for him to clear waivers, the Ravens have officially signed tight end Phillip Supernaw back to their practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- The Seahawks have signed defensive end Ryan Robinson to their taxi squad and are now back to the maximum 10 players, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).
- Having lost tackle Nick Becton off their practice squad when he signed with the Saints, the Giants have filled his spot by adding safety Kyle Sebetic, who was in camp with the team this summer.
Earlier updates:
- The Patriots have re-signed wideout Jonathan Krause to their taxi squad, dropping defensive lineman Kona Schwenke from the unit to clear a spot, the team announced today in a press release.
- Running back Michael Hill has been released from the Packers‘ practice squad, replaced by guard Jordan McCray, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Heading into today with one open spot on their practice squad, the Buccaneers created another opening by cutting defensive end George Uko, then filled those spots by signing defensive tackle Matthew Masifilo and cornerback Quinton Pointer, tweets Scott Smith of Buccaners.com.
- The Steelers have added safety Jordan Dangerfield to their practice squad, releasing defensive end Ethan Hemer, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Pittsburgh safeties Troy Polamalu and Shamarko Thomas are both dealing with injuries, so Dangerfield could be a candidate for promotion this weekend depending on the status of those players.
- Defensive tackle Loni Fangupo has joined the Chiefs‘ practice squad, according to his representatives at ARN Sports (Twitter link).
Bucs, Texans Name New Starting QBs
The Buccaneers and Texans have tabbed new starting quarterbacks heading into Week 10, according to multiple reports. Bucs signal-caller Mike Glennon announced yesterday that he has been informed Josh McCown will re-assume the starting job in Tampa Bay (Twitter link), while Houston head coach Bill O’Brien announced today that Ryan Mallett will replace Ryan Fitzpatrick as the Texans’ starter.
While PFR typically doesn’t focus too heavily on lineup changes, these two moves could have long-lasting roster implications, depending on how the new starters fare on the field. In Tampa Bay, new head coach Lovie Smith referred to Glennon earlier this year as the team’s quarterback of the future, despite the fact that the club signed McCown this past offseason expecting the ex-Bear to start. When McCown struggled early on, and then went down with a hand injury, it looked as if Glennon might take the reins for the rest of the season, in what has become a rebuilding year for the Bucs. Now it appears that won’t be the case.
As for the Texans, while Fitzpatrick was tabbed the starter coming into the season, the team also acquired Mallett via trade prior earlier this year, and selected Tom Savage in the draft. Mallett was viewed as a candidate to get a shot at some point, and if he has a strong second half, it could have a huge impact on his future earnings — the former Patriot is eligible for free agency at season’s end, so it’s possible he parlays a strong finish into a more lucrative contract than he would have otherwise received. Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, signed a two-year pact with Houston, but the Texans could get out of that deal next season with just $625K on their 2015 cap, rather than committing to a $3.25MM base salary.
While it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Glennon get another shot for the Bucs before the end of the season, the Texans seem committed to seeing what Mallett can do down the stretch, once the club returns from its Week 10 bye.
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.
Minor Moves: Monday
As teams deal with Week 9 injuries and look ahead to Week 10, we can expect to see several clubs tweak the backs of their 53-man rosters and their practice squads. Here are Monday’s latest minor transactions:
- The Dolphins have placed safety Michael Thomas on injured reserve after he suffered a significant chest injury in Sunday’s game, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). To take his place on the roster, Miami signed fellow S Jordan Kovacs off the Eagles’ practice squad, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The Fins will also add tight end Jake Stoneburner to its taxi squad, tweets Salguero.
- Two Buccaneers players, defensive end Da’Quan Bowers and fullback Jorvorskie Lane, have been reinstated from the suspended list, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
- The Buccaneers have waived defensive tackle Matthew Masifilo, reports Caplan (on Twitter). The 2012 undrafted free agent played in one game this season for Tampa Bay.
- Because return man Trindon Holliday was waived/injured, and has now cleared waivers, he has reverted to the Buccaneers’ injured reserve list, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- More Bucs news, as the club has made several changes to its practice squad. Tampa added linebacker Denicos Allen and tight end Ted Bolser to its taxi squad, while cutting fullback Lonnie Pryor and linebacker Mister Alexander, says Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter).
- To make room for Square (referenced below), the Chargers have cut safety Adrian Phillips, who was just signed on Saturday, per Wilson (Twitter link).
- The Bengals announced several changes to its practice squad, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. We learned earlier today that linebacker Khairi Fortt was lost to the Jaguars, but the team also cut tight end Kevin Greene. To replace them, Cincinnati signed tight end Jake Murphy and linebacker Justin Jackson.
- The Cardinals have re-signed defensive tackle Bruce Gaston, who was let go on Saturday, to their taxi squad, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (on Twitter).
- The Jets have made an addition to their PS, bringing in receiver Chris Owusu, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). Owusu caught 13 balls for the Buccaneers last season.
Earlier updates:
- Defensive end Damion Square, who was cut by the Chiefs on Saturday, has been claimed off waivers by the division-rival Chargers, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). San Diego doesn’t have an open roster spot, so the team will need to make a corresponding move for the transaction to become official.
- The Bills have filled their lone open roster spot by claiming safety Jerome Couplin off waivers from the Lions, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Lions have made a few changes to their practice squad, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, who tweets that the team has added tight end Jordan Thompson, cornerback Trevin Wade, and defensive tackle Roy Philon, releasing tight end Ifeanyi Momah.
- After working them out earlier, the Vikings have signed quarterback Pat Devlin and tight end Rashaun Allen to their taxi squad, according to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (via Twitter). To make space on the unit, the team moved quarterback Chandler Harnish to the practice squad IR list and cut tight end Ryan Otten.
- Fullback Michael Zordich has signed with the Saints‘ practice squad, according to his agency, Tier 1 Sports Management (Twitter link).
- The Buccaneers are set to sign tackle Matt Patchan to their practice squad, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Eagles Tried To Trade For Vincent Jackson
Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said last Monday that his club wasn’t looking to make any deals in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadine, but it appears he wasn’t being entirely truthful. Per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports (Twitter link), Philadelphia tried to acquire Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson, but Tampa Bay wasn’t interested in making a deal. There’s no word on what type of compensation was offered to the Buccaneers.
We heard rumors all last week that the Bucs were looking to dump players, and that Jackson was one of those who was available. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that Tampa Bay was looking for “real value” in exchange for Jackson, and might have been hoping for at least a second-round pick in exchange for the 31-year-old. Presumably, the Eagles were unwilling to part with such a valuable pick for Jackson. The Patriots, Seahawks, and Chiefs were also mentioned as suitors for Jackson, but it sounds like Philadelphia was closest to acquiring him.
The Eagles would have taken on the remainder of Jackson’ $10MM salary for 2014, but otherwise wouldn’t have been responsible for any guarantees. His 2015-16 base salaries of about $9.77MM aren’t guaranteed, and his signing bonus would’ve stay on Tampa’s books. Jackson is in the midst of a down season, as he’s caught just 26 passes for 357 yards and two touchdowns. Still, it would have been interesting to see how he would’ve been used in Kelly’s dynamic offense, especially being paired with Jeremy Maclin.
Tampa Bay will keep Jackson for at least the remainder of this season, and he will count roughly $2.43MM against the cap through 2016 in the form of a prorated signing bonus. PFR’s Luke Adams examined Jackson as one of several rumored trade candidates who stayed put, and noted that the veteran is a candidate to be released or restructured during the offseason. The Bucs, of course, did end up making two deals on Tuesday, trading Mark Barron to the Rams, and Jonathan Casillas to the Patriots.
Buccaneers Activate Charles Sims
5:26pm: The Bucs have officially announced Sims’ activation, also confirming that wideout Marcus Thigpen and defensive tackle Matthew Masifilo have been promoted from their practice squad to the active roster (Twitter link via Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com).
11:47am: We heard whispers yesterday indicating that the Buccaneers could activate rookie running back Charles Sims from the IR in advance of this weekend’s matchup against the Browns. That was confirmed this morning, as Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Bucs will activate Sims today will the intention of playing him this weekend. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the move is “procedural,” adding that there’s no guarantee Sims will play against Cleveland. No corresponding roster move has been announced.
Sims was drafted by the Bucs in the third round following a dominant senior season with West Virginia, where he rushed for 1,095 yards and 11 touchdowns. He spent his first three years of college playing for the Houston Cougars, compiling 37 touchdowns and averaged about 800 yards a season.
Kevin Patra of NFL.com notes that Sims was estimated to miss 12 to 14 weeks following ankle surgery in August, indicating that the rookie was ahead of schedule about at least two weeks. Patra adds that the team will likely lean on Bobby Rainey this weekend as the team eases Sims in.