NFC Links: Boone, Packers, Spillman, Wright
Let’s take a look at some extra notes out of the NFC on this Sunday evening…
- ESPN’s Ed Werder notes (via Twitter) that the $2MM added to Alex Boone‘s deal with the 49ers means the player is guaranteed no franchise or transition designation when his contract expires.
- The Packers currently have a pair of backup quarterbacks for Aaron Rodgers in Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien. That hasn’t prevented the team from auditioning other quarterbacks, as ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the team worked out Jeff Mathews, Pat Devlin and Jon Jennings earlier today.
- Former 49ers special teams ace C.J. Spillman is on his way to Dallas to presumably sign with the Cowboys, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
- Rapoport also (via Twitter) predicts that safety Major Wright, who was cut by the Buccaneers yesterday, will be on an NFL roster by the start of the season.
- Lache Seastrunk was informed at the last minute that he wouldn’t be added to the Redskins practice squad, tweets The Washington Post’s Mike Jones. The team cited that they wanted to go in a “different direction.”
Sunday 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 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 NFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Atlanta Falcons:
- Claimed off waivers: Nate Stupar, LB (via Vaughn McClure on Twitter)
- Cut: Tim Dobbins, LB (via Adam Caplan on Twitter)
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Ricardo Allen, CB; Sean Baker, S; Harland Gunn, G; Terren Jones, T; Bernard Reedy, WR; Travian Robertson, DT; Jacques Smith, OLB; Jerome Smith, RB
Carolina Panthers:
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Carrington Byndom, CB; Adarius Glanton, LB; Tavarres King, WR; Robert Lester, S; Marcus Lucas, WR; Andrew McDonald, OT; Darrin Reaves, RB; Micanor Regis, DT; D.J. Smith, LB; Casey Walker, DT
New Orleans Saints:
- Signed to practice squad: Brandon Coleman, WR (via Evan Woodbery on Twitter); Terrence Frederick, CB (via Larry Holder on Twitter); Seantavius Jones, WR (via Nick Underhill on Twitter); Tavon Rooks, T (via Woodbery on Twitter); Trevin Wade, CB (via Woodbery on Twitter); Todd Davis, LB (via Mike Triplett on Twitter)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
- Claimed off waivers (officially announced): Garrett Gilkey, G (via Gilkey on Twitter)
- Cut (officially announced): Josh Allen, OL
- Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Cameron Brate, TE (via Roy Cummings on Twitter); Jeff Demps, WR (via Cummings on Twitter); Mike Kafka, QB; Brandon Magee, LB (via Cummings on Twitter); Matthew Masifilo, DT (via Cummings on Twitter); Solomon Patton, WR (via Cummings on Twitter), Brandon Dixon, CB (via Rick Stroud on Twitter)
Free Agent Notes: Patterson, Bailey, Kafka, Painter
It was a busy day in the NFL, and plenty of free agents are now looking for a new home. Let’s see where some of them could be heading…
- The Texans have already expressed interest in former Jets cornerback Dimitri Patterson, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
- The Saints don’t have a kicker on their roster, but they shouldn’t be worried. Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole tweets that there are plenty of options in free agency, including Ryan Succop, Connor Barth and Jay Feely.
- NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport spoke to Champ Bailey‘s agent, Jack Reale, who indicated that the veteran “definitely” still wants to play and is completely healthy. “He had a plantar problem which is resolved. He just missed too much time for the coach’s evaluation to be complete,” Reale said (via Rapoport’s Twitter).
- The Buccaneers will look to bring back quarterback Mike Kafka to their practice squad, tweets the Tampa Tribune’s Roy Cummings.
- Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wonders if the 49ers could have interest in offensive lineman Vinston Painter. Florio refers to the 49ers attempt to sign Painter away from the Broncos prior to the conference championship games.
- If Joe Banyard clears waivers, he will end up on the Vikings practice squad, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- The Bills aren’t expected to add another quarterback, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan.
Bucs Cut Mike Kafka, Major Wright, Others
6:05pm: The Buccaneers have officially announced their roster moves (via Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com), revealing their final cut:
- Brandon Magee, LB
Instead of releasing Ronald Talley and Major Wright, the team placed the duo on injured reserve.
5:09pm: The Buccaneers have yet to officially announce their full list of cuts to get down to 53 players, so for now we’ll have to rely on various reports to determine which players are no longer on the rest. After yesterday’s series of moves, seven more cuts have been reported so far today, meaning the team has to make just one more move to get from 54 to 53 players. Here’s the list so far:
- Cameron Brate, TE (via Greg Auman on Twitter)
- Jeff Demps, RB (via Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
- Mike Kafka, QB (via Rapoport on Twitter)
- Matthew Masifilo, DT (via Auman on Twitter)
- Solomon Patton, WR (via Roy Cummings on Twitter)
- Ronald Talley, DE (via Auman on Twitter)
- Major Wright, S (via Adam Schefter on Twitter)
NFC Notes: Mankins, Eagles, 49ers, Bears
At his introductory press conference, new Buccaneers guard Logan Mankins admitted that he has a lot of work to do (via Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald). “It’s going to be tough, we have a week before the first game and I’m going to take it in stride. I’ve got all weekend to try and get down some of the mental part of it and then all next week at practice. I’m sure the guys are going to help me as much as possible and I’m going to try my best to be up to speed with those guys, I don’t know if it will happen, but I’m shooting for it,” said the veteran. More from around the NFL:
- Having recently been cut by the Bills, quarterback Thad Lewis had an audition for the Eagles, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).
- Blaine Gabbert looked shaky in the 49ers‘ preseason finale while Josh Johnson has looked good over the last few weeks, which could prompt the club to carry three quarterbacks, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. Gabbert, who has a $2MM guaranteed salary, won’t be going anywhere, but SF might want to have Johnson in place as a failsafe.
- 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh sounds intent on keeping quarterback Johnson in addition to Gabbert, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. However, he won’t commit to putting Johnson ahead of Gabbert on the depth chart, despite the former first-round pick’s struggles.
- After giving himself a “B+” grade for his Thursday night performance, Michael Sam believes that he’ll be on an NFL roster somewhere, even if it’s not with the Rams, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “I’m very confident,” Sam said. “I’m going to sleep really well tonight and I’m very confident I’m going to be on a team, the Rams or any other team in the NFL.”
- Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times believes that Matthew Mulligan will have a spot on the Bears‘ roster as the tight end behind Martellus Bennett and Dante Rosario thanks to his blocking ability. The injury to Zach Miller opened the door for Mulligan, who is a solid blocker.
- The Bears have done their homework on long snappers and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter) hears that they worked out four long snappers last week. Currently, Brandon Hartson has the job in Chicago.
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed that he has met face-to-face with Dez Bryant, something he doesn’t do with every player who is seeking a new deal, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. “We have had good visits,” Jones said. “It’s a little different to be talking directly, for me to be talking directly with the player. I know of two that I’ve spent a lot of time directly talking with in some pretty sensitive areas when you’re talking about money. We all understand what that means. One of them Michael Irvin. He asked me to induct him into the Hall of Fame later and Emmitt Smith, he asked me to induct him into the Hall of Fame later. Troy [Aikman] always had Leigh Steinberg there, but we kind of talked straight in there together.”
Bucs Release Barth, English, Others
2:02pm: Connor Barth is the latest Buccaneer to be cut, according to Stroud (via Twitter). Barth had been owed a $2MM base salary, along with up to $1.15MM in per-game roster bonuses for the coming season, so it appears the Bucs will opt for a less expensive option at the position. For now, Patrick Murray is the only kicker left on the roster.
12:53pm: Tackle/guard Jamon Meredith will also be let go, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
12:24pm: Linebacker Nate Askew, cornerbacks Marc Anthony and Kip Edwards, defensive back Anthony Gaitor, defensive end Larry English, offensive tackle Edawn Coughman, and offensive linemen Jeremiah Warren and Andrew Miller have also been cut, according to Auman (Twitter links).
9:49am: The Buccaneers have released four players in advance of tomorrow’s deadline, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). Tampa Bay will bid farewell to linebacker Ka’Lial Glaud, fullback Lonnie Pryor, rookie cornerback Keith Lewis, and defensive end T.J. Fatinikun on their way to trimming to a 53-man roster.
Lewis, a cornerback out of Virginia-Lynchburg, intercepted a pass from Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy in last night’s preseason finale, but it apparently wasn’t enough to convince Bucs coaches to keep him on the roster. Glaud, who has a tie to former coach Greg Schiano thanks to his time at Rutgers, signed with the Bucs as a UDFA in May 2013. Pryor, a local Florida State product, hooked on with Tampa Bay last season after he was let go by the Jaguars. Fatinikun hooked on with the Buccaneers earlier this month after spending time in the Arena Football League last season.
Extra Points: Redskins, Titans, Mankins
In an interview with CSN Washington, Redskins owner Dan Snyder said that he’s looking into a new home for his team. “Whether it’s Washington, D.C., whether it’s another stadium in Maryland, whether it’s a stadium in Virginia, we’ve started the process,” Snyder said. The new stadium, he says, could be built with RFK Stadium’s design in mind. Before the opening of FedEx Field in 1997, the Skins played at RFK, which opened in 1961. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Former Saints kicker Garrett Hartley worked out for the Titans today, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. The Titans are also reportedly looking at ex-Cardinals kicker Jay Feely as well as Rian Lindell. Maikon Bonani currently sits at the top of the team’s depth chart, but he has yet to attempt a regular-season NFL kick. Despite working out three veteran kickers today, Wyatt (on Twitter) still believes the Titans would rather keep Bonani or Travis Coons.
- The Bucs initially called the Patriots with an eye on acquiring a backup guard, tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The Pats followed up by expressing their interest in tight end Tim Wright and soon after, the two sides started discussing Logan Mankins. While Mankins is obviously the bigger name of the two, Wright is expected by some to play a key role in the Pats’ offense this season.
- Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is disappointed that his team has been penalized for excessive physical contact in a June minicamp, writes The Associated Press. “We don’t want to do things wrong,” Carroll said following practice Wednesday. “We want to do things right. I’d like to show exactly how to do it. When you’re competing like we do, we’re trying to do things the best you can possibly do it. Unfortunately, this incident makes it look otherwise.”
Minor Moves: Wednesday
A day after 2014’s deadline for rosters to be reduced from 90 players to 75, the transactions wire isn’t nearly as busy today, but things will undoubtedly pick up soon, with the deadline for 53-man rosters just three days away. In the meantime, here are a few of Wednesday’s minor moves from around the league:
- Running back Demitrius Bronson was one of the Seahawks‘ roster casualties earlier this week, but with Christine Michael nursing a hamstring injury, Seattle has re-signed Bronson for the team’s final preseason game this week, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links). Center Greg Van Roten has been cut to clear space on the roster.
- The Cowboys claimed defensive back Jemea Thomas off waivers from the Patriots today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Georgia Tech product was a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft. As Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets, Dallas waived wideout Tim Benford to open up a roster spot.
- Cornerback Danny Gorrer has been released off the Buccaneers‘ injured reserve list with a settlement, says Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
Extra Points: Sam, Boone, Burleson
Vikings star Adrian Peterson is approaching 30 but the running back says he’s far from done, writes Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune. “I work with the mind-set of being the best ever,” he said. “That, and my approach, set me apart. I have it in my mind that I’m doing things that nobody else is doing. You’re not just saying you’re going to be the best ever, you’re putting in the work to accomplish that.” More from around the NFL..
- Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter) believes that Michael Sam will wind up making the Rams‘ roster. Garafolo adds that Sam can clinch his spot with a strong performance on Thursday night.
- Before acquiring Logan Mankins from the Patriots, the Bucs inquired on 49ers guard Alex Boone, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Meanwhile, the 49ers and Boone’s representatives still have not spoken or exchanged proposals since the opening of training camp, according to a source. Multiple teams are calling on Boone but San Francisco is asking for a first- or second-round pick, a price that is probably too high for a guard, even one as talented as Boone.
- Browns wide receiver Nate Burleson knows that his resume alone won’t keep him safe from roster cuts, write George M. Thomas and Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal. “This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league,” he said. “So I can watch as many YouTube highlights of myself, but what I did today and what I do tomorrow is going to have a more profound effect than my resume.”
AFC East Notes: Pats, Mankins, Wright, Hill
Two sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter) that the Patriots asked guard Logan Mankins to take a pay cut before today’s trade sending him to the Buccaneers. Mankins gave the club the same answer as when they asked him right after last season’s Pro Bowl: No. Here’s more from the AFC East..
- The Patriots were interested in trading for tight end Tim Wright for two weeks now, a league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The Pats got their man earlier today in a deal that sent Mankins to Tampa Bay.
- Former second round pick Stephen Hill has been having trouble dropping the ball and Jets coach Rex Ryan isn’t giving him much of an endorsement, writes Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. “He’s had some strong moments, but there are others where we wish maybe he had hung on to a ball or so,” Ryan said. “But he’s had a pretty good training camp. I don’t want to say it’s been outstanding, but it’s been pretty good. “He’s blocked consistently, but he just hasn’t had a lot of shots at catching the ball. We’re still evaluating that receiving group, and we’ll see how it shakes out.”
- Free agent addition Earl Mitchell is already looking like a gem for the Dolphins, writes Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. The defensive lineman signed a four-year deal with Miami early in free agency. Mitchell is smaller than the departed Paul Soliai, but he’s shown that he can be rather effective.