AFC Links: Ayers, Bengals, Jets, Revis
Expectations were relatively high for Titans linebacker Akeem Ayers entering the season, but the former second-rounder has been a healthy scratch in three of the first four games. Instead of causing a disruption, the 25-year-old is quietly trying to reassert himself into the team’s defensive rotation. However, that doesn’t mean the entire situation is sitting well with him (via Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean)…
“Just because I am not walking around here ticked off and tearing everything up doesn’t mean I am comfortable with my situation,” Ayers said. “I am not comfortable with not playing. I want to play. I am a competitor, and I want to compete. So just because I am not carrying myself a certain way doesn’t mean I don’t care.
“But there is a way to handle everything, and I’m trying to handle things the right way.”
“Me being around here being a bad teammate and cursing coaches out, that is not going to help anybody and it is definitely not going to help me,” Ayers said. “I am always going to work on myself, whether they play me this year or not. I want to play football again. So I am going to help my teammates … and work on myself. Of course there is frustration there, but there is a certain way to handle situations.”
Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC…
- Four former “Ben-Gals” cheerleaders are joining their peers’ lawsuit against the Bengals, claiming a “violation of federal wage laws,” writes Mark Gokavi of the Dayton Daily News.
- Jets general manager John Idzik is hoping to become “the next” Ted Thompson (Packers general manager), writes ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. This means building through the draft, investing in his own guys and occasionally signing outside free agents.
- According to the NFLPA (via Twitter of NFL.com’s Albert Breer), Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis has been named an alternate player representative.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts from around the league, as well as minor 53-man roster transactions, with any additional moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Texans signed cornerbacks Charles James, a Charleston Southern product, and Kendall James, a Maine product, to their practice squad, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Chargers pulled a reverse of Monday’s move, re-signing defensive tackle Chas Alecxih to the practice squad and releasing safety Adrian Phillips, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter).
- The Bears have signed kick returner Teddy Williams off the Cardinals’ practice squad, the team announced today (via Twitter). Williams had been listed as a cornerback for Arizona, but the Bears call him a receiver — teams have tried him at both positions, but the 26-year-old’s primary asset is his speed. To make room for Williams, the Bears have cut linebacker Terrell Manning.
- Meanwhile, the Cardinals replaced Williams on their practice squad with former fourth-round wideout Jalen Saunders, who was waived by the Jets this week, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.
Earlier updates:
- Running back Lache Seastrunk, who was drafted by the Redskins and spent time on the Panthers’ practice squad, has signed with the Titans‘ practice squad, the club announced today (Twitter link). Seastrunk will fill the 10th and final opening on the unit.
- Wideout Kevin Cone and tight end Taylor Sloat have replaced linebacker Carlos Fields and tight end Ian Thompson on the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link). With Mike Evans expected to be sidelined for at least a couple weeks, Cone could be considered for the 53-man roster at some point, particularly if any other Tampa Bay wideouts are injured this weekend.
- As part of their practice squad shuffling, the Dolphins removed defensive end Gerald Rivers from the squad, tweets Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AFC South Notes: Titans, Texans, Colts
We’ve got plenty of news to round up today on teams working out free agents, including updates from all four AFC South clubs. Here’s a look at which players the Titans, Texans, Colts, and Jaguars have been auditioning recently:
- We heard yesterday that the Titans were eyeing cornerbacks, having brought in Derek Cox, Brandon Ghee, and Curtis Marsh. However, those weren’t the only players to audition for the club. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Tennessee also worked out fullbacks Brian Leonard and Chris Pressley.
- The Texans are exploring the defensive back market, having tried out Charles James, Kendall James, R.J. Stanford, and Robert Steeples this week, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that the Colts worked out a pair of wide receivers, bringing in Jeremy Gallon and Austin Franklin.
- In addition to trying out Tommy Streeter, who signed to their practice squad, the Jaguars also took a look at tight end Matthew Mulligan, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
Tuesday is often a busy day for practice squad transactions, as teams fill spots vacated by players who were promoted over the weekend, or shuffle their 10-man units around based on injuries to the 53-man roster during Sunday’s games. We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad signings and cuts right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day….
- The Lions have added running back William Powell to their practice squad, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter). Powell, 26, was cut by the Texans in late August.
- The Titans have released quarterback Brad Sorensen from their practice squad, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link). Sorensen was a Chargers seventh-round pick in 2013.
- The Jets have swapped out one cornerback for another, adding LeQuan Lewis to their PS while removing Brandon Smith, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- The Panthers’ practice squad is now full after Carolina signed linebacker Horace Miller and running back Tauren Poole, the team announced on Twitter.
- The Eagles removed two players from their practice squad, cutting linebacker Brandon Hepburn and offensive tackle Tyler Hoover, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Linebacker Jake Knott will return Philly’s PS after serving a four-game PED suspension, says Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
- The Rams have re-signed tight end Brad Smelley to their practice squad, tweets Howard Balzer. To clear a roster spot, St. Louis cut defensive end Kourtnei Brown from the PS.
Earlier Updates:
- The Texans have placed receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu on the practice squad injured list, tweets Palmer. Houston’s PS is now down to eight players.
- The Dolphins have filled their final taxi squad slot by adding defensive end Emmanuel Dieke, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Dieke was cut by the Giants last month.
- Browns long snapper Christian Yount may be looking over his shoulder this week, as the Browns announced they’ve added long snapper Charley Hughlett to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter). Hughlett replaces defensive lineman Calvin Barnett.
- The Bills have swapped one tight end for another, replacing D.J. Tialavea with Jamie Childers, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
- Kicker Chris Boswell has been removed from the Texans‘ practice squad, per James Palmer of CSNHouston.com (Twitter link).
- Nose tackle Robert Thomas has replaced fellow defensive lineman Hebron Fangupo on the Redskins‘ practice squad, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. Thomas went unclaimed on waivers after being cut by Washington on the weekend.
- The Dolphins have removed cornerback Rod Sweeting from their practice squad, signing tight end Jake Murphy to take his place, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
- Wideout Travis Labhart, who was on the Texans‘ practice squad earlier this season, will rejoin Houston’s unit, a source tells David Nuño of KTRK-TV in Houston (Twitter link). The team currently has no openings, so one of the 10 current players will need to be cut or promoted to clear room for Labhart.
Titans Eyeing Cornerbacks
The Titans brought in several cornerbacks for auditions today, working out Derek Cox, Brandon Ghee, and Curtis Marsh, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link). Tennessee didn’t list any CBs on its latest injury report, but Jason McCourty was questionable last week while dealing with a groin ailment, so perhaps the Titans are looking to add depth at the position.
Cox, 28, is probably the most notable name of the three players who tried out. He’s had a busy 2013 — after being cut by the Chargers in March, Cox quickly signed with the Vikings, but was let go in August. He joined the Ravens, and after being the victim of several back-end roster machinations in Baltimore, he was released on September 6. Since becoming a free agent, Cox has had auditions with numerous CB-needy teams, including the Jets, Bears, and Lions. In his five-year career, he has started 56 games, accruing 13 interceptions and 204 tackles.
Like Cox, Ghee is also a former Charger, having signed a two-year deal with San Diego early in the offseason. He never logged game time with the team however, as he was cut August 28 despite being guaranteed $300K. The Wake Forest product was a third-round pick by the Bengals, but played in just 23 games over four seasons in Cincinnati. He’s worked out for the Saints, Jaguars, and Bears since being let go by the Chargers, but has yet to find work.
At 26, Marsh is the youngest of the group; a 2011 third-round pick, the Utah State has played in 26 games over three seasons. He has spent time with both the Eagles and the Bengals. Since being cut by Philadelphia on August 30, Marsh has yet to garner any known interest.
AFC Notes: Whisenunt, Marrone, Watt, Ryan
Titans‘ head coach Ken Whisenhunt was fielding questions during his post-game press conference, and was asked if he had overestimated the team’s ability. His candid answer has upset some fans, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
“You know, I guess that’s the problem saying those kind of things. You go on a stretch where you have a couple games and you don’t play well and those are the kind of things that, hey, I still believe that, I still believe we have a team that’s good enough, that’s better than what we are playing right now,” said Whisenhunt. “But we have to look at what we are doing, how we are doing it. We have to look at everything. Maybe.”
Looking back to the offseason, Whisenhunt was heavily rumored as an option for the Lions and Browns, along with the Titans after the success he had coordinating Philip Rivers and the Chargers’ offense. He is believed to have preferred the Titans’ position.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- Doug Marrone’s Bills team started off fast with wins over the Bears and Dolphins to begin the season, but has cooled considerably in losing efforts against the Chargers and Texans. Marrone admits that it is tough to find consistency with such a young offense, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter). “You got young receivers, a young quarterback, and some [young] guys on the line,” said Marrone. “They have to grow and they have to grow fast.”
- Texans‘ defensive end J.J. Watt had an impressive showing against the Bills earlier today, leading to owner Bob McNair to praise him publicly, reports Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com (via Twitter). “He is worth every cent,” said McNair. “I hope he doesn’t come in tomorrow and ask for a raise.”
- After losing to the Lions to fall to 1-3 on the season, Jets‘ head coach Rex Ryan is on the hotseat, writes Bob Glauber of Newsday. The team has three tough games against the Chargers, Broncos, and Patriots, and if they finish that stretch at 1-6, Glauber writes that general manager would be smart to reconsider his commitment to both Ryan and quarterback Geno Smith.
12 Teams Have Yet To Use IR-DTR Slot
As I explained when I broke down the concept of the NFL’s injured reserve list on Friday, each of the league’s 32 clubs is allowed to designate one IR player to return each season. These players are eligible to begin practicing six weeks after they land on injured reserve and can return to game action eight weeks after their IR designation.
Since teams can only use the designation once per season, some strategy can be required in deciding which player to put on IR-DTR. If a rarely-used player at the back of the roster suffers an injury with a projected recovery time of six to eight weeks, a team could elect to place him on IR-DTR, or simply cut him with an injury settlement and save the single designation in case a more notable player on the roster sustains an injury with a similar timetable.
Of course, while some teams have multiple candidates for the IR-DTR slot, and may be forced to keep an injured player or two on their active rosters, other clubs have yet to have even one player become a strong candidate for that designation to return. After the Patriots placed Sealver Siliga on IR with the designation to return today, there are just a dozen teams who have yet to take advantage of that spot on the reserve list.
With 13 weeks still remaining in the regular season after this weekend’s games, that designation to return could still come in handy for players who suffer injuries but might be healthy in time to contribute in December and January. So it’s worth keeping an eye on these 12 clubs, who have yet to use their IR-DTR spots, to see if they come in handy in the near future.
The following teams have yet to place a player on injured reserve with the designation to return:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Baltimore Ravens
- Buffalo Bills
- Cleveland Browns
- Denver Broncos
- Houston Texans
- Miami Dolphins
- Minnesota Vikings
- New York Jets
- Oakland Raiders
- Tennessee Titans
To see how the NFL’s other 20 teams have used their IR-DTR spots, be sure to check out our complete list.
Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
Here’s the latest practice squad news from around the NFL..
- The Jaguars have re-signed two players to their practice squad in receiver Kerry Taylor and tight end Marcel Jensen, reports John Oehser of the O-Zone (via Twitter). The team has waived tight end Michael Egnew and linebacker Marcus Whitfield to make room for the new additions.
- The Cardinals have re-signed punter Drew Butler to the practice squad, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). They have released defensive tackle Christian Tupou to make room for Butler.
- The Jets are continuing to upgrade their cornerback position, signing LeQuan Lewis to the 53-man roster from their practice squad, reports Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Another cornerback, Marcus Williams, took Lewis’ spot on the practice squad, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates:
- The 49ers re-signed tight end Asante Cleveland to the practice squad, according to CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Barrows (on Twitter).
- The Saints signed center Alex Parsons to their practice squad and released guard Antoine McClain to make room, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate (on Twitter).
- The Giants announced that they have added former Raiders wide receiver Juron Criner to their practice squad, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter). To make room, they have released fellow wide receiver L’Damian Washington.
- The Buccaneers have filled their practice squad openings by adding fullback/tight end Ian Thompson, linebacker Shayne Skov, and defensive end T.J. Fatinkun, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter). Skov was expected to sign with Tampa Bay following a successful workout.
- The Titans announced on Twitter that they have added quarterback Brad Sorensen to their practice squad and released cornerback Ri’Shard Anderson to make room.
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.
Rob Bironas Passes Away In Car Crash
Long-time Titans kicker Rob Bironas, 36, passed away in a single-vehicle crash in Nashville late Saturday evening, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Wyatt writes that Bironas was traveling at a high rate of speed and ultimately lost control of his SUV, which “went off the road and hit several trees before ending up in a drainage culvert, upside down.” Area police said there was no evidence of alcohol at the scene and that Bironas appeared to be on his way home.
Bironas was a first-team All-Pro in 2007, converting 35 of 39 field goal attempts, including four out of five attempts from 50+ yards. For his career, Bironas converted 239 of 279 attempts, good for an 85.7% success rate.
In an attempt to continue his career, Bironas–along with a handful of other veteran kickers–tried out for the Lions several days ago, and our Luke Adams wrote two weeks ago that Bironas and David Akers were working out together to keep themselves fresh in case an opportunity should arise. Bironas was released by the Titans in March in a cost-cutting move–he carried a $3.88MM cap figure–that also had to do with his declining performance on kickoffs. He also worked out for the Buccaneers in August.
Our thoughts and condolences are with Bironas’ friends and family.