Player Auditions: Tuesday
The Chiefs had inside linebackers Desmond Bishop, Marvin Mitchell, and Nick Barnett in for workouts, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Here’s the latest news on player workouts from around the NFL..
- The Redskins worked out former Patriots wide receiver Mark Harrison today, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Patriots tried out former Falcons linebacker Yawin Smallwood today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- Former Rams safety Matt Daniels visited the Dolphins yesterday, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch (on Twitter).
- In the wake of an injury that starting tight end Jordan Cameron suffered in the season opener, the Browns brought in tight end Kellen Davis for a workout on Tuesday, a league source told Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports. Last season, Davis played in 15 games for the Seahawks in a No. 3 tight end role. He finished with three receptions for 32 yards and, most importantly, a Super Bowl ring.
- The Browns also worked out tight end Chase Coffman today, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer (on Twitter).
- The Jets worked out several players, including guards Doug Legursky and Jeff Baca, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). They also worked out some punters and a long snapper.
- The Bills worked out former Cumberlands running back Terrance Cobb, who was among their 29 pre-draft visits this spring, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In total, the Bills worked out 14 players (link).
- The Redskins auditioned quarterbacks Pat Devlin, B.J. Coleman, and Ricky Stanzi, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). They also auditioned four tight ends in total.
- Tight end Chase Harper worked out for the Titans today, Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean tweets.
- The Buccaneers worked out long snapper Brandon Hartson today, a source tells Wilson (on Twitter).
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are today’s minor moves..
- The Redskins are planning on using the short term IR designation for Barry Cofield, which coach Jay Gruden mentioned was a possibility, according to Chris Russell of ESPN 980 (on Twitter). The Redskins have since made the move official. The Redskins promoted safety Akeem Davis to the 53-man roster to fill Cofield’s roster spot, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). The Redskins also added tight end Je’Ron Hamm and wide receiver Marvin McNutt to fill the void of their taxi squad cuts from earlier today, Jones tweets.
- The Ravens re-signed Fitzgerald Toussaint to practice squad after he cleared waivers, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Toussaint was let go to make room for defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi.
- The Patriots announced that they have signed defensive end Cam Henderson to the practice squad and released quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson from the practice squad to make room. Henderson, 24, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent out of UCF with the Falcons in April of 2013, He has since had stints with the Falcons’ and Browns’ practice squads. Bethel-Thompson, 26, is a Sacramento State product who has been with the Dolphins (2011), Vikings (2012-2013) and 49ers (2013).
- The Panthers waived former Rutgers tight end and one-time quarterback D.C. Jefferson from injured reserve, less than a week after he was suspended four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter).
- The Titans have reached an injury settlement with defensive lineman Antonio Johnson and have released him, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com.
- The Seahawks re-signed wide receiver Phil Bates to the practice squad and released linebacker Allen Bradford, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).
- The Saints waived Ty Nsekhe from the injured reserve today, according to Kat Terrell of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter).
- Former Bills defensive end Jacquies Smith was claimed by the Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter). Smith was let go yesterday by Buffalo.
- The Titans have signed tight end Brett Brackett to the practice squad and released TE Orson Charles, according to McCormick (on Twitter).
- Evan Mathis has been sent to the IR by the Eagles but is designated to return, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). He’ll be eligible to face the Panthers on November 10th.
South Notes: Colts, Saints, Newton, Titans
With Robert Mathis now sidelined for the season with a torn Achilles, the Colts will have to turn to other players to jump-start their pass rush, and head coach Chuck Pagano says the team will consider all its options. However, as Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star writes, the Colts are in a tough spot when it comes to adding outside help. The free agent list is very thin when it comes to pass rushers, and Indianapolis would prefer not to give up future draft picks to acquire a player via trade. In Holder’s view, the club may have to rely on its in-house options to attempt to fill Mathis’ shoes.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two South divisions:
- ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett passes along a report from colleague Field Yates, who says the Saints auditioned a handful of players on Monday, including running backs Michael Ford, Edwin Baker, and Tauren Poole, and tight ends Michael Egnew and David Paulson (Twitter link).
- There wasn’t necessarily any urgency for the Panthers to restructure Charles Johnson‘s contract, but the team did so anyway, clearing more than $5MM from its 2014 cap. David Newton of ESPN.com wonders if the move might be a precursor to locking up Cam Newton to a contract extension sooner rather than later.
- Tight end Michael Flacco, whose brother Joe Flacco quarterbacks the Ravens, is working out for the Titans today, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
Poll: Which Week 1 Overachiever Is For Real?
Although Ray Rice‘s release and suspension currently dominates headlines, the first weekend of the NFL season had several intriguing matchups, including some that left many in the football community scratching their heads.
The Lions just lowered the boom on Eli Manning‘s Giants in this season’s first Monday Night Football matchup. The Giants’ secondary had no answer for Calvin Johnson, and eventually fell 35-14 as their offense stagnated, picking up less than 2.5 yards per carry on the ground. Should the Bears and Packers be worried about Detroit? Or is this Giants team just destined to become the NFC East’s doormat this year?
Many thought that the Falcons were one of football’s unluckiest teams last season. Injuries prevented the team’s offensive playmaking core of Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Steven Jackson from ever taking the field together. Atlanta was a popular bounce-back candidate heading into this season, and the team’ supporters were vindicated early by the Falcons’ 37-34 victory over the Saints this past weekend. Are the Falcons a serious playoff contender? Or were they overachieving?
The Patriots just went to the AFC Title Game last season without injured stars Sebastian Vollmer, Jerod Mayo, Vince Wilfork, and Rob Gronkowski. The team would additionally lose Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib to a leg injury in the second quarter of that game against the Broncos. On top of returning all of those impact starters, Bill Belichick‘s squad was strengthened when Darrelle Revis was brought in to fill the the vacated cornerback position after Talib signed with the Broncos in free agency. These new-look Patriots flopped big-time this weekend in the form of a 33-20 loss to the Dolphins. Are the Dolphins for real? Or did they just catch the high-octane Patriots machine before it was firing on all cylinders?
The Bills made some of the biggest waves of the offseason when they traded up on draft night to select Sammy Watkins fourth overall. The win-now move was a clear signal to Bills fans that Doug Marrone intends to contend in his second season at the helm of the team. Although the Watkins move drew some criticism in the spring, the Bills silenced some of those critics by leaving Chicago with a 23-20 victory. The Bears, a popular playoff projection candidate, came into the game with the league’s scariest receiving duo in Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall and a revived pass rush led by Jared Allen. Are Marrone’s Bills going to make noise in the AFC East this season? Or are they going to fall back down to earth next weekend against the Dolphins?
The Titans’ lead was never in doubt on Sunday as the team cruised to a 26-10 victory over the Chiefs in Kansas City this weekend. The Chiefs’ infamous Wild Card meltdown to the Colts last season left confirmed what many skeptics already suspected of Andy Reid‘s squad: that they had vastly overachieved in 2013 thanks largely to the easiest schedule in the NFL. The Titans were expected to rock the boat in a weak AFC South this year, but this commanding victory on the road against a reigning playoff team raised some eyebrows. Are Jake Locker and the Titans going to keep up their winning form? Or did they just take advantage of a highly overrated Chiefs’ team?
Will we see one or more of these teams in the postseason? Do you think any other surprise winners from Week 1 are legit? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Which Week 1 overachiever is for real?
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Atlanta Falcons 32% (192)
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Detroit Lions 28% (169)
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Miami Dolphins 18% (105)
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Buffalo Bills 9% (52)
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Tennessee Titans 8% (45)
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Another team 5% (32)
Total votes: 595
Extra Points: Rice, Bills Ownership, Injuries
The NFL has informed teams that any contract with Ray Rice will not be approved until further direction is provided from Roger Goodell, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Additionally, Rice will not be eligible to play north of the border, either, as the CFL will honor the NFL’s suspension, according to Sportsnet’s Arash Madani (via Twitter).
Here’s some more miscellaneous news and notes:
- Bids to buy the Bills are in from Terry Pegula, Donald Trump and Jon Bon Jovi’s Toronto-based group, reports the Buffalo News’ Tim Graham (via Twitter). He adds multiple sources believe the process could be wrapped up as soon as Wednesday. As of yesterday, Pegula, who also owns the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, appears to be the favorite to land the winning bid.
- Titans linebacker Zach Brown will miss the rest of the season because of a torn pectoral, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Zaviar Gooden, another athletic linebacker, is expected to replace Brown in the starting lineup.
- Bears center Roberto Garza sustained a high ankle sprain yesterday, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). With Garza sidelined for an undetermined period of time, the Bears will turn to free-agent acquisition Brian De La Puente at center.
- Redskins defensive tackle Barry Cofield will also be sidelined by a high ankle sprain, says Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
- The Patriots worked out running back Daniel Thomas, quarterback Brock Jensen and tight ends Evan Wilson and Brian Wozniak, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link).
- Yates also reports a couple more running back tryouts: Chris Rainey (Cardinals) and Lache Seastrunk (Packers).
- Jason Fitzgerald at OverTheCap.com identifies players entering crucial stages of their contract who helped or hurt their stock on Sunday. Fitzgerald highlights Broncos tight end Julian Thomas, who recorded 7-103-3 in a win over the Colts, noting Thomas or teammate and free agent-to-be Demaryius Thomas “should be able to jump into a new offer” since the team can only franchise one of their pass-catching stars. At the other end of the spectrum, Fitzgerald says Redskins pass rusher Brian Orakpo was “non-existent “on Sunday. Furthermore, Orakpo’s reputation as someone who disappears in games could prevent him from getting the type of mega deal he seeks in free agency.
South Notes: Titans, Watt, Jags, Bucs
Let’s round up a few Wednesday items from out of the NFL’s two South divisions….
- The Titans appear to be eyeing secondary help. In addition to hosting Crezdon Butler for a tryout, as we heard yesterday, the team also auditioned veteran defensive backs Dominique Franks, Julian Posey, R.J. Stanford, and Terrell Thomas, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). In a separate tweet, Wilson adds that Tennessee had interest in signing cornerback Derek Cox before he returned to the Ravens.
- Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link) provides the details on the contract that kicker Ryan Succop signed with the Titans. According to Kuharsky, it’s a minimum-salary pact with a $15K roster bonus.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap provides a full year-by-year breakdown of what J.J. Watt‘s new contract extension with the Texans should look like, based on a report from John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
- After auditioning for the Dolphins yesterday, tight end David Paulson has a tryout scheduled with the Jaguars for next Tuesday, tweets Wilson.
- Wide receivers Joe Anderson and Chris Williams, along with defensive backs Jordan Mabin and C.J. Wilson, worked out for the Buccaneers, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
AFC South Notes: Watt, Colts, Jaguars, Titans
The Texans held all the cards but did the right thing in extending superstar defensive end J.J. Watt, writes Andrew Brandt of The MMQB. Watt’s contributions, he argues, go far beyond what he does on the field individually. As a team without a franchise quarterback, Watt is the locker room leader and beloved in Houston. Here’s more from the AFC South..
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap gives his initial thoughts on Watt’s $100MM deal. The contract now sets the market for the young pass rusher in the NFL and it’s good news for Robert Quinn, Muhammad Wilkerson, Greg Hardy and others who were watching Watt’s situation with great interest.
- In an interview on 1070 The Fan, Colts GM Ryan Grigson made it sound as though an offensive line signing is on the way, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. He also intimated that the addition will happen at offensive tackle where Xavier Nixon and Joe Reitz are hurt.
- The Jaguars worked out wide receivers Jace Davis and Chris Harper, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Jacksonville also got a look at defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo before he signed with the Chiefs’ practice squad and linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat before he hooked on with the Redskins’ taxi squad. The Jags added Tony Washington to their practice squad a few days ago, so it’s not clear if Davis or Harper could fit in.
- The Titans brought in defensive back Crezdon Butler for a visit today, a league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Butler last played for the Chargers.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are the latest minor transactions from around the NFL:
5:17pm:
- The Browns have cut offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann with a failed physical designation, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). That clears a roster spot for Vinston Painter, whose signing was noted below.
- The following players have been removed from their teams’ respective IR lists with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (all Twitter links): Ryan McKee (Chiefs), Larry Asante (Raiders), Greg Jenkins (Raiders), and Eric Ward (Titans). C.J. Davis (Seahawks) has also been removed from IR with a settlement, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
4:44pm:
- The Jets have signed linebacker Jeremiah George and wideout Quincy Enunwa to their practice squad, the team announced today (via Twitter). New York selected the duo in the fifth and sixth rounds of this year’s draft, respectively.
4:13pm:
- The Panthers have signed former Jets wideout Stephen Hill to their practice squad, cutting linebacker D.J. Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link). According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Redskins will also interested in bringing Hill in for a workout, but Carolina offered him a deal.
- The Cardinals have added wideout Kevin Cone, defensive tackle Christian Tupou, and running back Dominique Williams to their practice squad, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
- Tight end Jerome Cunningham has signed with the Giants‘ practice squad, according to agent Howard Shatsky (via Twitter).
- The Chargers filled their practice squad by adding running back Marion Grice, who cleared waivers after being cut yesterday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Cowboys have also filled their 10-man squad, adding offensive lineman John Wetzel and defensive back Jemea Thomas, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Presumably, one of the 10 players on the unit will be cut tomorrow if the team intends to bring Michael Sam aboard.
- A.J. Jefferson of the Seahawks and Justice Cunningham of the Rams have both been removed from injured reserve lists with settlements, according to Caplan and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter links).
3:28pm:
- According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter), the Browns are signing offensive lineman Vinston Painter off the Broncos‘ practice squad, which will open up a spot on the 10-man unit for long snapper Kevin McDermott, whose signing was noted below. Cleveland will need to make a corresponding roster move to clear room for Painter.
- The Redskins made a series of changes to their practice squad today, signing offensive lineman Braxston Cave and linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat. Linebacker Chaz Sutton and offensive lineman Tevita Stevens were cut.
- Offensive lineman Matt Patchan has been removed from the Buccaneers‘ injured reserve list with a settlement, says Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).
1:23pm:
- A number of teams have filled their 10-man practice squads by adding a player. The Jaguars signed tight end Marcel Jensen, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter); the Bills signed tight end D.J. Tialavea, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com; the Bengals signed wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (via Twitter); and the Browns officially announced the signing of fullback Kiero Small, which had been previously reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- A pair of clubs also swapped in one player for another on their practice squads. The Dolphins signed defensive end Gerald Rivers and dropped defensive end D’Aundre Reed, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). And the Vikings signed offensive lineman Austin Wentworth to their squad to replace cornerback Kendall James, the team announced (via Twitter).
- The Broncos are also making an addition to their practice squad, in long snapper Kevin McDermott, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter). But Denver already had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait to hear about the corresponding move.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) provide the respective details for Ray McDonald‘s contract restructure with the 49ers and Glover Quin‘s reworked deal with the Lions.
- The Buccaneers intend to open up a roster spot by placing running back Charles Sims on their injured reserve list with the designation to return, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Teams can begin to use that IR spot as of 3:00pm central time today.
- Cornerback Bobby Felder has been removed from the Bills‘ injured reserve list after reaching a settlement with the team, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550.
Practice Squad Updates: Monday
We rounded up the first wave of practice squad additions in a series of posts by division yesterday, which you can check out on our Transactions page. Several more teams have announced new practice squad players today, or made slight changes to their units, so we’ll round up that news right here:
6:33pm:
- The 49ers have filled out their practice squad by adding cornerback Chance Casey and running back Kendall Gaskins, the team announced in a press release.
4:37pm:
- The Browns have added wide receiver Charles Johnson and offensive lineman Karim Barton to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
- Cornerback Khalid Wooten will be the 10th man on the Titans‘ practice squad, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
4:07pm:
- The Seahawks have added defensive end Julius Warmsley and defensive back Josh Aubrey to their practice squad, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- The Redskins have finalized their practice squad by adding safety Akeem Davis and linebacker Chaz Sutton, the club announced today (Twitter link).
- Cornerback LeQuan Lewis has been added to the Jets‘ practice squad, according to the team (via Twitter).
2:46pm:
- The Rams have finalized their practice squad by adding linebacker Denicos Allen, wideout Emory Blake, safety Christian Bryant, and quarterback Garrett Gilbert, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). That means Michael Sam isn’t among the 10 players on St. Louis’ squad.
- The addition of Henry Josey to the Jaguars‘ practice squad has officially been announced by the team in a press release. We had noted below that although his signing had been previously reported, Josey wasn’t among the first list of names released by the club.
- The Ravens have announced the signing of offensive lineman Marcel Jones to their practice squad, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
1:31pm:
- The following players are now on the Browns‘ practice squad: James Brown, OL; Jacobbi McDaniel, DL; Emmanuel Ogbuehi, TE; Keith Pough, LB; Justin Staples, LB; and Patrick Lewis, C. The first five names are listed on the team’s official site, while the addition of Lewis was reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Alex Gillett‘s time on the Packers‘ practice squad didn’t last long — he was replaced today by cornerback Jumal Rolle, tweets Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
- The Buccaneers have signed safety Kimario McFadden, cornerback Derrius Brooks, and linebacker Carlos Fields to their practice squad, according to the team’s official site.
- Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune provides the last few names to be added to the Saints‘ practice squad: safety Pierre Warren, guard Antoine McClain, nose tackle Lawrence Virgil, and tight end Nic Jacobs.
- The Eagles have signed quarterback G.J. Kinne for their practice squad, per the team’s official site.
- Fullback Nikita Whitlock is the latest addition to the Cowboys‘ practice squad, the team announced today.
- The Vikings filled the final spot on their practice squad by adding cornerback Chris Greenwood, says Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Defensive end Zach Thompson is now on the Broncos‘ practice squad, according to the club.
- The Chiefs filled the final opening on their practice squad by signing defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- Wide receiver Freddie Martino and tight end Kyle Miller have joined the Falcons‘ practice squad, per the team’s official site.
- One more housekeeping note: Yesterday, running back Henry Josey and fullback Kiero Small were reported as having joined the Jaguars‘ and Browns‘ practice squads, respectively. However, when those teams announced their PS rosters, those players weren’t included. There haven’t been any reports indicating those agreements fell through, so we’ll keep an eye on both situations. For now though, we won’t be including those players in our master list of practice squad rosters, which will be published this afternoon.
Ryan Succop, Titans Agree To One-Year Deal
1:13pm: The Titans have officially agreed to terms with Succop on a one-year deal, reports Wyatt (via Twitter). Per Terry McCormick (via Twitter), rookie kicker Travis Coons will be cut to make room on the roster.
MONDAY, 11:18am: Succop is still receiving interest from several teams, but is making the most progress with the Titans, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
SUNDAY, 9:38pm: The Titans waived Maikon Bonani yesterday, indicating that the team was going to move forward with Travis Coons as their starting kicker. Those plans have apparently changed, as Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean reports that the team is expected to sign veteran Ryan Succop.
Succop’s five-year tenure as the Chiefs‘ starting placekicker ended yesterday when he failed to make the team’s final cuts. The 27-year-old has made 81 percent of his career field goal attempts and has never missed an extra point. Last season, he converted 22-of-28 field goal attempts, leading Pro Football Focus (subscription required) to rank him as the 19th-best kicker. To compare, the Titans kicker last season, Rob Bironas, ranked as the 25th-best.