Colts Sign Nine To Reserve/Futures Contracts, Including CB Jalen Collins
After being eliminated from the playoffs, the Colts have made a handful of moves with an eye toward 2019. They signed nine players to reserve/futures contracts today, the team announced on Twitter. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining the team’s offseason 90-man roster:
- TE Billy Brown
- CB Jalen Collins
- T Antonio Garcia
- WR Krishawn Hogan
- WR Steve Ishmael
- QB Phillip Walker
- T De’Ondre Wesley
- DT DeShawn Williams
- LB Anthony Winbush
The most notable name of the bunch is cornerback Jalen Collins. Collins was a highly regarded 2015 second round pick of the Falcons, but his career flamed out due to a series of off-field issues that led to four suspensions. He was released by the Falcons in late 2017, and signed to the Colts’ practice squad this past November. If he can get everything sorted out, it could prove to be a great pickup for Indianapolis. Walker is the former Temple quarterback who has been on Indy’s practice squad the past couple of seasons.
Saints Make Three Roster Moves
Ahead of their divisional round playoff game, the Saints made several roster moves today. The team promoted tight end Garrett Griffin from the practice squad to the active roster, and placed receiver Simmie Cobbs on injured reserve to make room for him, according to Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate (Twitter link). Quarterback J.T. Barrett was re-signed to the practice squad to take Griffin’s place.
The moves aren’t likely to make any major impact on the Saints’ season moving forward, but are still notable. Cobbs, a rookie from Indiana, had been on the Redskins’ practice squad after going undrafted. The Redskins were reportedly high on him, but the Saints signed him away last month. The return of Ted Ginn Jr. from injured reserve made Cobbs no longer necessary as a depth piece.
Griffin signed with the Saints as an UDFA back in 2016, and has bounced between the practice squad and active roster ever since. He’s caught just one pass in his NFL career. Barrett the rookie who set records at Ohio State, has been signed and released from the team’s practice squad on a seemingly weekly basis.
Dolphins Sign QB Jake Rudock To Futures Deal
Jake Rudock has found a new gig. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins have signed the quarterback to a reserve/futures contract.
Rudock split his collegiate career between Iowa and Michigan, winning the 2016 Citrus Bowl MVP after the Wolverines topped Florida. Following a 2015 campaign that saw him complete 64-percent of his passes and throw 20 touchdowns, Rudock ended up being selected by the Lions in the sixth round of the 2016 draft.
Playing behind Matthew Stafford, the 25-year-old predictably hasn’t seen the field a whole lot during his brief career. Rudock made three appearances in 2017, completing three of his five passes for 24 yards and one interception. The Lions waived the signal-caller at the end of the 2018 preseason, as the team decided to roll with only Stafford and veteran Matt Cassel. Rudock ended up spending the entire season on Detroit’s practice squad.
Now, he’ll have a chance to compete for a spot on the Dolphins’ roster in 2019. There have been plenty of rumblings that Miami could end up moving on from Ryan Tannehill this offseason. If the team moves on from the veteran, they’ll be left with only Rudock and rookie Luke Falk. While the organization would surely bring in a replacement for Tannehill, Rudock could still have a chance at a backup gig.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/11/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: RB Troymaine Pope
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL:
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: K Sam Ficken
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/10/19
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Bryant Mitchell
Atlanta Falcons
Chargers Sign K Nick Rose
The Chargers are signing kicker Nick Rose ahead of their upcoming Divisional Round matchup against the Patriots, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Rose will handle kickoffs while incumbent kicker Michael Badgley will continue to manage field goals and extra points.
Badgley has been immensely successful on field goals, as he ranks fifth in the NFL with a 93.8% conversion rate. Additionally, he’s only missed a single extra point on 28 attempts. However, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com notes, Badgley has turned only nine of his 54 kickoffs into touchbacks, which translates to an NFL-worst 16.7% touchback rate.
Badgley’s problem on kickoffs could lead to issues against the Patriots, who deploy former All-Pro special teamer Cordarrelle Patterson on kick returns. This season, Patterson averaged 28.8 yards per kick return (tied for fifth in the league), while New England as a whole ranked fifth in Football Outsiders‘ kick return metric.
Rose, 24, split time between the Chargers and Redskins in 2017, appearing in 10 total games. During that time, he made 11-of-14 field goal attempts while converting 23-of-26 extra points. Most recently, Rose signed on to play for the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football, which debuts in the spring.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/9/19
Today’s practice squad moves:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Anthony Winbush
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB A.J. Howard, OL Dan Skipper
Washington Redskins
- Signed: S Chris Cooper
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/9/19
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/19
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Kansas City Chiefs
New England Patriots
- DT David Parry
New York Jets
- WR Tim White
Philadelphia Eagles
- T Tyreek Burwell, DB Mercy Maston
Pittsburgh Steelers
- TE Kevin Rader, DL Conor Sheehy
Jaguars Sign RB Thomas Rawls
Running back Thomas Rawls has signed a futures deal with the Jaguars, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rawls, who previously spent time with the Bengals and Seahawks, could help fortify Jacksonville’s depth. 
Rawls had 830 yards as a Seahawks rookie in 2015 and the league is still waiting on a revival. He averaged just 3.0 yards per carry for Seattle between 2016 and 2017 and was unable to make the Jets’ final cut last offseason. He hooked on with the Bengals soon after, but only dressed for one game and did not register a carry.
Reserve/futures contract deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters. These are low-cost and low-risk deals, so the Jaguars could easily drop Rawls between now and March if they have a change of heart. If he stays on the offseason roster, there’s no assurance that he’ll make the final cut in the fall.