NFL Workout Updates: 10/26/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Detroit Lions
- WR Cyril Grayson
Green Bay Packers
- S B.T. Sanders
- DE Francis Kallon (Twitter link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Devin Lucien
- QB Marcus McDade
- WR Paul Turner
- WR DeAndrew White
New York Giants
- LB Trevor Bates
- P Matt Darr
- LS Anthony Kukwa
- DE Darnell Leslie
- P Austin Rehkow
- DE Devin Taylor
- P Matt Wile (link)
Washington Redskins
- CB Alex Carter
- CB Sheldon Price (link)
Redskins Work Out Orlando Franklin, Others
Orlando Franklin continues to search for another NFL landing spot after his Saints stay ended up being brief. The free agent offensive lineman took a trip to the nation’s capital for a Redskins workout, Howard Balzer of SportsOnEarth tweets.
Franklin’s been on the market since the Saints cut him after less than a week over the summer. This came months after the Chargers released him two seasons into a five-year contract. Franklin worked out for the Giants earlier this season.
Washington is dealing with injuries at all three positions up front, and the 29-year-old Franklin boasts experience at both guard and tackle. He was the Broncos’ starting right tackle from 2011-13, moved to guard in 2014 and signed a lucrative Bolts pact leading to a two-year guard stay in San Diego.
Trent Williams is battling a knee injury and putting off surgery, and Morgan Moses did not practice Thursday either after suffering an ankle malady Monday night. Swing tackle Ty Nsekhe remains out after surgery. Starting guard Brandon Scherff hasn’t practiced yet this week. Neither has center Spencer Long.
Washington also auditioned centers Taylor Boggs, Demetrius Rhaney and Max Tuerk. The latter ended up accepting an offer to join the Chargers’ practice squad. The Bolts waived Tuerk earlier this season, and the former USC snapper’s Washington workout came after he fulfilled obligations to be reinstated following a four-game PED suspension, Balzer reports (on Twitter).
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/25/2017
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed off waivers: CB Lafayette Pitts
- Waived: CB Tony McRae
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted to active roster: TE Matt Lengel
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Jelani Jenkins
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Orson Charles
New England Patriots
- Promoted to active roster: LB Trevor Reilly
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Neal Sterling
- Placed on injured reserve: CB Xavier Coleman
Oakland Raiders
- Promoted to active roster: RB Elijah Hood
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: T Taylor Hart (two-year deal)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Deji Olatoye
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Tony Bergstrom
- Waived: DT A.J. Francis
Saints Promote OL Cameron Tom
The Saints are promoting offensive lineman Cameron Tom to the 53-man roster, according to Nick Underhill of The Advocate (Twitter links). The move comes just days after the Saints gave Tom a practice squad pay bump equivalent to the NFL’s minimum salary. 
As it turns out, the Redskins were looking to sign Tom to their main roster. Unwilling to lose Tom, the Saints boosted his pay before moving to him to the 53-man roster today. The Saints had a spot open after parting ways with cornerback Sterling Moore on Wednesday morning.
Tom, 22, joined the Saints as a UDFA out of Southern Mississippi this offseason. The Saints will have to keep him on the 53-man roster if they want to keep him around – sneaking him through waivers to the practice squad no longer seems like an option.
Tom, who can play at guard as well as center, may help to fill in for guard Larry Warford. Warford is expected to miss several weeks with an abdominal injury.
NFC Notes: Vikings, Bridgewater, Redskins
The Vikings are wary of exposing Teddy Bridgewater to the slippery turf in London next week, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The QB says he’s ready to go, but Minnesota is taking the cautious approach and waiting until the post-bye game in Week 10 to put Bridgewater on the roster. Of course, the Vikings may still have a tough choice to make when it comes to whether they will actually put him on the field. Case Keenum has looked sharp since stepping in for Sam Bradford, so the team could opt to continue with him as the starter.
- Now that Duane Brown is back with the Texans, the best available left tackle is now Will Beatty, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com opines (Twitter link). He notes that Beatty “recently” worked out for the Saints, but it’s not clear if that is in reference to his mid-September workout or if he had a more recent audition for New Orleans. Rapoport notes that the Saints had some offensive line injuries on Sunday, so he could be a fit for them now.
- Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who has been dealing with a knee injury, is pushing to play against Philly on Monday night (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com). Washington is hoping that Breeland will be somewhat close to 100% as Josh Norman is sidelined with a rib injury.
- Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee (on Twitter) wouldn’t be surprised if Leon Hall is back with the 49ers in the wake of K’Waun Williams‘ quad injury. The veteran was released by SF last week after earning two game checks, though he appeared in zero games.
Scot McCloughan's Grievance Against Redskins Moves Forward
Former Redskins GM Scot McCloughan filed a grievance against Washington for the balance of his contract, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, and in-house litigation is moving forward. The Redskins refused to pay McCloughan after firing him, alleging that they had cause for doing so (which is believed to be McCloughan’s struggles with alcoholism). McCloughan’s contract requires him to file a grievance with the league rather than file suit in an independent court, which is standard among contracts for front-office employees and coaches, who are not represented by a union.
Trent Williams Needs Knee Surgery
Trent Williams did not miss a game despite suffering a knee injury against the Chiefs in Week 4, but the longtime Redskins left tackle appears to have done damage that will induce a surgery.
Washington’s cornerstone lineman will need to undergo knee surgery, one that will cause an extensive rehab process, but he hopes to undergo this procedure in the offseason and play through the pain in the meantime, Liz Clarke of the Washington Post reports.
“The ligament that holds my kneecap in the socket needs to be reconstructed at some point,” Williams said. “It’s like a five-, six-month surgery, I think, in recovery time. I’m just trying to hold off on that as long as possible. Hopefully get through the season and revisit it in the offseason.”
Williams has not practiced since injuring his right knee in Kansas City, but he played at far less than 100 percent in the Redskins’ win over the 49ers. He told Clarke playing through this injury has been worse than battling through previous ankle, shoulder and knee maladies. The five-time Pro Bowler hasn’t missed more than two games in a season due to injury in his career.
“It didn’t help. That’s the reality. It didn’t help,” Williams said of playing through pain against the 49ers. “But that was expected. You’re not gonna go play three hours on a bum knee and expect to be better the next day.”
This pain-tolerance issue could come to a head at some point and induce a Williams absence, but for now, he is listed as questionable to suit up Monday night against the Eagles. Swing tackle Ty Nsekhe remains out after undergoing core muscle surgery. T.J. Clemmings would be the next man up if Williams couldn’t go.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/20/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Tim Patrick
- Placed on injured list: WR River Cracraft
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Adam Bighill
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: T Jake Rodgers
- Released: WR Justin Thomas
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DT Ondre Pipkins
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/17
Today’s minor moves:
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted to active roster: RB Josh Ferguson
Washington Redskins
- Promoted to active roster: DL A.J. Francis
Redskins Hoping Jonathan Allen Returns This Season
- The Redskins placed rookie defense end Jonathan Allen on the injured reserve earlier today, but ESPN.com’s John Keim reports that the team is hoping he’ll be back before the end of the season. Coach Jay Gruden said the team’s prognosis changed after the player underwent surgery on Wednesday night. “We got better news after the surgery that it wouldn’t be as lengthy as they typically are,” Gruden said. “That’s good news. But we still have to rehab it. He’s a big man and sometimes bigger guys take a little bit longer. We’ll wait and see. Hopefully we see him again, but it’s up to the rehab.”
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