HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Buccaneers Place Demar Dotson On IR-DTR

September 7th, 2015 at 11:12am CST by Connor J. Byrne

MONDAY, 11:12am: The Bucs have officially placed Dotson on IR, with the designation to return, according to a team release.

SUNDAY, 2:30pm: The Buccaneers will place offensive tackle Demar Dotson on the IR/designated list, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Dotson will miss at least the first eight games of the season as a result, according to Greg Auman of the Times (Twitter link). This move will free up a spot on the team’s 53-man roster for newly signed cornerback Tim Jennings.

Dotson, who suffered a sprained MCL last month, has been a steady presence on the right side of Tampa Bay’s line, starting all but one of the team’s regular-season games since 2012. The 29-year-old has recorded a positive grade in each of the last three seasons, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), and he ranked 28th out of 84 qualified tackles last year.

With Dotson down, fellow veteran Gosder Cherilus will start at right tackle for Tampa. The Bucs signed Cherilus after Dotson got hurt last month.

Giants Sign Craig Dahl, Cut Stevie Brown

September 7th, 2015 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Giants continue to tweak their secondary, replacing one safety with another as they prepare for their Week 1 contest against the Cowboys. According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter), the Giants have signed ex-Niner Craig Dahl, cutting Stevie Brown to create room on the roster.

Dahl, 30, began his career with the Giants in 2007, and started 40 games at safety for the Rams between 2009 and 2012, spending time with Steve Spagnuolo at both stops. However, Dahl served mostly as a special-teamer in San Francisco after joining the 49ers in 2013. The Niners have a deep group of safeties this year, which made the veteran Dahl expendable — he was released earlier this week, and also drew interest from the Raiders.

In New York, Dahl will be a reserve on defense and figures to chip in on special teams as well. He’ll replace Brown, who just re-signed with the team last week, after being cut by the Texans. Brown reportedly received interest from a handful of clubs following his release from Houston, so he could draw some attention now that he’s available again.

Steelers, Lawrence Timmons Restructure Deal

September 7th, 2015 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after reworking the contracts for Antonio Brown, Heath Miller, and Shaun Suisham, the Steelers have completed another restructure, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that linebacker Lawrence Timmons has had his contract modified.

Timmons had been set to earn a base salary of $7.5MM in 2015, but the Steelers have reduced that figure to the minimum salary ($870K), converting the difference into a $6.63MM signing bonus. That bonus will be prorated over the final two years of Timmons’ contract, which means his cap hit for 2015 will be trimmed from about $12.566MM to about $9.416MM. His 2016 cap charge, on the other hand, will jump from $11.816MM to $14.966MM, with $6.216MM in dead money.

The move is the latest in a string of restructures for the cap-strapped Steelers, who have had to create a little extra room to accommodate injured players who have landed on IR, as well as their replacements. The most notable player on the injured reserve list so far is Suisham, with a $2MM+ cap hit. Pittsburgh acquired Josh Scobee and his $2.5MM cap charge to fill in at kicker.

Falcons Keep Brooks Reed On Active Roster

September 7th, 2015 at 8:52am CST by Dallas Robinson

MONDAY, 8:52am: The Falcons have elected not to place Reed on IR with the designation to return after all, according to McClure (Twitter link). The move suggests that the team is confident the linebacker’s recovery time will be shorter than the eight weeks he would’ve been sidelined had he landed on IR-DTR.

SUNDAY, 3:34pm: The Falcons will place linebacker Brooks Reed on injured reserve with a designation to return, sources tell Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Reed won’t be eligible to practice for six weeks, and can’t return to game action until Atlanta’s ninth game.

Reed, 28, underwent groin surgery last week to repair an injury that he suffered in August during training camp. His recovery time was listed as six weeks, so by going on IR-DTR, he’ll get the time he needs plus a few extra weeks to heal. Per McClure, veteran Kroy Biermann is expected to replace Reed in the team’s base defense.

The Falcons signed Reed, who had spent the entirety of his career with the Texans, to a four-year, $22MM deal during the offseason. He was one of several additions, including Adrian Clayborn, Justin Durant, and draft picks Vic Beasley and Jalen Collins, that was expected to turn around Atlanta’s defense under new head coach Dan Quinn.

NFC Notes: Washington, Powell, Jones

September 6th, 2015 at 9:53pm CST by Rob DiRe

Despite a need at both tight end and outside linebacker, Washington has elected to remain patient with their roster. The team only kept two tight ends and four outside linebackers on the current version of their 53-man roster, and did not put a waiver claim in on any of the many players on the wire today at either position, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. However, Jones does expect the team to add to the position in the coming days if the opportunity arises.

Here are some more stories from around the NFL this Sunday:

  • Receiver Corey Washington has received an injury settlement with the Giants, who therefore released him from the injured reserve, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Washington is now free to sign with any team.
  • The Saints have waived linebacker Ronald Powell with an injury settlement, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (via Twitter). Powell is only eligible to re-sign with the Saints after Week 6 plus the length of the settlement (via Twitter).
  • After signing James Jones, the Packers will have to cut a player to make room, writes Jason Wilde of ESPN.com (via Twitter). That player will not be Datone Jones, he adds, despite the rumors that Jones was on the chopping block. Jones is not on the current 53-man roster, because he is suspended for Week 1 (via Twitter). Wilde does mention Myles White as a possible candidate to be cut (via Twitter).

Del Rio: Sio Moore “Wasn’t Going To Make Our Team”

September 6th, 2015 at 8:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

Before being traded to the Colts, Sio Moore was expected to start at weakside linebacker for the Raiders. However, he had reportedly fallen out of favor with new head coach Jack Del Rio, which is why he became expendable, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.

“He wasn’t going to make our team,” Del Rio said. “We had depth there that we’re really happy about.”

That depth he is talking about comes with free agent pickups Malcolm Smith, Curtis Lofton, and Lorenzo Alexander, as well as Ray Ray Armstrong and draft picks Ben Heeney and Neiron Ball.

“We brought in two free agent linebackers that are both playing really well. We brought in two draft picks that are both playing pretty well. We developed a guy at the position that’s returning in Ray-Ray and we added a guy that we think is a real core difference maker on special teams,” said Del Rio. “We’ve got a full group. It was an opportunity to acquire a pick for a guy that somebody else may want to have.”

The Raiders will receive a 2016 sixth-round pick in exchange for Moore.

Texans Sign Long Snapper Jon Weeks To Extension

September 6th, 2015 at 8:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Texans have locked up their long snapped Jon Weeks to a long-term extension, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The new contract will keep him with the team for four years through 2019. It is worth $3.9MM total, with $330,000 in guaranteed money (via Twitter).

Weeks was excited to be part of the future in Houston, according to Mark Berman of Fox Sports 26 (via Twitter). “I’m speechless. I’m thrilled. I’m humbled,” said Weeks. “I’m incredibly thankful and excited to be here for that long.”

Berman also passed along quotes from Weeks, including where he credited Texans punter Shane Lechler for helping him on his path to becoming a mainstay in professional football (via Twitter).

“I’m very thankful for Shane. Shane’s been a great help.He’s one of the reasons I’m the player I am today,” said Weeks. “I had so many emotions today. I never imagined I would get to sign one of these, let alone a third one.”

Weeks declared for the 2008 NFL Draft but was not selected. The former Baylor Bear eventually signed on with the Texans as an undrafted free agent. He took over long snapping duties in 2010, and this new contract will keep him starting the play on punts and field goals almost until the end of the decade.

Of his guaranteed money, $250,000 comes by way of a signing bonus, and an additional $80,000 is guaranteed base salary, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Wilson also adds that the base salaries for Weeks going forward will escalate from $825,000 this year and next, up to $930,000 in 2019 (via Twitter).

Several Teams Interested In Jonas Gray

September 6th, 2015 at 7:41pm CST by Rob DiRe

One of the most surprising cuts out of Patriots camp is recent folk-hero Jonas Gray, who was waived yesterday as the team trimmed their roster down to 53 players.

It came as a shock to some in league circles, as Gray emerged as potential starter during his 201 yard and four touchdown performance against the Colts in the regular season. However, he fell out of favor as LeGarrette Blount came through later in the season, rushing for 148 yards and three touchdowns of his own against the Colts in the AFC Championship game.

Even based of the strength of that game, Gray cleared waivers unclaimed, reports to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Still, there are a number of teams interested in him and Volin expects him to find a spot on a roster this season.

There had been issues last season with Gray missing a practice that led to his benching down the stretch, but nothing like that repeated itself during training camp. Volin writes that Gray made his weight, worked hard, and didn’t miss any practices (via Twitter).

One reason Brandon Bolden made the team over Gray is the ability to contribute on special teams, according to Volin (via Twitter).

With Blount suspended for the season opener, Gray was expected to be the starter against the Steelers in Week 1. The team will likely use some combination of Bolden, James White, and Dion Lewis out of the backfield for the opener before Blount retakes the starting job in Week 2.

FA Notes: Bradshaw, Jeanpierre, Sims

September 6th, 2015 at 6:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Most of today’s news is related to cuts, waiver claims, and practice squad signings, but let’s take a look at a few notes concerning some unsigned free agents…

  • Running back Ahmad Bradshaw‘s broken leg is completely healed, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, meaning that the veteran back could find work soon. The 29-year-old is suspended for the first week of the NFL season due to a marijuana arrest, but Bradshaw could still help a club in need of running back help. In 10 games with the Colts last season, Bradshaw ran for more than 400 yards and posted 38 receptions.
  • After being released by the Seahawks last week, center Lemuel Jeanpierre will take a meeting with the Bills, reports ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. Jeanpierre appeared in 53 games (11 starts) during the past four years with Seattle. Buffalo did claim center Gabe Ikard off waivers from the Titans earlier today, so its interest might have waned.
  • Quarterback Phillip Sims, an undrafted free agent who was recently released by the Cardinals, will work out for both the Raiders and the Titans this week, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter links).

Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC South

September 6th, 2015 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

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 for the Falcons, Panthers, Saints, and Buccaneers are noted below.

Additionally, as of 11:00am 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

Carolina Panthers

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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