HEADLINES

Alex Boone

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/21

January 2nd, 2021 at 5:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed off Jets’ practice squad: G Blake Hance
  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Karl Joseph
  • Promoted: G Cordell Iwuagwu, LB Montrel Meander, T Alex Taylor

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Promoted: DB John Brannon

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/23/20

December 23rd, 2020 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed: DB Kemon Hall

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

  • Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Joey Hunt

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

  • Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: T Jonathan Hubbard

New England Patriots

  • Signed: DT Isaiah Mack
  • Released: TE Paul Quessenberry

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: TE Kevin Rader
  • Released: LB Christian Kuntz

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Expected To Sign G Alex Boone

December 17th, 2020 at 3:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Days after Alex Boone‘s Ravens visit, the veteran guard will land a job. It will not be in Baltimore, however. The Seahawks are expected to sign Boone to their practice squad, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

This is contingent on Boone going through the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols, which require nearly a week’s worth of negative tests. But Boone is en route to Seattle to begin testing.

The former 49ers, Vikings and Cardinals blocker has not played since the 2017 season. He would be another high-profile addition to the Seahawks practice squad. Damon Harrison landed with Seattle’s taxi squad earlier this season, and the Seahawks promoted him to their active roster weeks later. Boone may need a similar acclimation period, though not much time remains for it. But the longtime 49ers starter has been interested in returning to the league for several months; he looks to have secured an opportunity.

Boone will be reuniting with former 49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari, who currently serves as the Seahawks’ O-line coach. Boone, 33, was a starter with San Francisco, Minnesota and Arizona from 2012-17. He started for the 49ers in the 2013 NFC championship game in Seattle and has played in the NFC West for all but one season since arriving in the league as a 2009 UDFA.

The Seahawks have used rookie Damien Lewis and ex-Boone teammate Mike Iupati as their primary guard starters this season. At this stage of his career, Boone would profile as potential insurance. While he has played guard as a pro, Boone does have tackle experience. He started at left tackle for multiple seasons at Ohio State.

Ravens Work Out G Alex Boone

December 11th, 2020 at 5:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Alex Boone expressed interest earlier this year about unretiring, and the Ravens are giving him an opportunity to potentially latch on late in the season.

The Ravens hosted the veteran guard for a workout Friday, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). A March report indicated Boone had drawn interest from teams, but his comeback attempt has not produced a contract yet. The Ravens are considering it.

No Raven offensive linemen reside on the reserve/COVID-19 list at present, but given Baltimore’s recent outbreak, the franchise inquiring about veteran insurance makes sense. Although Boone has not played in a game since the 2017 season, he was a starter from 2012 up until his retirement. His most notable years came during Jim Harbaugh‘s time with the 49ers, so an audition with the John Harbaugh-led Ravens is interesting.

Originally a 2009 UDFA, Boone was with the 49ers during their run of three consecutive NFC championship game appearances in the early 2010s. His first season as a starter came during San Francisco’s Super Bowl XLVII season. Converting from Ohio State tackle to NFL guard, Boone signed a four-year 49ers extension in 2011 and signed a free agent deal with the Vikings in 2016. He last played for the Cardinals three seasons ago.

After Marshal Yanda‘s retirement, the Ravens have used Bradley Bozeman and Patrick Mekari as their primary guards.

Alex Boone Drawing Interest From NFL Teams

March 10th, 2020 at 10:36am CST by Zachary Links

We haven’t seen Alex Boone on the field in a while, but he says he’s looking to play for the first time since 2017. His attempted comeback is not a publicity stunt, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter) hears, and the veteran already has interest from a “handful” of teams. 

Boone, 33 in May, played for the 49ers, Vikings, and Cardinals across eight pro seasons. He entered the league as a UDFA back in 2009 and battled until he found his way to the Niners’ starting lineup in 2012.

Later on, he landed a four-year, $26.2MM free agent deal with the Vikings. Unfortunately, he clashed with Minnesota brass and reportedly had conditioning issues. The Vikings asked him to take a pay cut, Boone said no, and they dropped him after just one year. His last action came in ’17 with the Cardinals, where he started 13 games.

Boone, Pelissero hears, is back up to 285 pounds. That’s important and also impressive – last year, Boone slimmed down in order to compete in an Ironman Triathlon.

Alex Boone Wants To Resume Playing Career

March 3rd, 2020 at 9:40pm CST by Rory Parks

Former 49ers, Vikings, and Cardinals guard Alex Boone wants to resume his NFL playing career, as the soon-to-be 33-year-old announced on Minnesota sports talk station SKOR North (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk). Boone has been working with the station recently, but he hopes to get back on the field.

Boone carved out a nice career for himself, especially considering he entered the league as a UDFA in 2009. Though he spent all of 2009 on the 49ers’ practice squad and appeared in just one game in 2010, he became San Francisco’s full-time starter at left guard in 2012, which ended in a Super Bowl appearance.

The Ohio State product was generally regarded as an above-average starter during his 49ers’ tenure, and he parlayed that success into a four-year, $26.8MM deal ($10MM guaranteed) with the Vikings in March 2016. But after a so-so year first season with Minnesota, the Vikes asked Boone to take a paycut and released him when he refused. He reportedly showed up to training camp out of shape, which certainly didn’t help matters.

He subsequently hooked on with the Cardinals and started 13 games for Arizona, and that was the last NFL action he saw. It’s unclear if there was any interest in him after his one-year stint in the desert.

It’s also unclear if there will be any interest now that he is almost 33 and is even further removed from his best years in San Francisco. There is always a need for experienced O-line depth, so it’s not inconceivable he could get some looks from a team that suffers an injury or two in training camp, but it still seems like something of a long shot.

Boone, though, is working on getting back to his playing weight in the hopes of getting a call.

Cardinals To Place Mike Iupati On IR

September 29th, 2017 at 3:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals will place Mike Iupati on IR because of bone spurs in the starting guard’s elbow, Bruce Arians said (via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com, on Twitter).

Iupati has been out since Week 1 with this malady but will miss extensive time now, and this could end his season. The 30-year-old left guard will miss at least eight more weeks as a result of this decision. Iupati will undergo surgery to address this problem, and the Cardinals are short on guards right now. And offensive line is reeling.

Arians added Alex Boone will miss “a couple weeks” with a chest injury suffered Monday night. Arians, via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter), didn’t seem to point to left tackle D.J. Humphries playing Sunday either.

The Iupati decision also complicates matters for the Cardinals regarding how they will manage their roster this season.

David Johnson already resides on IR with a wrist injury, and although it could be December before he’s ready to come back, the All-Pro running back profiles as an obvious IR-return candidate — especially if the team is contending for a playoff spot. As of now, Iupati would stand to occupy Arizona’s other IR-boomerang slot, but given that the Cards haven’t played their fourth game, it would be too early to proclaim their IR-return decisions set.

However, Iupati and Johnson profile as key players who would fit the bill over just about anyone else who would venture onto IR with an injury that could heal in time for late-season contributions. A four-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro with the 49ers, Iupati signed with the Cardinals last year and played 15 games. This will mark the first season he’s played fewer than 12. And in six of Iupati’s seven full NFL seasons, he’s suited up and started at least 13 games.

John Wetzel and rookie Will Holden would be options to replace Humphries at tackle, while rookie Dorian Johnson is an option be promoted from the practice squad. Arians said a roster move will be made to address the depth up front.

Extra Points: Jets, Baldwin, Boone, Packers

September 26th, 2017 at 9:29pm CST by Ben Levine

Former Jets linebacker Erin Henderson was placed on the team’s non-football injury list last season, and the player is now suing the organization, citing “wrongful termination and disability discrimination.” According to Connor Hughes of NJ.com, Henderson is seeking $3.3MM in compensatory damages in addition to punitive damages, using his remaining 2016 and hypothetical 2017 salary as a guideline.

The lawsuit does acknowledge that the 31-year-old suffers from bipolar disorder, but it also notes that the organization was never accommodating before they “wrongfully terminated his employment.” The team ultimately said Henderson “was not fit” to play football, a revelation that the player didn’t learn about until the NFLPA grievance hearing in June.

The 2008 undrafted free agent out of Maryland spent the first six years of his career with the Vikings before spending the 2015 and 2016 campaign in New York. During his Jets tenure, Henderson appeared in 21 games (including four starts during his “injury-shortened” 2016 season), compiling 66 tackles and one forced fumble.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

  • Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin is currently day-to-day with a groin injury, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The reporter notes that there’s optimism that the Pro Bowler could even play this weekend. The 29-year-old had his best game of the season this past weekend, and he’s already hauled in 20 catches for 212 yards and one touchdown this season.
  • Cardinals general manager Steve Keim told 98.7FM in Arizona that offensive guard Alex Boone has an injured pectoral muscle (via Kent Somers of AZCentral.com on Twitter). The veteran had an MRI today, and the team is hopeful that he can play through it. After refusing to take a pay cut from the Vikings, the 30-year-old ultimately joined Arizona this offseason, and he’s started two of the team’s first three games.
  • The Packers placed long snapper Brett Goode on the injured reserve yesterday, and ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky reports that the player has now reached an injury settlement with the organization. This means the Packers can sign him later this season without making him one of the two players the team can return from the IR.

AFC East Notes: Fins, Anthony, Timmons, Jets

September 20th, 2017 at 9:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins discussed acquiring linebacker Stephone Anthony from the Saints even before the club suspended veteran Lawrence Timmons, head coach Adam Gase told reporters, including Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). That’s not entirely surprising, given that Miami had been short on linebackers even before the Timmons saga began. Rookie Raekwon McMillan, pegged to start at middle linebacker for the Dolphins, tore his ACL before the season began, so adding a former first-round talent such as Anthony for the cost of a fifth-round pick makes some sense.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • While Timmons is suspended indefinitely, it’s not out of the question that he returns to the Dolphins at some point, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. Expected to be an integral part of Miami’s defense after agreeing to a two-year contract this spring, Timmons would likely ingratiate himself to teammates with an apology, opines Salguero. “I think every situation is different,” Gase said of Timmons. “And I would say you can be forgiven if the right steps are taken.”
  • Despite a seemingly gaping hole at left guard, the Dolphins did not express interest in Alex Boone after he was released by the Vikings earlier this month, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Instead, Miami is content to rotate Anthony Steen and Jesse Davis on the interior, with Steen handling roughly two-thirds of the club’s offensive snaps. Boone went on to sign a one-year, $1.4MM deal with the Cardinals.
  • New Jets owner Christopher Johnson says his brother — newly sworn-in UK ambassador Woody Johnson — will have no role with the club while serving in his new capacity, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. Meanwhile, Christopher Johnson also indicated New York is “definitely” not tanking, and that general manager Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles won’t be based on wins and losses alone, per Darryl Slater of NJ.com. Instead, the Jets’ decision-makers will be judged on the team’s gradual improvement and development.
  • Based on early-season performance, the Jets‘ decision to part with veterans such as Nick Mangold, Darrelle Revis, Ryan Clady, and Brandon Marshall has turned out well, opines Brian Costello of the New York Post. Mangold and Revis have yet to land a contract, Clady is retired, and Marshall hasn’t performed through two games with the Giants.

Extra Points: OBJ, Browns, Cardinals, Lions

September 10th, 2017 at 9:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former NFL wide receiver Jordan Norwood has announced his retirement, tweets Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. Norwood, played in parts of five seasons with the Eagles, Browns, and — most recently — Broncos, totaling 79 receptions, 844 yards, and two touchdowns during that time. Norwood’s most notable NFL time came in Denver, with whom he won a Super Bowl in 2015. PFR extends it best wishes to Norwood in retirement.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • While Odell Beckham Jr. wasn’t active for tonight’s Giants game against the Cowboys, he’s expected to be a full go when New York faces Detroit in Week 2, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Beckham, of course, suffered an ankle injury during the preseason that forced him to sit out for Week 1. The dynamic wideout’s absence has unsurprisingly affected the Giants’ offensive output thus far, as Big Blue has yet to score a single point against Dallas.
  • Responding to a report that he was “irate” at the Browns‘ decision to release cornerback Joe Haden, head coach Hue Jackson said he works in “lockstep” with Cleveland’s front office, reports Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). The Browns parted ways with Haden just before the season in a move that will cause them to absorb $10.9MM in dead money over the next two year. Playing against his old team as a member of the Steelers today, Haden graded as the NFL’s No. 53 cornerback among 75 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
  • Offensive guard Alex Boone‘s one-year deal with the Cardinals is worth $1.4MM, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Boone, 30, can also make another $600K via playtime incentives. Additionally, Boone is scheduled to earn $3.4MM as part of his Vikings contract, which does not contain offset language. Boone will begin his Arizona tenure as a backup, but could conceivably start later in the season.
  • The Lions may be on the lookout for a new punter, as Kasey Redfern suffered a “significant” injury during today’s contest, head coach Jim Caldwell told reporters, including Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Redfern is already an injury replacement, as he’s filling in for incumbent Sam Martin, who was placed on the non-football injury list during final cutdowns.
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