Andrew Furney

Workout Notes: Jets, Giants, Pats, Colts

Wednesday’s workouts from around the NFL:

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/15

Today’s minor moves and signings..

  • The Bills cut Deon Broomfield from injured reserve, Wilson tweets.
  • The Browns announced that they have signed offensive lineman Erle Ladson while waiving defensive back Micah Pellerin, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal tweets.
  • The Panthers waived running back Darrin Reaves, who saw a good amount of playing time last season as the Panthers had issues with their backfield, ESPN.com’s David Newton writes. Meanwhile, Carolina inked tackles Tony Hills and Davonte Wallace.

Earlier Updates:

  • Bengals wide receiver James Wright has been released with a waived/injured designation, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (on Twitter). If he isn’t claimed tomorrow, he’ll be placed on the Bengals’ IR for the season.
  • The Cowboys released running back Ryan Williams, linebacker Cameron Lawrence, and offensive lineman Ryan Miller while signing running back Gus Johnson, offensive lineman Ronald Patrick, and linebacker Justin Anderson, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Cardinals placed wide receiver Damond Powell on the reserve/NFI list, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets. The move creates a place for tight end Jermaine Gresham on the 90-man roster.
  • The Jets announced that they have released kicker Andrew Furney. That move will create room for the addition of wide receiver Austin Hill, who was picked up yesterday. Furney was signed by the Jets last offseason as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State to compete with Nick Folk during the ’14 training camp. He signed a reserve/future contract to return to the Jets last Dec. 30.
  • The Bears signed defensive lineman David Carter to a one-year deal, Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune tweets. To make room, linebacker Jonathan Brown has been waived.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

We’ll round up Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL right here, including transactions by teams still in the playoffs as well as clubs looking ahead to next year:

10:10pm:

  • The Lions have signed TE Ifeanyi Momah to a 2015 reserve/future contract, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter).

3:57pm:

  • The Chiefs signed former Seahawks tailback Spencer Ware, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
  • Jets quarterback Matt Simms reworked his contract today to avoid becoming an exclusive rights free agent in 2015, according to a team release. The club also added kicker Andrew Furney and running back Daryl Richardson on reserve/futures deals, in addition to the six players whose reserve contracts we heard about yesterday.
  • In addition to confirming reserve/futures contracts for Garrison Smith and Chris Martin, as was reported yesterday, the 49ers announced in a press release that they’ve signed running back Kendall Gaskins, tight end Xavier Grimble, wide receiver Lance Lewis. All five players finished the season on San Francisco’s practice squad.
  • Running back Terrance Cobb announced (via Twitter) that he has signed a futures deal with the Raiders. Cobb initially signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted rookie in May, and was cut in the preseason.
  • The Bears may not have a head coach or GM, but they’re still adding players to their roster — Chicago signed defensive end Jamil Merrell to a reserve/futures contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).
  • Former Canisius College basketball player Chris Manhertz announced (via Instagram) that he has signed a contract with the Bills. According to Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (via Twitter), the ex-hoopster projects as a tight end. The Bills have since confirmed the signing of Manhertz, and announced a deal for fullback Corey Knox as well.

2:19pm:

  • Offensive tackle Justin Renfrow has been released from the Packers‘ practice squad, creating an opening on the unit, according to the team.
  • The Steelers have also made a change to their taxi squad, signing wide receiver Tim Benford and releasing cornerback Jordan Sullen, per Burt Lauten (via Twitter). The addition of Benford provides some insurance for the receiving corps, after the team cut wideout Justin Brown from its active roster today.
  • The Browns signed a pair of kickers, Travis Coons and Carey Spear, to reserve/futures contracts, the club announced today, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). The two kickers join seven other players who signed futures deals yesterday with Cleveland.
  • The Jaguars have signed offensive lineman Cody Booth, tight end Marcel Jensen, defensive back Peyton Thompson, and wide receiver Tony Washington to reserve/futures contracts, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. All four players spent time on the club’s practice squad this season.
  • The Saints signed five more players to reserve/futures deals, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune, who lists running back Edwin Baker, kicker Dustin Hopkins, tight end Orson Charles, and offensive linemen Mike Brewster and Andrew Miller as the latest recepients. We learned yesterday that the club also signed wideout Willie Snead and fullback Toben Opurum to futures contracts.

East Notes: Bennett, Kelly, Giants, Jets

Bears tight end Martellus Bennett looks back on his time with the Cowboys and is very glad about how things have turned out since then, writes Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News. “It just came down to opportunities and being in the right situation and being around people who accept me for who I am and allowed me to be myself and not try to change me as a person and just understand that is just who I am and I love playing football,” he said. “I am at a stage of my life where I feel I don’t have to play football to be successful. But I just love playing football.” More from the East divisions..

  • There has been talk of the University of Florida going after Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, but Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) sees his price tag as prohibitive. Kelly would probably require upwards of $6MM per year, and he already has that in his current deal with Philly.
  • The Giants‘ addition of running back Chris Ogbonnaya likely indicates that the team has doubts about Rashad Jennings‘ availability this week, tweets Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants have placed a jaw-dropping 20 players on IR this year.
  • Jets coach Rex Ryan will probably be fired in a matter of weeks, but it sounds like he’ll be just fine. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears that a multi-million dollar TV offer was being readied for the outspoken coach around this time last year, before Jets owner Woody Johnson decided to keep him for another following year. Industry sources recently told Richard Deitsch of SI.com that Ryan would make $3MM-$5MM if he decided to go to TV.
  • The Jets auditioned kicker Andrew Furney, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The audition for Furney, who was in camp with the Jets, could be in response to Nick Folk‘s injury.

AFC West Links: Broncos, Dysert, Raiders

There were a lot of changes in the AFC West today, as Vincent Brown, Duke Ihenacho, Ryan Succop and Greg Little are now all seeking employment. Not much has changed in the AFC West front offices, however, as the general managers are actively trying to improve their squads.

Let’s take a look at some of the rumblings from the division…

  • The Broncos auditioned young kickers this afternoon, reports the Denver Post’s Mike Klis (via Twitter). The writer adds that Andrew Furney was among the group trying out.
  • Broncos general manager John Elway told reporters that the team wants to bring back Zac Dysert for their practice squad, tweets Lindsay Jones of USA Today.
  • The Raiders will remain active, as Vic Tafur of The San Francisco Chronicle tweets that general manager Reggie McKenzie will be seeking help at tight end, linebacker and in the secondary.
  • ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson writes that safety Brandian Ross was the Raiders “surprise cut.”

Jets Cut Bruce Campbell, Six Others

The Jets have started slimming down their roster, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the team has cut seven players today (via Twitter):

The notable name here is Campbell, who has had a tumultuous career since entering the league in 2010. The former fourth-rounder spent two season with the Raiders before being traded to the Panthers in the Mike Goodson trade. He was waived by the team around this time last year and caught on with the Redskins in March. However, that deal was voided after he failed his physical, and he ultimately signed with the Jets earlier this month.

Also of note is the release of punter Jacob Schum. The release of Schum would lead many to assume that Ryan Quigley has won the punter job. ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini warns that it may be too early to make that assumption, saying the release doesn’t indicate that Quigley “is in the clear just yet” (via Twitter).

Minor Moves: Jets, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants

Plenty of teams around the league are making transactions today as minicamps wrap up and clubs look to finalize their rosters in advance of next month’s training camp. Let’s dive right in and check out the latest minor roster moves, with any additional transactions added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening….

  • Undrafted rookie tight end Terrence Miller has been cut by the Jets, creating a second available roster spot after yesterday’s release of Mike Goodson. As the team reveals in a press release, kicker Andrew Furney and punter Jacob Schum will fill those openings.
  • The Dolphins have replaced one defensive back with another, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed Kevin Fogg and parted ways with Anthony Gaitor.

Earlier updates:

  • The Falcons have waived quarterback Dominique Davis, the team announced today (via Twitter). Davis saw a little playing time last season in relief of starter Matt Ryan, but his grip on a roster spot was tenuous after Atlanta acquired T.J. Yates in a trade with the Texans yesterday. Davis will have to clear waivers before officially becoming a free agent.
  • In a series of three tweets, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News passes along word of a series of signings and cuts for the Giants, who have added offensive tackle Demarcus Love and defensive lineman Everett Dawkins, parting ways with defensive tackle Eathyn Manumaleuna and offensive lineman Steven Baker to make room on the 90-man roster.
  • Long snapper Charley Hughlett, punter Kasey Redfern, and wide receiver Nathan Slaughter, who auditioned for the Jaguars earlier this week, have been signed by the club, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. In addition to Jason Babin, wide receivers Kevin Smith and Brandon Wimberly were cut by Jacksonville to create roster space.
  • The Chiefs have waived defensive lineman Chas Alecxih, according to the club (Twitter link).
  • For the third straight summer, defensive lineman Brandon McKinney will try to earn a roster spot with the Colts, who inked him to a deal today, tweets Craig Kelley of Colts.com.
  • The Bears have informed tight end Fendi Onobun of his release, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
  • The Patriots have cut wide receiver Reggie Dunn, the team confirmed in a press release.

Minicamp Updates: Jets, Jags, Dolphins, Orton

The minicamps being held around the NFL this week are mandatory for players on rosters, but those aren’t the only guys in attendance. Many clubs are also auditioning non-roster players who are hoping to earn contracts and the opportunity to compete in training camp for a regular-season roster spot. Here are the latest updates from minicamps around the league: