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Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/15

August 27th, 2015 at 4:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..

  • The Buccaneers announced (via Twitter) that they have waived kicker Brandon Bogotay, waived/injured linebacker Orie Lemon, and signed long snapper Brandon Hartson. The Bucs added a notable kicker in Connor Barth on Wednesday night.
  • The Patriots announced that they have released defensive lineman Antonio Johnson, tackle Mark Asper, and linebacker Cameron Gordon, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Patriots also waived/injured defensive end/tight end Jake Bequette, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Bequette was a third-round selection back in 2012.
  • The Eagles waived/injured linebacker Emmanuel Acho with a thumb injury that required surgery, according to a league source who spoke with Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Acho, 24, has spent parts of the past two seasons with the Eagles. He started two games in 2014 and played 23 percent of the defensive snaps.
  • The Packers signed former Lafayette wide receiver James Butler after a tryout, Weston Hodkiewicz of the Press Gazette tweets.

Minor Moves: Friday

February 6th, 2015 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today’s minor moves around football, including multiple back-of-the-roster NFL transactions as well as a one-time starting quarterback heading north to the CFL….

  • Center Darren Keyton, who was cut by the Lions before the team’s Wild Card game, has re-signed with the club, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • Quarterback John Skelton, who started 17 games for the Cardinals from 2010 to 2012, has signed a two-year pact with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Skelton’s stint in Arizona wasn’t particularly effective — he finished with 15 touchdowns to 25 interceptions, completing just 53.2% of his passes and posting a 63.0 QB rating. The 26-year-old spent time most recently with the Bengals in 2013.
  • Former University of Miami center Jared Wheeler signed with the Seahawks today, according to agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). Wheeler, who was cut by the Bills prior to the 2014 regular season, is the latest signee for Seattle, after the team added 11 players on reserve/futures contracts earlier this week.
  • The Patriots also made several reserve/futures signings yesterday, and completed a few more today, according to a team release. Defensive lineman Antonio Johnson, linebacker Rufus Johnson, and running back Dion Lewis have new contracts with the Pats.

Minor Moves: Wednesday

December 31st, 2014 at 7:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Playoff teams and non-playoff teams both continue to make roster moves this week, and we’ll round up today’s minor transactions below. Here’s the latest:

  • The Jaguars signed wide receiver Arrelious Benn to a two-year deal, a league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Dan Duggan of NJ.com reports (via Twitter) that the team also signed safety Jeremy Deering.
  • Long snapper Brandon Hartson inked a futures contract with the Chiefs, according to agent Brian McLaughlin (via Twitter). Kansas City has been busy locking up players for 2015, announcing 14 reserve deals yesterday.
  • Per Oliver Thomas of PatriotsObserver.com (via Twitter), the Patriots signed three players to reserve/futures contracts today: Defensive tackle Antonio Johnson, linebacker Rufus Johnson, and running back Dion Lewis. Since New England’s season isn’t over, the team can’t yet lock up any players from its practice squad to futures deals.
  • The Saints have added another player on a reserve/futures contract, signing veteran safety Kenny Phillips today, tweets Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune. A former first-round pick, Phillips worked out for New Orleans in November.

Earlier updates:

  • Cornerback Roc Carmichael and guard Antoine McClain inked reserve/futures deals with the Cardinals, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link). Carmichael has spent time with the Eagles over the last two seasons, while McClain finished the 2014 campaign on the Bears’ practice squad.
  • The Panthers signed guard Tyronne Green to a futures contract for 2015, the team announced today (Twitter link). Green most recently spent time with the Cowboys, having been cut by the team in July.
  • The Bengals have placed wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher on the injured reserve list due to a concussion, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). While losing Sanzenbacher, who caught just nine balls this season, isn’t a significant blow for Cincinnati, the team hopes A.J. Green won’t miss this weekend’s game with a similar ailment. With the newly-opened spot on the 53-man roster, the Bengals promoted wideout Cobi Hamilton from the practice squad.
  • Offensive tackle Joe Long, the brother of Rams tackle Jake Long, has been added to the Lions‘ taxi squad, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Detroit had been carrying just nine players on its unit, so no corresponding move was required to make room for Long.
  • The Buccaneers have signed former Northern Colorado quarterback Seth Lobato to a reserve/futures contract for 2015, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.

Extra Points: L.A., 49ers, Draft, Daniels

December 19th, 2014 at 9:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Chargers recently confirmed that they’ll continue to play in San Diego for the 2015 season, and it sounds as if the Rams could be the next team to make a similar announcement. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link) and Albert Breer of the NFL Network both indicate that officials in Missouri are expected to present the franchise with a plan containing “substantial public funding” soon, which will make it difficult for the club to justify leaving for Los Angeles in the short term. While there have been plenty of whispers about the possibility of one or two teams making the move to L.A., the smart money says it probably won’t happen in 2015, according to Breer.

Let’s round up a handful of other items from around the NFL….

  • The 49ers have already begun the process of researching potential head coaching candidates from other organizations, writes Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Cole writes that this is further proof that the organization will move on from Jim Harbaugh this offseason.
  • Georgia outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins announced (via Twitter) that he’ll return to school for another season. Meanwhile, Alabama safety Landon Collins is viewed as a lock to enter the draft, sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
  • As NFL executive Troy Vincent points out (via Twitter), the requests for early evaluation from NCAA underclassmen dipped from 214 last year to just 147 this year. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that perhaps this means the number of early entrants will decline by a similar rate this year, but as Rand Getlin and Dan Wentzel of Yahoo! Sports write, the NFL instituted new limits this year on the information the league will provide potential early entrants. Only five underclassmen per college program can receive info, and the league will only tell those players if they’re first- or second-round picks.
  • Seahawks backup quarterback B.J. Daniels had his salary increased from the practice squad rate up to an active roster rate, reports Brian McIntyre of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • The Patriots had three defenders – defensive end Cam Henderson, defensive lineman Antonio Johnson, and edge defender Rufus Johnson – in for tryouts this week, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com.
  • Washington is staring at the possibility of a second consecutive three-win season, and the team hasn’t even shown signs of trending upward, according to John Keim in his mailbag for ESPN. With issues between the coach and quarterback, Washington is having a season to forget.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

September 9th, 2014 at 6:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are today’s minor moves..

  • The Redskins are planning on using the short term IR designation for Barry Cofield, which coach Jay Gruden mentioned was a possibility, according to Chris Russell of ESPN 980 (on Twitter). The Redskins have since made the move official. The Redskins promoted safety Akeem Davis to the 53-man roster to fill Cofield’s roster spot, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). The Redskins also added tight end Je’Ron Hamm and wide receiver Marvin McNutt to fill the void of their taxi squad cuts from earlier today, Jones tweets.
  • The Ravens re-signed Fitzgerald Toussaint to practice squad after he cleared waivers, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Toussaint was let go to make room for defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi.
  • The Patriots announced that they have signed defensive end Cam Henderson to the practice squad and released quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson from the practice squad to make room. Henderson, 24, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent out of UCF with the Falcons in April of 2013, He has since had stints with the Falcons’ and Browns’ practice squads. Bethel-Thompson, 26, is a Sacramento State product who has been with the Dolphins (2011), Vikings (2012-2013) and 49ers (2013).
  • The Panthers waived former Rutgers tight end and one-time quarterback D.C. Jefferson from injured reserve, less than a week after he was suspended four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter).
  • The Titans have reached an injury settlement with defensive lineman Antonio Johnson and have released him, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com.
  • The Seahawks re-signed wide receiver Phil Bates to the practice squad and released linebacker Allen Bradford, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).
  • The Saints waived Ty Nsekhe from the injured reserve today, according to Kat Terrell of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter).
  • Former Bills defensive end Jacquies Smith was claimed by the Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter). Smith was let go yesterday by Buffalo.
  • The Titans have signed tight end Brett Brackett to the practice squad and released TE Orson Charles, according to McCormick (on Twitter).
  • Evan Mathis has been sent to the IR by the Eagles but is designated to return, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). He’ll be eligible to face the Panthers on November 10th.

Titans Cut Mooney, Mariani, Others

August 30th, 2014 at 4:29pm CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 4:29pm : In addition to trading DE Lavar Edwards to the Cowboys, the Titans have announced the following roster moves:

Waived:

  • Maikon Bonani (K)
  • Moise Fokou (LB)
  • Will Poehls (OT)
  • Rico Richardson (WR)
  • Winston Wright (CB)

Placed on injured reserve:

FRIDAY, 3:36pm: The Titans have released fullback Collin Mooney and wide receiver Marc Mariani, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean (on Twitter). Terry McCormick of FOX 17 (on Twitter) adds defensive lineman Chigbo Anonuby to that list. As we passed along earlier today, offensive lineman Jeff Adams, defensive lineman Marcus Dixon, and offensive lineman Justin McCray were also let go. Here’s the full list of Titans cuts from today:

Titans To Re-Sign Mookie Johnson

March 19th, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Zachary Links

WEDNESDAY, 4:57pm: Johnson’s two-year deal is worth $2.35MM, with a modest $175K signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who adds a couple more contract details via Twitter.

TUESDAY, 6:16pm: The Titans have agreed to re-sign defensive tackle Antonio “Mookie” Johnson to a two-year deal, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. It was a priority for Tennessee to lock Johnson down for 2014 and beyond and it sounds like they’ve accomplished that tonight.

Johnson, 29, was originally drafted by the Titans in the fifth round of the 2007 draft but things didn’t work out due to injuries. Last spring, Johnson signed with the Titans, reuniting him with the organization. In 16 games (six starts) last season, Johnson recorded 15 tackles and a career-high three sacks.

AFC Rumors: Tate, McFadden, Mitchell, Dansby

March 11th, 2014 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent receiver Golden Tate, who tweeted last night that things are “heating up” for him, could be a target for the Jaguars, says Peter King of TheMMQB.com. The former Seahawks notable is coming off of his most productive season ever in which he hauled in 64 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns. More out of the AFC..

  • While many free agent running backs aren’t getting much play yet, Darren McFadden is one that has drawn “significant interest,” tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) hears from a league source that the Raiders have a one-year offer on the table for McFadden. The 26-year-old has missed 19 games over the last three seasons.
  • The Dolphins are in the mix for defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. The 26-year-old is getting a lot of attention for his versatility, athletic ability, and his high motor.
  • The Browns are likely to pursue Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby in free agency, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio News Group. Dansby, 32, would replace D’Qwell Jackson, who signed a four-year deal with the Colts last week. The Browns were also unsatisfied with the play of inside ‘backer Craig Robertson as the 2013 season went along.
  • The Browns are aggressively pursuing slot receivers with Davone Bess out of the picture, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Julian Edelman is a possibility as is poaching Andrew Hawkins from the Bengals.
  • Re-signing defensive tackle Antonio Johnson is a priority for the Titans, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. The club also has interest in holding on to Leon Washington, Marc Mariani, Damian Williams, and Chris Spencer.
  • Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) asked a Jets source for the best way to describe the organization’s free agency plan and he was told that the club will be “aggressive.”
  • The Broncos have discussed the likes of pursuing safety T.J. Ward and defensive end Jared Allen but they’re certainly not in the lead as some have implied, writes Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
  • The Jets and Patriots will each pick up nearly an extra $2MM in cap room due to various bookkeeping technicalities, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com explains in a series of tweets.

FA Rumors: Falcons, Finley, Winston, Neal

March 7th, 2014 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s follow up on this morning’s free agent rumors with another round of them for the afternoon….

  • The Falcons are engaged in active talks to bring back offensive lineman Mike Johnson, but appear ready to part ways with defensive tackle Peria Jerry, reports D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Consitution.
  • Tight end Jermichael Finley has drawn interest from the Jets, Chiefs, Seahawks, Giants, and Steelers, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The former Packers standout still hasn’t been medically cleared, however.
  • The Cardinals have maintained interest in offensive lineman Eric Winston, but with no deal imminent, the veteran tackle could hit the open market, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Packers have had meaningful discussions with outside linebacker Mike Neal, but they haven’t come up with a large enough offer to keep him from testing the open market, tweets Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
  • Wilson also passes along an update on former Ravens defensive tackle Bryan Hall, who worked out for eight NFL teams at Arkansas State today. Hall was converted to linebacker by Baltimore, but is back to playing on the line now (Twitter links).
  • According to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link), defensive tackle Antonio Johnson continues to talk to the Titans, as the team tries to re-sign some of its players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents
  • Having re-signed Marcus Sherels, the Vikings have one restricted free agent left, in linebacker Larry Dean. A source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) the team is having ongoing discussions on the possibility of bringing Dean back.
  • Tight end Dustin Keller, who was doing exceptionally well in camp with the Dolphins last offseason before tearing his ACL, is on track to return for this season, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Keller is an unrestricted free agent.