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Ben Gottschalk

Minor Moves: Monday

June 15th, 2015 at 5:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

  • The Chiefs signed offensive lineman Tavon Rooks, agent Richard Kopelman tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
  • The 49ers signed center/guard Ben Gottschalk to a two-year deal while signing kicker Corey Acosta and wide receiver Mario Hull to three year deals, Wilson tweets. To help make room, Darius Davis has been waived (link).
  • The Chargers have signed undrafted rookie offensive tackle Forrestal Hickman, according to a league source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Hickman, who stands at 6’8″ and 315 pounds, tried out for the Chargers during their rookie minicamp. The Missouri Science and Tech product was an all-conference selection last season.
  • The 49ers released tackle/guard Chris Martin, according to agent Brett Tessler (on Twitter). Martin finished last season on San Francisco’s practice squad, but the agent says that the team simply had too many similar guys already on the roster.
  • The Jets announced that they have waived/injured tight end Zach Sudfeld, who suffered a torn ACL, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. In his stead, the Jets have inked tight end Steve Maneri.
  • The Seahawks waived/injured defensive end Ryan Robinson, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Condotta assumes that the Seahawks are hoping that he’ll pass through waivers, allowing them to stash him on IR.
  • The Packers have waived rookie guard Marcus Reed, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Reed was signed as a UDFA last month. Green Bay currently has 89 players on the roster.
  • The Seahawks signed wide receiver Kasen Williams, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).

North Notes: Lions, Flacco, A. Brown

June 8th, 2015 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Special teams standout Brad Smith, who has played all over the field in his NFL career, will pay a visit to the Lions on Tuesday, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. While Smith has seen time at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver during his NFL career, and was a very productive kick returner a few years ago, his primary contributions at this point in his career will come in kick and punt coverage.

Meanwhile, a Lions free agent, defensive tackle C.J. Mosley, is visiting an unknown team today, per Birkett. There were conflicting reports last week on whether Detroit has interest in re-signing Mosley, and Birkett notes that while the Lions have engaged with the defensive lineman about a possible return, no agreement is imminent.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco would like to play in the NFL until he’s at least 40 years old, as he tells Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Of course, we should probably take Flacco’s comments with a grain of salt at this point, considering he just turned 30 earlier this year.
  • While the Steelers may not adjust Antonio Brown‘s contract this year, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, with the help of former NFL salary cap analyst J.I. Halsell, attempts to identify a potential extension scenario that could work for both sides.
  • Judge David Doty will hear the NFLPA’s motion to hold Roger Goodell in contempt of court in the Adrian Peterson case on August 13, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Doty ruled in favor of the NFLPA back in February, granting the union’s motion to overturn the league’s decision on Peterson’s suspension, but the NFL didn’t reinstate the Vikings running back until mid-April.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along word of a couple auditions taking place this week, reporting (via Twitter) that center/guard Ben Gottschalk is trying out for the Packers today and former Hawaii defensive end Beau Yap is working out for the Bengals tomorrow.

Minor Moves: Thursday

May 28th, 2015 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Thursday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including the latest mid-to-late-round draft pick signings:

  • As first tweeted by agent Mike McCartney, third-round tight end Tyler Kroft has signed his rookie contract with the Bengals. Per Over The Cap, Kroft’s four-year pact will be worth about $2.928MM, including a $648K signing bonus. First-round offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi is now the only Cincinnati draftee who remains unsigned.
  • The Cowboys have also signed all their draft picks besides their first-rounder. According to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link), the club locked up fourth-round linebacker Damien Wilson today, signing him to a four-year deal that features a signing bonus worth about $466K.
  • The Jets have cut quarterback Matt Simms, the club announced today in a press release. Given the presence of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, and Bryce Petty, there wasn’t much chance that Simms would make the Jets’ regular season roster. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link), Simms asked New York to release him and the team obliged.
  • Former Oklahoma defensive back Julian Wilson, who signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent, was waived/injured by the team today after breaking his leg earlier this month, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. He’ll land on the injured reserve list, assuming he clears waivers.
  • The Buccaneers made a slight change to the back of their 90-man roster today, signing kicker Brandon Bogotay and waiving center Ben Gottschalk, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
  • Washington has added a pair of cornerbacks to its roster, signing Trey Wolfe and Tajh Hasson, per a team release. Hasson went undrafted this year out of UNLV, while Wolfe spent some time on Washington’s taxi squad in 2014.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

April 7th, 2015 at 8:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at today’s minor moves:

  • 49ers defensive tackle Tony Jerod-Eddie has signed his exclusive rights tender, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). The 25-year-old Jerod-Eddie was active for all 16 games last season — starting two — and posted 12 tackles. Maiocco adds that although fellow San Francisco ERFA Michael Wilhoite has not yet signed his contract, he is participating in the club’s offseason program.
  • Rams running back Chase Reynolds has also signed his ERFA contract, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets. Reynolds didn’t log a single carry in 2014, but did contribute on special teams, where he played more than 60% of the snaps.
  • The Buccaneers signed tackle Ben Gottschalk, per Wilson (Twitter link). The Southern Methodist product went undrafted in 2014 before spending a brief time on the Chiefs’ practice squad. He originally worked out for Tampa Bay last Thursday.

South Notes: Johnson, Bucs, Wootton

April 2nd, 2015 at 10:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers hosted Lions restricted free agent defensive end George Johnson, according to Jenna Laine of Sports Talk Florida. Johnson, of course, was with the Bucs from 2010-2012. The Lions placed Johnson on a low-round RFA tender, which means the Lions have the right to match any offer Johnson receives, but they won’t collect compensation if he goes elsewhere. Here’s more out of the AFC and NFC South..

  • Former Bears and Vikings defensive end Corey Wootton tried out for the Titans, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter) adds that Wootton auditioned for the Jaguars. Wootton, 28 in June, appeared in 15 games for the Vikings last season.
  • Former Giants wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan recently had a tryout with the Buccaneers, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The 5’9″ wide receiver saw just two games in 2014 thanks to injury.
  • Former Chiefs practice squad center Ben Gottschalk worked out for the Buccaneers today, a league source told Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Gottschalk caught Tampa Bay’s eye at the veteran combine.

Chiefs Announce Series Of Roster Moves

September 9th, 2014 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chiefs officially finalized a series of roster moves today, according to a team release. Besides confirming the signing of defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson, and the additions of wideout Armon Binns and tight end Adam Schiltz to their practice squad, which had been previously reported, the Chiefs also announced the following moves:

Added to 53-man roster:

Removed from 53-man roster:

Signed to practice squad:

Removed from practice squad:

Sunday Transactions: AFC West

August 31st, 2014 at 7:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC West 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 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 AFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Denver Broncos:

Kansas City Chiefs:

Oakland Raiders:

San Diego Chargers:

  • Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Chas Alecxih, DL; Torrence Allen, WR; Greg Ducre, CB; Javontee Herndon, WR; Cordarro Law, OLB; Ryan Lindley, QB; Adrian Phillips, S; Jeremiah Sirles, T; Craig Watts, G

Chiefs Sign Mike McGlynn

August 28th, 2014 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 1:04pm: Per ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), McGlynn’s one-year deal is worth $1.125MM, and counts $925K against the cap. That sounds like it’s more than a minimum salary contract, so I’d guess the discrepancy between the total figure and the cap number means it includes some incentives.

WEDNESDAY, 9:58am: The Chiefs have made a move in the hopes of fortifying their offensive line, signing free agent guard Mike McGlynn to a contract, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The club has waived offensive lineman Ben Gottschalk to make room on the 75-man roster for the new addition, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.

McGlynn, 29, was brought in by the Redskins as a free agent back in March and received $200K in guaranteed money on a two-year deal with the team. The former fourth-round pick, who had been the Colts’ primary right guard for the last two seasons, was expected to compete for a starting role in Washington, but struggled in training camp and the preseason and lost his grip on a roster spot. He was released yesterday.

For Kansas City, McGlynn figures to vie for playing time on an offensive line that took a significant hit in free agency — 2013 regulars Branden Albert, Geoff Schwartz, and Jon Asamoah all signed with new teams this offseason. Additionally, starting right tackle Donald Stephenson was hit with a four-game suspension and will miss the first month of the season.