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Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

October 28th, 2014 at 6:24pm CST by Luke Adams

They may not be the sort of deadline-day transactions we’re hoping for, but some teams around the league are making roster moves, adding and subtracting players from their respective practice squads. We’ll track the latest updates below:

  • The Broncos have added receiver Douglas McNeil to their practice squad, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. An Arena League standout, the 26-year-old McNeil caught 66 balls for 858 yards and 18 touchdowns in 11 games for the Portland Thunder. He takes the practice squad spot of John Boyett, who was released last week following his arrest for assault.
  • The Colts announced receiver Chandler Jones was signed to their practice squad at the expense of running back Jeff Demps. This will be Jones’ second stint with the Colts this season, while Demps’ stay with the team lasted just a week. Jones is an undrafted free agent out of San Jose State, where he is the school’s all-time leading receiver.
  • The Giants have cut linebacker Carlos Fields from their practice squad, according to NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter).
  • Running back Ben Malena has replaced cornerback Kendall James on the Texans‘ practice squad, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
  • The Rams have signed offensive tackle Steven Baker to their taxi squad, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The club had plenty of space to add Baker without cutting a player, but released quarterback Garrett Gilbert from the practice squad nonetheless, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • Wideout Tavarres King has signed to the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, says Caplan (via Twitter). The team doesn’t have any openings on its PS, but after today’s trades, there are two spots available on the active roster, so I imagine at least one player is in line for a promotion.

Earlier updates:

  • The Dolphins performed a bit of an overhaul on their practice squad today, adding tight end Evan Wilson, tight end Gerell Robinson, and cornerback Rashaan Melvin to replace quarterback Seth Lobato, tight end Jake Murphy, and defensive back Rod Sweeting, per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter links).
  • With backup running back Stepfan Taylor expected to be sidelined for the near future, the Cardinals have added some backfield insurance via their practice squad, signing running back Zach Bauman, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Cornerback Anthony Gaitor has been waived to make room for the new addition.
  • Wide receiver Jace Davis, who was with the Ravens during training camp and the preseason, has re-signed with the team’s practice squad, according to a press release. Davis takes the 10th and final spot, which had been vacated after tight end Phillip Supernaw was promoted to the active roster on the weekend.

Workout Notes: Tuesday Night

October 14th, 2014 at 9:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Luke Adams rounded up the latest auditions earlier today and we’ll keep track of the newest ones right here..

Minor Moves: Thursday

August 14th, 2014 at 6:24pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll use this post to round up Thursday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, adding the latest moves to the top of the page throughout the day as they’re reported or announced….

  • The Steelers have signed long snapper Luke Ingram, the team announced (Twitter link via Scott Brown of ESPN.com). Ingram was a 2013 undrafted free agent out of Hawaii, and spent time in Pittsburgh’s camp last summer.

Earlier updates:

  • The Cowboys have officially added tight end Asa Watson, and in order to clear a roster spot, waived tight end Dallas Walker, whom Dallas added just under a month ago, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.
  • The following players were released from their respective teams’ injured reserve lists with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter links): running back Ben Malena (Cowboys), defensive end Shelton Johnson (Raiders), and linebacker Marshall McFadden (Raiders).
  • Raiders cornerback Jansen Watson is back on Oakland’s 90-man roster, as his exempt-left squad designation period expired, tweets Wilson.
  • The Browns have filled an open roster spot, announcing today that they’ve signed linebacker Caleb McSurdy (Twitter link). A former seventh-round pick, McSurdy has yet to appear in a regular season game since being selected by the Cowboys 222nd overall in 2012.
  • The Patriots‘ tight end carousel continues, with the team announcing in a press release that Ben Hartsock has been released. Hartsock was one of three tight ends signed by New England on Sunday, and of the three, only Steve Maneri remains on the roster.
  • Free agent tight end Matt Veldman has signed with the Redskins, according to the team (Twitter link). Defensive end Doug Worthington is the roster casualty, having been waived to clear a spot for the newcomer.
  • The Cowboys have signed defensive tackle Zach Minter and cut cornerback Korey Lindsey, per Wilson (via Twitter). Wilson adds that the team is still expected to sign tight end Asa Watson, as we heard yesterday, though a corresponding roster move will be required.

Minor Moves: Monday

August 11th, 2014 at 9:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • In addition to releasing Andre Brown, the Texans have also cut running backs Dennis Johnson (via tweet from ESPN’s Tania Ganguli) and Tim Cornett (via tweet from Fox Houston’s Mark Berman).
  • The Texans have added a running back, as ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that the team has added William Powell on a two-year deal.
  • Former Redskins cornerback Peyton Thompson has cleared waivers and is now a free agent, tweets Zac Boyer of The Washington Times.

Earlier updates:

  • According to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), tight end Richard Quinn has been placed on the Saints‘ reserve-retired list, so it appears the former second-round pick has elected to end his playing career.
  • Wide receiver Quintin Payton was cut by the Lions today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The move clears a spot for new wideout Conner Vernon, who Detroit claimed off waivers from the Bengals, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
  • The Chiefs have signed safety Jonathon Amaya, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Per a series of tweets from Wilson and ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson, the following players have cleared waivers and been placed on their respective teams’ IR lists: Ben Malena (Cowboys), Daniel Adongo (Colts), Jeris Pendleton (Colts), Dezman Moses (Chiefs), Alvin Scioneaux (Chargers), Mike Taylor (Seahawks), and Chuck Jacobs (49ers).
  • Less than a week after signing him, the Browns have waived tight end Kyle Auffray, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
  • Tight end Brad Smelley, who was on the Rams‘ roster briefly at the end of last season, has been re-signed to take the place of Mason Brodine, who sustained a fractured ankle (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner).
  • As the Dolphins explore the free agent market for quarterbacks, they parted ways with one of their undrafted rookies, former North Dakota State signal-caller Brock Jensen (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). With the open roster spot, the club re-added running back Cameron Marshall.
  • The Colts have signed defensive end Gannon Conway, cutting offensive lineman Eric Pike to make room on the roster, tweets assistant director of communications Matt Conti.
  • Running back Jawan Jamison has been waived by the Steelers, according to the team’s PR man Burt Lauten (on Twitter).
  • With the empty 90th spot on the roster, the Cowboys will sign Australian punter Tom Hornsey, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Incumbent punter Chris Jones ranked in the league’s top ten last season according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and has had a solid camp, so Hornsey seems unlikely to make the team.

Minor Moves: Saturday

August 9th, 2014 at 9:00pm CST by Matt Feminis

You can find Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL below, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening….

  • The Falcons have signed linebacker Darin Drakeford, according to the team’s official Twitter account. The team waived kicker Sergio Castillo to make room for the signing.
  • The Cowboys will place running back Ben Malena on the waived/injured list, reports Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The team then signed running back D.J. Adams, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The Cowboys also released punter Cody Mandell and will look to sign a kicker to replace him, reports Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
  • The Redskins have signed safety Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Smith is the younger brother of former fullback Terrelle Smith and is cousins with both the Cardinals’ corner Antonio Cromartie and Giants’ corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The team waived cornerback Peyton Thompson to make room for Smith, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter).
  • The Bengals have announced that they have signed quarterback Tyler Wilson, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Wilson was recently waived by the Titans, reports Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter).

Earlier Updates:

  • The Chargers announced they have signed linebacker Victor Aiyewa to replace Alvin Scioneaux, who suffered a torn ACL. Aiyewa, 25, saw limited action in five games for the Packers last season. Scioneaux, an undrafted free agent from Wofford, will be placed on IR if he clears waivers.
  • The 49ers have waived injured receiver Chuck Jacobs (ACL), and signed receiver Lance Lewis (Twitter link). Lewis went undrafted out of East Carolina in 2012. He appeared in three games for the Redskins last year, and was released by the Cowboys in May.
  • The Chiefs waived Dezman Moses, a third-year linebacker, and replaced him with linebacker Devan Walker, a Southeast Louisiana product who was waived with an injury settlement by the Chargers before last season (Twitter link).

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

Monday Roundup: Finley, Young, Big Ben

July 14th, 2014 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Free agent tight end Jermichael Finley, who has been medically cleared to play by his own doctor, said he will undergo another series of medical tests on Wednesday and will send the results of those tests to all 32 clubs in an effort to convince them that he is fully healthy, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Finley has stated that he would like to return to the Packers, and that he certainly wants to continue playing rather than collect the $10MM insurance policy he would receive if he retired from the game.

However, he has also demonstrated that he will be patient as he waits for the right deal. The Steelers‘ team neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph Maroon, performed Finley’s vertebrae fusion in November and declared him fit to play a few months later. Pittsburgh subsequently made several contract offers, according to Finley, but none of those offers were financially appealing enough for him. Pelissero believes that Finley ultimately will re-sign with Green Bay (Twitter link).

Now for some links from around the league to wind up this Monday evening:

  • In an increasingly sad and troubling narrative, former Lions receiver Titus Young was arrested in Los Angeles on July 9 for battery with serious bodily injury–a felony–and associated charges, writes David Leon Moore of The Detroit Free Press. The arrest took place one day before Young was to appear for a pre-trial conference in Newport Beach, California, where he faces 11 charges, four of which are felonies.
  • Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News writes that, on the heels of his strong finish to the 2013 campaign, Cowboys linebacker Kyle Wilber should find himself in a starting role and could be on the verge of a breakout season.
  • In a video clip, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News looks at a few under-the-radar players on the Cowboys roster to keep an eye on, including undrafted finds Ben Malena and L’Damian Washington.
  • Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes that the Seahawks‘ backup quarterback competition is wide open, and Terrelle Pryor and Tarvaris Jackson will each get an extended opportunity to prove themselves in the preseason. However, both players could end up making the club, as Seattle carried three quarterbacks on its roster for a few weeks last season.
  • Time is running out for the Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to reach an agreement on a contract extension, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Roethlisberger has two years left on his current deal, but Florio believes he is underpaid by current standards. However, no progress has been reported on a possible extension–though that does not mean that progress has not been made–and the Steelers do not negotiate new contracts once the regular season begins.
  • Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson has limited leverage in trying to force a trade, as Adam Schefter, Louis Riddick, and Mark Brunell of ESPN explain (video link).
  • Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com. Scherff, a 280-pound quarterback in high school, has blossomed into a strong 6’4″, 320-pound force with Ndamukong Suh-type strength.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Cowboys Notes: QBs, Malena, Crawford

May 27th, 2014 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

With Kyle Orton seemingly leaning toward retirement, the Cowboys’ depth chart at quarterback could be awfully thin this season behind Tony Romo. Brandon Weeden would likely to slide into the No. 2 role, with Caleb Hanie in the mix as well. The Cowboys could have provided themselves with another insurance policy for a Romo injury and/or Orton retirement if they’d elected to select a quarterback a signal-caller in the draft, but as Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes, the team’s draft philosophy precluded that possibility at this point. Whereas a team like the Patriots has drafted quarterbacks as potential long-term replacements for Tom Brady, Dallas has been less inclined in recent years to draft a QB only to develop that player for another team.

Here’s more on the Cowboys:

  • Texas A&M running back Ben Malena received offers from more than 10 NFL teams after going undrafted, including the Texans, Bengals, Redskins, Broncos, and Raiders, but ultimately chose to sign with the Cowboys, as he explains to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I looked over their current situation,” Malena said. “They had high interest in me. I feel like I can really make this team. I feel like I can really be a contributing factor to help this team win championships.”
  • In a photo gallery for the Dallas Morning News, Machota examines 10 questions the Cowboys need to answer as OTAs get underway.
  • Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at why many observers – and teammates – believe defensive end Tyrone Crawford could be the Cowboys’ breakout player in 2014.
  • In a piece for Sports on Earth, Mike Tanier explains his “Hope Index,” which evaluates the optimism a team’s fanbase should feel based on its recent success and how sustainable that success looks going forward. The Cowboys didn’t make out so well in Tanier’s calculations, ranking 26th, just one spot ahead of the Jaguars.

Cowboys Sign 24 Undrafted Free Agents

May 13th, 2014 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

No NFL team has been more active in undrafted free agency so far than the Cowboys, who announced that they’ve added two dozen new players to the roster following the draft. Courtesy of Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com, here’s the complete list of Dallas’ rookie free agent signings:

  • Josh Aladenoye, OT, Illinois State ($5K bonus, per Todd Archer)
  • Chris Boyd, WR, Vanderbilt ($3.5K bonus)
  • Brian Clarke, G, Bloomsburg ($1.5K bonus)
  • Davon Coleman, DT, Arizona State ($1.5K bonus)
  • J.C. Copeland, FB, LSU ($2K bonus)
  • Andre Cureton, G, Cincinnati ($3K bonus)
  • Casey Kreiter, LS, Iowa ($1.5K bonus)
  • Ben Malena, RB, Texas A&M ($2K bonus)
  • Cody Mandell, P, Alabama ($2K bonus)
  • Glasco Martin, RB, Baylor
  • Jordan Najvar, TE, Baylor ($1.5K bonus)
  • Ronald Patrick, G, South Carolina ($1.5K bonus)
  • Dashaun Phillips, CB, Tarleton State ($7.5K bonus)
  • Jarrod Pughsley, G, Akron ($5K bonus)
  • Marvin Robinson, S, Ferris State ($2K bonus)
  • Dontavis Sapp, LB, Tennessee ($1K bonus)
  • Jocquel Skinner, CB, Bethel ($1.5K bonus)
  • Keith Smith, S, San Jose State ($2K bonus)
  • Ryan Smith, S, Auburn ($1.5K bonus)
  • Dustin Vaughan, QB, West Texas A&M ($5K bonus)
  • L’Damian Washington, WR, Missouri ($7K bonus)
  • Chris Whaley, DT, Texas ($5K bonus)
  • Joe Windsor, Northern Illinois ($1.5K bonus)
  • Evan Wilson, Illinois State ($2.5K bonus)