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Brandon Hepburn

Extra Points: Giants, JPP, Raiders, McGloin

January 3rd, 2017 at 12:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Let’s go coast-to-coast for some news from around the NFL:

  • Despite a report that Jason Pierre-Paul could return for the divisional round and possibly even Wild Card weekend, the timeline has not changed for the Giants star, a source tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. That means JPP is still looking at a conference round return as his best-case scenario. The defensive end is still just one month removed from sports hernia/groin surgery.
  • The Raiders are going forward with the expectation that quarterback Connor Cook starts against the Texans, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Matt McGloin is not believed to be ready for this weekend’s playoff game. If McGloin cannot go, it sounds like Oakland will have quarterback Garrett Gilbert on the active roster as the backup.
  • The Raiders worked out seven players Monday including running back LaMichael James, but no quarterbacks (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com). defensive end Alex Bazzie, linebacker Brandon Hepburn, safety Dion Bailey, and cornerback Greg Ducre also auditioned, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.

Buccaneers Work Out Sealver Siliga, 10 Others

October 12th, 2016 at 6:55pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers have been busy during their bye week, as ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter) that the team worked out five players today: linebackers Quentin Gause and Brandon Hepburn, defensive tackle Sealver Siliga, defensive end Chris McCain, and wide receiver Da’Ron Brown. Howard Balzer (via Twitter) adds the names of six more players who auditioned for the Bucs: wide receivers Matt Hazel and Jamal Robinson, linebackers Jason Fanaika and Randell Johnson, tight end Clay Burton, and cornerback Robertson Daniel.

With starting defensive lineman Robert Ayers, Gerald McCoy, and Clinton McDonald missing this past weekend’s game, the Buccaneers are seeking some reinforcement up front. Siliga, 26, would automatically become one of the team’s most experienced lineman, as the former undrafted free agent has 26 career games under his belt. The defensive tackle played in 13 games for the Patriots in 2015 (four starts), compiling 28 tackles. Siliga briefly caught on with the Seahawks this past offseason, and he visited the Buccaneers back in September. McCain, another former undrafted free agent, appeared in 18 games for the Dolphins between 2014 and 2015, collecting seven tackles and two sacks.

The Buccaneers may be valuing depth when it comes to Hepburn and Gause, as the team only has four linebackers on the roster. Hepburn is the most experienced of the two, although the former Florida A&M standout hasn’t played an NFL game. Still, the 26-year-old has bounced between the Lions, Eagles and Cowboys over the past four years. Gause, a rookie linebacker out of Rutgers, previously spent time with the Eagles and Patriots.

The Buccaneers decision to audition Brown may be an indication that wideout Cecil Shorts won’t be ready for next week’s game. Brown, a seventh-round pick by the Chiefs in 2015, was released by the Patriots’ practice squad earlier this month.

Cowboys Trim Roster To 53

September 3rd, 2016 at 5:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys have made the following moves in order to cut their roster down to 53:

Cut:

Waived/Injured:

  • DE Mike McAdoo

Reserve/Suspended:

NFI:

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/8/16

June 8th, 2016 at 6:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Redskins parted ways with tight end Michael Cooper, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). Cooper made 19 career catches with the Hoosiers from 2012-15.
  • Following the Panthers‘ signing of Mike Scifres on Tuesday, the team cut punter Michael Palardy, Wilson tweets. A UDFA in 2014, Palardy spent time with the Raiders and Panthers in his career.
  • The Buccaneers waived rookie UDFA wideout Dez Stewart off their injury reserve with a likely injury settlement, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter).
  • The Cowboys announced that they have signed former Olympian (and hopeful defensive lineman) Lawrence Okoye. In addition to the former discus athlete, Dallas signed linebacker Brandon Hepburn and tackle Bryan Witzmann, Wilson tweets. To make room, defensive end Caleb Azubike, linebacker Jerrell Harris and tackle Justin Renfrow were waived, Wilson tweets. A former Lions seventh-round pick in 2013, Hepburn has not seen action in a game but spent time with the Lions and Eagles in the past three years. He resided on Philadelphia’s IR in 2015. Okoye represented Great Britain in the 2012 London Summer Games, advancing to the event’s final round and finishing 12th.
  • The Steelers cut pass-rusher Kevin Anderson and signed linebacker Mike Reilly, Wilson tweets. Originally a UDFA with the Browns in 2015, Reilly didn’t make the roster out of training camp and signed a subsequent reserve/futures deal with the Cardinals at this year’s outset. However, the Cards released him in May after signing its new crop of UDFAs.

Cowboys To Meet With Brandon Boykin

June 7th, 2016 at 6:56pm CST by Zachary Links

6:56pm: In addition to Boykin, the Cowboys also worked out defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye, defensive backs Dax Swanson and Isaiah Frey, offensive tackles Cameron Bradfield and Bryan Witzmann, linebacker Brandon Hepburn, and tight end Nate Askew, according to Archer.

3:29pm: The Cowboys will meet with free agent cornerback Brandon Boykin, according to sources who spoke with Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Boykin was signed by the Panthers in March but he has been a free agent since being released last month.Brandon Boykin (vertical)

[RELATED: Cowboys Not Interested In Dwight Freeney]

Despite not seeing significant playing time in Pittsburgh, Boykin ranked as a top-40 cornerback in 2015 (out of 111 qualified players), per Pro Football Focus. The diminutive corner has always shown flashes of upside, particularly in his six-interception 2013 campaign, but has never really gotten the opportunity to be a full-time player with just seven career starts. Now, he’ll look to join the Cowboys as a low-cost slot cornerback with upside.

While Boykin didn’t earn a spot on PFR’s top 50 free agent list, we placed him sixth among free agent cornerbacks when we broke down 2016’s top defensive free agents, placing him ahead of veterans like Leon Hall and Patrick Robinson due to his relative youth and upside. Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranked Boykin as the fifth-best free agent still left on the board, ahead of names like Mike Neal, Chris Culliver, and Antrel Rolle.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/3/16

May 3rd, 2016 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Vikings officially announced the signing of sixth-round pick Moritz Boehringer last night to a four-year pact worth about $2.49MM, including a $150K signing bonus. Boehringer, the NFL’s first player to ever be drafted directly from Europe, has become the first player from the 2016 class to sign.

The Vikings signed Boehringer quickly because he needs to apply for a P-1 visa — in order to be approved, an applicant must show proof that he is gainfully employed in the United States, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. After putting pen to paper, the German wide receiver now has himself a job in the U.S.

Here are the rest of the latest minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Chiefs released veteran safety Jimmy Wilson, as ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher writes. Wilson, 29, appeared in 13 games with San Diego last season before the team released him in December. Roughly one month ago, he hooked on with KC, but that stint was short lived. Since entering the league as a seventh-rounder in 2011, Wilson has played in 73 regular-season games, logged 28 starts, and amassed five interceptions.
  • The Eagles continue to cut players to create room for additional undrafted free agents, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve cut fullback Ryan Mueller, linebacker Brandon Hepburn, and running back Ross Scheuerman.
  • The Colts have waived Nigerian-born outside linebacker Eze Obiora, according to a press release from the team. Obiora, who signed a contract with the club following the 2015 season, has yet to make his NFL debut.
  • The Ravens formally announced a pair of minor roster moves today, tweeting that they’ve waived guard Leon Brown and withdrawn their ERFA tender to tight end Konrad Reuland. That makes Reuland an unrestricted free agent, free to join any team.
  • The Chiefs have waived linebacker Cameron Gordon, who was initially signed to a reserve/futures contract in January, tweets agent Brent Tessler.
  • The Saints brought back long snapper Chris Highland, as Wilson tweets.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/4/16

January 4th, 2016 at 7:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the 2015 regular season is in the books, teams can begin signing players to reserve/futures contracts, adding those players to their 90-man offseason rosters. Generally, these players finished the season on a team’s practice squad, though some were free agents at season’s end.

Here are today’s reserve/futures deals:

Atlanta Falcons signed four players (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)

Baltimore Ravens signed seven players (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun):

  • Brennen Beyer, LB
  • Leon Brown, G
  • Nordly Capi, DE
  • Blaine Clausell, T
  • Chuck Jacobs, WR
  • Nick Perry, S
  • Harold Spears, TE

Buffalo Bills signed seven players (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)

Chicago Bears signed nine players (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune):

Cleveland Browns signed six players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Dallas Cowboys signed eight players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Denver Broncos signed four players (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9NEWS)

Detroit Lions signed five players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Jacksonville Jaguars signed nine players (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union):

Miami Dolphins signed one player (link)

  • Tyler Davis, WR

New Orleans Saints signed five players (link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune):

New York Giants signed six players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Philadelphia Eagles signed seven players (Twitter link via team):

San Diego Chargers signed six players (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)

Seattle Seahawks signed three players (Twitter link via Wilson)

  • Andrew East, LS
  • Ronnie Shields, TE
  • Phillip Sims, QB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed nine players (link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times):

  • Josh Allen, G
  • Andre Davis, WR
  • Antoine Everett, G
  • Ben Gottschalk, C
  • Gerod Holliman, S
  • Martin Ifedi, DE
  • Derrick Lott, DT
  • C.J. Roberts, CB
  • Joel Ross, CB

Tennessee Titans signed five players (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com):

  • David Fluellen, RB
  • Kevin Greene, TE
  • Nick Harwell, WR
  • Josue Matias, G
  • Will Poehls, T

Washington signs three players (link via team):

Practice Squad Updates: 11/30/15

November 30th, 2015 at 6:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: C Cornelius Edison (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)

Cincinnati Bengals

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: OL Daniel Munyer (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Washington

Workout Notes: Seahawks, Colts, Bears

November 17th, 2015 at 7:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Kendall Hunter tour continues. On Tuesday, the Seahawks tried out the running back, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Hunter, who has seen his NFL career derailed by injuries in recent years, was removed from Sam Francisco’s injured reserve list in September with a settlement, making him a free agent. Last week, he tried out for the Jaguars, but that audition did not immediately lead to a deal.

Here’s a roundup of Tuesday’s notable workouts from around the NFL:

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/15

August 21st, 2015 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Friday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Eagles have waived/injured safety Earl Wolff, who has been bothered by knee injuries since 2013, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, started six games for Philadelphia in his rookie year, but has been plagued by injuries since that season. He confirmed today (via Twitter) that he underwent surgery on his troublesome right knee.
  • Rookie receiver Isiah Ferguson suffered a torn ACL and torn meniscus, and will be sidelined for the year, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports (via Twitter) that the Rams have waived/injured the young wideout.
  • The Colts announced today that they’ve made a change at the back of their roster, waiving wide receiver L.T. Smith and replacing him with free agent guard Harland Gunn. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle adds (via Twitter) that the team also reached an injury settlement with linebacker Cody Galea, removing him from the roster.
  • As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets, UDFA wideout Jarred Haggins announced today that he has been cut by the Lions. Neither this transaction nor the reported release of safety Taylor Mays showed up on today’s transactions log, so the team will probably officially confirm the moves tomorrow.
  • After working him out earlier today, the Cowboys have signed free agent defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, waiving offensive lineman Cody Clay with an injury designation to clear roster space, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
  • According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), the Eagles have waived linebacker Brandon Hepburn off their injured reserve list with an injury settlement, while the Saints have removed wide receiver Andy Tanner from their IR.
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