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Connor Wujciak

Panthers’ Roster Down To 77

September 1st, 2017 at 5:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Panthers made a series of moves on Friday to bring their roster to 77 players, still 24 above the 53-man limit (courtesy of Bryan Strickland of the team’s website):

Waived:

  • C Brian Folkerts
  • CB Devonte Johnson
  • DT Gabriel Mass
  • DE Arthur Miley
  • DE Efe Obada
  • TE Bryce Williams
  • DT Connor Wujciak
  • CB Zack Sanchez (waived/injured)

Released outright (vested veterans who are not subject to waivers):

Placed on IR:

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/17

August 12th, 2017 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • Ryan Tannehill‘s season is officially over. The Dolphins placed the quarterback on IR and signed linebacker Junior Sylvestre. Tannehill, who will have knee surgery next week, is expected to be ready for the 2018 season. Sylvestre spent time with the Ryan Grigson-era Colts for two years but was cut after Indianapolis’ 2016 training camp. He signed with the Bills earlier this year but was cut after a month.
  • The Panthers signed defensive lineman Connor Wujciak, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Wujciak was an Eagles UDFA signing on in 2016, but an injury wiped out his would-be rookie season. The Chiefs worked out Wujciak last week. Panthers defensive tackle Vernon Butler will miss some time, Ron Rivera revealed Friday — via David Newton of ESPN.com — opening the door for an extra defensive line opportunity. Rivera said Butler’s target date for a return is Week 1. The Panthers waived defensive tackle Drew Iddings with an injury designation to open a roster spot, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer reports (on Twitter).
  • Carolina also brought back offensive lineman Brian Folkerts, Person reports. The Panthers made room by cutting offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson, who had spent time with them since last season (Twitter links). A three-year backup blocker who played in 16 games for the 2014 Panthers, Folkerts last played for the 2015 Rams. Los Angeles cut him when paring its roster down to 75 players last summer.
  • Cornerback Jumal Rolle signed with the Bills and will replace Charles James, whom the team released, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW reports (on Twitter). Both players have at least two years’ experience and both previously played for the Texans. The 27-year-old Rolle was a Houston UDFA in 2014 and has played in 18 games. Rolle also intercepted three passes as a rookie before becoming mostly a special teams player in the time since. James played in 21 games with Houston between the 2015-16 seasons; Buffalo claimed him on waivers in May.
  • The Broncos relocated defensive lineman Billy Winn to IR after his ACL tear diagnosis emerged Friday. They signed linebacker Nelson Adams, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.
  • Linebacker Reshard Cliett negotiated an injury settlement with the Chiefs, becoming a free agent after being removed from Kansas City’s IR list, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter).
  • The Giants waived linebacker Jimmy Herman, whom they signed Friday. James Kratch of NJ.com tweets Herman was given a “left squad” designation.
  • The Saints and linebacker Sae Tautu agreed on an injury settlement to trigger Tautu’s release from New Orleans’ IR, Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com tweets.
  • Rookie wide receiver Keevan Lucas signed a three-year contract with the Eagles, the team announced. Philadelphia waived linebacker Steven Daniels to make room. A Tulsa product, Lucas declared early but was not signed by a team after the draft.
  • Washington signed wide receiver Jamari Staples and waived/injured left tackle Kevin Bowen, per John Keim of ESPN.com. The Chiefs waived Staples in June after initially signing him in May. The Redskins also placed Trent Murphy on IR. Murphy tore his ACL in Washington’s preseason opener Thursday night.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Fins, Glenn, Raiders

August 6th, 2017 at 8:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

It’s not exactly a secret the Broncos are hoping their 2016 first-round pick takes the quarterback reins by Week 1, but Paxton Lynch has yet to offer much evidence he’s ready to do that. The obvious caveat of the Broncos being yet to begin their preseason slate applies, but Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com notes Trevor Siemian is in control of this job by default. Broncos staffers aren’t sensing a different vibe from this competition compared to last season, Robinson reports, adding current Broncos personnel view Siemian in front of this race due to Lynch’s inconsistency.

While the Broncos would still hold out hope for Lynch to seize this job at some point in the season, he has lost “every single practice” to the less heralded Siemian, Robinson writes. Siemian’s backstory as a seventh-round pick holding off a player of Lynch’s pedigree for a second season would be interesting for a Broncos team expected to again rely on its defense, but as of now the ex-Northwestern part-time quarterback has a legitimate chance to keep the job.

Here’s the latest out of the AFC:

  • Two anonymous agents told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald any possible Dolphins overtures to coax Ryan Tannehill into a pay cut are likely to be met with a rejection on agent Pat Dye’s part. Only $5.25MM in injury guarantees remain on Tannehill’s deal, which runs through 2020. Tannehill’s 2018 salary ($17.5MM) becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the next league year. And although there may be higher-end quarterbacks available in 2018 compared to the past several years, they would likely cost more per year than Tannehill’s deal requires, Jackson writes.
  • The Raiders return their entire starting secondary from last season, but they are not using Sean Smith as a first-unit player presently. Smith worked as a reserve corner on Sunday while the team shuttled rookie UDFA Breon Borders into the fray. Jack Del Rio confirmed this was a performance-based promotion for Borders, via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). David Amerson and T.J. Carrie worked as the starting corners, with Borders at nickel, per Scott Bair of CSN Bay Area (via Twitter). The 6-foot-3 Smith has been used as a boundary corner for years, and Carrie patrolled the slot for the Raiders after D.J. Hayden went down last season. This marked the third day Carrie played ahead of Smith, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com notes. Smith’s $9.25MM salary is guaranteed for 2017, while no guaranteed money remains on the 30-year-old defender’s four-year deal after this season. Gareon Conley has yet to factor into this equation.
  • Cordy Glenn returned to Bills practice Sunday after a bout of ongoing foot trouble, and the sixth-year left tackle said he would “hopefully” be ready to go by Week 1, via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Ankle and foot injuries have dogged Glenn since last season. He recently received a second opinion from a specialist in Charlotte.
  • The Chiefs worked out defensive lineman Connor Wujciak on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Originally a UDFA with the Eagles in 2016, Wujciak missed all of his would-be rookie season with a shoulder injury. The Eagles waived him in February.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/8/17

February 8th, 2017 at 6:08pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wednesday’s minor moves:

  • The Giants have waived linebacker Uani Unga, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Unga, who missed all of last season with an undisclosed injury, racked up 59 tackles and two interceptions in a 13-appearance, three-start 2015 campaign.
  • The Jets have signed free agent offensive tackle Jeff Adams, writes Randy Lange of the team’s website. The 27-year-old Adams has totaled four regular-season appearances and two starts, all of which came as a Texan from 2014-15. He finished last season on Houston’s practice squad.
  • The Bengals have claimed wide receiver Chris Brown off waivers from the Cowboys, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link). Brown, who went undrafted out of Notre Dame last year, broke his foot during training camp and spent the season on injured reserve.
  • The Eagles have waived defensive lineman Connor Wujciak, tweets Yates. Like Brown, Wujciak was on IR for all of 2016 after going undrafted during the spring. Wujciak underwent shoulder surgery in August.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Vick, Leary, McVay

August 5th, 2016 at 9:15am CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys guard Ronald Leary was looking for a trade earlier this offseason so that he could have an opportunity to start elsewhere. On Thursday, the veteran said that he still wants to be a starter, Drew Davison of the Star Telegram writes.

When asked if he feels he’s playing for 31 other teams right now, Leary said: “I’m playing football. Like I said, I’m just playing football. That’s all it is. “I know I’m a starter in this league, so I just approach it like I’m a starter. I make sure I’m ready for whatever comes my way. As far as all the trade talks and everything, that’s just going to happen.”

This week, we learned that the Saints have been pursuing Leary for some time, so it’s possible that Leary could get his wish. For now, however, the 27-year-old is buried behind starter La’el Collins.

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

  • So far, the Cowboys have not inquired on free agent quarterback Michael Vick, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. Vick, 36, has expressed his desire to play one final year and he says he wouldn’t extend his career past 2016. In other words, if no clubs come calling this year, he’ll retire.
  • For his part, Vick says that he hopes to hear from the Cowboys and would love the opportunity to serve as the No. 2 QB behind Tony Romo. “I just want to put the helmet on one more time and dedicate myself to football,” Vick told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Michael David Smith of PFT).
  • At the age of 30, Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay is on pace to become one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history, Andy Benoit of The MMQB writes. McVay also has the endorsement of quarterback Kirk Cousins. “I could be here a long time talking about Sean’s help in my development and his ability to call plays for our offense and lead our offense,” says Cousins. “In the 2015 offseason I was coming off a year when I had been benched halfway through and was going into the next year with the chance to really only compete as a backup. I was a little disappointed with that and Sean was a great encourager through that process, challenging me to stay the course. I think his belief in me and his support and his encouragement was what enabled me to eventually have the opportunities that I had.”
  • Eagles UDFA defensive end Connor Wujciak had shoulder surgery on Wednesday and is out for the season, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/16

August 4th, 2016 at 4:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Falcons released rookie linebacker Torrey Green, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Green, an undrafted free agent linebacker from Utah State, is under investigation after two women accused him of rape.
  • The 49ers have claimed defensive back Cleveland Wallace III off waivers from the Texans and waived linebacker Lenny Jones, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Houston cut Wallace on Wednesday.
  • The Bears announced that they have waived fullback/tight end Joe Sommers. They’ll also waive offensive lineman Adrian Bellard with an injury settlement, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Bellard suffered a sprained lateral collateral ligament in right knee plus a bone bruise. Defensive lineman Marquis Jackson will join Sommers and Bellard on waivers, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • The Giants waived cornerback Tramain Jacobs, as James Kratch of NJ.com tweets.
  • After just one day with the Jets, running back Terry Williams has been released, Darryl Slater of NJ.com tweets. The Jets have replaced Williams with fellow running back Matthew Tucker.
  • The Vikings announced the signing of running back Kevin Monangai, bringing their roster back to the 90-player max.
  • The Bears will sign linebacker Danny Mason, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Eagles have waived/injured defensive tackle Connor Wujciak, who is having surgery on his shoulder, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
  • The Browns have signed fullback Robert Hughes and running back Rajion Neal, as Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer tweets. To make room, they waived fullback Patrick Skov.
  • The Seahawks have cut long snapper Drew Ferris, tweets Wilson, and signed safety Keenan Lambert and running back Cameron Marshall (via Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk). Lambert is the half-brother of star Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor.

East Notes: Wilkerson, Eagles, Giants

June 12th, 2016 at 11:27am CST by Rory Parks

Last month, our Zach Links observed that Jets standout defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson could hurt his leverage for a long-term deal if he were to report to the club prior to July 15, the deadline for signing his franchise tag tender. However, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports that Wilkerson was spotted in the team’s locker room last week, and his appearances at One Jets Drive have not been infrequent. Of course, we learned yesterday that Wilkerson is not expected to draw a long-term offer from the Jets anytime soon, so it could be that the 2015 Pro Bowler simply does not see any harm in making use of the team facility and staying in touch with his teammates.

Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • The top of the Eagles‘ depth chart at defensive tackle looks pretty good, with Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan stabilizing the interior of the team’s D-line. But beyond that, Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com says the picture gets pretty murky, as players like Beau Allen and Taylor Hart appear better-suited to a 3-4 defensive front, and new acquisition Derrick Lott was unable to stick with Tampa Bay last season. As Zangaro observes, that means that at least one of the Eagles’ three undrafted free agent DTs–Aziz Shittu, Destiny Vaeao, and Connor Wujciak–have a real shot at cracking the club’s roster. Vaeao and Wujciak were very impressive in spring workouts, Zangaro notes.
  • Eagles rookie cornerback Jalen Mills fell to the seventh round of this year’s draft due to injury and maturity concerns, but thus far, he is making the case for significant regular season playing time. As Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com writes, Mills has impressed coaches and teammates alike with his excellent performance in offseason workouts, and there is a real chance he could wind up as the team’s primary nickel corner.
  • John Munson of NJ.com offers 10 takeaways from Giants OTAs as the team prepares for minicamp. For instance, he says that Andre Williams performed surprisingly well during OTAs after transforming his body in the offseason, but Munson believes the team will have major pass rush concerns despite the splashy addition of Olivier Vernon.
  • Earlier today, we learned that the Dolphins have contingency plans just in case Reshad Jones makes the surprising decision to hold out.

Eagles Agree To Terms With 16 UDFAs

May 5th, 2016 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles are the latest NFL team to announce their undrafted free agent class, tweeting out the names of 16 new additions to their roster today. Philadelphia’s list of rookie free agents includes four wide receivers, three defensive tackles, and a pair of running backs. Here’s the full breakdown: