Craig Mager

NFL Workout Updates: 12/19/18

Today’s practice squad updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):

Arizona Cardinals

  • WR Bryant Mitchell; T Ryker Mathews; LBs Tobi Antigha, Sam Eguavoen, Pete Robertson, Alex Singleton, Jameer Thurman; K Ty Long

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

  • G Avery Gennesy

Cleveland Browns

  • RB Jarvion Franklin; TE Kevin Rader; G Ian Park; DT Lance McDowell; S Jack Tocho

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

  • LB Jameer Thurman; DEs Tobi Antigha, Kwaku Boateng; S Chris Edwards

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • G Chris Schleuger; T Dakoda Shepley; DB Tevaughn Campbell; Ks Jon Brown, Trevor Moore; Ps Hayden Hunt, Ryan Winslow; LS Zach Triner

Washington Redskins

Broncos Place CB Chris Harris On IR

Chris Harris won’t return for the Broncos this season. The Broncos will place Harris on injured reserve and sign fellow cornerback Craig Mager to replace him, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post (on Twitter). 

Harris, 29, suffered a fractured fibula on Dec. 2, but the team wanted to keep its options open in case he would be needed for the playoffs. At 6-8, the Broncos have been mathematically eliminated from contention, so there’s little reason to put Harris in harm’s way.

The Broncos have every reason to believe that Harris will be ready to go for offseason activities in the spring. He’s somewhat close to full health already and he managed to bounce back from a torn ACL in record time earlier in his career. The cornerback tore his ACL against the Chargers in a 2013 divisional playoff game, but managed to play in the 2014 season opener.

The Broncos wrap up their season with games against the Raiders and Chargers.

AFC Notes: Gordon, Melvin, Marshall, Bosa

Josh Gordon has run afoul with a new team. The Patriots plan to discipline the oft-embattled wide receiver during tonight’s Bills game, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter), with tardiness at the root of the trade acquisition’s latest issue. New England will play without Gordon for a period of time tonight, around a quarter or “several series,” per Rapoport. Gordon showed up late to the Patriots’ facility on Sunday before the team left for Buffalo, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets. After Gordon rides the bench to start the game, Rapoport adds he’ll return to his normal workload tonight. This benching is part of the team’s effort to manage and work with the 27-year-old wideout, one who had rampant trouble in Cleveland on this and other off-field fronts. If Gordon was on a low-tolerance policy with the Patriots, this doesn’t help his cause.

Here’s the latest from the AFC on trade deadline eve:

  • Bruce Irvin and Karl Joseph are believed to be on the trade block during the Raiders‘ rebuild, and, perhaps unsurprisingly based on the way his season’s gone, so is cornerback Rashaan Melvin. The recently signed corner was a healthy scratch against the Colts on Sunday, and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (video link) Melvin is available for a trade. Melvin signed a one-year, $5.5MM deal but drew Jon Gruden‘s public scrutiny after complaining about his role on the Raiders and the coaching staff’s style earlier this season. Melvin, 29, was a well-regarded Colts starter at this point last season and almost certainly will not be part of the 2019 Raiders.
  • Broncos plans to trade Brandon Marshall, if that was ever the case, look to have hit a snag. The longtime Denver starting linebacker now has a bone bruise in one of his knees and will likely miss time because of it, Denver7’s Troy Renck tweets. Marshall, whose contract makes him far from a lock he’ll be on next year’s Broncos, surfaced in trade rumors over the weekend. One of the handful of Denver starting defenders left over from Super Bowl 50, Marshall has been a full-time starter since 2014. He signed an extension in 2016, but that deal includes a $9MM cap number next year. Rookie Josey Jewell has played well in part-time duty as well, and the Broncos could get an early look at the fifth-round pick as a starter if Marshall is forced to miss time.
  • Joey Bosa could make his season debut on Sunday. At least, the Chargers haven’t ruled it out. Anthony Lynn said it was possible Bosa plays in Week 9, per Eric Williams of ESPN.com. Lynn said Bosa was getting closer. He’s missed seven Bolts games this season because of a bruised left foot, an injury he aggravated before Week 1. Lynn added he’s not ruling Melvin Gordon out, either.
  • The Texans followed through with their scheduled Brice Butler workout on Monday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. In addition, Houston auditioned quarterback Brogan Roback, cornerback Craig Mager and wide receivers Amba Etta-Tawo and Steven Mitchell.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/18

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/15/18

Here are Saturday’s minor moves.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/5/17

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: CB Tony McRae, C Matt Skura

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: LB Eric Lee
  • Released: S B.T. Sanders, CB Marcus Sayles

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: FB Alex Armah

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

  • Signed: LB LaTroy Lewis

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed: CB Raysean Pringle

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: TE Johnny Mundt, CB Kevin Peterson
  • Released: OL Michael Dunn, DL Louis Trinca-Pasat

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: CB Kenneth Durden

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/31/16

Here are the minor moves NFL teams made on New Year’s Eve.

  • Another Saints cornerback will head to IR, with the team placing Ken Crawley on the season-ending list, Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets. Crawley will join Delvin Breaux, P.J. Williams, Damian Swann and Kyle Wilson as IR-stationed corners in New Orleans. The team promoted cornerback Taveze Calhoun, a rookie UDFA, from its practice squad to fill the roster spot. Crawley started in five games for the Saints this season.
  • The Bears promoted Josh Shirley from their practice squad, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports (on Twitter). Chicago will be without Leonard Floyd and Pernell McPhee in its Week 17 game against Minnesota. Shirley resided on the workout circuit for much of this season before catching on with the Bears’ practice squad earlier this month. The 24-year-old UDFA edge defender played in five games for the Buccaneers last year.
  • The Vikings promoted wide receiver Isaac Fruechte from their practice squad, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Minnesota moved safety Andrew Sendejo to IR (Twitter link, via Tomasson) to make room for the UDFA second-year man. Both Stefon Diggs and Laquon Treadwell are doubtful for the Vikes’ season finale, creating the need for some pass-catching depth. A knee issue will end Sendejo’s season prematurely. He finished his seventh NFL campaign with 66 tackles and a career-high two interceptions.
  • It appears the Chargers are going to finish with an even 20 players on IR this season after the team placed cornerback Craig Mager on the season-ending list, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter). Inside linebacker Carlos Fields received a promotion from the practice squad as a result.

Chargers Sign Four Draft Picks

With just five picks this year, the Chargers had one of 2015’s smallest draft classes, and the team nearly locked up all its draftees in one fell swoop today. According to the club’s official website, the Chargers have signed four rookies, including second-round linebacker Denzel Perryman.

In addition to inking Perryman to his rookie contract, the team also made things official with third-round cornerback Craig Mager, fifth-round outside linebacker Kyle Emanuel, and sixth-round defensive lineman Darius Philon. First-round running back Melvin Gordon, this year’s 15th overall selection, is the only San Diego draftee who has yet to put pen to paper.

As Over The Cap’s data shows, the cap numbers for the Chargers’ four signed picks will range from about $465K to $870K. Of the four players, Perryman will pull in the largest signing bonus, at about $1.734MM. Mager’s bonus will be worth approximately $662K, while Emanuel’s will come in at about $219K, and Philon will get about $121K.

For a complete breakdown of which draft picks have and haven’t signed their rookie contracts, be sure to check out our tracker.