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David Cobb

PUP, NFI Players Soon Eligible To Practice

October 19th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the Giants and Eagles, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many clubs could be welcoming injured players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to the practice field.

Of course, just because those players are able to return to practice doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player currently on the PUP list could return to the field for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest.

The rules for NFI players are similar to those for PUP players. If a player on either reserve list doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, his 2015 season will officially be over.

Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list who can begin practicing as soon as this Tuesday:

And here are the players currently on their teams’ non-football injury or illness lists, who are also eligible to begin practicing this Tuesday:

  • Arizona Cardinals: WR Damond Powell
  • Buffalo Bills: CB Leodis McKelvin
  • Cincinnati Bengals: T Cedric Ogbuehi
  • Cleveland Browns: DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, TE Randall Telfer, RB Glenn Winston
  • Dallas Cowboys: LB Mark Nzeocha
  • Houston Texans: T David Quessenberry
  • Kansas City Chiefs: QB Tyler Bray
  • San Francisco 49ers: WR DeAndre Smelter
  • Seattle Seahawks: DT Jesse Williams

In addition to monitoring players on the PUP and NFI lists, it’s worth keeping an eye on players who have been placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this IR-DTR spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.

That means that a player who was placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing on Tuesday, though he won’t be eligible to return to game action until Week 9. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after Week 1 will have to wait until next Tuesday – October 27 – to return to practice, while other IR-DTR players will have to wait until November to practice.

Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as Tuesday:

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/15

September 7th, 2015 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves that affect teams’ 53-man rosters:

  • The Bills have filled the final opening on their 53-man roster by signing defensive tackle Andre Fluellen, the team announced today in a press release. Fluellen, who has been a part-time contributor for the Lions for most of his NFL career, was cut by Buffalo on Friday, so his time away from the team didn’t last long.

Earlier updates:

  • A day after cutting him, the Titans have re-signed tight end Chase Coffman, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online (Twitter link). It appears Coffman’s release was procedural, so he’s back on the team now that Tennessee has officially placed running back David Cobb on the IR with the designation to return.
  • Washington has also added a tight end to its active roster, signing Anthony McCoy and waiving cornerback Deshazor Everett in a corresponding move, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times.
  • The Texans have removed safety Terrance Parks from their injured reserve list, giving him an injury settlement, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Titans Acquire Terrance West; Cobb To IR-DTR

September 6th, 2015 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

3:31pm: The Titans sent a conditional 2016 seventh-rounder to the Browns in the swap, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

3:24pm: After claiming a pair of players off waivers earlier today, the Titans have added another outside player to their roster, sending a conditional 2016 draft pick to the Browns in exchange for running back Terrance West (Twitter links via Jim Wyatt of Titans Online). In a corresponding move, the club has placed David Cobb on IR with the designation to return.

West, 24, was the Browns’ leading rusher in his rookie season last year, accumulating 673 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, on 171 carries. He joined Cleveland before the season as a third-round pick out of Northwestern.

By acquiring West, the Titans will bolster a backfield that includes another 2014 draftee, Bishop Sankey, as the presumed starter. West had slipped down the depth chart in Cleveland, where the Browns are set to open the season with Isaiah Crowell as the starter and Duke Johnson in the mix as well. The club also may add a veteran back to complement its two youngsters.

In order to create room on their roster for edge defender David Bass and inside linebacker Steven Johnson, who joined the Titans as waiver claims earlier today, Tennessee has cut linebacker Justin Staples, linebacker Jonathan Massaquoi and tight end Chase Coffman, per Wyatt (via Twitter).

Draft Signings: Browns, Bills, Titans

May 14th, 2015 at 8:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Here at PFR, we’re dedicating full posts to each player from rounds 1 and 2 that signs on with their respective teams. All of the other players, from rounds 3-7, are rounded up into posts such as these. The latest signings from rounds 1 and 2..

  • The Browns announced that they have signed defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, a seventh round choice. The Browns have now agreed to deals with over half of their class, with seven of 12 players in the fold. That group includes second-round linebacker Nate Orchard and first-round defensive tackle Danny Shelton, but does not yet include the club’s other first-rounder, Cameron Erving.
  • The Bills signed third-round guard John Miller and fifth-round running back Karlos Williams, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo news tweets. The Bills now have four draft picks signed and two to go.
  • The Titans (on Twitter) announced that they have agreed to terms on deals with fourth-round fullback Jalston Fowler and fifth-round running back David Cobb. Fowler, an Alabama product, played in 53 games during his collegiate career. He recorded 113 carries for 738 yards and five touchdowns.
  • The Broncos announced (on Twitter) that they have signed fifth-round pick Lorenzo Doss. The cornerback had three interceptions for Tulane in 2014. If both players make the roster, Doss will join former Tulane teammate Taurean Doss in the secondary. Denver tapped Nixon in the seventh round.

Pauline On Gurley, Bengals, McKinney, RBs

April 28th, 2015 at 4:21pm CST by Zachary Links

After his citation for marijuana possession, the expectation is that Missouri linebacker Shane Ray could fall out of the first round and that’s an opinion shared by many in his camp, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net writes. Earlier today, we learned that teams that wouldn’t have had a chance to land Ray before are now inquiring on him, with both GMs and owners doing their homework. Here’s Pauline’s latest:

  • The Dolphins are hoping that Todd Gurley doesn’t get selected in the top 10. If the running back is still on the board, Miami will happily snag him at No. 14, per Pauline.
  • As of now, there’s a very good chance the Bengals take an offensive tackle in round one and they’re said to be looking at Jake Fisher and Cedric Ogbuehi, among others.
  • Linebacker Benardrick McKinney spent an extensive amount of time the past few days talking with the Broncos and Cowboys. If Kevin Johnson is unavailable when the Cowboys are on the clock in round one, they will strongly consider either McKinney or Eric Kendricks, Pauline hears.
  • There’s a good possibility that Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is still available when the third round begins. While teams like his film and cover skills, his knee injury from last December has some clubs concerned. Recently, PFR’s Rob DiRe wrote that he expected Ekpre-Olomu to experience a dropoff in draft stock from last year to this year, but not this severe. Had he gone pro last season, the Oregon notable may have had a chance to be a first-round pick.
  • There are a number of running back-needy teams who might wait until the fourth round before drafting at the position, due to the quality and depth available this year. David Cobb and Buck Allen have been brought to Pauline’s attention as fourth round types that can contribute off the bat and Miami junior Duke Johnson is also getting buzz.
  • Alonzo Highsmith, senior personnel director for the Packers, is pushing hard for Denzel Perryman at the bottom of round one. If Green Bay takes the Miami notable, the team would then push Clay Matthews to the outside. The belief is Green Bay still values a cornerback with that first pick and Eric Rowe continues to be in the mix, but Perryman is also a possibility.
  • Don’t be surprised if tight end Wes Saxton is drafted much earlier than presently predicted, as teams are high on his speed and athleticism. Saxton, a South Alabama product, could go as high as the fourth round. Notre Dame tight end Ben Koyack is also getting additional attention.

NFC Rumors: Bucs, Safeties, Vikings, Cowboys

April 12th, 2015 at 7:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

With uncertainty at the back of their defense, the Buccaneers are targeting safeties in the draft, tweets Bleacher Report analyst Matt Miller. The team brought in Louisville’s Gerod Holliman for a visit today, and Arizona State’s Damarious Randall will trek to Tampa on Monday.

Both are projected to be selected in the middle rounds of the draft.

The Bucs traded both of their 2014 starting safeties in Mark Barron and Dashon Goldson and now do not have much financial allocation at that spot.

Elsewhere around the NFC on Sunday night …

  • The dearth of quality safeties available in this year’s draft could be explained by the position being a second-tier destination for premier athletes, writes Dave Spadaro of PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Since coaches at the high school and college levels funnel the fast, rangy athletes to the perimeter playmaking positions, the back line may be the second-hardest place behind quarterback to find talent, offers Spadaro. The Eagles have been searching for stability there since All-Pro Brian Dawkins left in 2009, but Malcolm Jenkins‘ 2014 arrival helped considerably. Spadaro said Earl Wolff, recovering from microfracture surgery, will have a good shot at the unsettled strong safety job, with second-year corner Jaylen Watkins and recently signed E.J. Biggers set to receive looks there as well.
  • Minnesota running back David Cobb has drawn the interest of the local NFL team, visiting the Vikings this past week, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP on Twitter. The Vikings will obviously be at the Golden Gophers’ pro day tomorrow, and Cobb — projected to go in the mid- to late rounds after a 1,626-yard season in 2014 — will be a key performer they’ll observe.
  • Miller does not expect Amari Cooper to be Washington‘s pick at No. 5, instead anticipating a defender heading to D.C. (Twitter link). ESPN’s Todd McShay and Mel Kiper each have Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. going to Washington.
  • Cornerbacks Marcus Peterson and Kevin Johnson top the list of potential targets for the Cowboys at No. 27, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Machota clearly expects defense to be the priority here, as he includes Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown, UConn workout wonder Byron Jones and UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks in his top five for the Cowboys.