Deion Belue

Workout Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Browns, Broncos

In our roundup of several AFC East and NFC East items this morning, we passed along word on a handful of free agents who recently worked out for East teams. Across the rest of the league, several more auditions took place, so we’ll take a look at all those updates right here. All links are from Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, and go to Twitter:

  • The Colts brought in a few notable free agents for tryouts, taking a look at running back Mikel Leshoure, ex-Jets cornerback Ellis Lankster, and former LSU wideout Kadron Boone. Of the three players, Leshoure is the most interesting name, considering Indianapolis is believed to be considering adding running back depth.
  • Linebacker A.J. Edds ultimately signed with the Jaguars, joining the team’s active roster yesterday, but Edds also worked out for the Bengals earlier in the week. Additionally, Jacksonville auditioned veteran linebacker Victor Butler before deciding on Edds.
  • Browns kicker Billy Cundiff has had his ups and downs this season, missing six field goals, including three from less than 40 yards. While I don’t expect Cleveland to replace him, the team did take a look at a couple other kickers this week, bringing in Michael Barnard and Zach Hocker.
  • The Broncos worked out an extensive list of players this week, and Wilson has all the previously-unreported names: Rodney Barnes (S), Deion Belue (CB), Kenny Horsley (DE), M.D. Jennings (S), Vernon Kearney (CB), Keon Lyn (CB), Leon Mackey (DL), Ross Madison (S), and Danny Mason (LB).
  • In addition to trying out wideout Jace Davis, who signed with their practice squad, the Texans auditioned quarterback Brad Sorensen and several other receivers, including Rashad Ross, Willie Snead, and former Niner Kyle Williams.
  • Former Cardinals defensive end Ronald Talley worked out for the Chiefs. Talley spent some time with the Buccaneers earlier this year, but was removed from the roster prior to the regular season.
  • The Packers tried out cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks, a 2014 seventh-round pick waived by the Bengals during the preseason.
  • Tight end Xavier Grimble, who hit the open market once again last week after a brief stint with the Patriots’ practice squad, worked out for the Panthers.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

In addition to making changes to their practice squads, teams around the NFL are also tweaking the backs of their 53-man rosters today. We’ll round up the day’s minor transactions involving active rosters right here:

  • To make room for Winn, the Lions have placed running back Montell Owens on injured reserve, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Owens’ contract expires after this season.
  • After he tore ruptured Achilles last week, running back Joe McKnight has been placed on the Chiefs’ injured reserve list, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Offensive lineman Donald Stephenson‘s four-game suspension is up, so he takes McKnight’s roster spot, per Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
  • The Bears have waived linebacker Terrell Manning, reports Brian McIntyre (Twitter link). Chicago had promoted Manning from its practice squad just over a week ago.
  • Patriots Brandon Browner and Brian Tyms four-game bans are over, and both have received a roster exemption that lasts until October 6, says Balzer (on Twitter).
  • Cornerback Deion Belue was waived from the Jaguars’ injured reserve with a failure to disclose physical condition designation, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Earlier updates:

  • The Lions are promoting running back George Winn from their practice squad to their 53-man roster, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). As Garafolo notes, the move could suggest that the team expects Joique Bell to miss this weekend’s game, but Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press points out that Bell isn’t Detroit’s only ailing running back, tweeting that Montell Owens is expected to miss several weeks due to his latest hamstring injury.
  • Linebacker Victor Butler has been dropped by the Cardinals, says Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). Butler had been added to the roster when John Abraham was sidelined, but didn’t play a snap for the team.
  • The Bears‘ practice squad/53-man roster shuffle continues this week, with the team promoting wideout Chris Williams to take the place of fellow receiver Rashad Ross (Twitter link). Two weeks ago, it was Ross being promoted and Williams being cut.
  • The Steelers have terminated the contract of punter Adam Podlesh, who had been on the team’s reserve/did not report list, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

Jaguars Cut 14 Players

2:26pm: The Jags have also waived WR Lamaar Thomas and RB Terrance Cobb, bringing their roster count to 76, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.

MONDAY, 9:08am: The Jaguars have also waived/injured CB Deion Belue, per O’Halloran (on Twitter). Jacksonville’s roster count now sits at 78.

SUNDAY, 3:21PM: In anticipation of roster cutdowns, the Jaguars waived 11 players, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union:

Harris, a former seventh-rounder, started seven games over the past two years. As O’Halloran writes, just five of former general manager Gene Smith’s 26 draft picks still remain on the roster after this most recent purge. Jacksonville still needs to make four more cuts before Tuesday’s deadline.

Minor Moves: Packers, Jaguars, Chargers

It’s been a busy Wednesday in the NFL, with a handful of veteran signings (including Jason Babin), a confirmed suspension and a retirement. Let’s take a look at some of the more under-the-radar moves from this afternoon…

  • The Packers have signed linebacker Korey Jones, the player’s agent told Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The former Wyoming player spent 2013 with the BC Lions of the CFL after a brief stint with the Cardinals.
  • The Jaguars have announced the signing of rookie defensive back Deion Belue. The team subsequently waived rookie running back Beau Blankenship. Belue, a former standout for Alabama, has already spent time on the Dolphins and Steelers rosters. Blankenship had a 15-touchdown season for Ohio University in 2012 and was signed by the Jaguars in May.
  • The Cardinals announced that they have cut rookie wide receiver Kelsey Pope. The former Samford Bulldog broke multiple Southern Conference receiving records during his collegiate career.
  • The Chargers have waived (failed physical) former second-round pick Jonas Mouton, the team announced. The linebacker made three appearances in three seasons with the team.
  • The Vikings have waived defensive end Spencer Nealy and signed tight end Michael Higgins, the team announced on Twitter. Nealy, a former undrafted rookie, is suspended for the first four games of the 2014 season. Higgins previously spent time with the Saints.
  • The Patriots have released wide receiver Tyler McDonald and re-signed wideout Greg Orton, reports the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe (via Twitter). McDonald, a former Maine Black Bear, was signed by New England less than a week ago. Orton spent last season on the Patriots practice squad.

AFC Notes: CJ2K, Steelers, Yates, Titans

New Jets running back Chris Johnson is now five years removed from a 2009 season in which he eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards with the Titans. He’ll turn 29 this fall, and is coming off a knee injury, but Johnson still believes he has enough left in the tank to make another run at that mark, as he tells Seth Walder of the New York Daily News.

“I’d just retire and not play anymore if I didn’t feel like I was still capable of being a 2,000-yard back,” Johnson said. “I know I have the ability.”

Another run at 2,000 yards may be aiming a little high for the former Titan, but the fact that Johnson feels as if he hasn’t lost a step should be encouraging for Jets fans hoping he’ll make an impact this season. Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • The Steelers have swapped one undrafted free agent for another, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed running back Jordan Hall and waived cornerback Deion Belue. Belue signed with the Dolphins as a rookie free agent last month, then was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh after being cut by Miami.
  • Although the Ravens have been “monitoring” T.J. Yates‘ situation for some time, there’s no guarantee that Baltimore will pursue the quarterback now that he’s been cut by the Texans, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Of the two linebackers who worked out for the Titans earlier this week, Quentin Groves is viewed as a better fit than Marvin Mitchell, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
  • Wide receiver Greg Little, who joined the Raiders after being cut by the Browns, was surprised that Cleveland waived him, since he had a “tremendous relationship” with the new coaches, he tells Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Of course, as Little acknowledges, the decision ultimately wasn’t in the hands of the coaching staff (Twitter links).

Minor Moves: Steelers, Dolphins, Seahawks

Here are a few of the latest transactions from around the league, including several draft pick signings, waiver claims, and cuts, plus a new contract for a player who was cut by his old team earlier this month:

  • Three teams parted ways with recently-signed undrafted free agents or players on reserve contracts, as the Steelers cut offensive lineman Kaycee Ike, the Dolphins dropped running back Cameron Marshall, and the Texans waived guard Kevin Forsch (all Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun). The Packers also waived linebacker Victor Aiyewa, per Wilson (via Twitter).
  • Three players cut this week have been claimed off waivers, according to Wilson, who reports (in a series of three tweets) that tackle Michael Ola is headed to the Bears, defensive back Deion Belue was awarded to the Steelers, and receiver Kofi Hughes was claimed by the Texans.
  • A couple more updates from Wilson: Luke Marquardt is now on the 49ers‘ injured reserve list (Twitter link), while Garrett Scott has been placed on the Seahawks‘ non-football injury list (Twitter link).
  • Having been recently cut by the Seahawks, defensive back Jimmy Legree has signed with the Cardinals, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.

Earlier updates:

  • The Seahawks became the NFL’s fourth team to finishing locking up its 2014 draft class, announcing last night that fourth-round wide receiver Kevin Norwood and fourth-round linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis have signed their rookie contracts. The Saints, Chiefs, and Bears were the first three clubs to sign all their draftees.
  • Sixth-round cornerback Brandon Dixon has inked his four-year rookie deal with the Jets, the team confirmed today in a press release. The 195th overall selection, Dixon is in line for a signing bonus worth about $103K an an overall four-year base value of around $2.324MM, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. The former Northwest Missouri State speedster is the 10th of 12 Jets draft picks to sign his contract.
  • The Dolphins have signed former Buccaneers cornerback Anthony Gaitor, according to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The appropriately named Gaitor, a seventh-round pick in 2011, remains in the state where he also played his college ball, at Florida International.

Dolphins Waive Three Rookies

The Dolphins have waived a trio of players following the completion of their rookie minicamp, the team announced today (via Twitter). Miami has parted ways with defensive back Deion Belue and offensive linemen David Hurd and Michael Ola.

Belue and Hurd were signed as undrafted free agents on May 15th. Belue spent two years at Northeast Mississippi Community College before transferring to Alabama. With the Tide, the cornerback started 24 of 25 games. Hurd is a 6-6 offensive tackle out of Arkansas.

Ola was undrafted out of Hampton in 2011 and briefly played in the arena league. He spent the last two seasons playing in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes. The right tackle was signed to a reserve contract in early February.

Dolphins Sign 21 Undrafted Free Agents

THURSDAY, 4:25pm: Add one more player to the Dolphins’ undrafted free agent class, as USC safety Demetrius Wright showed up on today’s transaction wire, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 10:44am: The Dolphins have signed two more undrafted free agents, bringing their total to 20. Former Arizona State defensive end Gannon Conway and Tulane running back Orleans Darkwa have also showed up on the league’s transaction wire for the Dolphins, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

MONDAY, 6:06pm: The Dolphins have made their undrafted free agent signings official today announcing their 18 new players via their official Twitter account.

Here are all the Dolphins’ signings:

  • Deion Belue, DB, Alabama
  • Steven Clarke, DB, Vanderbilt
  • Tariq Edwards, LB, Virginia Tech
  • Evan Finkenberg, OL, Arizona State
  • Harold Hoskins, TE, Marshall
  • David Hurd, OL, Arkansas
  • Anthony Johnson, DT, LSU
  • Derrell Johnson, LB, East Carolina
  • Kamal Johnson, DT, Temple
  • Ryan Lankford, WR, Illinois
  • Tyler Larsen, OL, Utah St.
  • Tevin Mims, DE, South Florida
  • Garrison Smith, DT, Georgia
  • Marcus Thompson, LB, Rutgers
  • Davonte Wallace, OL, New Mexico State
  • Damien Williams, RB, Oklahoma
  • Andrew Wilson, LB, Missouri
  • Rantavious Wooten, WR, Georgia