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Deontae Skinner

Eagles Reduce Roster To 52 Players

September 5th, 2015 at 12:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Their decision to cut Tim Tebow will make the biggest headlines today, but the Eagles have made many more roster moves, and have not only reduced their roster to the maximum 53 — they’ve gone one further, getting down to 52 players.

As Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, there’s a good chance that 53rd spot will be filled in the coming days with a quarterback. After having cut Tebow and traded Matt Barkley, the club is carrying just two signal-callers, and wouldn’t mind adding some insurance for the oft-injured Sam Bradford.

Here are the rest of the Eagles’ cuts, per a press release:

  • WR Rasheed Bailey
  • G Brett Boyko
  • G Malcolm Bunche
  • CB Randall Evans
  • TE Andrew Gleichert
  • LB Najee Goode
  • WR Jeff Maehl
  • WR Freddie Martino
  • DE Brian Mihalik
  • G John Moffitt
  • RB Raheem Mostert
  • WR Quron Pratt
  • S Chris Prosinski
  • DE Travis Raciti
  • S Ed Reynolds
  • LB Deontae Skinner
  • P Kip Smith
  • TE Eric Tomlinson
  • C/G Julian Vandervelde
  • LB Diaheem Watkins
  • CB Jaylen Watkins

Eagles Sign Deontae Skinner

August 14th, 2015 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles are back up to the 90-man roster limit after signing linebacker Deontae Skinner, the team announced today (via Twitter). The move comes on the heels of the club waiving linebacker Brandon Hepburn, who sustained an abdominal injury.

Skinner, 24, signed with the Patriots in 2014 as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State. Although Skinner didn’t crack New England’s Week 1 roster last season, he spent time on the 53-man squad later in the season, bouncing back and forth from the practice squad. For the year, he recorded 16 tackles and a sack in seven regular season contests.

Skinner figures to have the opportunity to compete for a spot on an increasingly banged-up Eagles’ linebacking corps. Terms of his deal weren’t disclosed, but it’s almost certainly a minimum-salary pact with no guaranteed money.

Pats Cut Alfonzo Dennard, Two Others

May 5th, 2015 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

3:21pm: The Patriots have confirmed they’ve waived Dennard, announcing in a press release that long snapper Tyler Ott and linebacker Deontae Skinner have been let go as well.

8:11am: Having lost a pair of key cornerbacks in free agency this offseason, when Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner signed elsewhere, the Patriots are continuing to overhaul the position. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the team is parting ways with three-year veteran Alfonzo Dennard, who started 20 games in New England over the last three seasons.

Dennard, 25, was limited to just six games in 2014, having been plagued by shoulder and hamstring issues. He also saw his role reduced with the arrivals of Revis and Browner, and played in just 241 regular season snaps before landing on injured reserve. While the sample size was small, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) also graded him as the Pats’ least effective coverage corner — he allowed QBs to complete 68.2% of their passes and accumulate a 111.2 passer rating on throws into his coverage.

Due to an escalator in his rookie contract, Dennard had been set to earn a base salary of $1.542MM this season after making the minimum for his first three years, so his release doesn’t come as a total surprise. He’s a candidate to be claimed on waivers, or to quickly sign elsewhere, given his age and the experience he’s had early in his NFL career.

Patriots Sign Nine To Futures Deals

February 5th, 2015 at 5:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots announced that they have signed nine practice squad players to contracts for 2015, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter links):

Some of the signings, like Barker, were previously reported but not officially announced until today. Back in November, the Pats elevated the salaries of Bequette and Barker to $10K a week, well over the customary salary of $6,300 per week.

AFC East Notes: Pats, Dolphins, Bargains

December 5th, 2014 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Bills and Patriots prepare for tough road tests against AFC West teams, and the Dolphins get ready to host the Ravens in a crucial game for potential Wild Card positioning, let’s check out a few Friday items out of the AFC East….

  • Having placed wideout Aaron Dobson on their injured reserve list, the Patriots are currently carrying just 52 players, leaving an open spot on their active roster. While we wait to see what they do with that opening, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com examines the team’s practice squad players most likely to receive a promotion, with receiver Josh Boyce and linebacker Deontae Skinner topping the list.
  • The Dolphins brought in former Portland State tackle Mitchell Van Dyk for a tryout this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). A seventh-round pick this past May, Van Dyk was cut by the Rams at the end of the preseason.
  • Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today takes a look at the contending teams getting by without highly-paid, big-name running backs, focusing on the Patriots and their recent addition of LeGarrette Blount.
  • Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon and Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison are among the league’s best bargains in 2014, according to Jason Fitzgerald of The Sporting News.
  • Last week, we pointed to several teams that will face offseason decisions on quarterbacks, or will look to add new signal-callers, and Field Yates of ESPN.com has made a similar list in an Insider-only piece. The Jets and Bills are among the clubs that show up in both pieces.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

December 3rd, 2014 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll use this space to round up Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the league. Here’s the latest:

  • Confirming the previously-reported signing of linebacker Jake Knott to their practice squad, the Dolphins also added wide receiver L’Damian Washington, parting ways with safety Ahmad Dixon and tight end Jake Stoneburner to make room, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.

Earlier updates:

  • The Ravens‘ practice squad underwent some turnover today, with the team cutting tight end Allen Reisner and signing tight end Phillip Supernaw and wide receiver LaQuan Williams, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • With three spots open on their practice squad, the Patriots got the unit back up to 10 players by signing defensive back Justin Green, linebacker Deontae Skinner, and defensive back Daxton Swanson, the team announced today in a press release.
  • Tight end Kevin Greene, who worked out for the Panthers several weeks ago, has now signed with the team’s practice squad, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
  • Having promoted tight end Anthony Denham from their practice squad to their 53-man roster, the Texans quickly filled the open spot on their taxi squad by adding wide receiver Jace Davis, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston.
  • Former Notre Dame defensive lineman Kona Schwenke has signed with the Jets‘ practice squad, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). No corresponding move was necessary, since New York had been carrying nine players.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

November 26th, 2014 at 6:34pm CST by Luke Adams

As usual, we expect plenty of Wednesday practice squad moves, as teams around the NFL add and subtract from their respective units in preparation for Week 13 action. Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts:

  • The Ravens signed tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi to the practice squad while placing Konrad Reuland on practice squad-injured list, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • The Seahawks re-signed defensive tackle Jimmy Staten to their practice squad today, cutting offensive lineman Andrew McDonald to make room, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. It’s a reversal of the move the team made over the weekend.
  • The Cardinals filled the two openings on their practice squad today, signing linebacker Kion Wilson and re-adding running back Kerwynn Williams, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
  • Former Georgia defensive tackle Garrison Smith, who spent time in the summer with the Dolphins, has signed to the Saints‘ practice squad, per his agent David Canter (Twitter link). New Orleans had a full unit, so a corresponding move should be announced shortly.

Earlier updates:

  • Washington has added two defensive backs to its practice squad, announcing today that Trey Wolfe and Kenny Okoro have been added to the 10-man unit (Twitter link).
  • After promoting defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, the Raiders signed cornerback Jansen Watson to fill the newly-opened spot, according to a team release. Watson signed with Oakland as an undrafted free agent this spring and was cut during the preseason.
  • The Chargers have filled out their practice squad by adding center Jeff Baca, a 2013 sixth-rounder, the team announced today in a press release.
  • Former Florida State safety Terrance Parks has signed with the Texans‘ practice squad, according to the team.
  • The Dolphins have released defensive end Emmanuel Dieke from their practice squad, signing safety Ahmad Dixon to fill his spot, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Dixon, a seventh-round pick by the Cowboys in May, had spent most of the season with the Bears before being cut last week.
  • The Titans have agreed to terms with outside linebacker Chaz Sutton, adding him to their taxi squad, the team announced today (Twitter link). Sutton fills the lone opening on Tennessee’s unit.
  • Having already made one change to their practice squad (noted below), the Patriots announced several more, via a press release. Linebacker Deontae Skinner and defensive back Daxton Swanson have been cut, while tight end Xavier Grimble has joined the squad.
  • After bringing him in for an audition, the Giants have signed offensive lineman Michael Bamiro to their practice squad, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. New York had an opening on its unit, so no players need to be cut to accommodate the addition.
  • Danny Aiken may have a little competition in New England, as the Patriots have brought back another long snapper, Charley Hughlett, re-adding him to their taxi squad, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). The team will have to announce a corresponding move to make the signing official.
  • Linebacker L.J. Fort has signed with the Bengals‘ practice squad, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Fort, who spent time with the Seahawks earlier this season, worked out for the Bengals and the Saints last week.

Minor Moves: Friday

October 31st, 2014 at 3:44pm CST by Luke Adams

As teams prepare to set their rosters for the weekend, the backs of 53-man rosters and practice squads will be tweaked. We’ll cover those minor transactions from around the NFL for Friday right here, with the latest updates added to the top of the list:

  • Wideout Marcus Thigpen will slide into one of several open spots on the Buccaneers‘ 53-man roster, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), who hears from a source that Thigpen is being promoted from the club’s practice squad.
  • After cutting him from the active roster earlier in the week, the Panthers have re-signed running back Darrin Reaves to their practice squad, cutting running back Tauren Poole from the unit, according to the team (Twitter link). Carolina also signed former UNC linebacker Kevin Reddick to fill out the squad.

Earlier updates:

  • The Patriots have re-added linebacker Deontae Skinner to their practice squad after he cleared waivers, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Skinner, an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, had been on the active roster, but was cut to make room for new signee Alan Branch. Wideout Jonathan Krause has been released from the practice squad to make room for Skinner.

AFC East Links: Patriots, Idzik, Orton

October 30th, 2014 at 5:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Linebacker Jonathan Casillas was acquired by the Patriots earlier this week, and the 27-year-old is doing everything in his power to play this weekend. It isn’t easy switching teams midseason, and the six-year veteran realizes that he has a lot of catching up to do (via Lee Schechter of ESPNBoston.com):

“I feel like I’m cramming for a final in college,” Casillas said. “I’m happy to be here and blessed to have this opportunity to play for a great organization.

“This is my fourth [defensive] coordinator in four years since Gregg [Williams], so five [defensive] coordinators in five years, and that’s the tough part — learning all of these different defensive schemes — not really transitioning city to city because a city is a city. I can get acclimated to my surrounding place. My job learning the Xs and Os about what I’m going to do every day and the verbiage and the communication, that’s the difficult part.”

Casillas was also asked how he felt being traded from the last-place Buccaneers to the place-first Patriots:

“Do I really have to answer that question?”

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC East…

  • Recently released linebacker Deontae Skinner has cleared waivers and is expected to re-sign with the Patriots, tweets the Boston Globe’s Shalise Manza Young. The rookie was released by New England yesterday following the signing of Alan Branch.
  • ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss reacts to the Patriots handling of the trade deadline, writing that Raiders defensive end Justin Tuck could have helped, but the price was likely too high. Reiss notes that he never bought into the Vincent Jackson/Doug Martin rumors.
  • Jets supporters seemingly haven’t been too thrilled with the work of general manager John Idzik, and some fans have created a website called firejohnidzik.com (via John Healy of the New York Daily News).
  • Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines the Bills options for handling Kyle Orton‘s contract should the quarterback lead the team to the playoffs. The veteran currently has $5.4MM base salary for next season (with a $7MM cap hit), but he has the opportunity to void his contract immediately following the Super Bowl. If Orton decides to stick around, Rodak believes the team’s two options are to either extend him to a long-term contract or offer him a more lucrative, one-year deal.

Patriots Sign Alan Branch

October 29th, 2014 at 10:46am CST by Zachary Links

10:46am: The Pats formally announced the signing, Reiss tweets. To make room for Branch, rookie linebacker Deontae Skinner has been released. Skinner, a product of Mississippi State, was signed as a UDFA in May.

10:45am: Free agent defensive tackle Alan Branch is at Gillette Stadium today and finally he’s on the verge of joining the Patriots, according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com (on Twitter). Branch is expected to practice with the team today and an official signing should be announced afterwards.

Branch and the Pats appeared to have struck agreement on a deal last week but the deal was put off until today. Branch should help to fill the void on the defensive line that was left by Chandler Jones‘ injury that will keep him out for an undetermined period of time.

The 29-year-old was released by the Bills after he was arrested for a DUI in August. Branch signed a three-year, $9.1MM extension ($3.1MM signing bonus) with Buffalo, only to see the deal terminated before the start of the 2014 season. Branch started 13 games for the Bills last season, and has started 47 during his career, racking up 112 tackles and eight sacks in total.

New England also acquired defensive end Akeem Ayers from the Titans last week to help fill the gap left by Jones.

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