HEADLINES

Emmanuel Dieke

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/16/15

September 16th, 2015 at 4:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: T Tony Hills (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter)
  • Cut: QB Bryn Renner

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

  • To be signed: T Joe Treadwell (via Wilson on Twitter)

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Oakland Raiders

  • Signed: WR DeAndre Carter (via Vic Tafur on Twitter)
  • Cut: LB Josh Shirley

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: TE Connor Hamlett (via press release)
  • Cut: DE Brian Mihalik

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington

Dolphins Pare Roster Down To 53

September 5th, 2015 at 5:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins removed 20 players from their roster in order to reach the mandated 53-man limit, with the most notable of the team’s releases coming at kicker.

Caleb Sturgis will not begin a third season as the Dolphins’ kicker, as Andrew Franks won competition for the spot, according to the team’s website.

In going with rookie undrafted free agent Franks over Sturgis, a third-year veteran, it marks the first time in eight years Miami will deploy two new specialists. Rookie Matt Darr supplanted eight-year punter Brandon Fields, a 2013 Pro Bowler, earlier this week.

Sturgis missed eight kicks in each of his two campaigns.

Miami’s additional cuts are as follows:

  • Damarr Aultman, WR
  • McLeod Bethel-Thompson, QB
  • Sam Brenner, C
  • Deandre Coleman, DT
  • James Davidson, LB
  • Emmanuel Dieke, DE
  • Mike Gillislee, RB
  • Cobi Hamilton, WR
  • Donald Hawkins, T
  • Mike Hull, LB
  • Anthony Johnson, DT
  • Christion Jones, WR (Waived/injured)
  • Don Jones, S
  • Mike Liedtke, G/T
  • Jeff Luc, LB
  • Jordan Tripp, LB
  • Cedric Thompson, S
  • Jake Stoneburner, TE
  • Tim Semisch, TE
  • Aundrey Walker, T

Dolphins Sign Six To Futures Contracts

December 30th, 2014 at 5:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins signed a half dozen players to reserve/futures contracts today, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (via Twitter):

All six players were previously on Miami’s taxi squad. The only player left out was wide receiver L’Damian Washington, who joined the practice squad in early December.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

December 17th, 2014 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

A number of practice squad players have received promotions to their respective clubs’ 53-man rosters this week, or have been signed by a rival club. As such, we should expect plenty of signings today, as teams fill in their openings. Here’s the latest:

  • After his suspension was lifted by the league, fullback Nikita Whitlock signed on with the Giants‘ practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • Chargers taxi squad guard Craig Watts has been suspended four games for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (via Twitter). To replace him, the Bolts signed former San Diego State offensive lineman Bryce Quigley (link).
  • Wide receiver and kick returner Greg Jenkins, who spent last season with the Raiders, has returned to the club, signing today with the taxi squad, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). The team has since confirmed the signing, tweeting that defensive back Vernon Kearney has joined the practice squad as well.
  • The Saints have filled the final opening on their practice squad by signing kicker Dustin Hopkins, head coach Sean Payton confirmed today to reporters (Twitter link via Chad Sabadie of FOX8).

Earlier updates:

  • The Vikings have signed rookie guard Jordan McCray to their practice squad to fill the spot vacated when Ahmad Dixon received a promotion, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Minnesota will have another spot to fill after losing cornerback Chris Greenwood to the Ravens.
  • In addition to making changes to their 53-man roster today, the Patriots also tweaked their practice squad, adding quarterback Garrett Gilbert, according to a team release.
  • The Packers have filled out their practice squad by signing safety Jean Fanor to the unit, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Fanor played for the Arena League’s Tampa Bay Storm this year, setting a team record for tackles in a season.
  • Former sixth-round guard Jon Halapio has signed with the Broncos‘ practice squad, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
  • Having entered the day with three openings on their practice squad, the Dolphins added a pair of players to the unit, signing defensive end Emmanuel Dieke and guard Mark Asper, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
  • The Falcons have filled the 10th and final spot on their practice squad by signing cornerback Jordan Mabin, the team announced today in a press release. The opening was created earlier in the week when the club promoted cornerback Ricardo Allen to the 53-man roster.
  • The Steelers have also filled out their taxi squad, signing former South Carolina offensive lineman Ronald Patrick, tweets Burt Lauten, the team’s PR rep.
  • Defensive back Varmah Sonie, who played this year for Portland’s Arena League team, has signed to the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
  • The Panthers have signed linebacker Horace Miller to their practice squad, giving them a full 10-man unit, tweets David Newton of ESPN.com. Miller was cut by Carolina over the weekend and has since cleared waivers.
  • Offensive tackle Tyler Hoover, who started the season with a brief stint on the Colts‘ practice squad and has since spent time with the Eagles as well, has rejoined Indianapolis’ squad, according to Mike Chappell of RTV6 (Twitter link).

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.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

September 30th, 2014 at 6:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday is often a busy day for practice squad transactions, as teams fill spots vacated by players who were promoted over the weekend, or shuffle their 10-man units around based on injuries to the 53-man roster during Sunday’s games. We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad signings and cuts right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day….

  • The Lions have added running back William Powell to their practice squad, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter). Powell, 26, was cut by the Texans in late August.
  • The Titans have released quarterback Brad Sorensen from their practice squad, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link). Sorensen was a Chargers seventh-round pick in 2013.
  • The Jets have swapped out one cornerback for another, adding LeQuan Lewis to their PS while removing Brandon Smith, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
  • The Panthers’ practice squad is now full after Carolina signed linebacker Horace Miller and running back Tauren Poole, the team announced on Twitter.
  • The Eagles removed two players from their practice squad, cutting linebacker Brandon Hepburn and offensive tackle Tyler Hoover, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Linebacker Jake Knott will return Philly’s PS after serving a four-game PED suspension, says Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
  • The Rams have re-signed tight end Brad Smelley to their practice squad, tweets Howard Balzer. To clear a roster spot, St. Louis cut defensive end Kourtnei Brown from the PS.

Earlier Updates:

  • The Texans have placed receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu on the practice squad injured list, tweets Palmer. Houston’s PS is now down to eight players.
  • The Dolphins have filled their final taxi squad slot by adding defensive end Emmanuel Dieke, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Dieke was cut by the Giants last month.
  • Browns long snapper Christian Yount may be looking over his shoulder this week, as the Browns announced they’ve added long snapper Charley Hughlett to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter). Hughlett replaces defensive lineman Calvin Barnett.
  • The Bills have swapped one tight end for another, replacing D.J. Tialavea with Jamie Childers, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
  • Kicker Chris Boswell has been removed from the Texans‘ practice squad, per James Palmer of CSNHouston.com (Twitter link).
  • Nose tackle Robert Thomas has replaced fellow defensive lineman Hebron Fangupo on the Redskins‘ practice squad, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. Thomas went unclaimed on waivers after being cut by Washington on the weekend.
  • The Dolphins have removed cornerback Rod Sweeting from their practice squad, signing tight end Jake Murphy to take his place, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
  • Wideout Travis Labhart, who was on the Texans‘ practice squad earlier this season, will rejoin Houston’s unit, a source tells David Nuño of KTRK-TV in Houston (Twitter link). The team currently has no openings, so one of the 10 current players will need to be cut or promoted to clear room for Labhart.

East Notes: Donnell, Dolphins, Brady, Jets

September 30th, 2014 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

After losing Brandon Myers to the Buccaneers, the Giants kicked the tires on a number of free agent tight ends this past offseason, including Brandon Pettigrew and others. However, the team ultimately didn’t make any major additions at the position, and that decision looks like the best one the front office made all year. As Peter King of The MMQB.com details, new No. 1 tight end Larry Donnell has been a revelation during the first few weeks of this season, racking up 25 receptions and four touchdowns already, just three years removed from going undrafted and unsigned out of Grambling State.

As we look forward to seeing if Donnell can keep up his impressive play throughout the season, let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two East divisions….

  • Defensive end Emmanuel Dieke, who was cut by the Giants last month, is working out for the Dolphins today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Pointing out that the remainder of Tom Brady‘s contract remains “insanely team-friendly,” Ben Volin of the Boston Globe wonders if the Patriots would ever get to the point where they’d consider trading their longtime signal-caller to a team in need of a quarterback.
  • Rex Ryan‘s job as the Jets‘ head coach may hinge on whether or not he decides to continue to rely on Geno Smith as the club’s No. 1 quarterback, writes Steve Selby of the New York Post.
  • Mark Bullock of the Washington Post takes an in-depth look at why Redskins outside linebacker Brian Orakpo isn’t proving to be worth his large 2014 salary in the early going this season.

Giants Waive 13 Players, Place Two On IR

August 26th, 2014 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

10:49am: Graziano provides the last four Giants moves, reporting in a pair of tweets that the team has also cut safety C.J. Barnett and defensive tackle Everett Dawkins, as well as placing wideout Marcus Harris and safety Cooper Taylor on season-ending injured reserve.

10:27am: Vacchiano adds two more names to the list of Giants’ cuts (via Twitter): Travis Harvey (WR) and John Sullen (G). The team still has to part ways with four more players by this afternoon.

9:26am: In addition to McManus and James, the Giants have cut the following players, according to reports from Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News and Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger:

  • Spencer Adkins, LB
  • Justin Anderson, LB (waived-injured)
  • Jerome Cunningham, TE
  • Emmanuel Dieke, DE
  • Xavier Grimble, TE (waived-injured)
  • Kyle Sebetic, S
  • Ross Weaver, CB

The seven additional cuts bring the Giants’ roster count down to 81.

8:34am: The Giants’ first wave of roster cuts is underway, and one of the team’s first moves will settle the kicking battle in New York. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Giants have informed Brandon McManus that Josh Brown will be the club’s kicker, with McManus being cut. Additionally, defensive back Charles James will be waived, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter). James announced that move himself this morning, via Instagram.

McManus, 23, may have lost the Giants’ kicking competition to the veteran Brown, but he has a big leg, having reportedly made a 75-yard field goal in training camp, as well as frequently putting kickoffs 10 yards out of the end zone, writes Bill Pennington of the New York Times. He’ll have to make it through waivers to become a free agent, so we’ll keep an eye out this week on whether another team decides to put in a claim for him.

As for James, he spent last season with the Giants and only saw two total defensive snaps, but was a frequent contributor on special teams — he recorded six overall tackles in kick and punt coverage. Graziano tweets that New York would have liked to delay its decision on James, but recent injuries on the offensive line have forced the team to change its plans.

The Giants have yet to announce these transactions, but figure to make them official later today when they finalize the rest of their cuts. The team will have to part ways with 13 more players by this afternoon’s roster cutdown deadline.

Giants Sign 10 UDFAs, Cut Five Players

May 15th, 2014 at 4:26pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 4:26pm: USC tight end Xavier Grimble has also joined the Giants’ rookie free agent class, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

TUESDAY, 1:54pm: The Giants have cut defensive back Chaz Powell and announced another four UDFA additions, according to a team release. Here are the newest Giants’ signings:

  • Charles Barnett, S, Ohio State
  • Emmanuel Dieke, DE, Georgia Tech ($7.5K bonus and $7.5K in other guarantees, per Aaron Wilson)
  • Dan Fox, LB, Notre Dame
  • Jordan Stanton, DE, James Madison

MONDAY, 4:47pm: The Giants have announced a series of roster moves, including a first step toward paring down the excess of quarterbacks on the depth chart. According to a press release, the team has released QB Rusty Smith and waived linebacker Allen Bradford, cornerback Junior Mertile and punter Jordan Gay. New York also signed five undrafted free agents.

Smith, a former Titan, inked a deal with the Giants last month shortly after the team added Josh Freeman to the roster to complement Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, and Curtis Painter. He’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, while the other players will have to pass through waivers.

Here are the Giants’ five UDFA signings:

  • Justin Anderson, LB, Louisiana-Lafayette
  • Thomas Gordon, S, Michigan
  • Eathyn Manumaleuna, DT BYU
  • Kelcy Quarles, DT, South Carolina
  • Kerry Wynn, DE, Richmond