Eric Tomlinson

Texans Set 53-Man Roster

The Texans are in the midst of a rebuild, but that doesn’t make their roster decisions any easier. The organization ultimately settled on 53 players today:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Three veteran tight ends were let go in Mason Schreck, Eric Tomlinson, and Nick Vannett. Vannett has the most epxerience of the bunch, having seen time in 86 career games. He spent the 2022 seasons with the Giants and Saints, hauling in six catches. Tomlinson has appeared in 85 career games, including 34 over the past two seasons. He started 12 of his 17 appearances for Denver in 2022, serving mostly as an extra blocker.

Adam Humphries was an 800-yard receiver with the Buccaneers in 2018, but he’s compiled only 985 yards in three years since. He didn’t get into a game during the 2022 season, but he did haul in 41 catches for Washington in 2021.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/23

In a very busy day for the NFL in transactions, here are some of the minor moves that may have slipped through the cracks:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Ravens signed Ott after working out a trio of long snappers that also included Ryan Langan and Shane Griffin. The former Pro Bowler for the Seahawks won the tryout and is expected to be the replacement for Baltimore’s usual long snapper Nick Moore, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon during his offseason training, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Also, the breath of relief for Bateman is short-lived as, a day after being activated from the reserve/did not report list, Baltimore has placed the young receiver on the PUP list.

On a more positive note, a day after the Bears placed Claypool on the PUP list, he has been removed from it. He’ll now be eligible to participate in training camp starting this Wednesday. Tomlinson returns to Houston after being released back in May. He’ll get another chance to work in the tight ends room that includes Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, and Brevin Jordan.

Texans Release TE Eric Tomlinson

The Texans have been busy adding to their squad this week, and now the front office is starting to subtract. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), Houston has released Eric Tomlinson and placed defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth on injured reserve.

Despite going undrafted out of UTEP in 2015, Tomlinson has managed to put together an eight-year career. He had a three-year stint with the Jets between 2016 and 2018, seeing time in 36 games (29 starts). Since then, he’s bounced around the NFL, spending time with the Giants, Patriots, Raiders, Ravens, and Broncos. He started 12 of his 17 games for Denver last season, hauling in nine receptions while continuing to serve mostly as an extra blocker.

After having a brief stint in Houston to begin his career, Tomlinson rejoined the organization earlier this month. The team has since added Jordan Murray, perhaps costing the veteran his roster spot.

After appearing in 32 games for the Colts between 2020 and 2021, Stallworth got into seven games with the Chiefs and Texans last season. He inked a one-year extension with Houston back in February but has since suffered a hamstring injury.

Placing Stallworth on injured reserve would prevent him from taking the field for the Texans during the 2023 campaign. However, an injury settlement may be coming. Agent Brett Tessler stated (on Twitter) that reports of the IR move are erroneous and an “injury settlement on a short-term injury” is imminent. This move would allow Stallworth to join a new squad once he’s healthy enough to play.

It’s been a busy week for the Texans front office. Most notably, the team signed cornerback Shaquill Griffin and added defensive tackle Byron Cowart.

Texans Sign TE Eric Tomlinson

The Texans are adding to a crowded tight ends room today, bringing on veteran tight end Eric Tomlinson, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The seven-year journeyman has never been much of a pass catcher but will provide some critical blocking in Houston next year.

Tomlinson heads to his seventh team after time with the Jets, Patriots, Giants (two stints), Raiders, Ravens, and Broncos. He follows Texans tight ends coach Jake Moreland, who served in the same position last year in Denver, where Tomlinson made 12 starts in 17 appearances. He had previously spent a year and a half as a part of the Ravens bruising rushing attack.

He joins a room that currently rosters Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, Brevin Jordan, Mason Schreck, and Andrew Beck. Schultz and Jordan are the primary pass-catching tight ends. Quitoriano and Beck have both historically been more run blockers, with Beck joining Tomlinson in the move from Denver this offseason. Schreck hasn’t seen enough game action to say what his role could be, but he was a strong receiver in college.

This means Tomlinson will have some competition for his current role. It’s hard to picture the Texans keeping more than three or four tight ends on the 53-man roster come September. With Schultz and Jordan in the passing attack, that leaves Quitoriano, Tomlinson, Beck, and Schreck battling it out for maybe two open roster slots.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/1/22

Teams continue to tinker with their rosters after hundreds of players were cut earlier this week. We’ve tracked all of today’s minor moves below:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BroncosChargers, Chiefs and Raiders moves are noted below.

Here are Wednesday’s AFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.

Denver Broncos

Re-signed:

Signed to practice squad:

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed to practice squad:

Las Vegas Raiders

Released from IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Chargers

Signed: 

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Broncos To Place TE Greg Dulcich, CB Michael Ojemudia On IR

Two Russell Wilson auxiliary weapons will not be available to start the season. While Tim Patrick will be down throughout 2022 after tearing an ACL early in training camp, George Paton confirmed Tuesday (via Denver7’s Troy Renck, on Twitter) rookie tight end Greg Dulcich will begin his season on IR.

The placements of Dulcich and cornerback Michael Ojemudia on short-term IR — which will sideline each for the season’s first four games — will allow the Broncos to bring back nose tackle Mike Purcell and tight end Eric Tomlinson, according to the second-year Denver GM. Both veterans were included among the Broncos’ cuts Tuesday.

A hamstring injury dogged Dulcich for most of training camp. The UCLA product suffered a setback early in camp and did not play in the Broncos’ preseason games. The team made Dulcich a key part of its 2022 draft, adding him with its second pick this year. With Albert Okwuegbunam going into a contract year, Dulcich could profile as the Broncos’ tight end of the future. But the team has not seen much from the Day 2 investment yet.

Ojemudia suffered a dislocated elbow in the Broncos’ second preseason game. This injury followed Jonas Griffith‘s elbow dislocation in the team’s preseason opener. Griffith is not slated to go on IR and could be ready for Week 1. For Ojemudia, this marks more of the same. The 2020 third-round pick missed most of last season with a hamstring injury. He was vying for the team’s top outside backup cornerback job behind starters Pat Surtain II and Ronald Darby.

A former Alliance of American Football cog, Purcell has been with the Broncos since 2019. The veteran nose tackle has started 23 games in that span, though injuries have intervened over the past two years. Purcell, 31, had signed a three-year, $14.8MM extension in 2020 but saw the Broncos bring in a high-priced replacement in D.J. Jones this offseason. A blocking tight end, Tomlinson spent much of the past two seasons with the Ravens. He joined Dulcich as the Broncos’ tight end newcomers this year.

Broncos Pare Roster Down To 53

After trading Malik Reed to the Steelers, the Broncos finished off their moves to reach the NFL’s 53-man roster max Tuesday. Here is how the team reached that number:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Some John Elway-era defensive lineman have been swapped out for George Paton acquisitions. Purcell, a three-season Broncos starter whom the team extended in 2020, is the most notable. But former third-round pick Agim joins the former Alliance of American Football success story in being moved off Denver’s roster. Agim heads to waivers; Purcell is a vested veteran.

After helping Denver stabilize its run defense upon arrival in 2019, Purcell missed half the 2020 season due to injury and missed time in 2021 as well. The Broncos added D.J. Jones in free agency and drafted two D-linemen — Eyioma Uwazurike (Round 4) and Matt Henningsen (Round 6) — this year.

Muti was seeing first-string action this offseason but was the underdog to beat out Quinn Meinerz at right guard. The former Fresno State-developed sixth-rounder also underwent arthroscopic knee surgery recently. Hinton, whom the Broncos turned to upon losing all their QBs to the reserve/COVID-19 list against the Saints in 2020, contributed as a receiver last season. The Broncos kept rookie UDFA wideout Jalen Virgil over Hinton. He could be back in Denver via the practice squad. The Broncos signed Tomlinson this offseason but also brought back Eric Saubert. The team drafted Greg Dulcich in the third round as well. Those two join Albert Okwuegbunam and Andrew Beck on the team’s 53-man roster.

Contract Details: Seals-Jones, Williams, Tomlinson, Jones, Montgomery, Gardeck, Singleton, Carter

Here are the latest details from contracts recently agreed to across the league:

  • Ricky Seals-Jones, TE (Giants): One-year, $1.19MM. The deal, tweeted out by Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, has a $352,500 amount guaranteed at signing. The guaranteed amount includes a signing bonus of $152,500 and $200,000 of his salary worth $1.04MM.
  • Maxx Williams, TE (Cardinals): One-year, $1.27MM. The deal has a salary of $1.12MM, according to Wilson. Regardless of whether or not he is active, he’ll receive a $15,000 bonus for any game for which he is on the roster. If he is active for any game, he’ll receive an additional $52,500 roster bonus. He’ll also receive a per game active bonus of $5,000 for a potential season total of $85,000.
  • Eric Tomlinson, TE (Broncos): One-year, $1.44MM. The deal has an amount of $1MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson. The guaranteed amount includes a $400,000 signing bonus and $600,000 of his salary worth $1.04MM.
  • DaQuan Jones, DT (Bills): Two-year, $14MM. The deal has an amount of $10.63MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson. The guaranteed amount consists of a $5.5MM signing bonus, the full first-year salary of $1.75MM, and $3.38MM of the second-year salary, which is set at $6.75MM. The contract includes a voidable year for 2024 that voids automatically 23 days before the 2024 league year begins.
  • Ty Montgomery, RB (Patriots): Two-year, $3.6MM. The deal has an average annual salary of $1.8MM with an amount of $300,000 guaranteed consisting entirely of the dual-position player’s signing bonus, according to Wilson. Included in that AAV of $1.8MM are a first-year salary of $1.16MM, a second-year salary of $1.36MM, roster bonuses of $280,000 in year one and $340,000 in year two, and workout bonuses of $50,000 in each year. The former wide receiver will earn a per game active bonus of $20,000 for a potential season total of $340,000. The deal holds an annual playtime incentive of up to $300,000. The deal also holds a potential out after the 2022 NFL season that would leave a dead cap number of $150,000.
  • Dennis Gardeck, LB (Cardinals): Three-year, $10MM. The deal has a guaranteed amount of $3.75MM, according to Wilson. $3.25MM of that amount is guaranteed at signing with a $2MM signing bonus and the first-year salary of $1.25MM being fully guaranteed. $500,000 of the second-year salary, worth $3.27MM, guarantees on the fifth league day of the 2023 season (injury guaranteed at signing). The third-year salary is worth $2.46MM. Gardeck will also receive a per game active bonus of $20,000 for a potential season total of $340,000. The deal includes an annual playtime incentive of $250,000 and an escalator based on sack total that can be worth up to $625,000. A potential out after the 2022 season would leave a dead cap number of $1.33MM.
  • Alex Singleton, LB (Broncos): One-year, $1.12MM. The deal has a salary of $965,000 with a guaranteed amount of $150,000 fully consisting of Singleton’s signing bonus, according to Mike Klis of 9News. Singleton will have a playtime incentive based on snap-percentage. At the end of the year, if he has played 65% of the team’s defensive snaps, he’ll receive $250,000, $500,000 if he plays 70%, and $750,000 if he plays 75%.
  • Lorenzo Carter, OLB (Falcons): One-year, $3.5MM. The deal has a salary of $1.5MM with a guaranteed amount of $2MM fully consisting of Carter’s signing bonus, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN. The deal includes a 2023 dummy year that will be voided 23 days before the 2023 league year. It will leave the Falcons with a dead cap number of $1M for Carter.

Broncos To Add TE Eric Tomlinson

Last week’s Russell Wilson trade left the Broncos down a tight end, with Noah Fant going to the Seahawks. While Eric Tomlinson does not project as Fant’s replacement, the Broncos are adding the veteran to be part of the equation.

Tomlinson agreed to terms with the Broncos on Tuesday night, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. They will be Tomlinson’s sixth NFL team since debuting in 2016. This move comes after Tomlinson played all 17 games for the Ravens in 2021.

The 6-foot-6, 265-pound blocking tight end only has 18 career catches — including just one last season — but he played 35% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps and was a frequent on-field presence with the Jets’ offense in the late 2010s. Tomlinson has also played for the Patriots, Raiders and Giants.

Denver now has Tomlinson and fellow blocking tight end/fullback Andrew Beck, whom the team tendered as an RFA. Albert Okwuegbunam resides as the team’s clear-cut top tight end, though it would not surprise to see the Broncos pair the third-year player with another veteran.