HEADLINES

Eric Ward

Corry’s Latest: Wilson, AP, Houston, Weddle

May 22nd, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

After taking a closer look at the wide receiver market earlier this week, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com focuses today on seven key contract situations involving players eligible for extensions. Corry’s piece includes several items of interest, so let’s dive right in and round up the highlights….

  • Corry hears from league sources that the Seahawks have offered Russell Wilson a deal worth approximately $80MM over four years, which aligns with other recent reports. As Corry writes, Wilson could make a case that he should be the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, though contract structure could be a bigger issue on his next deal than total compensation.
  • Although he has relented on his demand for the Vikings to trade Adrian Peterson, agent Ben Dogra is now attempting to get the team to rework his client’s contract. Corry suggests that Dogra is probably looking for Minnesota to guarantee Peterson’s 2015 and 2016 base salaries, but the team doesn’t appear to be interested in adjusting the running back’s deal.
  • The Chiefs will likely be “adamant” about keeping Justin Houston‘s per-year salary under the $17MM that Alex Smith is getting from the team, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if agent Joel Segal raises his demands for the linebacker’s next contract after Ndamukong Suh signed for $19MM+ annually, writes Corry.
  • There has been “sporadic dialogue” between the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson‘s camp on a contract extension. Corry observes that the Jets would probably be fine with something in the range of Calais Campbell‘s five-year, $55MM pact, while Wilkerson probably has his sights set on contracts like J.J. Watt‘s, Robert Quinn‘s, and Gerald McCoy‘s — all those deals are worth at least $13.6MM per year. If the Jets opt to explore the trade market for Wilkerson, the Browns are a potential suitor.
  • Eric Weddle has been absent from the Chargers‘ voluntary workouts because he feels “highly disrespected” by the lack of contract discussions with the team, says Corry. While former GM A.J. Smith would’ve played hardball with the safety, it’s not clear yet which path Tom Telesco will take, writes Corry.
  • Contract disputes with restricted free agents are rare, but Tashaun Gipson and the Browns could be headed toward one. Corry suggests keeping an eye on June 15, the day on which Cleveland could lower its restricted tender offer for Gipson from $2.356MM to $660K. If the Browns take a hard-line approach with the safety, he could decide to sit out training camp and even the regular season, says Corry.

Minor Moves: Friday

May 1st, 2015 at 5:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a round-up of the latest minor moves from around the NFL:

  • The Bengals have waived former Texas Tech wide receiver Eric Ward, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Earlier updates:

  • The Falcons waived five players today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Running back Ronnie Wingo, tackle Reid Fragel, cornerback Jordan Mabin, linebacker Jacques Smith, and safety Brandan Bishop were all cut to help make room for the incoming rookie class. None of the five players were contributors in Atlanta.
  • The Bears signed safety Malcolm Bronson to a two-year contract after he impressed as a tryout player in their three-day minicamp, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The McNeese State product entered the NFL in 2003 as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs and spent the 2013 season on Kansas City’s practice squad before being released before the start of the 2014 season. Bronson appeared in 40 games at McNeese State from 2009-12, recording 230 tackles, 10 interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, nine tackles for a loss and 18 pass break-ups.

Bengals Sign Seven To Reserve Deals

January 5th, 2015 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Following the conclusion of their 2014 season on Sunday, the Bengals have begun to move on to 2015 business. As such, the team announced today (Twitter links) that it has signed seven players to reserve/futures contracts for the coming season. All seven players finished the year on Cincinnati’s practice squad. Here’s the full list:

Of the 10 players who finished the season on the Bengals’ taxi squad, three have yet to sign new deals — offensive linemen Emmett Cleary, running back James Wilder, and defensive end Sam Montgomery.

Minor Moves: Thursday

January 1st, 2015 at 1:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ll keep track of the New Year’s Day transactions right here, with the latest moves being added to the top of the post:

  • The Cardinals have signed offensive tackle Cameron Bradfield to a reserve/futures deal, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Bradfield, 27, started 27 games over four seasons with the Jaguars before signing with the Falcons earlier this year.
  • The Bengals have signed rookie receiver Eric Ward to their practice squad, reports Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter link). Ward, an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech, was signed by the Titans earlier this year, but released in early September. He takes the place of fellow wideout Cobi Hamilton, who was promoted to the active roster yesterday.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

September 2nd, 2014 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are the latest minor transactions from around the NFL:

5:17pm:

  • The Browns have cut offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann with a failed physical designation, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). That clears a roster spot for Vinston Painter, whose signing was noted below.
  • The following players have been removed from their teams’ respective IR lists with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (all Twitter links): Ryan McKee (Chiefs), Larry Asante (Raiders), Greg Jenkins (Raiders), and Eric Ward (Titans). C.J. Davis (Seahawks) has also been removed from IR with a settlement, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

4:44pm:

  • The Jets have signed linebacker Jeremiah George and wideout Quincy Enunwa to their practice squad, the team announced today (via Twitter). New York selected the duo in the fifth and sixth rounds of this year’s draft, respectively.

4:13pm:

  • The Panthers have signed former Jets wideout Stephen Hill to their practice squad, cutting linebacker D.J. Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link). According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Redskins will also interested in bringing Hill in for a workout, but Carolina offered him a deal.
  • The Cardinals have added wideout Kevin Cone, defensive tackle Christian Tupou, and running back Dominique Williams to their practice squad, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
  • Tight end Jerome Cunningham has signed with the Giants‘ practice squad, according to agent Howard Shatsky (via Twitter).
  • The Chargers filled their practice squad by adding running back Marion Grice, who cleared waivers after being cut yesterday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Cowboys have also filled their 10-man squad, adding offensive lineman John Wetzel and defensive back Jemea Thomas, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Presumably, one of the 10 players on the unit will be cut tomorrow if the team intends to bring Michael Sam aboard.
  • A.J. Jefferson of the Seahawks and Justice Cunningham of the Rams have both been removed from injured reserve lists with settlements, according to Caplan and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter links).

3:28pm:

  • According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter), the Browns are signing offensive lineman Vinston Painter off the Broncos‘ practice squad, which will open up a spot on the 10-man unit for long snapper Kevin McDermott, whose signing was noted below. Cleveland will need to make a corresponding roster move to clear room for Painter.
  • The Redskins made a series of changes to their practice squad today, signing offensive lineman Braxston Cave and linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat. Linebacker Chaz Sutton and offensive lineman Tevita Stevens were cut.
  • Offensive lineman Matt Patchan has been removed from the Buccaneers‘ injured reserve list with a settlement, says Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).

1:23pm:

  • A number of teams have filled their 10-man practice squads by adding a player. The Jaguars signed tight end Marcel Jensen, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter); the Bills signed tight end D.J. Tialavea, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com; the Bengals signed wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (via Twitter); and the Browns officially announced the signing of fullback Kiero Small, which had been previously reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • A pair of clubs also swapped in one player for another on their practice squads. The Dolphins signed defensive end Gerald Rivers and dropped defensive end D’Aundre Reed, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). And the Vikings signed offensive lineman Austin Wentworth to their squad to replace cornerback Kendall James, the team announced (via Twitter).
  • The Broncos are also making an addition to their practice squad, in long snapper Kevin McDermott, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter). But Denver already had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait to hear about the corresponding move.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) provide the respective details for Ray McDonald‘s contract restructure with the 49ers and Glover Quin‘s reworked deal with the Lions.
  • The Buccaneers intend to open up a roster spot by placing running back Charles Sims on their injured reserve list with the designation to return, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Teams can begin to use that IR spot as of 3:00pm central time today.
  • Cornerback Bobby Felder has been removed from the Bills‘ injured reserve list after reaching a settlement with the team, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550.

Minor Moves: Cowboys, Chiefs, Chargers

May 21st, 2014 at 7:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Tonight’s minor moves..

  • The Cowboys signed cornerback Tyler Patmon and waived the injured Marvin Robinson, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Patmon started five games last year at Oklahoma State after a three-year run at Kansas and had 30 tackles, nine pass breakups, and an interception in 2013.
  • The Chiefs signed linebacker DeRon Furr, Wilson tweets. The Fort Valley State safety was originally a top recruit competing as a true-freshman quarterback at Auburn in 2008. Meanwhile, they cut offensive tackle R.J. Dill, Wilson tweets.
  • The Chargers signed running back Branden Oliver, tweets Wilson. The Buffalo product broke several records during his tenure at UB including the all-time rushing record (4,049 yards) and the single-season rushing record (1,535 yards).
  • The Chargers were also impressed by West Texas A&M guard Craig Watts at their rookie minicamp and they’re set to sign him, tweets Michael Gehlken of the Union-Tribune.
  • The Titans placed Eric Ward on injured reserve after he was waived-injured, tweets Wilson. The quarterback last played last with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL.
  • Lineman Micajah Reynolds was released by the Saints earlier this week, according to Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press. The Michigan State product was looking to hook on with the Saints as an offensive lineman but he’ll now go back to defensive tackle as he tries to make the Dolphins.
  • The Chargers waived-injured wide receiver Tobais Palmer and cut Ian White, tweets Wilson. Palmer, a 24-year old out of North Carolina State, was on San Diego’s practice squad last season.

Extra Points: Irsay, Super Bowl, Minor Moves

May 19th, 2014 at 10:43pm CST by Rob DiRe

Colts’ owner Jim Irsay spoke publicly for the first time since being entered into rehab, and Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star noted some of the highlights in a series of tweets. Holder writes that Irsay has been aware of the Colts dealings, and has been following the team through the offseason. This includes conversations with head coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson.

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

  • Former Colts’ center Jeff Saturday is prepared to make a pitch for Indianapolis to host the Super Bowl in 2018, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. “I’m excited to get in front of the owners and present for our city,” Saturday said. “It’s not about what we did in 2012. I look forward to Super Bowl 52 being in Indianapolis. I think it’ll be a great day for all of us.”
  • The Saints are also vying for the 2018 Super Bowl, led by Jay Cicero of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, writes Larry Holder of NOLA.com. “I just know from the 20-something years we’ve been doing this, this is the most creative, thorough (bid). … We’ve put everything on the table. Everything. It’s the most use of our resources,” Cicero said. “Things we’ve never done and things the NFL has never seen before.”
  • The Saints have signed fourth-round pick Khairi Fortt, the team announced on their website NewOrleansSaints.com. Fortt, an outside linebacker out of California, is the final draft pick to sign with the team.
  • The Panthers have signed linebacker Billy Boyko to a two-year deal, reports Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Boyko was made available after being cut by the Raiders.
  • The Titans have signed five players from their rookie minicamp, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. The team signed running Waymon James of TCU, receiver Julian Horton of Arkansas, offensive lineman Viondy Merisma, cornerback Winston Wright and linebacker David Gilbert. The Titans released fullback Quinn Johnson, cornerback George Baker, linebacker Jamal Merrell and receiver Eric Ward (who was waived/injured) to make room on the roster.

Titans Announce 13 UDFA Signings

May 12th, 2014 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Titans have officially announced their 13 rookie free agent signings, and Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com has the details. Here’s the complete list of undrafted players signing with Tennessee:

  • Ri’Shard Anderson, CB, Syracuse ($3K bonus, per Kuharsky)
  • Antonio Andrews, RB, Western Kentucky ($10K bonus)
  • Travis Coons, K, Washington ($5K bonus)
  • James Gayle, DE, Virginia Tech ($15K bonus)
  • Gabe Ikard, C, Oklahoma ($10K bonus)
  • Justin McCray, G, Central Florida ($2.5K bonus)
  • Jamal Merrell, LB, Rutgers
  • Jaz Reynolds, WR, Oklahoma
  • Hakeem Smith, S, Louisville
  • Josh Stewart, WR, Oklahoma State
  • Derel Walker, WR, Texas A&M
  • Eric Ward, WR, Texas Tech
  • David Wright, TE, Westminster