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Garrett Gilbert

East Notes: Giants, Cruz, Floyd, Patriots

February 3rd, 2017 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the East divisions:

  • Many expect the Giants to come to Victor Cruz with a pay cut proposal, but so far that hasn’t happened, the wide receiver says (link via James Kratch of NJ.com). Last year, Cruz took a big cut from a $7.9MM base to just $1.3MM. To stay on board, he’ll almost certainly have to agree to a similar slash. Cruz wants to stay, but he also concedes that he might be better off with a team that will regularly keep him in the slot. “That’s a good question. Maybe. You never know,” Cruz said. “I think you’ve just got to take it as it comes, eat the food that’s given to you, and see how it tastes. That’s kind of the term I like to use. But we’ll see. Playing the slot is obviously something that I’m best at, and an opportunity to do that would definitely be great.”
  • If Michael Floyd has his way, he’ll return to the Patriots for another season, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. “I hope to be back in Foxborough,” Floyd said. “I love it here. I hope that I can make that happen, for sure.” He noted that he was able to pick things up very quickly in New England despite joining the team mid-season and he wants to see what he can do there in a full year. Floyd’s career was in a free fall ever since his breakout 2013 season. Now, he may be back on the right track with the Pats.
  • The Cowboys worked out quarterback Garrett Gilbert, wide receivers Bryan Burnham and Corey Washington, and tight end Andrew McCleneghen earlier this week, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Pass-catchers Quincy McDuffie and Uzoma Nwachukwu were also part of the audition group, and signed reserve/futures contracts with Dallas on Tuesday. As Archer notes, the Cowboys could have some some upheaval at the quarterback position behind Dak Prescott, as Tony Romo could be traded or released, while Mark Sanchez and Kellen Moore are free agents. Gilbert, then, could be a candidate for a deal down the road.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Raiders Sign Garrett Gilbert To Practice Squad

January 3rd, 2017 at 4:30pm CST by Zachary Links

In advance of their first playoff game in 14 years, the banged-up Raiders have announced the signing of quarterback Garrett Gilbert to their practice squad.Garrett Gilbert (vertical)

In December, the Raiders watched star Derek Carr go down with a season-ending leg injury. Then, on Sunday, Matt McGloin suffered an injury to his left shoulder. Connor Cook, the Raiders’ fourth-round draft pick out of Michigan State, took over from there. If McGloin cannot go Saturday against Houston, Cook will get the start. In that event, it could be Gilbert holding the clipboard.

Gilbert, a product of SMU, was a sixth-round pick of the Rams in 2014. When he didn’t hook on there, he made the NFL rounds including practice squad stops with the Raiders, Lions, and Patriots. He has never appeared in an NFL game.

If McGloin can’t play on Saturday, Cook will be the first quarterback to start a playoff game without starting a regular season game in the modern era.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/24/16

May 24th, 2016 at 5:50pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s draft signings and other minor moves here:

  • The Dolphins agreed to terms with two members of their draft class today, signing third-round receiver Leonte Carroo and seventh-round tight end Thomas Duarte, as Wilson reports (Twitter link). Miami now only has third-round running back Kenyan Drake left to sign, as PFR’s Zach Links detailed when looking at unsigned 2016 draftees earlier today.
  • The Lions waived offensive lineman Darius Johnson on Tuesday, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press adds (via Twitter) that Johnson was waived with an injury waiver designation. Johnson, a Middle Tennessee State product, signed with Detroit following the team’s rookie minicamp.
  • The Chargers placed safety Matt Daniels on the injured reserve list with a leg injury, Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets. Daniels appeared in only one game for San Diego last season. Former Michigan linebacker James Ross has been signed to fill Daniel’s void, a source tells Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
  • After signing as an undrafted free agent out of UTSA, edge rusher Jason Neill was waived today by the Cowboys, according to Wilson (Twitter link). To replace Neil, Dallas signed fellow defensive end Zach Wood, tweets Wilson.
  • The Panthers placed tight end Jake McGee on waivers with an injury designation last week, and after reverting to injured reserve, McGee has now been cut from IR with an injury settlement, per Wilson (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • The Bills have signed second-round linebacker Reggie Ragland, according to his agents at Vanguard Sports (on Twitter). Ragland was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year after recording 97 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, and six pass breakups. GM Doug Whaley has said that he expects to see Ragland in the starting lineup to begin the 2016 season.
  • The Raiders announced that they have signed free agent wide receivers Robert Herron and Nathan Palmer. To make room, the Raiders have waived/injured wide receiver Andre Debose and waived quarterback Garrett Gilbert. Palmer auditioned for New Orleans last week alongside a handful of notable names, including Hakeem Nicks. Herron was originally selected by the Bucs in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played in eight games his rookie season, posting six receptions for 58 yards (9.7 avg.) and one touchdown.
  • The Browns signed undrafted free agent wide receiver David Richards, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The Arizona product first hooked on with Atlanta after the draft but was waived soon after.
  • The Jets waived tight end Jerome Cunningham and signed running back Romar Morris, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
  • The Buccaneers have placed safety Johnny Lowdermilk on the reserved-retired list, creating a second opening on the 90-man roster, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.

East Rumors: McCoy, Fins, Pats, Jets, Cowboys

April 16th, 2016 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although LeSean McCoy was cleared of wrongdoing from the alleged brawl that took place involving the Bills running back and off-duty Philadelphia police officers, the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office will review the Philadelphia district attorney’s decision not to charge McCoy for the Feb. 7 incident, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports.

State Solicitor General Bruce Castor said McCoy and others possibly involved in the fight “are not totally cleared” of charges despite Philadelphia DA Seth Williams’ decision earlier this month not to charge the former Eagles ball-carrier. If the Pennsylvania DA’s office determines McCoy should have been charged for his role in the melee, Rodak reports it could ask a court to overturn Williams’ decision.

Citing insufficient evidence, Williams cleared McCoy of potential charges. Although we heard earlier this week McCoy is unlikely to face an NFL suspension despite the league conducting its own investigation, an overturn of Williams’ decision would increase the likelihood the Bills’ starting running back would miss time this season.

Here’s more from the Eastern divisions.

  • Ezekiel Elliott will visit the Dolphins on Monday and Tuesday, James Walker of ESPN.com reports. Miami having lost Lamar Miller and missed out on signing C.J. Anderson and Chris Johnson makes the team’s interest in backfield help fairly clear. “They do have a hole at running back, and they do have some good people around on offense,” Elliott said. “It seems like the running back is the spot that they’re missing out on. So I think it would be a pretty good fit.”
  • The Patriots do not treat their 30 allotted pre-draft visits like recruiting trips as some of their NFL brethren do, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports, with the six-time 21st-century AFC champions devoting an entire work day (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) to meeting with the prospect(s) in their facility rather than taking the player(s) to dinner. The secretive organization also prefers the players it’s serious about drafting not to leak word of the visit. The Pats abruptly cancelled Nate Solder‘s 2011 meeting when details of the summit surfaced, but New England drafted the tackle anyway.
  • Recently released defensive tackle Dominique Easley sent out an Instagram post thanking the Patriots for his time there, Volin relays. The Globe reporter notes upon Easley being drafted in the first round two years ago, he soon wanted nothing to do with the organization, refusing to listen to the team regarding his knee rehab process.
  • Former Patriots practice squad quarterback Garrett Gilbert will count $9K toward New England’s 2016 salary cap after winning a grievance related to a roster bonus that the team didn’t pay when the Lions claimed him last June, Volin reports. Gilbert has yet to throw a regular-season pass but did collect a Super Bowl ring from his work with the 2014 Patriots.
  • A Manhattan federal judge ordered the video from a 2012 incident involving Brandon Marshall to be made public, Kimberley Martin of Newsday reports. A federal jury last week found the Jets wideout not liable for one count of assault and one count of battery in the civil case in which a woman claimed the then-Dolphins wideout punched her in the face.
  • Tony Romo said Saturday he’s resumed throwing and has been delivering passes using his full throwing motion for nearly two weeks, per the Cowboys website. Recovery time from the Mumford procedure Romo underwent for his troublesome collarbone issues March 8 was slated at six-to-eight weeks.
  • Cowboys personnel worked out Jared Goff on Saturday morning in Berkley, Calif. Jason Garrett and Jerry Jones were among the team’s representatives there, and Jones, per Peter King (on Twitter), loved what he saw from the Cal quarterback. The Cowboys pick fourth, and after the Rams’ trade that allowed them to vault from No. 15 to No. 1, and may not be in position to take Goff any longer.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/5/16

January 5th, 2016 at 5:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters.

Arizona Cardinals

  • Taylor Boggs, C (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
  • Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, C
  • Mike Reilly, OLB
  • Tyrequek Zimmerman, S

Baltimore Ravens

  • Jerod Johnson, QB (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

  • Burton Pierce, OT
  • Ben Heenan, G
  • Edwin Jackson, LB
  • Kitt O’Brien, G
  • Dezmen Southward, DB
  • Joshua Stangby. WR

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

  • Garrett Gilbert, QB (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
  • Giorgio Tavecchio, K

San Diego Chargers

San Francisco 49ers

  • Corey Acosta, K (link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle)

St. Louis Rams

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC West

September 6th, 2015 at 5:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC West teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, and Chargers are noted below.

Additionally, as of 11:00am today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

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

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed:
    • OL Jah Reid (link)
  • Claimed off waivers:
  • Cut:
  • Signed to practice squad:

Oakland Raiders

San Diego Chargers

  • Signed to practice squad (press release):
    • TE Alex Bayer (Twitter link via Jim Thomas)
    • CB Greg Ducre
    • WR Javontee Herndon
    • G Michael Huey
    • LB Ryan Mueller
    • S Adrian Phillips
    • QB Brad Sorensen (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken)
    • RB Dreamius Smith
    • DT Damion Square

Lions Release Ryan Broyles, 8 Others

August 31st, 2015 at 4:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have cut ten players loose, including wide receiver Ryan Broyles, as Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes. The full list is below:

  • Deon Butler, TE
  • Ryan Broyles, WR
  • Garret Gilbert, QB
  • Vernon Johnson, WR
  • Desmond Martin, RB
  • Roy Philon, DT
  • Jocquel Skinner, CB
  • R.J. Stanford, CB
  • Erik Williams, DE

In addition to those moves, cornerback Chris Owens has been placed on IR with an undisclosed injury. Broyles, 27, has spend the last three years with the Lions and appared in 21 total games. In his rookie season, the second round selection hauled in 22 catches for 310 yards and 2 touchdowns, leading many to wonder if he could be on his way to becoming a leading wide receiver. Since then, however, he has notched just 10 total catches.

NFC Notes: AP, Bridgewater, Dotson, Cowboys

June 13th, 2015 at 5:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had a solid rookie year despite being without the services of six-time Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson, who missed all but one game in 2014 because of domestic-violence issues. The newly reinstated Peterson is hoping his return will help Bridgewater’s game reach new heights this season.

“Hopefully my presence will be able to lose a guy or two by bringing guys in that focus on stopping the run,” Peterson said, per ESPN’s Tania Ganguli.

Peterson won’t just aid Bridgewater as a runner, but he’s expecting to be a useful option in the passing game.

“With coach [Norv] Turner’s offense, there’s so much that he throws out there, so I’ll be more involved in the pass game, being out wide, presenting myself for Teddy to check down,” said the 30-year-old.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Buccaneers right tackle Demar Dotson is optimistic that ending his brief holdout and reporting to minicamp next week will help him get the new contract he’s seeking. “I think we can get a deal done pretty quickly,” Dotson said, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. “We were pretty close before. I’m hoping if I show up we can get it done. I really don’t want to miss any workouts or training camp.” Dotson, 29, has two years remaining on his contract, but he’s just the 22nd-highest-paid right tackle in the NFL. That doesn’t jibe with his on-field performance, as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked the six-year veteran an impressive 28th among 84 qualifying offensive tackles last season.
  • Thanks to DeMarco Murray‘s departure in free agency, the Cowboys don’t have a clear No. 1 running back as the summer nears, but offensive coordinator Scott Linehan believes someone – be it Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle or Ryan Williams – will separate himself from the pack and earn the job as the team’s go-to ball carrier. “I think before it’s all said and done, that person will rise to the top. What’s interesting and exciting is that we’re going to find out,” said Linehan, according to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News.
  • When asked if the Lions’ addition of Garrett Gilbert meant that backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky could be on the way out, Dave Birkett of MLive.com responded that the chances of that happening are slim (via Twitter).

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Friday

June 12th, 2015 at 8:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

Here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Lions claimed quarterback Garrett Gilbert from the Patriots earlier today, reports Howard Balzer of LockerDome.com (via Twitter). The team released quarterback Anthony Boone, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
  • The Seahawks have signed wide receiver Kasen Williams, according to John Boyle of Seahawks.com (via Twitter). The team waived linebacker Mister Alexander to make room for Williams, who announced the signing on his Instagram account.
  • Wide receiver Zach D’Orazio was waived by the Patriots, and passed through waivers unclaimed, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • While the Buccaneers might have landed recently released tight end Tim Wright, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports is interested to see the full list of teams who put in waiver claims for him (via Twitter). He adds that the Jets were one team that did.
  • In order for the Buccaneers to make room for Wright on the roster, the team has waived tight end Taylor Sloat, according to Jenna Laine of SportsTalkFlorida.com (via Twitter).
  • The Jets have signed former USC Trojan and Saints offensive tackle Charles Brown after they wrapped up their full-squad minicamp, reports Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com. The team cut offensive tackle Sean Hooey to make room for the former second-round pick.
  • Hooey wouldn’t be unemployed for very long, as the 49ers claimed him off waivers from the Jets, according to Wilson (via Twitter).

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.

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