HEADLINES

Gerald Christian

Cardinals Down To 53

September 2nd, 2017 at 7:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals announced their full slate of cuts to get to 53:

Wright was a standout at the University of Arizona. As a sophomore for the Wildcats, Wright was an absolute monster as he tallied 163 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, and six forced fumbles. Unfortunately, he was slowed by injuries in 2015 and he wound up as a seventh-round pick of the Browns. The Cardinals were happy to scoop him up in December, but he has been pushed out in favor of veteran Josh Bynes and others.

Also of note – fourth-round guard Dorian Johnson has been cut. Johnson struggled in camp and the Cardinals were not willing to use a roster spot on him. I would speculate that he could be a taxi squad candidate.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/17

July 27th, 2017 at 4:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Thursday’s minor moves:

  • The Texans have claimed wide receiver Devin Street off waivers from the Jets. Houston’s already the fourth team this year for Street, who had brief stints with the Patriots and Jets after the Colts cut him in May. The three-year veteran has just 10 catches in 35 games.
  • While the Jets lost Street to waivers Thursday, they claimed running back Marcus Murphy from the Saints. Two years after New Orleans used a seventh-round pick on Murphy, the club cut him Wednesday. Murphy made no offensive impact with the Saints (one carry, one reception in 16 games), but he did return 34 kicks – one of which he ran back for a touchdown – and 19 punts. To make room for Murphy, the Jets waived running back Brandon Wilds, who totaled 12 touches (10 rushes, two catches) with the team as an undrafted rookie last year.
  • The Redskins have signed tight end E.J. Bibbs and waived linebacker Houston Bates. Bibbs’ only action to this point came as an undrafted rookie with the Browns in 2015, when he appeared in seven games and picked up one reception. Bates is more experienced, having collected 24 appearances with the Redskins from 2015-16. Although he didn’t make a dent on defense during that time, Bates did lead the Redskins in special teams snaps (293) last season.
  • The Rams made four additions on Thursday, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com, signing offensive lineman Parker Collins, running back De’Mard Llorens, and linebackers Andy Mulumba and Folarin Orimolade. Mulumba is the most notable member of the group, having played 22 games with the Packers and started three from 2013-15. He
  • As part of a series of moves, the Cardinals signed tight end Gerald Christian to a one-year deal and cut fellow TE Steve Wroblewski, an undrafted rookie. They also also reached injury settlements with cornerback Jumel Rolle and linebacker Tevin Floyd. Christian came into the league in 2015 as a seventh-round pick of the Cardinals, but his only game time came with Buffalo last season. He caught one pass in three contests as a Bill.
  • The Patriots have signed receiver Tony Washington, who’s joining his third team since hooking on with the Colts as an undrafted free agent from Appalachian State in 2014. Washington logged six appearances with the Jaguars over the previous two seasons and caught one pass.
  • The Falcons have added offensive lineman Larson Graham, an undrafted rookie from Duquesne.
  • The Broncos have waived undrafted rookie O-lineman Chris Muller, tweets Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. Muller signed with the team last month.

Bills Cut K Dan Carpenter, Others

March 6th, 2017 at 2:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills announced that they have parted ways with a number of players, including kicker Dan Carpenter. Cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, long snapper Garrison Sanborn, tight end Gerald Christian, and safety Phillip Thomas were also shown the door.

Buffalo’s kicker from 2013-16, Carpenter was slated to carry a $2.937MM cap number for 2017. In his first year with Buffalo, he nailed 92% of his field goal attempts. However, his numbers have been slipping in recent years. In 2015, he missed six of the recently-elongated extra points and bricked five more in 2016. Last year, Carpenter made only 76% of his field goal tries, so his release doesn’t come as a huge shock.

Collectively, these cuts will create $6.1MM in additional cap space for the Bills, inflating their total past $24MM.

Robey-Coleman served as a sporadic starter in Buffalo, breaking with the Bills’ first unit 15 times during his four seasons with the team. The 25-year-old former UDFA signed a two-year deal to stay in Buffalo in 2015, and this release could create a bit of a market for his services. He was set to make $2.1MM this season. Buffalo will save $1.65MM as a result of this release.

While profiling as a lower-tier player than Stephon Gilmore or Ronald Darby, Robey-Coleman graded out as the Bills’ best cornerback, per Pro Football Focus, in 2016. In 573 snaps, PFF slotted Buffalo’s slot man as its No. 33 overall corner. A former USC standout, Robey-Coleman intercepted two passes last season, forced a fumble and scored a defensive touchdown. As a result of this release, the Bills could well be without their Nos. 1 and 3 corners from 2016. Gilmore is expected to move on in free agency.

Sanborn spent eight seasons in Buffalo and was one of the team’s longest-tenured performers. The 31-year-old played his entire career up to this point with the Bills. Buffalo signed Reid Ferguson to a reserve/futures contract after the season, and it appears the team will go with a younger cog as its long snapper. He played in 128 straight games for the Bills dating back to the 2009 season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/16

December 3rd, 2016 at 4:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • Jerry Attaochu underwent surgery this week, and the Chargers made the customary move of placing the third-year pass-rusher on IR. Nose tackle Ryan Carrethers will take Attaochu’s roster spot, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter). A former fifth-round Chargers pick in 2014, Carrethers already has 20 games of NFL experience — three starts — on which to draw after his latest promotion from the practice squad.
  • Demetri Goodson‘s third NFL season will conclude after the Packers placed the cornerback on IR and signed fellow corner Makinton Dorleant off their practice squad, Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (on Twitter). Goodson played in six games for the Packers this year and started three for a team that’s struggled to keep its cornerbacks healthy. A rookie UDFA, Dorleant has not played in an NFL game yet. He’ll likely contribute on special teams, per Cohen.
  • The Bills have promoted tight end Gerald Christian from the practice squad, reports Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). Starter Charles Clay missed the team’s flight to Oakland due to the birth of his child, so Christian, the Mr. Irrelevent from the 2015 draft, will provide some depth at tight end. To make room on the roster, the team released kickoff specialist Jordan Gay.
  • The Chiefs have promoted defensive tackle T.J. Barnes to the active roster, reports Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star (via Twitter). If Dontari Poe is unable to play, Barnes could slide into the backup nose tackle role behind Jarvis Jenkins.
  • The Giants have signed linebacker Deontae Skinner to the active roster and waived center Shane McDermott, reports James Kratch of NJ.com (via Twitter). This is a flip-flop from the maneuver the Giants made last weekend, indicating some improved health for their offensive front.

Bills Activate Sammy Watkins

November 26th, 2016 at 10:44am CST by Ben Levine

He’s back. Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the Bills have activated wideout Sammy Watkins from the injured reserve. ESPN’s Mike Rodak reports that Watkins is expected to play Sunday against the Jaguars. Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News tweets that the team has also released tight end Gerald Christian and placed safety Robert Blanton on the injured reserve. Finally, the Bills have also signed kickoff specialist Jordan Gay.

Sammy Watkins (Vertical)Watkins hasn’t played since Week 2 as he recovered from a lingering foot ailment, and he was placed on the injured reserve in late September. The wideout has been dealing with the foot injury since last May, when he had a screw inserted following a minor fracture. The 23-year-old struggled in his two games this season, hauling in only six catches for 63 yards. Of course, there’s no denying the talent of the former first-rounder, as Watkins finished the 2015 season with 60 catches for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in only 13 games.

The Bills could certainly use some help at receiver, especially with Robert Woods listed as doubtful for this weekend’s game. The Bills rank dead last in receiving yards this season, and while that could partly be attributed to quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the team’s lack of big-play wideouts have certainly limited the offense’s potential.

The team will be welcoming back an offensive weapon, but they’ll be losing some depth on defense. Blanton has played in 10 games this season (two starts), compiling 35 tackles. The 27-year-old injured his foot during last week’s game against the Bengals. Blanton will join fellow Bills safeties Colt Anderson and Aaron Williams on the injured reserve.

Christian, the Mr.Irrelevent of the 2015 draft, made two appearances for the Bills this season. The team signed the 25-year-old to their practice squad during the offseason, and he was promoted to the active roster in early October. Christian has already been released by the Bills once this season, and he subsequently landed on the team’s practice squad. Therefore, it’s easy to assume that the tight end will probably end up sticking with the organization.

Gay served as the Bills kickoff specialist during the 2014 and 2015 season, and he was let go by the team in late September. Dan Carpenter will presumably continue with field goal and extra point opportunities, with Gay strictly contributing during kickoffs.

Bills Promote One, Waive Two

October 28th, 2016 at 6:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills have promoted tight end Gerald Christian from their practice squad, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. In corresponding moves, Buffalo has waived fellow tight end Manasseh Garner and wide receiver Ed Eagan.

[RELATED: LeSean McCoy Unlikely To Play Sunday]

This is the second promotion of the year for Christian, who has shuffled in and out of the Bills organization since originally joining the practice squad Sept. 7. Christian previously suited up for the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Rams, but he only played five snaps and didn’t record any statistics. The second-year man and former Cardinal will provide depth this week behind Charles Clay and Nick O’Leary as the 4-3 Bills host the AFC East rival Patriots (6-1).

Ed Eagan

Garner, formerly with the Broncos, signed with the Bills’ practice squad on Oct. 5 and earned a promotion for the club’s game in Miami last week. The 24-year-old didn’t see any action, however, as the Bills fell 28-25.

Eagan was set to suit up for the Bills this Sunday after receiving a promotion (and a comparison to Wes Welker from head coach Rex Ryan), but it turns out that won’t be the case for the undrafted rookie from Northwestern State. Although the Bills are perilously thin at receiver, where they’ve gone without Sammy Watkins for most of the season and are also dealing with injuries to Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin, that wasn’t enough to keep the 5-foot-10, 193-pound Eagan in the fold.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/25/16

October 25th, 2016 at 5:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: WR Dobson Collins

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

  • Cut: OL Mike Liedtke

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Jets

  • Signed: LB Reshard Cliett (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

Bills Add Shaq Lawson To Active Roster

October 21st, 2016 at 3:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills announced that rookie Shaq Lawson has been activated from the PUP list to the 53-man roster. Buffalo also promoted tight end Manasseh Garner up from the practice squad. To make room, the Bills cut guard Gabe Ikard and tight end Gerald Christian. Shaq Lawson (vertical)

Lawson, the No. 19 overall pick in this year’s draft, will join the team’s outside linebacker rotation behind Jerry Hughes and Lorenzo Alexander. After the Miami game, it seems possible that Lawson could be in line for a larger role. Per the team website, Lawson could also be moved to inside linebacker on passing downs.

Initially, it looked like Lawson’s shoulder surgery would keep him out for longer, but he has beaten expectations on his recovery. Many also expected the Bills’ defense to wilt without Lawson and other key players, but Buffalo has shocked everyone by winning their last four games, putting them at 4-2.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/4/16

October 4th, 2016 at 5:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Bills have released tight end Jim Dray and promoted fellow tight end Gerald Christian from the practice squad, the club announced today. Dray, 29, is a seven-year veteran who inked a one-year deal with Buffalo over the offseason. Though he’s posted 56 career receptions, Dray didn’t garner a single target with the Bills.
  • The Browns announced that they have promoted tight end Connor Hamlett from the practice squad while waiving safety Don Jones. Jones had been a key special teams cog for Cleveland, but he hadn’t received a single defensive snap thus far.
  • The Lions waived tight end Orson Charles, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Detroit signed another tight end — veteran Clay Harbor — earlier today, so Charles is no longer need on the roster.
  • The Colts announced that they have promoted rookie linebacker Trevor Bates from the practice squad to the active roster. With veteran Sio Moore out of the picture after being cut earlier today, it’s possible that Bates could carve out a role.
  • The Buccaneers promoted wide receiver Jeremy Butler to the active roster. In eight games with Baltimore last season, Butler posted 31 receptions for 363 yards.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/7/16

September 7th, 2016 at 1:41pm CST by Zachary Links

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

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: TE Gerald Christian, DT Deandre Coleman
  • Cut: S Damian Parms (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: OT Laurence Gibson (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Signed: LB P.J. Dawson (Twitter link via Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer)

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: TE Devon Cajuste (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky) www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0565217041112373473-4
  • Cut: LB Beniquez Brown

New England Patriots

  • Signed: LB Quentin Gause
  • Cut: DE Rufus Johnson (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss)

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: DT Ashaad Mabry (link via Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune)
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