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Sunday Transactions: AFC North

August 31st, 2014 at 7:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC North 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 are noted below.

Additionally, as of 11:00am CT 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 North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Baltimore Ravens:

Cincinnati Bengals:

Cleveland Browns:

Pittsburgh Steelers:

Steelers Reduce Roster To 53 Players

August 30th, 2014 at 2:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers have become the latest team to reduce their roster count to 53 players in advance of this afternoon’s deadline. Here are the 22 players cut from the club’s active roster today, per a press release:

AFC Notes: Garoppolo, Broncos, Steelers, Bills

May 18th, 2014 at 10:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A final batch of AFC notes as the weekend comes to a close…

  • Like Tom Brady, Patriots rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo studied under a QB coach as he progressed, writes Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. Garoppolo’s tutor, former NFL quarterback Jeff Christensen, bases his teachings on one particular NFL signal-caller…Tom Brady. Christensen, for his part, is excited about the future for Garoppolo and the Pats, citing the young QB’s excellent work ethic. “I have zero doubts about the outcome of this one. It’s so perfect,” he said. “You have to know where you’re at in the equation, accept it, and then work like a crazy man to get great. That’s the kind of kid you want to coach.”
  • Within the same piece, Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders says he is excited to replace Eric Decker in Denver. “My whole deal is when I first came out in free agency, I wanted to go to a spread attack. I like to block, but I’m not trying to block 75 percent of the time. I’m 185 pounds…All the numbers lined up, and now I’m here.”
  • The Broncos coaching staff has spoken to running back Ronnie Hillman about his fumbling problem, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Hillman, expected to backup starter Montee Ball in 2014, coughed up the football four times over the past two seasons.
  • The Steelers are excited about rookie pass rusher Howard Jones, who faces a tough road as an undrafted player from a Disivion II program, writes Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  • Speaking of the Steelers, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review believes that despite being front seven players, Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt will help Pittsburgh’s secondary. Not only will an improved pass-rush aid the secondary in coverage, Kovacevic writes, but Shazier’s presence in particular will allow Troy Polamalu to stop moonlighting as a linebacker.
  • Seantrel Henderson is aware that he needs to mature in order to succeed in the NFL, and Bills general manager Doug Whaley has made it clear that this is Henderson’s final chance. “We’ve talked to Seantrel and he knows that he’s got one shot,” said Whaley after selecting Henderson with pick No. 237. “He’s been dealing with some demons. Hopefully those demons are out of his life and why not give somebody — this is America — give somebody a chance?”

Steelers To Sign Nine Undrafted FAs

May 12th, 2014 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

MONDAY, 10:30am: Carrington will now be coming to camp on a tryout rather than as a player under contract, tweets Lauten. That means the Steelers will have exactly 90 players on their roster and won’t need to make a corresponding move to clear room for their UDFAs.

SATURDAY, 8:23pm: The Steelers have agreed to sign 10 undrafted free agents, according to the team’s PR rep, Burt Lauten. In a series of tweets, Lauten listed the following UDFAs, who are set to head to Pittsburgh:

  • Devon Carrington, DB, Stanford
  • Chris Elkins, OL, Youngstown State
  • Ethan Hemer, DE, Wisconsin
  • Kaycee Ike, OT, UAB
  • Howard Jones, LB, Shepherd
  • Brendon Kay, QB, Cincinnati
  • Josh Mauro, DE, Stanford
  • Roy Philon, DT, Louisville
  • Will Simmons, G, East Carolina
  • Eric Waters, TE, Missouri

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Ravens, Jones

May 11th, 2014 at 9:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Many recent Steelers draftees have found themselves buried on the depth chart, but a handful from this year’s class will have an opportunity to start, writes Ed Bouchette of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Fourth-rounder Martavis Bryant has a good chance of starting, with wide receivers coach Richard Mann telling Bouchette that they “feel like (they) got a guy to put opposite of Antonio Brown.”

Bouchette adds that the team’s two big holes, inside linebacker and defensive end, could adequately be filled by their first two picks, Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt.

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of the AFC North…

  • The Steelers announced the signing of 10 undrafted free agents yesterday, and ESPN.com’s Scott Brown focuses on five who could make a difference. Brown lists Howard Jones, Josh Mauro, Ethan Hemer, Eric Waters and Devon Carrington as the most likely to stick around.
  • San Jose State offensive lineman Ryan Jones didn’t pass his physical with the Ravens, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Wilson adds that the undrafted player had foot surgery last year.
  • Michigan running back Fitz Toussaint will join the Ravens for rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, tweets Wilson.
  • The Ravens didn’t address their need at offensive tackle in the draft and now need to look at help internally or in free agency, writes Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Mink suggests veteran Eric Winston, who played for Raven Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak in Houston.