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Jace Davis

Bernard Pierce, Jace Davis Receive Suspensions

May 6th, 2016 at 6:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

6:16pm: Free agent wideout Jace Davis has also received a suspension, reports Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The league has given Davis a harsher punishment than it handed Pierce, suspending him for four weeks. The Broncos waived Davis in February after a DUI arrest, per Zac Jackson of PFT. Davis, 24, hasn’t recorded any stats during his NFL career.

5:52pm: The NFL has suspended free agent running back Bernard Pierce for the first two weeks of the 2016 season, reports Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). No reason has been given yet for Pierce’s suspension. It’s worth noting, though, that he has dealt with substance abuse issues in the past, having been arrested on a DUI charge last offseason.

Pierce appeared in seven games with the Jaguars in 2015 and totaled just six carries for 11 yards. The 24-year-old spent the first three seasons of his career with the Ravens after they used a 2012 third-round pick on him, and he showed significant promise as a rookie. That year, the ex-Temple Owl averaged 4.9 yards per rush on 108 attempts. Pierce added a combined 802 rushing yards the next two seasons in Baltimore, but on a meager 3.3 yards per carry. As a free agent, he hasn’t publicly drawn interest from any NFL teams this offseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/10/16

February 10th, 2016 at 6:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:

  • The Broncos signed nine practice squad players to reserve-futures contracts, as Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post writes. Receiver Jordan Taylor, running back Kapri Bibbs, safety Ryan Murphy, guard Dillon Day, tackles Cameron Jefferson and Kyle Roberts, tight end Nick Kasa, defensive end George Uko, and linebacker Zaire Anderson all have new deals with Denver. Taylor served as as Peyton Manning‘s personal practice receiver in 2015 when he rehabbed from his foot injury. Murphy was sent packing during Super Bowl week after being involved, but not arrested in a prostitution sting in San Jose. In a related move, Northern Colorado receiver Jace Davis was waived.
  • On Wednesday, the Eagles announced that linebacker Najee Goode has been signed to a new one-year contract. Originally a fifth-round draft pick of Tampa Bay in 2012, Goode was claimed off of waivers by the Eagles in September 2013. After a pectoral injury suffered in the 2014 opener against Jacksonville put him on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season, Goode returned to form in 2015.
  • The Saints have re-signed fullback Austin Johnson, as Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune writes. Johnson, 26, was an exclusive-rights free agent. In his three years with the Saints, Johnson has bounced between the active roster and the taxi squad. Johnson has played in 17 games in the last two seasons, rushing 12 times for 31 yards and catches seven passes for 45 yards. He is also a frequent contributor on special teams. As Woodbery notes, Johnson will likely compete with fullback Toben Opurum for a roster spot in 2016. Besides the two fullbacks, New Orleans already has four other tailbacks under contract for 2016, not counting free agents Khiry Robinson (RFA), Tim Hightower, Travaris Cadet, and Kendall Hunter.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/4/16

January 4th, 2016 at 7:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the 2015 regular season is in the books, teams can begin signing players to reserve/futures contracts, adding those players to their 90-man offseason rosters. Generally, these players finished the season on a team’s practice squad, though some were free agents at season’s end.

Here are today’s reserve/futures deals:

Atlanta Falcons signed four players (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)

Baltimore Ravens signed seven players (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun):

  • Brennen Beyer, LB
  • Leon Brown, G
  • Nordly Capi, DE
  • Blaine Clausell, T
  • Chuck Jacobs, WR
  • Nick Perry, S
  • Harold Spears, TE

Buffalo Bills signed seven players (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)

Chicago Bears signed nine players (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune):

Cleveland Browns signed six players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Dallas Cowboys signed eight players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Denver Broncos signed four players (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9NEWS)

Detroit Lions signed five players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Jacksonville Jaguars signed nine players (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union):

Miami Dolphins signed one player (link)

  • Tyler Davis, WR

New Orleans Saints signed five players (link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune):

New York Giants signed six players (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Philadelphia Eagles signed seven players (Twitter link via team):

San Diego Chargers signed six players (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)

Seattle Seahawks signed three players (Twitter link via Wilson)

  • Andrew East, LS
  • Ronnie Shields, TE
  • Phillip Sims, QB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed nine players (link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times):

  • Josh Allen, G
  • Andre Davis, WR
  • Antoine Everett, G
  • Ben Gottschalk, C
  • Gerod Holliman, S
  • Martin Ifedi, DE
  • Derrick Lott, DT
  • C.J. Roberts, CB
  • Joel Ross, CB

Tennessee Titans signed five players (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com):

  • David Fluellen, RB
  • Kevin Greene, TE
  • Nick Harwell, WR
  • Josue Matias, G
  • Will Poehls, T

Washington signs three players (link via team):

Workout Notes: Steelers, Broncos, Bears

December 2nd, 2015 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers, who have been leaning heavily on DeAngelo Williams since Le’Veon Bell went down for the year, worked out former Rams and Jets running back Daryl Richardson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). It doesn’t appear Pittsburgh will sign Richardson at this point, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the free agent market, considering Jordan Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint – Williams’ current backups – have combined for just four carries this season.

Here are more workout notes from Wilson:

  • The Broncos had a huge group of players in for tryouts this week, and Wilson (Twitter links) has the full list:
    • FB Ray Agnew
    • TE Brandon Barden
    • DT Alex Bienemann
    • TE Cameron Clear
    • WR Jace Davis
    • WR Antwan Goodley
    • WR R.J. Harris
    • C Alex Hill
    • T Cameron Jefferson
    • WR Jordan Leslie
    • QB Seth Lobato
    • WR Levi Norwood
    • QB Bryn Renner
    • T Jack Rummells
    • WR Demetrius Wilson
  • Tight end Rob Housler was part of the Bears‘ latest workout group, which also featured tight end Nick Kasa and wide receiver Marcus Lucas, according to Wilson (Twitter link). Chicago’s starting tight end, Martellus Bennett, is expected to return to action this weekend, so I wouldn’t expect the team to add another player at the position.
  • The Cardinals auditioned linebackers Josh Francis, Quayshawn Nealy, Markus Pierce-Brewster, and Mike Reilly, along with cornerback Jalil Brown, tweets Wilson.
  • In addition to working out offensive tackle Pierce Burton, who signed to the team’s practice squad, the Colts also took a look at defensive end Nordly Capi and defensive back Terrance Mitchell, says Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Raiders tried out safety Dewey McDonald, tweets Wilson. McDonald was signed by the Patriots last week, but only lasted two days on New England’s roster.

Texans Cut 10 Players, Move Cliett To IR

August 31st, 2015 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

3:50pm: The Texans have made another cut, waiving punter Will Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).

1:34pm: The Texans’ cutdown to 75 players is underway, with Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston reporting, in a series of Twitter links, that the team has removed 10 players from its roster, cutting nine and moving linebacker Reshard Cliett to the injured reserve list. Cliett, a sixth-round pick, went down several weeks ago with a knee injury, and will be sidelined for his rookie season.

Per Berman, here are the nine players cut by the Texans today:

  • Aaron Adams, T
  • Jason Ankrah, OLB
  • Alan Bonner, WR
  • Jace Davis, WR
  • Chris Neild, NT
  • Cam McLeod, DE
  • Travis Labhart, WR
  • Bryan Witzmann, T
  • Cody White, NT

By my count, the Texans are now carrying 80 active players, following their acquisition of tackle Chris Clark, so they’ll have to make a few more moves by Tuesday afternoon’s 75-man deadline.

Texans Sign 10 To Futures Contracts

December 30th, 2014 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Texans have locked up nine players to reserve/futures contracts for the 2015 season, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Here are the players who inked new deals with the club:

Eight of the nine players signed by the Texans finished the season on the team’s practice squad. Labhart was the lone player who wasn’t on the taxi squad at season’s end, while two players who were a part of the unit – quarterback Ricky Stanzi and guard Alex Kupper – have yet to sign new deals.

Meanwhile, the Texans haven’t made an official announcement regarding his status, but agent David Canter tweeted that his client, defensive end Tevita Finau, has also signed a futures deal with the team, making it 10 overall signings for Houston.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

December 3rd, 2014 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll use this space to round up Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the league. Here’s the latest:

  • Confirming the previously-reported signing of linebacker Jake Knott to their practice squad, the Dolphins also added wide receiver L’Damian Washington, parting ways with safety Ahmad Dixon and tight end Jake Stoneburner to make room, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.

Earlier updates:

  • The Ravens‘ practice squad underwent some turnover today, with the team cutting tight end Allen Reisner and signing tight end Phillip Supernaw and wide receiver LaQuan Williams, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • With three spots open on their practice squad, the Patriots got the unit back up to 10 players by signing defensive back Justin Green, linebacker Deontae Skinner, and defensive back Daxton Swanson, the team announced today in a press release.
  • Tight end Kevin Greene, who worked out for the Panthers several weeks ago, has now signed with the team’s practice squad, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
  • Having promoted tight end Anthony Denham from their practice squad to their 53-man roster, the Texans quickly filled the open spot on their taxi squad by adding wide receiver Jace Davis, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston.
  • Former Notre Dame defensive lineman Kona Schwenke has signed with the Jets‘ practice squad, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). No corresponding move was necessary, since New York had been carrying nine players.

South Notes: Texans, Panthers, Workouts

November 26th, 2014 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The South is the only divisional region not represented in this week’s Thanksgiving action, but that doesn’t mean there’s not news coming out of the divisions. Here’s the latest from around the AFC and NFC South:

  • With Ryan Mallett out for the year, the Texans didn’t get much of an opportunity to see if he might be the team’s quarterback of the future. As such, the club is unlikely to count on him for 2015, and may be back to the drawing board when it comes to finding a QB. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report examines the Texans’ “quarterback purgatory,” while John McClain of the Houston Chronicle writes that finding a big-time signal-caller should be atop the team’s offseason to-do list.
  • The Panthers lost multiple offensive linemen during the offseason and have seen even more fall to injuries since the season got underway. As the team assesses its options for the rest of this year, a team source tells Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer that addressing the tackle positions in either free agency or the draft will be a top priority this coming offseason.
  • In addition to working out Terrance Parks, whom they signed to their practice squad, the Texans also auditioned safeties M.D. Jennings and DeJon Gomes, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • According to Wilson (via Twitter), the Colts auditioned several pass-catchers this week, including tight end Michael Flacco and wideouts Jace Davis and Nick Williams. The club also brought in offensive lineman Kitt O’Brien for a tryout.
  • The Buccaneers signed a pair of tight ends earlier this week, and took a look at at least one more before making their decision, per Wilson, who tweets that the team worked out veteran free agent Tom Crabtree.

Practice Squad Updates: Thursday

November 13th, 2014 at 1:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s practice squad moves..

  • To make room for Small, the Ravens have cut Jace Davis, Wilson tweets.
  • The Ravens are signing fullback Kiero Small to their practice squad, sources close to the former Brown tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • To make room for Couplin, the Lions have released wide receiver Patrick Edwards from the taxi squad, according to ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein (on Twitter).
  • The Lions are re-signing safety Jerome Couplin to their practice squad, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The Lions released Couplin earlier this month and he was quickly scooped up by the Bills, though he only lasted a week in Buffalo.
  • Washington has announced that linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat has been re-signed to the practice squad, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). Washington cut Jeffcoat earlier this week to make room for the returning Barry Cofield.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

October 28th, 2014 at 6:24pm CST by Luke Adams

They may not be the sort of deadline-day transactions we’re hoping for, but some teams around the league are making roster moves, adding and subtracting players from their respective practice squads. We’ll track the latest updates below:

  • The Broncos have added receiver Douglas McNeil to their practice squad, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. An Arena League standout, the 26-year-old McNeil caught 66 balls for 858 yards and 18 touchdowns in 11 games for the Portland Thunder. He takes the practice squad spot of John Boyett, who was released last week following his arrest for assault.
  • The Colts announced receiver Chandler Jones was signed to their practice squad at the expense of running back Jeff Demps. This will be Jones’ second stint with the Colts this season, while Demps’ stay with the team lasted just a week. Jones is an undrafted free agent out of San Jose State, where he is the school’s all-time leading receiver.
  • The Giants have cut linebacker Carlos Fields from their practice squad, according to NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter).
  • Running back Ben Malena has replaced cornerback Kendall James on the Texans‘ practice squad, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
  • The Rams have signed offensive tackle Steven Baker to their taxi squad, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The club had plenty of space to add Baker without cutting a player, but released quarterback Garrett Gilbert from the practice squad nonetheless, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • Wideout Tavarres King has signed to the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, says Caplan (via Twitter). The team doesn’t have any openings on its PS, but after today’s trades, there are two spots available on the active roster, so I imagine at least one player is in line for a promotion.

Earlier updates:

  • The Dolphins performed a bit of an overhaul on their practice squad today, adding tight end Evan Wilson, tight end Gerell Robinson, and cornerback Rashaan Melvin to replace quarterback Seth Lobato, tight end Jake Murphy, and defensive back Rod Sweeting, per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter links).
  • With backup running back Stepfan Taylor expected to be sidelined for the near future, the Cardinals have added some backfield insurance via their practice squad, signing running back Zach Bauman, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Cornerback Anthony Gaitor has been waived to make room for the new addition.
  • Wide receiver Jace Davis, who was with the Ravens during training camp and the preseason, has re-signed with the team’s practice squad, according to a press release. Davis takes the 10th and final spot, which had been vacated after tight end Phillip Supernaw was promoted to the active roster on the weekend.
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