Jeff Baca

East Notes: Scandrick, Dolphins, Washington

Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick is allegedly unsatisfied with the modest $1.5MM base salary he’s set to earn in 2015, and didn’t report to the club’s voluntary offseason program this week in the hopes of pushing for a new deal. While it’s possible the Cowboys relent at some point, EVP/COO Stephen Jones – appearing on 105.3FM in Dallas yesterday – didn’t make it sound like that would happen anytime soon, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News.

“He’s under contract, but not unlike a lot of players, they’d like to have more,” Jones said. “Orlando is under contract. If something makes sense for us to add some years or do something then we’ll take a look at that, but we just re-did Orlando’s contract a couple years ago and he’s been a really good football player for us. He’s a leader on this team, and we certainly need him out here. In my mind, he should be out here right now, working out.”

While we wait to see how the Scandrick saga plays out, here are a few more items from around the league’s two East divisions:

  • The Dolphins are bringing in several free agent offensive linemen today, intent on perhaps adding a veteran guard, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. According to Jackson, Jeff Linkenbach and Jeff Baca are among the players expected to get a look from the team.
  • Breshad Perriman‘s visit to Miami is happening today, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who tweets that the UCF wideout is visiting the Dolphins.
  • Mark Maske of the Washington Post examines the decision Washington is facing on Robert Griffin III‘s fifth-year option for 2016, citing one source who believes the team will pick up RGIII’s option following the draft.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links) passes along the names of a number of players participating in Washington‘s local prospect day, including Maryland wideout Stefon Diggs and many others.
  • Texas Southern cornerback Tray Walker is also visiting Washington today, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
  • The Jets are hosting Utah pass rusher Nate Orchard for a pre-draft visit today, tweets Pauline.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

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

  • The Cardinals have signed quarterback Chandler Harnish, the team announced today, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Harnish, who was cut by the Colts prior to the 2014 regular season, spent some time with the Vikings throughout the year. He figures to help shoulder the load during Arizona’s offseason workouts with Carson Palmer still on the mend.
  • The Jaguars have waived fullback Bradie Ewing, leaving the team without a fullback on its roster, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Jacksonville’s primary fullback in 2014, Will Ta’ufo’ou, didn’t receive a contract tender from the team earlier in the month, making him an unrestricted free agent. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Toby Gerhart could see some time at the position in 2015.
  • Former Arena League guard Michael Huey has signed with the Chargers, per Field Yates and Eric Williams of ESPN.com (via Twitter). San Diego also removed a pair of players from its roster, cutting center Jeff Baca and defensive lineman Chas Alecxih.

Minor Moves: Saturday

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves right here, with the most recent transactions added to the top of the list…

Earlier updates:

  • The Jets have placed safety Rontez Miles on the injured reserve, tweets Aaron Wilson. The team will promote wideout Quincy Enunwa to take his place.
  • Connor Shaw will start at quarterback for the Browns this weekend, and the team promoted him to the active roster this morning, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. The team also promoted rookie offensive lineman Jamie Meder. To make room on the roster, the Browns waived linebacker Eric Martin and tight end Ryan Taylor.
  • The Lions have promoted center Darren Keyton to the active roster, reports Tim Twentyman (via Twitter). The lineman will replace Dominic Raiola, who was suspended for this weekend’s game.
  • As expected, the Chargers finally placed punter Mike Scifres on the injured reserve, according to U-T San Diego’s Michael Gehlken (via Twitter). Center Jeff Baca was promoted from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the rest of the day:

  • Center Jeff Baca was cut by the Chargers to make room for newly-signed punter Mat McBriar, but he’s cleared waivers and been added to San Diego’s taxi squad, tweets Wilson. The Chargers only had nine players on its PS, so they won’t have to drop anyone.
  • The Saints have cut fullback Michael Zordich from their practice squad, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link). Zordich was originally added to New Orleans’ PS just over a month ago.

Earlier updates:

  • Linebacker Jerrell Harris has been released by the Lions from their taxi squad, per Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Jets have signed cornerback Keith Lewis to their practice squad, the team announced today (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson reported earlier today at the National Football Post that the club would be working out Lewis.
  • After working out cornerbacks Kevin Fogg and Anthony Gaitor today, the Steelers signed Fogg to their practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team’s PR rep, Burt Lauten, confirmed the signing of Fogg, tweeting that safety Jordan Dangerfield has been released from the taxi squad to accommodate the addition.
  • The Bills have replaced one wide receiver with another on their practice squad, signing former N.C. State product Tobais Palmer and letting go of Eric Thomas, the club announced today in a press release.
  • Defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton, who was cut by the Giants on Saturday, has rejoined the team’s practice squad, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter).
  • Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal has the details on the latest change to the Browns‘ practice squad, tweeting that the team has released defensive lineman Christian Tupou and signed defensive back Kendall James.

Chargers Sign Mat McBriar

6:36pm: To make room for McBriar, the Chargers have released center Jeff Baca, reports Eric Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

6:06pm: Two days after Chargers punter Mike Scifres suffered a broken clavicle against the Patriots on Sunday Night Football, San Diego has found its replacement, signing former Cowboys punter Mat McBriar, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. McBriar, a veteran of 11 NFL seasons, has also spent time with the Broncos, Seahawks, Eagles, Steelers, but most of his career has been spent in Dallas, where he played from 2003-11.

McBriar, a 35-year-old Australian native, was undrafted out of Hawaii in 2003. He led the league in yards per punt in both 2006 and 2010, and was selected to the Pro Bowl in both years. At one point, he was the highest-paid punter in the league, having signed a five-year, $8.5MM extension with the Cowboys in 2007. McBriar last saw NFL action during the latter portion of the 2013 season, when Pittsburgh signed him to replace Zoltan Mesko.

The Chargers currently have a full 53-man roster, meaning they’ll have to make a transaction to free space for McBriar. The club doesn’t plan to place Scifres on injured reserve because it believes he can return for the postseason, so San Diego will presumably carry two punters for now.

Minor Moves: Monday

Here are Monday’s minor transactions, including practice squad signings and cuts, from around the NFL:

  • As Cowboys defensive back Tyler Patmon continues to improve from a sprained knee, the team has parted ways with another cornerback. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com writes that the Cowboys have waived Micah Pellerin. The 26-year-old has appeared in three games this season with Dallas.
  • The Chargers placed offensive lineman Ryan Miller on their reserve/non-football injury list last week, but the team changed course today. Miller was moved to the injured reserve list and subsequently waived with an injury settlement, tweets Howard Balzer.
  • Less than a week after he joined the Dolphins practice squad, linebacker Jake Knott has been promoted to the team’s active roster, the 24-year-old announced on Twitter. Knott previously spent time with the Eagles, where he made 12 appearances last season.
  • Even though running back Marcus Lattimore announced his retirement last month, the 49ers continued to keep him on their non-football-injury list. That ended today, as Aaron Wilson tweets that the team has cut the former fourth-rounder.
  • The Broncos have signed returner Isaiah Burse to their practice squad, tweets Mike Klis of the Denver Post. To make room, Denver waived guard Mark Asper. Burse, who has returned 29 of the team’s 30 punt returns this season, was waived on Saturday to make room for kicker Brandon McManus.

Earlier updates:

  • After being cut last week by the Panthers, veteran linebacker Jason Williams has a new home, catching on with another NFC South team. The Buccaneers announced that they’ve signed Williams, placing fellow linebacker Brandon Magee on injured reserve in order to accommodate the new signing.
  • The Packers have signed defensive tackle Bruce Gaston from off the Cardinals‘ practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. To make room for Gaston, the club placed rookie defensive tackle Luther Robinson, who sustained a calf injury, on the injured reserve list.
  • The Chargers have parted ways with a pair of players, releasing center Jeff Baca from their 53-man roster and cutting cornerback Kendall James from their practice squad, tweets Eric Williams of ESPN.com.
  • Having lost wide receiver Deonte Thompson off their practice squad to the Bills earlier today, the Ravens filled the opening by re-signing tight end Allen Reisner to the unit, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Wideout Rashad Ross has signed to Washington‘s taxi squad, the club announced today (Twitter link).

Minor Moves: Thursday

We’ll round up Thursday’s minor moves from around the NFL, including practice squad signings and cuts, in the space below, with the latest items added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Jets have replaced on wide receiver on their 53-man roster with another, placing Greg Salas on injured reserve today and promoting Chris Owusu from their practice squad (Twitter link). After catching eight balls for 167 yards this season, Salas sees his year come to an early end due to a hamstring injury.
  • Chargers guard Ryan Miller fell victim to rainy conditions in San Diego this week, with head coach Mike McCoy indicating that Miller slipped before practice yesterday and has suffered a concussion. San Diego placed Miller on their reserve/non-football injury list, replacing him on the active roster with offensive lineman Jeff Baca, per a team release. Baca’s spot on the Chargers’ taxi squad, meanwhile, has been filled by offensive lineman Bryce Quigley.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

As usual, we expect plenty of Wednesday practice squad moves, as teams around the NFL add and subtract from their respective units in preparation for Week 13 action. Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts:

  • The Ravens signed tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi to the practice squad while placing Konrad Reuland on practice squad-injured list, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • The Seahawks re-signed defensive tackle Jimmy Staten to their practice squad today, cutting offensive lineman Andrew McDonald to make room, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. It’s a reversal of the move the team made over the weekend.
  • The Cardinals filled the two openings on their practice squad today, signing linebacker Kion Wilson and re-adding running back Kerwynn Williams, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
  • Former Georgia defensive tackle Garrison Smith, who spent time in the summer with the Dolphins, has signed to the Saints‘ practice squad, per his agent David Canter (Twitter link). New Orleans had a full unit, so a corresponding move should be announced shortly.

Earlier updates:

  • Washington has added two defensive backs to its practice squad, announcing today that Trey Wolfe and Kenny Okoro have been added to the 10-man unit (Twitter link).
  • After promoting defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, the Raiders signed cornerback Jansen Watson to fill the newly-opened spot, according to a team release. Watson signed with Oakland as an undrafted free agent this spring and was cut during the preseason.
  • The Chargers have filled out their practice squad by adding center Jeff Baca, a 2013 sixth-rounder, the team announced today in a press release.
  • Former Florida State safety Terrance Parks has signed with the Texans‘ practice squad, according to the team.
  • The Dolphins have released defensive end Emmanuel Dieke from their practice squad, signing safety Ahmad Dixon to fill his spot, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Dixon, a seventh-round pick by the Cowboys in May, had spent most of the season with the Bears before being cut last week.
  • The Titans have agreed to terms with outside linebacker Chaz Sutton, adding him to their taxi squad, the team announced today (Twitter link). Sutton fills the lone opening on Tennessee’s unit.
  • Having already made one change to their practice squad (noted below), the Patriots announced several more, via a press release. Linebacker Deontae Skinner and defensive back Daxton Swanson have been cut, while tight end Xavier Grimble has joined the squad.
  • After bringing him in for an audition, the Giants have signed offensive lineman Michael Bamiro to their practice squad, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. New York had an opening on its unit, so no players need to be cut to accommodate the addition.
  • Danny Aiken may have a little competition in New England, as the Patriots have brought back another long snapper, Charley Hughlett, re-adding him to their taxi squad, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). The team will have to announce a corresponding move to make the signing official.
  • Linebacker L.J. Fort has signed with the Bengals‘ practice squad, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Fort, who spent time with the Seahawks earlier this season, worked out for the Bengals and the Saints last week.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

As usual, Tuesday means plenty of practice squad signings and cuts for teams around the NFL. Here are today’s practice squad moves, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • To make room for their new practice squad additions, the Broncos have released defensive end Zach Thompson and wide receiver Douglas McNeil, tweets Mike Klis of The Denver Post.
  • The Saints signed former Chiefs inside linebacker Jerry Franklin to their practice squad, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
  • According to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (via Twitter), tackle Mark Asper and defensive back Josh Bush have joined the Broncos‘ practice squad. Denver previously had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait for word on which players are being replaced.
  • The Bengals have swapped one linebacker for another on their taxi squad, signing Terrell Manning and dropping Justin Jackson, per the team (Twitter link).
  • The Cowboys have made a few changes to their practice squad, releasing guard Jeff Baca and linebacker Will Smith and adding linebacker Keith Smith and cornerback Robert Steeples to replace them (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • Rookie running back Dominique Williams, who was with the Vikings in camp, has re-signed with the team, joining the practice squad, according to a press release. Minnesota had a full 10-man unit, but now no longer lists safety Pierre Warren on its roster, so perhaps he was signed away by another club — the Saints, Warren’s former team, would be the most likely candidate.
  • In addition to making multiple changes to their 53-man roster, the Colts also tweaked their practice squad today, adding running back Michael Hill and cutting wide receiver Eric Thomas, the team announced today. We’ll have to wait to see whether Hill, the only running back on Indianapolis’ practice squad, has a chance to be promoted in Ahmad Bradshaw‘s absence, or if the team will opt for a veteran replacement instead.
  • The Falcons have filled the 10th and final spot on their taxi squad by signing former Oregon defensive tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli, per Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (Twitter link).
  • Having recently worked out for the club, cornerback Marcus Cromartie has joined the 49ers‘ practice squad, replacing tight end Xavier Grimble, who has been cut, according to the club (Twitter link).
  • Outside linebacker Cordarro Law, who was cut from the Chargers‘ active roster prior to Sunday’s game against the Raiders, has re-signed with the team’s practice squad, according to the Chargers’ transactions list.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

Today’s practice squad moves:

  • One cornerback has replaced another on the Chargers‘ practice squad, as the team announced today that it has signed Kendall James and parted ways with Aaron Hester.
  • Offensive lineman Chris Barker, who was cut when the Patriots acquired Jonathan Casillas, has cleared waivers and will rejoin the club’s practice squad, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. The Pats will have to make a corresponding move to make room for Barker.
  • One last update from Charean Williams (Twitter link) on Jeff Baca: the Cowboys have indeed signed the offensive lineman to their practice squad, releasing guard Rishaw Johnson to do so.

Earlier updates:

  • After being cut by the Rams to accommodate the addition of safety Mark Barron, quarterback Case Keenum has cleared waivers and re-signed with the team’s practice squad, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • Linebacker Justin Anderson is signing with the Giants‘ practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team had been carrying just nine players on its squad, so no corresponding move was necessary to clear room for Anderson, who spent time with the Giants during the preseason.
  • The Seahawks appear to have filled one of their practice squad openings by adding offensive lineman Keavon Milton, says Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
  • Charean Williams had issued an addendum to her earlier report, tweeting that apparently Baca hasn’t signed with the Cowboys after all. Instead, the team has replaced Davis with another linebacker, Will Smith.
  • The Cowboys have signed offensive lineman Jeff Baca to the taxi squad, replacing linebacker Troy Davis, according to Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
  • Quarterback Mike Kafka has been signed to the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). Kafka, 27, was released by the Bucs on Monday. He did not take a snap with the Bucs during his short stint on the active roster and his only NFL experience came in 2011 with the Eagles where he appeared in four games.