HEADLINES

Jerry Franklin

Dolphins Work Out Brandon Spikes

August 3rd, 2016 at 10:53am CST by Zachary Links

11:09am: One of the other linebackers being worked out is Jerry Franklin, who previously spent time with the Lions (via Salguero on Twitter).

10:53am: Spikes is one of three linebackers working out for Miami today, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets.

9:58am: Linebacker Brandon Spikes worked out for the Dolphins today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The audition marks Spikes’ first workout after a year removed from football. Brandon Spikes

[RELATED: Teams Monitoring Dolphins Defensive Ends]

Spikes signed a one-year deal to return to the Patriots in May 2015. However, Spikes was involved in a hit-and-run incident weeks later, which quickly led to his release from the team. Luckily for all parties, the three people involved in the crash only suffered minor injuries, allowing Spikes to get one year of probation rather than a maximum sentence of two years in jail. Spikes was hit with a four-game suspension in 2015 after the incident, though it didn’t mean much since he was without an NFL home.

While he’s typically taken off the field in passing downs, Spikes has proven himself to be an effective part-time player, specializing as a run defender. Before signing with New England in the summer of 2015, the Dolphins were among the teams to show interest in him.

On an admittedly small sample of passing downs, the advanced metrics from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) were actually kind to Spikes’ pass-coverage abilities in 2014, as he ranked fourth-best at his position in yards per coverage snap and coverage snaps per reception. Still, you can expect to see him mostly against the run if he is given another NFL shot. Overall, he graded as PFF’s 13th-best inside linebacker in the league in 2014 thanks to his run-stopping ability. Spikes finished ninth against the run at his position in 2014 and ranked No. 1 against the run in both 2012 and 2013.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/16

July 28th, 2016 at 3:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Broncos have waived tight end Manasseh Garner with a non-football illness designation and signed free agent tight end John Phillips to take his place, writes Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. Primarily a blocker, Phillips has 95 appearances (32 starts), 45 catches and four touchdowns on his six-year resume with Dallas and San Diego.
  • The Bengals announced that they have signed safety Jimmy Wilson. Wilson, who turns 30 on Saturday, appeared in 13 games with San Diego last season before the team released him in December. Earlier this year, he hooked on with KC, but that stint was short lived. Since entering the league as a seventh-rounder in 2011, Wilson has played in 73 regular-season games, logged 28 starts, and amassed five interceptions.
  • The Lions announced the signing of linebacker Dominique Tovell as well as the release of wide receiver Damian Copeland and linebacker Jerry Franklin.
  • The Jets announced that they have cut rookie punter Tom Hackett. With Hackett out of the picture, fellow rookie Lachlan Edwards has presumably won the team’s punting job.
  • The Falcons announced the signing of defensive end Efe Obada. In a related move, Atlanta waived wide receiver Daje Johnson.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/11/16

February 11th, 2016 at 4:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Thursday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from across the NFL:

  • The Seahawks also signed running back Cameron Marshall, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. An Arizona State product, Marshall played the past two seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. The 24-year-old runner gained 992 yards from scrimmage and scored five touchdowns in 18 CFL contests last season. He initially spent time with the Dolphins in 2013 before debuting in Canada a year later.

Earlier updates:

  • The Lions have signed veteran linebacker Jerry Franklin, the team announced today. Franklin, who played his college ball at Arkansas, has spent time on the regular season rosters for the Bears, Chiefs, and Saints since 2012.
  • The Panthers have signed former CFL punter Swayze Waters to a one-year deal, the club announced in a press release. Waters, who missed most of the 2015 season due a hip injury, handled punting and kicking duties for the Toronto Argonauts, earning special teams player of the year honors in 2014.
  • Another CFL player, wide receiver Jeff Fuller, has a deal in place to join the Seahawks, according to Scott Mitchell of the Calgary Sun (Twitter link). In 13 games last season for the Calgary Stampeders, Fuller grabbed 47 balls for 619 yards and three touchdowns.

Saints Slim Down Roster To 53

September 5th, 2015 at 7:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

One season and two training camps proved sufficient for the Saints to determine whether Stanley Jean-Baptiste was capable of making an impact for them.

They determined the 2014 second-round pick wasn’t good enough for their roster, notes Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. Jean-Baptiste only played eight snaps last year and as a result of this move, Brandin Cooks is the only player remaining on the team from last year’s draft class.

The Saints instead kept 2014 undrafted free agent Brian Dixon, who played 166 snaps as a rookie, among their seven-cornerback contingent.

New Orleans did not keep veteran receiver Josh Morgan, either, and will go with a mostly young receiving stable, excepting Marques Colston.

Jairus Byrd also avoided having to start the season on the PUP list, per Terrell.

The Saints’ other cuts are as follows:

  • Justin Anderson, LB
  • Edwin Baker, RB
  • Nick Becton, OL
  • Orson Charles, TE
  • Henry Coley, LB
  • Jerry Franklin, LB
  • Mike Golic Jr., OL
  • Ryan Griffin, QB
  • Bryce Harris, T
  • Sean Hickey, OL
  • Seantavius Jones, WR
  • Dustin Hopkins, K
  • Cyril Lemon, OL
  • Chris Manhertz, TE
  • Joseph Morgan, WR
  • Toben Opurum, FB
  • Sammy Seamster, CB
  • Alex Smith, TE
  • Pierre Warren, S

Saints Place Thomas, Hicks On IR

December 26th, 2014 at 1:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have placed running back Pierre Thomas and defensive end Akiem Hicks on IR, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (link). Taking their spots on the 53-man roster will be wide receiver Brandon Coleman and linebacker Jerry Franklin (link). Coleman and Franklin were bumped up in order to secure them under contract, according to coach Sean Payton. They are not expected to play this weekend.

Despite playing in ten games this season, Thomas has only amassed 45 carries this season, which will be the lowest for his career. He has been pushed onto the backburner as former first-round pick Mark Ingram has seen his workload and productivity increase. Ingram, who has also struggled with injuries, has been given over 200 carries during his breakout year.

Hicks was a third-round pick in 2012, and played 14 games for the Saints this year. His productivity was marginal, getting to the quarterback for only two sacks this year, but did contribute 4.5 sacks in 2013.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

November 18th, 2014 at 7:02pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Workout Notes: 49ers, Bills, Saints, Eagles

November 18th, 2014 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

As usual, NFL teams are keeping a close eye on the free agent market, bringing in players for visits and tryouts as they prepare contingency plans in the event that they need to replace injured players or add depth. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has the details on several of the latest workouts and auditions from around the league, so let’s round up the highlights (all links go to Twitter)….

Chiefs Activate Joe Mays

November 8th, 2014 at 11:30am CST by Ben Levine

The Chiefs have gotten plenty of production from their linebackers this season, and the team will soon be adding another member to that rotation. ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team will activate Joe Mays from the short-term injured reserve. To make room on the roster, the team has waived linebacker Jerry Franklin. As Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star notes (via Twitter), there is no guarantee that Mays will play this weekend.

The 29-year-old has bounced around a bit since being selected in the sixth round of the 2008 draft by the Eagles. He arguably had his best statistical season in 2013 with the Texans, when he compiled 42 tackles in 14 games. ProFootballFocus.com’s metrics (subscription required) ranked Mays favorably, placing him among the top-ten defenders for Houston last season. Mays signed a two-year, $6MM deal with the Chiefs in March. He was placed on the IR during training camp after injuring his wrist.

Franklin went undrafted out of Arkansas in 2012, and he eventually caught on with the Bears. The 26-year-old has appeared in seven games this season, collecting four tackles while playing primarily special teams.

 

Chiefs Announce Series Of Roster Moves

September 9th, 2014 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chiefs officially finalized a series of roster moves today, according to a team release. Besides confirming the signing of defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson, and the additions of wideout Armon Binns and tight end Adam Schiltz to their practice squad, which had been previously reported, the Chiefs also announced the following moves:

Added to 53-man roster:

Removed from 53-man roster:

Signed to practice squad:

Removed from practice squad:

Sunday Transactions: AFC West

August 31st, 2014 at 7:12pm 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 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:

Oakland Raiders:

San Diego Chargers:

  • Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Chas Alecxih, DL; Torrence Allen, WR; Greg Ducre, CB; Javontee Herndon, WR; Cordarro Law, OLB; Ryan Lindley, QB; Adrian Phillips, S; Jeremiah Sirles, T; Craig Watts, G
Load More Posts