Joe Licata

Bengals Cut 11 Players, Down To 79

The Bengals have only four moves left to make in advance of tomorrow’s 75-man deadline. On Monday, the club announced that eleven players have been cut loose:

  • FB Jeff Luc
  • DL Jack Gangwish
  • CB Corey Tindal
  • S Floyd Raven
  • LB Darien Harris
  • QB Joe Licata
  • WR Antwane Grant
  • K Zach Hocker
  • TE John Peters
  • LB Jayson DiManche

The Bengals should be able to whittle down their roster a bit more by placing players like Cedric Peerman (fractured forearm) and fourth-round draft pick Andrew Billings (surgically-repaired meniscus) on IR. Defensive tackle Brandon Thompson (ACL) is also likely to hit the PUP list.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/16

Today’s minor moves:

Earlier Updates:

  • The Broncos have signed linebacker Dekoda Watson to a one-year deal, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets. Watson appeared in three games for the Patriots last year as he was yo-yo’d on and off of the team’s roster.
  • Eagles guard/tackle Matt Tobin has signed a two-year deal with the team, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Tobin was previously set to play out this year on his one-year restricted free agent tender. Now, his new deal will lower his base salary for this season.
  • Washington waived linebacker Reggie Northrup, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Interestingly, Northrup is represented by rapper Lil Wayne.
  • More Washington signings via the team’s website: tackle Al Bond, guard Nila Kasitati, linebacker Mike Wakefield and running back Kelsey Young. Guard Dominick Jackson was waived.
  • The Seahawks have waived/injured linebacker Christian French and signed fellow linebacker Khairi Fortt to take his place on the 90-man roster, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.
  • The Bengals are set to sign former University of Buffalo quarterback Joe Licata, as Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News tweets. To make room, rookie quarterback Matt Johnson has been waived.
  • The Browns signed defensive back Eric Patterson, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The 23-year-old entered the NFL last year as a UDFA with New England. The Ball State product appeared in two games for Indianapolis and one with St. Louis.
  • The Bears announced they have signed Donovan Williams, an offensive lineman from Louisiana-Lafayette (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune). The Bears have also released center Dan Buchholz, wide receiver/tight end Marcus Lucas, and wide receiver Nathan Palmer (link).
  • The Bears waived defensive end Bruce Gaston, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. Demovsky suggests that Gaston, who made Green Bay’s opening day roster last season, could get another look from the Packers.
  • The Chargers have signed former Arizona State guard Vi Teofilo to a three-year deal, a source tells Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. The 6’3″, 205-pound lineman will look to compete for a practice squad spot. The Chargers waived guard Sebastian Johansson, an undrafted rookie guard from Marshall, in a corresponding move. They also waived-injured linebacker Brock Hekking.
  • The Saints waived safety Michael Caputo and quarterback Griffin Neal after this weekend’s rookie minicamp, Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune tweets. According to Wilson (on Twitter), the team has also cut receiver Shane Wynn.
  • In a related move, the Saints inked linebacker Tony Steward (Twitter link via Woodbery). Steward played at Clemson and was a fifth-round pick of Buffalo in 2015.
  • The Saints signed Jake Lampman, Wilson tweets. The Ferris State product caught 52 passes for 731 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Tryout Notes: Saturday

We’re compiling Saturday’s tryout news below, and we’ll keep you updated on any new info throughout the day…

  • The Bills didn’t sign Williamsville South and UB quarterback Joe Licata following his rookie camp audition, but Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News reports that he’ll receive another chance. The signal-caller is set to try out for the Bengals on Monday, and Licata could potentially compete with Keith Wenning and Matt Johnson for the third QB spot.
  • Marquis Jackson, the brother of Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson, is trying out for the Bears this weekend, reports Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times. The defensive lineman tried out fot the Vikings in 2013, and he also played for the AFL’s Portland Thunder. “We had him in at Denver one time and he was in a suit sitting in our lunch room. Everybody was looking around going, ‘Malik, what are you doing in a suit?’” said coach John Fox. “So I’ve met him before. That’s a big reason why we brought him in.”
  • ESPN’s Mike Triplett passes along two rookies trying out for the Saints this weekend: Mississippi State wideout De’Runnya Wilson and Appalachian State University offensive lineman Davante Harris (Twitter links).