HEADLINES

John DePalma

Saints To Sign LS Zach Wood

September 8th, 2017 at 6:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints have signed long snapper Zach Wood, a source tells Nick Underhill of the Advocate (Twitter link). Wood will replace veteran Jon Dorenbos, who has been placed on the non-football injury list following the revelation that he’ll need heart surgery.

[RELATED: Saints Working To Rescind Jon Dorenbos Trade]

Wood, who spent four years as a defensive lineman at Southern Methodist University, transitioned to long snapper during his second camp with the Cowboys in 2017. While he was waived during final cutdowns after failing to overtake 13-year veteran L.P. Ladouceur, Wood will now get a chance to snap for the Saints.

Wood worked out for New Orleans today, but he wasn’t the only long snapper to do. John DePalma, Colin Holba, and Tanner Purdum all auditioned for the Saints today, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, as did Jeff Overbaugh, whose inclusion was reported earlier today.

NFL Workout Updates: 11/22/16

November 22nd, 2016 at 7:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Tuesday is workout day in the NFL, and today was no different. Due to the sheer volume of today’s auditions, we’ll split up the reports by conference:

NFC

AFC

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Trades, Falcons, Bills, Bouye, Pats

October 31st, 2016 at 10:01pm CST by Zachary Links

With the league’s trading deadline less than 24 hours away, Mike Sando of ESPN Insider and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com try to guess where certain players might end up in the coming days. The Seahawks would make a perfect fit for Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, opines Sando, who also suggests the Packers try to acquire Torrey Smith and the Bears attempt to find a taker for Alshon Jeffery. Meanwhile, La Canfora focuses solely on Thomas, laying out the case for clubs such as the Cardinals, Broncos, and Colts to go after the future Hall of Famer.

Let’s take a quick spin around the league on this Halloween night:

  • Speaking of the deadline, two head coaches broached the subject today while speaking with reporters. The Falcons‘ Dan Quinn told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that while there are some “behind-the-scenes whispers about stuff” happening over the next day or so, Atlanta is unlikely to make a move. Bills head coach Rex Ryan, meanwhile, said he “doesn’t necessarily see” Buffalo working out a trade before tomorrow, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • Looking ahead to 2017 free agency, Peter King of TheMMQB.com identifies Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye as one underrated player who could potentially score a hefty contract next spring. Bouye, whose role with Houston will grow even larger given that Kevin Johnson is now on IR, grades as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 corner, leading King to speculate that Bouye could be worth $8MM on the open market.
  • The Patriots worked out punter Brandon Fields, kicker Matt Wile, long snappers Tyler Ott and John DePalma, and wide receivers Wendall Williams and Bralon Addison, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • The Giants tried out rookie undrafted free agent linebacker Myke Tavarres , per Caplan (Twitter link). This marks the second time they have worked him out.
  • The Cowboys auditioned guard Kadeem Edwards, Caplan tweets. Edwards, who was cut by Jacksonville at the end of the summer, worked out for Kansas City last week.

Workout Notes: Pats, Chiefs, Broncos, Jets

September 3rd, 2016 at 7:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Now that cutdowns are completed, teams have begun auditioning players that are still on the free agent market, either in an effort to upgrade their current roster or to update their emergency free agent lists. Let’s take a look at the workouts that have been reported today:

Extra Points: Broncos, Hillman, Solomon, Jets

September 2nd, 2016 at 2:56pm CST by Zachary Links

When asked about Ronnie Hillman‘s trade value, two NFL GMs told Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he doesn’t have much because he doesn’t play special teams. The Broncos running back is said to be on the bubble as the 53-man deadline approaches.

Denver has already handed Hillman $600K through a signing bonus and workout bonuses, but his $1.4MM base salary is non-guaranteed. By most accounts, Devontae Booker and Kapri Bibbs have leapfrogged the one-time Broncos starter.

Here’s more from around the NFL on this busy day:

  • Former Cleveland outside linebacker Scott Solomon recently worked out for the Chiefs, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Solomon appeared in just two games last season before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury. He was a restricted free agent this offseason and Cleveland initially picked up his $1.671MM tender. Less than one month later, however, he was cut.
  • Jonathan Freeny‘s two-year extension with the Patriots is worth $4.1MM, including a $1.3MM signing bonus, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. He’ll bring cap hits of $1.74MM in ’16, $1.87MM in ’17, and $2.03MM in ’18.
  • The Jets worked out former Harvard center Anthony Fabiano on Thursday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Long snapper John DePalma is working out for the Seahawks today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). DePalma was previously in Philly.

Eagles Cut Rueben Randle

August 28th, 2016 at 5:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles have announced a series of roster moves today, and the most surprising transaction is the release of wide receiver Rueben Randle, who was signed to a one-year deal over the offseason. Randle, who is still only 25 years old, was thought to be a clear starter for Philadelphia after averaging 56 receptions, 782 yards, and six touchdowns over the past three seasons with the Giants.Rueben Randle (Vertical)

But after the Eagles acquired Dorial Green-Beckham, Randle’s roster spot became tenuous, especially given his lackluster performance during the preseason. Philadelphia handed Randle $500K in guarantees plus a $25K roster bonus, so the club will incur $525K in dead money. Because he’s a vested veteran, Randle will not have to clear waivers and will become a free agent immediately.

The Eagles also made the following transactions:

Cut:

Placed On Injured Reserve:

Eagles Agree To Terms With 16 UDFAs

May 5th, 2016 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles are the latest NFL team to announce their undrafted free agent class, tweeting out the names of 16 new additions to their roster today. Philadelphia’s list of rookie free agents includes four wide receivers, three defensive tackles, and a pair of running backs. Here’s the full breakdown: