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John Hughes

NFL Workout Updates: 9/19/17

September 19th, 2017 at 9:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Saints Reach 53-Man Roster Limit

September 2nd, 2017 at 10:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Every team had to get under the 53-man limit by Saturday’s deadline, but the Saints were the last to publicly announce their cuts. Here’s the full rundown of their moves:

Waived:

Released:

IR:

The Saints re-signed Cadet this offseason only to put him on the trade block in June. They didn’t find any takers then and they apparently couldn’t find any now. The Jets, who pursued him in free agency, could have interest in signing him.

Saints Sign Jason Jones, John Hughes

August 12th, 2017 at 9:17am CST by Ben Levine

The Saints have busy this morning, adding several names to their roster. According to Nick Underhill of The Advocate (via Twitter), the team has signed defensive end Jason Jones, tight end Braedon Bowman, and defensive tackle John Hughes. In a following tweet, Underhill reports that the Saints have signed defensive back Malik Foreman, while ESPN’s Mike Triplett tweets that the team also added wideout Xavier Rush. Finally, the organization placed defensive tackle Devaroe Lawrence on the injured reserve (via Underhill on Twitter).

Jason Jones (Vertical)Jones, 31, is the most experienced member of that grouping, as the 31-year-old has 109 career games (70 starts) under his belt. After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Titans, the former second-rounder has bounced around a bit, playing for the Seahawks, Lions, and Dolphins. He appeared in 14 games last season with Miami, compiling 22 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

Hughes, a former third-rounder, also has more than 50 career NFL games to his name, although he only appeared in six games last season between the Browns and Buccaneers. His best season came during his rookie campaign in 2012, when he collected 34 tackles and three sacks.

Bowman, a former standout at South Alabama, had brief stints with both the Jaguars and Jets last season. Rush, a former receiver out of Tulane, spent some times with the Eagles last year. Finally, Foreman, a former Tennessee product, recorded three interceptions and 14 passes defended during his four-year college career. The defensive back had reportedly signed with the Texans earlier this offseason, but a neck injury caused both sides to pause.

The Saints added Lawrence back in May, but the undrafted rookie was subsequently placed on the NFI list. The former Auburn player missed the end of his college career after undergoing knee surgery.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/13/16

December 13th, 2016 at 6:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Seahawks have made a series of roster moves, announcing that they’ve signed running back Kelvin Taylor and cornerback Ronald Powell to their 53-man roster while placing running back Troymaine Pope and fullback Will Tukuafu on IR. Tay is the son of former NFL great Fred Taylor.
  • The Bears have signed tight end MyCole Pruitt off the Vikings‘ practice squad, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispacth, while Chicago announced that it has cleared a roster spot by waiving defensive back De’Vante Bausby. Pruitt, a 2015 fifth-round pick, has played in 18 games over the past two years.
  • The Packers will sign linebacker Jordan Tripp, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tripp, primarily a special teamer, was recently waived off Seattle’s IR.
  • John Hughes won’t be staying home alone any longer, as the Buccaneers announced that they’ve re-signed the veteran defensive tackle. Hughes, 28, has already played in three games for Tampa this season.
  • The Ravens announced that they’ve placed running back Lorenzo Taliaferro on injured reserve and signed linebacker Lamar Louis to the active roster. Taliaferro, a 2014 fourth-round, hasn’t been able to get on the field in Baltimore, as he’s managed only 14 carries over the past two seasons. The Ravens are also promoting WR Michael Campanaro, tweets Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Rams have signed cornerback Troy Hill from the practice squad and placed tight end Cory Harkey on injured reserve, the team announced today. Hill had been waived following a DUI arrest, but has now earned a second chance on the roster.
  • The Bills signed safety Shamiel Gary and offensive lineman Michael Ola to the active roster, per a club announcement. Linebacker Bryson Albright has been waived in a corresponding transaction.
  • The Redskins announced that they’ve promoted linebacker Nick Moody from the practice squad to the active roster and placed defensive end Anthony Lanier on injured reserve. Lanier, 26, has 25 games of NFL experience under his belt since entering the league as a San Francisco draft pick in 2013.
  • The Cardinals have swapped out punters once again, announcing that they’ve waived Drew Butler in favor of Matt Wile, who was promoted from the practice squad. Arizona also signed quarterback Zac Dysert off the taxi squad.
  • The Falcons have re-signed cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson, the team announced today. BWW had just been waived last week in order to clear a spot for wide receiver depth.
  • The Browns announced that they’ve promoted DL Gabe Wright from the practice squad to active roster. Wright, a former Detroit draft pick, was claimed by Cleveland earlier this year.

Buccaneers Activate Charles Sims

December 10th, 2016 at 12:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Charles Sims will be making his return this weekend. Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports (via Twitter) that the Buccaneers have activated the pass-catching running back from the injured reserve. The team has also promoted wideout Donteea Dye, and they’ve waived offensive lineman Josh Allen and defensive tackle John Hughes to make the necessary roster room.

Charles Sims (vertical)The Buccaneers’ running backs have struggled through injuries this season, as the team has relied on four different starters at the position. Despite the woes, Tampa Bay has still managed to run for a respectable 1,259 yards. The team should be optimistic heading into the final stretch of the season, as Sims, Doug Martin, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Peyton Barber are all finally (relatively) healthy. Of course, running back Antone Smith is currently on the injured reserve.

Sims was placed on the injured reserve in early October with a knee injury, and he returned to practice in late November. In four games this season, the 26-year-old had run for 116 yards and one touchdown on 41 carries, and he added another 14 receptions for 112 yards and a score. 2015 was a breakout campaign for Sims, as the former third-rounder finished the season with 529 rushing yards and 561 receiving yards.

With wideout Adam Humphries sitting out this weekend’s game with a concussion, the Buccaneers also promoted wideout Donteea Dye from the practice squad. As an undrafted rookie in 2015, Dye ended up playing in 10 games (five starts) for the Bucs, collecting 11 receptions for 132 yards and one touchdown.

Hughes was playing for his third team this season, as the veteran defensive end has also spent time with the Browns and Patriots. The lineman ultimately played in five games for the Buccaneers, compiling six tackles. Hughes has 58 career games under his belt, and he’s collected 115 career tackles and 5.5 career sacks.

Allen was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster in late November. The center played in three games for the Buccaneers back in 2014. Auman believes that the release of Allen is an indication that Evan Dietrich-Smith could return from his three-game absence.

Buccaneers Sign DT John Hughes

October 3rd, 2016 at 1:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have signed defensive tackle John Hughes, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Hughes has been a free agent since being released by the Patriots earlier this month. John Hughes (vertical)

Hughes was cut loose by the Browns in September, a surprising move since he had several years to go on the lucrative extension he inked in 2015. Days later, he signed with New England, but his stay with the Pats lasted less than a week.

Hughes, a 2012 draftee, started just seven games in his first three seasons with the Browns and landed on IR in 2014 after suffering an MCL injury. The former third-round pick appeared in all 16 regular season games in 2015 and made three starts, totaling 24 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble.

After Gerald McCoy suffered a calf injury over the weekend, Hughes will provide Tampa Bay with some much-needed depth. As Auman notes, Bucs director of player personnel John Spytek was in Cleveland the year Hughes was drafted.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Sign Greg Scruggs, Cut John Hughes

October 1st, 2016 at 4:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots exchanged one fifth-year player for another on the day before their Week 4 clash against the Bills. New England signed Greg Scruggs and cut John Hughes, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Both have spent the majority of their careers as defensive linemen, but Scruggs could be tapped to play tight end for the Patriots. He played four seasons as a reserve defensive lineman, seeing action for the Seahawks in 2012, ’13 and ’15, before moving to tight end with the Bears. The Pats worked out Scruggs on Friday.

Chicago waived Scruggs earlier this week. The 6-foot-3 former defensive end did see time in all three of Chicago’s games thus far this season but hasn’t made a catch at his new position yet. The Patriots listed Rob Gronkowski as questionable again this week. If he’s unable to go, Scruggs could have a route to being a game-day active in a Martellus Bennett-fronted group.

However, the Pats already have two other tight ends on their roster in Clay Harbor and A.J. Derby, and Doug Kyed of NESN.com (Twitter link) points out the team might want Scruggs to work at his former position.

Hughes signed with the Patriots on Monday after the Browns cut him last week to create a spot for Charlie Whitehurst. Cleveland signed the defensive lineman to a four-year, $14.4MM extension in March of 2015, but the franchise’s new regime evidently didn’t think as highly of him as the Ray Farmer– and Mike Pettine-led operation did.

The 28-year-old Hughes has played in 53 games (10 starts) since coming into the league as a third-round pick in 2012. He played in one game for the Browns this season after suiting up for all 16 in 2015. Hughes has 5.5 career sacks to his credit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Broncos, Siemian, Seahawks

September 29th, 2016 at 2:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Could the Broncos use Trevor Siemian as trade bait? Adam Schefter of ESPN.com wonders aloud if Denver could shop the quarterback at some point given that Paxton Lynch is their signal caller of the future. The Broncos drafted the Memphis product with the idea that he could play right away and there are surely plenty of teams that would have interest in Siemian now that he has proven himself to be a capable QB. By the same token, the Broncos are 3-0 and they’re obviously not looking to jettison their starter right now.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • How does new acquisition C.J. Spiller fit into the Seahawks running back picture? ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia says that Spiller will take over on third downs and be used in the passing game. Meanwhile, it will be mostly Christine Michael as Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise heal up. Spiller didn’t do much with the Saints but he did have two 1,110+ yard seasons while with the Bills. Seattle is hoping that he still has a bit left in the tank.
  • Safety Michael Griffin and defensive tackle Kyle Love each got one-year deals when they signed with the Panthers, according to the team’s official announcement. Carolina agreed to sign both players on Tuesday afternoon.
  • The Packers tried out defensive tackles Brandin Bryant, Lars Koht, and Joey Mbu as well as offensive tackle Lawrence Walker, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • Defensive tackle John Hughes‘ deal with the Patriots is a one-year, $760K deal, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. He gets a $428K injury split but no signing bonus or guaranteed money.
  • The Chiefs worked out former Idaho offensive tackle Jesse Davis yesterday, as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets.

Patriots To Sign DL John Hughes

September 26th, 2016 at 2:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots are signing free agent defensive lineman John Hughes, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). New England created a roster spot earlier today by waiving defensive tackle Anthony Johnson.John Hughes (vertical)

[RELATED: New England Patriots Depth Chart]

Hughes, a 2012 draftee, started just seven games in his first three seasons with the Browns and landed on IR in 2014 after suffering an MCL injury. The former third-round pick appeared in all 16 regular season games in 2015 and made three starts, totaling 24 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble. Cleveland cut him last week in order to create a roster spot for quarterback Charlie Whitehurst.

A report earlier today suggested that the Patriots wanted to “bulk up” their defensive line, and Hughes — who stands 6’2″, 320 pounds — will certainly help them do that. Notably, New England won’t use the roster spot created by Johnson’s vacancy to add a free agent quarterback, lending more credence to the notion that at least one of Jimmy Garoppolo or Jacoby Brissett will be ready for Week 4.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Cut DL John Hughes

September 20th, 2016 at 2:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns announced that they have released defensive lineman John Hughes. Hughes inked a lucrative extension with the Browns in March of 2015 and had several years to go on his deal. Now, he’ll be a free agent for the first time in his career.John Hughes (vertical)

Hughes, a 2012 draftee, started just seven games in his first three seasons in Cleveland and landed on IR in 2014 after suffering an MCL injury. The former third-round pick appeared in all 16 regular season games in 2015 and made three starts, totaling 24 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble. Even though his extension was set to pay him $14.4MM in new money, the new regime in Cleveland apparently wasn’t very fond of him.

By cutting Hughes and rookie linebacker Scooby Wright, the Browns have made room for center Austin Reiter and quarterback Charlie Whitehurst.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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