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Josh Bellamy

Minor Moves: Monday

September 22nd, 2014 at 9:20pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll keep tabs of today’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Dolphins have signed Marcus Thigpen to their practice squad, writes Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel. Thigpen spent one week on the Patriots’ practice squad beore being cut last week. Thigpen, a former CFL standout, contributed 1,910 kickoff return yards, 580 punt return yards, and scored three touchdowns for the Dolphins in the past two seasons.
  • The Redskins will sign center Tevita Stevens to their practice squad tomorrow, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones, who injured his wrist last night, has been placed on Pittsburgh’s injured reserve list with the designation to return, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). The designation means that Jones will be sidelined for at least the next eight weeks of game action.
  • In advance of tonight’s game against the Jets, the Bears have waived wide receiver Josh Bellamy and promoted linebacker Terrell Manning from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
  • Linebacker Keith Smith has been cut by the Cowboys, the team officially announced today (via Twitter). For now, the club has an opening on its 53-man roster.
  • The Ravens are filling the 10th and final opening on their practice squad by re-adding defensive tackle A.J. Pataiali’i, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • After being cut from the team’s active roster before this weekend’s contest against the Colts, safety Craig Loston has rejoined the Jaguars‘ practice squad, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
  • Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson is set to join the Vikings‘ practice squad, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). When the move becomes official, Minnesota will need to cut or promote someone off the practice squad to clear a spot for Bethel-Thompson.
  • The Buccaneers have removed Rashaan Melvin from their injured reserve list with a settlement, says Wilson (via Twitter).

Minor Moves: Saturday

September 13th, 2014 at 4:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

Here are some minor transactions that have occurred this Saturday before the rest of the week two action begins:

  • The Bears have promoted three players to their active roster for Sunday’s game against the 49ers, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribute (via Twitter). Receivers Josh Bellamy and Chris Williams will be suited up tomorrow, along with center Taylor Boggs.
  • The Vikings have signed running back Joe Banyard off of their practice squad, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). The team has waived full back Zach Line to make room for Banyard.
  • The Patriots have promoted linebacker Deontae Skinner to their active roster, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The team waived linebacker Darius Fleming to make room for the roster move.

Earlier updates:

  • The Jaguars have waived fifth-round pick Chris Smith, reports Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). The defensive end was released to make way for the signing of safety Craig Loston.
  • The Raiders have officially promoted linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu from the practice squad to the active roster, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Wilson originally reported the teams plans to do so yesterday, and it has now become official. Filimoeatu slots in the roster spot that was vacated when the team placed Taiwan Jones on the injured-reserve, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Lions are promoting safety Nate Ness to the active roster, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Birkett has not played in a game since 2011.

Sunday/Monday Transactions: NFC North

September 1st, 2014 at 10:30am CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC North 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 CT 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 NFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Chicago Bears:

Detroit Lions:

Green Bay Packers:

Minnesota Vikings:

Bears Cut Eben Britton, Others

August 30th, 2014 at 4:41pm CST by Ben Levine

4:41pm: The Bears have officially announced all their cuts, so we can add the following names to the list of players no longer on the team’s active roster:

1:35pm: The Bears have also cut a duo of young defenders:

11:12am: The Bears cut down on their offensive line depth this morning, as Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune reports that Eben Britton will be released. The 26-year-old started four games for Chicago in 2013, seeing action on 235 snaps.

As Biggs notes, the only Bears backup lineman with any NFL experience is Brian De La Puente. The team appears ready to roll with rookies Charles Leno Jr. and Michael Ola.

The rest of the Bears moves are listed below:

NFC North Notes: Wilson, Lyerla, Lions

August 4th, 2014 at 9:22pm CST by Matt Feminis

Bears second-year receiver Marquess Wilson will be sidelined indefinitely after he suffered a fractured clavicle on Monday. A second-year pro, Wilson had the inside track on the Bears’ No. 3 receiver job prior to going down. Josh Bellamy was listed behind Wilson on the Bears’ unofficial preseason depth chart, but the team is expected to sign another receiver in Wilson’s absence.

Here’s a few more NFC North news and notes:

  • There’s a legitimate chance 34-year-old safety Adrian Wilson doesn’t make the Bears if he’s not a starter, says Chicago Sun-Times writer Adam Jahns, who lists five Bears with something to prove.
  • Packers rookie tight end Colt Lyerla suffered a knee injury which will keep him out for ‘weeks,’ according to head coach Mike McCarthy (Twitter link). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel beat writer Tyler Dunne spoke with Lyerla’s agent, who said surgery doesn’t look necessary (Twitter link). While the injury throws cold water on one of the more interesting story lines in Packers camp, it could be a blessing in disguise if the team is able to stash the talented undrafted free agent on IR.
  • Adding Jonathan Baldwin to the mix is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Lions, opines ESPN’s Michael Rothstein: “The Lions are always on the search for tall wide receivers, hoping the work ethic and professionalism Calvin Johnson provides can potentially rub off on one of them.”
  • The Lions drafted Nate Freese with the thinking he would take over the team’s kicking duties, but he has not impressed, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. Meanwhile, Italian-born Giorgio Tavecchio is pushing hard for the job, and Justin Rogers of Mlive.com says Freese’s status as a draft pick will not preclude the team does not guarantee anything.
  • “The Vikings are being built the right way, a model that could lead to sustained success if — and this should be written in bold capital letters because it looms over everything else — rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater can develop into their franchise quarterback,” writes Chip Scroggins in the Star Tribune. Scroggins adds the team has 17 “core players,” excluding rookies.

Bears Claim Josh Bellamy On Waivers

April 8th, 2014 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears have been awarded wide receiver Josh Bellamy off waivers, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Bellamy had been cut by the Redskins.

Bellamy, who turns 25 next month, spent five games on Washington’s active roster last season. He didn’t play any offensive snaps, and has yet to record a reception in parts of two NFL seasons, but he played a little on special teams for the club, recording a pair of tackles.

Redskins Cut Bellamy, Hull, Mouton

April 5th, 2014 at 11:49am CST by Matt Feminis

The Redskins have released Josh Bellamy, Josh Hull and Ryan Mouton, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter). All three were special-teams contributors/fringe roster players, though Hull paced the team with 14 special-teams tackles, points out CSN Washington’s Tarik El-Bashir (via Twitter). Hull became expendable thanks to the Redskins’ free-agent linebacker acquisitions.