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Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/15

November 18th, 2015 at 4:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s check in on the latest minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL….

  • The Broncos claimed center Sam Brenner off waivers from the Dolphins, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter). To make room, Shelley Smith has been waived (link).

Earlier Updates:

  • The Cowboys, armed with several open spots on their 53-man roster, activated linebacker Mark Nzeocha from the non-football injury list and promoted cornerback Deji Olatoye from their practice squad, per David Helman of DallasCowboys.com (Twitter link). Even after adding Nzeocha, Olatoye, and running back Robert Turbin, Dallas has one opening left on its roster.
  • The Lions officially placed Josh Wilson on injured reserve today due to a right knee injury, signing cornerback Bill Bentley to take Wilson’s spot on the roster, according to a press release. Bentley, a Lions’ third-round pick in 2012, will help provide depth at a position that his been hit hard by injuries.
  • The Buccaneers filled one of the two openings on their 53-man roster today by signing defensive end Lawrence Sidbury, the team announced in a press release. It’s the second time during the 2015 regular season that Sidbury has been added to Tampa Bay’s active roster.
  • The Giants have elevated safety Cooper Taylor from their practice squad to their active roster, the team announced today (via Twitter). Taylor started the year on the team’s injured reserve list, but was removed from IR and eventually rejoined the club.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/17/15

November 17th, 2015 at 6:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from across the NFL:

  • The Dolphins waived center Sam Brenner, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets.
  • The Browns waived tight end Rob Housler (hamstring) from injured reserve today, Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal tweets.
  • The Patriots waived offensive lineman Chris Barker while promoting wide receiver Chris Harper from the practice squad, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

Earlier Updates:

  • The Seahawks have waived wide receiver Chris Matthews, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Matthews had just four receptions during his 12 regular-season games with Seattle, matching the four balls he caught in last season’s Super Bowl against the Pats. Per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter), the Seahawks are promoting wide receiver Kevin Smith to the active roster to replace Matthews.
  • The Dolphins will sign linebacker James-Michael Johnson, tweets Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Johnson was just released by the Lions on Saturday, so he didn’t last long on the open market.
  • Speaking of the Lions, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets that, as expected, the club will place cornerback Josh Wilson on injured reserve due to what Jim Caldwell called a “significant” knee injury. Detroit is expected to sign a new cornerback shortly to help solidify a position that has been hit hard by injuries.
  • The Titans have added two players to their 53-man roster, signing wide receiver Tre McBride from their own practice squad, along with wide receiver Andrew Turzilli from the 49ers‘ practice squad (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com). The two wideouts will take the roster spots vacated by WR Justin Hunter and CB Jason McCourty, who were formally placed on injured reserve today.
  • The Bears have made a change at cornerback, waiving Terrance Mitchell and promoting Jacoby Glenn from their practice squad to fill the newly-opened roster spot, the team announced today (Twitter link).
  • The Chiefs have placed tight end James O’Shaughnessy on injured reserve due to a foot injury, creating an opening for defensive tackle David King, whom Kansas City claimed off waivers from the Seahawks, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
  • The Giants have waived linebacker James Morris, according to a team release. Morris, who was elevated from the practice squad at the end of October, played on special teams during his brief stint on New York’s 53-man roster.

Injury Updates: Bradford, L. Jones, Jaguars

November 16th, 2015 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

While Peyton Manning‘s torn plantar fascia was probably the biggest injury news of the day, since it’ll lead to a Brock Osweiler start for the Broncos in Week 11, it’s hardly the only notable Monday injury update. Here are a few more:

  • Based on initial tests, Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford, who sustained a concussion and a left shoulder injury, is expected to miss at least one game, and potentially two, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Philadelphia is scheduled to play on Thanksgiving afternoon in Week 12, so Bradford won’t have a full second week to recover if he aims to play in that game.
  • Rapoport also provides another QB injury update, tweeting that Steelers signal-caller Landry Jones has a “pretty severe” low ankle sprain. Pittsburgh has a bye this week, but Michael Vick looks likely to back up Ben Roethlisberger for the team’s next game.
  • Lions head coach Jim Caldwell told reporters today that cornerback Josh Wilson suffered a “significant” knee injury, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link). Detroit has yet to make a roster move involving Wilson, but it sounds like his season might be over.
  • Jaguars defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks has been diagnosed with a torn triceps, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links). That’s typically a season-ending injury, though O’Halloran notes that Marks is getting a second opinion before Jacksonville makes any definitive decisions.
  • O’Halloran adds (via Twitter) that surgery for a sports hernia may be in play for Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns, who would be sidelined for four to six weeks if he underwent that procedure. Hurns is visiting a specialist this week to assess the extent of his abdominal injury.
  • Titans defensive tackle Al Woods has a high ankle sprain, and will be out for a few weeks, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link).

Contract Details: Sullivan, Morgan, Wilson

April 7th, 2015 at 5:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are the details on some recently-signed contracts, all courtesy of the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson on Twitter:

  • John Sullivan, C (Vikings): Extended through 2017. $1MM guaranteed. Annual $100K workout bonus, plus $500K escalator for 2017 with 90% playing time in 2015 and 2016 (Twitter links).
  • Will Montgomery, C (Bears): One year, $950K base value. $120K guaranteed (link).
  • Joe Morgan, WR (Saints): One year, $600K base value. $15K signing bonus (link).
  • Josh Wilson, CB (Lions): One year, $950K base value. $200K guaranteed (link).
  • Nick Bellore, LB (49ers): Two years, $1.69MM base value. $30K signing bonus. $505K available through incentives (link).

Lions Sign Josh Wilson

April 3rd, 2015 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have added another cornerback to their roster, announcing today that they’ve signed Josh Wilson, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Per Twentyman, it’s a one-year deal for Wilson.

Wilson, 30, has spent time in Seattle, Baltimore, Washington, and Atlanta since entering the league in 2007 as a second-round pick by the Seahawks. Although he has 85 career starts to his name, Wilson played primarily in nickel and dime packages for the Falcons in 2014, recording 27 tackles and an interception in his 458 defensive snaps.

In Detroit, Wilson will provide depth in a secondary that will bring back starting cornerbacks Darius Slay and Rashean Mathis for the 2015 season. Cassius Vaughn, who saw the third-most snaps among Lions cornerbacks a year ago, remains unsigned, so Wilson figures to compete for that nickel job this summer.

NFC South Notes: Newton, Falcons, Bucs

July 26th, 2014 at 9:31am CST by Matt Feminis

Four paragraphs into an article about the Panthers’ Fan Fest, Charlotte Observer writer Joseph Person quotes Cam Newton, who admits his ankle isn’t fully healed yet: “I can’t stress enough that I’m not 100 percent yet. I’m treating it day in and day out.”

Here’s some more NFC South reading:

  • One of Newton’s newest blockers, 21-year-old rookie guard Trai Turner, is drawing early praise, according to the Observer’s Jonathan Jones, who quotes veteran center Ryan Kalil: “He’s so young and he’s doing such a good job.”
  • Falcons head coach Mike Smith was interviewed the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Orlando Ledbetter. Smith said there will be competition at the Falcons’ free safety spot, but veteran Dwight Lowery is the starter to begin training camp. As for the nickel back job, Robert McClain, Josh Wilson, Javier Arenas and Ricardo Allen are vying for reps.
  • Buccaneers new head man Lovie Smith isn’t deviating from the coaching philosophy and roster structure that sustained him for nine years in Chicago. He’s hand-picked his game managing quarterback in Josh McCown, writes Chris Urso of the Tampa Tribune: “The Bucs don’t need a Drew Brees. Lovie Smith would settle for a Trent Dilfer, a Brad Johnson. The man went to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman at quarterback.” And on the defensive side of the ball, Smith has demanded players trim down in order to play fast and execute his Tampa 2 scheme, writes Alan Dell in the Bradenton Herald.
  • Jason Fitzgerald at OverTheCap.com gave his reaction to yesterday’s Carl Nicks news, saying, “The contract was a good example of the problems that can occur with the all cash salary cap model that is employed by Tampa Bay. Because all cash contracts contain no signing bonus it often leads to lower cash flows in the first year of the contract than awarded in more traditional NFL contracts. The players also receive no “dead money” protection in the contract. These factors lead to teams overpaying for talent and guaranteeing large portions of the contract. Nicks received a ridiculous $25 million in fully guaranteed salary upon signing, an unheard of total for a guard. $31 million of the contract was guaranteed for injury.” Ultimately, the Buccaneers payed Nicks $25MM for nine games of work.

Contract Details: Avant, Wilson, Lowery, Jean

April 9th, 2014 at 10:36am CST by Luke Adams

Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and the National Football Post has passed along this several contract details on deals signed within the last few days. While most contracts being signed these days are minimum salary pacts, that’s not the case for all of them, and even some of those minimum deals include bonuses of varying amounts. Let’s turn to Wilson for a few of the latest updates (all links go to Twitter)….

  • Jason Avant‘s one-year deal with the Panthers includes a minimum base salary of $855K, but doesn’t qualify as a minimum salary benefit contract because his bonuses exceed $65K — Avant got $150K for signing, and will also be eligible for a $45K workout bonus, bringing the total value to $1.05MM.
  • The Falcons signed a pair of defensive backs yesterday, and both players received minimum salary benefit deals. Cornerback Josh Wilson got a $65K signing bonus on his minimum contract, while safety Dwight Lowery received a $30K bonus on his one-year pact, meaning their respective cap hits are $635K and $600K.
  • Lestar Jean‘s one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Vikings has the usual minimum salary benefit cap number of $635K, but took a different route to get there. In addition to his $570K base salary, Jean receives a $10K signing bonus and is eligible for a $55K roster bonus, meaning his contract doesn’t technically qualify as a minimum salary benefit deal, even though the cap hit is identical.
  • Finally, one last contract update comes courtesy of Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, who notes that Brian De La Puente is actually receiving one dollar more than a minimum salary deal would be worth. Because he’s not technically a minimum salary player, De La Puente is eligible to re-up with the Bears before free agency begins next season for a salary worth more than the minimum.

Falcons Sign Josh Wilson, Dwight Lowery

April 8th, 2014 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

2:36pm: The Falcons have officially confirmed the signing of Wilson in a press release, and also announced the signing of safety Dwight Lowery. Lowery, a fourth-round pick in 2008, has spent his six NFL seasons with the Jets and Jaguars, starting 41 total contests.

1:51pm: The Falcons have agreed to sign free agent cornerback Josh Wilson to a one-year contract, reports Chick Hernandez of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter). As we noted earlier today, Wilson had been in Atlanta visiting the Falcons after meeting with the Lions yesterday.

Wilson, 29, has started every game for the Redskins over the last three seasons. Although his Pro Football Focus grade (subscription required) wasn’t overly impressive in 2013, Wilson made a number of big plays on defense, forcing a pair of fumbles and recovering three. The former second-round pick also logged two sacks, an interception, and 92 tackles.

In Washington, Wilson was a full-time player, appearing in 982 defensive snaps, but he may not be leaned upon so strongly in Atlanta. The Falcons parted ways with Asante Samuel this offseason, but have a number of other cornerbacks still in the fold, including Desmond Trufant, Robert McClain, Javier Arenas, and Robert Alford.

Josh Wilson, Greg Jones Visit Falcons

April 8th, 2014 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Having visited with the Lions on Monday, free agent cornerback Josh Wilson is on to Atlanta today to meet with the Falcons, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter). And Wilson isn’t the only free agent in town — fullback Greg Jones also visited the club today, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).

Wilson, 29, has started every game for the Redskins over the last three seasons. Although his Pro Football Focus grade (subscription required) wasn’t overly impressive in 2013, he made a number of big plays on defense, forcing a pair of fumbles and recovering three, to go along with two sacks, an interception, and 92 tackles.

Jones, meanwhile, was one of the better blocking fullbacks in the league in 2013 for the Texans. The 32-year-old spent most of his career with the Jaguars, and usually sees at least a handful of carries and receptions per season. Atlanta hasn’t used a fullback too often in recent years, but perhaps the team’s apparent interest in Jones suggests that the Falcons are keeping their options open for 2014.