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Kenny Okoro

Washington Cuts 13 Players

May 4th, 2015 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Following the conclusion of this weekend’s draft, Washington has made significant changes to its roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that the club has waived or released 13 players. The players who were waived by Washington will have to go unclaimed before becoming free agents, while the veterans who were released will be able to seek new jobs immediately.

Here’s the full list of players cut by GM Scot McCloughan and his team:

Waived:

Released:

Minor Moves: Saturday

December 6th, 2014 at 4:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are Saturday’s minor moves, with the most recent transactions added to the top of the list:

  • Washington has placed cornerback Chase Minnifield on injured reserve, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter). The team promoted defensive back Kenny Okoro to the 53-man roster.
  • The Seahawks have promoted wide receiver Chris Matthews from their practice squad to the active roster, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
  • The Steelers have activated outside linebacker Jarvis Jones off the injured reserve-designated to return, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team placed cornerback Cortez Allen on injured reserve to make room for Jones.
  • The Patriots have activated defensive tackle Sealver Siliga from the injured reserve-designated to return, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Siliga will join the active roster in time for the Sunday Night matchup against the Chargers tomorrow.

Earlier Updates

  • The Broncos‘ kicking carousel continues, as Mike Klis of the Denver Post tweets that the team has promoted kicker Brandon McManus from the practice squad. The former undrafted free agent made his NFL debut with Denver earlier this season, connecting on nine of his 13 attempts. To make room, the team waived returner Isaiah Burse.
  • The Giants have signed linebacker/defensive end Paul Hazel from their practice squad, tweets ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. The 24-year-old appeared in 13 games with the Browns last season. To make room on the roster, the team released defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton.
  • Washington has promoted linebacker Gabe Miller from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, according to agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). A fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft, the 27-year-old finally made his NFL debut earlier this season. To make room on the roster, the team cut third-year wideout Aldrick Robinson (via ESPN’s John Keim on Twitter). Robinson signed a one-year deal with Washington following a solid 2013 campaign, but he hasn’t seen the field since Week 5.
  • The Ravens have activated cornerback Asa Jackson from the injured reserve, tweets ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. The former fifth-rounder started four games earlier this season before succumbing to a foot injury. The team also placed undrafted rookie Tramain Jacobs on the injured reserve.

NFC East Notes: RGIII, Washington, Giants

November 26th, 2014 at 9:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Tight end Gavin Escobar was a notorious reach by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2013 draft and has done little to prove those naysayers wrong, writes Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News. Escobar has had a few moments this season, but he hasn’t taken any tremendous strides from his underwhelming rookie year. In 2013, Escobar was expected to see lots of targets in two tight end sets for Dallas. Instead, he was hardly used at all and finished that season with nine catches and two TDs. This year, Escobar has eight receptions and three TDs. More from the NFC East..

  • The benching of Robert Griffin III is just another example of Washington‘s self-inflicted woes, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The RGIII era, he writes, was a bad idea from the beginning. A study from the Harvard Sports Analysis Collective back in 2012 concluded that in order for Washington “to get the equivalent value from RGIII as they spent acquiring him, he must produce at least as much as Tom Brady.” Suffice to say, Washington would have been much better off had they kept their valuable draft choices. Now, Griffin will probably be tossed aside for good this offseason, with the Redskins lucky to get a late-round pick.
  • Washington worked out linebackers Uani’ Unga and Quandon Christian, defensive backs Kevin Fogg, Kenny Horsley, Kenny Okoro, and Bryan McCann, wide receiver Douglas McNeil, guard John Sullen, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • The Giants worked out guard Rishaw Johnson, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Big Blue also had tackle Michael Bamiro in for an audition, which led to him being signed to the practice squad soon after.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

November 26th, 2014 at 6:34pm CST by Luke Adams

As usual, we expect plenty of Wednesday practice squad moves, as teams around the NFL add and subtract from their respective units in preparation for Week 13 action. Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts:

  • The Ravens signed tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi to the practice squad while placing Konrad Reuland on practice squad-injured list, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • The Seahawks re-signed defensive tackle Jimmy Staten to their practice squad today, cutting offensive lineman Andrew McDonald to make room, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. It’s a reversal of the move the team made over the weekend.
  • The Cardinals filled the two openings on their practice squad today, signing linebacker Kion Wilson and re-adding running back Kerwynn Williams, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
  • Former Georgia defensive tackle Garrison Smith, who spent time in the summer with the Dolphins, has signed to the Saints‘ practice squad, per his agent David Canter (Twitter link). New Orleans had a full unit, so a corresponding move should be announced shortly.

Earlier updates:

  • Washington has added two defensive backs to its practice squad, announcing today that Trey Wolfe and Kenny Okoro have been added to the 10-man unit (Twitter link).
  • After promoting defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, the Raiders signed cornerback Jansen Watson to fill the newly-opened spot, according to a team release. Watson signed with Oakland as an undrafted free agent this spring and was cut during the preseason.
  • The Chargers have filled out their practice squad by adding center Jeff Baca, a 2013 sixth-rounder, the team announced today in a press release.
  • Former Florida State safety Terrance Parks has signed with the Texans‘ practice squad, according to the team.
  • The Dolphins have released defensive end Emmanuel Dieke from their practice squad, signing safety Ahmad Dixon to fill his spot, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Dixon, a seventh-round pick by the Cowboys in May, had spent most of the season with the Bears before being cut last week.
  • The Titans have agreed to terms with outside linebacker Chaz Sutton, adding him to their taxi squad, the team announced today (Twitter link). Sutton fills the lone opening on Tennessee’s unit.
  • Having already made one change to their practice squad (noted below), the Patriots announced several more, via a press release. Linebacker Deontae Skinner and defensive back Daxton Swanson have been cut, while tight end Xavier Grimble has joined the squad.
  • After bringing him in for an audition, the Giants have signed offensive lineman Michael Bamiro to their practice squad, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. New York had an opening on its unit, so no players need to be cut to accommodate the addition.
  • Danny Aiken may have a little competition in New England, as the Patriots have brought back another long snapper, Charley Hughlett, re-adding him to their taxi squad, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). The team will have to announce a corresponding move to make the signing official.
  • Linebacker L.J. Fort has signed with the Bengals‘ practice squad, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Fort, who spent time with the Seahawks earlier this season, worked out for the Bengals and the Saints last week.

West Notes: Broncos, Quinn, Chiefs, 49ers

September 2nd, 2014 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Although there was some speculation that the Broncos may face a penalty for potential violations of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement by Peyton Manning and offensive coordinator Adam Gase, the league won’t levy any punishment on the club, says Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Manning and Gase both visited the University of Alabama in April, and taking a campus visit together would’ve violated the terms of the CBA, but it was determined that the two men took their trips separately.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two West divisions….

  • Now that J.J. Watt has agreed to a lucrative new contract extension, Rams defensive end Robert Quinn will be among the next high-profile defenders to keep an eye on. According to Albert Breer of NFL Network, when he spoke to Quinn about his contract situation last week, the standout pass rusher said he didn’t want to let it become a distraction and planned to stay in his lane for now. “When the opportunity approaches, I’ll take advantage of it,” Quinn said.
  • Former third-round pick Brandon Taylor, who was cut by the Chargers back in June, visited the division-rival Chiefs on Monday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • According to Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, who agreed to a contract extension with the team over the weekend, getting a long-term deal done with Kansas City was always the goal — it was just a matter of finding a figure that he felt was fair and that didn’t compromise the club’s flexibility too much. B.J. Kissel of KCChiefs.com has the quotes from Smith.
  • The 49ers worked out a few free agents this week, including fullback J.C. Copeland and defensive backs Rod Sweeting and Chibuikem Okoro, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.