Kenny Shaw

Workout Notes: Eagles, Seahawks, Bears

Tuesday is typically the big day for player auditions, but plenty of workouts went down on Monday as well. Here’s the rundown, with all links going to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan on Twitter, unless noted otherwise:

  • The Chiefs worked out a number of notable veteran linebackers on Monday.
  • Guard Dallas Thomas worked out for the Eagles (link). Thomas, a third-round pick by Miami in 2013, started 26 games during his four-year career with Miami. He was cut earlier this year and has been unable to find work despite auditions with Detroit, Tennessee, Indianapolis, and Chicago.
  • The Seahawks worked out linebackers Ron Thompson and Junior Sylvestre (link). Sylvestre was in camp with the Colts the past two years and was on IR last year.
  • The Raiders worked out quarterback Keith Wenning, wide receiver Rodney Smith, and linebacker Beniquez Brown (link).
  • The Bears worked out fullback Malcolm Johnson (link). He was drafted in the sixth-round of the 2015 draft by Cleveland.
  • The Bears also auditioned six other players, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Of those six, five of them were wide receivers and five of them played this past season in the CFL. The group was headlined by Derel Walker, the CFL’s most outstanding rookie in 2015 and a two-time All-Star. The 25-year-old finished second in the CFL this season with 1,589 yards. The group also included CFL standout wide receivers like Greg Ellingson, Kenny Shaw, and Diontae Spencer. Guard Derek Dennis, who spent this past season with the Calgary Stampeders, showed his stuff, as well as indoor league receiver Orlandus Harris. As Biggs notes, the Bears haven’t had a lot of success with CFL imports in recent years.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Raiders announced that they have filled their two open practice squad spots, signing wide receiver Kenny Shaw and tight end Evan Wilson. Shaw, a former standout at Florida State, briefly spent time with the Browns and Jaguars. Wilson was among the Dolphins final cuts in August, and he had workouts with the Patriots and Giants earlier this season.
  • The Seahawks have signed linebacker Mike Zimmer, tweets Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. Zimmer (no relation to the coach) played with the Vikings during the preseason.

Earlier updates:

  • Cornerback Kennard Cox has signed with the Seahawks‘ taxi squad, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Cox last played in the NFL with Seattle in 2011.
  • The 49ers have filled the last opening on their practice squad by signing offensive tackle Chris Martin, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
  • According to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter), the two openings on the Lions’ practice squad have now been filled, as the team added wide receiver Skye Dawson and linebacker Jerrell Harris.
  • The Cowboys have made a change to their practice squad, replacing defensive end Lavar Edwards with cornerback Micah Pellerin, says Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). Edwards lands on the team’s practice squad IR list.
  • The Panthers have re-signed running back Tauren Poole to their practice squad, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Poole had a very brief stint on the active roster earlier this season when Carolina was dealing with several injuries in the backfield.
  • Wide receiver Alec Lemon, a former local high school standout, has joined the Ravens‘ taxi squad, filling the 10th and final spot, according to a team release.
  • The Broncos have filled the lone opening on their practice squad by adding defensive end Gerald Rivers back to the unit, per ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold (via Twitter). Rivers, who tried out for the Giants this week, was cut last week from Denver’s 53-man roster.
  • The Buccaneers have removed tight end Taylor Sloat from their practice squad, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link), who says the move may indicate improving health for the team’s tight ends. Linebacker Ka’Lial Glaud has replaced Sloat on the squad.
  • With outside linebacker Jason Ankrah having been promoted to the Texans‘ active roster, former Clemson defensive end Kourtnei Brown has been added to Houston’s practice squad to replace Ankrah, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.

Workout Notes: Tuesday

Earlier today, the Giants looked at an eye-popping 15 players, including Felix Jones, Jonathan Baldwin, Terrelle Pryor, and Tony Moeaki. Here’s a look at other notable auditions from around the league..

  • The Colts worked out defensive back Chance Casey, wide receiver Mike Davis, quarterback Pat Devlin, and wide receiver Tramaine Thompson, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Mike Wells on Twitter). Running back Jeff Demps and Konrad Reuland were also part of the workout and earned spots on the Colts’ practice squad.
  • The Seahawks looked at free agent linebacker Paris Lenon, according to Yates (on Twitter). Lenon, 37 next month, has 12 years of NFL experience under his belt. Remarkably, he has missed a grand total of three regular season games during that span.
  • Before signing running back Phillip Tanner earlier today, the Bills also auditioned Evan Royster, Yates tweets. Royster was with the Redskins from 2011-2013. The Bills also auditioned wide receiver Kenny Shaw and quarterback Brad Sorensen today, according to Yates (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com on Twitter).
  • The Packers auditioned four players today, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky (on Twitter): wide receiver Jace Davis (Northern Colorado), running back David Fluellen (Toledo), guard Andrew Miller (Virginia Tech), and cornerback David Van Dyke (Tennessee State).

Jaguars Cut 14 Players

2:26pm: The Jags have also waived WR Lamaar Thomas and RB Terrance Cobb, bringing their roster count to 76, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.

MONDAY, 9:08am: The Jaguars have also waived/injured CB Deion Belue, per O’Halloran (on Twitter). Jacksonville’s roster count now sits at 78.

SUNDAY, 3:21PM: In anticipation of roster cutdowns, the Jaguars waived 11 players, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union:

Harris, a former seventh-rounder, started seven games over the past two years. As O’Halloran writes, just five of former general manager Gene Smith’s 26 draft picks still remain on the roster after this most recent purge. Jacksonville still needs to make four more cuts before Tuesday’s deadline.

Jaguars Sign Three, Waive Three

The Jaguars have signed wide receiver Kenny Shaw, defensive tackle David Carter, and linebacker Josh Hull, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN (via Twitter).

Shaw, who was cut from the Browns earlier this offseason, was a standout pass catcher at Florida State University in 2013. He caught 54 passes for almost 1,000 yards and six touchdowns as a senior, while also serving as the main punt returner for the National Champion Seminoles.

Carter has played 32 NFL games with the Cardinals, while Hull has appeared in 28 games with the Rams, according to DiRocco (via Twitter).

In order to make room for the three signings, the team has waived receiver Damian Copeland, defensive tackle Jordan Miller, and linebacker John Lotulelei.

Extra Points: Abraham, Casey, Jags, Bucs

Some assorted to notes to close out this Friday evening:

  • Cardinals linebacker John Abraham, who was arrested for DUI last month, has issued a statement through the team’s website. He says, in part, that he is “taking the necessary steps to handle [his] personal business.” A previous report indicated that Abraham was set to join Arizona’s training camp next week.
  • Titans defensive lineman Jurrell Casey is coming off of a career season and is seeking a contract that reflects that, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. While he says that he doesn’t want to cause any headaches, Casey is earning just $1.43MM this season and knows that the top performers at his position are earning more than five times that number.
  • The Jaguars are working out former Florida State wide receiver Kenny Shaw today, tweets Mark Long of the Associated Press. The Browns cut Shaw, a UDFA, last last month when they signed Rutgers product Jamaal Westerman.
  • The Buccaneers will pair new tight end additions Brandon Myers and Austin Seferian-Jenkins with holdovers Tim Wright and Luke Stocker to form a solid position group, writes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, who notes that Jenkins and Wright have the capacity to line up wide.
  • The Texans’ newly-implemented 3-4 defense, lead by coordinator Romeo Crennel, is starting to round into form, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Browns To Sign Jamaal Westerman, Edgar Jones

2:28pm: In addition to Westerman, the Browns have also struck an agreement to sign linebacker Edgar Jones, according to agent Marc Lillibridge of Pro Football Syndicate (via Twitter). Although he played 74 defensive snaps last season in Dallas, Jones has played primarily on special teams during his seven-year career with the Ravens, Chiefs, and Cowboys.

1:39pm: Free agent linebacker Jamaal Westerman has agreed to a deal and will sign with the Browns, according to his representatives at Eastern Athletics Agency (Twitter link).

Westerman, 29, spent his first three seasons with the Jets, but has bounced around among several teams in the last two years. The Rutgers product appeared in a handful of games for the Colts and Cardinals in 2012, then played for the Bills and Steelers last season. In 12 contests for Buffalo, Westerman contributed on defense and special teams, logging nine tackles and splitting a sack.

No roster move is necessary to make room for Westerman, since the team already has multiple open roster spots, but the Browns are cutting running back Jourdan Brooks and wideout Kenny Shaw anyway, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). The series of moves will leave the club with 87 players on its 90-man roster, so more signings figure to follow at some point.

Browns Sign 12 Undrafted Free Agents

THURSDAY, 3:05pm: The Browns have added Nebraska-Kearney defensive end Elhadji Ndiaye to their undrafted free agent class, according to the team (via Twitter).

MONDAY, 3:33pm: After an eventful draft that saw the Browns make multiple trades and land Johnny Manziel, the team has also added 11 undrafted free agents to its roster. Here’s the full list, courtesy of the team (Twitter link):

  • Ray Agnew, FB, Southern Illinois
  • Calvin Barnett, DL, Oklahoma State
  • Darwin Cook, DB, West Virginia
  • Isaiah Cromwell, RB, Alabama State ($10K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
  • Anthony Dima, OL, Massachusetts
  • Chandler Jones, WR, San Jose State
  • Jonathan Krause, WR, Vanderbilt ($10K bonus, per Wilson)
  • Michael Philipp, OL, Oregon State
  • Connor Shaw, QB, South Carolina
  • Kenny Shaw, WR, Florida State
  • Willie Snead, WR, Ball State