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Marcus Ball

Panthers Sign Eight To Futures Contracts

February 10th, 2016 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

Having concluded their season on Sunday, the Panthers have begun to sign players to their 90-man offseason roster, inking eight players to reserve/futures contracts on Tuesday. The team’s official website has the complete list of signees, all of whom finished the season on Carolina’s practice squad:Panthers Helmet (Featured)

With eight of the 10 Panthers practice squad players re-signing with the team, only defensive end Wes Horton and linebacker Nate Askew didn’t get new deals. It’s possible that Carolina didn’t offer either player a futures contract, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if Horton, at least, wanted to explore other opportunities.

An undrafted rookie in 2013, Horton made 15 starts for the Panthers last season in place of suspended teammate Greg Hardy. Following a rookie campaign that saw him compile eight tackles and two sacks, the former USC standout finished 2014 with 26 tackles and three sacks. However, he returned to a bench role in 2015, then was suspended four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances, before ultimately being cut from the 53-man roster in December. He signed with Carolina’s practice squad at the start of the postseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/9/16

February 9th, 2016 at 6:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:

  • The Steelers announced that they have signed offensive guard Cole Manhart to a reserve/future contract. Manhart originally signed with the Eagles as a UDFA out of Nebraska-Kearney in May 2015. After being released by the Eagles, he spent the 2015 training camp with the Saints, but he was cut in September of that year. Prior to his signing with Pittsburgh, his most recent stint was with the Raiders as a member of their taxi squad.
  • The Panthers inked safety Marcus Ball to a deal, per Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). Ball ended the season on Carolina’s practice squad.
  • The Rams signed former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • The Steelers cut wide receiver David Nelson, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Eagles cut Matthew Tucker with a non-football injury designation, Wilson tweets.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/15

September 29th, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed: WR Shaq Evans (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Signed: S Ronald Martin (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com)
  • Cut: CB Keon Lyn

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Diego Chargers

St. Louis Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: DT Derrick Lott (press release)
  • Cut: CB Imoan Claiborne

Washington:

  • Signed: C Austin Reiter (Twitter link via Zac Boyer of the Washington Times)

Panthers Organize Regular-Season Roster

September 5th, 2015 at 3:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers cut 22 players to officially reduce their roster to 53, reports Max Henson of Panthers.com.

In addition to placing rookie defensive end Arthur Miley on injured reserve and reaching an injury settlement with offensive lineman Brian Folkerts, the Panthers cut Jordan Todman. This leaves Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne as Jonathan Stewart‘s primary backups.

The remaining Carolina cuts are as follows:

  • Chas Alecxih, DT
  • Marcus Ball, S
  • Brenton Bersin, WR
  • Brian Blechen, LB
  • Mike Brown, WR
  • Carrington Byndom, CB
  • Damiere Byrd, WR
  • Rakim Cox, DE
  • David Foucault, T
  • Adarius Glanton, LB
  • T.J. Heath, CB
  • Ricky Henry, G
  • Marcus Lucas, TE
  • Jordan McCray, G
  • Terry Redden, DT
  • Scott Simonson, TE
  • Jason Trusnik, LB
  • Martin Wallace, T
  • Lou Young, CB

Panthers Cut Brenton Bersin, Three Others

September 5th, 2015 at 8:34am CST by Ben Levine

Panthers wideout Brenton Bersin was among the Panthers cuts this morning, according to Joseph Person and Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer.

The former Wofford standout joined the organization last season as an undrafted free agent, and he ended up compiling 13 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown in 15 games. The 25-year-old reportedly had a solid camp, but the recent acquisition of former Seahawks wideout Kevin Norwood made Bersin expendable.

Even after acquiring Norwood, the writers note that the Panthers plan on being aggressive on the waiver wire as they look to reinforce their receiving corps. The team’s depth chart was thrown into disarray following the season-ending injury to Kelvin Benjamin.

The Panthers also let go of three other players this morning:

Panthers Sign Marcus Ball

May 21st, 2015 at 8:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers have made a small tweak to their roster, signing former Saints safety Marcus Ball and cutting another safety, Kimario McFadden, to make room for the addition, tweets Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. The pair of moves leaves Carolina’s roster at the maximum 90 players.

Ball, a Georgia native, went undrafted in 2011 before heading north to Canada, where he totaled 142 tackles, four interceptions (two touchdowns) and seven sacks over two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts.

Ball’s performance in the CFL earned him a look last year from the Saints, and while the 27-year-old was hardly a key piece for New Orleans, he contributed on special teams, recording seven tackles in kick and punt coverage, and also logged 98 defensive snaps. Nonetheless, the Saints decided to waive him earlier this month to clear room for their undrafted free agent class.

As for McFadden, he has been touring the NFC South since being signed as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina State by the Falcons a year ago. The 24-year-old spent time on the practice squads of Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and Carolina in 2014.

Saints Sign 13 UDFAs, Cut Three Players

May 4th, 2015 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have announced a slew of post-draft roster moves, confirming in a press release that they’ve added 13 undrafted free agents to their roster and cut three players who were on last year’s squad.

According to the team, safety Marcus Ball and inside linebacker Kyle Knox have been waived. Both players were contributors on special teams in 2014, and Ball also saw a little action on defense. Safety Ty Zimmerman was also cut by the club.

The Saints’ full list of undrafted free agent signees is as follows:

  • Tavaris Barnes, DL, Clemson
  • Kaleb Eulls, DL, Mississippi State
  • Doniel Gambrell, G, Notre Dame College
  • R.J. Harris, WR, New Hampshire
  • Sean Hickey, T, Syracuse ($10K bonus, plus $12.5K guaranteed salary, per Aaron Wilson)
  • Malcolme Kennedy, WR, Texas A&M
  • Cyril Lemon, G, North Texas ($6K bonus, per Wilson)
  • Ashaad Mabry, DL, Texas-San Antonio
  • Markus Pierce-Brewster, LB, West Texas A&M
  • Bobby Richardson, DL, Indiana
  • Stephon Sanders, LB, SMU
  • Harold Spears, TE, New Hampshire
  • Jack Tabb, TE, North Carolina ($3.5K bonus, per Wilson)

NFC Notes: Pre-Draft Visits, Contract Updates

April 4th, 2014 at 5:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Rams are hosting Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy for a workout, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch (via Twitter). Because it is considered a local visit, Ealy will be allowed to work out with the team.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

  • The 49ers are bringing in wide receiver Albert Wilson out of Georgia State for an official visit, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team has been open about the possibility of using a high draft pick at the position.
  • The Seahawks have not begun talks of a contract extension with Earl Thomas yet, reports Todd Dybas of the Tacoma News Tribune (via Twitter).
  • Colt McCoy‘s deal with the Redskins is a one-year agreement and carries a $730K base salary with a $65K signing bonus, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Packers re-signed John Kuhn to a one-year deal worth $1.03MM, according to Wilson (via Twitter). The contract includes $855K in base salary, and a $100K signing bonus. Additionally, Kuhn can earn a $25K workout bonus and $3,125 in per-game active roster bonuses.
  • Details of former Toronto Argonauts safety Marcus Ball’s contract with the Saints have been reported by Wilson via Twitter. Ball’s three-year deal will be worth $1.536MM, with minimum salaries and a $6K signing bonus.

Saints Agree To Sign Marcus Ball

April 2nd, 2014 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have agreed to terms on a three-year contract for former Toronto Argonauts safety Marcus Ball, the team announced today in a press release.

Ball, a Georgia native, began his college career at Florida State, spent a year in junior college and finished with two seasons at Memphis. He went undrafted in 2011 before migrating to Canada, where the 26-year-old totaled 142 tackles, four interceptions (two touchdowns) and seven sacks over two seasons.