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Marquis Spruill

Workout Notes: 12/30/15

December 30th, 2015 at 9:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are Wednesday’s workouts from around the NFL:

  • The Jets worked out defensive lineman Devon Still, receivers Marcus Thigpen and Eric Rogers, linebacker Willie Jefferson and defensive end/LB Tristan Okpalaugo (Twitter links via ESPN’s Rich Cimini).
  • The Cardinals tried out center Taylor Boggs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
  • The Bills worked out defensive end/linebacker Xzavier Dickson, Wilson tweeted. Dickson ended up joining Atlanta’s practice squad.
  • The Bengals worked out quarterback Mike Kafka and tight end John Peters, per Wilson (on Twitter).
  • The Browns tried out quarterback Dustin Vaughan, running back Timothy Flanders, receivers Eric Rogers, Ricky Collins and Levi Norwood, and safety Jordan Kovacs (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Quarterback Ryan Lindley, defensive linemen Warren Herring and Eze Obiora, and linebacker Ryan Mueller worked out for the Colts, according to Wilson (Twitter link). They signed Lindley afterward.
  • The Giants worked out linebackers Cole Farrand and Glenn Carson – the latter of whom they signed to their practice squad – quarterback Pete Thomas, safety Ty Zimmerman, punter Spencer Roth and kicker Quinn Sharp (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • The Steelers tried out two safeties, Ray Vinopal and Jake Hagen, and linebacker Marquis Spruill (via Wilson on Twitter).
  • The Chargers worked out receiver Jeff Fuller, defensive end DeAngelo Tyson and linebacker Dexter McCoil, Wilson tweeted.
  • The Titans worked out receiver Kenny Stafford, defensive end Freddie Bishop, defensive backs Aaron Grymes, Steven Clarke and Emanuel Davis, long snapper Dax Dellenbach and kicker Swayze Waters (Twitter link via Wilson).

Free Agent Notes: Gray, Coxson, Workouts

September 7th, 2015 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Patriots running back Jonas Gray was one of the more notable offensive players to hit the waiver wire this weekend, as his time in New England came to an end. Now that he’s a free agent, Gray is drawing interest from several teams, as we heard yesterday, and he’ll pay a visit to one of those teams on Tuesday.

Gray’s agent, Sean Stellato, tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that his client has a workout scheduled for tomorrow with the Titans. Tennessee also acquired Terrance West from the Browns in a weekend trade, so the club is clearly looking for other options to complement Bishop Sankey, after having placed David Cobb on injured reserve with the designation to return.

Here are a few more notes on free agents, or players who figure to become available soon:

  • Wide receiver Adrian Coxson, who signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent in May and was let go by the team in August, is retiring from the NFL due to ongoing concussion symptoms, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. “It’s been recommended to me by two neurologists and two doctors to retire from football,” Coxson told Wilson. “The next hit to my head could possibly kill me or be life damaging.”
  • The Dolphins are trying out former Falcons linebacker Marquis Spruill today, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • Linebacker Nick Moody, cut by the 49ers yesterday, is headed to New York for a workout with the Giants, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link).
  • Agent Brett Tessler says (via Twitter) that his client, guard Mike Liedtke, formerly of the Dolphins, is visiting the Jets today. Caplan notes (via Twitter) that the Jets also worked out wide receiver Shane Wynn, who will audition for the Titans this week as well.
  • Veteran offensive lineman Ben Garland, who has spent time with the Broncos in some capacity – either on the team’s roster or practice squad – for the last four seasons, was cut during Denver’s cutdown to 53 players this week. However, he’s drawing around interest around the league, according to Mike Klis of 9 News (Twitter link).
  • Running back Daniel “Boom” Herron was waived/injured by the Colts on the weekend, and isn’t a free agent quite yet. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Herron suffered a sprained AC joint, which isn’t considered a serious injury. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, Herron will work out an injury settlement with the Colts and become a free agent.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/15

August 24th, 2015 at 6:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Patriots waived Brian Tyms, who will revert to their IR (foot injury) if he goes unclaimed, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

Earlier Updates:

  • The Lions waived/injured linebacker Kevin Snyder, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Bears made a change on their offensive line today, signing former Raiders guard Lucas Nix to a one-year contract and waiving offensive lineman Jason Weaver with an injury designation (Twitter link). Nix, who started 10 games for Oakland in 2013, worked out for Chicago earlier in the month.
  • The Dolphins have waived wide receiver Michael Preston, the team announced today (via Twitter). Preston himself broke word of the move yesterday, with a tweet thanking the club for the opportunity.
  • The Eagles have added one safety to their roster and removed another, signing Brandan Bishop and reaching an injury settlement with Earl Wolff (Twitter links via agent David Canter and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, will become a free agent as he recovers from his knee surgery. The Eagles also waived/injured defensive tackle Wade Keliikipi, who suffered a Lisfranc foot injury this weekend, replacing him with defensive tackle Jeremy Towns (Twitter links).
  • The Falcons have parted ways with 2014 fifth-rounder Marquis Spruill, placing him on waivers today, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Spruill, whose rookie season was wiped out by a torn ACL, never played a regular-season down for Atlanta.
  • The Giants formally announced several moves today, including the signing of veteran linebacker Ashlee Palmer, who started 15 games over the last two seasons in Detroit. The club also signed rookie defensive back C.J. Conway, and waived/injured safety Justin Currie (ankle) and linebacker Tony Johnson (knee).
  • The Jaguars announced a series of moves today (via Twitter and press release), adding wide receiver Erik Lora, linebacker Mister Alexander, and offensive lineman Will Corbin to their roster. The outgoing players are receiver Damian Copeland (waived/injured), offensive lineman Brennan Williams (waived/injured), and wideout Arrelious Benn (placed on IR).
  • The Panthers have waived/injured defensive end Frank Alexander, signing tight end Dallas Walker to replace him on the roster, the team announced today (Twitter link). Alexander, who sustained a torn Achilles, is in the final year of his contract, so Carolina isn’t worried about another team claiming him.
  • The Saints‘ tight end carousel continues, as the club is cutting Michael Egnew just a week after signing him, per Kristian Garic of WWL 870AM (Twitter link).
  • The Seahawks have cut defensive back Jeremy Crayton, using the newly-created roster spot to re-sign wide receiver DeShon Foxx, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
  • The Jets signed tight end Matt LaCosse and waived/injured defensive lineman Davon Walls, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.

Minor Moves: Sunday

August 24th, 2014 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are Sunday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Falcons have placed G Mike Johnson and LB Marquis Spruill on their injured reserve list, per ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter links).
  • The Bears have cut return man Darius Reynaud, tweets Wilson. Reynaud was signed by Chicago on August 18.
  • CB Vernon Kearney has been cut by the Chiefs, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter).

Earlier Updates:

NFC Notes: Falcons, Cardinals, Packers

August 7th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Dallas Robinson

Falcons fifth-round linebacker Marquis Spruill will miss the 2014 season after tearing his ACL, the team told reporters, including Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 23-year-old Syracuse product could have conceivably contributed to a thin Atlanta linebacking corps that already suffered the loss of veteran Sean Weatherspoon, but now the Falcons will presumably place Spruill on injured reserve and look to fill his roster spot with another LB. McClure thinks (Twitter links) that Nick Barnett and/or Kion Wilson, who last played for the Redskins and Steelers, respectively, could be options for Atlanta. More from the NFC:

  • Dan Connor, who worked out for the Falcons after Weatherspoon’s injury, might have intrigued Atlanta following the loss of Spruill, but as David Jones of the Patriot-News reports (h/t: McClure), Connor has taken an assistant coaching job at Division II West Chester University. Connor, 28, hasn’t officially retired, but after suffering a multitude of injuries throughout his career, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to find a new career path.
  • Veteran linebacker John Abraham, who signed a two-year, $4.6MM deal prior to last season, has the most team-friendly contract on the Cardinals, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Larry Fitzgerald has the least tenable deal in Arizona, per Fitzgerald, as the receiver is in the midst of a seven-year, $113MM extension.
  • Cardinals second-year safety Tyrann Mathieu, who tore his ACL in December, tells Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com that he hopes to return to the field soon. “I expect to be at practice the next two to three weeks,” said the 22-year-old. “Hopefully we can stick to that timetable.”
  • Randall Cobb needs to stay healthy in order to receive an extension from the Packers, Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Green Bay signed fellow receiver Jordy Nelson to a four-year, $39MM deal last month, and Cobb knows he has yet to show he is worth similar money. “I don’t believe I’ve done enough,” Cobb said. “I think my job is to come out here every day, do what I’m supposed to do, work hard and hopefully my time will come.”

Falcons Sign Five Draft Picks

May 18th, 2014 at 1:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Falcons have signed five draft picks from their 2014 class, the team announced on its website. LB Prince Shembo (fourth round), CB Ricardo Allen (fifth round), LB Marcus Spruill (fifth round), LB Yawin Smallwood (seventh round), and LB Tyler Starr (seventh round) are now all under contract with Atlanta.

The five picks indicate a concerted effort by the Falcons to improve their defense, which graded as the fourth-worst unit by DVOA. While these Day 3 selections aren’t likely to have a significant impact on the team’s successes, they could add depth to an Atlanta defense that proved to be extremely thin in 2013. Atlanta still has four picks left to sign, including first-rounder Jake Matthews and second-rounder Ra’Shede Hageman.

Falcons Acquire No. 168 Pick From Vikings

May 10th, 2014 at 2:27pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Falcons have moved back into the fifth round, trading for the No. 168 pick previously held by the Vikings, reports Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Vikings had originally received that pick from the Panthers in a separate trade.

Goessling writes that the Vikings will receive two picks, No. 182 and No. 220, in the trade (via Twitter). The Falcons selected inside linebacker Marquis Spruill out of Syracuse with the pick, according to Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (via Twitter).