HEADLINES

Matt LaCosse

Injury Notes: Dixon, Pead, Harris, Gilbert

August 28th, 2016 at 7:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Ravens rookie Kenneth Dixon is expected to miss four weeks with an MCL tear, but the running back won’t require surgery, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dixon, a fourth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech, wasn’t going to play a large role on offense (at least early in the season), but this injury means it will take him even longer to ingrain himself into Baltimore’s offense behind Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen, Terrance West, and Lorenzo Taliaferro.

Let’s take a quick look at the latest NFL injury news as teams prepare their rosters for the start of the regular season:

  • Baltimore isn’t the only AFC club dealing a running back injury, as the Dolphins‘ Isaiah Pead will be sidelined at least two weeks with a hamstring injury, head coach Adam Gase told reporters, including Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Pead, a former second-round pick, had been drawing rave reviews in recent weeks, if it’s unclear if Miami will hold a roster spot for him while he gets healthy.
  • An MRI has revealed that Steelers right tackle Marcus Gilbert is dealing with a “significant” hyperextended elbow, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Gilbert, however, vowed that he won’t miss any action, telling Fowler that he’ll play in the regular season opener “no matter what.” Just last week, the 28-year-old offensive lineman agreed to restructure his contract and give Pittsburgh some financial breathing room.
  • The Jets can rest easy after an MRI showed that linebacker David Harris is merely dealing with a shoulder bruise, tweets Schefter. Harris won’t play in New York’s final preseason game (and probably woudn’t have even barring injury), but he’s expected to be ready for Week 1.
  • Elsewhere in New York, Giants tight end Matt LaCosse will require knee surgery and is out indefinitely, a source tells Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. The 23-year-old LaCosee, an undrafted free agent in 2015, could potentially miss the season, per Raanan.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/25/15

December 25th, 2015 at 4:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

Christmas isn’t the most exciting day for big roster decisions, but here are the transactions that filtered through today, with updates added to the top as the night progresses:

  • The Patriots have claimed defensive back Troy Hill off waivers from the Bengals, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The team waived tight end Asante Cleveland to make room for Hill.
  • The Giants have placed two players on season-ending IR today, in defensive tackle Markus Kuhn and linebacker James Morris, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (via Twitter). They then signed tight end Matt LaCosse and defensive end Brad Bars off the practice squad to take their spots (via Twitter).

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/3/15

November 3rd, 2015 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves from across the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Oakland Raiders

San Diego Chargers

  • Signed: RB Dreamius Smith (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune), OLB Ryan Mueller (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Workout Updates: 10/20/15

October 20th, 2015 at 1:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s workouts and visits from around the NFL..

Earlier today:

  • The Panthers are working out tight end/fullback James Casey today, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
  • The Saints tried out defensive backs Akeem Davis and Robert McClain, wide receiver T.J. Graham, guard David Arkin, and center Ryan Seymour, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Seymour was ultimately signed to New Orleans’ practice squad.
  • The Jets worked out cornerback Jeremy Harris on Monday, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Buster Skrine and Marcus Williams are both uncertain for this week, so Gang Green is likely looking at Harris as possible insurance.
  • The Vikings worked out former Ravens defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi on Tuesday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Panthers worked out former Ravens quarterback Bryn Renner according to a source who spoke with Wilson (Twitter link).
  • The Broncos are working out former Titans linebacker J.R. Tavai, according to a source who spoke with Wilson (Twitter link).
  • The Titans will try out ex-Ravens fullback Kiero Small, Wilson tweets.
  • The Ravens tried out a trio of defensive backs: Jonte Green, Sheldon Price, and Cornelius Brown, Wilson tweets.
  • The Chiefs tried out defensive back Trovon Reed, Wilson tweets.
  • The Steelers worked out tackle James Brewer, Wilson tweets.
  • Former Seahawks wide receiver Douglas McNeil is working out for the Panthers today, according to a source who spoke with Wilson (link).
  • The Broncos working out tight end Matt LaCosse today, according to a source who spoke with Wilson (link).

Workout Notes: Brown, Cadet, Jets

October 6th, 2015 at 7:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Could two notable free agent running backs find an NFL home soon? The Colts auditioned Bryce Brown and the Jets worked out running back Travaris Cadet, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

Brown, 24, has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was unable to stick with the Bills this year. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a grand total of 126 yards off of 36 carries.

Cadet, 26, was signed by the Pats as a free agent in March of this year. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder spent the last three seasons with the Saints and saw time in only one Pats game this year before his release in late September.

Here’s a look at today’s workouts..

  • The Jets worked out defensive tackle Davon Coleman, linebacker Julian Stanford, and defensive back Phillip Thomas, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Giants worked out four tight ends on Tuesday, including their former fourth-round pick Adrien Robinson, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Packers worked out former Illinois tight end Matt LaCosse today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • Kicker Marvin Kloss worked out for the Buccaneers, Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports tweets. Of course, the Bucs wound up going with Connor Barth as their new placekicker.

Jets Cut 12 Players

August 30th, 2015 at 11:02am CST by Rory Parks

In addition to T.J. Graham and James Brewer, whose releases we learned about this morning, the Jets have cut 10 other players, per Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News (via Twitter):

  • CB Javier Arenas
  • CB Curtis Brown
  • C Dalton Freeman
  • WR Saalim Hakim
  • WR Austin Hill
  • LB Bryan Johnson
  • TE Matt LaCosse
  • CB Keith Lewis
  • WR DeVier Posey
  • WR Jonathon Rumph

 

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 NFL Transactions: 8/1/2015

August 1st, 2015 at 8:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • Wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, who was cut by the Bengals earlier this week to make room for Greg Little, was claimed off waivers by the Dolphins, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Miami waived another wideout, Kai De La Cruz, just three days after signing him in order to clear room on the roster for Hamilton.
  • The Giants created two roster openings today by waiving two players with injury designations. Per Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), tight end Matt LaCosse (hamstring) and defensive end Brad Harrah (quad) were cut.
  • The Vikings have a full roster again after signing wide receiver Ryan Whalen, a former sixth-round pick, tweets Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune.
  • The Jets cut fullback J.C. Copeland today after a poor showing in practice, according to Connor Hughes of the Journal Inquirer and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

  • A sixth running back is coming to the Eagles, with rookie free agent Kevin Monangai signing with the team, per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Monangai starred at Villanova, scoring 29 career touchdowns in four years with the Division I-FCS Wildcats.
  • The Patriots‘ roster stands at 87 players following the cutting of cornerback Justin Green and linebacker D.J. Lynch, reports WEEI’s Mike Petraglia. Green signed with New England as an undrafted free agent in 2013, playing in two games since, with practice squad time in between. Lynch came to the Pats this offseason as a rookie free agent from Bowling Green.
  • The Bills‘ roster now sits at 89 players after the team claimed Terren Jones off waivers from the Titans, ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak reports, on Twitter. An undrafted free agent who signed with the Falcons in 2013, the 6-foot-7, 341-pound Jones becomes the fifth offensive tackle on Buffalo’s roster. He’s spent time with the Titans, Ravens and Washington, playing in one game in two seasons.
  • To clear space for wideout Trent Steelman, the Ravens cut quarterback Jerry Lovelocke, according to CSNBaltimore.com’s Clifton Brown (Twitter link). Levelocke came to the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in May from Prairie View A&M. A former Army quarterback, Steelman will vie for a roster or practice squad spot at wide receiver. Eligible for the 2013 draft and a participant in the Ravens’ rookie minicamp that year, Steelman was released from active duty in Dec. 2014 in order to pursue an NFL career.
  • The Falcons swapped out one offensive lineman for another, in signing Pierce Burton and waiving Harland Gunn, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). The Vikings originally signed Burton as an undrafted free agent last offseason, while Gunn played in 13 games for Atlanta from 2012-14 after signing there as an undrafted rookie in 2012.
  • Washington signed rookie cornerback Deshazor Everett and released fellow first-year player Dasman McCullum, a linebacker, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). Everett is an undrafted product from Texas A&M and will serve as secondary depth while Bashaud Breeland recovers from a torn MCL.
  • The Cowboys signed Will Smith, a linebacker taken by the team in the seventh round of the 2014 draft before spending his rookie campaign on Dallas’ practice squad, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter).

Giants Sign Six UDFAs

May 7th, 2015 at 9:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants announced the signing of six undrafted free agents this evening. The newest prospective members of Big Blue are listed below, along with contract information from Jordan Raanan of NJ.com:

  • Justin Currie, S, Western Michigan ($5K signing bonus)
  • Sean Donnelly, OT, Tulane ($15K bonus, plus $15K guaranteed salary)
  • Cole Farrand, LB, Maryland ($5K bonus)
  • Brad Harrah, DE, Cincinnati ($5K bonus)
  • Akeem Hunt, RB, Purdue ($12.5K bonus, plus $7.5K guaranteed salary)
  • Matt LaCosse, TE, Illinois ($5K bonus, plus $5K guaranteed salary)

As senior in 2014, Currie started in 13 games and led the Broncos in both total (105) and solo (69) tackles. Harrah’s uncle, Toby Harrah, played for the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers and is in the Rangers Hall of Fame.

In related moves, the Giants bid farewell to Kevin Ogletree and Terrell Manning earlier today.

Extra Points: Nicks, Ravens, Miles, Draft

April 9th, 2015 at 10:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Outside of a visit to the 49ers, free agent receiver Hakeem Nicks hasn’t garnered any known interest on the open market. But the 27-year-old insists he’s not done in the NFL. “I’m nowhere near finished, man, and I want to prove that to the world and everybody,” Nicks told Mike Garfolo of FOX Sports. “That’s definitely my mentality, but I don’t even want to talk about it. I feel like I got into that situation last year talking about it. I’m about to just go out there and prove it.”

Here’s more from around the league…

  • The Ravens have stayed in touch with safety Jeromy Miles, but there’s no deal between the two sides at this time, according to Aaron Wilson of The Balitmore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Arizona State safety Damarious Randall will visit the Buccaneers on Sunday, and already had a private workout with the club, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
  • Nebraska receiver Kenny Bell worked out for the Texans recently, and he’ll meet with the Colts on Wednesday, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
  • Defensive end Marcus Rush already worked out for the Bengals and Raiders, and the Michigan State product will also take a visit with Cincinnati, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
  • The Lions will take a look at Western Oregon receiver Tyrell Williams on Monday, while the Cardinals will meet with him later in the week, says Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
  • Illinois tight end Matt LaCosse will take a predraft visit with the Packers on Friday, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
  • Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com spoke with the general managers of two clubs — the Ravens and the Steelers — who usually pick near the end of the first round of the draft, and gauged each team’s strategy for acquiring value while picking in the 20s.

Zach Links contributed to this post.