Moise Fokou

Browns Cut Six Players

The Browns have begun to make their cuts in advance of tomorrow’s 75-man deadline, but still have plenty of moves left to make. According to a team release, Cleveland has waived two players and released four more, bringing the roster down to 84 players. The club will have to make nine more roster moves by tomorrow at 3:00pm central time.

Players who have less than four years of NFL experience and were let go by the team will have to go unclaimed on waivers before becoming free agents, while players with at least four years of experience are simply released, hitting free agency without passing through waivers. Here’s the breakdown for the Browns:

Waived:

  • Anthony Ezeakunne, TE
  • Shane Wynn, WR

Released:

  • Everette Brown, LB
  • Moise Fokou, LB
  • Jalen Parmele, RB
  • Aaron Ross, DB

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/10/15

The latest minor moves and signings from around the NFL..

  • The Dolphins signed running back Demitrius Bronson and safety Phillip Thomas, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. To make room, Miami waived/injured safety Shamiel Gary and waived receiver Tyler McDonald.
  • The Colts re-signed guard Kitt O’Brien and waived guard Dionte Savage, Mike Chappell of the Indy Star tweets. Just days ago, the Colts cut O’Brien and signed Savage.
  • The Broncos claimed Matt Hall off waivers from the Colts, Wilson tweets.
  • The Saints waived UDFA wide receiver Malcome Kennedy from their IR, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Seahawks signed safety Tyrequek Zimmerman, Wilson tweets.
  • The Patriots signed Tony Creecy and Logan Stokes while cutting Chris White and Mason Brodine, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Lions signed tight end Jacob Maxwell, who was briefly with the team as a UDFA, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
  • The Titans waived-injured cornerback Curtis Riley and picked up fellow corner Will Brown, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
  • The Jaguars signed defensive end Camaron Beard and waived/injured linebacker Matt Robinson, John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets.
  • The Eagles signed ex-Falcons wide receiver Freddie Martino and released fellow wideout John Harris, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Defensive end Frances Mays has also been waived/injured.

Earlier updates:

  • The Packers announced that they have released punter Cody Mandell, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Mandell was in competition with fellow punter Tim Masthay, but that showdown didn’t even make it until the preseason opener.
  • The Browns worked out and signed linebacker Moise Fokou, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). To make room for Smith, the Browns have cut Rodney Smith, Wilson tweets.
  • The Seahawks cut Robert Smith with a failed physical designation, Wilson tweets. The safety was claimed off waivers from the Colts late last week.

Saints Place Brandin Cooks On IR

Saints quarterback Drew Brees will be without one of his favorite targets for the remainder of the season, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team placed wideout Brandin Cooks on injured reserve today, ending his rookie campaign. Cooks reportedly broke his thumb during Sunday’s loss to the Bengals and had been expected to miss four to six weeks.

Cooks, the 20th overall pick in May’s draft, was an all-purpose weapon for the Saints in his first NFL season, racking up 550 receiving yards on 53 catches to go along with 73 yards on seven rushes. In addition to his offensive contributions, which included four touchdowns, Cooks also returned 10 punts for the club.

The Saints also completed a handful of other moves today, according to Yates (Twitter link). Safety Rafael Bush joins Cooks on the IR list, while running back Edwin Baker has been waived by the team. With the three newly-opened roster spots, New Orleans signed linebacker Moise Fokou, cornerback Terrence Frederick, and safety Pierre Warren. Frederick had been on the Saints’ own practice squad, while Warren was signed away from the Vikings’ unit.

Workout Notes: 49ers, Bills, Saints, Eagles

As usual, NFL teams are keeping a close eye on the free agent market, bringing in players for visits and tryouts as they prepare contingency plans in the event that they need to replace injured players or add depth. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has the details on several of the latest workouts and auditions from around the league, so let’s round up the highlights (all links go to Twitter)….

Audition Notes: Wednesday

The Cowboys scheduled a visit for linebacker Will Smith, a source tells Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. However, there might not be a spot for Smith after Tim Dobbins was picked up earlier today. The Cowboys have needs at offensive guard and at linebacker with injuries to starting left guard Ron Leary and starting weakside linebacker Justin Durant. Durant is done for the year while Leary is out with a groin strain. A look at today’s auditions from around the NFL..

NFC South Notes: Saints, Newton, Bucs

After missing two meetings and subsequently being waived, former Saints linebacker Khairi Fortt is going to be evaluated for the sleep problems that he suspects he has, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate (via Twitter). Is it too late for Geno Smith to change excuses? Here’s tonight’s look at the NFC South..

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Falcons, Bucs

Steve Smith didn’t make many waves in the days leading up to Baltimore’s game against the Panthers this past weekend, but the veteran wideout had some things to say about his former team today. Appearing on WFNZ in Charlotte, Smith criticized Panthers GM Dave Gettleman and head coach Ron Rivera for the way they handled his release in Carolina, suggesting that it became “personal” for Gettleman, and accusing Rivera of hiding in his office rather than talking to Smith face-to-face when he was cut. The Ravens‘ No. 1 receiver also refuted Ian Rapoport’s report that indicated he had asked for his release from the Panthers, suggesting that he simply “wanted to play ball” in Carolina.

Here’s more from around the NFC South:

  • In addition to signing linebacker Horace Miller to their practice squad after working him out this week, the Panthers also took a look at linebacker Marshall McFadden, who was cut by the Raiders during the preseason, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Several of the players who tried out for the Falcons this week have been previously reported, but Wilson adds a couple of new names to that list (via Twitter). Linebackers Zac Diles and Moise Fokou also auditioned for the team, says Wilson.
  • Quarterback Ricky Stanzi, wideout Ryan Spadola, and defensive tackles George Uko and Zach Minter were among the group of players that worked out for the Buccaneers this week, says Wilson (via Twitter).

NFC East Notes: Jackson, Giants, Cowboys

With the Eagles and Redskins set to meet for the first time this season in Week 3, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer revisits the Eagles’ decision to cut wideout DeSean Jackson in the offseason. As McLane writes, Jackson’s former Philadelphia teammates still aren’t entirely sure why the explosive receiver was cut.

“I didn’t see it coming at all,” linebacker Mychal Kendricks said last week. “It’s really none of my business, but I still ask the same question a lot – ‘Why? Why would that happen?'”

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

  • Several linebackers auditioned for the Giants this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), who identifies Stephen Nicholas, Kion Wilson, Moise Fokou, and James Davidson as free agents to work out for the club.
  • The Cowboys are also eyeing free agent options on the defensive side of the ball, having worked out linebacker Paul Hazel this week, along with defensive ends Steven Means and T.J. Fatinikun, tweets Wilson.
  • Offensive tackle Chris Faulk tried out for the Redskins this week, per Wilson (via Twitter).

East Auditions: Bills, Pats, Jets, Eagles

While not every NFL team is making adjustments to its 53-man roster this week, many clubs are at least auditioning free agents to get a sense of which players might be worth revisiting later in the season, as injuries begin to take their toll. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has passed along word of several of those auditions, via Twitter, so let’s take a look at which free agents are working out for teams in the NFL’s two East divisions….

Extra Points: Vickerson, Cardinals, Bengals

Former Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson was brought into Cincy to take a physical for the Bengals but he won’t be signing with them this week, a source tells Mike Klis of the Denver Post (on Twitter). Here’s more from around the league..

  • The Cardinals were busy looking at linebackers today, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter): James Anderson, Zac Diles, Moise Fokou, and Yawin Smallwood all worked out for them, according to the source.
  • The Bengals worked out tight ends Kevin Greene and Ryan Otten this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • The Redskins worked out Chaz Sutton and Derrell Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • In addition to signing Colton Schmidt, the Bills also worked out fellow punters Bobby Cowan and Drew Butler, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.