Mykkele Thompson

Saints Sign S Sharrod Neasman

The Saints have signed safety Sharrod Neasman, according to Herbie Teope of NFL.com (on Twitter). To make room, the team cut fellow safety Mykkele Thompson, who signed a reserve/futures deal with the team in January. 

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Neasman worked out with the Saints during their rookie camp in May. The 26-year-old has been on the Saints’ radar for a while and New Orleans even tried to sign him off of the Falcons’ practice squad in the last two years. If Neasman continues to perform in practice, he could have a real chance at sticking on the roster.

Neasman saw time in 14 games for the Falcons from 2016-17 but was non-tendered this offseason. An April audition with the Chiefs didn’t yield a deal, but he has found a home with the Saints.

As shown on Roster Resource, Neasman will be competing with Kurt Coleman, Chris Banjo, and fifth-round pick Natrell Jamerson for playing time and a place on the final roster this offseason. The Saints will return Marcus Williams and Vonn Bell as their starters in 2018.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/16/18

Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:

Atlanta Falcons

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/30/17

Here are today’s practice squad moves.

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: T Andrew Wylie

New Orleans Saints

NFL Workout Updates: 10/17/17

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions 

Houston Texans

  • QB Taylor Heinicke (link via Caplan)

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Redskins

West Notes: Seahawks, Reddick, Chiefs

Despite failing to live up to his first-round status with the Eagles, Marcus Smith said he generated considerable interest during his brief stay in free agency. Prior to signing with the Seahawks in late July, Smith said he had offers from the Packers, Chiefs and Colts, via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. However, this Seahawks regime being interested in the then-Louisville product during the 2014 draft — with Condotta noting the team traded out of the first round after he went off the board to Philly at pick No. 26 — and former college assistant Clint Hurtt now Seattle’s defensive line coach made it a better fit than those other teams would have, Smith said.

Condotta adds Smith will now serve as the Seahawks’ first end off the bench now that Frank Clark will take the injured Cliff Avril‘s place in the starting lineup. Smith finished with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in his new team’s Sunday-night win over the Colts.

Here’s more out of the Pacific Northwest and other West locales in advance of Week 5.

  • Despite being hospitalized for what was viewed at the time as a scary injury, Rees Odhiambo may return to action without missing a game. Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable expects his starting left tackle to play on Sunday against the Rams, Condotta tweets. Odhiambo was hospitalized for what was called a chest contusion (or bruised heart) Sunday night. He’s the second Seattle left tackle starter to suffer a serious injury, joining George Fant (ACL tear) in that regard. But this serious-sounding setback may not force the Seahawks to make another change on their starting O-line.
  • One of the Cardinals‘ fallout solutions for replacing Markus Golden, lost for the season with a torn ACL, will be to experiment with first-round pick Haason Reddick at outside linebacker. Defensive coordinator James Bettcher said (via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com) there are packages set to be unveiled Sunday featuring Reddick as an outside linebacker. Bettcher wouldn’t confirm if Reddick is being moved outside full-time, but Weinfuss notes these packages with the rookie on the edge will be part of the solution to replacing Golden. Reddick started Arizona’s first three games at inside linebacker but went to the bench after Deone Bucannon reclaimed his job in Week 4. Bucannon and veteran Karlos Dansby are the Cards’ starting inside ‘backers, and with the team not considering a Dwight Freeney reunion, it’s possible they’re looking at this outside-the-box solution seriously.
  • The Chiefs have added interesting wrinkles to their unorthodox offense this season, and while this misidirection-based scheme resulted in some zany college-style plays and has helped the team to 4-0, it’s also probably led Alex Smith being on the injury report with an ankle issue. While Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes the fifth-year Chiefs starting quarterback is expected to start Sunday against the Texans, past experience — i.e. playing well prior to a 2012 injury costing him his job once Colin Kaepernick emerged — should accelerate Smith’s drive to stay on the field. That said, the polish gap between Smith and Mahomes is likely considerable at this point. A permanent switch in 2017 — one Kansas City’s brass ruled out before the season — would be considerably different than Tom Savage losing his job to Deshaun Watson, especially considering how well Smith is playing thus far.
  • The Seahawks worked out guards Willie Beavers and Cole Toner, along with tackle D.J. Tialavea, Howard Balzer of SportsOnEarth tweets. The Bengals cut Toner from their practice squad late last month. Beavers has been on the workout circuit since the Patriots cut him from theirs in early September.
  • Holding an apparent defensive backs-only audition, the Raiders worked out several secondary cogs this week. Cornerback Brian DixonDemetrius McCray and Deji Olatoye participated. As did ex-Giants safety Mykkele Thompson, per Balzer (on Twitter). Dixon is the biggest name of this contingent, having spent three seasons with the Saints.
  • Linebacker Josh Keyes visited both the Chargers and Colts this week, Balzer tweets. These are the first known workouts for Keyes since the Falcons cut him prior to the season.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/3/17

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

  • P Brock Miller (link)

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/5/17

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/17

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • The Vikings placed Bishop Sankey on IR, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Minnesota signed the former Titans second-round pick to a reserve/futures contract in January, but an MRI Friday revealed Sankey tore an ACL. He will miss the season. Sankey hasn’t played in a game since 2015.
  • Cut by both the 49ers and Jets in August, Bruce Ellington caught on with a third team this month. The Texans agreed to terms with the wide receiver/return specialist, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports. The Jets waived Ellington with an injury designation, but a Friday workout with the Texans provided a green light for the franchise to sign him. The Texans are currently reeling at wideout. In addition to Will Fuller‘s absence, Braxton Miller and DeAndrew White aren’t practicing. Ellington missed all of last season with a torn hamstring.
  • The Jaguars signed veteran running back Jonathan Grimes and waived running back Tyler Gaffney with an injury designation, the team announced. Grimes is a five-year NFL veteran whose most notable work came as a backup for the Texans from 2012-16. He gained 455 yards from scrimmage in 2015, the final year Arian Foster suffered a severe injury.
  • Defensive end Keionta Davis agreed to terms with the Patriots, who cut cornerback Dwayne Thomas to make room, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. A rookie out of Chattanooga, Davis was invited to the Combine but wasn’t drafted or signed after the draft.
  • The Chargers re-signed tight end Matt Weiser, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). A University of Buffalo alum, Weiser spent time with the Bolts during their final San Diego camp last summer but was cut just before the season.
  • The Colts reached injury settlements with tight end (and former VCU basketball standout) Mo Alie-Cox and wideout Harvey Binford, Wilson tweets.
  • Mykkele Thompson‘s time as a Giants secondary cog could be coming to a close. After Big Blue cut Thompson — a fifth-round pick in 2015 — on Thursday, he cleared waivers. NJ.com’s Dan Duggan expects an injury settlement to follow (Twitter link). Duggan notes this Thompson is battling a minor quadriceps injury.

Giants Cut Mykkele Thompson

The Giants waived/injured defensive back Mykkele Thompson. To take his place on the 90-man roster, the team signed rookie linebacker Jimmy HermanMykkele Thompson (vertical)

Thompson was a fifth round pick in the 2015 draft, but he has been held back by injuries over the last three years. The defensive back suffered a torn Achilles as a rookie, ending his season before it even started. When he made his debut in Week 2 of the 2006 season, he suffered a knee injury that eventually took him out of action for the full year. This summer, a quad injury slowed him down as the G-Men looked to move him from safety to cornerback.

The Giants were hoping that Thompson could make the 53-man cut as a corner this offseason, but he wasn’t doing much to separate himself from the pack even before the injury. As of this writing, the Giants seem likely to keep Michael Hunter as a reserve corner while Donte Deayon and Valentino Blake battle it out for one final CB spot. Janoris Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Eli Apple will serve as the team’s primary corners.

Giants Sign Brandon Meriweather

The Giants have signed veteran safety Brandon Meriweather, the club announced. To create a roster spot, New York waived kicker Chris Boswell. The team also announced that it has placed rookie safety Mykkele Thompson on injured reserve.

The Giants had been on the hunt for help in the secondary after injuries to both Thompson and fellow safety Landon Collins. While Collins’ injury isn’t considered as serious as Thompson’s, Collins’ MCL sprain could keep him out for a few weeks, and perhaps the rest of the preseason. At the very least, Meriweather’s presence will give New York some experienced depth while Collins begins his recovery.

Meriweather, 31, had spent the past three season in Washington, where he appeared in 10 games last season. He posted 36 tackles on the season, but was placed on injured reserve in December after suffering a toe injury. The Miami alum was selected in the first round of the 2007 draft by the Patriots, and has also spent time with the Bears. I’d be surprised if Meriweather’s Giants contract was anything more than a minimum salary benefit deal, with little to no guaranteed money.

Because Thompson is not a vested veteran, he’ll continue to count against the Giants’ 90-man roster because he is not a vested veteran.