Obi Melifonwu - Pro Football Rumors

Paxton Lynch Moving From CFL To USFL

February 23rd, 2022 at 6:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Paxton Lynch has not attempted a regular-season NFL pass since his final Broncos start, in Week 17 of the 2017 season. The former first-round pick is about to try another league.

Lynch requested his release from the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, with his agent noting the well-traveled QB eyed a path to the new USFL (Twitter links). Canada’s stricter COVID-19 regulations played a role in this exit, and Lynch will receive another opportunity as a pro.

The Michigan Panthers selected Lynch in the 12th round of the USFL draft Tuesday night. Lynch, the 26th overall pick in 2016, was one of a host of familiar names taken by the latest upstart league. Michigan selected Lynch, 28, in the second round designated for quarterbacks. He did not play in any games with the Roughriders, with that stay following non-game-action runs with the Seahawks and Steelers.

The USFL event started with a QB round, during which Michigan selected ex-Wolverines QB Shea Patterson first overall. In Round 1, recent Patterson Chiefs teammate Jordan Ta’amu — also an XFL veteran — along with ex-Giants draftee Kyle Lauletta and ex-Vikings backup Kyle Sloter were selected.

The New Jersey Generals chose cornerback De’Vante Bausby in the eighth round. Bausby has considerable NFL experience, compared to most of the other players drafted over the past two days, having played for four teams from 2016-20. Bausby enjoyed two stints with the Broncos, making 20 tackles in 10 Denver games in 2020. He finished the 2021 season on the Patriots’ practice squad.

Ex-Packer wideout draftee J’Mon Moore landed with the Generals as well, and former Titans third-round pick Taywan Taylor went to the New Orleans Breakers today. The Breakers also drafted ex-Washington supplemental draftee Adonis Alexander, a defensive back. Fellow NFL supplemental draftee Isaiah Battle, a tackle, went to the Pittsburgh Maulers on Tuesday night. The Tampa Bay Bandits also selected ex-Raiders second-round safety Obi Melifonwu.

The USFL’s second effort, after a memorable mid-1980s run, is set to begin play April 16. All games will be played in Birmingham. The championship game is scheduled for July 3, in Canton. Should the USFL’s second effort reach the championship game, it would surpass 2019’s Alliance of American Football and 2020’s second XFL iteration. Both recent spring startups folded before their seasons ended, though a retooled XFL is set to return in 2023 and secured a formal partnership with the NFL.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/21

September 14th, 2021 at 5:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Released from IR via injury settlement: CB Donnie Lewis

Detroit Lions

Waived: G Tommy Kraemer

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed off Bears practice squad: DT Damion Square

New Orleans Saints

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Michael Thomas; Thomas tested positive for COVID-19
Signed: DL Montravius Adams, S Jeff Heath
Waived: FB Adam Prentice

New York Jets

Placed on IR: LB Blake Cashman, DB Lamarcus Joyner (story), P Braden Mann
Signed: OL Isaiah Williams, S Jarrod Wilson

Philadelphia Eagles

Released from IR via injury settlement: S Obi Melifonwu

San Francisco 49ers

Promoted: CB Dontae Johnson

Seattle Seahawks

Signed: LB Jon Rhattigan

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Earl Watford

Washington Football Team

Promoted: LB Jared Norris

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/21

August 9th, 2021 at 3:40pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Signed: DT Darius Kilgo

Atlanta Falcons

Waived: CB Tyler Hall

Baltimore Ravens

Signed: WR Siaosi Mariner
Waived/injured: TE Jacob Breeland

Green Bay Packers

Activated from PUP list: TE Dominique Dafney

Miami Dolphins

Waived: LS Rex Sunahara

Minnesota Vikings

Signed: WR Warren Jackson

New England Patriots

Waived: QB Jake Dolegala
Signed: LS Brian Khoury

Philadelphia Eagles

Signed: S Blake Countess
Waived/injured: S Obi Melifonwu

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Activated from PUP list: TE Cameron Brate

Washington Football Team

Signed: C Jon Toth

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/21

July 29th, 2021 at 5:34pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Kelvin Beachum, G Deion Calhoun, WR Rico Gafford, C Rodney Hudson, WR Andy Isabella, WR KeeSean Johnson, G Justin Pugh

Houston Texans

Signed: WR Jordan Veasy

Indianapolis Colts

Signed: CB Holton Hill, DT Joey Ivie

Las Vegas Raiders

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Jalen Richard, RB Theo Riddick
Signed: RB B.J. Emmons, RB Darius Jackson
Placed on NFI list: RB Kenyan Drake

New Orleans Saints

Placed on NFI list: K Wil Lutz, CB P.J. Williams

New York Giants

Released from IR with injury settlement: RB Taquan Mizzell

Philadelphia Eagles

Signed: S Obi Melifonwu

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed: OT Chidi Okeke
Waived: OT Calvin Ashley

Tennessee Titans

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Bud Dupree; Dupree remains on Tennessee’s active/PUP list as well

Washington Football Team

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Matt Ioannidis, CB Chris Miller, WR Curtis Samuel
Signed: TE Nick Guggemos, LB Justus Reed

S Obi Melifonwu Worked Out For Jets

June 10th, 2021 at 7:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Obi Melifonwu could be heading back to the AFC East. The former second-round pick worked out for the Jets today, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).

The safety was a highly touted prospect coming out of UConn, and the Raiders ended up using a second-round pick (No. 56) to select the defensive back in 2017. Two stints on the IR limited Melifonwu to only five games during his rookie season, and he was ultimately released by the Raiders midway through his sophomore campaign. He appeared in a pair of games for the Patriots during the second half of that 2018 season, and he ended up spending much of the next year on New England’s practice squad.

Melifonwu was released last April, but he didn’t end up getting another gig during the 2020 season. He signed a futures contract with the 49ers back in January, but he was waived less than four months later.

In total, the 27-year-old has seen time in seven career games, having compiled 10 tackles. Melifonwu turned heads with his speed (4.4-second 40-yard dash time) and athleticism (44-inch vertical), so it isn’t a surprise that the Jets are kicking the tires on a safety with that skill set.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/30/21

April 30th, 2021 at 4:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Stepping away from the draft-dominated NFL week, here are the latest minor moves:

New England Patriots

Waived: QB Jake Dolegala

San Francisco 49ers

Waived: S Obi Melifonwu

Tennessee Titans

Claimed (from Colts): OL Elijah Nkansah

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/5/21

January 5th, 2021 at 9:44am CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of the latest reserve/futures deals here:

Carolina Panthers

LB Daniel Bituli, WR Ventell Bryant, DB Sean Chandler, WR Amara Darboh, G Mike Horton, WR Ishmael Hyman, LB Clay Johnston, WR Marken Michel, G Aaron Monteiro, LB Chris Orr, DT Mike Panasiuk, TE Giovanni Ricci, C Sam Tecklenburg

Dallas Cowboys

OT Isaac Alarcon, WR Aaron Parker, WR Jon’Vea Johnson, C Adam Redmond, C Marcus Henry, TE Cole Hikutini, WR Chris Lacy, DT Walter Palmore, CB Kemon Hall, LB Ladarius Hamilton, QB Cooper Rush

Denver Broncos

OT Quinn Bailey, WR Trinity Benson, WR Fred Brown, S Chris Cooper, RB Damarea Crockett, FB Jeremy Cox, WR/QB Kendall Hinton, TE Jordan Leggett, OT Darrin Paulo, DT Deyon Sizer

Houston Texans

OL Cohl Cabral, LB Curtis Bolton, LS Anthony Kukwa, CB Brandon Williams, WR J’Mon Moore, OL Beau Benzschawel

Minnesota Vikings

CB Tae Hayes, OL Zack Bailey, TE Brandon Dillon, OL Blake Brandel, FB Jake Bargas, S Luther Kirk, CB Cordrea Tankersley, QB Jake Browning, QB Nate Stanley

New England Patriots

K Roberto Aguayo, QB Jake Dolegala, DT Bill Murray, G Ross Reynolds, K Justin Rohrwasser, CB D’Angelo Ross, WR Devin Smith, DT Nick Thurman, WR Kristian Wilkerson, WR Isaiah Zuber

New York Giants

QB Alex Tanney, CB Quincy Wilson, WR Alex Bachman, LB Trent Harris, DB Montre Hartage, DB Jarren Williams, LS Carson Tinker, G Kenny Wiggins, TE Rysen John, RB Taquan Mizzell, DT David Moa, G Chad Slade, QB Clayton Thorson

New York Jets

TE Connor Davis, LB Noah Dawkins, K Sam Ficken, RB Pete Guerriero, DB Zane Lewis, WR Josh Malone, WR D.J. Montgomery, WR Jaleel Scott, QB Mike White

Philadelphia Eagles

Deontay Burnett, WR Hakeem Butler, WR Blake Countess, DT Treyvon Hester, CB Lavert Hill, RB Elijah Holyfield, CB Jameson Houston, DE Matt Leo, DE Joe Ostman

San Francisco 49ers

CB Adonis Alexander, DL Josiah Coatney, S Chris Edwards, LB Jonas Griffith, DL Daeshon Hall, CB Tim Harris Jr., FB Josh Hokit, WR Jauan Jennings, DB Obi Melifonwu, WR Austin Proehl, OL Dakoda Shepley, WR Kevin White, OL Isaiah Williams

Patriots To Release Obi Melifonwu

April 27th, 2020 at 10:58am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are cutting safety Obi Melifonwu, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The former second-round pick of the Raiders will try to get his career back on track with another team in 2020.

Melifonwu didn’t see much playing time in his first year with Oakland due to injury. He finished out his rookie year with seven tackles in five games and two separate IR stints. After his release and injury settlement, he worked out for the Cowboys, Chiefs, Saints, and other clubs before hooking on with the Pats. Now that the Patriots are putting him back on the curb, those other clubs could revisit the safety as a low-cost and low-risk addition to the 90-man roster.

Melifonwu spent time on the Patriots’ taxi squad last year and re-upped with the team on a futures deal in January. After the Pats used a second-round pick to select Kyle Dugger out of D-II Lenoir-Rhyne University, they didn’t have a place for the 26-year-old.